Chapter 45

"Yanniang, Yanniang, he lost, he lost..." Ling'er's anxious voice echoed as she hurried along.

Tang Yan had been waiting in the hut for news. Upon hearing this, she could not contain her joy and, disregarding her usual reserve, pulled open the door and asked urgently, "Ling'er, did Zhang Yan lose?"

Ling'er reached the door, opened her mouth, and shook her head repeatedly, stammering, "No, no, not him, it's Wang Pan who lost..."

Tang Yan's face changed, and with a slap, she struck Ling'er across the face, shouting, "Don't speak nonsense!" But for some reason, a strange sense of fear began to spread in her heart.

Ling'er, covering her face, cried, "Yanniang, it's really Wang Pan who lost. Ling'er is not lying..."

Tang Yan suddenly felt a chill all over her body, as if she had fallen into an ice cellar. She turned around without a word, closed the door, and pushed it tightly shut, ignoring Ling'er's pounding from outside. How could Zhang Yan, a cultivator of the Second Level of Ming Qi, be such a monster?

Was it really her mistake?

Did she really have to lower herself to serve this person? But every time she thought of his indifferent attitude towards her, her hatred grew. I, Tang Yan, have never endured so much humiliation even in the presence of a True Person, yet here I am, suffering repeatedly at the hands of Zhang Yan.

Ling'er's sobbing voice came through, "Yanniang, Wang Lang is dead, and there is no one to protect us. Yanniang, it would be better to feign compliance for now..."

Tang Yan's beautiful eyes had lost their luster, but upon hearing this, her heart stirred. She thought to herself that it would be better to comply with this person for now to avoid any harm. If she could meet Wang Pan yesterday, she might have other choices in the future. Only by preserving herself could she hope for a better future.

With this thought, she took a deep breath, trying to suppress all her emotions. Then she put on a smile, turned around, and opened the door, saying, "Ling'er, help me get dressed and ready. I will go to see Zhang Lang shortly."

Ling'er, seeing her mistress finally change her mind, exclaimed in surprise, "Yes."

That night, Tang Yan went to pay her respects to Zhang Yan. However, she had overestimated herself. Zhang Yan had no interest in her and immediately sent her back. At this moment, his mind was solely focused on the Great Dao, and he had ruthlessly set aside all trivial matters of desire and emotion.

Moreover, his entire attention was on verifying the ideas that had emerged during his battle with Wang Pan.

Using Lan Yun Qing Qi as the foundation to refine Gan Ling Qing Qi was a bold idea, and he believed it was feasible. However, when put into practice, it was not as simple as he had thought. He had tried it in the broken jade over a hundred times before finding a viable method, and a sense of achievement filled his heart.

He first used his Primordial True Qi to refine a breath of Lan Yun Qing Qi, then expelled it from his body, allowing it to be tainted by the Sha Qi. He then retracted it into his chest and used the Taiyi Golden Script method to refine it repeatedly. Once the Sha Qi was exhausted, he expelled it again. After repeating this process a dozen times, he could remove all its properties, obtaining a pure strand of Qing Qi.

This single strand of Qing Qi was not yet usable. He needed to refine seven or eight more strands, then combine them into a breath, and refine them further under the Golden Wind and Fiery Flame. Only then could he achieve a true breath of Gan Ling Qing Qi.

This process seemed complicated, but it actually broke down the steps, making it twice as fast as the original method of refining with Primordial True Qi. As he gradually adapted to this method, the speed would only increase.

Refining Lan Yun True Qi was relatively simple and did not require the three daily surges of Sha Qi. This allowed him to utilize all his time.

This was his own improvement, combining the strengths of two Daoist texts, which greatly accelerated his cultivation. Originally, he estimated it would take two years, but now, it would take at most one year and at least half a year to refine eighty-one breaths of Gan Ling Qing Qi, officially entering the First Level of Ming Qi.

However, while he was focused on cultivation, he did not realize the intense discussions about him in the outside world.

The news of Wang Pan's defeat spread, and those who had been following the matter first disbelieved it, then were surprised, and finally were in an uproar. Wang Pan, with his overwhelming power, had seemed to have the upper hand over Zhang Yan, but in a blink, it turned into Zhang Yan slaying Wang Pan. As a disciple of a noble family, Wang Pan's actions not only represented himself but also the family's reputation. Being killed by Zhang Yan, who was two levels below him, not only tarnished his own reputation but also damaged the reputation of the Hao Pu Wang family.

Thus, everyone watched with keen interest, eager to see the Wang family's next move. Would they be enraged and confront Zhang Yan, or would they try to minimize the incident and ignore it?

Originally, the battle between Wang Pan and Zhang Yan was only known in a small circle, but now many cultivators in the sect were watching, forcing the Wang family to respond quickly.

Sure enough, a few days later, the Wang family sent someone to visit Zhang Yan on Ling Ye Island.

