Yang Qi allowed the vast, pure Spiritual Energy to enter his body and began to assault the next realm. He continuously circulated the Dragon God Technique, converting the Spiritual Energy into Spiritual Power. He sent it coursing through his meridians, repeatedly striking the breakthrough gate within his Dantian.

BOOM!

BOOM!

BOOM!

Normally, this would have been futile. But this was the first activation of the Five Elements Spirit Array, which unleashed an explosive influx of Spiritual Energy. This, combined with the Spiritual Medicines from Three Prefectures Town, made all the difference. It was like constantly clearing blocked meridians and blasting open obstructed acupoints.

If once wasn’t enough, he struck twice! If twice wasn’t enough, he struck thrice! Through this repeated assault, his meridians grew wider and the force of the impact grew stronger.

BOOM!

At a certain moment, an obstructed acupoint was blasted open. A force within his Dantian surged skyward, creating a dazzling display.

He had broken through! He had finally shattered this layer of shackles, advancing from the Foundation Establishment Stage to the Body Tempering Stage.

The Body Tempering Stage was a crucial transition before Core Formation. As long as a solid foundation was laid in this stage, the future success rate of Core Formation would become extremely high. Furthermore, passing tribulations would also become easier. The Body Tempering Stage was absolutely vital.

After the breakthrough, Yang Qi did not stop cultivating. He needed to stabilize his new realm and ensure a smooth transition. The surrounding Spiritual Energy was no longer so violent, settling into a steady, continuous influx. The entire White Mountain Estate began to resemble a celestial paradise, filled with a strange and mysterious aura.

Iron Heart and Iron Bone felt this change most clearly. Their unhealed wounds began to recover rapidly under the stimulation of the Spiritual Energy. Even their cultivation speed soared to ten times its usual pace. This was something they had never dared to imagine before.

It’s a pity the Taishan Stone is ultimately a bit weak. If there were better materials, the effect of the Five Elements Spirit Array would be even greater! If I had a thousand Five Elements Stones, the array’s effect would reach its peak.

Yang Qi shook his head. He felt a hint of regret but was by no means dissatisfied. After all, the completion of the Five Elements Spirit Array had directly advanced his Cultivation to the first layer of the Body Tempering Stage. This meant his Combat Power had undergone an earth-shattering transformation. He could now easily defeat a First Rank Overlord; even Second and Third Rank Overlords would likely be unable to withstand his attacks.

As Cultivation increased, the gap between Cultivators and Martial Artists would gradually widen. At the Qi Refining Stage, one might be able to defeat Martial Artists of the same realm. At the Foundation Establishment Stage, one could challenge those a level higher. In the Body Tempering Stage, it might be possible to overcome those two levels higher!

For the next few days, Yang Qi focused on consolidating his Cultivation.

During this time, all of Thunder City was panic-stricken. The Kong Family had a new Family Head; it was said that both the previous head and the old master had died, along with many other experts. Not only that, but five of the top ten individuals in the True Martial White Tower had all perished at the Kong Family’s residence.

It was said that the King of Jingnan was furious and had gone to the Kong Family to demand justice, only to be stopped by people from the Lei Mansion. The King of Jingnan was now offering rewards everywhere for his subordinates’ killers. However, besides the members of the Kong Family present that day, almost no one knew what had happened. With Kong Tianjian under the protection of Lei Mansion, the King of Jingnan was helpless.

Despite the King of Jingnan’s Combat Power far surpassing that of Lei Mansion, the latter’s status was unique. The king was reluctant to make a move unless absolutely necessary. If he acted rashly, he too might perish in the aftermath. So, he could only endure and investigate in secret.

Kong Tianjian came to the White Mountain Estate every night to cultivate, though he didn’t dare disturb Yang Qi. He had the Kong Family’s assets firmly in his grasp, but he understood clearly that they all belonged to Yang Qi. He was merely managing them on his behalf.

One day, Yang Qi finally emerged from seclusion, and Kong Tianjian informed him of the recent events. Yang Qi smiled. "You don’t need to worry about the King of Jingnan. Just manage the Kong Family well. I’ll have need of you. And keep up with your cultivation!"

"As you command!"

After Kong Tianjian left, Yang Qi summoned Iron Heart. He told him to call the Wolf King and have him bring all the Wolf Guards to Thunder City. The cultivation environment at the White Mountain Estate was now excellent, and the Wolf King and his men deserved to benefit from it.

There were no longer any significant issues in Kang City. Ever since Yang Qingshan had made his move, no one dared to target the Qifei Group, eliminating the danger there. No one knew when Yang Qingshan might appear again, and nobody was willing to throw their life away needlessly.

Moreover, Thunder City was now the key strategic location. With the fall of the Thunder Sect, the Heavenly Dog Society, and now even the Kong Family, the city’s situation had grown even more chaotic and unpredictable. Many families and groups were scrambling for their piece of the pie, leading to chaotic conflicts. The Qifei Group was also preparing to enter the Thunder City market, so the Wolf King and his men had to increase their Combat Power. Otherwise, they would be of little help.

"Understood." Iron Heart then went to make the call.

Having cultivated for several days, Yang Qi decided to go for a stroll to clear his head. Unexpectedly, just as he was about to leave, he received a call from Ye Qianqian. He hadn’t seen her in a long time. The girl was still helping out at his National Medicine Clinic, though it was now mostly run by Liu Changsheng and the others. Yang Qi hadn’t visited in ages and felt quite guilty about it, especially towards her.

"Qianqian, what made you think to call me?" Yang Qi asked with a smile.

"Big Brother Qi, are you free? I’m in Thunder City and was hoping we could talk," Ye Qianqian said. She sounded like something was on her mind but was hesitant to speak about it over the phone.

"Sure. Where are you?" Yang Qi didn’t refuse. He had always seen Ye Qianqian as a younger sister, and now that his sister was in trouble, he would of course step in to help.

On a barbecue street, Yang Qi found Ye Qianqian. She was dressed in a refreshingly youthful outfit, looking like a young woman who had yet to leave her student days behind. She stood there with her head slightly lowered, looking around hesitantly. Seeing Yang Qi, she ran over excitedly, like a happy little princess.

"Come on, I’ll treat you to some specialty barbecue!" Ye Qianqian said, pulling Yang Qi’s hand and leading him down the barbecue street until they stopped at a stall. "I used to come to my grandmother’s house with my mom a lot," she continued, "and we’d often sneak out to eat here. My family always said it was unsanitary, but I just love it!"

"Isn’t this little Qianqian? I haven’t seen you in so long!" the woman at the stall exclaimed. She was very hospitable and had an excellent memory, recognizing Ye Qianqian immediately despite the long time since her last visit.

"Auntie Zhang, this is my brother! Can we get one of all your specialties and a pitcher of beer?" Ye Qianqian said with a smile.

"Alright! You two wait a moment. I’ll go prepare it!" Auntie Zhang smiled and went to get their food and drinks.

Yang Qi frowned slightly. "Qianqian, you never used to drink beer. Is something bothering you? If there is, just tell your brother. I’ll help you sort it out."