Yang Qi slipped back into the villa by the mountain without a sound. He pulled the door open, slid inside, and gently closed it behind him.

At almost the exact same moment, the Invisibility Talisman on his chest trembled. The invisible field covering his body rippled like water for an instant before vanishing.

Yang Qi’s figure materialized out of thin air in the living room, right in front of the little furballs who had gathered by the door, waiting with eager eyes.

"Woof~!"

Leopard was the first to let out a low, excited yelp.

’Master appeared! He really just ’whooshed’ back into existence!’

"Woof woof~"

Bai Wan shot Leopard a look, as if finding him to be making a fuss over nothing.

’Master was always here. He just got back.’

Its logic was simple: the scent never disappeared, so the person was always there.

"Woof~"

Hu Zi was much calmer, but his eyes shone with unconcealed adoration.

’Master is so amazing.’

’One second he’s gone, the next he’s back.’

"Meow~"

Xiaojiu leaped over gracefully and affectionately rubbed its smooth head against Yang Qi’s pant leg.

Yang Qi crouched down, smiling as he ruffled each of their heads in turn, feeling a wave of emotion.

Only with these extraordinary animal companions, who trusted him with all their hearts, could he pull off tricks like ’suddenly vanishing’ and ’suddenly reappearing’ without causing terror and screams.

If it had been anyone else—even his closest friends, Gao Zhenyue and Ye Haibing—they would have been scared out of their wits, then pestered him with endless questions.

After soothing his little furballs, Yang Qi turned and went upstairs.

He first changed his clothes, then went to the Cultivation Chamber.

He sat down cross-legged in a meditative posture, circulating the Great Derivation Spirit-Controlling Technique to begin his routine nightly cultivation.

The Cultivation Technique circulated slowly, wisps of Spiritual Qi gathering in his meridians and nourishing his Dantian and Qi Sea.

Just as he was halfway through his cultivation, his mind utterly serene and oblivious to the world—

VMM!

Yang Qi suddenly felt a change. The Magical Power that had been circulating steadily within him abruptly accelerated. A faint sense of fullness came from his Dantian, and the pale green whirlpool of Magical Power in the center of his Qi Sea began to spin noticeably faster, as if it had touched some invisible barrier.

’The opportunity is here!’

It was the sign of an impending breakthrough.

Yang Qi’s heart tightened, and he didn’t dare to be the slightest bit negligent.

He immediately stopped his routine energy circulation. Sinking his mind into the Hundred Pouches Belt, he took out all the Gathering Spirit Pills stored inside.

He tossed four Gathering Spirit Pills into his mouth in quick succession. The pills dissolved the moment they touched his throat, transforming into four surging, yet relatively gentle, torrents of pure Magical Power. They instantly rushed through his entire body, coursing through every meridian.

’Now’s the time!’

Yang Qi roared in his mind, pushing the Great Derivation Spirit-Controlling Technique to its absolute limit.

He guided these four powerful streams of external Magical Power, merging them with his own Cultivation. Like a hundred rivers flowing into the sea, or a massive battering ram, the combined force launched a ferocious assault on the formless barrier between the Third and Fourth Levels of Qi Cultivation.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The Magical Power raged and roared through his meridians, battering his acupoints and scouring the barrier.

Veins bulged slightly on Yang Qi’s forehead, his skin turned crimson, and a faint white mist even began to rise from the top of his head.

The process was not easy. His meridians throbbed with a painful, swelling sensation, but Yang Qi gritted his teeth and endured.

An unknown amount of time passed. It felt like both an instant and an eternity.

CRACK!

A crisp sound, like shattering porcelain that only Yang Qi could ’hear,’ echoed from deep within his body.

Under the relentless assault of both internal and external Magical Power, the solid bottleneck barrier shattered!

WHOOSH...

It was like a river bursting its banks, yet it also felt as natural as water finding its own course.

A purer, more vigorous, pale green Magical Power surged forth like a torrent from an open floodgate. It instantly flooded through newly opened meridian pathways, completing a larger, more complex cycle within his body.

His Dantian and Qi Sea had clearly expanded. The Magical Power whirlpool at its center was more solid, its rotation steadier and more powerful. The aura it emitted was a great deal stronger than before.

The Fourth Level of Qi Cultivation—achieved!

Yang Qi slowly concluded his technique and let out a long breath. The exhale was lengthy and carried the faint, fresh scent of grass and trees.

When he opened his eyes, a cyan light seemed to flash within them before disappearing. His eyes were clearer and deeper than ever before.

He carefully savored the changes brought by his new realm.

The most obvious change, first and foremost, was the leap in both the quality and quantity of his Magical Power.

If before it was a babbling brook, now it was at least a small, flowing river.

Second, his Spiritual Sense had also been further strengthened and refined!

His range of perception was wider, and his insight into his surroundings was much more detailed.

More importantly, upon reaching the Fourth Level of Qi Cultivation, his Spiritual Sense had gained the rudimentary ability to ’communicate’ with the outside world on a more direct and deeper level. This was especially useful for the Guardian Beasts connected to his mind!

Previously, Yang Qi needed to use the Basic Spirit Communication Technique as a medium to clearly understand the thoughts of his Guardian Beasts and convey his own.

But now, Yang Qi felt that if he wished, he could try to have a direct, silent, ’conversation’ with his Guardian Beasts on a purely mental level!

This would undoubtedly make their communication more efficient and covert. It would also make coordinating in battle or executing complex commands much smoother.

’Middle Stage of Qi Cultivation. Not bad.’

A satisfied smile appeared on Yang Qi’s face.

The Fourth Level of Qi Cultivation was a significant hurdle. Overcoming it opened up a whole new world, both in terms of his own strength and his future prospects.

He turned to look out the window. The sky was already growing light, and the pale white of dawn was spreading in the east.

Yang Qi stood up, feeling refreshed and clear-headed, not tired in the slightest.

He went downstairs and out to the backyard, where he dismantled the Demon Extermination Array. He tallied up his gains: over eight hundred contribution points.