As he felt out the Heaven and Earth Creation Cauldron, the source of its excitement turned out to be the Beast Core clutched in his own hand.

Damn, this thing wants to eat Beast Cores? Tang Yan was inwardly astonished. A flicker of his spiritual sense, and the Beast Core sank into the Creation Cauldron.

The Heaven and Earth Creation Flame, which had long lain dormant within the Cauldron, now drifted lazily up inside his Dantian. The Beast Core that had entered the Cauldron was being refined away by the flame at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Ten seconds later, the once Qi-rich Beast Core had vanished entirely, dissolved into a strand of utterly pure Spiritual Qi that gathered within the Cauldron.

"Crap, I slaved away the whole damn night, and you went and swallowed the prize?" A whole herd of curses stampeded through Tang Yan's mind.

Just as he was cursing away, an incomparably pure aura flowed up through the Heaven and Earth Creation Cauldron and into his limbs and bones.

A wonderfully soothing sensation washed over him, and his Dantian throbbed. Tang Yan started. Was he about to break through again?

He hurriedly leapt up a tall tree, settled cross-legged on a branch, and calmed himself to regulate his breathing.

Through four shichen of life-or-death running, Tang Yan had absorbed a full six High Spirit Pills.

The medicinal power still lingering from the Pills, combined with the third-tier Beast Core's Spiritual Qi fed back by the Creation Cauldron, set the Spiritual Qi in his Dantian surging and roaring, charging swiftly toward the strength of Yellow Rank Third Grade.

Bang!

His Dantian trembled faintly, like an eggshell cracking apart, and a feeling of perfect, unobstructed flow spread through his meridians.

A breakthrough! Yellow Rank Third Grade!

Surging spiritual power coursed through his meridians. Feeling the rise in his strength, Tang Yan was thrilled.

Then, all at once, his expression turned grave.

He sensed that the roaring Spiritual Qi had not stopped at all. It still rushed on fiercely, slamming toward the Fourth Grade realm.

Bang!

Another faint cracking sound, and the barrier of Fourth Grade shattered as well. Yellow Rank Fourth Grade!

Once he reached Fourth Grade, that surging Spiritual Qi finally stilled. Tang Yan closed his eyes and regulated his breathing, consolidating the strength he had just gained.

When he opened his eyes again, the sky had already grown bright. Feeling the vigorous power within him, a faint smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.

He examined the Heaven and Earth Creation Cauldron inside him and found that, while the Cauldron itself had not changed in size, the Spirit Vortex Fruit he had planted within had actually put out a fresh new shoot.

Tang Yan stared at the sprout, scarcely daring to believe it. Just as the ancient texts recorded, it was a deep cyan, oval orb. Once he confirmed the tender shoot truly was Spirit Vortex Fruit, his heart leapt.

This had to be the work of yesterday's third-tier Beast Core. It seemed the space within the Heaven and Earth Creation Cauldron needed nourishment. As long as it took in suitable nutrients, it could spur the growth of the spirit herbs inside.

A mere third-tier Beast Core already did this much. If he could get his hands on a fourth-tier, a fifth-tier... Tang Yan let his fancy run wild, never realizing that in all of Tingxiang Kingdom, spirit beasts above the fifth tier were vanishingly rare.

Phantom Step unfurled, and Tang Yan swept off toward Yun City.

With his strength advanced, his speed had gained another edge over the night before. Within one shichen, the outline of Yun City came into view.

Back at the Tang Family, Tang Yan made for his own small courtyard. But before he reached it, a faint thread of zither music drifted to him from afar.

He followed the sound, pricking up his ears to listen.

The notes rose and fell in a thousand turns, graceful and laced with sorrow, as if voicing a defiance of fate, an anger at being bound, a confusion toward life itself... At last, by the lakeside, Tang Yan caught sight of Zi Yun's slender figure.

The morning breeze stirred her hair, and faint tear stains marked her delicate face.

Tang Yan paused to watch for a while, sighing inwardly. Even this woman of noble birth carried a bitterness she could not escape.

