C73 A Day's Change

Chu Yan was shocked to the core, feeling as if his entire body was on the verge of being ripped apart and bursting from an immense internal force. Yet, he quickly discovered that the flow of blood energy within him was unimpeded.

This meant there was no issue with his blood essence; perhaps he had simply taken in too much blood energy too quickly and couldn't fully absorb it yet. The energy was running rampant in his body, but as long as he could vent it in time, he would be alright.

"With that in mind, I guess I'll just have to push through and keep on cultivating!"

Gritting his teeth against the intense pain, Chu Yan leaped to his feet and resumed his cultivation without delay. He started with the Seven Stars Armageddon Steps, followed by the Raging Dragon's Bow, then the Blood Yang Spear Art, and finally, the Lotus Leaf Double Wood Slash.

Outside, a single day passed, but within the confines of the time-space cage, three days went by.

For those three days, Chu Yan barely paused to rest. He feared that any break might allow the surging blood energy to overwhelm his body, potentially causing it to burst. So, he tirelessly practiced various martial techniques. Additionally, he repeatedly lifted and lowered the stone statue within the cage.

As the third day drew to a close, Chu Yan managed to release all the wild energy inside him, fully assimilating the power of the blood energy into his flesh and blood.

"Phew, finally handled that," Chu Yan said, wiping the sweat from his brow and breathing a sigh of relief. His gaze shifted to the side, and a look of confusion crossed his face. "What's going on? Why has the stone man shrunk?"

He distinctly remembered the stone golem in the time-space cage being as tall as him, but now it was clearly shorter by a head's height.

After scrutinizing the golem for a moment, Chu Yan had an epiphany. Looking down, he saw that his pants, which had previously fit perfectly, now revealed his ankles. And when he tried on his clothes, the once well-fitting garments were now snug against his body.

Chu Yan had his answer—it wasn't that the stone man had shrunk; it was that he had grown taller and more muscular after absorbing the blood energy.

"So, it has that kind of effect," Chu Yan mused, caught between amusement and disbelief. "At this rate, who knows if I'll end up a giant?"

Although Chu Yan's recent growth spurt left him feeling a bit awkward, the relentless three-day training session had brought him undeniable benefits. His physique had become noticeably more formidable. To the untrained eye, he might appear unchanged, but Chu Yan was well aware that his strength had surged beyond the previous level. Where once he could crush a first-grade weapon into a metal disc, he could now easily twist a triplex silver scale spear into a pretzel.

His agility and reflexes had also seen a marked improvement from just a day ago. "Get ready to cry today, pretty boy with the thick lips," Chu Yan sneered playfully. "After all, if I'm taking your money, I ought to throw in a little surprise, right?"

Upon leaving the Return to the Ruins Tower, Chu Yan sought out an attendant at the inn to arrange a new set of clothes for him. As a VIP guest, he was entitled to such services, and it wasn't long before he was delivered a fresh outfit. Dressed in his new attire and with night as his cover, Chu Yan set out once more for the old town ruins.

With the transformational inscriptions in place, he made his way back to Langya Pavilion, where the same middle-aged man from the day before greeted him warmly. "You've arrived," he said, leading Chu Yan to the same room they had used previously.

Chu Yan entered the room with a nod, finding the thick-lipped youth already there, impeccably dressed in white. Chu Yan couldn't help but curl his lip in disdain. However, there was a new presence in the room today—Sixth Madame, the woman he had dealt with the day before, likely the proprietor of Langya Pavilion. He acknowledged her with a nod and a brief greeting.

"Shall we start? Is the Spirit Money all set?" Chu Yan stretched his limbs, addressing Lin Miaoran. After his overnight enhancements, he was more than ready for the day's bout.

Lin Miaoran, who had been standing motionless, perked up at the sight of Chu Yan, her eyes shining with recognition of his transformation. She was well aware of the disparity between the effects of Langya Pavilion's Blood Marrow and those offered by the Wan Hai Chamber of Commerce. Moreover, she had never imagined someone could assimilate over ten bottles of Blood Marrow in a single night.

Only a madman would act in such a way, and all the madmen are long gone.

Therefore, even though Lin Miaoran sensed something different about Chu Yan compared to yesterday, she largely dismissed it as mere posturing.

"Alright, you oddity obsessed with bizarre tales, I'll still put you in your place today," Lin Miaoran silently vowed.

The thought of the book's content brought a blush to her cheeks.

"Begin!" Across the room, Sixth Madame, oblivious to Lin Miaoran's perturbation, called out the start of the match.

In an instant, Chu Yan charged at Lin Miaoran.

Lin Miaoran snapped to attention, spotting Chu Yan barreling straight toward her, and a cold smile played on her lips: "Thinking a head-on assault will give you the advantage? How utterly naive."

Lin Miaoran gauged the distance between herself and Chu Yan, poised to strike, when she abruptly noticed a shift in Chu Yan's step.

"Seven Stars Windstorm Steps!"

Whoosh!

In a flash, Chu Yan's form whipped through the air like a tempest, his speed and power doubling in an instant.

Lin Miaoran's vision blurred, and for a moment, she couldn't regain her bearings.

"Such incredible speed! And this is a martial skill he didn't use yesterday!" Lin Miaoran quickly came to her senses, realizing she had underestimated her opponent.

By then, Chu Yan had already swept behind Lin Miaoran, launching a punch straight at her back.

The sight made Sixth Madame's eyes bulge and her mouth drop open in disbelief.

It was the first time she had witnessed someone take the offensive and catch Lin Miaoran off guard.

"But it's futile!" Lin Miaoran inwardly shouted, and as Chu Yan's punch came, she twisted on the spot, her palm catching his fist with precision.

Thud!

Their fist and palm met, emitting a thunderous muffled sound.

Both Chu Yan and Lin Miaoran were taken aback.

Chu Yan was astonished that, despite mastering the Fourth Star of the Seven Stars Windstorm Steps, his opponent could still react and defend in such a short span.

Lin Miaoran was equally amazed; in just one day, her opponent's strength and speed had markedly improved.

Had it not been for her innate jade-like constitution and her formidable mental fortitude, allowing her to react swiftly, that punch might have landed.

In the span of a single day, Chu Yan underwent a remarkable transformation. He went from passively enduring a beating to actively compelling himself to mount a defense. This sudden shift caused Lin Miaoran to swiftly abandon any underestimation she had of him.