SSSHHHHK—!

A flash of insight struck Fang Han. With a flick of his wrist, he sent the Cyan Blade Sword slicing through the empty air before him!

Where the blade passed, the air seemed to split, creating a momentary vacuum that let out a low sonic boom.

"The Wind-Splitting Swordsmanship is at Perfection!"

Fang Han looked down at the Cyan Blade Sword in his hand as its humming subsided, the corners of his mouth curling into a small, irrepressible smile.

Ten days of bitter cultivation, and he had finally reached the Realm of Perfection!

He gently caressed the cool steel of the blade, his eyes filled with joy and satisfaction.

’My Wind Momentum has reached ten points!’

Fang Han carefully savored his current state.

After his Wind-Splitting Swordsmanship reached Perfection, the Wind Momentum he could summon and control had skyrocketed from the previous five points to a full ten!

These ten points were no simple doubling, but a qualitative leap. It meant his comprehension and control over the wind had entered a whole new level.

If one were to divide the complete Wind Momentum into ten portions, then he had now grasped one full portion!

The power of his swordsmanship had increased severalfold at minimum!

He focused his mind and began practicing with his sword again, familiarizing himself with his new Perfection Swordsmanship.

At the Perfection Level, the moves of the Wind-Splitting Swordsmanship were no longer bound by fixed routines. Every casual strike now held immense power.

The flashing light of his sword was at times like a gentle spring rain, seeping through every opening, and at others like a hurricane, tearing through everything in its path.

His application of Wind Momentum was exquisite. He could not only injure foes from afar with the wind generated by his blade but also use the Momentum to accelerate his sword’s speed and alter its trajectory, making his attacks impossible to defend against.

’I wonder if this Perfection Swordsmanship is enough to get me into the top one hundred...’

A short while later, having completely familiarized himself with the Perfection Split Wind Sword Technique, Fang Han stopped practicing.

The power of his Wind-Splitting Swordsmanship was now several times greater than before. He was desperate to know if the Perfection Level of the technique would be enough to push his rank into the top one hundred.

SWOOSH!

He picked up his Cyan Blade Sword and moved. The Wind Shadow Step flowed naturally, and his body became like a wisp of wind, swiftly and silently crossing the forest clearing as he raced toward the plaza of the Overall Martial Arts Stele.

The massive Overall Martial Arts Stele stood in the center of the plaza, its surface glowing with a gentle, mysterious, jade-like luster in the morning sun.

Countless names were arranged on its surface, silently recording the power hierarchy of the disciples from the Qingxuan Sect’s Twelve Courtyards.

With steady steps, he walked directly to the Martial Arts Stele.

His arrival didn’t cause much of a stir.

With over a thousand disciples across the Twelve Courtyards, someone coming to test their rank was a common sight. The disciples who saw him arrive paid him no mind.

Huuuu—

Fang Han took a deep breath, calming the ripples of excitement in his heart over his Sword Technique Perfection. His gaze instantly grew serene and focused.

He slowly roused the Inner Qi of his Early Stage of Seventh Grade cultivation. The aura around him receded, like the calm before a storm.

SHING!

The Cyan Blade Sword shot from its sheath with a clear, resonant ring.

The Heart Method of the Perfection-level Wind-Splitting Swordsmanship activated naturally. The surrounding air seemed drawn by an unseen force, silently converging on him.

He didn’t deliberately pursue speed or power, but instead completely immersed his mind in perceiving and commanding the "wind."

The blade trembled slightly, creating ripples in the air invisible to the naked eye. The "one portion" of Wind Momentum coiled around the blade, making the Cyan Blade Sword seem like an extension of the wind itself.

Sky Splitting Gold-Breaking!

With a silent roar in his heart and a flick of his wrist, the Cyan Blade Sword became a streak of pale cyan light. It didn’t travel straight, but instead carved a strange, vibrating arc, as if merging with the wind’s trajectory. Silent yet impossibly fast, it tapped against the face of the stele.

TSSSSS—!

A soft but exceptionally sharp hiss erupted.

The instant the sword’s tip touched the stele, the highly condensed Wind Momentum erupted, creating a ripple of energy across the stele’s face that was visibly more violent and widespread than his last attempt.

The entire Martial Arts Stele flared brightly for an instant, illuminating dozens of feet around Fang Han.

On the stele’s surface, Fang Han’s name suddenly lit up, and the number representing his rank began to jump!

One hundred nineteen... one hundred fifteen... one hundred ten... one hundred eight... one hundred six...

The numbers jumped with incredible speed, instantly breaking past the one-hundred-ten mark and showing no signs of stopping!

Finally, under the astonished gazes of a few disciples who happened to glance over, the number abruptly stopped—

One hundred five!

The light faded, and the Martial Arts Stele returned to normal.

Fang Han’s name remained at the 105th position, pushing the disciple who originally held that rank down.

"Hiss... One hundred and fifth?"

A disciple who was just about to test himself happened to see this and let out a low, involuntary cry.

One hundred and fifth place. Only five spots away from the top one hundred. This was a very eye-catching rank.

"Who is this Fang Han? Which courtyard is he from? I’ve never heard of him before."

A few disciples gathered around, whispering to one another as they watched the change in rankings, their faces filled with surprise and curiosity.

A rank of 105 meant he was undoubtedly a disciple with the potential to compete for the top one hundred.

