Within the Jiangnan Province Flying Leopard Base, inside a secret underground chamber, Chen Fei sat cross-legged on the cold floor made of refined iron. A mysterious airflow stirred around him, and a faint glow of firelight caused his robes to flutter, giving him an air of handsome elegance.

His eyes were tightly closed as he operated his cultivation method. The formidable medicinal power of the Jinchan Moon Fruit had already erupted within him, surging into his body like scorching, violent torrents. However, no matter how potent the fruit's effects were, the moment they touched Chen Fei's body, they seemed to vanish into a bottomless pit without stirring a single ripple.

Now that he had successfully condensed the thirteenth strand of Sanyang True Fire Sword Qi and had fully stepped into the Qi Refining Fifth Layer, Chen Fei's body could contain an astonishing amount of spiritual energy and medicinal effects. After all, his cultivation methods were extraordinary. The Meditation Sutra was an Immortal Sect technique, and the "Sanyang Sword Manual" was a guarded secret of a sect in the Cultivation World. These naturally allowed his body's capacity to far exceed that of others at the same rank.

WHOOSH!

Chen Fei spent at least a couple of hours refining the Jinchan Moon Fruit before the astonishing fluctuations within him gradually subsided. Then, his dark eyes, as clear as black jade, slowly opened. A sharp glint flashed through them before receding and disappearing.

Feeling the vast spiritual energy flowing inside him, Chen Fei exhaled a breath of turbid air, and a smile couldn't help but form on his lips.

"Seventeen strands already condensed… As expected of a Mid Grade Human Level Spiritual Herb."

Chen Fei muttered to himself in surprise. In just two or three hours, the thirteen strands of Sanyang True Fire Sword Qi within him had skyrocketed to seventeen, and that was even after taking breaks.

At this moment, at least one-third of the Jinchan Moon Fruit's medicinal effects still lingered in his body. This meant he could condense the eighteenth strand of Sanyang True Fire Sword Qi at any time, pushing his "Sanyang Sword Manual" to the peak of the third realm. By then, I'll have reached the Peak of the Qi Refining Fifth Layer, I suppose.

"It's truly one of the top Qi Cultivation techniques in the Cultivation World. Once I've condensed the eighteenth strand of Sanyang True Fire Sword Qi, I should… be able to easily defeat ordinary practitioners at the Later Stage of the Innate Realm, right?" Following that thought, he couldn't help but sigh in admiration, a smile brimming on his face.

Cultivators were stronger than Ancient Martial Artists; this was an indisputable fact in most situations. Moreover, the technique he had chosen to cultivate—the "Sanyang Sword Manual"—was among the top Qi Refining Realm techniques in the Cultivation World, possessing formidable combat power. So, although there was normally a considerable gap between the Peak of the Qi Refining Fifth Layer and the Later Stage of the Innate Realm, he could now bridge that gap and even surpass ordinary practitioners at that level.

WHOOSH!

Chen Fei took another deep breath and lowered his eyes.

The flames wreathing his body flared up once more. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! Seventeen consecutive explosions rang out in the space around him, causing the temperature in the air to surge.

Feeling the intensely familiar, almost blood-bound connection to the seventeen strands of Sanyang True Fire Sword Qi, Chen Fei narrowed his eyes and smiled before continuing to refine the remaining medicinal effects.

The "Sanyang Sword Manual," although currently a secondary cultivation method, was undoubtedly his strongest trump card at this stage, bar none. After all, it was a well-known fact that even in the bizarre and wondrous Cultivation World, the combat power of Sword Cultivators was famed for its ferocity, ranking them in the top three among all types of cultivators.

Therefore, ever since he made the decision to cultivate this Sword Dao technique, it had never once disappointed him.

"I should be able to condense the eighteenth strand of Sanyang True Fire Sword Qi on the first try, right?" he murmured to himself. He then closed his eyes tightly. The methods of the Sanyang Sword Manual flowed through his mind, and the remaining third of the Jinchan Moon Fruit's power began to circulate along the designated Sword Qi pathways.

BUZZING!

As Chen Fei operated the Sanyang Sword Manual and gradually depleted the last of the Jinchan Moon Fruit's power, scorching hot Sanyang True Fire Sword Qi roared within him like a torrent.

Amidst this convergence of searing Sword Qi, beneath the seventeen already-formed, blazing Yan Swords, another sword began to slowly materialize before Chen Fei's closed eyes—a still-formless and somewhat erratic Yan Sword.

ROAR!

He let out a low, involuntary roar. The techniques of the Sanyang Sword Manual flowed slowly through his heart as his mind became completely immersed.

And so, time quietly slipped by for several hours.

