In the city of Miao, at the Miao Yun Inn—the very establishment where Ye Jingyu and his company were staying—Lin Xiaoyi sat cross-legged on the ung in the premier Heavenly Suite, clad only in an inner shirt, circulating his power to mend his injuries. The battle today had brutally underscored his own inadequacy; despite possessing far superior cultivation than his opponents, he had still fallen short. How could he possibly remain close to the Young Master with such limited strength?

Lin Xiaoyi refused to become a burden dragging Ye Jingyu down, so even when he should have been resting, he pushed himself relentlessly in his cultivation…

“Knock, knock…” Just then, a crisp rapping sounded from the door.

“Who is it?” Lin Xiaoyi’s eyes snapped open instantly. Who would be calling so late?

“It’s me, Little Linzi…” Ye Jingyu’s slightly languid voice drifted from outside.

“Ah, Young Master…” Hearing Ye Jingyu’s voice, Lin Xiaoyi scrambled up, moving to open the door, but the latch clicked and the door swung inward before he reached it. Ye Jingyu, cloaked entirely in black, strode in.

“How are your injuries?” Seeing that Lin Xiaoyi hadn't been asleep on the ung, Ye Jingyu felt a surge of admiration. The boy clearly knew the value of striving for improvement.

“Reporting to Young Master, I’m mostly recovered, but…” Lin Xiaoyi started to voice his shame at being unable to defeat a group of Innate Martial Masters, but Ye Jingyu cut him off.

“This is not your fault. Those men were butchers. It’s normal that you weren’t their match. However, recognizing your own shortcomings is commendable. I am here now to help you elevate your power!” Ye Jingyu said with a slight smile, stepping close to Lin Xiaoyi and retrieving a True Elixir from his embrace.

“Ah…” Sensing the potent energy contained within the True Elixir, Lin Xiaoyi’s face lit up with joy. He knew well that his current cultivation was owed to consuming such True Elixirs forged by Martial Saints. Yet, the last time, due to his low realm, even that small amount of energy had nearly ruptured his meridians, stalling his progress at the Grandmaster realm. Now his Young Master offered another? Did he intend to give him the entire thing?

“Your meridians are still too frail to withstand the full energy of this Elixir. However, with me guarding your cultivation beside you, you can absorb its entire power. The resulting pain, though, is something ordinary people cannot endure. Can you bear it?” Ye Jingyu had long regarded Lin Xiaoyi as a younger brother and naturally wished for his strength to improve beyond stagnation.

But in the path of martial arts, external aids were ultimately secondary; everything depended on the individual. If Lin Xiaoyi was willing to endure the agony of his meridians swelling beyond capacity, Ye Jingyu wouldn’t mind expending the effort to elevate his strength to the peak of the Great Grandmaster realm, then use real combat to temper him, ensuring he at least possessed the ability to protect himself.

Lin Xiaoyi had always been burdened by the guilt of feeling unable to assist Ye Jingyu. Now, presented with a chance to dramatically increase his strength, how could he possibly refuse? Never mind pain; he would face potential death without hesitation to try.

He refused to be dead weight any longer.

“Young Master, rest assured. No matter how agonizing the pain, I can endure it!” Lin Xiaoyi nodded with firm resolve.

“Very well. Whatever immense pain follows, you must hold on, or all effort will be wasted…” Ye Jingyu affirmed. As his words fell, one hand rested on Lin Xiaoyi’s shoulder. A surge of pure Overlord Bayan Power flooded directly into Lin Xiaoyi’s body. His internal organs, bruised from the previous fight, rapidly healed under the influence of the Bayan Power. In moments, they returned to normal—his injuries hadn't been severe, and he had already spent considerable time regulating his breath.

After treating Lin Xiaoyi’s wounds, Ye Jingyu carefully channeled his Bayan Power to shield Lin Xiaoyi’s vital heart meridian. Gazing at the resolute look on Lin Xiaoyi’s face, he suddenly roared, “Hold fast!”

The moment the shout left his lips, Ye Jingyu slammed the True Elixir he held into Lin Xiaoyi’s body.

“Aaaah…” An ear-splitting scream tore from Lin Xiaoyi’s throat instantly. His face contorted into a grotesque mask of agony.

This True Elixir contained the purest form of energy, condensed by Ye Wuyun over an unknown duration, encompassing nearly the totality of his life’s cultivation. Not only Lin Xiaoyi, but even a typical Great Grandmaster would struggle to bear such colossal power. Had it not been for Ye Jingyu’s vast Bayan Power shielding Lin Xiaoyi’s meridians, that initial burst of energy alone would have utterly erased Lin Xiaoyi from existence.

At this moment, the Elixir’s energy relentlessly hammered into Lin Xiaoyi’s meridians. His internal pathways were like pipes the size of a thumb, into which a raging river of energy poured. Ye Jingyu’s Bayan Power acted like layer upon layer of steel, tightly encasing these pipes, preventing them from bursting under the torrent that far exceeded their capacity.

Because of this, Lin Xiaoyi’s meridians were simultaneously enduring forces from two directions. The resultant agony was beyond ordinary endurance. More critically, he absolutely could not pass out; he had to maintain absolute clarity of consciousness to direct this energy as it scoured his internal pathways.

The Extraordinary Meridians, the Governing and Conception Vessels, even the smallest capillaries—all were violently impacted. Such ferocious energy was sufficient to clear every blockage in Lin Xiaoyi’s entire meridian network.

Drops of sweat beaded on Lin Xiaoyi’s forehead, and his gritted teeth bit his lower lip until it bled. The muscles in his face twitched uncontrollably, a clear testament to the tremendous suffering, yet he dared not yield to unconsciousness.

After a full half an hour, the look of torment gradually receded from Lin Xiaoyi’s face. His inner shirt was now completely soaked through; the once pure white cloth was stained pitch black, evidence that every impurity within his body had been forced out by this energy. Regardless of his final level of cultivation, his physical constitution alone had improved immeasurably.

“It is done. Your internal True Essence is now exceedingly abundant, matching that of a peak Great Grandmaster. The rest is solidifying your meridians. Whether you can enter the Martial Saint realm will depend on your own fortune!” Ye Jingyu let out a heavy breath. Not only had he had to shield Lin Xiaoyi’s meridians, but he had also helped repair those that were damaged; his concentration, energy, and stamina had been severely drained.

“Thank you, Young Master…” Lin Xiaoyi clearly felt the transformation within his body, his heart brimming with joy, yet he understood this was all due to Ye Jingyu’s efforts.

“Heh heh… Who?” Ye Jingyu chuckled, about to say more, when his expression suddenly shifted…

(Brothers, I apologize. The entire county experienced a power outage today, and it wasn't restored until one o’clock. I’m uploading this one chapter now, and I’ll continue writing for another later!)