The Fang Family, Tingyu Pavilion.

Fang Han sat cross-legged on his bed, his aura long and steady. A pale-green Inner Qi flowed ceaselessly between six of his acupoints.

The Inner Qi within his Shenshu Acupoint was already over ninety percent full, and the feeling of swelling was becoming more and more pronounced. He was only a step away from the formless barrier leading to the Seventh Grade.

After several hours of high-intensity Cultivation, his meridians felt a faint, dull ache.

Fang Han knew this was a sign that his meridians were overloaded. In the path of Cultivation, one had to balance exertion and rest; overdoing it was as bad as not doing enough.

Slowly withdrawing his power, Fang Han opened his eyes, a glint of green light flashing in their depths before vanishing.

He got out of bed and stretched his slightly stiff body, his joints letting out a series of soft CRACKS.

Walking out into the courtyard, he prepared to practice his Martial Techniques for a while.

Both his Wind-Splitting Swordsmanship and Wind Shadow Step had reached Great Success. Once any Martial Arts reached the Great Success Realm, further improvement required not just mastery of the moves, but a deeper understanding of the art’s very essence.

Every bit of progress demanded more time and mental energy to ponder and verify, making it more than twice as difficult.

Countless Martial Artists with insufficient Talent were stuck here for their entire lives, never able to glimpse the Realm of Perfection.

With his sixteen-fold boosted Swordsmanship Talent and Stepping Talent, having insufficient Talent was naturally not an issue for him.

However, it was inevitable that his Cultivation speed would be much slower than before. He estimated it would take about two months to break through to Perfection.

When he thought about the many Martial Artists with insufficient Talent who could never reach Perfection even after a lifetime of Cultivation, he felt at ease with his own slowed pace.

After practicing the Wind-Splitting Swordsmanship for a while, Fang Han switched to practicing the Wind Shadow Step.

SWOOSH, SWOOSH, SWOOSH!

His figure transformed into a pale-green shadow, at times elusive like the Gentle Breeze Brushing the Willows, at others flashing in and out of sight like a spark of lightning.

The Great Success Level of Wind Momentum swirled around his feet, lending his movements a natural rhythm that was both silent and incredibly swift.

"Young Master Han."

A Maid tiptoed to the courtyard gate. Seeing Fang Han as a series of afterimages, she was utterly shocked. It took her a moment to come to her senses and call out softly.

"The New Year’s Eve banquet is about to begin. Lady Wan sent me to invite you."

Hearing this, Fang Han slowly came to a stop, a light steam rising from his body.

He nodded. "I understand. I’ll be there shortly."

After quickly washing up and changing into a brand-new, custom-made blue robe from the family, Fang Han left his room to meet his parents and younger sister, who were already waiting.

Fang Ying was wearing a new red cotton-padded jacket, her hair in two small buns. Her cheeks were flushed red as she excitedly pulled Fang Han’s hand. "Brother, hurry, hurry! I heard there’s going to be a lot of delicious food tonight!"

Fang Zheng and Lin Wan also had festive smiles on their faces, but beneath the cheerfulness, a trace of worry about family matters could still be seen.

The family walked out of Tingyu Pavilion, heading toward the magnificent banquet hall in the center of the family compound, which was only opened on major holidays.

Along the way, they met many other family members also heading to the banquet hall, all of whom greeted them enthusiastically.

"Brother Zheng, Sister-in-law Wan."

"Xiaohan, long time no see! Your presence is even more impressive than before!"

"..."

Their tones were filled with reverence and a desire to curry favor.

When their gazes fell upon Fang Han, their envy and respect were completely unconcealed.

They arrived at the brightly lit banquet hall, which was already buzzing with voices and filled with a festive, boisterous atmosphere.

Dozens of round mahogany tables were arranged in neat rows. The main table in the very center was the exclusive seating for the Patriarch, Fang Lingyuan, and several influential Core Elders.

The steward, Fang Zhong, had sharp eyes. Spotting Fang Han’s family from a distance, he immediately trotted over with a broad smile, his attitude even more respectful and attentive than the previous year.

