Two days had passed.
The nobles of Tan City, along with the City Lord's family, still stood on edge—waiting.
They had already sent several messages to confirm whether the princess's arrival had been postponed or canceled altogether. But the replies they received were... ridiculous.
According to the messenger from the Que Royal Clan:
"Her Highness, the little princess of the Que family, could arrive in no time… whenever she wishes."
There was no exact time. No schedule. She could appear at any time. Or not at all.
"Father! This is too much!!"
Tan Shao finally lost his temper, his voice echoing like thunder.
"I should be cultivating right now! I still have lingering internal injuries because of the disturbance during my breakthrough—and now I'm forced to just stand here waiting?!"
His fists trembled.
He was the pride of the Tan family, the son of the City Lord, born with a golden spoon in his mouth. He had never been made to wait for anyone.
Let alone… like this.
The nobles nearby shared the sentiment. Although none dared to speak aloud, their eyes glinted with frustration. They had been waiting for two full days—not cultivating, not managing their business, just... standing around, hoping.
Sure, two days meant little to a cultivator in terms of time. But standing around, doing nothing, endlessly, was pure torture.
The City Lord, however, merely snorted.
"What can I do?" he muttered under his breath, not even sparing a glance toward his son.
He couldn't lash out. He couldn't complain. He couldn't even think of showing disrespect.
Even though their Tan City ruled over tens of thousands of people, most of whom were mortals or low-level cultivators... even though they held absolute power here...
Compared to the Que Dynasty, they were nothing but ants.And this particular princess? The rumors… the terrifying ones? He wouldn't take the risk of offending her. Not even slightly.
No matter how much they waited. No matter how bored or humiliated they felt. Because if even one of those rumors was true, a single misstep could bring ruin.
Just then, the gloomy, tense, and utterly dull atmosphere was suddenly swept away by a sweet, gentle, and divine aura that seemed to envelop the entire area.
Before anyone could react, a figure appeared gracefully on the distant horizon—a breathtaking woman who appeared no older than her early twenties. Her long, silky hair cascaded down her back in mesmerizing waves of shimmering blue and vibrant emerald green, capturing the very essence of nature itself. Her figure was exceptionally alluring, boasting a graceful yet enticingly curvaceous silhouette that was impossible to overlook.
Accompanying her were three mysterious, black-cloaked female figures, whose presence alone hinted at formidable strength.
As the group approached, the City Lord, his family, and all the nobles froze in place. Their eyes widened, mouths slightly agape, captivated by the enchanting beauty approaching them. Her delicate features glowed softly, her skin pure as the finest jade, and her every step carried a grace and sensual elegance that left even the women in the crowd mesmerized.
Yet, despite her radiant aura and irresistible charm, their affection quickly faded when they clearly saw her face:
Cold. Indifferent.
The striking contrast between her seductive beauty and icy demeanor sent shivers down their spines, pulling them swiftly back to reality. The initial warmth dissipated, replaced by intense unease.
Even more unsettling was the fact that none of them—not even the City Lord himself—could sense the slightest trace of her cultivation. It was a chilling indication that her power was leagues beyond theirs.
Finally regaining his composure, the City Lord desperately suppressed his anxiety and excitement, stepping forward to bow respectfully, his voice trembling slightly:
"Y-Your Highness… Welcome to our humble city."
His words hung nervously in the air, awaiting her response.
Meanwhile, in the hollow pit…
The middle-aged man continued to watch the young lad in the cage opposite his own, his brows tightly knitted in confusion and curiosity.
Yesterday, that strange young cultivator had once again opened his eyes—this time even quicker than before! The middle-aged man had observed him closely this time, unwilling to miss even a single detail. What he saw had completely astonished him: the young man's previously torn muscles had healed entirely, becoming noticeably stronger and more refined than before.
Just what was going on with this mysterious brat?
Right now, Xiao Yang was sitting cross-legged in absolute silence, seemingly lost in deep thought. No matter how many times the middle-aged man shouted or tried to provoke him, Xiao Yang didn't even flinch. It was as if he'd completely blocked out the outside world.
