Countless tiny black whirlpools surged violently toward his dantian.

Tang Yan felt as if billions of ants were gnawing away at his core. A searing pain drilled into his nerves, forcing sweat to bead on his forehead. His brows knitted tightly as he struggled to endure the agony.

"Puff! Puff! Puff!"

Inside his dantian, the countless swirling vortexes wreaked havoc, causing sharp cracking noises. The escalating pain nearly made Tang Yan lose consciousness.

Biting the tip of his tongue, he forced himself to stay awake. He knew this was the Expanding Spirit Pill restructuring his dantian. If he failed to endure, his dantian would be completely ruined. But if he survived, he would break through his limits and achieve a Whirlpool Dantian!

"Puff! Puff! Puff!" His dantian kept breaking apart as the tiny whirlpools began merging in pairs, forming larger and larger vortexes. Each fusion intensified the destruction, sending waves of unbearable pain through his body. His limbs trembled violently, and several times, he came close to giving up.

Time crawled by, second by second. He had no idea how long it had been when, finally, the last two massive vortexes started merging. As their reach expanded to every corner of his dantian, the pain peaked to an excruciating level.

"Merge!" Tang Yan roared in his heart.

BOOM!

His entire body shuddered violently as the two final vortexes fused into one, spinning wildly.

At that moment, his dantian sent him an unexpected signal—hunger.

It was starving for energy!

At the same time, the ancient cauldron deep within his dantian emitted a radiant glow. Countless streams of spiritual energy surged from its surface, rapidly replenishing his dantian.

When Tang Yan opened his eyes again, his body felt brimming with power. He hurriedly examined his dantian and was astonished—it had transformed into a vast whirlpool, continuously spinning!

Though his cultivation level remained at Huang Rank Six, his true energy reserves had soared, likely rivaling a Huang Rank Seven or even Eight cultivator.

A faint smile appeared on his lips as he stepped outside.

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The Mid-Autumn Grand Assembly was set for the evening. Tang Yan practiced the Extreme Six Forms a few times, marveling at the difference. Previously, he could only complete twenty cycles before exhaustion, but now, despite having the same cultivation level, he could push through twenty-five!

After his training, he was summoned to the main hall by his grandfather.

At this moment, all the senior members of the Tang family were gathered. Tang Yan scanned the room and spotted Zi Yun seated among them. She cast him a smug glance, as if silently taunting him.

“Greetings, Grandfather.” Tang Yan maintained proper etiquette, stepping forward to pay his respects.

“No need for formalities. Take a seat,” the old patriarch waved his hand. Once Tang Yan was settled, he spoke, “Tonight is the Mid-Autumn Assembly. Our Tang family lacks numbers, with only you and Yan Jun representing the younger generation. There will certainly be challengers targeting us. How do you all propose we handle this?”

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A middle-aged man spoke gravely, “Our juniors are currently weaker than those from other families. If they participate, they will only suffer humiliation. However, the Tang family still holds the fourth-ranking position in Yun City. Even if we withdraw from the tournament, no one would dare truly challenge our standing.”

Another elder, Tang Shengping, who managed the family’s textile business in the west district, frowned. “That may work temporarily, but if we refuse to compete for three years in a row, our prestige in Yun City will plummet. The families loyal to us might lose confidence, dealing a severe blow to the Tang family’s foundation.”

Many in the hall shot Tang Yan disdainful glances.

If you weren’t so weak, would the Tang family have to suffer humiliation every year?

Sensing the heavy atmosphere, Uncle Mo interjected, “The young master possesses rare talent. Even after his dantian was crippled, he still managed to reach Yuan Rank Eight. Though this isn’t considered strong, his growth rate is remarkable. I suggest we forfeit the martial competition and let Yan Jun handle the matches. He should focus on defeating challengers from lesser families. If members of the four great families issue challenges, Yan Jun can simply ignore them.”

The elders nodded in agreement—this seemed like the safest course of action.

Suddenly, Zi Yun let out a chuckle.

Her soft laughter immediately caught everyone’s attention.

“Miss Zi, what do you find amusing?” The Tang family patriarch raised an eyebrow, curious.

Zi Yun smiled, her voice light but carrying a shocking revelation.

“Tang Yan’s cultivation has already reached Huang Rank Six. He has every right to compete for the title of the strongest among the younger generation. Why do you all look so worried?”

The hall fell into dead silence.

"Crack!"

The teacup in the patriarch’s hand shattered as he squeezed it too hard. Scalding tea spilled over his fingers, yet he didn’t seem to notice.

His voice trembled slightly. “Miss Zi… are you certain?”

All eyes turned to Zi Yun. Though most of them didn’t know her background, they had been instructed by the patriarch to treat her with the utmost respect. If she commanded such reverence from the Tang family head, her identity was clearly extraordinary.

But her claim… was simply too unbelievable!

Tang Yan, that good-for-nothing wastrel, had barely managed to scrape together a Yuan Rank Eight cultivation. And now, out of nowhere, he was Huang Rank Six?!

“If you doubt me, you can simply ask Tang Yan himself,” Zi Yun replied casually, not hesitating to expose him.

The patriarch’s expression turned serious. “Yan’er, speak honestly. What is your current level?”

Tang Yan glared at Zi Yun, knowing he could no longer keep his strength hidden. He sighed, then released his dantian’s aura.

A surge of pure, refined energy spread across the hall.

The patriarch’s body shook. His eyes were filled with disbelief.

There was no mistaking it—this was the energy of a Huang Rank Six cultivator!

The other elders, though varying in strength, could all sense the sheer force radiating from Tang Yan. One by one, their expressions shifted from skepticism to utter shock.

Since when did this supposed “good-for-nothing” possess such terrifying power?

Zi Yun, however, kept quiet about one thing—Tang Yan’s ability to defeat opponents above his rank.

One, she wanted him to keep that trump card hidden.

Two, admitting she had lost to someone at the same level was far too humiliating.

“It’s true! Huang Rank Six!”

The old patriarch’s emotions surged uncontrollably, tears nearly spilling from his eyes.

For years, he had gone from having high hopes for his grandson to bitter disappointment. He had long accepted Tang Yan’s fate as a cripple.

Yet now, Tang Yan had climbed to Huang Rank Six without receiving a single elixir or special resource from the family!

The amount of hardship he must have endured to achieve this…

Recalling Tang Yan’s grueling training sessions, the old patriarch could no longer hold back. His eyes grew misty with emotion.

“Excellent! Absolutely excellent! The heavens are watching over the Tang family!” he exclaimed, slamming his palm against the table in excitement.

Uncle Mo chuckled. “I was worried about Yan Jun carrying all the pressure of the tournament. But now, with the young master joining, securing our family’s reputation is practically guaranteed.”

Everyone let out a sigh of relief.

And when they looked at Tang Yan again, their gazes held no trace of contempt—only admiration and respect.