Shi Yan and Yang Mu stood discreetly in a corner, observing a small figure submerged in the dark waters.

It was a girl, perhaps sixteen years old, with extraordinarily lively, large eyes, long lashes, and a perfectly straight, delicate nose—altogether charmingly naive.

At this moment, her petite body was sunk in the pool, her brow furrowed as her limbs thrashed about ceaselessly.

In the clear water of the pool, four iron blocks, each the size of a millstone, churned up enormous waves with her movements, causing the surface to become wildly turbulent, the commotion quite significant.

Shi Yan stared in astonishment, focusing on her ankles and wrists, where he could see shackles binding her, the chains tethered to the four millstone-sized iron blocks.

The young girl bobbed and sank in the water, struggling desperately to keep herself from plummeting to the bottom, her whole body slick with moisture.

"Yang Meng is cultivating the Tian Xuan Yu Huang Jue," Yang Mu murmured quietly beside Shi Yan, "It’s a Spirit-grade martial art. During cultivation, she must bear four thousand jin of iron weights attached to her limbs, ensuring her body doesn't sink in the pool..." Yang Mu explained softly, "The Tian Xuan Yu Huang Jue is quite a miraculous technique. Once mastered, it can manifest vital essence wings on the back, just like a phoenix’s wings, allowing her to hover a hundred zhang in the Void even at the Stature Realm..."

Shi Yan was taken aback.

Generally, only experts at the Heaven-Rank Realm possessed the ability to levitate in the void and fly through the air.

This girl was only at the first heaven of the Stature Realm, a vast distance still separating her from the Heaven-Rank Realm required for true levitation.

However, if she could achieve this miraculous hovering effect through the cultivation of the Tian Xuan Yu Huang Jue, she would gain an undeniable advantage in any engagement.

Granting a martial artist of the Stature Realm the flying capabilities of a Heaven-Rank expert—such a martial art was indeed unfathomably wondrous.

In the deep pool.

Yang Meng gritted her teeth, kicking and paddling the water fiercely with her legs and feet. Her body rose and fell, yet she managed to remain suspended halfway down the pool, never sinking fully.

Bearing the weight of four thousand jin, yet still maintaining her position against submersion in the water—her performance secretly alarmed Shi Yan.

Four thousand jin of dead weight would render most people immobile; in water, they would sink almost instantly to the bottom with no hope of surfacing.

This girl, through some secret method, unleashed astonishing bursts of energy with every paddle and kick against the water, creating a peculiar impact force that shot her delicate body upward toward the surface for a short distance. As she began to sink again, she would reignite her power, rocketing back towards the surface—a perpetual cycle.

"Yang Meng is the youngest among our generation, our little sister. She’s guileless, but she’s our sunshine..." Yang Mu smiled with deep affection, "We all dote on her, and she strives hard. She just turned sixteen this year and has already reached the first heaven of the Stature Realm..."

Sixteen years old, first heaven of the Stature Realm!

Shi Yan let out a wry smile, gaining a deeper understanding of these prodigies from the Yang family.

Xia Xinyan, the rising star of the Xia family's new generation, was twenty-six and also only at the first heaven of the Stature Realm. He Qingman, a carefully nurtured seed of the Heaven-Evil Grotto, was twenty-four and currently only at the first heaven of the Stature Realm.

Compared this way, Shi Yan began to grasp why the Yang family was considered the true master in the Galo Sea Region.

Back at the Merchant Alliance, Bei Ming Ce was considered the most outstanding young talent, nearly thirty years old, yet he was only at the Hundred Calamities Realm. Compared to Yang Meng, Bei Ming Ce’s so-called favored son of heaven was hardly worth mentioning.

"Rumble, rumble..."

Suddenly, Yang Meng exerted herself powerfully in the pool, and brilliant, shimmering light coalesced on her back. Wings, purely condensed from vital essence, began to form at a visible speed.

In an instant, vital essence wings appeared behind Yang Meng. Controlling them, she flapped hard, slowly rising from the water, her small frame gradually breaking the surface.

"Splash!"

After soaring three meters above the surface, a flicker of panic crossed Yang Meng’s face—it seemed her strength waned. She plummeted back into the pool.

"Enough, training for today ends here," Yang Lao called out sharply from the edge of the pool, his large hand reaching out and effortlessly lifting Yang Meng directly from the water.

"Click! Click!" The shackles on Yang Meng’s limbs unlocked automatically as she landed. She sat on the ground, crestfallen, sighing faintly, "Really, why isn't it working yet? I was just a step away, why can’t I ever make that final leap..."

Yang Lao let out a soft laugh, shaking his head. "You little thing, you’re truly never satisfied. You’ve only been practicing for a year and a half, and you already expect to master the Tian Xuan Yu Huang Jue? Nothing that easy exists in this world." "Grandpa, didn’t you say that with my aptitude, I’d master it quickly?" Yang Meng huffed, pouting, "You lied! You said I'd be able to fly soon. If I still can't fly after some more time, I won't practice anymore; it's too much trouble." Yang Lao looked helpless.