The deathmatch was only a few hours away now.
Watching the young man sitting there, oblivious, the older man couldn't help but feel a twinge of pity. Although he himself had killed many cultivators without hesitation, seeing such a monstrous talent trapped in a hopeless situation felt almost tragic. He was convinced that Xiao Yang was some kind of heavenly genius—someone who would undoubtedly shake the cultivation world if given a chance to grow.
'Fortunately for everyone else, I'm here to end him before he becomes a threat,' he thought bitterly.
Yet, just as he opened his mouth to say something sarcastic, he suddenly froze. Xiao Yang's aura abruptly changed.
Without any warning, Xiao Yang started gathering Qi from the air around him. Streams of spiritual energy swirled, wrapping his body completely in a gentle glow. His once severely damaged body was now fully healed, and it almost seemed stronger than before.
Yesterday, after opening his eyes, Xiao Yang had seen that strange notification again:
[Due to unknown reasons, the host's Enlightenment failed.]
This time, instead of immediately attempting to gather Qi again, he had chosen to meditate deeply—carefully examining his thoughts, searching desperately through his hazy memories, trying to grasp whatever was hidden deep within.
Although he hadn't managed to recover anything concrete, he did notice something strange:
Now, the process felt completely familiar, instinctive. His body moved on its own, gently pulling in spiritual energy from the surroundings.
Without any hesitation, Xiao Yang's body surged into action, pulling Qi from every direction with unstoppable force. A violent gust of spiritual energy erupted, creating a vortex around him.
Once again, Qi poured relentlessly into Xiao Yang's body, rapidly flooding his meridians and saturating his very bones. Unlike before, this time his body was completely healed, granting him far greater endurance against the merciless assault of spiritual energy.
However, after several minutes passed, the familiar, unbearable agony quickly returned. Ripping, piercing, and relentlessly drilling into his flesh. Pain exploded through every nerve, yet Xiao Yang remained utterly focused, his willpower unyielding. Sweat poured down his face, veins bulging along his neck and forehead, yet not a single scream escaped his lips. His soul refused to yield, driving him forward despite the excruciating torment.
Minutes dragged by like hours. His blood vessels ruptured, flesh tore, and fresh blood seeped from countless wounds, painting his entire body crimson. Yet, astonishingly, his healing speed had improved significantly—each devastating injury attempted to mend itself, rapidly knitting flesh and tissue together even amidst the ongoing destruction.
The agony intensified with every passing moment, pushing him to the brink of collapse, yet Xiao Yang pressed on, desperately gathering even more Qi as if guided by some deep, primal instinct. He didn't know why, but something within him whispered fiercely to continue.
An hour later, Xiao Yang was soaked entirely in blood, his body barely recognizable beneath the brutal carnage inflicted upon it. But something strange began to happen: the Qi that had mercilessly torn through him gradually started to weaken, its once unstoppable force now failing to penetrate deeply. Instead of tearing him apart, it merely grazed his wounds, inflicting minimal damage.
The middle-aged man, utterly frozen in disbelief, the impossible scene unfolding before his eyes. His voice quivered with fear and astonishment:
'No... Impossible! His body is actually becoming so strong that even Qi itself can't harm him anymore?! But how is this even possible?!'
Not long after, the violent Qi surge finally ceased causing any further damage. Instead, the overwhelming waves of spiritual energy began to flow gently throughout Xiao Yang's body, entering his muscles, bones, and organs—not harming, but repairing them!
Witnessing this miraculous scene, the middle-aged man completely lost his mind. His eyes bulged out, mouth hanging open in disbelief. He stared, trembling uncontrollably, as spiritual energy continued to flood Xiao Yang's body, knitting torn muscles and rejuvenating broken bones at a speed visible to the naked eye.
Just then, two sharp notifications echoed clearly in Xiao Yang's consciousness, pulling him from his trance-like state:
[Congratulations!!]
[Host obtained a new innate ability: 'Low-Regeneration']
[Low-Regeneration]
Description:
An innate ability that allows the host to quickly regenerate minor injuries rapidly, such as cuts, bruises, and small internal injuries. Severe or life-threatening injuries can also regenerate, but this process requires considerably much more time.
