The night was deep. Inside Fang Han's room, the oil lamp cast a dim, yellow glow.
Fang Han's gaze was fixed on the conspicuous number on the system panel.
[Root Bone Talent Amplification: 4x (Level 3 Amplification requires 1000 silver taels)]
"Fourfold?! It didn't just increase by onefold, but directly doubled from the original twofold base?!"
The immense surprise exploded in his mind like a clap of thunder, making Fang Han's breath catch in his throat!
He had originally thought the Level 2 Amplification would just add another fold to his Root Bone Talent, reaching a threefold amplification.
He never would have imagined that the system would directly double the existing base, reaching an astonishing fourfold!
'A twofold Root Bone amplification already made my Cultivation speed far surpass that of ordinary people. What will a fourfold amplification be like?'
His heart pounded like a drum in his chest, and all of Fang Han's fatigue was swept away.
Unable to restrain himself any longer, he immediately pushed open the door and slipped silently into the cold courtyard.
Moonlight spilled like mercury on the ground, and the air was bitingly cold, yet Fang Han felt no chill at all. His heart was a blazing fire.
He assumed the stance of the Crane Form, focusing his mind and instantly sinking his consciousness into his body.
"INHALE—EXHALE—"
With deep, rhythmic breaths, he began to circulate the Pile Skill.
The moment he began, an unprecedented torrent of vital energy—so immense it made his very soul tremble—erupted without warning from the deepest parts of his limbs, bones, and flesh.
The power, heat, and density of this vital energy far surpassed what he experienced with the twofold Root Bone amplification.
"HISS—!"
Fang Han couldn't help but suck in a sharp breath. His body shook so violently he almost lost his stance.
'It's too immense! Too ferocious!'
If the vital energy from the twofold amplification was a rushing stream, then what the fourfold amplification brought was a vast, raging river.
The speed of his vital energy circulation, its total volume, and the efficiency with which it scoured his body had all undergone an earth-shattering transformation.
He could clearly "hear" his skin and flesh emit a dense CRACKLING sound, like popping beans, and a deeper HUM as they were scoured by this overwhelming river of vital energy.
That was the sound of his flesh being frantically tempered, nourished, and strengthened.
With every breath, he could feel his muscle fibers growing tougher and denser. His sense of strength shot up like bamboo shoots after a spring rain.
If the twofold Root Bone amplification had made him a minor prodigy, then the fourfold amplification now truly propelled him into the ranks of geniuses!
The improvement it brought was no longer just visible to the naked eye; it was a massive, quantum leap.
It wasn't until the early hours of the morning that Fang Han, still wanting more, ended his Cultivation.
The feeling of his strength rapidly increasing was simply too wonderful.
'Going by the current pattern of multiplication, if I activate the Level 3 Amplification, won't the multiplier reach eightfold?'
Lying back on his bed, Fang Han's thoughts inevitably turned to the Level 3 Amplification.
If the Level 3 Amplification really was as he predicted, reaching an eightfold multiplier, he couldn't imagine how exaggerated his Cultivation speed would become.
Unfortunately, Level 3 Amplification required a full one thousand silver taels, a sum he could by no means gather in a short amount of time.
Still, the enormous cost was understandable. After all, such a multiplication factor was simply too outrageous.
Time flew by as Fang Han lost himself in his Cultivation.
「A few days later, on the day before the Martial Hall's holiday ended.」
Fang Han was practicing his Pile Skill in the courtyard as usual. The terrifying vital energy from his fourfold Root Bone amplification surged powerfully, washing over his body again and again, seemingly without end.
Suddenly!
"BUZZ—!"
A low rumble, like muffled thunder, resonated from within his body!
The muscles all over his body began to tremble uncontrollably at a high frequency, as if countless tough bowstrings had been plucked at once.
A sense of power far more formidable and explosive than when he broke through to the Middle Stage of Flesh Refining erupted from within him, like a dormant volcano suddenly blowing its top.
