The Festival? The Xie Household's Ambition!

Xie An had barely returned to the Xie Residence with Chen Mo and the other two when he heard the servants discussing the festival on the twenty-third day of the tenth month.

It seemed word had already spread.

Xie An paid them no mind and went straight back to the main room in the West Courtyard.

He opened the panel to the second-stage cultivation formula for the Great Sun Baleful Force Art.

Temper Baleful Intent with the blazing sun; bring forth Nascent Baleful Flame.

Using his own yang energy and sunlight, he would refine the Baleful Seed into Baleful Solar Flame.

Once he mastered it, Astral Flame would circulate throughout his body. When he activated the art, his skin would redden and his body would grow hot enough to burn anyone who touched him.

"Ten Thousand Questions, estimate how many vital energy units it'll take to implant the second stage, Nascent Baleful Flame."

[Estimating...]

[Estimate complete: Implanting the second stage of the Great Sun Baleful Force Art requires 2.2 vital energy units]

The same as the first stage?

"Implant the second stage of the Great Sun Baleful Force Art!"

Time flew by. Half a month passed in the blink of an eye.

Winter had arrived, and each day grew colder than the last.

Today was the twenty-third day of the tenth month.

Dawn had barely broken, and thick white frost covered the ground of the Xie Residence's West Courtyard.

Chen Mo, Li Dao, and Zhou Ji stood outside the pondside pavilion in fitted fighting clothes, weapons at their sides.

Inside stood a tall young man draped in snow-white fox fur, his hands behind his back as he gazed toward Laojun Mountain beyond the city.

Compared with half a month ago, the young man had grown noticeably taller.