"Hah, hah, hah—"

A few days later, in the morning, Fang Han passed through the Inner Hall’s training grounds on his way to the Class A-10 Martial Arts Room.

On the training grounds, the Inner Hall Descendants were all cultivating, but the usual cheerful laughter was gone. The atmosphere was indescribably oppressive.

It had been like this for the past few days.

The reason for all this was that Lin Ao had defeated the other four of the Five Heroes of Liangshui, including Fang Hong, to become number one among the younger generation of Liangshui City.

The defeat of Fang Hong, the Fang Family Inner Hall’s top disciple, at Lin Ao’s hands had brought shame upon all the Inner Hall Descendants, leaving them dispirited.

But the main reason was that, because Lin Ao had become number one among Liangshui City’s younger generation, Elder Fang Yuan had been in a foul mood for the past few days, often wandering around the Inner Hall.

If he found any Inner Hall Descendants slacking in their cultivation, he would immediately berate them harshly. Several disciples had already been reprimanded over the last few days.

However, none of this concerned him. With the high regard Elder Fang Yuan held for him, there was no chance he would be reprimanded.

Inside the Martial Arts Room, sandalwood incense smoke curled up, and all was silent.

Fang Han sank into his stance, his body as steady as a boulder, his Crane Form posture fluid and natural.

His eyes were slightly closed, his mind completely immersed within his body. He guided the majestic flow of his vital energy and blood—amplified by his Eightfold Root Bone Talent to the force of a great river—surging through his limbs and bones.

With every breath, his vital energy and blood produced a low roar, like the turning of the tide.

From deep within his skeleton came a dense, crackling sound, like popping soybeans. It was the sound of his vital energy and blood tempering all two hundred and six of his bones with astonishing efficiency.

The process was making them tougher and denser.

After an unknown amount of time, the speed at which the vital energy and blood circulated through Fang Han’s body suddenly surged to a new peak.

"BOOM—"

A deep, tremendous roar that only he could hear erupted from the deepest part of his body. 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

It was as if an invisible barrier had been shattered.

A sense of power far more potent and condensed than that of the Middle Stage of Bone Refining erupted like a long-dormant volcano, instantly suffusing every inch of his skeleton and seeping deep into his marrow.

Fang Han’s entire body trembled violently. Beneath the surface of his skin, countless fine, jade-colored glimmers seemed to flow, faintly revealing a warm yet solid luster.

The continuous popping, like roasting soybeans, finally transformed into a deep, prolonged buzzing that resonated for a long time.

’Late Stage of Bone Refining... success!’

A sharp glint of light, like electricity, flashed through Fang Han’s eyes and vanished.

He clenched his fist lightly, and the air in his palm seemed to implode with a low POP. The feeling of power far surpassed what he had before.

Clearly, his Martial Arts Realm had broken through once again, advancing from the Middle Stage of Bone Refining to the Late Stage of Bone Refining.

’It only took a little over a month...’

Fang Han calculated the time it had taken, a flash of astonishment in his eyes.

Bone Refining was the final of the Basic Four Realms and the most difficult to cultivate. For most Martial Artists who reached this stage, their cultivation speed would slow to a crawl.

He had heard other Inner Hall Descendants mention that Fang Hong, the number one disciple in the Inner Hall, had taken more than half a year to break through from the Middle Stage to the Late Stage of Bone Refining—a feat that was already considered genius.

Yet he had managed to break through from the Middle Stage to the Late Stage in just over a month, cutting the time down several times over.

The terrifying cultivation speed brought by his Eightfold Root Bone Talent was enough to startle even himself.

’Now that I’ve reached the Late Stage of Bone Refining, I’m only one realm away from the Ninth Grade Inner Qi Realm!’

Fang Han’s eyes burned with intensity.

Above the Late Stage of Bone Refining was the Ninth Grade Inner Qi Realm. Reaching the Ninth Grade Inner Qi Realm would bring about a complete, transformative metamorphosis in one’s strength.

It could be said that even a newly ascended Ninth Grade Inner Qi Realm Martial Artist could crush Lin Ao, the number one of Liangshui City’s younger generation, as easily as an ant.

This was also why anyone who became a Ninth Grade Inner Qi Realm Martial Artist was immediately granted the status of an Elder.

’But, even though I’m only one realm away, breaking through is no easy feat. In fact, it’s incredibly difficult!’

As far as Fang Han knew, a bottleneck like a natural chasm lay between the Late Stage of Bone Refining and the Ninth Grade Inner Qi Realm.

It was common for people to be stuck for several years, and those with poor talent might never break through in their entire lives.

Within the Fang Family, there were many who had been stuck at this step for years without making any progress, a testament to how solid this bottleneck was.

’But this bottleneck definitely won’t be able to hold me back!’

Confidence swelled in Fang Han’s heart.

With the amplification from his Eightfold Root Bone Talent, his Root Bone had reached a terrifying level. No matter how difficult this barrier was, it could only hold him back temporarily at most; it was impossible for it to prevent his breakthrough entirely.

