After Ye Tianyi left, Yun Man retrieved the hidden Formation and arranged it once more around Qin Xiao.
"You don't need to worry about me. After that battle, both of you must have exhausted some energy. Go and recover. I need to tend to my injuries as well."
Seeing that Yun Man and Lin Shimeng were simply standing there watching him, Qin Xiao instructed them to meditate and recover.
"Master, are you truly alright?"
Yun Man asked with lingering concern.
"Naturally. Tend to your own matters; this is your master's command."
Knowing his body was already repairing itself, Qin Xiao gave a direct order.
"Very well. Rest first, Master."
Seeing Qin Xiao's firm tone, Yun Man sat down cross-legged nearby to begin her recovery.
Lin Shimeng opened her mouth as if to speak, but meeting Qin Xiao's gaze, she swallowed her words and sat down nearby to recover as well.
This healing process took far longer than the time spent on the second level of the secret realm, requiring the restoration not only of flesh and bone, but of his Meridians.
It continued for a full day and night before it was finally complete.
"Success? It actually succeeded?"
One day later, Qin Xiao inspected the results of his recovery and sprang to his feet in delight.
"Master? What is it? What succeeded?"
Seeing Qin Xiao leap up and shout about success, Yun Man quickly rose to her feet.
"I never expected it. Although the price this time was steep, misfortune has turned into a blessing. My strength has increased significantly."
Qin Xiao's excitement stemmed from a breakthrough to the Body Refinement Fourth Layer.
The description for the Body Refinement Fourth Layer was: shifting weight at will and walking through the air.
This meant not only a qualitative transformation of his physical body, but the ability to fly.
In the past, Qin Xiao had always relied on Yun Man's flying sword or bummed rides on the treasures of others for long journeys. Now, he could finally walk through the air by his own power.
"Master, are you completely healed? It is good that you are well. When shall we return?"
Lin Shimeng asked with concern before inquiring about their return to the sect, considering they had been away for three days and her father must be worried.
"Whenever you wish. By the way, the corpses of those four Elders are still here, are they not? Go search them and see if there are any valuables."
Qin Xiao was ready to move at any moment, and he was eager to test out walking through the air, but the battlefield still needed to be cleared.
A quick sweep of the battlefield yielded little of value from the four Storage Bags-whether the items were beneath Qin Xiao's notice or the Elders were simply poor, he tossed the bags to Yun Man and told her and Lin Shimeng to split the contents evenly.
With that settled, Qin Xiao turned his attention to testing the changes brought by his breakthrough.
With a single leap, he rose straight into the air and hovered, able to control the lightness and heaviness of his entire body at will.
Then, with one step, he crossed a hundred meters in an instant. The speed startled even himself. A hundred meters in a single second meant over three hundred kilometers an hour-in his past life, it would have rivaled a top-tier supercar.
Yet Qin Xiao knew this owed much to the Middle Grade Dharma Treasure boots on his feet; the moment he stepped, the Spiritual Qi released by the shoes propelled him forward. Without them, he likely could not have moved so quickly.
With another stride, he returned to his original spot. The movement was so rapid that his hair was thrown into disarray. Lacking a protective layer of Spiritual Qi, he would need to find a solution for that issue.
"Master, you can walk through the air as well?"
Yun Man stared in disbelief. Qin Xiao could not cultivate; how had he achieved mid-air travel without Spiritual Qi?
"A minor matter. Come, strike me with a punch. Use your full strength."
Feeling terrifyingly strong, Qin Xiao noted that the later stages of Body Refinement brought immense power. His current physical strength far exceeded the Third Layer, having undergone a qualitative transformation that allowed him to manipulate his own weight freely.
"Are you certain, Master? I will be using my full strength. You have only just recovered; if I injure you again..."
Yun Man hesitated, worried about the wisdom of such a test.
"Just strike. Your master is frighteningly strong right now."
Qin Xiao was confident; an attack from an early Nascent Soul cultivator would likely do no more than tickle him.
Seeing his certainty, Yun Man held nothing back. She had witnessed the tenacity of his physical body before-the more it endured, the stronger it grew.
Gathering her Qi in a single hand, she formed a fist wrapped in a dense sphere of Spiritual Qi. When the power reached its peak, she drove her fist directly toward Qin Xiao's stomach.
Bang!
A heavy impact echoed across the clearing, and a figure was sent flying backward.
"How can this be?"
Lin Shimeng stared in shock. That punch had repelled Yun Man, while Qin Xiao remained rooted to the spot without budging an inch.
"Well? Do you still dare look down on your master, disciple?"
Qin Xiao asked smugly as Yun Man returned with a defeated expression.
"Master, just how many secrets do you keep? I cannot even defeat you now. Yesterday you were on the brink of death, and today not only are you completely healed, but your strength has reached such a terrifying realm. This disciple concede."
Though chagrined, Yun Man felt a growing sense of awe. Just a few months ago, when Immortal Sword Peak had caused trouble, her master had struggled against a new disciple at the Qi Condensation seventh layer. Now, even she was no match for him.
"It is a pity that Tian Family Head was taken away; otherwise, I would have tested it on him. Tell me, disciple, what realm does my physical strength compare to now?"
Qin Xiao regretted missing the chance. He dared not compare himself to the Soul Formation stage, but a late Nascent Soul cultivator might have been worth a try.
"Master, that punch I threw just then... even a mid Nascent Soul cultivator could not have withstood it without severe injury. Yet you were entirely unhurt and even repelled me. I believe you could face a late Nascent Soul cultivator without difficulty."
Knowing the weight of her own attack, Yun Man realized Qin Xiao's physical defense easily matched the late Nascent Soul stage.
Meanwhile, Lin Shimeng stood off to the side, watching the two exchange banter. Feeling excluded, a sense of grievance welled up within her.
"Master, I feel as though you always treat Yun Man and me differently."
After pondering for a long time, Lin Shimeng finally mustered the courage to speak.
"Hm? What do you mean by that?"
Qin Xiao blinked, caught off guard.
"Yun Man entered the sect before me, and I raised no objection to her being the Senior Sister. But in everything you do, you consider Yun Man first. You divided the spoils that way, you consulted her first when discussing strategy, and you converse with her as an equal while guarding against me. Am I not your disciple as well?"
Lin Shimeng demanded with evident dissatisfaction.
"Is that so? My negligence, I suppose. However, I am simply accustomed to it and overlooked you for a moment. Do not overthink it."
Qin Xiao had indeed grown used to relying on Yun Man, though other reasons existed that he saw no need to voice.
"I do not believe it. You are simply biased."
Lin Shimeng rejected such a simple explanation.
"Biased? How should I put this? It is rather a matter of different trust levels. Her level is slightly higher than yours, so matters are naturally discussed with her first."
Lacking a better explanation, Qin Xiao reduced it to a matter of trust.
"Trust levels? What is a trust level? Do you distrust me so much that you believe I would betray you?"
Lin Shimeng found herself more confused than ever.
"How do you view our master-disciple relationship, Shimeng? Speak your mind first."
Rather than answering directly, Qin Xiao turned the question back to her.
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