Hour by hour, he continued his cultivation, refining the energy with deliberate control. The sky began to shift—dark blues turning to pale purples and pinks as dawn approached. The city stirred faintly below.
Then—suddenly—Gao Tian's eyes snapped open.
A roar of spiritual energy erupted from his body, the roof beneath him trembling slightly from the pressure. Wind swirled around him as the power burst outward.
His aura surged.
Behind Gao Tian, ten crimson orbs materialized, circling in a slow, ominous rhythm. One orb pulsed more fiercely than the rest—its energy surged, rising from 5% to 6% completion.
From the First Layer of Foundation Establishment… directly to the Third.
A double breakthrough.
His breath came slower now, more steady, as he looked at his hands.
Foundation Establishment – Third Layer. That went smoother than I expected.
Far across the city, within the City Lord's Mansion, two figures appeared high above the rooftops. They stood silently, their robes fluttering in the early morning breeze.
One of them was the lord of Sen City, Sen Zhuo.
The other was Elder Tong Men of the Third Branch Of Pill Tower—his sharp eyes narrowing as he sensed the spiritual energy tremors radiating faintly from afar.
"It came from that direction," Elder Tong Men said, pointing with a finger glowing faintly with qi.
Sen Zhuo frowned. "Roasted Inn…"
They both vanished from the sky a heartbeat later—headed toward the source of the disturbance.
Inside Roasted Inn – Morning
Shu Yu's eyes fluttered open as the soft rays of morning sunlight filtered through the window. She blinked a few times, then sat up slightly.
"So he broke through… great," she murmured with a faint smile.
Without another word, she lay back down, wrapped her arms around the curled-up Ruler Dog, and drifted off to sleep again, the little beast snuggling warmly in her embrace.
---
Rooftop of the Roasted Inn
On the rooftop, Gao Tian rose slowly from his meditative posture. He stretched his arms overhead, yawning as the morning breeze brushed past his face.
So… it's already morning.
He turned toward the window of his room, preparing to leap down. But just as he took a step, a voice echoed behind him.
"Are you the one who just broke through?"
Gao Tian halted and turned his head calmly. Two figures hovered in the air above the inn, their robes rippling with spiritual energy. One of them had a commanding presence, his sharp eyes observing Gao Tian with scrutiny.
Gao Tian looked up and said casually, "Yeah, that was me. So what? You here to fight?"
A chuckle escaped from the man in the golden robe—Sen Zhuo, the City Lord of Sen City.
"Hahaha! Bold words for a mere youth."
As he spoke, he released his spiritual pressure, sending a wave of energy down toward Gao Tian with the intent to force him to his knees.
Sen Zhuo was no ordinary cultivator—he was at the Golden Core – Fifth Layer.
The air thickened. Tiles trembled beneath Gao Tian's feet.
Yet—he stood firm.
Gao Tian's body remained upright, his expression unreadable, his own spiritual energy subtly flaring around him to resist the overwhelming force. His bones ached and his internal organs strained under the weight of the pressure, but he showed no sign of faltering.
This old freak is powerful… but I won't let him see my weakness.
Sen Zhuo's eyes narrowed.
"You're still standing?"
He retracted his pressure with a faint chuckle, masking the surprise in his voice.
From beside him, the other figure—an elderly man with a long white beard and calm demeanor—spoke for the first time.
"Brother Sen, don't be reckless. He's still just a boy."
Gao Tian narrowed his eyes, watching them closely.
So the one on the left must be the City Lord. But who's this other guy? Let's see if they introduce themselves.
The white-bearded man descended from the sky and landed lightly on the rooftop, facing Gao Tian with a respectful nod.
"I apologize for his behavior," he said warmly. "I am Tong Men, Elder of the Third Branch of the Pill Tower."
Another powerful figure. His cultivation was clearly on par with the City Lord.
A moment later, Sen Zhuo descended beside him, his previous arrogance gone.
"I believe you've already guessed who I am," he said with a slight smile. "I am Sen Zhuo, City Lord of Sen City. I also owe you an apology for my earlier conduct."
With that, Sen Zhuo reached into his spiritual ring and retrieved a small porcelain bottle. Inside was a single jade-green pill that emitted a faint, fragrant aura.
