Shi Jian, Han Feng, and Yang Hai stood together, gazing at Shi Yan before the earth dragon mount.

Yang Hai glanced over, his brow furrowing slightly. He thought the boy looked significantly thinner; he must have endured considerable hardship recently.

Shi Jian and Han Feng merely swept their eyes over Shi Yan, their gazes suddenly brightening, astonishment blooming on their faces.

Since Yang Hai did not cultivate martial arts, he naturally didn't know that a person's thinness did not necessarily equate to physical weakness.

Sometimes, the explosive power contained within a lean frame could surpass that of a sturdy man by several times!

Shi Jian and Han Feng were true connoisseurs. Even with just a distant glance, they could tell that Shi Yan's physique was far stronger than before, even sturdier than those third-generation youths of the Shi family who had endured more than ten years of rigorous training.

The two exchanged glances and noted the identical look of wonder in the other’s eyes.

They couldn't fathom what had transpired with Shi Yan in just the past half year to cause even his very bones to change.

After a few minutes, Shi Yan, Han Zhong, and their entourage finally arrived at the Shi family gate.

"Great-Uncle, Uncle Han, Father." Shi Yan walked forward with steady steps. Upon reaching the entrance, he greeted them respectfully.

Han Zhong approached, paid his respects to Shi Jian and Han Feng, nodded to Yang Hai, and then stood silently beside Shi Yan.

Shi Jian and Han Feng’s eyes were blazing, their gazes relentlessly scanning Shi Yan.

After a long moment, Shi Jian’s eyelids twitched. He took a deep breath and said to Shi Yan, "Come with me." With that, Shi Jian turned and headed toward the internal courtyard of the Shi residence, his steps noticeably lighter.

Anyone familiar with Shi Jian could tell he was exceptionally exhilarated at that moment.

"Boy, show them what you've got!" Han Zhong winked conspiratorially at Shi Yan, hinting that better days were ahead.

Shi Yan’s expression remained composed. He nodded gently and asked Yang Hai beside him, "Father, were you waiting specifically for me?"

Yang Hai kept a stern face, yet a peculiar smile played at the corners of his mouth. "No one was waiting specifically for you. We just wanted to see what's up with your body, to see if you truly broke through to the Innate Realm."

"Han Zhong, come with me. I have questions for you." Han Feng glanced at Han Zhong, turned, and walked in another direction.

Han Zhong’s face fell. Hanging his head, he reluctantly followed his elder brother’s steps, heading away from the path Shi Jian had taken.

"Let's go, don't keep Great-Uncle waiting too long," Yang Hai muttered, tugging at Shi Yan's sleeve corner. He lowered his voice, "Tell me, what exactly is going on with you?"

"Great-Uncle will definitely ask that question soon. We can explain it all then," Shi Yan chuckled, showing no excessive deference to Yang Hai, his father.

Yang Hai was momentarily stunned, staring at him strangely. "You seem quite different, kid. You never used to beat around the bush; you answered whatever I asked. You… seem unafraid of me now? Boy, have your wings hardened? Do you hold me in low regard now, hmm?"

"You're my father; why would I be afraid of you?" Shi Yan countered in apparent bewilderment. "Should I be afraid of you?"

"This isn't like you. You never spoke to me in that tone before." Yang Hai frowned, scrutinizing Shi Yan closely for a while before shaking his head and muttering to himself, "Stinking brat, becoming a martial artist really changes things; even your courage has grown considerably."

"Let’s go, don't keep Great-Uncle waiting," Shi Yan replied with a faint smile.

After separating from Han Zhong, he quickly vanished from the main entrance of the Shi family grounds, heading toward the inner courtyard from different directions.

The Shi family martial artists gathered at the gate looked bewildered, murmuring in surprise.

"Is the Patriarch waiting for Young Master Yan? Did I misunderstand something?"

"I don't know. I find it strange too. The Patriarch never used to appear with Young Master Yan before, and he never seemed to care about Young Master Yan’s various messes. What's going on this time?"

"Who knows? Did Young Master Yan stir up some huge trouble again? Wait, that doesn't make sense; doesn't the son-in-law usually sort out Young Master Yan's troubles? While Young Master Yan causes a lot of issues in the Merchant Alliance, none seemed to require the Patriarch's personal involvement, right?"

"Perhaps Young Master Yan has truly stumbled into a colossal problem this time. Who can say for sure?" ...

"Stop gossiping aimlessly. From now on, you’d best show Young Master Yan more respect. Young Master Yan is no longer the bookworm he used to be. If you keep being reckless, don't blame me later for not warning you," Carl said, after arranging the earth dragon. Seeing the others still chattering, he couldn't help but speak sharply.

"Carl, what's going on? You returned with Young Master Yan; do you know the situation?" a martial artist, friendly with Carl, asked from the crowd.

"You'll find out soon enough," Carl said with a proud smile. "Young Master Yan is going to shock you all."

"What situation?"

"What exactly is the situation?"

The curiosity of these men was fully piqued, their desire for gossip burning fiercely. They crowded around Carl, relentlessly pressing him for answers.

"I can't say right now, but you should know shortly," Carl ignored them, squeezing through the crowd to walk with the martial artists heading in the same direction. ...

Behind the Shi residence.