"Meng’er, practice for another six months, and I guarantee you’ll fly. Trust your big brother; I’m sure to be more accurate than Second Great-Grandpa; he’s old, and misjudgments happen," Yang Mu said, finally stepping forward with Shi Yan, chuckling loudly.

"You brat..." Yang Lao glared at Yang Mu, about to curse him, when he suddenly froze, staring deeply at Shi Yan. "You brat, you must be Shi Yan, right?" Shi Yan nodded with a smile.

"Shi Yan?" Yang Meng suddenly jumped up, grinning mischievously, "Ha! You’re only at the Hundred Calamities Realm; you’re worse off than me. This way, I’m not the weakest anymore, haha..."

As the youngest in the fourth generation of the Yang family, Yang Meng was also the weakest in cultivation, stuck at the first heaven of the Stature Realm. Yang Mu and the others often teased her about it. Now that she discovered Shi Yan was only at the Hundred Calamities Realm, her mind instantly balanced, and she laughed joyfully, clapping her hands. Pointing at Shi Yan, she declared, "Hehe, you aren't as strong as me yet. We should spar later; don't worry, I'll go easy on you." The young men of the Yang family weren't solely devoted to ascetic training; they frequently sparred, spurring each other on, honing themselves through real combat.

Because of the existence of the Undying Martial Soul, the spars among the Yang family men were never merely token gestures; scenes of flying blood were common. Yang Meng, being the weakest, never sustained injuries when fighting Yang Mu and the others because they held back, but she had never tasted victory either.

She had long heard news of Shi Yan's arrival. Now that she saw him and learned he was only at the Hundred Calamities Realm, the thought of finding some satisfaction through Shi Yan immediately cheered her up.

Yang Lao’s gaze was profound as he studied Shi Yan for a moment, then he nodded gently and suddenly smiled, "I hear you're quite good. Come, come, let me see your prowess."

Shi Yan was stunned.

"It’s simple enough..." Yang Lao chuckled, a hint of mischief in his eyes. Four streams of brilliant light suddenly shot from his palm, instantly merging into the four shackles. "Put on these shackles and run five laps around the pool for me, hah! Hundred Calamities Second Heaven Realm... close enough, close enough." The shackles that Yang Meng had shed suddenly flew up and actively wrapped themselves around Shi Yan’s limbs.

"Haha, Little Yanzi, Second Great-Grandpa is testing you. Don't disappoint him," Yang Mu laughed heartily, applauding. "I believe you can pass. Second Great-Grandpa, if Little Yanzi manages five laps, what prize will you give him?" "A prize?" Yang Lao’s smile remained unchanged as he nodded. "Of course, there's a prize. If he runs all five laps, I will personally grant him three Heaven Mending Pills. Haha, isn't this kid on good terms with that lass from the Xia family? The Heaven Mending Pills have a special marvelous effect on the Xia family’s Samsara Martial Soul." Shi Yan’s eyes immediately lit up.

He had heard Xia Xinyan speak of the Yang family’s Heaven Mending Pills—a miraculous medicine capable of quickly restoring vital essence. Whenever Xia Xinyan used her Samsara Martial Soul, her body suffered severe trauma, typically requiring one to two months to recover. But with one Heaven Mending Pill, she could return to normal overnight.

If Xia Xinyan had three Heaven Mending Pills, she could activate the Samsara Martial Soul three more times without fearing the backlash.

Thinking of this, Shi Yan let down his guard, stood perfectly still, and cooperatively allowed the shackles to lock onto his limbs, a smile fixed on his face.

"I didn't expect you to be such a sentimental fellow..." Yang Lao chuckled, "But taking my Heaven Mending Pills won't be that easy. For these five laps, you not only have to complete them, but I’m setting a time limit. If you finish within five minutes, then I’ll give you the pills. If you drag it until nightfall, it doesn't count..."

"Five minutes..." Yang Meng blinked adorably. "Grandpa, you are wicked. It's truly hard to coax anything out of you. When I first entered the Stature Realm, taking an entire minute to run one lap around the pool while dragging these four heavyweights. He's only at the Hundred Calamities Second Heaven Realm..."

"Your Great-Grandpa said this boy’s talent is exceptional, and his physique is extraordinary," Yang Lao’s eyes gleamed with strange light as he smiled faintly. "Your Great-Grandpa said that at the same realm, he is significantly more powerful than all of you. Heh heh, since your Great-Grandpa said so, there must be a reason. I believe this boy possesses something truly unusual; I look forward to seeing it..."

Shi Yan inwardly started.

Yang Qingdi had never met him, yet he seemed to know him intimately, even realizing his physique was extraordinary.

Could it be that Yang Qingdi truly knew everything?

Shi Yan grew increasingly curious about this nominal Great-Grandpa he had never met, wondering what profound power he possessed to deduce his life or death status based merely on three drops of undying blood.

"Little Yanzi, stop daydreaming. Prepare to use all your strength," Yang Mu, clearly enjoying the drama, laughed loudly. "Remember, you only have five minutes! Don't hide your power; it’s time to show off a bit." "Brat, begin..." Yang Lao commanded sharply.

Shi Yan hesitated no longer, let out a deep shout, and instantly activated his Negative Force.