Zi Yun was playing with her eyes closed when the flowing melody jolted to a stop, breaking into a harsh, grating screech. She snapped her eyes open to find Tang Yan's broad hand pressed flat against the strings.

"What do you think you're doing?" The music had shattered, its mood gone without a trace, and Zi Yun glared at him in fury.

"Wallowing in misery first thing in the morning. What rotten luck."

Zi Yun's willow brows shot up. "Crude brute!"

"A brute couldn't pick out a tune this unlucky," Tang Yan drawled in reply.

That much was true... Left without a comeback, Zi Yun drew her slender sword with a sharp ring and huffed, "Family Head Tang asked me to guide you in the martial arts. I won't let the old man's good will go to waste. Come, let me see whether you've made any progress. Watch the sword!"

As she spoke, her aura shifted, and the power of Origin Rank Ninth Grade spread out.

Tang Yan blinked. It had only been a few days, and Zi Yun had already recovered to Origin Rank Ninth Grade? Truly Tingxiang's acknowledged genius.

Never in her wildest dreams would Zi Yun have guessed that in the span of a single night, Tang Yan had already stepped into Yellow Rank Fourth Grade.

She had assumed that with her exquisite swordplay and her Heaven Rank battle experience, Origin Rank Ninth Grade would be more than enough to suppress Tang Yan at Yellow Rank First Grade.

But this time Zi Yun had badly misjudged. Small as Yun City was, this Tang Yan was a reincarnated ninth-rank Alchemist with vast experience. In technique and in realm alike, he was no weaker than her, and in truth a good deal stronger.

And so Tang Yan met her with only the strength of Origin Rank Eighth Grade.

Sensing that aura just as clearly, Zi Yun felt the fury kindle in her chest.

You little punk, you dare look down on me, fighting with only Eighth Grade? The attack may be weak, but the insult is immense!

Feeling thoroughly insulted, Zi Yun showed no mercy either. Her sword light flared, and she swore she would thrash Tang Yan soundly this time.

Once the two traded blows, Tang Yan could not help marveling inwardly. Purple Bamboo City lived up to its name. The young lady it had raised was several times stronger than Lin Dongxue. Even meeting her with only Origin Rank Eighth Grade, he found it something of a strain.

Zi Yun, meanwhile, felt monstrous waves churning in her heart. With her realm and her combat experience, she was confident she could stand undefeated even against a Yellow Rank Second Grade martial artist.

But what in the world was going on now?

Wasn't this Yun City? How had such a tiny place produced a freak like Tang Yan? She was using the full strength of Origin Rank Ninth Grade, yet she couldn't even suppress his Eighth Grade?

The longer Zi Yun fought, the more alarmed and stifled she grew. She had been all set to put Tang Yan in his place, only to find herself pinned down hard under his Eighth Grade strength.

"I'm done!" Zi Yun snorted in anger, sheathed her sword, and strode off toward the courtyard.

As she walked, she schemed away in her heart: once her strength recovered a little more, she would give Tang Yan the thrashing of his life.

Watching her stalk off in a huff, Tang Yan gave a wry smile and followed after. Truly, the small-minded and women alike were hard to handle.

...

The Mid-Autumn Conference was drawing near.

Much as Tang Yan loathed putting himself on display, this conference touched on the Tang Family's standing, and he had no choice but to step forward.

To win greater gains for the family, he threw himself into cultivation with rare diligence.

As for Zi Yun, she must have been goaded by Tang Yan last time, for she had shut herself away in Secluded Cultivation of late.

Tang Yan cultivated without pause. In a mere nine days, with the aid of all manner of Pills, his strength advanced a thousand li a day, shooting swiftly up to Yellow Rank Sixth Grade.

An advance at such speed could only be called monstrous, yet Tang Yan still felt it was far too slow.

Thinking of tomorrow's Mid-Autumn Conference, a sharp glint flashed in his eyes. "My strength may only be Sixth Grade, but with the Heaven and Earth Creation Flame and Phantom Step, I can still hold my own against anyone within Yellow Rank."

Just as Tang Yan was lost in thought, the sound of a door swinging open reached him. He turned to look and saw Zi Yun stepping out of her room, her face full of smiles.