Hearing Fang Xuan's words, the eyes of the group lit up at the same time.

Yu Juechen said excitedly, "I have thought of a name for our faction."

"The Yan Alliance! How about it?"

As soon as Yu Juechen finished speaking, Wan Fei voiced her immediate support, "That is a good name."

The others raised no objections, all turning to look at Tang Yan, waiting for him to make the final decision.

Tang Yan considered it for a moment before speaking slowly, "Establishing a faction is indeed feasible. Perhaps everyone can realize their life's ambitions within it.

"I support forming the faction!

"However, this faction will belong to all of us, not just me. Naming it after myself would be somewhat inappropriate.

"Since everyone's ideals are distant and grand, why not call it Apex-Seeking!"

"Apex-Seeking!" The group looked at each other, their hearts stirring.

This name was sufficiently overbearing!

"Let's go with that one!" Du Shu said with excitement.

"Not bad, I quite like this name too," Wan Fei nodded.

"I will follow your lead," Lin Dongxue said softly.

Hearing Lin Dongxue's words, the others cast slightly teasing glances her way.

"Du Shu, in a few days I will give you a batch of pills to practice with. How much profit we make will depend on your performance." Tang Yan handed down the faction's first method to secure wealth.

"Alright!" Du Shu was filled with eager anticipation.

Tang Yan gave a few more instructions, then bid farewell to the group and headed toward the Nine Nether Fire Sea.

His agreement to establish the faction this time was not a spur-of-the-moment impulse.

He had long considered such a path, and since Fang Xuan had brought it up, he simply pushed the boat along with the current.

He had promised his grandfather that he would find his parents.

He had heard that his mother's clan was massive; trying to contend with them on his own would be exceedingly difficult.

If he could forge a similarly formidable power of his own, his future actions would be much smoother.

Of course, the most pressing matter right now was still improving his own strength.

At the seventh-grade Black Rank, even with hidden trump cards, it was still difficult to contend against the Earth Rank.

Arriving at the Nine Nether Fire Sea, Tang Yan went directly to the third layer, closed his eyes, and began to cultivate.

Flames blazed all around him; the searing heat continuously seeped into Tang Yan's body, converging along his Meridians into his Dantian, where it gradually transformed into Spiritual Qi.

As time wore on, Tang Yan suddenly raised an eyebrow.

He had just sensed his True Qi actually fusing further with the Heaven and Earth Creation Flame.

It seemed the environment of the Nine Nether Fire Sea was deeply compatible with his constitution.

Tang Yan planned to stay in the third layer for a longer period this time.

Time trickled by. Four hours later, Tang Yan felt the Spiritual Qi in his body reach its brim, rendering him unable to absorb any more fire spirit energy.

Following usual practice, Tang Yan should have left to refine this fire spirit power. However, he did not rise. Instead, he gathered his focus, held his breath, and began to refine it right there.

The overflowing Spiritual Qi continuously swelled his Meridians, and the sensation of imminent bursting made Tang Yan's body tremble unceasingly.

Agonizing!

Soon, Tang Yan's eyes flew wide open!

The fire spirit energy that had merged into his Meridians stretched them tight like inflating bladders.

Now, Tang Yan's True Qi was interwoven with the aura of the Heaven and Earth Creation Flame. The fire spirit energy, left with nowhere to go, became trapped in the Meridians, unable to advance or retreat. Then, at a visible rate, it slowly fused with the Heaven and Earth Creation Flame within those very Meridians!

As time passed, the originally swollen Meridians gradually returned to their normal state, and the True Qi within them grew profoundly denser, surging down toward the Dantian.

Repeating this cycle of refinement, Tang Yan's spirit was sharply invigorated!

Having long since forged a solid foundation, Tang Yan suddenly felt a restless stirring in his Dantian.

Joy leapt in Tang Yan's heart. Knowing this was the herald of a breakthrough, he quickly gathered his focus and held his breath.

It did not take long. Just like when water flows, a channel forms, Tang Yan felt a barrier in his Dantian abruptly shatter, and his True Qi began to circulate with perfect smoothness.

After circulating his Qi through several cycles to stabilize his strength, Tang Yan exhaled a long breath, a hint of joy hanging on his brow.

