C9 [divine Hammer Leveled Up.]

"Su Yun wins!"

The proclamation echoed across the square.

As Su Yun descended from the platform, a hush fell over the crowd.

No one had anticipated such an outcome!

The Yun family's premier talent had been bested by a son-in-law once deemed worthless...

It was utterly inconceivable!

Atop the pavilion.

"Great Elder, your son-in-law is proving to be quite the dark horse!"

"Indeed! There's truth to the adage 'a tiger doesn't father a dog.' With Miss Yilan as a prodigy daughter, and now a son-in-law of equal genius, Great Elder, you are truly blessed!"

...

Voices of praise and admiration rose among the Yun family's elite, tinged with envy and not without a hint of sycophancy.

For they saw the patriarch's seat as all but secured!

In the rivalry between Yun Yan and Yun Linguang, the latter's edge had always been his younger kin. Now, with Su Yun's victory over Yun Feng, it was as if Yun Yan had triumphed over Yun Linguang's strongest suit. With this win under his belt, was there any doubt left in the contest?

A smile spread across Yun Yan's face.

He had only wished for Su Yun to emerge unscathed from the duel, never expecting such a delightful turn of events. Though the details of his son-in-law's capabilities eluded him, it did nothing to dampen his thrill!

His gaze fell upon Su Yun below, growing fonder by the moment.

Beside him, the Old Family Head watched Su Yun with a kindly smile.

...

Beneath the willow tree.

Yun Yilan's eyes sparkled with surprise and realization as she watched Su Yun approach.

Three days earlier, in the dungeon, upon discovering Zi Lan's lifeless body and sensing the remnants of Soul Power in the air, she had her suspicions.

Had Su Yun truly been incapacitated, he would have stood little chance against Zi Lan, who sought his life.

Zi Lan was a Soul Cultivator.

As her close attendant, Yun Yilan was well aware. Yet, she had never given it much thought before; in a family steeped in cultivation like the Yuns, it was not uncommon for maids and manservants to be Soul Cultivators.

It wasn't until Su Yun fell victim to an attack and Zi Lan attempted an assassination in the dungeon that she grasped the gravity of the situation. This realization brought with it a tinge of guilt towards Su Yun. In a strict sense, Su Yun had been harmed in her stead. Now, knowing that Su Yun was unharmed and had even grown stronger, she felt somewhat relieved.

She offered her sincere congratulations to Su Yun with a warm, "Congratulations!" Su Yun responded with a slight smile and an encouraging, "Keep it up!" His gaze then shifted back to the arena.

Whether by design or coincidence, the middle-aged announcer on the raised platform called the next group to the stage, and among them was Yun Yilan. Her opponent was merely a common member of the Yun family. After exchanging a subtle nod with Su Yun, Yun Yilan rose and made her way to the arena.

Su Yun, leaning against a willow tree, inhaled the delicate scent left by the passerby and watched the arena in silence. As one of the Yun family's two esteemed daughters, Yun Yilan's prowess was scarcely less than Yun Feng's. The match was predictably one-sided, and within a few exchanges, Yun Yilan emerged victorious and stepped down from the stage.

"Outstanding!" Su Yun praised, flashing a thumbs-up to the returning Yun Yilan. She met his gaze briefly, offering no verbal response, but the corners of her lips lifted in a faint smile as she turned away.

...

As one Yun family youth after another took to the stage, the family competition drew to a close. Su Yun and Yun Yilan secured their spots without surprise. Alongside them, three other Yun family members earned their places, including Yun Liyao. Su Yun had considered confronting her, but fate did not pair them in subsequent rounds.

With the competition behind him, Su Yun left these thoughts aside. After bidding farewell to Yun Yilan, he made his way back to his quarters with haste.

Inside his room, Su Yun wasted no time in calling forth the Divine Hammer from his dantian.

"Buzz! Buzz!" The small wooden hammer glowed intermittently, its light flickering between brightness and dimness, accompanied by a persistent hum.

"Hammer Spirit, what's happening?"

Su Yun watched the unfolding scene with curiosity.

Ever since his clash with Yun Feng, he had sensed an anomaly within the Divine Hammer. The odd sensation had only intensified after the recent grand competition, resonating within him. Without hesitation, he had hurried back to investigate.

The voice of the Hammer Spirit, the sentient essence of the Divine Hammer, emanated from the small wooden hammer. "Master, the Divine Hammer is undergoing an upgrade!"

"Upgrade?" Su Yun was taken aback.

The Hammer Spirit elaborated, "Although you've activated the Divine Hammer, it's merely in its nascent state. As you, the host, advance in your cultivation and wield it in combat, the Divine Hammer will evolve step by step!"

"That explains the peculiar feeling after battling with it..." Su Yun had an epiphany, then quickly inquired, "How long will the upgrade take?"

"Typically, each upgrade during the first phase takes about two to three days," the Hammer Spirit informed.

With newfound clarity, Su Yun retracted the Divine Hammer into his body.

As he monitored its condition, he eagerly sought more detailed information about the Divine Hammer from the Hammer Spirit. Despite it being his Soul Object, his knowledge of the Divine Hammer was still quite superficial.

Now, through the Hammer Spirit's insights, he was gradually piecing together a clearer picture of the Divine Hammer's capabilities.

The Divine Hammer was segmented into five distinct stages, each with three levels of progression: initial, minor, and major.

By the Hammer Spirit's account, activating the Divine Hammer had merely initiated its earliest phase, the first stage at the initial level. This current upgrade was a transition from the initial level to the minor level of the first stage.

To unlock the Divine Hammer's full potential, it would need to ascend to the pinnacle of the fifth stage.

Only then would it truly embody the essence of a Divine Hammer!

Until that point, the Divine Hammer remained incomplete.

Yet with each upgrade, the Divine Hammer would significantly bolster its power, particularly with each stage advancement, which promised a transformative leap in its capabilities!

While the Hammer Spirit didn't delve into specifics, Su Yun's imagination was already captivated by the potential enhancements post-upgrade.

This anticipation filled him with excitement for the impending transformation.

Time flew swiftly, and before he knew it, two days had already passed.

As the sun crested the horizon and the first light of dawn spilled over the eaves, Su Yun, seated in a meditative pose on his bed, abruptly opened his eyes after a long period of closure. An astonishing wave of Soul Power burst forth from him, and an object the size of a fist shot out from within, hovering in the void of the room. It was the Divine Hammer!

"Has the upgrade been completed?" Su Yun mused, eyeing the wooden hammer before him with a hint of surprise.

The most noticeable change to the Divine Hammer since two days ago was its size. What was once no longer than a finger was now unmistakably fist-sized. Beyond that, there seemed to be no other alterations.

Just then, the Hammer Spirit's voice reached his ears: "Master, please attune yourself to it!"

"Hmm?" Su Yun's brow lifted as he concentrated on the wooden hammer before him. The hammer quivered and floated above his head.

"Buzz!" In that instant, a burst of light transformed into information that streamed from the hammer and enveloped his mind.

"Thunder Hammer — Absorbs the host's body's thunder attribute energy, allowing the Divine Hammer to unleash a thunderous force three times greater than its own!"

"Weapon Forging (Low-level) — Given the right materials, the Divine Hammer can randomly craft a Weapon or Soul Weapon!"

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