"Elixir's Skill, Heavens-reversing Pill, an eighth-grade Elixir's Skill, is renowned for its immense power. This Elixir's Skill doesn't rely on feints or intricate moves, but rather uses force against force, leveraging a unique technique to channel the energy within the pill for an instantaneous burst. Depending on the cultivation level, one can activate up to nine pills at once. When the nine pills are unleashed, it reverses the heavens!"

Seated cross-legged in a somewhat ethereal space, Du Fei gazed at the fleeting shadow before him, his face betraying no emotion.

Unlike before, the conscious space he was in now had grown beyond the size of a cave. On one side of the wall, a massive gateway opened up. Beyond the gateway, although mostly an empty expanse, there was a sizeable stretch of flat land. On this land, a shadow continuously shifted its form.

As the shadow moved, objects resembling pills were flicked out one after another, each subsequently unleashing a formidable force right before him.

Naturally, what this shadow demonstrated was the Elixir's Skill, Heavens-reversing Pill!

In reality, Du Fei would never be so extravagant as to casually throw out pills as if they cost nothing. But in this space, he had no such reservations.

"This Elixir's Skill is truly terrifying! With such power, even a Seventh-grade Martial Artist wouldn't dare to fight against it... If one managed to stack nine pills, and if the pills used were of seventh grade, then defeating a Seventh-grade Martial Artist outright might not be out of the question... However, employing this technique is a colossal waste of resources. One move could easily consume hundreds of thousands of gold coins! It's not something most people can afford!"

After marveling at the power of the move, Du Fei couldn't help but sigh in amazement.

These alchemists were truly monsters, so no wonder no one dares to offend them. Putting aside the complex networks backing them, just the way they splurge could probably bury countless individuals under the weight of their wealth.

"Even if I mastered this move, it would likely only be a trump card for dire situations. If I were to use it casually a few times, I'd probably go broke within days!"

After another sigh, Du Fei didn't continue to dwell on it. Instead, with a slight stamp of his foot, he descended onto the flat ground. Almost immediately, with a curl of his fingers, several pills materialized in his palm.

Following the instructions in the scroll, he gently revolved his true breath in a manner similar to pill refinement, and then swiftly flicked his fingers...

"Boom—"

On the flat ground, a massive crater appeared out of nowhere, then gradually returned to its original state. Du Fei, however, didn't show much astonishment. Instead, he moved his hands again, hurling the pills from his hand as if they were of no value, in an unending stream.

...

"Huff—"

Taking a long breath, Du Fei, who was seated cross-legged on the bed, slowly opened his eyes, and a brief flash of exhaustion could be seen within them.

Cultivating in the conscious space might not affect the physical body, but the mental fatigue was quite astonishing.

Fortunately, this sort of cultivation wasn't without its effects. At least at this moment, Du Fei had fundamentally grasped some essential aspects of the Elixir's Skill, Heavens-reversing Pill. With the nine pills he had on hand, Du Fei was confident that he could face a Ninth-grade Martial Artist and not be defeated.

However, Du Fei wasn't wasteful enough to go to that extent. Even the richest and most extravagant alchemist probably wouldn't easily use the Elixir's Skill unless absolutely necessary.

"Next, it's time for cultivation!"

Even though he was mentally exhausted, Du Fei didn't have the time to rest.

With only half a year left, merely advancing to a Ninth-grade Martial Artist wouldn't suffice! He wanted more!

However, thankfully, with the help of these Concentration Pills, he would not face any obstacles in his progress no matter what.

He had to obtain the Heaven and Earth Primordial Core, no matter what it takes!

...

Walking out of the inner chamber at a leisurely pace, Du Fei took a deep breath, feeling somewhat relieved.

Although he understood the importance of cultivation, with his current condition, he couldn't possibly continue. After all, there were some things that if overdone, could be detrimental.

"Young Master!"

Seeing Du Fei emerge, Little Ai, who was in the hall, promptly set aside the scroll she was reading, her face lighting up with joy.

"What are you reading?" Glancing over casually, Du Fei took a seat in a chair and asked indifferently.

"It's nothing much, just some old stories from the past... But Young Master, why haven't you been cultivating these past few days? You can't become complacent just because the Clan Contest is over!" Little Ai pointed with a playful gesture and chuckled.

"Can't I take a break? It seems that you, little girl, can't go a day without a lesson! Let me give you some proper education!" With that, Du Fei's foot slammed into the ground, and his figure shot forward like a cannonball, effortlessly scooping up Little Ai and placing her on his lap. His right hand rose slightly, and then a loud smack followed.