He had reached the Late Stage of Flesh Refining!
'From the Middle Stage of Flesh Refining... to the Late Stage of Flesh Refining... in just over half a month?!'
Fang Han's eyes were filled with astonishment and a hint of disbelief.
It had taken him over a month to go from the Early Stage of Flesh Refining to the Middle Stage of Flesh Refining.
But from the Middle Stage to the Late Stage, it had taken him barely more than half a month.
Although he knew the fourfold Root Bone amplification was ridiculously overpowered, he hadn't expected his Cultivation speed to be so fast that he could advance from the Middle Stage of Flesh Refining to the Late Stage in just over half a month.
'My Cultivation speed is too fast... Won't people find it... abnormal?'
After the excitement faded, a sense of caution arose in Fang Han's heart. But after careful consideration, he set his worries aside.
In this world of the Martial Dao, the human body was far more mysterious and unpredictable than in his previous life.
Some people recovered from severe injuries as if reborn from ashes, their mediocre aptitude transforming into that of a genius.
Some experienced a sudden epiphany, as if achieving Enlightenment, and their comprehension and Root Bone both became extremely high.
Still others showed mediocre performance in their early days, only for their Cultivation speed to accelerate later on, eventually allowing them to transform like a carp leaping over the dragon gate and become a peerless figure of their generation.
...
With precedents like these, at worst, people would just think he'd had an Enlightenment. He didn't need to worry about his system's secret being discovered.
「The next day, in the Inner Hall training grounds.」
When Fang Han's figure appeared where the new batch of Inner Hall Descendants had gathered, their quiet conversations instantly died down.
At the re-test on the Martial Arts Stele at the end of last year, Fang Han had jumped five places in less than a month, rocketing from the bottom to fifty-fourth place and leaving everyone from his batch in the dust.
This scene had left a very deep impression on them.
Now, the gazes they directed at Fang Han no longer held their initial disdain and doubt. Instead, they were filled with caution and a hint of unconcealable complexity.
Although they were all fired up with the desire to catch up, they also clearly recognized that the current Fang Han was an opponent who had to be taken seriously. They didn't dare underestimate him in the slightest.
However, among these cautious gazes, one figure stood out.
Fang Lin stood at the edge of the group with his arms crossed. The look he gave Fang Han had, surprisingly, regained its condescending disdain.
The corner of his mouth curled up slightly, carrying a trace of unconcealed arrogance.
There was a simple reason for this. He hadn't slacked off during the New Year holiday either.
He had finally broken through to the Late Stage of Flesh Refining. He believed he had once again widened the gap with Fang Han, leaving him far behind.
'Hmph, he's only at the Middle Stage of Flesh Refining. I'm already at the Late Stage!'
'I was slacking off before, but now I'm taking things seriously. The gap between you and me will only grow wider!'
Fang Lin sneered inwardly, full of confidence in himself.
Just then, Elder Fang Yuan entered the training grounds, followed by several Tutors with composed auras.
The somewhat noisy training grounds instantly became so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Everyone straightened their backs, their gazes respectfully turning to the high platform.
Elder Fang Yuan's gaze was as tranquil as an old well. He slowly swept his eyes over the young faces below, his sharp sight seeming to pierce through flesh and bone to see each person's sloth and diligence over the break.
His voice wasn't loud, but it carried a strange penetrating quality that reached everyone's ears clearly.
"The new year has begun, and the old year has passed. Whether your past was filled with glory or shame, with progress or retreat, it is all now set in stone."
"Standing here in the Inner Hall today means you still have the qualification and opportunity to climb the path of the Martial Dao."
He paused for a moment before continuing.
"I hope that in this new year, you will cultivate diligently without pause, advance bravely and vigorously, and not waste your youth or fail yourselves. Now, begin your Cultivation!"
This brief but weighty speech made the relaxed expressions on many of the descendants' faces vanish instantly, replaced by gravity and a sense of urgency.