An hour later, the last bit of cold air in his body was forced out.
Xiao Yan exhaled a long breath of turbid air, which condensed into a visible white ribbon in the air. It struck the screen three feet away and actually formed a thin layer of frost on the silk surface of the screen.
"That chilling palm strike is quite vicious."
Xiao Yan muttered to himself.
"If an ordinary Dou Emperor were to suffer such a blow, it would indeed be difficult for them to recover in less than ten days to half a month. Unfortunately, I have an innate resistance to Yin and Cold."
He closed his eyes again, not rushing to stop, but letting his Soul Power continue to circulate in his meridians.
He had been stuck at level 54 for more than two months, and the Soul Power in his dantian had long been accumulated to the point of breaking through, but he was just lacking an opportunity.
And now is the best opportunity.
Between life and death lies both great terror and great opportunity.
After being extremely strained, the meridians are replenished, and after being depleted, the dantian is filled again. This period of emptiness and fullness presents an excellent opportunity for advancement in cultivation.
Xiao Yan took out three pills and swallowed them in turn.
Once the elixir entered the abdomen, it transformed into a powerful medicinal force that surged into the meridians.
His dantian was like a sponge, frantically absorbing the medicinal power.
The speed at which the Soul Power circulated increased, and waves of throbbing pain came from the meridians. That was the feeling of the Soul Power being filled to the extreme and the meridians being stretched to their limit.
Right now.
Xiao Yan suddenly activated his Soul Power, creating a delicate balance within his body.
His meridians were being torn apart with pain, but Xiao Yan gritted his teeth and didn't utter a single groan.
Half an hour later, he suddenly felt a jolt within his body, as if some kind of shackle had been broken.
The meridians suddenly widened by three-tenths, and the space in the dantian also expanded accordingly. Soul Power surged into the new meridian space like a flood breaking through a dam, and its circulation speed increased dramatically, becoming faster and faster.
Level 55, achieved!
"Level 55..."
Xiao Yan clenched his fist, feeling the surging power within him, and nodded in satisfaction.
With his Mid-Stage Soul King Soul Power, the amplification from two Heavenly Flames, and the enhancement from Earth Tier Dou Technique, his current actual combat strength should reach the level of Seven-Star Dou Huang.
Furthermore, with the Soul Bone's ultimate strike—the absolute defense-breaking power of the Immaculate Realm —it wouldn't be without a fighting chance even against Peak Dou Emperor.
However, Dou Zong...
Thinking back to the terrifying power of Tianya City, he understood that Dou Zong was far beyond his current capabilities to contend with.
Xiao Yan stepped out of the room and went to the courtyard to adjust to the new power he had gained after his breakthrough.
As the fist passed, bamboo leaves fluttered, and the bluestone slabs on the ground were pressed into fine cracks by the force of the fist.
"Young Master Tang has excellent boxing skills."
A soft voice came from the courtyard gate.
Lin Wan'er stood there holding a tray with several plates of pastries on it.
She wore a light green shirt today, and her hair was casually tied up with a silver hairpin, making her look even more elegant than last night.
"What's the matter?" Xiao Yan asked, putting down his fist.
"It's nothing serious."
Lin Wan'er walked into the courtyard and placed the tray on the stone table.
"I was just thinking you didn't eat much for breakfast and must be hungry now. I had the kitchen make some snacks for you to try."
Xiao Yan sat down on the stone bench, picked up a piece of osmanthus cake and put it in his mouth. The cake had a delicate texture and was sweet but not cloying; it was indeed made with care.
"Is it good?" Lin Wan'er sat down opposite him, resting her chin on her hands as she looked at him.
Xiao Yan nodded and did not eat any more.
A smile appeared in Lin Wan'er's eyes, but it quickly faded.
"Young Master Tang..." She bit her lip, "Do you think the Yellow Springs Pavilion will send anyone else?"
"Meeting."
Lin Wan'er's fingers twisted together. "Then, can you beat him?"
Xiao Yan took a bite of the pastry and said calmly, "Who knows..."
Lin Wan'er was stunned, clearly not expecting this answer.
"Young Master Tang is joking."
She forced a smile, then lowered her head and fell silent.
Xiao Yan put down the pastries in his hand and looked at Lin Wan'er: "Are you worried about your father?"
Lin Wan'er nodded gently:
"My mother passed away early, and my father raised me from a young age. If it weren't for Young Master Tang yesterday, we probably would already be..."