"Young Master Han, Master Zheng, Lady Wan, Miss Ying, you’ve arrived! Please, this way! Your seats have been prepared!"

He first respectfully led Fang Zheng, Lin Wan, and Fang Ying to a core table right next to the main one. That table was reserved for the family’s meritorious veterans and figures of power.

In previous years, their family would have had absolutely no right to sit there.

Then, Fang Zhong bowed even lower as he led Fang Han straight to the most central and most honored main table.

"Young Master Han, your seat is here. The Patriarch and the Elders specifically requested it."

Fang Han took his seat calmly, his demeanor neither humble nor arrogant.

With his current strength at the Late Stage of Eighth Grade, he was qualified to sit at this table, so he felt no discomfort at all.

At some tables behind the core seating area, Fang Hong, Fang Xue, and his other former companions from the Inner Hall watched Fang Han—now sitting with the Patriarch and Core Elders, his status incredibly revered—with complicated expressions.

There was admiration, envy, and also a trace of indescribable bewilderment.

A year ago, they had all been cultivating together in the Inner Hall. In the beginning, many of them had even ranked higher than Fang Han.

Even after Fang Han caught up, a gap had formed, but it hadn’t seemed insurmountable.

But now, Fang Han had soared to the heavens, reaching a height they could only look up to.

’Life’s fortunes are truly unpredictable.’

Not long after, the arrival of the Patriarch and the four Core Elders brought the atmosphere to its peak, and the banquet officially began.

A sumptuous and lively New Year’s Eve banquet passed in a boisterous and celebratory mood.

Wine cups crisscrossed and laughter echoed, seeming to temporarily dispel the gloom hanging over the family.

After the banquet, Fang Han returned to Tingyu Pavilion with his family.

He didn’t join in the idle chatter while waiting for the new year, instead going straight back to his room.

Outside the window, the faint, sporadic sounds of firecrackers and children’s laughter could be heard, painting a festive New Year’s atmosphere.

But Fang Han’s mind quickly grew calm.

He sat cross-legged again, closed his eyes, and sank his consciousness into his body.

Inside his Shenshu Acupoint, his Inner Qi surged, now over ninety-five percent full. The formless barrier leading to the Seventh Grade was already clear.

’Tonight, I should be able to completely fill the Shenshu Acupoint with Inner Qi!’

Fang Han was certain. He guided his Inner Qi and began another round of Cultivation.

Time slipped by quietly during his Cultivation as the new year drew near.

As the hour of Zi (midnight) approached, a few small fireworks began to burst sporadically in the sky above Liangshui City, blooming with crimson and jade-green colors in the ink-blue night before quickly fading.

They vanished in an instant, leaving behind the faint scent of sulfur, which mixed with the biting cold wind and drifted into thousands of homes.

Fang Han sat cross-legged, his mind highly focused.

The pale-green Inner Qi flowed ceaselessly, circulating through the system formed by the six acupoints and emitting a low rumble that only he could hear.

In his Shenshu Acupoint, the Inner Qi was on the verge of overflowing, and he could faintly feel it swelling.

Just as a wealthy family somewhere in the city lit the first string of a thousand firecrackers to bid farewell to the old year and welcome the new, their crackling explosions spreading through the city like the beating of war drums...

...the Shenshu Acupoint inside Fang Han’s body was finally filled with Inner Qi.

The Inner Qi, filled to its absolute limit, spontaneously flowed out like a long-dammed flood, surging fiercely toward the next acupoint—the Laogong Acupoint.

BOOM!

The Inner Qi slammed into a formless but incredibly tough barrier.

It was far sturdier than the ones he had faced when breaking from the Early Stage to the Middle Stage of Eighth Grade, or from the Middle Stage to the Late Stage.

This was the Seventh Grade bottleneck!

The transition from the Eighth Grade to the Seventh Grade was a major hurdle in the Inner Qi Realm, another leap in one’s level of life. The barrier’s toughness was far beyond what the previous minor Realm breakthroughs could compare to.

Fang Han remembered clearly that when he had broken through from the Late Stage of Ninth Grade to the Early Stage of Eighth Grade, he had spent several days of hard work to finally overcome the pass.

However, things were different now.

