Returning to Courtyard 95 of the Ren Branch, the two each went back to their own rooms.

But Li Yun did not stay inside for long before quietly slipping out again.

He returned once more to the small grove.

He pulled open the System Panel.

【Host: Li Yun】

【Age: 16】

【Aptitude: Grade Five Mid-tier】

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

【Realm: Acquired, Body Refining Realm Third Layer】

【Martial Arts: Basic Stance Training (Perfection), Coiling Silk Force (Perfection), Reversing Fate Art (Initial Accomplishment), Thunderclap Fist (Proficient), Flying Star Step (Proficient)... Expandable.】

【Martial Perception Points: 1,069,565】

Even though he knew he couldn't hoard these Martial Perception Points, seeing over a million of them listed on the System Panel still filled Li Yun with delight—it was more thrilling than watching short clips.

Closing the System Panel,

Li Yun set to work.

He prepared to upgrade the four newly Acquired Martial Techniques—【Thunderclap Fist】, 【Flying Star Step】, 【Tiger Subduing Fist】, and 【Eagle Claw Skill】—one by one to Perfection.

Back when he was at Azure Cloud Residence, these four Martial Arts had already reached the Proficient level.

Upgrading them further would take them through Minor Achievement, Proficient, Great Mastery, and finally Perfection.

Averaging 78,000 points per discipline and taking about three hours, all of them reached Perfection!

With that,

although his cultivation had not yet changed, his combat prowess skyrocketed.

Together with 【Coiling Silk Force】, he now possessed five offensive High-Grade Body Refining Realm Martial Arts, all mastered to Perfection. At this stage, he could confidently say he was peerless across the Geng, Xin, Ren, and Gui Outer Sects!

On the path of Martial Arts, taking one step ahead meant staying ahead every step of the way.

This gave Li Yun absolute confidence to swiftly rise above the rest of the Outer Sect!

However, with this, the million Perception Points he had just Acquired shrank drastically to a mere 757,565 points, making Li Yun's heart ache so much that the corners of his mouth twitched.

He glanced at the System Panel again.

Behind the five perfected Martial Arts like 【Coiling Silk Force】 and 【Thunderclap Fist】, the words "Can Sublimate" appeared; Li Yun knew what that meant.

As long as he was willing to spend more Perception Points, sublimating them would allow him to comprehend their True Intent.

For example, with 【Thunderclap Fist】, according to Huang Huazong, if one could comprehend the Thunderclap Fist Intent, it would allow a wisp of thunderous power to manifest out of thin air on one's fist when attacking an enemy.

This special power was definitely not something an ordinary physical body could withstand head-on.

Even a Strength Refinement Realm Martial Artist who had cultivated Internal Force would be paralyzed by a single strike of this thunderous power if their Internal Force was not profound enough, potentially even suffering severe injuries.

It was practically a Martial Technique with special effects turned on!

Li Yun was drooling just looking at it.

However, not knowing how many Perception Points were required to sublimate such Martial Arts, and wishing to first master the remaining eleven True Intents of 【Basic Stance Training】, he could only suppress the urge to sublimate them immediately.

He immediately began sublimating 【Basic Stance Training】.

This was another deeply satisfying process; Li Yun found himself increasingly enjoying this feeling of quiet contemplation, where opening his eyes felt as though three autumns had passed.

...

Under the veil of night,

three sneaky figures slipped out from near Bing 77.

Faint moonlight illuminated their faces.

They were none other than Gu Yunzheng, his cousin He Tingfeng, and Xu Youwu.

"Yunzheng, why did you call us out so late?"

"Cousin, quick, follow me! Tonight that fellow Li Yun sneaked out of Courtyard 95 of the Ren Branch again. This is a great opportunity."

Hearing this, He Tingfeng's face darkened immediately.

"You came looking for us this late just for this?"

"Yeah! I found the chance, so I came to tell you."

"You fool!"

He Tingfeng trembled with rage.

"Never mind how vast the Heavenly Martial Sect is and that it's nighttime, making it hard for us to find Li Yun—the fact that you ran over to Bing 77 Courtyard looking for us so late proves you're out of your mind!"

"Do you really think everyone else is blind?"

"If something goes wrong, all three of us are finished, you know that?"

"Ah..."

Being scolded like this left Gu Yunzheng at a loss.

He had merely noticed by chance that Li Yun had slipped out and thought it was a golden opportunity, so his first instinct was to inform He Tingfeng without considering anything else.

"All right, Listening Wind, don't blame him yet."

"I actually think we could give it a try tonight. As long as we can locate him and disguise ourselves, we can totally teach Li Yun a bitter lesson."

Xu Youwu looked at Gu Yunzheng. "But the problem is, can you confirm Li Yun's location?"

Seeing Xu Youwu speak up for him, Gu Yunzheng felt instantly grateful. He glanced at He Tingfeng, secretly cursing in his heart: What a bullshit cousin. Constantly bragging on normal days, yet timid and shrinking back when something actually happens.

Serves him right that he hasn't been able to revert to Innate after staying here for two years; he's pure trash.

Just wait until I, Gu Yunzheng, enter the inner sect—let's see if I even spare you a second glance.

Gu Yunzheng was still quite confident in his Talent. With Grade One Aptitude, if he couldn't revert to Innate and advance to an Inner Sect Disciple within three years, the Heavenly Martial Sect wouldn't have so many Inner Sect Disciples in the first place.

"Senior Brother Xu, Cousin... I know Li Yun's location."

"I heard people say today that over the past few days, Li Yun often goes alone to a small grove west of Courtyard 95 of the Ren Branch to practice Martial Arts. I think since he went out so late, it's very likely he's in that small grove."

"A small grove?"

The eyes of both He Tingfeng and Xu Youwu lit up.

What a great place!

The night was dark, the wind was high, and it was in a secluded grove—wasn't this the perfect opportunity to make a move?

Sharing unspoken mutual understanding, the two immediately decided to strike tonight.

Acting early meant earning that sum of money from Gu Yunzheng sooner, which would let them buy a few Qi and Blood Pills to push their cultivation. Perhaps they might even cultivate Internal Force and enter the Strength Refinement Realm.

Indeed.

Although He Tingfeng was Gu Yunzheng's cousin, he wasn't going to step in for free.

To get He Tingfeng and Xu Youwu to act, Gu Yunzheng had paid a steep price, promising a thousand taels out of the three thousand taels of silver he had brought from home!

A thousand taels was worth ten Qi and Blood Pills.

For these ten Qi and Blood Pills, He Tingfeng and Xu Youwu decided to take the risk.

"Yunzheng, head back right now!"

"Remember, no matter what happens, you must pretend you know nothing. Go back and sleep. If we deal with Li Yun tonight, we will notify you tomorrow or at another time!"

"Yes!"

Overjoyed, Gu Yunzheng earnestly thanked the two before hurrying back to Courtyard 95 of the Ren Branch. Once back, he lay straight down to sleep, thinking of nothing, just waiting to receive good news after daybreak.

Meanwhile,

He Tingfeng and Xu Youwu did not head immediately to the small grove Gu Yunzheng had mentioned; instead, they returned to Bing 77 Courtyard to continue sleeping.

It was not until just before dawn, when everyone was in their deepest slumber, that the two quietly got up, changed into night-traveling attire, masked their faces with black cloth, and slipped ghost-like out of Bing 77 Courtyard, heading straight for the grove Gu Yunzheng had described.