The intense heat warped the very air around him.

He had reached the Fourth Layer of the Red Fire Divine Skill, entering the Middle Path Stage.

It might seem like a small step, but crossing this threshold made a world of difference.

There were four such stages, and each one represented an earth-shattering transformation.

When combined with the Red Flame Divine Palm, it could unleash terrifying power.

It was at least ten times more powerful than the Blue Flame True Qi.

He gazed at the Red Flame True Qi in his palm. At his will, it shifted into various forms.

A Flaming Saber, a Flame Sword, and even, in an instant, a fully formed Flame Bird.

He could switch between the forms with a single thought.

After manipulating it for a moment, Fang Xing retracted the Red Flame True Qi.

’With this breakthrough, my strength has increased by at least eighty percent...’

Fang Xing thought to himself.

His Martial Arts had broken through, and his strength had taken another step forward.

Although he had yet to fight another in the True Qi Realm, he now felt completely fearless.

He was confident enough to face anyone below the True Qi Third Layer.

But as for those at the True Qi Third Layer or above...

...that would likely be a real struggle.

The True Qi Realm was divided into four stages and ten layers.

Early Stage, Middle Stage, Late Stage, and Perfection.

These were four major stages, and the difference between each was qualitative.

For example, the difference in True Qi between the Early Stage and the Middle Stage was several dozen times over.

The gap between each of these stages was even greater than the one between the Dark Force and Neutralizing Force realms.

The difference between the Early Stage of True Qi and True Qi Perfection was comparable to the chasm between the Early Stage of Bright Force and the Peak of Neutralizing Force—a gap of more than a hundredfold.

Relying on his current level in the Dragon’s Roar Iron Cloth Shirt, Fang Xing was confident he could face a Martial Artist at the True Qi Third Layer.

However, against a Martial Artist at the True Qi Fourth Layer—someone who had already entered the Middle Stage of True Qi—his current level of Martial Arts would likely not be enough.

Furthermore, it wasn’t at all rare for Martial Artists in the True Qi Realm to be cultivating Top Level Martial Arts.

They would have at least one Top Level Martial Art in their arsenal.

It could be either an Inner Cultivation or an Outer Cultivation Top Level Martial Art.

The chances of entering the True Qi Realm with only Superior Martial Arts were extremely slim.

Anyone who managed to become a True Qi Realm Martial Artist had, to some extent, cultivated at least one Top Level Martial Art.

Of course, there were also vast differences between one Top Level Martial Art and another.

At the same time, it also depended on one’s level of comprehension in the Martial Arts they cultivated.

Top Level Martial Arts were incredibly difficult to cultivate; without powerful Comprehension, they were nearly impossible to master.

Comprehension was the deciding factor for the stages one could reach in Martial Arts cultivation.

If he were to encounter a True Qi Realm Martial Artist who also cultivated a Martial Dao Secret Technique, the power gap would be even wider.

Martial Arts, Secret Techniques, and True Qi—the combination of all these factors determined the true strength of a True Qi Realm Martial Artist.

A True Qi Realm Martial Artist who was proficient in a Top Level Martial Art was on a completely different level from a half-baked amateur in the same realm.

The power difference between those in the True Qi Realm wasn’t always clear-cut, unless there was a massive suppressive advantage from a major stage gap, like Early to Middle Stage.

Under normal circumstances, you could only tell the difference after a real fight.

After all, while gaps between the minor layers existed, they weren’t absurdly large.

They could be overcome with superior Martial Arts or Secret Techniques.

The True Qi Realm was the Extraordinary Stage!

First Realm, One Heaven!

To sweep through the entire True Qi Realm while only at the First Layer? That would be impossible unless you were a reincarnated Immortal with an unparalleled Divine Skill.

He was currently cultivating three Top Level Martial Arts.

The Red Fire Divine Skill, the Dragon’s Roar Iron Cloth Shirt, and the Longevity Technique!

Each of the three Top Level Martial Arts had its own strengths.

However, only the Longevity Technique and the Red Fire Divine Skill had reached their second stage, still a great distance from Divine Skill Perfection.

Meanwhile, his Dragon’s Roar Iron Cloth Shirt had only reached the first stage.

The transformations between the different stages of a Divine Skill were earth-shattering.

If his Dragon’s Roar Iron Cloth Shirt reached Twelfth Layer Perfection, he could dominate the True Qi Realm even with a cultivation of only the True Qi First Layer.

But for now, that goal was still a million miles away.

In terms of comprehension, he had only reached the second stage for his Martial Arts.

But given time, he was confident he could achieve Perfection.

Even with god-given talent and Comprehension, cultivating Martial Arts was not something that could be accomplished overnight.

The idea of mastering a Divine Skill in a single night was something that only happened in storybooks.

A higher cultivation level might speed up the process, but even then, mastering a Divine Skill overnight was impossible.

It only meant the time spent on cultivation would be shorter.

Calming his mind, Fang Xing left his room, washed up, changed into a suit of Profound Black Martial Attire, and equipped his Demon Suppression Treasure Saber.

His breakthrough in the Red Fire Divine Skill filled him with confidence for the upcoming mission against the Demons and Monsters.

’Even a Great Demon isn’t impossible to kill!’

Of course, it all depended on the level of the Great Demon.

An Initial Realm Great Demon wouldn’t be much of a problem.

But if it were a High Realm Great Demon, or even a Top-Notch Great Demon, he would flee without a second thought.

After entering the True Qi Realm, he understood the vast disparities within it. A gap that wide was not something he could overcome with his current Divine Skills.

Leaving his residence, Fang Xing first went to the dining hall to fill his stomach.

Just as he finished eating, he ran into Shen Ye.

"Sir, are we departing now?" Fang Xing asked as Shen Ye approached.

Shen Ye nodded. "Yes, it’s time to go. I’ve found us some help."

"Help?" Fang Xing was taken aback.

Shen Ye looked at him and smiled mysteriously. "Come on. Our helper should be waiting at the entrance to the Observatory."

Hearing this, Fang Xing didn’t press for details. He simply nodded and followed Shen Ye out of the dining hall.

...

When they reached the entrance of the Observatory, Fang Xing spotted a familiar figure in the distance.

Baili Yanran!

"Sir, isn’t Baili Yanran the Commander of Team B?" Fang Xing asked, surprised.

Shen Ye smiled. "What’s the big deal? It’s normal to help out. Besides, we’re not in the same squad, so there’s no competition for rankings."