Before Xiao Yang could fully digest this incredible piece of information, another notification promptly appeared:
[Congratulations!!]
[Host attained a second cultivation path: Body Cultivation!]
[You have directly broken through to the 1st level of the Spirit Intermediate Realm (Body Cultivation)!]
Xiao Yang's heart pounded with excitement and confusion as he read these messages. He hadn't the slightest idea how he'd achieved such an unbelievable breakthrough—skipping an entire major realm. Yet before he could further comprehend this unexpected development, a familiar, incredulous voice snapped him back to reality:
"H-How… how is this even possible! Y-You've become a body cultivator?!" the middle-aged man stammered, his voice trembling with disbelief and astonishment. "This… this should be impossible!! You clearly didn't even use any body tempering techniques, spiritual herbs, or medicines!"
In truth, the middle-aged man's shock was understandable. Body cultivators were incredibly rare within this mortal plane, as their path was notoriously painful, requiring special resources and extreme physical tempering. Even more absurdly, Xiao Yang had directly entered the Spirit Intermediate Realm, completely skipping the nine previous levels. It defied every known logic and rule in cultivation.
'Maybe… Maybe I should just stop trying to understand this freakish lad… He defies all common sense…' the middle-aged man muttered inwardly, visibly shaken by Xiao Yang's impossible feat.
Meanwhile, Xiao Yang didn't respond. He himself was too baffled to explain anything clearly. He sat there in silence, trying desperately to comprehend this miraculous event.
Just then, as if mocking his confusion, another familiar notification echoed in his mind:
[Due to unknown reasons, the host's Enlightenment failed.]
A faint wry smile appeared on Xiao Yang's exhausted face.
'This is the third time...'
Even though Xiao Yang felt strangely calm deep within his soul, an unsettling feeling lingered. It was as though the breakthroughs he'd experienced hadn't truly made him stronger, or perhaps weren't the ones he had been subconsciously seeking. Maybe there was something deeper that he had missed—something more important that kept escaping his grasp.
While he was deep in contemplation, a sudden chill crept down his spine, as if he was being eyed hungrily like prey. He turned sharply towards the source, his brows furrowing slightly as he met the greedy, predatory gaze of the middle-aged man.
The man smiled widely, his eyes gleaming with malice and greed as he spoke with a sinister chuckle:
"Hehehe… Impressive! Truly impressive. But unfortunately for you, brat, you won't live to see tomorrow. So how about you hand over that secret technique of yours now? Tell me, how exactly did you achieve that miracle just now?"
The middle-aged man's voice dripped with undisguised greed. Despite witnessing Xiao Yang's miraculous breakthrough, he didn't feel the slightest threat. After all, Xiao Yang had merely reached the Spirit Intermediate Realm, while he was at the 6th level and also had much more experience given his age.
Xiao Yang's expression remained calm and indifferent as he met the man's gaze:
"Why should I tell you? If I lose, then I lose. What benefit would I gain by telling you?"
Xiao Yang didn't even bother to mention that he himself had no idea how he'd achieved this breakthrough. He knew the middle-aged man wouldn't believe him, and frankly, he didn't care to convince him.
The man's expression darkened, his smile twisting into a sadistic grin as he leaned closer to the bars, his voice dropping to a sinister whisper:
"Hehehe… clever brat. But have you considered the kind of death you'll suffer if you defy me? Maybe I'll rip off your limbs one by one, cripple you, and torture you slowly until you beg to reveal your secrets. Are you sure you want to endure such agony?"
Xiao Yang felt a wave of revulsion and disgust rise within him, watching the man's twisted, evil smile spread wider with anticipation. For a moment, he stared silently, unflinching, before turning his back without bothering to reply.
He calmly crossed his legs, settling comfortably into a cultivation position.
There were still a few hours remaining until the deathmatch. Rather than wasting his breath with this greedy, bloodthirsty fool, Xiao Yang closed his eyes and began to cultivate once more, immersing himself deeply in the endless flow of spiritual energy.