His curiosity satisfied, Fang Han returned the booklet to Fang Lin, thanked him, and then went back to his Class A-10 Martial Arts Room.
The heavy, iron-clad wooden door closed behind him, completely shutting out the clamor and chatter from the outside.
Every morning before he arrived, a servant would light sandalwood incense in the Martial Arts Room.
He took a deep breath. The faint scent of sandalwood in the air had a calming and focusing effect, allowing him to quickly center himself.
First, he cultivated the Crane Form Pile Skill. Under the fourfold Root Bone Talent Amplification, his cultivation caused a tremendous surge of qi and blood to erupt from within him.
It circulated through his body along a specific path, like a great river, washing over and tempering all his tendons.
Once his Pile Skill cultivation was complete, he began practicing his Qingfeng Swordsmanship.
He gripped the Cyan Blade Sword and swung it again and again.
With his fourfold Swordsmanship Talent Amplification, every swing brought new insights, allowing for a deeper exploration of the Sword Dao.
His Swordsmanship, already at the Great Success Realm, became even more seamless, and his projection of Qi Force grew more refined.
Time flew by in his focused state, and over ten days passed in the blink of an eye.
One day, as Fang Han was practicing his Pile Skill, the qi and blood in his body suddenly bolted like a wild horse, its surging momentum intensifying abruptly.
The tendons throughout his body let out a faint twang, as if strained to their breaking point, like a powerful bowstring drawn taut.
A sensation of power—far stronger and more condensed than when he had broken through to the Middle Stage of Muscle Refining—erupted within him like a long-dormant volcano!
HUMMM—!
A low, yet powerful, hum emanated from within him. In an instant, the speed of his qi and blood circulation, the resilience of his tendons, and the explosive power of his muscles all ascended to a whole new level.
His physical attributes experienced a quantum leap in an incredibly short time, and immense power flooded his body.
'Late Stage of Muscle Refining... I've made it!'
Fang Han slowly relaxed his stance. Feeling the surging power within, a sharp glint flashed in his eyes.
'From the Middle Stage of Muscle Refining to the Late Stage in just one month...'
Fang Han calculated silently, quite satisfied with his pace.
Cultivation grows more difficult the further one progresses. In the Muscle Refining Realm, advancing even a single minor realm requires a great deal of time to temper the tendons.
To break through from the Middle Stage to the Late Stage in just one month—such a speed was absolutely astonishing.
It wasn't the absolute fastest, of course. The geniuses on the Celestial Pride List likely had cultivation speeds that were no slower than his, and perhaps even faster.
A fourfold Root Bone Talent Amplification wasn't enough to guarantee his Talent could match those of true geniuses.
But here in Liangshui City, even Lin Jiao, the so-called Qilin'er of the Lin Family, couldn't possibly compare to his cultivation speed.
'If I were to fight Lin Jiao now, I could probably defeat him within three moves!'
Fang Han clenched his fist, his knuckles popping crisply. A powerful wave of confidence washed over him.
Whether in Martial Technique or Realm, he had now completely surpassed Lin Jiao. Three moves should be more than enough to defeat him.
If Lin Jiao challenged him again, it would surely be enough to shatter his world.
However, after suffering consecutive defeats at his hands, Lin Jiao probably wouldn't have the courage to challenge him again anytime soon.
He could clearly sense during their second fight that the blow to Lin Jiao's confidence had been significant.
'I wonder how much my ranking will improve now?'
With his breakthrough, Fang Han was certain his rank on the Martial Arts Stele was bound to rise.
He just didn't know by how much.
Once the thought took root, it was difficult to suppress.
He straightened his clothes, pushed open the door to the Martial Arts Room, and strode towards the Martial Arts Stele courtyard.
"Fang Han is going to the Martial Arts Stele again!"
Fang Han's appearance immediately attracted the attention of the Inner Hall Descendants along the way.
He was now the focus of the Inner Hall, his every move watched closely.
Seeing him head straight for the Martial Arts Stele, many descendants realized what he intended to do. They stopped their Cultivation and, with a silent, mutual understanding, began to follow.
The news spread like ripples from a stone tossed into a pond.
"He's going to the Martial Arts Stele again? How long has it been since he reached tenth place? Don't tell me he broke through again?"
"Quick, let's go see!"
Soon, a crowd of descendants who had heard the news gathered before the Martial Arts Stele, their gazes fixed intently on the figure approaching the Jade Stele.
