Mountains connected to mountains, and valleys linked to valleys.

Heavenly East Mountain, where the Heavenly Martial Sect was located, possessed a vast and majestic mountain range resembling a crouching Dragon and coiling tiger, naturally exuding an awe-inspiring presence of heaven and earth.

The Inner Sect was situated within four great valleys.

They represented the four major courtyards of the Inner Sect: Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, and Black Tortoise.

Zhang Ruohan led Li Yun and Zhang Chu for nearly an hour before arriving at the entrance of the Vermilion Bird Courtyard; the so-called gate was actually the entrance to a colossal valley.

At the entrance stood a towering stone stele. Not only did it feature a sculpture of the Sacred Beast, the Vermilion Bird, soaring into the sky wrapped in flames, but it was also inscribed in vigorous Dragon-and-Phoenix calligraphy with three large characters—Vermilion Bird Courtyard!

【Observed the entrance stele of Vermilion Bird Courtyard; cognition points +100】

【Observed the entrance stele of Vermilion Bird Courtyard; cognition points +100】

...

The moment he stopped at the entrance,

the System's notifications began flashing frantically.

Within a single breath,

Li Yun directly gained 300 cognition points.

Such efficiency made Li Yun so excited he almost cried out aloud.

A gain of roughly 300 cognition points per second!

If he could, he would have loved to bring his bedding over and live right at the entrance of the Vermilion Bird Courtyard as a security guard.

Li Yun cheered inwardly—this trip to the Inner Sect was so damn worth it!

"We're here!"

"Step through this gate, and inside is the Vermilion Bird Courtyard."

"Before going in, I must remind you both of something. Although you came with me, the Vermilion Bird Courtyard is mostly female disciples, so try your best not to stare around casually. Understood?"

Zhang Ruohan turned around and solemnly cautioned Li Yun and Zhang Chu.

Zhang Chu nodded repeatedly. "Got it, Sis. I won't look around blindly. Just hurry and bring us in..."

Li Yun's heart skipped a beat.

He hurriedly stepped forward and Said, "Understood. Aside from that, are there any other taboos?"

Zhang Ruohan cast a glance at the impatient Zhang Chu and rewarded him with another rap on the head. "Did you see that?"

"Look at how prudent and steady Li Yun is."

"Then look at yourself..."

"Seriously, if you weren't my younger brother, right now I'd want to..."

"I know, you'd want to kick me down the mountain with one foot, right?"

Zhang Chu wore an unhappy expression.

Just who is your real brother here?

He felt that ever since meeting that bastard Li Yun, his sister's attention had been entirely focused on him.

All along the way, she had taken the initiative to introduce the scenery and key locations to Li Yun, occasionally even mentioning tips on how to cultivation 【Basic Stance Training】.

That warm enthusiasm of hers...

It was simply unbelievable...

Had his sister not already had a fiancé, he would have suspected she had had a change of heart and fallen for Li Yun.

"You still dare talk back! Are you asking for a beating?"

Zhang Ruohan glared, making a motion to strike him.

Zhang Chu hurriedly dodged and hid behind Li Yun.

"Don't, I won't say anything more! I won't talk back anymore, okay?"

Li Yun felt somewhat awkward.

What steady?

What prudent?

It was all nonsense; he merely wanted to stall for time to gain more cognition points.

After all, an opportunity to earn 300 cognition points per second was far too rare.

And once inside the Vermilion Bird Courtyard, according to Zhang Ruohan's warning, he obviously wouldn't be able to glance around freely, meaning he might not have as good a chance to gather cognition points as he imagined.

He had to seize this current opportunity.

"Senior Sister Zhang, Zhang Chu was actually Wuxin—he didn't mean any harm... After all, as an Outer Sect Disciple, he must be full of yearning for the Inner Sect."

"Having a chance to go in, see the sights, and broaden his horizons, it's only human nature to be a little eager."

"Yes, yes, yes... Li Yun is right."

Seeing Zhang Ruohan's expression soften after Li Yun spoke, Zhang Chu also hurriedly chimed in, "I was just being impatient for a moment."

"And Sis, you can't hit me anymore."

"I've joined the Heavenly Martial Sect now and am also a Heavenly Martial Sect disciple. You can't keep hitting me at every turn like when we were kids."

"Hitting me like this all the time will make me lose a lot of face."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Ruohan grew furious at once. With her eyes wide, she prepared to strike Zhang Chu again.

Seeing this, Li Yun naturally hurried to stop her.

Internally, however, he was so delighted he almost laughed aloud.

With just this brief delay,

the cognition points on the System Panel had already surpassed twenty thousand and were heading toward thirty thousand.

With this wave of cognition points,

he was certain that once he returned, 【Basic Stance Training】 could immediately reach Proficient, or even Great Mastery...

If his luck were slightly better and he gained a bit more, bringing 【Basic Stance Training】 to Perfection today wasn't out of the question either.

On the way here, Zhang Ruohan had told him a piece of very important information.

Once 【Basic Stance Training】 reached Perfection, one could attempt to comprehend the true intent of martial dao contained within the Stance Training.

And as for that thing, across generations of Heavenly Martial Sect disciples, very few had ever managed to comprehend it.

What was certain, however, was that anyone who comprehended it attained remarkable achievements in the Body Refining Realm and later cultivated Internal Force far more profound than others in the Strength Refinement Realm.

Thus, a step ahead meant steps ahead all the way.

In the subsequent True Qi Realm, thanks to abundant True Qi, reversing into the Innate realm was also far easier than for others.

However, right at that moment,

an untimely voice suddenly rang out.

"Li Yun?"

"Why are you here?"

At that moment, several people suddenly walked out from the gates of the Vermilion Bird Courtyard. Leading them was a straight-backed, handsome young man whose brow, however, exuded a thick air of arrogance.

The previous host's childhood sweetheart and fiancée, Huang Yiyi, was meekly following behind the young man. But the moment she caught sight of Li Yun, she grew so agitated she nearly leaped up, her voice turning shrill.

Huang Yiyi rushed over in a hurry.

"Li Yun, what are you doing? Who told you I came to the Vermilion Bird Courtyard?"

"Why did you follow me here?"

"You really have tremendous nerve! Is an important place like the Inner Sect somewhere an Outer Sect Disciple like you can come to?"

"Get lost right now! If you make Senior Brother Liu unhappy, you won't even be able to remain an Outer Sect Disciple!"

Li Yun's face immediately darkened. He had never expected to run into Huang Yiyi here, and without even thinking, he knew that this Huang Yiyi must have been brought in by that Senior Brother Liu.

Being able to bring people into the Inner Sect meant that Senior Brother Liu was likely also an Inner Sect Disciple.

This was damn well not good news.

If he provoked the hostility of an Inner Sect Disciple because of Huang Yiyi, that would truly be an undeserved calamity.

In an instant,

without the slightest hesitation, Li Yun opened his mouth and Said, "Wait, who are you? I don't know you. How do you know my name is Li Yun?"

"Could you have mistaken me for someone else?"

Huang Yiyi was taken aback, then immediately flew into a rage. "Li Yun, you're still pretending?"

"You followed me all the way here, and you still pretend not to know me?"

"Do you think doing this will make me change my mind?"

"Let me tell you, that's impossible!"

"It's over between us! That so-called marriage agreement was coerced by your parents using their favor, and my parents only agreed out of utter helplessness. I never had any interest in you to begin with!"

"You had better give up on this idea and stop pestering me..."