In the center of the massive training ground, the rhombus-shaped Trial Jade Crystal gleamed under the sunlight, shimmering with magnificent, dazzling radiance, resembling a miniature sun.

Shi Jian stood beside the Trial Jade Crystal. As Shi Yan and Yang Hai approached, he reached out and struck the crystal. A ball of light suddenly shot from his palm into the Jade Crystal.

The originally dazzling Trial Jade Crystal instantly dimmed, revealing its natural color.

"Infuse your essence energy into the Trial Jade Crystal," Shi Jian commanded sternly, his eyes alight with divine radiance.

Shi Yan walked forward calmly, approaching the Trial Jade Crystal. He placed his left hand upon it, subtly releasing the essence energy within his body, channeling it forcefully into the crystal.

As the silvery-white crystal was infused, intricate patterns materialized. A faint, orange-yellow light gradually began to shine from within the crystal, growing brighter, the orange-yellow hue becoming increasingly distinct.

"That's enough," Shi Jian’s lips trembled slightly. His gaze never left Shi Yan. "I heard… our Shi family's Martial Spirit… has also awakened within you?"

"Yes."

"Show me."

"Alright."

Shi Yan raised one arm and pushed up his sleeve slightly.

With a mere thought, his arm slowly began to petrify, gradually revealing a dark brown color.

"Dark brown!"

Shi Jian and Yang Hai both exclaimed in unison, their faces filled with disbelief as they stared, aghast, at the segment of Shi Yan’s arm that had turned dark brown.

"Is it an issue with the lighting?" Yang Hai blinked hard, rubbed his eyes, and then looked up at the glaring sunlight, muttering, "Am I hallucinating?"

Hearing him, Shi Jian also felt a flicker of doubt. He abruptly grabbed Shi Yan’s arm. "Come here! Follow me into the shadow behind that rock. It’s shaded there, so there won't be any color distortion."

Shi Yan didn't resist, allowing himself to be led calmly to the back of a large rock.

"It really is dark brown!"

Shi Jian roared, his breathing growing slightly ragged. His eyes shone brilliantly as he stared fixedly at Shi Yan, speaking with gravity. "Stinking brat, what in the world is going on? Why, why is your Martial Spirit dark brown? Could it be… could it truly be the Second Stage?"

"That's right, this is indeed the Second Stage. I only possess the cultivation of the Innate Realm, yet my Martial Spirit is already at the Second Stage!"

"Give me a rational explanation, quickly! In our Shi family, from our ancestors to our generation, this phenomenon has never occurred! Our Martial Spirits never enter the Second Stage before reaching the Innate Realm. You are the first! What exactly happened? What occurred to you?!" Shi Jian was on the verge of losing his composure.

"Ahem, the matter is this…" Shi Yan repeated the account he had once given to Han Zhong.

When he finished speaking, he noticed Shi Jian hadn't moved an inch, still holding the same expression of wide-eyed scrutiny, his face looking strange.

"Great-Uncle, why that look? I've already explained."

"You're saying that three strange, crimson fruits awakened your Martial Spirit? Made your Martial Spirit so bizarre? And gave you essence energy, causing you to swiftly ascend to the Third Heaven of the Innate Realm?" Shi Jian’s expression grew more peculiar. He scoffed, "Just because of three fruits?"

"Yes, that’s how it was."

"Where did those fruits appear? I’ll send men there immediately to see if we can find more of them."

"They’re gone, only three of them. I searched extensively afterward, but I never saw that kind of fruit again."

"Stinking brat, you aren't fooling me, are you?" Shi Jian looked openly suspicious, clearly unconvinced.

I certainly am fooling you, Shi Yan thought inwardly, but his face remained earnest and firm. "I truly don't know what happened. In short, I ate the fruit, and then I became like this. I don't know anything else, nor do I know why my Martial Spirit is different from others."

He gritted his teeth and stuck rigidly to this story.

Shi Jian questioned him several times, trying various methods of probing, but Shi Yan only continued to shake his head, insisting he knew nothing else.

After several attempts, Shi Jian gave up pressing further. After contemplating for a while, he said, "Your Martial Spirit has turned dark brown, hmm… that is to say, has the characteristic of the Martial Spirit changed along with it? I mean, it’s not just the color of your Martial Spirit that has changed, and it still only possesses the strength of the First Stage, right?"

"If my feeling is correct, it should be at the Second Stage."

"Let me test it." Shi Jian, being impatient, reached out and placed his hand on Shi Yan’s chest. "Boy, quickly cover your body with petrification! Don't worry, I will increase the force gradually; I won't hurt you."

"Alright."

Shi Yan knew Shi Jian wouldn't harm him, so he felt no reservations and immediately solidified his body, watching Shi Jian’s hand calmly.

Gradually, a dark light flickered in Shi Jian's hand. The power fluctuation contained within the dark light grew more distinct, seeming to press against Shi Yan's chest little by little.

Suddenly, Shi Jian’s hand seemed to absorb the dark light completely, like a sponge.

Shi Jian's old face was alight with excitement. He nodded repeatedly, overjoyed. "Excellent! It is indeed the Second Stage! Stinking brat, I don't know how you managed this, but starting today, you are forbidden from being lazy! Whether you like it or not, I will force you to become a true martial artist!"

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