Fang Han seemed oblivious to the commotion behind him.
He reached out and calmly wrote his name on the stele's cool, smooth surface. Then, his gaze sharpened as he drew his sword and fell into an opening stance.
He channeled the full power of the Late Stage of Muscle Refining into his blade, pushing his Great Success Realm Qingfeng Swordsmanship to its absolute limit.
"Gentle Breeze Piercing the Sun!"
The flash of his sword was no longer a mere bolt of silk; it transformed into a condensed streak of cyan lightning that tore through the air. With a deafening shriek, it slammed into the Martial Arts Stele!
BOOM!!!
The Jade Stele erupted in a brilliant light and began to tremble violently. A deep hum resonated from it, lingering for a long time, and the entire courtyard seemed to shake in response.
Everyone's hearts were in their throats, their eyes glued to the stele's surface.
The number next to the name 'Fang Han' began to flicker.
"Ten... nine... eight..."
Finally, the light faded, and the number settled into a position that made everyone hold their breath.
Seventh!
"Sev... Seventh?!"
"He shot straight to seventh?!"
"From tenth to seventh, jumping three spots! This... how is this possible?!"
A dead silence was followed by a thunderous uproar that swept through the courtyard like a tidal wave. The faces of every descendant who witnessed the scene were etched with utter shock.
After breaking into the top ten of the Martial Arts Stele, every single step forward was a monumental struggle. Yet, unbelievably, Fang Han had just jumped three spots in one go.
And the most frightening part was that it had been less than a month since he'd first broken into the top ten!
Such a terrifying rate of improvement was completely beyond their comprehension.
The news spread as if it had grown wings.
Soon, word reached Fang Mei, who was cultivating in her private Martial Arts Room.
"Fang Han is seventh?!"
The longsword in Fang Mei's hand trembled. For the first time, a look of utter astonishment and bewilderment crossed her usually aloof face.
She had expected Fang Han to catch up, but she never thought this day would come so quickly, so fiercely!
She had trained bitterly for a whole year just to climb from tenth to ninth place, only to be effortlessly surpassed by Fang Han, who knocked her right back down to tenth.
An immense sense of defeat instantly seized her.
'I've been surpassed?'
As for Fang Rui, who had just been replaced by Fang Han in the seventh spot, he could only manage a wry smile.
Not long ago, he had remarked that Fang Han's strength was sufficient to enter the top twenty and had been amazed by his potential.
He never imagined Fang Han's potential would exceed his predictions so drastically. Barely a month later, he, the one who held seventh place, had been overtaken.
At almost the same time, the news reached those ranked even higher: Fang Xue, Fang Hao, and even Fang Hong, who had long held the number one spot.
"Seventh?"
Fang Xue's sword hand froze mid-swing. She gazed in the direction of the Martial Arts Stele courtyard, ripples of emotion stirring in her clear, cool eyes.
Fang Hao slammed a fist into a sturdy Wooden Man Stake, producing a deep thud. His brows furrowed tightly.
Fang Hong slowly concluded his cultivation and opened his eyes. A faint, sharp glint flickered deep within them before they returned to their usual placid calm. Only the aura around him seemed to have grown a fraction more intense.
Fang Han, a newcomer who had joined less than six months ago, had just stormed into the most elite circle of the Inner Hall with the force of a comet.
Moreover, his momentum showed no signs of stopping, and his rate of ascent was still incredibly fast.
The entire Inner Hall was abuzz with discussion over Fang Han's test results.
Meanwhile, Fang Han, the man at the center of the storm, returned to his private Martial Arts Room, a faint smile playing on his lips.
'Seventh place... I wonder how many resources I'll get at the end of the month?'
He muttered to himself, his eyes filled with anticipation for the rewards.
After all, the monthly rewards would determine how long it would take him to save up a thousand taels and unlock the Level 3 Amplification.
KNOCK KNOCK—
A knock at the door startled Fang Han from his thoughts.
Hearing the knock, he frowned slightly.
The Martial Arts Room was a place for cultivation. People rarely came to disturb him, but when they did, it was always for a reason.
He pulled open the heavy door. Outside stood a Fang Family servant with an anxious expression.
"Young Master Han, my apologies for the disturbance. Your parents are waiting outside the Inner Hall gates. They said they have urgent business with you."
The Fang Family servant spoke quickly and respectfully before Fang Han could even open his mouth.