The early morning mist had yet to fully dissipate. On the Inner Hall training grounds, Fang Han slowly relaxed his posture, the qi and blood circulating through his body gradually settling.
An aura, far more condensed and explosive than before, naturally emanated from him.
He looked down, feeling a resilience and power emanating from deep within his muscles that far surpassed the Early Stage of Flesh Refining. An intense joy nearly burst from his chest.
'It only took a little over a month!'
From first entering the Flesh Refining Realm to reaching the Middle Stage of Flesh Refining, it had taken him just over a month in total.
To be precise, it had been one month and five days.
Such a rate of advancement was absolutely astonishing, even among the talented Inner Hall Descendants.
All of this was thanks to the benefits of his double Root Bone Amplification.
With the double Root Bone Amplification, it was as if he had been completely reborn.
'A double Root Bone Amplification already has such an effect. If I could activate the Level 2 Amplification…'
A strong sense of anticipation and longing surged within Fang Han.
A double Root Bone Amplification already had such a heaven-defying effect. If he could activate the Level 2 Root Bone Amplification and obtain an even higher multiplier...
How absurd would his Cultivation speed become then?
[Host: Fang Han]
[Root Bone Talent Amplification: 2x (Level 2 Amplification requires 100 silver)]
[Swordsmanship Talent Amplification: 2x (Level 2 Amplification requires 100 silver)]
[Wealth: 0]
He called out in his mind, and the system panel appeared in his line of sight.
'100 silver.'
When his gaze fell on the glaring text "Level 2 Amplification requires 100 silver" next to [Root Bone Talent Amplification], the fervor in his eyes instantly cooled, as if doused with cold water.
One hundred taels of silver!
His entire savings currently amounted to only twenty-seven taels.
Even if he received his five-tael monthly allowance without fail and spent none of it, it would still take a full fifteen months to save up enough.
With no income besides his monthly allowance, there was no way for him to activate the Level 2 Root Bone Amplification anytime soon.
'My current rate of progress is already exceptional. I can't be too greedy...'
Fang Han exhaled a long breath and prepared to practice his swordsmanship, hoping to acclimate to his newly surged strength.
However, when he looked up, he found several pairs of eyes pinned on him, filled with utter disbelief and shock.
They belonged to the others from his batch who had entered the Inner Hall at the same time.
"Mi-Middle Stage of Flesh Refining? I'm not mistaken, am I?"
A disciple from the same batch asked with a trembling voice, nudging his companion.
"How long ago... did he even reach the Flesh Refining Realm? It's... it's only been a little over a month, right?"
Fang Chen's face paled, and his voice was dry.
He was still floundering in the Early Stage of Flesh Refining, with the Middle Stage a distant dream. Yet the guy who had once been at the very bottom of their group had silently crossed that threshold, leaving him far behind in the dust.
The lingering resentment and humiliation from the Martial Arts Stele test had now completely morphed into a gaping sense of disparity and powerlessness.
Fang Tao was utterly devastated, his grip on his sword hilt weakening.
He had yet to recover from the shock of Fang Han achieving Minor Achievement in his swordsmanship just a few days ago, and now Fang Han's cultivation Realm had broken through as well.
The blows came one after another, completely extinguishing any thought he had of catching up.
"Middle Stage of Flesh Refining..."
Even Fang Lin, who had always maintained a detached and even somewhat superior air, found the composure on his face vanishing without a trace.
His sharp eyes were locked onto Fang Han, a flicker of shock, suspicion, and deep apprehension flashing through their depths.
He had already been at the Middle Stage of Flesh Refining when he entered the Inner Hall. After this period of Cultivation, he felt he was on the verge of breaking through to the Late Stage of Flesh Refining at any moment.
He had thought himself the undisputed front-runner of his cohort, that no one else in his batch could possibly threaten him.
But in just over a month, Fang Han had leaped from the Early Stage of Flesh Refining to the Middle Stage.
That speed was simply beyond comprehension!
Even he had taken nearly three months to get from the Early Stage to the Middle Stage.
'Doesn't this mean that at his current pace, Fang Han might catch up to me, or even surpass me?'
For the first time, a sense of crisis washed over him.
The way he looked at Fang Han was no longer condescending and indifferent, but instead held a new gravity and wariness.
'This once-inconspicuous guy from a side branch has, without me even noticing, become my most dangerous potential rival!'
Fang Han's expression remained calm; he showed no hint of smugness at the others' shock.
He simply gave a slight nod in acknowledgment before turning, walking to the weapon rack, and picking up a Fine Iron Longsword.
HUMMM—
With a light flick of his wrist, the longsword let out a clear, resonant hum.
He began to practice the Minor Achievement Qingfeng Sword Technique. The light from his blade flowed seamlessly, like quicksilver spreading across the ground, embodying both agility and deadly precision.
He was immersed in the world of his swordsmanship, as if the complex gazes of those around him did not exist.
'On the path of the Martial Dao, to not advance is to fall behind. The double Talent Amplification is great, but I can't allow myself to become complacent because of it!'
As his resolve hardened, Fang Han's Sword Techniques grew sharper still. The sound of his blade cleaving the air seemed to carry the determination to cut through any obstacle in his path.
...
Fang Lin watched the effortlessly fluid figure in the center of the grounds, his expression unreadable. Finally, he silently turned and walked toward his own usual training spot.
This time, however, his movements as he settled into his stance were noticeably more deliberate, and every breath he took was filled with an unprecedented level of focus.
An invisible, competitive pressure had quietly begun to permeate this corner of the Inner Hall.
...
Time passed in a blur of immersive Cultivation, and before anyone knew it, the end of the year had arrived.
One morning, Elder Fang Yuan, who was rarely seen in the Martial Hall, made an appearance.
He issued a summons, gathering a total of sixty-one Martial Hall disciples—including Fang Han and the rest of the new batch—to the courtyard of the Martial Arts Stele.
"The year's end is upon us. The family will grant this year's rewards based on your rankings on the Martial Arts Stele and any changes to those rankings over the past year."
Though Elder Fang Yuan's voice was not loud, his words, spoken from beneath his green robes, struck everyone's hearts like the toll of an ancient bell.
'The annual Martial Arts Stele re-test is finally here!'
Upon hearing Elder Fang Yuan's words, the eyes of the older Inner Hall Descendants lit up, especially those ranked outside the top ten who felt they had made significant progress this year.
Ordinarily, only the top ten disciples were eligible for extra monthly rewards.
Those ranked outside the top ten received no extra rewards besides their fixed monthly allowance.
The annual Martial Arts Stele re-test was their only opportunity to earn additional rewards.
"A re-test on the Martial Arts Stele?"
Fang Lin and the other new disciples exchanged glances. They had been tested not long ago, so they didn't expect their rankings to change much and showed little reaction.
'Rewards based on rank... and change in rank?'
Among the new disciples, Fang Han's reaction was by far the strongest.
Since entering the Inner Hall, he had first reached Minor Achievement in his swordsmanship and then broken through to the Middle Stage of Flesh Refining. With such a significant increase in strength, his ranking was bound to change dramatically.
He was therefore filled with anticipation for this sudden re-test on the Martial Arts Stele.