Song Yan originally expected to take about six hours to completely absorb the demon blood and medicinal liquid.

But he didn’t know if it was because his original physique was too poor, or for some other reason.

After a full eighteen hours.

Song Yan slowly opened his eyes... a sharp glint flashed in his pupils, then quickly receded.

"Whoosh—"

He exhaled a deep breath of turbid Qi.

Inside the bronze Medicine Cauldron, the pool of medicinal liquid had changed from its original clear golden-red to a murky grey-brown.

The essence of the demonic power and medicinal properties within it had been completely absorbed.

He stood up, bringing with him a cloud of steaming mist.

At this moment, his skin was as smooth and lustrous as jade, his muscles were fluid but not bulky, exuding the lean power of a leopard.

"This feeling..."

He clenched his fist, his knuckles cracking crisply.

He threw a punch with great force, creating a subtle sound in the air.

What he cared about most, of course, were the changes in his Meridians.

"Truly marvelous..."

Beneath the Zhen Dao Sword Mansion, Sword Qi surged wildly, condensing at his fingertips.

The flow of Sword Qi that he previously couldn’t bear now circulated as usual.

A hint of pleasant surprise flashed in Song Yan’s eyes.

"Just one Body Refining session, and I can achieve this level of Physical Body strength..."

This nameless Body Refining mantra seemed to be extraordinary as well.

Unfortunately, according to Senior Nie Zhao’s memories, this mantra only had the best effect the first time it was used.

Subsequent uses would see its effectiveness greatly diminish, eventually becoming ineffective.

Perhaps this nameless mantra was also incomplete.

"Hiss—"

Xiao He poked her head in from outside the training room and slithered in. She jumped onto Song Yan’s neck and curiously poked his chest with her tail.

"Woah..."

"It’s gotten so much harder."

Song Yan smiled and used the Water Screen Art to wash away the medicinal residue on his body.

Then he took out the prepared Daoist robe from his qiankun bag and put it on.

As the robe rubbed against his skin, he keenly noticed that the sensation seemed to have changed.

It wasn’t that his skin had become rougher, but rather that his perception had become more acute, allowing him to clearly feel even the finest fabric textures.

"Let’s test the effects..."

With a thought, Sword Qi surged around him.

This time, he didn’t deliberately control the intensity of the Sword Qi, allowing the Zhen Dao Sword Mansion to release its full power.

In the past, such full-force sword manipulation would cause his Meridians to swell and ache within moments.

But now, Song Yan only felt warm all over, and the Sword Qi flowed unceasingly through his strengthened Meridians, giving him a feeling of exhilarating satisfaction.

"At this level, perhaps I can try the sword control technique recorded in the Essentials of Swordsmanship."

Upon internal inspection, he discovered that even his internal organs were covered with a faint golden-red glow.

What surprised him immensely was that the space of the Zhen Dao Sword Mansion seemed a bit larger than before, and the storage of Sword Qi naturally increased with it.

"Phew..."

He put away the Medicine Cauldron, then carefully buried the remaining medicinal dregs in a corner of the courtyard.

These medicinal dregs carried the aura of Qilin demon blood, and if discovered by someone with ulterior motives, it would inevitably cause complications.

After tidying everything up, Song Yan continued to practice swordsmanship in the courtyard for a while, fully familiarizing himself with the limits of wielding Sword Qi.

Then, the Sword Qi receded, and he sat alone in the courtyard, slowly adjusting his breath.

Only a little over a day remained until the Day of Decision began... On this day, on Wipe Sword Peak.

The spectator areas around the Sword Debate Platform were packed with people.

The final stage of the competition was not only open to Sect Disciples.

Some Family Disciples affiliated with the Cave Abyss Sect, as well as representatives from shops in Lingyuanze Market, and even some Loose Cultivators friendly with the Cave Abyss Sect would come to watch the competition.

Some shops would contact talented Disciples in advance, providing them with some Spirit Stones.