"Smack—"

The place where his hand landed was incredibly tender, causing Du Fei's right hand to tingle. At the same time, desire surged within his lower abdomen.

Little Ai, who was just joking at first, blushed intensely, because she could clearly feel her young master's member pressed against her slightly swollen chest, and it was throbbing mischievously...

This sensation made Little Ai's head spin, and after a moment, she blushed and murmured, "Young master... you... you really are a pervert!"

Before her words even fell, her neck had turned crimson.

Hearing this, Du Fei also shuddered all over, and the word "pervert" brought him back from the brink of losing control.

Du Fei quickly pulled Little Ai up with his left hand, and as soon as she stood up, she retreated like a frightened rabbit.

For a moment, both of them were at a loss for words, and the atmosphere became extremely awkward.

After a moment, Du Fei reached up to rub his nose and cleared his throat. "Have there been any troublemakers bothering you these past few days? If there are, just let me know, and I'll help you."

"Hmph, you're the ninth core disciple of the Du Family, who would dare to bother me... But that Du Qian has come to see you a few times. What does she want?" Little Ai said with a displeased look, clearly feeling a hint of jealousy.

In response, Du Fei could only pretend not to notice, but after a moment of contemplation, he nodded slightly and said, "She probably got wind of the eight-grade cultivation method appearing at the auction house and wanted me to take a look. But it's too late to talk about that now."

"Young master, you went to the Auction House?" Hearing this, Little Ai's eyes lit up, her expression taking on a strange tinge.

"Yup, I went and also bought something. Here, this is a Concentration Pill. You can take it at an appropriate time. It should help you advance smoothly to the Ninth-grade Martial Artist level... Once you reach that stage, I'll help you find some cultivation methods," Du Fei casually said, taking out a pill bottle from his pocket and placing it on the table.

Upon hearing this, Little Ai paused for a moment. She then approached, picking up the pill bottle to inspect it. After a while, she shook her head slightly and said, "Young Master, you should keep it for yourself. Even without this, I believe I can become a Ninth-grade Martial Artist in another year or so. It would be much more beneficial for you to consume this pill than for me."

"If I say it's for you, then it's for you. Why all the fuss... Do you want to be disciplined again?" Du Fei snorted with a smirk, then raised his right hand, revealing a mischievous grin.

Startled by Du Fei's expression, Little Ai quickly jumped back, momentarily forgetting their argument over the pill's ownership.

At the mountain behind the Du Family's home, in a rather secluded spot, Du Fei casually leaned against a huge boulder, studying the pill in his hand that emitted a faint medicinal fragrance. He didn't immediately swallow it.

At that moment, he was only at the seventh level of body tempering. Though he was about to break through to the eighth level, he wasn't sure he could reach the Martial Artist realm so quickly. After all, his training time had been very short, incredibly short...

There were many things couldn't be rushed, for it can hinder one's results!

After some consideration, Du Fei decided against taking the Concentration Pill right away. Instead, he took a deep breath, stored the Concentration Pill securely, and then, with a slight movement, landed on the ground. His Soft Fist technique flowed like water, naturally executed.

"Smack—"

"Smack, smack, smack—"

Compared to before, Du Fei's understanding of the Soft Fist had reached a profound level. With each punch he threw, there was a resounding crack from his bones. At the same time, the power hidden deep in his muscles was fully unleashed at the peak of his fist.

It could be said that after the Clan Contest, Du Fei's strength had increased tenfold compared to before.

This strength wasn't just in terms of his body tempering level, but in his mastery over using his power.

"If I were to participate in the Clan Contest at this time, Du Qing wouldn't even have a chance to turn things around. I'd only need one move to disable him, unlike before where I had to be a bit crafty!"

After sneering coldly in his heart, Du Fei continued to swiftly practice his Body-forging Fist. At a certain point, he suddenly landed a punch on a huge rock in front of him.

"Boom—"

The boulder slightly shook, and a faint feedback force emerged, deepening the imprint of the fist on the rock.

Facing this peculiar sensation, which he was experiencing for the first time, Du Fei only slightly furrowed his brows and said nothing. After resting for a brief moment, the Soft Fist was once again unleashed.

However, this time, before completing the full set of Soft Fists, Du Fei's expression changed slightly, filled with confusion.

He tried to circulate the true breath within his body. After sensing that his true breath was now stronger than before, Du Fei had an inexplicable and incredulous expression. "Did I... have a breakthrough?"

The moment this thought surfaced, the corner of Du Fei's mouth twitched. A breakthrough like this seemed almost laughable. How could it be so comedic?

Yet, the sensation of true breath surging within him clearly told him that at this moment, he had indeed reached the eighth level of body tempering!