"I can only do my best." Xiao Yan picked up his teacup and took a sip.
"Although I am not a good person, all I seek is to have a clear conscience. However, the Yellow Springs Pavilion Yellow Springs Pavilion is powerful, and with my strength, I cannot deal with it. I can only do my best."
Moreover, if things become impossible, I will leave.
Xiao Yan did not righteously declare that he would take care of everything.
He had no relation to the Lin Clan; in fact, he was Lin Clan benefactor. His intervention was already more than enough.
He couldn't possibly sacrifice himself for the Lin Clan.
He still has people waiting for him, and things left unfinished.
Lin Wan'er's eyes were slightly red. She stood up and bowed deeply to Xiao Yan: "Thank you, Young Master Tang."
Xiao Yan waved his hand. "No need for formalities. You should go back and rest."
Lin Wan'er curtsied again before turning to leave.
As she walked out of the courtyard, she paused at the door, glanced back at Xiao Yan, her lips moved as if she wanted to say something, but in the end she didn't speak, and hurriedly left Qingzhu Pavilion with her head down.
Xiao Yan watched her leave, then stuffed the last piece of osmanthus cake into his mouth, chewed it twice, and swallowed it.
He toyed with the teacup in his hand, his gaze slightly cold.
Xiao Yan sat down cross-legged, continuing to circulate his Soul Power to consolidate today's breakthrough, while simultaneously sensing the movements of the outside world.
Lin Zhenshan quietly left the house again in the evening.
This time, he didn't even wear a straw hat. He slipped out of the back gate of the Lin residence and quickly walked along the shadows at the base of the wall.
The sun had already set below the city walls, and the sky was half-light and half-dark, the time when visibility was at its lowest.
He deliberately chose to walk through alleys, winding his way through several turns, until he finally arrived at an inconspicuous old house.
The old house's blue brick walls were covered with vines, the paint on the doors was peeling and mottled, and the stone steps at the entrance were covered with a thick layer of dust.
Anyone passing by would assume it's a long-abandoned, empty house.
But Lin Zhenshan knew that there was a hidden world beneath this house.
He reached out and pushed open the wooden door. With a creak, the door opened inward, revealing a dark passageway.
At the end of the passageway was a downward stone staircase. Every ten steps along the walls on either side of the staircase hung an oil lamp, its wick burning with a ghostly green flame, illuminating the passageway as if it were a ghostly realm.
Lin Zhenshan strode down the stone steps and arrived at an iron gate.
Above the iron gate hung a black plaque with a large, blood-red character engraved on it: "Huang".
The Yellow Springs.
Lin Zhenshan straightened his clothes, took a deep breath, and knocked on the door three times.
The iron gate opened from the inside, and standing behind it was the same gaunt old man from before.
"The messenger is waiting for you inside." The gaunt old man stepped aside.
Lin Zhenshan strode through the iron gate, which led to a spacious underground hall.
The walls of the hall were covered with black curtains embroidered with skull patterns. In the center of the hall was a long table with a map spread out on it, marked with vermilion marks indicating the distribution of all the forces surrounding Tianbei City.
A man dressed in a black robe stood in front of the map, his back to the door.
He was tall and imposing, his black robe embroidered with yellow skull patterns, and he exuded a chilling aura that sent shivers down one's spine.
Behind him stood four assassins, all dressed in black robes, each with a skull embroidered on their collar—the insignia of the elite of the Yellow Springs Pavilion.
Upon seeing this scene, Lin Zhenshan was both surprised and delighted.
Judging from the aura of this man in black robes, he was clearly not comparable to the previous envoy.
This person's aura was as deep as an abyss; just by standing there, the temperature in the entire hall dropped several degrees. He was undoubtedly Protector Blood Hand Yin Li.
"Greetings, Protector." Lin Zhenshan knelt on one knee, his voice trembling slightly—not from fear, but from excitement.
The man in black robes slowly turned around.
This was a face in his forties, with a sinister expression, high cheekbones, and a dark red crack between his brows, as if cleaved by a blade, or like a closed vertical eye. Those eyes were devoid of warmth, looking at people as if they were dead.
Yin Li.
Blood Hand Yin Li.
One of the guardians of the Yellow Springs Pavilion in the Northern Province, the Seven-Star Dou Huang.
The list of powerful individuals who died under the " Blood Hand Seal " could be quite long.
It is said that when he was young, in order to cultivate the Blood Hand Seal, he once slaughtered an entire village in one night and refined the blood of all the villagers into his palm.