"Is Zhang Jun here? I am Wang Mao, grandson of my ancestor Wang Yuan, the True Person." This man appeared to be in his thirties, with a broad face, thick lips, and a beard that reached his chest. At first glance, he resembled Wang Pan, but his appearance was quite ordinary, with nothing particularly outstanding.

"Oh, you are the grandson of True Person Wang. Welcome."

Zhang Yan did not underestimate this man and solemnly welcomed him into his cave dwelling.

Above the stage of Yuan Ying, one could be called a True Person. True Person Wang Yuan was a key figure in the rise of the Wang family over the past century, elevating it from a minor clan to a prestigious one. His abilities were truly remarkable, and regardless of Zhang Yan's feelings towards the Wang family, he respected the achievements of this senior.

However, the fact that this True Person had sent his own grandson here was intriguing. Zhang Yan wondered what they would do next.

After they were seated, seeing that Zhang Yan did not speak, Wang Mao took the initiative, clasping his hands and saying, "Zhang Jun, do not be suspicious. I am not here to seek retribution but to discuss a matter with you. Wang Pan is my clan brother. This time, he acted rashly, driven by desire, and his death was his own fault, not to be blamed on others."

Zhang Yan waved his hand and said seriously, "Brother Wang, your words are mistaken. Although Wang Pan and I engaged in a 'Juezhen' battle, it was conducted according to the sect's rules, and there was no enmity between us. If I had been the one to die, it would have been my misfortune, and I could not blame Wang Pan."

He had to stop Wang Mao's line of reasoning. The battle between Zhang Yan and Wang Pan was officially conducted according to the sect's rules, and neither had overstepped. If it were framed as a private dispute over a woman, the implications would be different. Even if the Wang family did not act against him, others might see it as justified. Therefore, he had to maintain the official stance.

Wang Mao was slightly surprised. He had indeed intended to set a trap, but Zhang Yan, though young, was not overconfident and responded quickly, leaving no room for error. He nodded inwardly, thinking that Wang Pan's defeat was not unjustified.

Since both were clear-headed, there was no need to prolong the discussion. He clasped his hands and apologized, "I spoke out of turn. Zhang Jun is right. I am here today for another matter."

Zhang Yan said, "Please proceed, Brother Wang."

Wang Mao stroked his beard, pondering his words. After a moment, he said slowly, "Since Wang Pan has lost, everything he owned now belongs to Zhang Jun. The Wang family has been established in the sect for over three hundred years and will not act unreasonably. However, Chixia Island, though a sect cave dwelling, has been under the Wang family's management for over a hundred years. Wang Pan was the nominal master, but there are over ten Wang family members cultivating on the island. Therefore, we would like to ask Zhang Jun to be lenient. The Hao Pu Wang family is willing to exchange elixirs, flying swords, magical treasures, and Daoist texts for the cave dwelling. Please state your terms."

Zhang Yan was greatly tempted by this offer. To be honest, Chixia Island was just a True Palace cave dwelling, and he already had the auspicious Ling Ye Island. He did not particularly value this place. Moreover, although he had defeated Wang Pan, it was not his private property. Exchanging it for practical magical treasures and elixirs was the best option.

Zhang Yan smiled and said, "I agree to this, but I must make it clear that the cave dwelling can be redeemed, but since Wang Pan has lost, everything on the island now belongs to me. The Wang family members cultivating there have no official status in the sect, so all magical treasures, flying swords, elixirs, and Daoist texts must remain."

Wang Mao also smiled and said, "That is reasonable." Although he spoke calmly, he felt a pang of pain. Wang Pan had left many valuable items from the clan on Chixia Island, and he had hoped to use the pretext of redeeming the cave dwelling to reclaim them. However, Zhang Yan was meticulous and had him in a tight spot.

He sighed and asked, "If so, when can we redeem the cave dwelling?"

Zhang Yan said, "In half a month."

Wang Mao thought for a moment and said, "Agreed."

With that, the matter was settled, and Wang Mao was ready to leave. However, Zhang Yan suddenly asked, "Brother Wang, who said that Wang Pan and I fought over a woman?"

Wang Mao smiled bitterly and said vaguely, "There are always people who like to stir up trouble."

Zhang Yan nodded, his eyes flickering, and asked seriously, "I have a question for Brother Wang. Does the Wang family want to restore its reputation?"

Wang Mao frowned, looked at Zhang Yan, and sat up straight, saying, "Zhang Jun, please speak freely."

Zhang Yan smiled and said, "Since the outside world believes this matter was caused by my beautiful maid, why don't I hand her over to the Wang family? Whether you punish, scold, beat, or kill her, it is up to you. What do you think?"

Wang Mao's expression changed, and he blurted out, "What are your terms?"

Zhang Yan said calmly, "Wang Pan once said he was willing to exchange elixirs and magical treasures for my maid. Many people know this. However, I can claim that I am giving her to the Wang family out of respect for their high moral standards. What do you think?"

For Zhang Yan, killing Wang Pan had already demonstrated his stance to Ning Chongxuan, and Tang Yan's usefulness had diminished. Now, he could send