"This sword is indeed extraordinary, but to unleash its full power, I need more practice."
Zhou Yan's gaze fell upon the treasure sword in his hand, his eyes burning with fervor.
"Now I must go to the training room and cultivate diligently, striving to break through to the eighth stage of Innate realm as soon as possible."
With that, Zhou Yan's figure swiftly rushed out of the palace.
...
Huangfu Yunhai's villa was located in the heart of Yanjing City.
Today was the day the Huangfu family was holding a victory banquet, inviting only the core members of the family.
The scale of this banquet was immense, not only inviting important members from various prominent families but also a multitude of beautiful young women.
These young and beautiful women were mostly engaged, but Huangfu Yunhai had never officially recognized them, keeping them confined to the villa.
Despite this, these young and beautiful women held immense admiration for Huangfu Yunhai. Thus, during the banquet, they stood meekly by his side, constantly offering him toasts.
Huangfu Yunhai, in turn, was quite fond of these young and beautiful women. After draining cup after cup of wine, he couldn't help but lay his hand upon the voluptuous body of one of them.
"This lass, she's truly so tender and smooth, looking like a freshly peeled egg, making one wish to crush her."
"Oh dear, Young Master Yunhai, don't bully her. This is one of the Four Young Masters of Yanjing City. You must be careful not to hurt her, or you won't be able to afford the compensation."
Beside Huangfu Yunhai, a corpulent man said with an obsequious smile.
"Hmph, you bunch of scoundrels, do you think I dare not?"
Huangfu Yunhai snorted coldly, then grabbed the girl's delicate hand and popped a spirit pill into her mouth.
"Young Master Yunhai, what is this?" the man asked, perplexed.
"This lass, while her talent isn't the highest, it's still quite good. You know, I've been unable to break through to the seventh stage of Innate realm all these years. Now, if I can obtain this lass, perhaps it will help me break through to the eighth stage of Innate realm!"
Huangfu Yunhai chuckled heartily.
"So that's how it is. Young Master Yunhai is brilliant."
"Hmph, spare me the flattery. However, I have another task for you." Huangfu Yunhai said with a smile.
"Please command me. As long as I can do it, I will not refuse." the man promised, patting his chest.
"It's very simple. Go and find me a few people, and send them to that abandoned warehouse. I want them to experience a fate worse than death."
"No problem. As long as Young Master Yunhai is satisfied, I will arrange it immediately and guarantee the mission's completion." the man said, thumping his chest.
"Good, it's up to you. Remember, do not mess this up for me, or you know what will happen!"
Huangfu Yunhai said with a grim expression.
"Don't worry, Young Master Yunhai. Just wait and see."
The man smiled, turned, and left.
After the man departed, Huangfu Yunhai narrowed his eyes slightly, a ferocious killing intent surging within them.
...
In Zhou Yan's training room.
After putting away the sword, his figure reappeared within the room.
"Hoo!"
Zhou Yan's body trembled, and he then took a deep breath.
"My strength now is more than ten times what it was before, but there's still a gap. My cultivation is still too weak; I can only contend with peak third-stage Innate realm cultivators. To reach the fifth stage of Innate realm is still a long way off."
Zhou Yan's gaze fell upon the sword sheath, a flicker of determination flashing in his eyes.
A smile appeared on his face.
"I believe I will eventually break through to the sixth stage of Innate realm!"
Zhou Yan's lips curved into a smile.
...
The next day, as the first rays of sunlight shone upon Zhou Yan's face, he slowly opened his eyes.
He slowly sat up from the bed, feeling the abundant vital energy and surging power within his body. A look of satisfaction appeared on Zhou Yan's face.
"This time, my physical strength has increased considerably. It shouldn't be long before I can break through to the fifth stage of Innate realm!"
A confident glow shone in Zhou Yan's eyes.
Afterward, he picked up the clothes from the table and put them on.
The moment he finished dressing and stepped out of the room, a group of people appeared in his sight.
These were all core members of the Huangfu family. They were all powerfully built, with broad shoulders and muscular physiques, exuding a formidable aura that made people hesitate to approach.
"Zhou Yan!"
"Zhou Yan, congratulations on breaking through to the eighth stage of Innate realm. It seems our young master has no hope of becoming the patriarch."
A middle-aged man strode towards Zhou Yan, speaking in a fawning tone.
Upon hearing this, Zhou Yan's expression flickered, but he quickly regained his composure and said indifferently, "Although my strength has improved considerably, I am not yet qualified to be the patriarch. You are right, my strength is still insufficient. If the position of patriarch were to be inherited by you, it would likely be the most suitable."
Zhou Yan's tone was icy, showing no concealment of his dislike for Huangfu Yunhai.
The middle-aged man's face showed a hint of embarrassment.
However, he quickly recovered and said with a smile, "Zhou Yan, we are all family. Why speak so formally? We are all on the same side."
"On the same side? You wish. Your Huangfu family will not offer you any assistance. My strength is insufficient to secure the Huangfu family's position, so I do not intend to waste any more time arguing with you. You'd best get lost. I don't have the inclination to deal with you now. When I reach the Innate realm, I will settle with you slowly then."
Zhou Yan said with a cold laugh.
Upon hearing this, the middle-aged man's face instantly turned grim.
"Zhou Yan, don't be ungrateful. Although your strength has improved significantly, you cannot possibly defeat all the elders of our Huangfu family. I advise you to surrender obediently to our Huangfu family and not refuse a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit." the middle-aged man said menacingly.
"Do you think I'm afraid of you?"
"Do you think your Huangfu family has a ninth-stage Innate realm expert?"
Zhou Yan sneered, looking at the other party with disdain.
Hearing Zhou Yan's words, a flicker of rage flashed in Huangfu Yunhai's eyes.
He stared darkly at Zhou Yan and said in a deep voice, "Zhou Yan, I warn you, you are nothing but a stray dog now. If our Huangfu family wanted to kill you, it would be as easy as crushing an ant. What could you do?"
With that, his face showed an expression of arrogant pride, and he sneered, "Even Huangfu Yunhai was defeated by my hands, let alone you. As long as we wish, killing you would be like squashing an ant. Don't refuse a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit!"