"HUMMM—!"
The moment the sword was in his hand, an unprecedented feeling of "clarity" enveloped Fang Han.
Before, with his two-fold Swordsmanship Talent Amplification, he still had to repeatedly ponder and experiment to grasp the transformations of the Sword Techniques and the conversion of Power. Now, however, it all flowed as naturally as a clear stream through his mind, instantly understood.
He executed the first form of the Qingfeng Swordsmanship, Gentle Breeze Brushing the Willows.
The trajectory of the sword's tip was no longer a simple straight line, but an indescribable, near-perfectly fluid arc.
The moment his wrist turned, his muscles, bones, and even the rhythm of his breathing coordinated with perfect, natural harmony, channeling power to the tip of the sword without the slightest obstruction.
The sound of the blade cutting through the air was so light it was almost inaudible, yet it carried a piercing force condensed to its absolute limit.
...
Compared to the two-fold Swordsmanship Talent Amplification, the current four-fold amplification made his comprehension during Cultivation even stronger. In the same amount of time, the insights he gained increased massively.
For the next few days, Fang Han was completely immersed in an ocean of Swordsmanship.
The insights into Swordsmanship brought by the four-fold Amplification were like a torrential tide, crashing against the boundaries of his understanding wave after wave.
With every swing of his sword, a new insight was born.
With every swing of his sword, he could spot previously unnoticed flaws and angles for optimization.
The essence of the Qingfeng Swordsmanship, those once obscure and profound key points, were now being understood, digested, and absorbed by him at an astonishing speed.
His sword became faster, steadier, its trajectory increasingly unpredictable.
As the light from his sword flickered, it was sometimes like a spring breeze brushing one's face—ethereal and uncertain.
Other times, it was like a cold bolt of lightning splitting the sky—impossibly swift.
His Realm of Mastery was rapidly being solidified, and he was taking steady, firm steps toward the even more profound and unfathomable Realm of Great Success!
...
Several days later, a piece of news sprouted wings and flew swiftly through the major powers of Liangshui City, reaching the Inner Hall of the Fang Family.
"Did you hear? That Lin Jiao from the Lin Family broke through to the Middle Stage of Muscle Refining!"
"For real? That fast?"
"It's absolutely true! The news is all over Liangshui City!"
"The Middle Stage of Muscle Refining... His strength and speed will be a huge leap above the early stage. I bet Lin Jiao's power has surpassed Fang Han's again, hasn't it?"
"The difference in their Realms is just too great. No matter how exquisite Fang Han's Swordsmanship is, he's ultimately at a disadvantage. It looks like the title of number one among the new Inner Hall Descendants of Liangshui City will go back to Lin Jiao."
Discussions like this spread quietly among the Inner Hall Descendants.
Many of the descendants looked at Fang Han with a hint of pity and complicated feelings.
After all, the advantage in absolute power that the Middle Stage of Muscle Refining had over the early stage was simply too great.
In a corner of the training grounds, Fang Han was focused on practicing a single technique: Gentle Breeze Through the Forest.
The murmurs of discussion that reached his ears were like a light breeze rippling across the water; they failed to stir any waves in his heart.
'Lin Jiao broke through to the Middle Stage of Muscle Refining?'
The trajectory of the longsword in Fang Han's hand didn't waver in the slightest, his gaze remaining sharp and focused.
He admitted that, at this moment, Lin Jiao's raw power had indeed surpassed his own.
But so what?
The Cultivation speed from his four-fold Root Bone Talent and the comprehension efficiency from his four-fold Swordsmanship Talent were his greatest sources of confidence.
Surpassing him again was only a matter of time, and it wouldn't be long.
...
Time slipped by quietly amid Fang Han's bitter, day-after-day cultivation. More than twenty days passed in a flash.
Late at night, in his courtyard, Fang Han swallowed a Qi Blood Pill.
The searing Medicinal Power dissolved in his stomach, and was swiftly guided by his four-fold Root Bone Talent, transforming into a torrential and pure flood of qi and blood.
Guided by the Crane Form, this torrent raged and roared, again and again, like an tireless giant hammer, bombarding and tempering the tough tendons throughout his body.