After several hours, Chen Fei's body suddenly trembled. Deep within his heart, the familiar text of the continuously circulating Sanyang Sword Manual suddenly seemed to separate. The same words and phrases now gave rise to a new level of understanding and insight within him.

Then, verses of the Sanyang Sword Manual, now imbued with new meaning, quietly bloomed in Chen Fei's mind.

"So, that's how it is…" Chen Fei murmured softly. A long moment later, a wave of enlightenment washed over him.

With a thought, the "Sanyang Sword Manual" circulated rapidly within him. Then, before his very eyes, the wavering, unformed flame sword in front of him began to crumble. Its form shattered, sending out violent streaks of fire.

He had forcefully destroyed the nascent form of the eighteenth strand of Sanyang True Fire Sword Qi!

Yet, as the eighteenth strand continued to shatter, a profound and terrifyingly searing sword energy surged forth. This sword power was at least twice as formidable as before.

And that wasn't the most shocking part. When this searing sword energy emerged, the other seventeen strands of Sanyang True Fire Sword Qi reacted as if infected. One by one, they began to crumble, their sword forms shattering as streaks of scorching flame burst out. The searing light illuminated the entire underground chamber.

"Break and Stand… so this is the true essence of the peak of the third realm," Chen Fei whispered to himself as he witnessed this scene, his gaze trembling.

As he murmured these words, his body trembled so uncontrollably with excitement that he couldn't stop it.

This completely exceeded his expectations. To call it a pleasant surprise would be an understatement.

SIZZLE... SIZZLE...

Within the once dimly lit underground chamber, now illuminated by blazing flames, the eighteen strands of Sanyang True Fire Sword Qi surrounding Chen Fei began the process of "Break and Stand." The density and sharpness of the Sword Qi grew far more fearsome and potent than before. If this progress continued, his previous estimation of the power at the peak of the Sanyang Sword Manual's third realm would likely prove to be completely obsolete.

...

「Meanwhile, in a common residential area in Chengyang County, Northern Mountain City, Jiangnan Province, a Bentley slowly drove up and came to a steady stop at the neighborhood entrance, drawing a crowd of onlookers.」

After all, it was a Bentley, a car easily worth millions. Moreover, anyone with even a slight understanding of cars could tell at a glance that this wasn't a "common" model. The price listed online was, in a word, astronomical.

Just then, a man who looked like a bodyguard got out of the front seat. He walked to the rear of the Bentley and respectfully opened the door. A man dressed in a tailored suit but with shifty, rat-like eyes stepped out.

This man was none other than Chen Weishan, the biological son of Old Master Chen Huaqin from a collateral branch of the Capital City's Old Chen Family, and the Deputy Director of a certain government department.

He wore a tailored suit that, despite looking somewhat out of place on him, was custom-made by a famous private designer from Italy. That suit alone was worth a lower-middle-class family's income for a year or two, not to mention the watch on his wrist.

It was the legendary Breguet!

This was a world-renowned luxury watch brand, on par with Patek Philippe and Vacheron Constantin. A single model could cost hundreds of thousands, and those costing over a million were not uncommon.

From this, it was evident that this man, a mere Deputy Director, was incredibly wealthy. Driving a Bentley, wearing a Breguet, with a suit worth hundreds of thousands… It didn't take a genius to guess how he acquired it. In fact, if not for the backing of the Old Chen Family and the title of a scion from one of Forty-Nine City's top three prominent "red" families, he would have been taken down long ago.

As Chen Weishan stepped out of the car, he noticed a crowd of people watching him excitedly from a distance. An instinctive arrogance flared in his eyes, only to be replaced by intense disdain. Hmph, what a wretched place… these wretched backwaters only breed insolent peasants. A bunch of country bumpkins who've never seen the world.

His status as a Deputy Director and a scion of the Old Chen Family of Forty-Nine City was one thing, but simply coming from the Capital City was enough to fill him with a profound sense of superiority from the bottom of his heart.

In my eyes, this so-called Chengyang County really is the sticks. They're making a huge fuss over a single Bentley, as if they've never seen one in their lives. What a bunch of country bumpkins. If it weren't for that cheap woman, that damn bitch, why would I, Chen Weishan, ever come to this godforsaken place? What rotten luck...

The thought brought a deep look of disgust to his face. He waved his hand impatiently, as if swatting away annoying flies, and barked at the bodyguard by his side, "Go, ask where that stinking bitch Lin Ling is. I have no interest in being a spectacle for these apes… Damn it, what a bunch of country bumpkins. This shithole, this damn countryside."

Hearing Chen Weishan's remarks, many onlookers grew indignant. "What's he so smug about? It's just money," someone shouted. "Totally classless, hmph…"

Instantly, Chen Weishan's expression turned incredibly ugly, a frigid glint flashing in his eyes.

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