Or they would directly discuss with friendly Disciples in advance, suggesting that if they won a good ranking, they would promote the shop.

No matter where, the celebrity effect always exists.

In addition, there would be people from gambling houses specifically setting up stakes, allowing all Cultivators to participate in guessing the rankings of the final Disciples. If they guessed correctly, they could earn a considerable amount of Spirit Stones.

West viewing area.

Most of these were spectator seats for non-Sect Disciples.

Although the view was not very good, this area was closest to the entrance and exit passage for the final ranking Disciples.

At the edge, Ju Luyi was sitting in a corner, clutching a silk ribbon in her hand.

She looked around with a somewhat bewildered expression.

Strictly speaking, Ju Luyi was only a servant of Seamless, and originally had no right to participate in such a grand event.

Fortunately, a certain accompanying older sister, who was originally scheduled, could not come due to Family matters, and the other older sisters already had their own tasks.

Only then did she have the opportunity to come here.

The final stage of the competition had not yet officially begun, and people around were walking back and forth in a hurry, some shouting to Cultivators in the distance.

"Old Yu, where are our signs?"

"The plaque? It’s with me!"

"Hang it up, quickly! We can still adjust the position now, the Sect Disciples are about to enter, don’t block them."

She turned her head to look not far away, where the older sisters had already begun setting up the area belonging to Seamless.

The leading female Cultivator in purple also happened to turn her head, looked at Ju Luyi, and frowned, "Xiao Ju! Stop fiddling with those things."

"Today is the final, the Cultivators on stage are all Prodigies from various peaks. Don’t bring out those unsightly embroideries and make a fool of yourself."

"Come help quickly."

"..."

Xiao Ju said nothing, merely stood up from her seat and silently went forward to help.

The entire area around the Sword Debate Platform was now bustling with noise.

Just then, someone nearby suddenly exclaimed, "Hey, look quickly, the Disciples participating in today’s final are entering!"

Everyone’s gaze turned towards the entrance of the west viewing area.

Ju Luyi also turned her head; this place was very close to the entrance.

Twenty-two Disciples were seen slowly walking into the arena in groups.

Leading the way was Senior Brother Li Yi.

"Is that Senior Brother Song Yan?"

A young female Cultivator beside her suddenly asked in surprise, drawing the attention of the surrounding Cultivators.

Song Yan was seen walking among the crowd, dressed in a white Daoist robe, carrying a dark blue sword box on his back.

His features were picturesque, and his every move exuded an aura of sharp, yet restrained, brilliance, attracting the lingering gazes of many female Cultivators.

At this moment, he was conversing with Sun Zhengfu, while on his left was Xiang Zhaoling, the Genius girl from Lianyou Peak.

"I heard that Senior Brother Song defeated Senior Brother Senior Brother Kong You, a Level 8 Qi Refining Cultivator, in the previous selection."

"I saw it, I saw it! I saw it when I was in Changping. His sword control technique was exquisite and unparalleled."

"Not only is he exceptionally talented, but he’s also so handsome..."

The female Cultivators whispered about Song Yan, occasionally covering their mouths and giggling, perhaps discussing some inappropriate topic.

However, a cold snort came from the west viewing stand: "Hmph, a pretty face with nothing inside."

A Taiping Peak Disciple stood with his arms crossed, adopting the demeanor of a master.

He sneered, "A Qi Refining Stage Seventh Level Cultivator dares to claim exceptional talent? Senior Brother Li Yi is Level 9 Qi Refining. If they were to face each other, he could probably be knocked off the Sword Debate Platform with just one strike!"

Some of the discussions reached Song Yan’s ears, but he acted as if he hadn’t heard them.

He merely glanced, as if sensing something, at the west viewing area seats not far away.

Ju Luyi was standing among a group of female Cultivators, and seeing him look over, she looked around a bit shyly.

Song Yan nodded slightly, considering it a greeting.

One must be polite.

Speaking of which, the Daoist robe he was wearing was personally sewn by Xiao Ju.