Every impact brought with it a subtle tremor, as if his muscles and bones were ringing in unison.
He could clearly feel the resilience and strength of his tendons rapidly increasing. He was getting closer and closer to the Middle Stage of Muscle Refining.
"Now!"
Fang Han roared in his mind, his focus more concentrated than ever before.
He mobilized all the qi and blood that had accumulated to its peak within him, and like a raging flood that had burst its dam, he launched the most ferocious and decisive assault on the final bottleneck.
"BOOM—!"
A muffled yet world-shaking roar seemed to erupt from the very depths of Fang Han's body.
The barrier between the Early Stage and Middle Stage of Muscle Refining shattered with a crash under the impact of that immense power.
A sense of power, more tyrannical and more condensed than before, erupted like a dormant volcano, instantly surging through his limbs and bones, spreading to the very tip of every tendon.
The speed at which his qi and blood flowed suddenly soared!
His meridians twitched, and it felt as if countless tiny snakes were slithering across the surface of his skin. From within his body, a deep, long "hum" resounded!
"I've reached the Middle Stage of Muscle Refining!"
Fang Han's eyes snapped open, a sharp glint flashing through them before vanishing.
He slowly clenched his fist, feeling the transformative power and sense of control within him, and the corner of his mouth curved into a sharp arc.
...
Inside the Fang Family's reception hall, the fragrance of tea wafted through the air, but the atmosphere was tinged with an almost imperceptible tension.
Elder Fang Yuan sat in the seat of honor, looking at the man opposite him: the smiling, yet shrewd-eyed Lin Family Elder, Lin Shan.
And behind him stood Lin Jiao, whose aura was heavy and whose sharp gaze held a hint of impatience. Elder Fang Yuan already understood their purpose in coming.
The five great families of Liangshui City were constantly competing in secret, but they maintained a facade of harmony. Although Fang Yuan was reluctant, he couldn't just turn away the Lin Family Elder who had come to his door.
"Brother Lin Shan, what brings you to my humble home today?"
Fang Yuan took a sip of tea, his tone flat, betraying no emotion.
"Haha, Brother Fang Yuan, why ask when you already know the answer?"
Lin Shan stroked his beard and smiled, a sharp glint in his eyes.
"Last time, Lin Jiao was defeated by your family's Qilin'er, Fang Han. Lin Jiao felt his own inadequacy deeply and has been cultivating tirelessly ever since. He was recently fortunate enough to have a breakthrough."
"You know how young men are—their spirits are high. They always want to test themselves again to make up for their shortcomings."
"So here he is, pestering me to shamelessly come and impose on you. I was wondering if we might let the two juniors have another 'exchange'?"
'Just as I thought!'
Fang Yuan snorted coldly in his heart.
Lin Jiao had already broken through to the Middle Stage of Muscle Refining. Although Fang Han's progress was astonishingly fast, he had only just entered the Early Stage of Muscle Refining not long ago. If he were to face the current Lin Jiao, his chances of winning were probably slim.
Letting Fang Han be defeated by Lin Jiao on their own home turf, possibly even shaking his confidence, was something he absolutely did not want.
"Brother Lin Shan, you've really come at an inconvenient time."
Fang Yuan put down his teacup, a perfectly crafted look of difficulty on his face.
"A friendly spar is a good thing, of course, but unfortunately, that boy Fang Han has reached a critical point in his Cultivation recently. It would be very inconvenient for him to be disturbed."
"How about another day? Once this period has passed, I'll have him pay you a visit. What do you say?"
His tone was sincere and his reason was sound, perfectly couching his refusal.
"Is that so? Then it would indeed be inconvenient to disturb him."
The smile on Lin Shan's face faded slightly.
He could naturally tell that Fang Yuan was making excuses, but he had no good way to refute them.
It was true that a Martial Artist should not be disturbed at a critical moment in their Cultivation, even though he was sure Fang Yuan was just stalling.
He picked up his teacup, pretending to drink, but shot a glance at Lin Jiao.
Lin Jiao took the hint and immediately stood up, a look of boyish awkwardness on his face.
"Elder Fang Yuan, this junior... needs to use the restroom."