The Yijing Marrow Cleansing from the Earth Core Stone Milk had already greatly improved his Root Bone.

Now, with this greatly improved Root Bone, under a terrifying thirty-two-fold boost, his Cultivation efficiency had been pushed to an inconceivable level.

The Inner Qi, like a tireless giant hammer, gathered immense power and continuously bombarded the chasm-like barrier with a steady but ferocious frequency.

Every impact made the barrier tremble slightly, sending out layers of ripples.

’Although I don’t know how long it will take, it probably won’t be several days like before.’

The sound of firecrackers grew denser, and more and more fireworks shot into the sky, painting the night over Liangshui City with a kaleidoscope of colors. The flickering light and shadows passed over Fang Han’s calm face, filtered through the window paper.

His mind was focused and calm, without a single ripple, as he precisely guided his Inner Qi to slam against the barrier.

「Half an hour later.」

As a particularly brilliant cluster of golden fireworks exploded at its peak, showering the sky with falling sparks of fire— 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

CRACK!

A clear shattering sound, originating from the very depths of his life’s source, echoed from within Fang Han’s body!

The Seventh Grade bottleneck was broken!

The long-accumulated, surging Inner Qi, like a bursting ocean, instantly crushed the remaining obstacles and poured madly into the newly opened Laogong Acupoint with unprecedented glee.

In an instant, the aura around Fang Han’s body skyrocketed.

Qi Sea, Guanyuan, Mingmen, Central Mansion, Weijing, Shenshu, and Laogong—seven acupoints were now completely connected, forming a more complex, stable, and efficient bridge for his Inner Qi circulation.

The flow speed of his Inner Qi increased sharply. Its color deepened to a near-inky green, and its texture condensed like mercury. The sense of power it brought as it circulated far surpassed the Late Stage of Eighth Grade—it was a qualitative leap.

His bones emitted a dense series of pops, his blood surged like a great river’s tide, and his internal organs all felt as if they were being cleansed and nourished by a newborn vitality.

And with the opening of the Laogong Acupoint, a new Divine Treasure—"Iron Arm"—was also unlocked.

Fang Han felt his arms sink slightly as a steady, hard sense of power silently fused into his bones and fascia. It was as if an invisible molten metal had been injected into them, instantly increasing the density of his bones and the strength of his muscles by several levels.

Without even infusing them with Inner Qi, he could feel a faint metallic quality and a drastic increase in hardness just beneath the skin of his arms.

Unlocking this Divine Treasure granted his arms a toughness far beyond the ordinary.

When enhanced with Inner Qi, their hardness could rival that of Hundred-refined Steel, allowing them to clash directly with weapons; ordinary swords and sabers would struggle to leave a mark.

’Seventh Grade, I’ve made it!’

Fang Han slowly opened his eyes. A wisp of deep green light swirled in the depths of his pupils before vanishing.

He gently clenched his fist, feeling the powerful Inner Qi, far greater than before and now surging like a dragon within him. He also felt the heavy, solid strength in his arms, which seemed capable of crushing metal. The corners of his mouth curled uncontrollably into a slight arc.

’It only took half an hour!’

From touching the Seventh Grade bottleneck to finally breaking through, it had taken only half an hour.

If word of this speed got out, it would be enough to leave every Martial Artist in Liangshui City—no, in all of Qingyang County—speechless.

He slowly raised his right hand, brought his index and middle fingers together, and gently tapped the hard sandalwood desk beside him.

PFFT.

A dull, strange sound was heard as his fingers pierced straight through the desktop, leaving a hole the width of two fingers.

Fang Han’s eyes lit up slightly, quite satisfied with the effect of this "Iron Arm."

Immediately after, the arc on his lips gradually faded, replaced by a hint of coldness.

’The agreement with the Patriarch has been fulfilled!’

His eyes were as calm as still water, yet a piercing sharpness, like a treasured sword hidden in its sheath, quietly emerged.

Now that he had broken through to the Seventh Grade, his agreement with the Patriarch was fulfilled.

In that case, it was time to completely settle the score with the Lin Family, the scourge that had caused the Fang Family to suffer so many casualties.