The Liu Family's string of schemes against the Tang Family had been dismantled layer by layer, from the very start to this moment.

And the edge the Tang Family had revealed under the Liu Family's ceaseless probing and pressure left countless onlookers shaken.

Everyone knew a sizable gap still stretched between Tang Yan and Liu Zhi. But how old was Tang Yan this year? There would be ample time ahead. Given enough years, who would stand as Yun City's foremost expert was anyone's guess.

The previous session's top eight of Yun City watched the youth on the stage with complicated expressions. That young man, hailed as Yun City's foremost wastrel, had held his ground against a Yellow Rank Ninth Grade fighter without losing, and had even left Liu Zhi just as battered.

Asking themselves honestly, not one of them had the confidence to match such a showing.

"Well done!" Down below, several clans aligned with the Tang Family suddenly erupted in cheers. By now their faith in standing with the Tang Family had climbed to unprecedented heights.

"What's there to gloat about? Take one more move from me and you'll surely lose," Liu Zhi sneered.

"A loss is a loss." Tang Yan's words spared no courtesy. He gave a cold laugh, turned, and walked off the stage.

The Mid-Autumn Conference had served its purpose, and Tang Yan held not the slightest interest in what came after. He returned to the Tang Family's seats, paid his respects to everyone, then lingered no longer. Under the cover of moonlight he unleashed Phantom Step at full strength, and before long he was back at the Tang Family.

After today's clash with Liu Zhi, Tang Yan understood once more just how weak his strength still was.

To grow stronger, he had to keep training without pause.

Entering his room, he swallowed a High Spirit Pill and settled into cultivation.

The next day, as the first light of dawn slipped over the windowsill and into the room, Tang Yan slowly opened his eyes.

A full night had restored him; everything spent the evening before had been replenished.

"Young Master, the Old Master said to come find him once you woke." Seeing Tang Yan step out of his room, Xiaocui reported in a crisp voice.

Tang Yan was puzzled. What did Grandfather want with him so early in the morning?

Carrying the question with him, Tang Yan made his way to Tang Ling's courtyard. He knocked a few times, and Tang Ling's voice came from within. "Come in."

When he saw Tang Ling, Tang Yan was taken aback. Grandfather sat before a table piled high with wine bottles.

Had Grandfather spent the whole night drinking?

"Why drink so much?" Tang Yan hurried over, plucked the wine cup from Tang Ling's hand, and poured a cup of hot tea in its place.

Tang Ling took the teacup, his face wreathed in smiles. "Little brat, your grandfather isn't drunk. Back in my younger days, I drank far more than this."

"What did you call me here for, Grandfather?" Tang Yan asked.

"You'll know soon enough. Wait here a moment." With that, Old Master Tang returned to his room, changed into clean clothes, and came back out. A wave of his hand, and he led Tang Yan outside.

Full of questions, Tang Yan followed Tang Ling. Before long they reached the Tang Family ancestral hall.

After leading Tang Yan inside, grandfather and grandson knelt and bowed before the line of Tang ancestors. Then Tang Ling spoke gravely. "Yan'er, in sixteen years your grandfather has never spoken to you of family matters.

There is much I have held inside far too long. I wanted to speak of it, yet never dared. But you have let your grandfather see hope, and these secrets I can hide no longer."

Hearing Old Master Tang's words, Tang Yan felt his heart still.

Though he was not truly born of this world, his complete merging with this life's Tang Yan, together with Old Master Tang's tender, painstaking care, had made him accept this family from the depths of his heart.

Tang Yan, who had never known the warmth of kin, heard Tang Ling's words and felt his heart tremble.

"Speak, Grandfather," Tang Yan said earnestly. "Your grandson is listening."

"Sixteen years ago, by a turn of Fated Chance, your mother came to know your father. The two felt like old friends at first meeting, and in time they had you.

Her origins were a mystery, and she had fled a betrothal to come here.

Both your mother's family and the family she had been promised to forced their way into the Tang Family and tore your parents apart. Our Tang Family was broken to pieces in that calamity. Had your mother not staked her own life against them, our Tang Family would have been wiped out long ago."

Tang Ling let out a sigh, a trace of helplessness flickering in his eyes. "After your mother was taken away, your father left the Tang Family to search for her. To this day, not a word of either has come back."

"Does no one know where my mother came from?" Tang Yan asked.

"No one. But the people of your mother's family were fearsomely strong-strong enough to surpass even Heaven Rank..."

"Surpass Heaven Rank?" Tang Yan could not hold back a startled cry.

"That's right. The martial path knows no end. Tingxiang Kingdom is but a tiny corner of this continent. When you have truly grown, you will understand that reaching Heaven Rank only opens the gate to the martial path.

I tell you this so you will remember: your strength may stand well in Yun City, but you remain far, far from the true martial path. Never grow arrogant." Old Master Tang looked deep into Tang Yan's eyes, his own filled with hope and exhortation.

"Our Tang Family wasn't always in Yun City, was it?" Tang Yan asked.

Old Master Tang nodded. "No. Sixteen years ago, our Tang Family still dwelt in the Northern Spirit Realm. After the blow of your parents' marriage, fearing reprisal, we hid ourselves away in Yun City."

"Rest easy, Grandfather. I will find where my father and mother have gone." Tang Yan looked at the old man before him, temples gone white, and felt a sourness rise in his chest.

"Just do your best." Old Master Tang nodded. "There is one more matter I called you here for. Come with me."

With that, Old Master Tang walked to the rear of the ancestral hall, faced a wall, and struck it hard thirteen times. With a sudden rumble, a stone door appeared on what had been a smooth, unbroken surface.

Tang Yan was startled inwardly. The Tang Family held such a hidden chamber, and he had never known?

He followed Tang Ling inside and let his gaze sweep the room. A luminous pearl hung at each of the four corners, leaving the chamber as bright as day.

Within stood only a single table, and upon it rested a jade slip.

Old Master Tang gravely took up the jade slip and held it out to Tang Yan.

"This is..." Tang Yan accepted it, curious.

"When your mother left, she set this martial technique aside for you. I studied the jade slip before, but the steps are dreadfully difficult, and I could make little sense of them. Your mother said that if you could learn it, you should keep cultivating it; if you could not, you might set it aside." Old Master Tang spoke with weight. "Your mother's own strength had broken through Heaven Rank. Since this art was a gift from her, its grade should be no small thing."

Tang Yan studied the jade slip with surprise and sent in a thread of spiritual sense to probe it.

"Flame Burst Palm." Tang Yan saw the technique's name and read on.

In his past life, Tang Yan's attainments in the martial path had not matched those in his Alchemy Dao, yet he had still studied many martial techniques and seen countless exquisite techniques.

After a few minutes, astonishment surfaced on his face, and it only deepened.

The sheer intricacy of this art was no less than the high-level techniques he had encountered in his past life-more complex, even, by several degrees.

Obscure and hard to grasp as the technique was, that very difficulty kindled Tang Yan's interest, and he was soon lost in it.

Flame Burst Palm divided into three forms: Flame Fierce Palm, Flame Breaking Palm, and Burst Breaking Palm. Each move surpassed the last, its might multiplying several times over.

When Tang Yan had fully absorbed the contents of Flame Burst Palm on the jade slip, wonder shone in his eyes.

"You understood it?" Tang Ling's expectant voice carried over.

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