’The system panel... it’s changed?!’

As he reviewed the information that flooded his mind, Fang Han’s breath caught, his eyes flashing with delighted surprise.

Upon reaching the Inner Qi Realm, the system panel had changed—or rather, it had evolved.

He was no longer limited to using gold and silver to ’recharge’ it. Now, any item of a certain value could be used.

This meant that his methods for acquiring ’wealth’ would no longer be so limited.

Elixirs, rare ores, even Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures... any item of significant value could now serve as the fuel to unlock higher levels of Talent Amplification. This was undoubtedly a much broader and more flexible path to acquiring ’wealth’.

’I just wonder if this method of recharging will cause the items to depreciate in value...’

Fang Han’s only concern was that this recharging process might devalue items—that something originally worth ten silver might only yield seven or eight.

If so, it would hardly be worth it.

’I’ll know once I try.’

With a turn of his hand, Fang Han took a porcelain bottle from his robes and poured out a Qi Blood Pill. It was the size of a longan, with a lustrous sheen and a rich, medicinal fragrance.

He focused his mind and attempted to ’recharge’ the Qi Blood Pill.

VMMMM—

His hand felt slightly lighter. The Qi Blood Pill seemed to have been instantly disintegrated by an invisible force, transforming into motes of faint light that dissipated into the air.

Simultaneously, on the system panel in his vision, the number next to [Wealth Owned] jumped from "52 silver" to "53 silver."

’It didn’t lose any value!’

The corners of Fang Han’s mouth curled up uncontrollably.

A single Qi Blood Pill was worth about one silver on the market. After recharging it, his wealth value had increased by exactly one silver.

This proved that the system panel didn’t devalue items used for recharging, even if they weren’t gold or silver.

’I’ve finally reached the Inner Qi Realm. I wonder what this opportunity the Patriarch and Elder Fang Yuan mentioned is...’

After his excitement subsided, Fang Han recalled what the Patriarch had told him.

If he could break through to the Inner Qi Realm before the second day of the second lunar month next year, a tremendous opportunity would await him.

Now that he had successfully broken through to the Inner Qi Realm, it was time to find out what this so-called opportunity was.

Without further delay, he straightened his slightly disheveled robes, a result of his cultivation, pushed open the door to the Martial Arts Room, and strode toward the Quiet Chamber where Elder Fang Yuan resided.

Inside the Quiet Chamber, sandalwood incense swirled in the air.

Elder Fang Yuan was holding a scroll, his brow slightly furrowed as if deep in thought.

Hearing footsteps, he looked up. Upon seeing Fang Han, his face broke into its usual gentle smile.

"Fang Han, is something the matter?"

Before he could finish his sentence, his gaze suddenly locked onto Fang Han.

Sensing the unstable aura fluctuating around Fang Han—a sign of a recent breakthrough—the smile on his face was instantly replaced by utter astonishment.

He shot to his feet. The pearwood chair beneath him scraped backward from the sudden movement, letting out a sharp CREAK.

"Your... your aura..."

Elder Fang Yuan’s voice held a faint, almost imperceptible tremor. His eyes were wide, as if he were witnessing something incredible.

"This fluctuation in your aura... The Inner Qi Realm?! You’ve broken through to the Inner Qi Realm?!"

"I just broke through a moment ago."

Fang Han met Elder Fang Yuan’s incredulous gaze and nodded calmly.

"Hahaha! The heavens have blessed our Fang Family! Come! Quickly, follow me to see the Patriarch! Such tremendous news must be reported at once!"

Elder Fang Yuan was so excited he paced back and forth a few steps before clapping his hands forcefully.

He practically dragged Fang Han by the arm, hurrying outside. The immense joy smoothed the wrinkles on his face, making him look radiant.

「Inside Songtao Pavilion.」

Patriarch Fang Lingyuan was taking a break and sipping tea. He heard Elder Fang Yuan’s rushed announcement from outside, a voice that had lost all its usual composure. Lingyuan had just raised an eyebrow in confusion when he saw Fang Yuan stride in, pulling Fang Han along.

"Patriarch! Wonderful news! Truly wonderful news!"

Elder Fang Yuan’s voice boomed, filled with irrepressible excitement.

"Fang Han... Fang Han has broken through to the Inner Qi Realm!"

Fang Lingyuan’s head snapped up. His gaze, sharp as lightning, instantly fell upon Fang Han. After a moment of careful assessment, an astonishing light erupted from within his deep, pool-like eyes.

He slowly rose, walked around his desk, and stopped in front of Fang Han. He sent a wisp of Inner Qi to probe Fang Han’s body, assessing his internal condition.

After a long moment, he let out a slow breath. A smile of immense relief and satisfaction bloomed across his face as he clapped Fang Han heavily on the shoulder.

"Good! Excellent! Even faster than I expected! Fang Han, you truly haven’t disappointed me!"

"I owe it all to the family’s support."

Fang Han bowed slightly.

"Now that you’ve broken through, it’s time to tell you about the opportunity I mentioned."

Fang Lingyuan let out a hearty laugh, his gaze blazing as he looked at Fang Han.

Fang Han’s focus sharpened. He immediately composed himself to listen, his eyes filled with concentration and curiosity.

Fang Lingyuan’s smile faded slightly. His expression grew complex, tinged with a hint of imperceptible emotion and gravity.

"Fang Han, you must understand something. Although our Fang Family is known as one of the five great families of Liangshui City, and we appear prominent, in the face of a true behemoth, we are as weak and insignificant as ants."

He paused, his voice lowering.

"The true rulers of Liangshui City, and indeed all of Qingyang County, are not families like ours who merely lord over a single city. In truth, every year we must surrender the bulk of our earnings to the transcendent powers that govern this region, simply to buy ourselves the space to exist and a measure of protection."

"And in Qingyang County, there are seven such behemoths that stand above all other powers. They are aloof and transcendent, their foundations unfathomably deep. The world knows them collectively as—the Seven Sects!"

’The Seven Sects...’

Fang Han repeated the name in a low voice, his gaze hardening.

Qingyang County governed hundreds of cities. Each city had a population ranging from one or two hundred thousand to over a million.

Add to that the countless villages of all sizes scattered around the cities, and the total population was immense.

With such a massive population base, an incredible number of factions must have arisen. To be able to stand above them all truly showed the power of the Seven Sects.

"On the second day of the second lunar month next year, one of the Seven Sects, the Qingxuan Sect, will open its gates to recruit new disciples!"

"As is tradition, anyone who breaks through to the Inner Qi Realm by the age of eighteen has an excellent chance of passing the entrance assessment and successfully joining the Qingxuan Sect!"

Fang Lingyuan looked at Fang Han, his gaze intense and his tone filled with immense gravity.

"For you, this is an opportunity to leap the dragon gate. Once you enter one of the Seven Sects, the resources, cultivation techniques, guidance, and future prospects you’ll have access to will be far beyond anything you could imagine while stuck here in Liangshui City. That is a truly vast world!"

’Join the Qingxuan Sect, one of the Seven Sects?’

Fang Han’s heart leaped, and a sharp, hungry light instantly flared in his eyes.

’The Talent Amplification from the system panel requires massive resources. If I stay in Liangshui City, even with the full support of the family, I’m afraid I won’t be able to meet the increasingly terrifying costs in the future.’

’And the transcendent Seven Sects are undoubtedly the perfect place to find more resources and a much larger stage.’

He immediately felt an intense interest in and a powerful craving for the Qingxuan Sect, one of the Seven Sects.