"Please accept this as a sincere token of apology," he said, offering the pill.
Gao Tian took it without hesitation.
"It's fine," he replied simply.
This is a healing pill… high-grade too. It'll help me recover from the internal injuries I just took.
He gave the two men a respectful nod, though his eyes lingered slightly longer on Tong Men.
Elder of the Pill Tower, huh… From what I remember, the Pill Tower is one of the major factions in this world. Their influence is not to be underestimated.
Gao Tian raised his eyebrows slightly and asked, "So, why are two powerful figures personally here to see me?"
Tong Men, the elder from Pill Tower's Third Branch, smiled warmly. "Oh, we simply sensed a powerful aura. I assumed someone was about to break through to the Golden Core Realm."
Sen Zhuo chuckled and continued, "But then we found you here—Foundation Establishment, Third Layer. I must ask... are you hiding your cultivation?"
Gao Tian met their gaze, his expression calm as he slipped the jade pill bottle into his spiritual ring.
"How could I hide my cultivation from seniors like you?" he replied evenly.
Tong Men laughed heartily. "Hahaha! You're quite an interesting boy. That's enough for now. Let's go, Brother Sen. We've seen what we needed."
With a nod, Sen Zhuo turned. "Hmm. Indeed."
The two figures soared back into the air, flying swiftly toward the City Lord's Mansion.
As soon as they vanished into the distance, Gao Tian's knees buckled slightly. He clutched his side and spat out a mouthful of blood.
"Ah... that hurt," he muttered under his breath.
I managed to endure the pressure from that Golden Core expert, but it left internal damage. That old freak's aura isn't something I can just shrug off yet.
Turning back toward the window, he leapt down silently into the room.
Inside, the soft glow of dawn filtered through the window curtains. Shu Yu was still asleep on the bed, hugging Ruler Dog like a pillow. Gao Tian glanced at her, wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand, and quietly sat near the window.
He retrieved the pill bottle given by Sen Zhuo from his ring, uncorked it, and swallowed the pill inside.
Closing his eyes, he began to circulate his spiritual energy, guiding the healing properties of the pill through his meridians. Gradually, the internal injuries started to mend.
I need to heal quickly. The city's competition will begin the moment the sun rises.
Moments passed in silence.
Then, from behind, Shu Yu stirred. Her delicate fingers clutched at Ruler Dog, and she yawned softly, her eyes opening halfway. Her gaze settled on Gao Tian, sitting quietly near the window.
Is he stabilizing his cultivation?
She blinked once, then suddenly narrowed her eyes.
No… something's wrong. He's injured.
A faint trace of blood lingered on his sleeve.
Shu Yu sat up slightly, still cradling Ruler Dog. Her eyes grew serious as she watched Gao Tian silently heal.
How did he get hurt? What happened after he went to the rooftop?
A few minutes passed in silence. Then, Gao Tian slowly opened his eyes, the healing energy having settled within him. His gaze drifted around the room—and landed on Shu Yu, who was standing beside the bed, watching him intently with her calm but piercing eyes.
Why is she staring at me like that? he thought, puzzled.
Shu Yu cradled the sleeping Ruler Dog in her arms, her voice quiet but firm.
"What happened when you were cultivating?"
Gao Tian stood up from where he sat near the window and stretched slightly.
"Nothing," he said casually. "Now let's go. We'll be late for the competition."
Did she notice I was injured?
But Shu Yu wasn't convinced. Her brows furrowed slightly as she stepped forward.
"What happened?" she asked again, her tone more insistent. "Tell me."
Gao Tian scratched the back of his head, forcing a chuckle.
"Seriously, nothing happened. Don't worry about it." He turned toward the door. "Let's go. We don't want to miss the start."
Shu Yu paused, clearly not satisfied, but she didn't press further.
"Fine. Let's go."
Without another word, they moved toward the room's door. Ruler Dog remained curled up in Shu Yu's arms, still fast asleep.
The two stepped out of the inn and joined the slow-moving crowd. The streets of Sen City were already buzzing with activity. Dozens of cultivators, young and old, were making their way toward the City Lord's Mansion—the venue of today's grand competition.