"We had a bit of a conflict, but... I was lucky and won."

Fang Han met Elder Fang Yuan’s worried gaze as he spoke.

"You won... What did you say? You defeated Lin Ao?!"

Elder Fang Yuan nodded instinctively at first, but then the meaning hit him. His pupils shrank, and the serious expression on his face was instantly replaced by utter shock.

He even lost his composure and shot to his feet, the sandalwood chair beneath him scraping backward across the floor with a piercing SCREECH.

"You... say that again? You fought Lin Ao... and won?"

His voice rose involuntarily, laced with a tremor of disbelief.

His gaze was fixed on Fang Han, as if trying to find any trace of a joke on his face.

His chest rose and fell slightly, betraying the intense turmoil within him.

The news was simply too staggering!

Just who was Lin Ao?

He had bested the other four prodigies of Liangshui City and was the recognized leader of the younger generation.

Not only was he at the peak of the Late Stage of the Bone Refining Realm, but his Spear Technique had also reached Perfection!

How old was Fang Han? How long had he even been in the Inner Hall?

While he knew Fang Han possessed exceptional Talent and that it was only a matter of time before he surpassed Lin Ao... this ’matter of time’ had arrived far too quickly and suddenly.

It was faster than he had ever expected or imagined!

If he didn’t know Fang Han to be a steady person who never made baseless claims, he would have thought the boy was playing some ridiculous joke.

"Yes, I was fortunate enough to win."

Fang Han nodded affirmatively.

Upon receiving a firm answer, the shock on Elder Fang Yuan’s face slowly faded, replaced by an incredibly complex expression.

It was a mixture of wild joy, relief, disbelief, and a hint of a stupor.

He sank slowly back into his chair, his fingers unconsciously gripping and rubbing the smooth armrests as he muttered under his breath.

"You actually... defeated Lin Ao?!"

When he raised his head to look at Fang Han again, there was a new light in his eyes.

Deep within that gaze, beyond his previous admiration, now lay an indescribable weight of importance and expectation.

It was as if he were looking at a piece of uncut jade that had already begun to shine with an earth-shattering brilliance.

He took a deep breath, forcefully suppressing the tumult in his heart. Then, he shot to his feet and grabbed Fang Han’s arm.

"Come, you’re coming with me to see the Patriarch. A matter of this importance must be reported at once!"

His voice trembled with excitement, and his eyes glinted with an irrepressible fervor.

Fang Han could feel the strength in Elder Fang Yuan’s grip—an urgency and wild joy that bordered on a complete loss of composure.

He gave a slight nod, allowing Elder Fang Yuan to pull him out of the Quiet Chamber and hurry toward Songtao Pavilion.

The servants they passed were shocked to see Elder Fang Yuan in such a flustered state. They all hurried to step aside and bow, their bewildered gazes flickering toward the young man he was pulling along.

Inside Songtao Pavilion, the scent of sandalwood lingered as always.

Patriarch Fang Lingyuan was reviewing a stack of scrolls when he heard the hurried footsteps. His brow furrowed slightly as he looked up.

When he saw Elder Fang Yuan practically dragging Fang Han inside, a flash of resignation crossed his face, followed by a deeper sense of confusion.

"Elder Fang Yuan, what has you in such a panic?"

Fang Lingyuan’s voice was steady, tinged with curiosity.

"Patriarch! Wonderful news! Absolutely wonderful news!"

Elder Fang Yuan let go of Fang Han, his face flushed with excitement, and he became so flustered he could barely speak coherently.

"Fang Han... today at the Qingwu Tea Garden, he faced that Lin Ao. And not only did he face him, he... he... won!"

"Won? Who did he defeat?"

Fang Lingyuan didn’t immediately grasp the meaning. He asked reflexively, his gaze sweeping over to Fang Han.

"Lin Ao! The Lin Family’s Lin Ao! The number one martial artist of Liangshui City’s younger generation!"

Elder Fang Yuan’s voice suddenly shot up, and he practically roared the words, his chest heaving.

"Fang Han defeated Lin Ao!"

Fang Lingyuan shot up from his large sandalwood chair, his body leaning forward.

An unprecedented light of shock and disbelief erupted from his eyes, which were as deep as pools.

"You... what did you say? Fang Han... defeated Lin Ao?!"

For the first time, his voice lost its usual composure, laced with a barely perceptible tremor.

His gaze shot toward Fang Han like a bolt of lightning, as if trying to see straight through him.

"Replying to the Patriarch, I did indeed cross hands with Lin Ao today. I was fortunate enough to win by a single move."

Fang Han stepped forward and bowed.

Fang Lingyuan stared intently at Fang Han. After a full three or four seconds, the shock on his face finally melted into profound relief and wild joy.

"Good! Good! Good!"

He said the word "good" three times, each one louder and more excited than the last.

He clapped his hands and roared with laughter, the sound echoing through Songtao Pavilion and making the window lattices vibrate.

"The heavens have blessed my Fang Family! Truly, the heavens have blessed my Fang Family, to produce a Qilin’er like you!"

He strode around his desk, walked up to Fang Han, and clapped him firmly on the shoulder, his eyes filled with immense appreciation.

"In less than a year, you’ve gone from the Flesh Refining Realm all the way to the Late Stage of Bone Refining, and you even defeated that Lin Ao... With such Talent and strength, you deserve to be called the champion of Liangshui City’s younger generation!"

The more Fang Lingyuan spoke, the more excited he grew, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes.

"This is a Great Merit that has greatly enhanced the prestige of our Fang Family! How could it go unrewarded!"

He spun around and gave a sharp, decisive order to the steward standing nearby.

"Bring one thousand taels of silver in cash! Reward it to Fang Han immediately!"

’A thousand taels?!’ Fang Han’s heart leaped. ’I expected a reward from the Patriarch, but I never imagined it would be this generous.’

’A full one thousand taels.’

’With this thousand taels, I can immediately unlock the Level 3 Amplification for my Swordsmanship Talent.’

A wave of immense joy washed over him. He took a deep breath to calm his racing heart and gave a deep, respectful bow.

"Thank you for this generous gift, Patriarch! I will continue to cultivate diligently and live up to the family’s expectations!"

His voice carried a tremor he couldn’t quite suppress.

’It’s just as I thought,’ he reflected. ’As long as I display enough strength and Talent, wealth will naturally follow.’

Soon, two sturdy servants entered carrying a heavy sandalwood chest. They set it on the floor and opened the lid, revealing a dazzling, eye-catching gleam of silver.

It was filled with one hundred neatly stacked, ten-tael ingots of official ’snowflake’ silver.

"You’ve earned this," Fang Lingyuan said, his tone gentle.

"Guard against arrogance and complacency. Break through to the Inner Qi Realm as soon as you can. Don’t let your Talent or the family’s hopes go to waste."

"Yes! I will remember!"

Fang Han once again bowed solemnly.

...

After leaving Songtao Pavilion and parting ways with Elder Fang Yuan, Fang Han did not go home directly, but returned to the Class A-10 Martial Arts Room. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

It was still early, so he planned to cultivate for a while before heading home.

Although he had defeated Lin Ao, the current number one of Liangshui City’s younger generation, he was still a long way from his goal of reaching the Celestial Pride List.

Moreover, the opportunity the Patriarch had mentioned greatly intrigued him. He had to reach the Inner Qi Realm before the second month of the coming year to even have a chance at it. This was no time to be complacent.

’I need to make every second count. I can’t afford to slack off.’