"Hiss!"

  Bai Ruoyue ran her hands over Han’s body, making strange noises as she did.

  Seeing that she wouldn’t stop, Han swatted her hand away.

  Seriously? Master is right here, and you’re doing this?

  At least find a place with no one around!

  "You’re catching up to me, little junior brother," Bai Ruoyue said, both happy and troubled.

  She was happy for Han but worried for herself.

  Life was tough—truly tough.

  "Senior Sister, you must be close to a breakthrough yourself," Han said with a smile. He had interacted with Bai Ruoyue quite a bit, and since she never guarded against him, he had a good grasp of her cultivation progress.

  Hearing this, Bai Ruoyue grinned proudly. "You’ve got a keen eye. You’re pretty good at judging people."

  "But if you want to fully surpass me, you’ll have to wait a bit longer."

  It had been nearly two months since their Black Mountain expedition, where they had gained a wealth of resources. With the added aid of his dream cultivation and various fortuitous encounters, Bai Ruoyue was indeed on the verge of a breakthrough.

  One more step, and she would reach the perfected Visceral Realm.

  Han’s presence didn’t just impact himself—it drove others forward as well.

  After sensing Han’s physical state, Bai Tian was highly satisfied.

  "A flawless foundation… very impressive."

  "With your current strength, even if you aren’t the strongest in the Visceral Realm, you can retreat from battle with ease."

  "Your life is not in danger."

  And this was a judgment made without considering the existence of Perishing Form.

  When Shen Long and the others congratulated Han, their faces were filled with astonishment.

  "It’s been less than three months since we first met, and you’ve already reached this level." Shen Long shook his head in disbelief.

  He still remembered the misunderstanding back then—he had mistaken Han for some pig trying to steal his sister, Shen Yu.

  Looking at it now, Shen Long suddenly felt that if his sister did end up with Han… maybe that wouldn’t be so bad after all.

  Not just acceptable—honestly, it would be something worth celebrating with a full parade!

  A junior brother with such exceptional talent, impeccable character, humility, determination, and not a single trace of flirtatious behavior—he was too perfect!

  "If I had known, I would’ve sparred with you more in the past."

  Everyone laughed, and Shen Yu quipped, "Brother, you can still spar with him now. Let Junior Brother give you some pointers."

  "If you ever need it, Second Senior Brother, I’ll give it my all," Han said earnestly.

  If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

  "I won’t hold back—after all, I respect you a lot."

  Shen Long punched Han. "Respect me? You just want to beat me to death, don’t you? So you can take my place as Sixth Brother, huh?"

  "I’d be fine with being Second Brother, too."

  Han shrugged as if it didn’t matter to him.

  Bai Ruoyue chimed in from the side, "Want me to ask my dad to give you the headmaster’s position while we’re at it?"

  Bai Tian added seriously, "I wouldn’t mind."

  "No, no, no!" Han shook his head frantically.

  Even if he did become the master of the Taibai Pavilion someday, he didn’t want to achieve it through sheer strength and effort.

  He had other ways in mind.

  Right, Senior Sister?

  "But don’t go anywhere just yet. I want a match with you later," Shen Long said. He never backed down from a fight.

  "Anytime, Second Senior Brother," Han replied without hesitation.

  Unlike back when he was in the Flesh and Blood Realm, things had changed.

  He and Shen Long—offense and defense had reversed!

  Bai Tian then turned to Han and said,

  "Your training in the Divine Ape Exorcism Manual has another benefit—it conceals your cultivation level from outsiders."

  "This secret technique naturally obscures your aura and shields you from prying eyes. It’s also useful for self-protection."

  "However, if the power gap is too large, it won’t fool anyone."

  Han was surprised. So the manual has this kind of effect too?

  "What about the previous two secret techniques?" he asked.

  "They each have their own special abilities," Bai Ruoyue explained.

  "The Bull Demon technique stirs up a battle frenzy, making it difficult for you to feel fear."

  "The Flood Dragon technique enhances your adaptability underwater and grants extraordinary flexibility."

  At this point, Bai Ruoyue gave Han a glance. "But since you have a natural water manipulation talent, you’ve probably never noticed that second ability."

  "..."

  That was true.

  But he had experienced the effects of the Bull Demon technique—back when he first fought Huang Shiren.

  That was the first life-and-death battle he’d encountered since arriving in this world. The situation had been dangerous, and he’d unknowingly slipped into a berserk state.

  But after that, he rarely felt it again.

  After Han explained his experience, Bai Ruoyue’s expression turned strange.

  "That’s because you’re too strong. You’re always fighting above your level, and your body is special. So these effects get suppressed."

  "These are just secondary abilities of the secret techniques, not their core function. Expecting them to significantly enhance you… that’s unrealistic."

  The only true core of these techniques was to build a solid foundation and strengthen one’s power. Everything else was just an extra perk—it was useful, but there were limits.

  Han spread his hands like a helpless little bear. So it’s my fault for being too strong?

  "Seems like there’s still a lot to uncover about these techniques," he mused.

  "For now, just focus on training steadily," Bai Tian advised.

  "Delving into deeper principles and condensing martial intent—that’s something for the future. Take things one step at a time."

  Trying to run faster than a cheetah before even learning to walk? Unrealistic.

  There was no benefit in rushing into things that were far beyond their current level.

  At their age, with solid teachings, ample resources, and a good environment, all they had to do was cultivate diligently and push forward.

  Someone like Han was at the peak of his rapid growth. If he suddenly abandoned training to create his own martial arts, that would be a complete waste of potential.

  Bai Tian might be so enraged he’d expel him. Lu Qingmo might be so angry she wouldn’t let him come home.

  If anyone ever encouraged a Visceral Realm martial artist to start inventing their own techniques, showering them with praise, there was only one explanation—they wanted to ruin them.

  Han sparred with Shen Long and Zhang Yuantao. As expected, the power gap was already vast.

  Still, he fought them seriously, exchanging blows evenly.

  But these sparring sessions didn’t allow Han to showcase his true strengths.

  His abilities—like the recovery power granted by his Nine-Orifice Golden Core or his willingness to trade injuries—couldn’t be utilized in controlled matches.

  So when Bai Ruoyue eagerly wanted a match too, Han immediately made his escape.

  Time to go home!

  …

  A few days later, Han asked Lu Qingmo, "Aunt Mo, at what level do disciples from sects like Xuandu Temple usually venture out into the world?"

  "For martial artists, it’s typically the Visceral Realm," Lu Qingmo answered.

  Han nodded. That made sense.

  But then Lu Qingmo sighed regretfully.

  "Your only real shortcoming… is the lack of a high-tier martial art."

  Han chuckled. "Well, who knows? Maybe tomorrow I’ll step outside and find a supreme martial art just lying on the ground."

  Secretly, though, he was hoping his cheat system would refresh soon and give him exactly that.