Body Refining Realm Fourth Level

The Yang Family Patriarch racked his brains, yet he still could not figure out which genius Li Youyan admired. But even if he cracked his head open, he likely would never have guessed that the person Li Youyan was hinting at was none other than the "Yang Chen" he had just dismissed.

Li Youyan intended to cooperate with the Yang Family, which possessed an alchemist-physician. More precisely, he wanted to cooperate with Yang Chen. To build a good relationship with Yang Chen, he had truly gone to great lengths. Since it was inconvenient for him to approach Yang Chen alone, he sought out the Yang Family Patriarch and indirectly tried to befriend Yang Chen.

From the bottom of his heart, he believed Yang Chen was a genius secretly nurtured by the Yang Family. The reason he appeared so useless was entirely an effect the Yang Family had deliberately created, so that he could remain silent until one cry astonished all. But how could he have known that Yang Chen held no status at all within the Yang Family?

Thus, this farce came to be.

Naturally, Yang Chen knew nothing about any of this.

Second Master Yang was now filled with frustration over this matter. Although he had not lost his temper before the Yang Family Patriarch, that did not mean he had no anger in his heart.

"Alas, Yang Chen, even I did not expect this to happen. Though the Patriarch usually values alchemy less than martial arts, he should not have looked down on it to such an extent," Second Master Yang sighed bitterly.

Yang Chen was equally puzzled, but he appeared far calmer than Second Master Yang. He had weathered too many storms in his previous life to be so easily brought down. Smiling, he said, "Second Master, perhaps Yang Chen's fortune is not sufficient yet."

Second Master Yang was startled to see that Yang Chen showed no sign of being affected. "Yang Chen, I had originally planned to console you, but I never expected you not to take it to heart at all."

Yang Chen said calmly, "Second Master, when Yang Chen lost that wagered duel and even briefly entertained thoughts of suicide, he came to a sudden awakening after his failed attempt. This junior will no longer be so easily struck down."

"Good, well said! Life is built through bumps and bruises. Who goes through an entire lifetime without failures? It is best that you can see through it like this. Past failures will only make you more mature and temper your mind into walls of bronze and ramparts of iron. Compared to you, what the other young members of the Yang Family lack is failure." Second Master Yang sighed with deep emotion.

He spoke the truth. Every one of those young masters in the Yang Family was arrogantly overbearing, with no one in their eyes. What they lacked was failure.

Everyone needed failure, yet too many members of the Yang Family had never experienced it.

Only failure could allow a person to rise reborn from the flames and leap over the Dragon Gate like a fish!

Although Yang Chen had not gained the Yang Family Patriarch's recognition, in Second Master Yang's eyes, he remained an uncut jade with limitless potential. After hearing those words just now, Second Master Yang's eyes shone brightly. "Yang Chen, though you have not gained the Patriarch's recognition, I will never treat you unfairly. If the clan will not give you resources, then I will!"

"Second Master, that will not do." Yang Chen was quite surprised and hurriedly refused.

"Yang Chen, there is no need for you to refuse. The Patriarch's contempt for you today is, in a sense, related to this old man as well. Consider this my compensation to you, so that I may feel better in my heart. Do not decline any further." Second Master Yang's tone brooked no refusal.

Seeing that Second Master Yang had made up his mind, Yang Chen could only nod and accept.

He could tell that Second Master Yang truly felt immensely guilty about what had happened earlier.

Very soon, Second Master Yang brought out a large quantity of alchemy materials to provide Yang Chen with an excellent environment for refining pills, as compensation to Yang Chen.

Yang Chen did not refuse. After receiving these resources, he returned home and made a clear plan for how to use them.

He did not intend to use the heavenly treasures Second Master Yang had given him immediately. Instead, he planned to wait until the materials from the Li Family Commerce Association had been gathered and delivered.

According to his current calculations, with Second Master Yang's resources added to those from the Li Family Commerce Association, the medicinal bath he could make with his methods would be enough to raise him instantly to around the Body Refining Realm Fourth Level. Unfortunately, resources were scarce. If he had enough resources, he could do even better.

"Now is not the time to be hasty. I can only wait until the Li Family Commerce Association's resources arrive." Yang Chen returned home, sat cross-legged on his bed, and began to quietly recuperate and cultivate slowly.

Yang Chen naturally trusted the Li Family Commerce Association's reputation. Within a few days, its resources arrived as promised. What surprised Yang Chen was that the Commerce Association's shopkeeper had actually been replaced. The new shopkeeper was the attendant who had respectfully received him when he last visited the Li Family Commerce Association.

