Regardless of what secrets the princely estate held, his current strength was insufficient to uncover them.
*Whoosh!*
Just then, a short sword lunged towards Zhou Yan's chest. The cold gleam was sharp and the speed extremely fast, like a venomous snake flicking its tongue, insidiously deadly.
"Seeking death!"
Zhou Yan coldly snorted and slapped out with his palm.
*Bang!*
This assassin was sent flying by Zhou Yan's palm, spitting out several teeth, his face flushed crimson.
*Puff!*
Zhou Yan flicked his finger, and another flame shot out, landing on the killer. In an instant, he transformed into a fireball, engulfing his body and turning him to ash.
This scene was witnessed by the other young martial apprentices, who were all terrified. They couldn't help but swallow their saliva, their hearts pounding.
This person was decisive and ruthless, his methods brutal and unforgiving, leaving no survivors.
"You just said, what was the realm of the Chen family's eldest princess?" Zhou Yan swept his icy gaze over them and said indifferently.
"Half-step Grandmaster."
The young martial apprentices quickly replied, fearing that a moment's delay would lead to their doom.
"Half-step Grandmaster?"
Zhou Yan frowned, lost in thought.
Above Martial Masters were Grandmasters. Every Grandmaster was a peak expert in Nanyang Commandery, looking down upon all beings, an unattainable existence.
Furthermore, every Grandmaster had a long lifespan, a full one hundred and eighty years.
Martial Venerables at the ninth stage could reach six hundred years, and Grandmasters around seven hundred years.
This lifespan was practically heaven-defying in Nanyang Commandery.
"The Chen family actually hid a half-step Grandmaster, no wonder they were so brazen."
Zhou Yan mused inwardly.
"Forget it, I'll let you go this time. I hope you don't cross my path again. Otherwise... it's a dead end!"
Zhou Yan sneered and turned to leave.
...
Night fell, and a gentle night breeze blew.
The night was as cool as water, the moon was bright, and the stars were sparse.
Zhou Yan sat cross-legged, circulating his energy and breathing, absorbing the essence of the sun and moon.
His demeanor became increasingly ethereal, like an immortal or Buddha, untouched by the mortal world.
*Swish!*
Suddenly, he abruptly opened his eyes, two sharp rays of light shooting out, piercing the void in an instant.
*Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh...*
In a flash, several figures materialized out of thin air, surrounding Zhou Yan.
There were three men and one woman, all dressed in black robes, masked, and exuding an aura of deadly intent.
"Who are you?"
Seeing Zhou Yan, this group was taken aback.
Because, from Zhou Yan's aura, they sensed a hint of danger.
"Who are you?" Zhou Yan narrowed his eyes and asked.
"You don't need to know who we are. Surrender obediently, and perhaps we can give you a quick death!"
A woman in black said coldly.
"Heh heh... I hate it the most when people threaten me."
Zhou Yan sneered upon hearing this, his figure flashing out like lightning, and he punched towards the woman in black.
*Bang!*
With a punch, potent energy surged, and the air boomed like a monstrous wave, sweeping in all directions.
"Pfft."
The woman in black was caught off guard and was sent flying by the punch, falling to the ground severely injured.
"How is this possible?"
The pupils of the other two men in black constricted, and they uttered exclamations of shock and horror.
They were Innate Martial Masters, far surpassing ordinary people, capable of matching even late-stage Martial Masters.
Unfortunately, they had encountered a monstrous talent like Zhou Yan. The three of them combined were far from his match.
"Damn it, retreat!"
The remaining men in black roared and immediately turned to flee.
However, how could Zhou Yan give them a chance? He tapped his toes on the ground and pursued them.
*Bang!*
Zhou Yan leaped onto the rooftop, as agile as a monkey, and in the blink of an eye, he intercepted the man.
"Die!"
Zhou Yan's gaze turned cold, and he unleashed a whip kick, the whistling sound of the wind breaking through the air.
"Not good."
The man in black reacted too slowly and was immediately kicked in the head, his brains splattering. He died instantly.
"Hiss."
The remaining two men in black were so terrified that their souls nearly fled their bodies, running for their lives, desperately trying to escape Zhou Yan's sight.
But they had gravely underestimated Zhou Yan's speed. In less than ten breaths, all of them were killed by Zhou Yan.
"Hoo..."
Zhou Yan breathed a sigh of relief, wiping away a bead of cold sweat. He had finally dealt with these troublesome individuals.
"This time, I have finally broken through to the Martial Master realm."
Zhou Yan peered inward, discovering that the vortex in his dantian was growing larger and larger, as if containing an immense and powerful force, filling him with joy.
"This physical body, though frail, has considerable potential."
Zhou Yan examined this body, a flicker of surprise in his eyes. This body was not innate but had been modified. It was originally just a mortal vessel, and only through his conditioning had it gradually transformed.
Moreover, this body had immense potential, and given time, it would undoubtedly be able to cultivate to higher realms.
"Not bad, not bad."
Zhou Yan nodded with satisfaction.
"The spiritual energy in this world is scarce, and cultivation is arduous. Without these resources, it would have taken me a long time to reach the Martial Master realm."
Zhou Yan's eyes flickered as he pondered inwardly.
In his previous life, he had traversed the Nine Provinces, swept across the land, and was unmatched. He had pushed his way to the imperial dynasty and established an immortal empire.
However, on the path of martial arts, progress was slow and difficult.
He possessed infinite trump cards, but to reach the pinnacle, he ultimately relied on himself.
"Let's improve the physical body first!"
With a thought, Zhou Yan disposed of the corpses, then took out some pills and swallowed them, entering seclusion to cultivate.
These were things he had prepared long ago, specifically for tempering his physical body.
This type of pill was called a [Blood Gathering Pill], a treasure Zhou Yan had plundered, worth thousands of spirit stones.
All these spirit stones had been used to exchange for spiritual materials to refine pills for him to consume.
"This is a fifth-grade pill, a Blood Spirit Pill!"
Zhou Yan had refined a total of twenty Blood Spirit Pills, not a single one wasted. He swallowed them all, letting them meld into his blood and temper his physical body.
*Rumble, rumble...*
Instantly, the immense medicinal effects spread throughout his body. Streams of heat coursed through him, filling every inch of his skin.
His flesh writhed, his bones trembled, and his skin became as lustrous as jade, emitting a brilliant sheen, as if it might crack at any moment.
"Ah!"
Zhou Yan roared to the heavens, his eyes red. His pores opened, spewing forth radiance, like a true dragon emerging from the abyss, soaring through the clouds.
"Is this what it feels like to be a Martial Master?"
Zhou Yan was incredibly excited.
He could clearly feel that he had drawn significantly closer to the Martial Master realm, his entire body filled with boundless true essence.
*Crack!*
Suddenly, Zhou Yan's body trembled violently. Cracks appeared on his skin, as if it couldn't withstand the vast true essence within him.
After a moment, the cracks disappeared, and everything returned to tranquility.
Zhou Yan slowly opened his eyes, a smile playing on his lips.
"As expected, my physical body has also improved. I am one step closer to condensing Blood Qi."
Zhou Yan thought to himself.
During this period, he had continuously consumed Blood Spirit Pills, gradually strengthening his physical body. He had already begun to condense the nascent form of Blood Qi.
Of course, this was merely the beginning. Condensing Blood Qi was far from easy.
"Hmm?"
Abruptly, Zhou Yan's expression turned grim.