In a quiet grove of trees.

Li Yun sat cross-legged in silence, completely motionless. However, if anyone had been present, they would have noticed that his skin above the neck, on the back of his hands, and anywhere else unhidden by clothes had turned crimson red.

Like a red-hot branding iron, it was even faintly emitting wisps of steam.

Centered around his body, the air temperature within three or four meters had actually risen by several degrees out of nowhere, showing just how high his body temperature had reached.

However, it wasn't long before...

Li Yun abruptly snapped his eyes open, gasping heavily for breath like someone who had narrowly escaped after being stifled in an oven.

"Damn it—"

"What kind of cultivation technique is this Reversing Fate Art? How can cultivating it feel so miserable?"

Compared to the enjoyment brought by 【Basic Stance Training】 and 【Coiling Silk Force】, cultivating 【Reversing Fate Art】 could practically be called a form of torture.

The unique combination of breathing and circulating Qi and Blood felt as if he were on fire; his heated blood surged through his body, inflicting intense pain wherever it flowed.

After merely two minutes, he couldn't hold out any longer.

It wasn't that his willpower was weak, but what normal person would enjoy self-torture?

What's more, that agonizing stimulation was simply far too deadly.

It almost made him doubt himself—he felt that if he didn't stop in time and kept cultivating, he'd kick the bucket in five minutes at most.

"This won't do."

"It seems I can't cultivation this cultivation technique recklessly. I need to take it steady, find a way to gather some more martial cognition points, raise its level, and then try again. Maybe there will be a change then."

Once his body temperature finally returned to normal and his breathing evened out, Li Yun stood up. He wasn't planning on taking such a risk to cultivation 【Reversing Fate Art】 again.

However, as soon as he stood up...

Li Yun's pupils shrank abruptly; he vaguely noticed that something was wrong.

He suddenly realized that his strength seemed to have invisibly increased by a notch, and even his normal breathing felt smoother and more powerful than usual.

In the faint haze of awareness, he could even hear his heart thumping loudly like a drumbeat, far more vigorous than before.

Stepping forward two paces, he felt an inexplicable lightness in his body.

It felt as though his entire body had undergone some unknown transformation.

He hastily opened his System Panel.

With a single glance, he was stunned.

【Host: Li Yun】

【Age: 16】

【Aptitude: Mid-Fifth Grade】

【Identity: Outer Sect Disciple, Courtyard 95 of the Ren Branch, Heavenly Martial Sect】

【Realm: Acquired, Body Tempering Stage Three】

【Martial Arts: Basic Stance Training (Perfection), Coiling Silk Force (Perfection), Reversing Fate Art (Initial Mastery)】

【martial cognition points: 19,565】

"Holy crap!"

"Body Tempering Stage Three?"

"My Aptitude went from Fifth Grade to Mid-Fifth Grade... Has it really been enhanced?"

Li Yun could hardly believe his eyes.

Setting aside the fact that his cultivation had inexplicably increased by a stage—which wasn't that big of a deal since he believed that once he truly threw himself into cultivating 【Basic Stance Training】, such progress would become easy and rapid—

the key was that his Fifth Grade Aptitude, which was supposed to be unshakeable, had actually changed.

This couldn't help but fill him with pleasant surprise.

This meant that cultivating 【Reversing Fate Art】 was indeed effective; this thing really could raise one's Aptitude.

"Holy cow!"

"I invested 110,000 martial cognition points into this, and this time I really got my money's worth!"

This moment of excitement almost made Li Yun sit right back down to cultivation, but the moment he remembered the agony of practicing 【Reversing Fate Art】, he forcibly suppressed the urge.

Although he had no proof, Li Yun's intuition still told him that while 【Reversing Fate Art】 could indeed raise Aptitude, he definitely couldn't immerse himself in cultivating it for long periods.

That kind of cultivation technique was more like walking an extreme path; if he couldn't maintain control, before his Aptitude even improved, he might end up losing his life.

He decided to play it safe and wait at least a day before trying again.

And he could use this time to gather some more martial cognition points.

As he cultivated three Martial Arts simultaneously, his need for martial cognition points was growing larger and larger, and he didn't want his cultivation to stall due to a lack of points.

He decided not to wait any longer and go straight to Azure Cloud Residence to see Zhang Cong.

On one hand, he would get Zhang Cong to fulfill his promise; on the other hand, he could observe the Martial Intent at Azure Cloud Residence to gain Cognition Points. For now, since the Inner Sect was off-limits to easy entry, Azure Cloud Residence was the most suitable place in the Outer Sect for him to harvest Cognition Points.

No sooner said than done.

However, just to be safe, before leaving, he still pulled out the copy of 【Reversing Fate Art】 and used his portable fire striker to burn it to ashes.

Since he had already learned the Martial Art anyway and only needed to allocate points to upgrade it, holding onto the physical book of 【Reversing Fate Art】 was no longer important. Keeping it around would only invite trouble, so there was no need.

Just as he burned 【Reversing Fate Art】 and thoroughly ground the ashes into the dirt with his foot...

Zhang Chu hurried into the small grove again.

He looked a bit dejected.

"Boss, my sister knows now, but she doesn't have any good ideas either. She said you should just destroy the book first... and pretend you know nothing about this matter."

Li Yun couldn't help but laugh.

Reluctantly, Zhang Chu Said, "Boss, how can you still laugh?"

Li Yun: "Why shouldn't I laugh?"

"It was expected."

"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing. Look... I've already burned that book."

Li Yun pointed to the faint traces of ash remaining on the ground.

Zhang Chu took a look and couldn't help but give Li Yun a thumbs-up: "Boss, you're awesome! Burning it just like that—isn't that way too decisive?"

Zhang Chu knew that even though 【Reversing Fate Art】 was proven to be a harmful book, faced with a Martial Art that reportedly could raise Aptitude, many people would still be unable to resist temptation and secretively cultivation it.

Yet Li Yun burned it without the slightest hesitation.

All he could say was that Li Yun was extremely resolute and decisive.

Inside, Li Yun felt a bit ashamed. He wasn't as resolute and decisive as Zhang Chu made him out to be—he had actually cultivated 【Reversing Fate Art】, though obviously this wasn't something he could mention, not even a single word.

So he put on an indifferent front and Said, "It's nothing. Knowing full well it's a harmful thing, what else would I do but burn it? Keep it around to bring trouble upon myself?"

"Uh... that's true."

"Then what next? What do you plan to do, Boss?"

Zhang Chu didn't think there was anything wrong with that either. Since it was already burned anyway, he stopped dwelling on it and instead asked about Li Yun's plans.

"Me?"

"I plan to go see Elder Zhang Cong... What about you? Didn't you say Elder Zhang Cong is supposed to call you grand-uncle? Want to come along?"

"Go see Zhang Cong... Uh, sure! Let me go with you."

Zhang Chu Said happily, "Just right! Thanks to you, Boss, my Stance Training has reached Initial Mastery. I'll go ask Zhang Cong for some rewards too."

"Then let's go."

Immediately, the two left the grove, walking toward Azure Cloud Residence while chatting and laughing.

At the same time...

On a small path in the Outer Sect, Gu Yunzheng was leading two slightly older youths, watching Li Yun and Zhang Chu from a distance.

Gu Yunzheng's eyes gleamed with malice.

"Cousin, that's him! That guy is Li Yun. I hope you can figure out a way to give him a severe lesson, preferably driving him out of the Heavenly Martial Sect."

"Once it's done, I will definitely reward you handsomely!"