"The Nine Nether Fire Sea is truly my blessed cultivation land. This fire spirit energy can actually be directly devoured by the Heaven and Earth Creation Flame. My cultivation speed here is several times faster than in the Four-Star Dormitory!" Sharp light gleamed in Tang Yan's eyes. After pondering for a moment, he rose and exited the Nine Nether Fire Sea.

The sky was already bright. Tang Yan returned to his residence, and not seeing Zi Yun around, he took out his Pill Cauldron and began refining pills.

By sunset, Tang Yan finished refining another batch of pills. Before he could even catch his breath, his heart suddenly lurched.

He heard the door creak open, and a purple silhouette drifted into view.

Seeing Zi Yun's exquisitely beautiful face tinged with a cold, fierce undertone, Tang Yan forced a dry laugh. "Miss Zi Yun, you've returned."

Zi Yun said nothing; she only stared coldly at Tang Yan.

Tang Yan felt a chill crawl down his spine under her gaze. Having offended her twice now, he was absolutely certain this woman was debating whether to beat him to a pulp again.

Sensing the temperature in the room steadily dropping to freezing, Tang Yan's eyes darted rapidly before he blurted out, "I was just refining... I refined a Youth-Preserving Pill. The effect of the Youth-Preserving Pill nourishes one's beauty, keeping your appearance perfectly unchanged for twenty years... it can even..."

Zi Yun's eyes lit up slightly!

The ever-observant Tang Yan instantly caught this minute shift in Zi Yun's demeanor. He secretly breathed a sigh of relief, knowing he would most likely escape calamity this time.

"It can even what?" Zi Yun asked, feigning impatience.

"Even after twenty years, the rate of aging will still be vastly slower than it would naturally be."

Zi Yun's expression finally broke. She thrust out a hand and commanded sharply, "Give it to me!"

"Why should I?" Tang Yan muttered softly. "The medicinal ingredients required for this pill are extraordinarily precious-hard to come by even for a thousand gold pieces. I was planning to exchange it for Star Value."

"Why? If you don't want to get beaten every single day, and if you still want to live in the Four-Star Dormitory for free..."

"Fine, fine, take it, alright!" Tang Yan's heart sank. Wearing a mournful expression, he handed over a small porcelain bottle.

"That is more like it." She tucked away the porcelain bottle without a second thought. Having personally witnessed the quality of Tang Yan's pills, Zi Yun harbored no doubts about its efficacy.

Just as she was about to head upstairs, Zi Yun paused and said, "There are only twenty days left until the Freshman Tournament. Even if you possess the ability to fight above your realm, you are still too weak. Every major rank is a gulf as vast as the heavens. The chasm between the Earth Rank and the Black Rank is terribly difficult to cross."

"I know. I am putting in the effort," Tang Yan replied firmly.

"For your daily cultivation, you should visit the Azure Dragon Academy's Spirit Gathering Hall, or exchange for the resources you need. At your current level, you hold no advantage whatsoever.

"Oh, and this is Purple Bamboo City's gift of thanks to you, for saving me." Zi Yun flipped her wrist and tossed a scroll down to Tang Yan.

"What is this?" Tang Yan asked curiously.

"A blood-Qi cultivation art. It is exceedingly difficult to master, but once achieved, it can multiply your combat power several times over for a brief duration. Cultivate it well; it should be of great use to you." Having said her piece, Zi Yun turned and swayed up the stairs.

"A blood-Qi cultivation art? Multiplies combat power?" Astonished, Tang Yan unrolled the scroll, and a stream of insight immediately rushed into his mind.

"Meridian-Changing Qi: Alters blood and Qi, rapidly compressing the spiritual power within the body. Within a short window, it can unleash vastly more Spiritual Qi, thereby granting a massive augmentation to one's strength." As this text flowed into him, Tang Yan analyzed it for a moment, and wild elation surged in his heart.

The Qi-Meridian Transformation was indeed miraculously profound. If he could master it, he could catch his enemies completely off guard. It was an elite life-saving trump card.

Etching the incantation firmly into his memory, Tang Yan pushed the door open and strode outside.

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