A Great Surge in Combat Power

A cultivator who enters a state of epiphany perceives the flow of time differently than the outside world.

For those within the Grotto-Heaven, from the moment Yang Lingrui touched the Dao Comprehension Stone to the present, not even half a quarter-hour had passed.

But for Yang Lingrui, standing within the vast expanse of the Yellow-Earth Road, he had spent an entire month embracing and refining that Yellow Wind Treasure Pearl.

The bead, originally the size of a watermelon, had been refined down to the size of a fingernail.

Three days later, he completely absorbed it.

His cultivation realm had reached the peak of the Ninth Layer of Qi Gathering.

With this single epiphany, he had directly caught up to Zi He, Chu Hao, and Xia Liheng-the three who had ranked at the forefront during the initial selection.

Beyond his increase in cultivation, refining the Yellow Wind Treasure Pearl allowed him to fully internalize the heritage of the Yellow-Wind Dao Lineage within his Sea of Consciousness.

The inheritance contained three distinct legacies.

A Spirit Communion technique named the World-Stealing Wind-Plundering Scripture.

A Spirit Communion technique named the Yellow Wind Heaven-Shrouding Art.

And a mental cultivation method that Yang Lingrui had never encountered before, the Skysoar Book.

He had already advanced the first two to the Ninth Layer of Qi Gathering. Now, when he moved his hands and focused his intent, it was no longer the gray-white gale of before that rose from his palms, but a fierce yellow wind imbued with a heavy, destructive power of erosion!

Fwoosh—

Yang Lingrui cast this mass of yellow wind toward a massive boulder beside the Yellow-Earth Road.

The wind brushed past gently, leaving no mark upon the boulder's exterior.

Yang Lingrui then picked up a small pebble from the ground and flicked it with a snap of his finger.

Slap.

Crack... Crunch—

At the light touch of the pebble, the boulder began to split inch by inch. Within a breath, it disintegrated from the inside out, scattering into a pile of stone debris.

"An excellent technique!"

Yang Lingrui praised.

He silently assessed his strength, estimating he was now at least three times more powerful than before.

"Compared to someone like Feng Lingyue, I have surely surpassed her by a significant margin. I only wonder how large the gap remains between me and the three top talents," he mused.

As for the Skysoar Book, its contents were too obscure and profound.

Even after refining the entire Yellow Wind Treasure Pearl and incorporating the insights from the Treatise on Cultivation Insights into Myriad Arts and the Heart-Soul Stabilizing and Nurturing Method, he had barely achieved the Novice level.

This method could not be actively triggered; it functioned passively as he circulated his cultivation techniques.

At the Novice level, Yang Lingrui had discerned two effects. The first increased his success rate in breaking through realms, while the second deepened the integration between himself and his arts.

Previously, his gale-based techniques felt like external weapons-blades or halberds-that required him to borrow power from without. Now, the yellow wind felt as though it had merged with his own body; he could command the spiritual power as easily as shifting his own thoughts.

While this did not directly increase the raw power of his techniques, the advantage in a duel between cultivators of equal strength was immense.

"I intended only to use the resonance of the Dao Comprehension Stone to break through my realm, yet the harvest has been far greater than expected."

Yang Lingrui smiled and shook his head. "Once again, I have relied on the Immortal Venerate's divine power to overcome a crisis. On this path of cultivation, I have lost count of how many times I have been saved by the Venerate."

Had he lacked the protection of the Spirit Pearl's providence when he first arrived on the Yellow-Earth Road, his Dao heart would likely have been tarnished, let alone inherited the Yellow-Wind Dao Lineage.

"This Dao Comprehension Stone is truly a marvel. Once I reach the Condensed Origin stage, I must find a way to secure one for the Immortal Venerate."

As he thought this, the scenery began to dissipate like melting snow. When he opened his eyes again, he had returned to the Painting Grotto-Heaven.

"Hm?"

Seeing the scattered fragments of the disguise skin around him, Yang Lingrui touched his own face and sighed with slight helplessness.

He had tried to keep it hidden, but in the end, his true face was revealed.

So be it.

He turned with composure, facing the steady gaze of the assembly, and raised his hands in a respectful salute.

"Ha!"

Zi He stepped forward, returning the gesture. "Congratulations, Fellow Daoist!"

"Congratulations, Fellow Daoist!"

Other cultivators followed suit, stepping forward to offer their respects. Yang Lingrui nodded to each of them in turn.

As he returned to his place, Xu Jian'an looked at him with wide, disbelieving eyes, still trying to process the sight.

Yang Lingrui laughed. "Brother Xu, it is not as if this is your first time seeing me. Why do you stare so?"

"Ah! Forgive my rudeness!" Xu Jian'an stammered. "Brother Yang, you truly possess profound talent! I am ashamed of my own insignificance. From this day on, whenever 'talent and looks combined' is mentioned within Chasing Tiger, you shall be the standard!"

"Brother Xu, you flatter me. I am but a small cultivator at the late stage of Qi Gathering; I am hardly worthy of such praise."

After Yang Lingrui, the remaining young cultivators completed their own sensing of the Dao Comprehension Stone. However, as his performance had been so radiant, the others found the subsequent attempts dull by comparison.

Once everyone had concluded, Wei Kangping retrieved the stone.

"Thank you, Mountain Lord!" the cultivators replied in unison.

Such places as the Painting Grotto-Heaven required vast resources to open. The Calligraphy Court's investment was an act of long-term foresight. Though these youths could offer little to the Court now, the grace of today's enlightenment would prove invaluable when they eventually rose to influence.

"Fellow Daoist Yang, may we speak?"

"Hey, Fellow Daoist, I was here first!"

As they stepped out of the Grotto-Heaven, a crowd surrounded Yang Lingrui, all seeking to build a connection with him. He noted their names, backgrounds, and cultivation levels to relay to Yang Lingqing later.

Several young female cultivators also sought his attention, but he politely declined them all, claiming a need to return to secluded cultivation.

He finally found peace upon returning to his dwelling, but it was short-lived. A visitor approached, bypassing his restrictions to knock upon his door-a clear sign of the visitor's status.

"Who is it?"

"The Calligraphy Court, Shen Yue. I have come to visit Fellow Daoist Lingrui."

At that same moment, a noble guest arrived at the solitary peak where He Shenglai resided.

"Oh, a rare and honored guest indeed!"

He Shenglai rose to greet the woman in black, Murong Qiuhan. "What wind has blown you here, Your Highness?"

Murong Qiuhan smiled, a hint of lingering sentiment in her eyes.

"It is a wind that I find quite pleasing."

He Shenglai's smile faded.

"Your Highness would do well to abandon that thought. This person will be of great use to me in the future."

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