Besides the physical changes, his breakthrough in Cultivation also greatly enhanced his perception and Spiritual Sense. He also understood why back in Tan City, Shen Yuan had detected him just because he had noticed something was wrong at the doorway and slowed his steps.

It was because his heartbeat and breathing had changed significantly. At the time, he hadn’t practiced a Concealing Breath Technique. The changes were so subtle that even an External Refining Expert might not have noticed them, but to the senses of an Inner Master, they were glaringly obvious.

That was how Shen Yuan deduced that Yang Chan had realized something was amiss inside the room, threatening him just as he was thinking of leaving quietly.

Shen Yuan was severely injured back then, yet he could still do something like that. It just went to show how terrifying figures at the Inner Refining Grandmaster Level were.

Now that Yang Chan had achieved his long-awaited breakthrough, he could perceive even more clearly just how powerful an Inner Master was. He was also more grateful than ever for the choice he had made back then. If an expert of that level had gotten close to him, it would have taken only a few moves to subdue him, even though he had already reached the External Iron Bone Refining stage.

If his opponent had killing intent, it wouldn’t have taken long for them to kill him and escape.

’Every Great Realm in Martial Arts Cultivation is a massive transformation.’

’It’s difficult to kill someone in a higher realm. In fact, it’s practically impossible unless you use various other lethal methods.’

Having advanced step-by-step from an ordinary person to his current state, Yang Chan was keenly aware of the changes that came with each Realm.

A breakthrough into a new Great Realm was a transformation that brought a world of difference in strength. It was a gap that ordinary people would find impossible to bridge.

Even with external aid, it would be difficult to achieve any effect if the timing wasn’t right.

Take, for example, when Yang Chan used Qianji Yin to poison Shen Yuan. If Shen Yuan hadn’t been severely injured, the Qianji Yin would never have harmed him. An expert in Inner Refining of the Lungs and Spleens could use their tempered power to expel toxins from their body, a process that wouldn’t take very long at all.

Shen Yuan’s condition, however, had been so dire that he was no longer capable of such a feat.

But the current Yang Chan could easily expel toxins from his body—an ability he possessed just from having broken through to the Inner Refining of the Lungs and Spleens.

’My Lifespan increased by quite a bit this time. It finally starts with a three.’

After his Cultivation breakthrough, Yang Chan was most concerned about his Lifespan. He immediately summoned his panel to check the changes in his stats.

[Name: Yang Chan]

[Lifespan: 17/305]

[Talent: 26]

[Potential Points: 0]

[Mastered Professions: Pharmacist (Tier Three Mastery 2%)]

[Comprehension Technique: Tai Chi Health Cultivation Skill (Tier Four Masterful 8%), Ox Demon’s Mighty Fist (Tier Four Masterful 6%), Turtle Breath Body Cultivation Skill (Tier Two Entry 50%), Demon Suppressing Swordsmanship (Tier Two Entry 78%), Wind-Stepping Technique (Tier Two Entry 70%), Ox Demon Martial Seal (Tier Three Mastery 7%), Tiger Demon Bone-Refining Fist (Tier Four Masterful 2%), Tiger Demon Martial Seal (Tier Three Mastery 3%), Purple Qi Body Cultivation Skill (Tier Two Entry 16%), Flood Dragon Demon Breath Method (Tier Three Mastery 1%), Flood Dragon Demon Martial Seal (Tier Two Entry 10%), Meditation and Breath Holding Technique (Tier Two Entry 14%)]

On the panel, Yang Chan’s Lifespan had increased to 305, a 66-year gain from the previous 239. This was more than he had expected. He originally thought that breaking through to Inner Master would increase his Lifespan by about sixty years, but he had gained over sixty years.

Yang Chan wasn’t sure if this was because he practiced a Health Cultivation Technique or if this was a normal increase. He couldn’t confirm it, but it wasn’t important.

All that mattered was that his own Lifespan had become longer. How many years others gained had no bearing on him.

His Talent had increased by 3 points, which wasn’t much, and the effect wasn’t very noticeable for him. He had already gained 2 points in Talent when his Purple Qi Body Cultivation Skill broke through. These gains were all cumulative and wouldn’t be obvious right away.

Of course, it would definitely speed up his Cultivation Technique practice by a tiny bit. A truly significant change would only come with a qualitative leap.

Yang Chan’s current Talent was already considered extremely superior within the Cyan Yuan Sect. Without a qualitative change, this small increase didn’t make a big difference for him.

He hadn’t spent many Potential Points on his Pharmacist profession, but the improvement was solid. He was now at Tier Three Mastery, which qualified him as an Intermediate Pharmacist in the Cyan Yuan Sect, but he chose not to seek promotion.

He didn’t plan on leaving the Cyan Yuan Sect for the time being, so naturally, he would postpone his promotion until after the Pharmacist Exchange Conference in White Jade City. This was also a convenient way to avoid the matter.

Among his Comprehension Techniques, besides the Flood Dragon Demon Breath Method which had reached Tier Three Mastery, the others had improved, but not by much.

This was related to Yang Chan spending most of his time studying pharmacist-related books and advancing his Flood Dragon Demon Breath Method. However, he planned to catch up on his other Cultivation Techniques next.

He planned to prioritize techniques like the Wind-Stepping Technique, Demon Suppressing Swordsmanship, and the Flood Dragon Demon Martial Seal. The Flood Dragon Demon Martial Seal was an even higher priority because being able to visualize it and embody it would cause another qualitative leap in his Combat Power. This was very important. However, this particular improvement wasn’t as urgent, so he could advance it alongside his other techniques.

A person’s Spiritual Power is finite, so improvements to it must be made step-by-step. Advancing too much at once would actually increase the burden on one’s Spirit. This was an insight Yang Chan had gained from practicing the Martial Seal Visualization Images, and it was naturally very useful to him.

He hadn’t spent much time on the Demon Suppressing Swordsmanship and the Wind-Stepping Technique, only practicing them when he had a spare moment. Even so, they were already close to reaching Tier Three Mastery. By spending a little more time and some Potential Points on them, he could raise them to Tier Three and shore up these weaknesses.

If he cultivated them to the Tier Four stage, he would be far beyond the level of an ordinary person.

Yang Chan had studied protective methods like Body Techniques and Swordsmanship. He knew that if one cultivated them to a certain Realm, they could comprehend a state of "Intent," which would enhance the power of these techniques and allow them to unleash even greater strength.

For instance, by cultivating the Demon Suppressing Swordsmanship to its peak, one could comprehend the Demon Suppressing Sword Intent. This would allow one to unleash even greater power, where the lethality was no longer limited to physical wounds but could also affect a person’s Spirit.

Yang Chan had only read about these things in records; he had yet to see any expert in the Cyan Yuan Sect who could wield something like Sword Intent. He had never seen those Inner Master experts fight, so he didn’t know the specifics of their abilities.

But since it was recorded in books, it meant someone had cultivated this "Intent"-level technique and had used it in combat before.

What was within sight but forever out of reach for others was, for Yang Chan, simply a question of whether it was worth spending so many Potential Points. After all, Potential Points were also very precious.