That attendant could be said to have turned over a new leaf and become the master, successfully taking the position of shopkeeper for the Li Family Commerce Association. He was positively glowing with pride.

However, he had not become arrogant just because he was now shopkeeper. He knew very well that the reason the former shopkeeper, Zhao Xiaowen, had been expelled from his position was ultimately because of Yang Chen.

Thinking of this, how could the attendant dare be careless? He said, "Young Master Yang, these resources were gathered by our Commerce Association over the past few days according to your instructions. The Association ordered me to deliver them, and I now hand them over to you, Young Master Yang."

"Oh? Then I must thank Shopkeeper Liu for personally making the trip." Yang Chen had already learned the attendant's identity and name, and he spoke with a faint smile.

"I would not dare, I would not dare." How could Shopkeeper Liu dare put on airs before Yang Chen? He repeatedly lowered his head, cupped his hands, and said, "Now that the resources have been delivered, there is another matter Elder Li Youyan of the Commerce Association personally instructed me to convey. He said I was to tell Young Master Yang in person."

Yang Chen raised his brows. "Oh? What is it? Let me hear it!"

"It is like this: Elder Li Youyan will personally attend the Yang Family's Coming-of-Age Ceremony this time as well. He hopes that you can astonish everyone at this Coming-of-Age Ceremony, and take this opportunity to discuss cooperation with the Yang Family." Shopkeeper Liu lowered his voice.

Yang Chen nodded thoughtfully.

Soon, Shopkeeper Liu took his leave. Yang Chen accepted the resources and treasures, watched Shopkeeper Liu and the others depart, and silently pondered in his heart.

Before long, he gave a mute laugh. "Zhao Xiaowen was the former shopkeeper of the Li Family Commerce Association. He made things difficult for me some days ago, yet now he has been replaced..."

With his intelligence, it was not difficult for him to infer after a moment's thought that Zhao Xiaowen's removal was by no means a coincidence.

"The Li Family Commerce Association intends to befriend me." Yang Chen muttered.

If it did not harbor such intentions, why would the Li Family Commerce Association replace Zhao Xiaowen? Why would it openly discuss cooperation with the Yang Family at the Coming-of-Age Ceremony?

"It seems my identity as an alchemist-physician truly makes the Li Family Commerce Association value me greatly." Yang Chen grinned, then shook his head and turned his gaze to all the resources stored within his Storage Bag.

Looking at those resources, Yang Chen gained much more confidence. "With these resources, if I make another medicinal bath, raising my strength to the Body Refining Realm Fourth Level will be utterly effortless."

Once that thought settled in his mind, Yang Chen could not suppress his excitement. He impatiently returned home and focused all his attention on the resources sent by the Li Family Commerce Association.

Yang Chen was naturally thoroughly familiar with making medicinal baths. With resources in hand, he spent a day and a night completing the medicinal bath.

Then, he directly immersed himself in it and began the process of tempering his body with the medicinal bath.

The effects of this medicinal bath were more than ten times stronger than the last one.

Yang Chen's current cultivation was far from enough to digest all the medicinal power within the bath in a short time. Yet Yang Chen was in no hurry. As he soaked in the medicinal bath, he absorbed the medicinal power at an unhurried pace.

Time trickled away, and in the blink of an eye, seven days had passed...

On the morning of the seventh day, Yang Chen, who had been soaking in the tub, suddenly awakened. He opened his eyes, and the water in the tub splashed down with a loud crash.

Yang Chen burst into laughter. "Wonderful! The Body Refining Realm Fourth Level, and even faint signs of reaching the fifth level. Truly wonderful! This Yang Chen's aptitude has really exceeded my expectations!"

Originally, he had believed that this medicinal bath would only barely allow him to enter the Body Refining Realm Fourth Level.

Medicinal baths placed extremely high demands on one's physical aptitude. For someone unable to set foot upon the path of martial cultivation, no matter how potent the medicinal bath's effects were, it would still be useless.

Yang Chen's innate talent was already among the very best. Combined with the medicinal bath, he had directly broken through the Body Refining Realm Fourth Level barrier and even faintly approached the Body Refining Realm Fifth Level. He was truly at the Body Refining Realm Fourth Level Peak.

Reaching the Body Refining Realm Fourth Level Peak in one breath, Yang Chen was overjoyed. At the very least, this time, he truly possessed the ability to contend with others.

"The Body Refining Realm Fourth Level... I am actually looking forward to this Coming-of-Age Ceremony." Yang Chen grinned.

Having been looked at through tinted glasses for so long, no matter how good his temper was, he could not help feeling unwilling.

And at this Coming-of-Age Ceremony, he needed to make people change their view of who he was now.