Yu Fei’s movements were slow but extremely precise. His cultivation talents had been enhanced several times; he was no longer the boy who had once struggled just to begin his martial arts journey.

Among his red-grade talents was the [Void Martial Body], and its second effect, Clarity, enhanced his martial arts comprehension.

Clarity: Possessing peerless martial arts comprehension. From clarity comes wisdom, and all techniques become self-evident.

This meant Yu Fei had no problem understanding the Taiwei Profound Origin Pillar. He quickly mastered both the transitions between stances and the corresponding changes in his Qi Blood.

The peerless-grade Taiwei Profound Origin Pillar required absorbing five types of worldly Yuan Qi at once. The Qi Blood manipulation involved was far more complex, thus placing high demands on a Martial Artist’s Spiritual Power. However, thanks to the Spiritual Power boost from his red-grade talent, [Spiritual Clarity], this wasn’t an issue for Yu Fei.

Finally, his red-grade talent [Primordial Qi (Congenital)] harmonized the five elements. Theoretically, there were no obstacles for Yu Fei in practicing peerless-grade cultivation techniques.

And indeed, this proved to be true. After just one afternoon of practice, Yu Fei successfully integrated the five elemental Yuan Qi into his five viscera, beginning his cultivation of the second martial realm.

The most difficult part of the process was harmonizing the five elements. The five elemental Yuan Qi absorbed into the body were not balanced. To be absorbed evenly by the five viscera, the Yuan Qi had to be passively transformed by the flow of Qi Blood between them, forming a five-colored, ring-shaped energy structure.

At first, Yu Fei couldn’t figure it out. No matter what he did, he couldn’t generate the five-colored spiritual ring described in the cultivation technique. Logically, since he possessed the [Primordial Qi] talent, this shouldn’t have been happening.

It wasn’t until he thoughtfully gazed at the word ’Congenital’ in his talent’s description that he tried to involve the refined Primordial Qi Sword Lotus Seed. After he had completely refined it, the little thing was left with only its instincts. It survived on a faint trace of blood qi, and Yu Fei had never paid it any mind.

The moment the five elemental Yuan Qi reached his heart, the little thing seemed to jolt awake from a deep slumber. It greedily devoured the Yuan Qi, constantly transforming them into the five-colored spiritual ring with exceptional speed. Whatever amount of worldly Yuan Qi Yu Fei could absorb, the little thing would process it almost simultaneously. The only catch was that it intercepted and absorbed half of the worldly Yuan Qi for itself.

’So... *this* is what ’Congenital’ means!’

Yu Fei was astonished. ’It’s like I’ve gained an artifact that aids my cultivation. My own physical constitution lacks the ability to transform the five elemental Yuan Qi, but with the help of the Primordial Qi Sword Lotus Seed, which is linked to my very life, I can accomplish this with ease—far more easily than anyone else.’

’The only downside is that I need to absorb two portions of worldly Yuan Qi to create one portion of the five-colored spiritual ring. There are pros and cons, I guess.’

Having found the trick, Yu Fei lost himself in his cultivation. The sword-shaped lotus tattoo over his heart shimmered with a golden light.

A continuous stream of five elemental Yuan Qi was absorbed by his five viscera. His body felt waves of satisfaction, yet it also grew increasingly starved, hoping to obtain more of the refined Yuan Qi. It was like a person who had never tasted meat suddenly taking a bite; once they knew the flavor, they could never forget it.

The human body’s craving for this high-level energy—worldly Yuan Qi—is innate, but not everyone has the ability to obtain it. It is as if a natural shackle exists between the human body and the world. The first common method to break these bonds is to advance to the Inner Qi Realm.

When a Martial Artist enters the fourth realm, their life undergoes a massive evolution, and they naturally gain all sorts of wondrous abilities. From then on, their Qi Blood sublimates into Inner Qi, and they use worldly Yuan Qi as their cultivation resource.

The second method is to cultivate the [Ox Subduing Pile Skill] to perfection in the first realm, initiating Void Body Refining. This prematurely shatters the shackles between heaven and earth, broadening the path of evolution. Years of research have shown that this effect can only be achieved in the first martial realm, without exception.

This is where the concept of "special talents" comes from, as they possess far greater possibilities and potential. For them, becoming an Inner Qi Martial Artist is virtually a certainty.

"He managed it?"

Su Yue asked Yan Sea.

"Yes. The Tribulation Sword Dao Foundation should get some credit. As I recall, anyone who establishes a Dao Foundation can cultivate the Taiwei Profound Origin Pillar in the second realm. Of course, it’s also possible that Yu Fei’s innate constitution allows for it."

The two watched Yu Fei cultivate for a long time before Su Yue asked, "What are your plans now?"

Yan Sea answered calmly, "I’ll resign from my position as a martial arts instructor. First, I’ll wait for you to advance to Grandmaster."

Su Yue interrupted impatiently, "Who asked you about that? I mean... when are you going to propose to me?"

Her gaze was gentle yet firm as she stared at Yan Sea, demanding a clear answer.

This time, Yan Sea didn’t avoid the question, but he didn’t answer it directly either. He simply pulled Su Yue into his arms and whispered, "Don’t worry. For the rest of our lives, no matter where we go or what happens, we’ll always be together."

Their eyes met, and they found themselves drawn irresistibly closer. They could even feel each other’s breath as a primal urge began to stir...

"Are you guys going to eat? I’m hungry..."

At some point, Yu Fei had stopped cultivating. He was standing right in front of them with a perfectly straight face, watching them with an expression of pure curiosity.

"Ahem..."

Yan Sea instantly let go of Su Yue, turned away, and coughed twice.

"Oh, eating, is it? You can go by yourself. Hmmph."

Su Yue glared at Yu Fei, her eyes filled with resentment and cold as ice.

Yu Fei pretended not to notice, walking right between the two of them. In a cheerful mood, he said breezily, "Alright, I’ll go on ahead then."

’He had long since figured out the awkward dynamic between the two. His own teacher was as innocent (and dense) as a teenage boy, while Su Yue was the one on the offensive.’