’Time to go test myself at the Martial Arts Stele again!’

With his strength greatly enhanced, Fang Han didn’t delay for a moment. He pushed open the door of the Martial Arts Room and strode toward the courtyard where the Martial Arts Stele was located.

His appearance immediately caught the attention of some Inner Hall Descendants along the way.

Seeing him head straight for the Martial Arts Stele, many of the disciples were first taken aback, then a somewhat numb expression appeared on their faces.

"He’s going again..."

"This time... I wonder what rank he’ll reach?"

"Late Stage of Bone Refining! He definitely broke through to the Late Stage of Bone Refining! That aura... it’s even more terrifying than a few days ago!"

"From Middle-stage to Late Stage... How long has it been? He’s a monster..."

Low murmurs spread through the crowd, but they were no longer filled with the shock and disbelief of before. Instead, they held a kind of numbness, born of being repeatedly shocked to the point of habit.

Fang Han’s promotion speed had long since surpassed their comprehension. Aside from numbness, it seemed they had no other reaction left.

Fang Han paid no heed to the commotion behind him and soon arrived before the Martial Arts Stele.

Some disciples who were cultivating or just passing by saw this and stopped what they were doing, their gazes complex as they focused on him.

Stretching out a finger, Fang Han calmly wrote the two words "Fang Han" on the cool, smooth surface of the Jade Stele.

Then, his gaze sharpened. The potent vital energy and blood of the Late Stage of Bone Refining erupted without reservation, pouring into the Fine Iron Longsword he had picked up from the side.

He fully unleashed his Xunfeng Swordsmanship, which was at the Minor Achievement Level. The sword light condensed into a flash of green lightning tearing through the sky, carrying a momentum far heavier, fiercer, and sharper than ever before as it struck the Martial Arts Stele.

"BZZZZ—!!!"

The Jade Stele erupted with a dazzling light and trembled violently. The buzzing sound was deep and far-reaching, and it seemed as if even the ground of the courtyard quaked gently in response.

Everyone’s hearts were in their throats, their eyes glued to the surface of the stele.

The number after the two words "Fang Han" began to flicker.

Three... two.

Finally, under the gaze of countless eyes, the number stabilized—Second place!

"S-Second place!"

"He surpassed Senior Sister Fang Xue!"

"To reach second place in such a short time... It’s unbelievable!"

The courtyard fell silent for a moment, then a collective gasp echoed through the air.

Although they had anticipated it, the visual and psychological impact was still intense when they saw Fang Han’s name brazenly appear in second place, pushing the former number two, Fang Xue, down to third.

The news spread like wildfire throughout the Inner Hall, bringing life back to the recently subdued atmosphere.

In his Quiet Chamber, Elder Fang Yuan heard the commotion outside and frowned, intending to go out and stop it.

However, after a servant came to report, a smile appeared on his face, and he chose to let it be.

"I’ve been surpassed?!"

In her private Martial Arts Room, Fang Xue was polishing her longsword, which was as clear as autumn waters.

When a servant rushed in to inform her that her rank had been surpassed by Fang Han, her polishing movements came to an abrupt halt.

In her eyes, as cold and clear as a frozen lake, ripples of disbelief surged. Her fingers, gripping the hilt of her sword, tightened unconsciously, her knuckles turning slightly pale.

She knew very well that Fang Han’s talent was astounding and his progress was incredibly fast, and she had never dared to underestimate him in the slightest.

But she had never thought this day would come so quickly.

So quickly that she even felt her own years of bitter cultivation seemed pale and insignificant in the face of his inconceivable progress.

An indescribable mix of emotions spread through her heart: shock, unwillingness to accept defeat, frustration, and, more than anything, a faint, imperceptible sense of awe.

She slowly sheathed her sword and gazed out the window, speechless for a long time.

’Second place!’

Fang Han paid no mind to the ripples of commotion he had caused. After seeing the result of his test, he turned and left the courtyard, calmly returning to his Class A-10 Martial Arts Room.

He wasn’t surprised that he had surpassed Fang Xue to take second place.

His own strength had indeed taken a qualitative leap. Although Fang Xue was strong, she had not yet broken through to the Late Stage of Bone Refining, so it was inevitable that he would surpass her.

As for not surpassing Fang Hong to take the top spot, he wasn’t surprised by that either.

As one of the Five Heroes of Liangshui, Fang Hong had not yet reached the Late Stage Bone Refining Limit, but he was extremely close. Furthermore, while his Martial Technique hadn’t reached Perfection, it was approaching it.

His foundation of strength was far beyond what someone like himself, who had just broken through, could compare to.

’If I want to surpass Fang Hong, I’m afraid I’ll need to make more progress in my Xunfeng Swordsmanship.’

Fang Han assessed the situation calmly, without a trace of impatience or complacency.

Closing the heavy door of the Martial Arts Room, he shut out all the disturbances of the outside world and once again immersed his mind in his cultivation.

He guided the vast vital energy and blood within his body, consolidating his Late Stage of Bone Refining realm and building up his foundation for the higher level of the Inner Qi Realm.