Dressed in a pristine white robe, she looked like an ethereal fairy, untouched by the mortal world.

“What’s got you so happy?” Tang Yan asked, momentarily dazed before snapping back to reality.

The moment Zi Yun saw Tang Yan, the smile on her face vanished. Her sword flashed out of its sheath as she declared crisply, “Thief! Take this!”

Tang Yan was taken aback. What the hell? He barely managed to dodge the incoming blade, stumbling back a few steps before catching his breath. “Crazy woman, what’s your problem?”

“I’ve regained more of my strength. Time for a sparring session. Enough talk—I won’t be holding back!” Zi Yun responded, her aura surging as a powerful force radiated from her.

Sensing the shift in her energy, Tang Yan gasped. “Xuan Rank?!”

“You’ve got some decent perception. But don’t worry, you’re only at Huang Rank One. I’ll fight you with just Third Rank strength,” she said casually. The moment her words fell, her sword was already at his throat.

Tang Yan quickly understood—this girl had been holding a grudge since their last spar, where he had ended up suppressing her. Now, she was out to reclaim her dignity!

Well, I’ve got nothing better to do anyway. Might as well use her as a sparring partner.

And so, the two exchanged blows in the courtyard. Tang Yan limited himself to Huang Rank One, using the opportunity to refine his Flowing Cloud Sword and Phantom Step.

Zi Yun, raised in a noble martial family, possessed impeccable swordsmanship, making her a perfect training partner.

After about fifteen minutes, she realized something infuriating—despite using Third Rank strength, she was only evenly matched with Tang Yan!

“Boom!” Zi Yun’s aura flared as she directly pushed her strength to Fourth Rank.

Tang Yan’s eyes widened in exaggerated disbelief. “Come on, Miss Zi! You’re a noble lady, a former Tian Rank expert, the Third Miss of Purple Bamboo City! And yet, you’re using Fourth Rank power against someone at First Rank? That’s just shameless!”

Zi Yun’s face turned red with frustration. “Shut up! I do what I want!”

With raw power on her side, Zi Yun quickly gained the upper hand. Tang Yan found himself forced on the defensive, barely avoiding one perilous strike after another.

Yet, despite the gap in strength, she was only managing to suppress him—not win outright.

As their swords clashed, Zi Yun’s thoughts raced. This bastard… his precision is unreal. Every movement is practiced, fluid, like a true master. How did a tiny place like Yun City produce someone like him?!

I refuse to believe I can’t beat him!

Gritting her teeth, she pushed her strength to Fifth Rank.

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Tang Yan groaned. “Miss Zi, this is straight-up bullying!”

“Nonsense! I’m just guiding you!” she shot back shamelessly.

Tang Yan knew when to push forward and when to retreat. Seeing her overwhelming momentum, he decided not to hold back either. With a flick of his dantian, he channeled more energy into his attacks.

Zi Yun immediately sensed the shift. “Wait… Second Rank?”

Tang Yan grinned. “Surprised? I was just hiding my strength.”

Realizing that even Fifth Rank might not be enough to completely dominate him, Zi Yun went all in—raising her strength to Seventh Rank!

In response, Tang Yan boosted himself to Fourth Rank.

Zi Yun’s eyebrow twitched. How many layers of power is this guy hiding?!

By now, she saw no point in holding back.

Forget sparring—I’ll just flatten him!

A surge of energy erupted around her as she unleashed her Xuan Rank power.

Tang Yan turned pale. “Miss Zi—Zi Yun! Sister Zi! This isn’t funny!”

“Okay, okay! I give up!”

…

Thirty minutes later, Zi Yun, finally satisfied, left with a triumphant smile.

Meanwhile, Tang Yan lay sprawled on the ground, groaning in pain. His body was covered in bruises, purple and blue all over.

“You demon! You have no honor! No ethics!” he howled weakly. “Forget about me making you any more pills!”

From a distance, Zi Yun’s voice rang back. “I’ve got one last bottle of Qi Restoration Pills. That should be enough to push me back to Di Rank. Once I need more, I’ll just come to you directly! If you refuse, well… I hope your bones are sturdy! Hmph!”

Tang Yan nearly coughed up blood. Damn it! I should never have made her that last batch of pills!

He groaned, struggling to his feet.

As brutal as the beating had been, the fight had given him plenty of insight. Zi Yun’s swordsmanship was nowhere near his own level, but her techniques were still highly refined. Being forced to fight under pressure had greatly sharpened his Flowing Cloud Sword and Phantom Step.

However, his current strength was only enough to contend with a Huang Rank Eight opponent. That still wasn’t enough insurance for tomorrow’s competition.

“The Heavenly Creation Flame… if I use it too soon, it’ll attract too much attention. It’s not something I should reveal lightly. If I could just take another step forward in my cultivation, I’d have more confidence for tomorrow.”

As he pondered, his gaze landed on a small fruit in his hand—an Abyssal Spirit Fruit.

After days of nourishing it within the Heavenly Creation Cauldron, the fruit was practically bursting with spiritual energy. Since another seedling had already sprouted, it was time to put this one to use.

Calling over Xiao Cui, he instructed her to purchase several rare medicinal ingredients.

Since this particular pill was quite rare and valuable, the auxiliary ingredients were also expensive. His savings—especially the hundred thousand taels he’d received from the Miao Dan Pharmacy—were rapidly depleting.

Inside the alchemy chamber, Tang Yan carefully summoned his alchemic flames and tossed the Abyssal Spirit Fruit into the cauldron, refining it.

After several rounds of purification, a viscous green liquid pooled within a hidden compartment of the cauldron.

One by one, he added the remaining ingredients. As the process continued, he had to repeatedly consume high-grade elixirs just to replenish his energy.

At last, Tang Yan smacked the cauldron lid, and a pitch-black pill shot out, landing neatly in his palm.

Sealing it inside a porcelain bottle, he slumped to the floor, gasping for breath.

“Damn… my strength is still too weak. Just refining a Mid-Grade Third Rank pill nearly killed me.”

Wiping the sweat from his forehead, he looked at the bottle with satisfaction and left the chamber.

By the time he returned to his room, it was already late at night.

Sitting cross-legged on his bed, he retrieved the pill. A powerful surge of energy pulsed from it, like an untamed volcano on the verge of eruption.

This was the Expanding Spirit Pill—a legendary pill that had caused numerous martial experts to fight over it in his past life.

Upon consumption, it would permanently expand one’s dantian, allowing them to store and unleash far more energy than their peers at the same level.

Without hesitation, Tang Yan swallowed the pill.

“Boom!”

A terrifying force exploded within him, flooding every inch of his body.