But strangely, none of them had any impression of him before this. It was as if he had appeared out of thin air.

For a moment, many eyes focused on Fang Han, who stood with his sword sheathed. Their gazes held a mixture of probing curiosity, amazement, and a budding eagerness to befriend him.

Befriending someone with such potential early on could be highly beneficial in the future.

However, just as someone was about to step forward and strike up a conversation, a somewhat sharp voice spoke up from the crowd, deliberately lowered in a warning tone.

"That’s Fang Han from the Sub-Branch. I heard... he offended Senior Brother Chu Feng from the Celestial Pride List!"

Those words were like cold water splashed into hot oil. The faces of the few disciples who had been about to make a move changed instantly. The warmth that had just appeared in their eyes cooled rapidly, replaced by caution and distance.

"Senior Brother Chu Feng? He actually offended Senior Brother Chu Feng?"

"I remember now, it’s him... No wonder he’s so strong, but he’s also... incredibly bold."

"Sigh, what a pity... Let’s go, let’s go."

The group exchanged knowing glances, schooled their expressions, and subconsciously took a few steps back, putting distance between themselves and Fang Han as if afraid of getting caught up in his troubles.

Fang Han’s potential was indeed astonishing, but he had yet to fully mature.

Everyone present understood the risk-reward calculation of offending a long-famous True Inheritor Senior Brother from the Celestial Pride List for the sake of a disciple who was still just "potential."

Any thought of befriending him was extinguished in an instant.

Fang Han heard the surrounding discussions and saw the change in attitude, but his expression remained unchanged. He was already used to it.

He looked up, his gaze calmly fixed on the "105" ranking on the stele.

’One hundred and five... five spots away from the top one hundred.’

The result was both expected and slightly disappointing.

The Perfection Level of the Wind-Splitting Swordsmanship had greatly increased his power, pushing his rank up fourteen spots—a significant improvement.

But getting stuck at 105 also confirmed his earlier judgment: Sword Technique Perfection alone wasn’t quite enough to secure a firm spot in the top one hundred. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

’But, no matter.’

A sharp glint flashed in Fang Han’s eyes.

’I still have my cultivation breakthrough as a fallback.’

He lingered no longer, turning to leave the plaza. His back looked exceptionally calm and straight amidst the sparse crowd.

From a corner of the crowd, Chen Ying had hidden himself, taking in the entire scene.

He watched Fang Han’s retreating figure, his expression shifting uncertainly, his palms beginning to sweat.

In just ten days, Fang Han’s rank had jumped from 119th to 105th, a mere five spots from the top one hundred. This terrifying rate of progress struck his heart like a heavy hammer.

’It’s only been ten days...’

Chen Ying’s throat felt dry. For the first time, he felt a powerful sense of doubt and panic about the choice he had made.

’Cutting ties with him, siding with Song Xiang, currying favor with Senior Brother Chu Feng... was that really the right decision? Fang Han’s potential is terrifying... If, in the future, he...’

He didn’t dare to think about it any further. He could only clench his fists, forcibly suppressing his unease, but the fear and hint of regret deep in his eyes could not be completely hidden.

...

With his Wind-Splitting Swordsmanship at Perfection, there was no more room for improvement.

In the following days, Fang Han devoted most of his time and energy to cultivating the Xunfeng Technique, his goal set squarely on the Middle Stage of Seventh Grade.

Inside Room C-7, Fang Han sat cross-legged on his bed, his mind serene and focused.

He guided the pale cyan Inner Qi in his body, which flowed like a surging river between the seven acupoints he had already opened.

On top of the foundation of his outstanding Root Bone, which had been improved by the Earth Core Stone Milk, the effects of the thirty-two-fold Root Bone Talent Amplification were nothing short of terrifying.

With every Circulation of the Celestial Qi, the Inner Qi in his Laogong Acupoint grew at a visible rate, rapidly approaching the point of overflowing.

He could clearly feel the Laogong Acupoint gradually filling with pure Inner Qi, the sensation of swelling fullness becoming ever more distinct.

The days passed one by one, and the end of the month quietly approached.

Finally, on the morning of the last day of the month, just as the sky began to turn fish-belly white,

the rushing Inner Qi in Fang Han’s body completed another Circulation of the Heavens and surged into his Laogong Acupoint. In that instant—

HUMMM!

The Laogong Acupoint trembled slightly as if it had reached a critical point. The already full Inner Qi suddenly overflowed, unable to contain another drop.

The next moment, the overflowing Inner Qi spontaneously and violently charged toward the next barrier—the Fengshi Acupoint!

BOOM!

The torrent of Inner Qi slammed into an invisible but tough barrier, producing a dull roar that only Fang Han could perceive. It had been blocked.

This was undoubtedly the bottleneck to the Middle Stage of Seventh Grade!

For an ordinary Early Stage of Seventh Grade Martial Artist, this barrier would require a great deal of time and perhaps even the aid of elixirs to break. However, before Fang Han’s Root Bone—reformed by the Earth Core Stone Milk and enhanced by a thirty-two-fold amplification—it seemed incredibly fragile.

His mind was as placid as an ancient well. He continued to operate the Xunfeng Technique, guiding the vast Inner Qi in his body to wash over the barrier, wave after steady, ferocious wave, like a relentless tide.

The bottleneck trembled violently. Fine cracks began to spread across it at a visible rate.