“Was I really dreaming just now?” Charles York wondered, noticing a cold sweat on his back. Suddenly, something felt off. In the past, whenever he woke up, his body felt shattered, the pain unbearable. But now, that pain had completely vanished. Circulating his mysterious energy, Charles York was astonished to find that all the meridians in his body were filled with that strange energy.

　　Meridians!

　　“My meridians have actually all healed!” Charles York couldn’t help but be moved. Upon waking, he discovered that his previously shattered meridians had miraculously mended. Torrents of mysterious energy surged through his meridians, rushing toward his dantian.

　　Charles York’s heart could no longer remain calm, filled with an intense ecstasy. Three years—three whole years! When his meridians were severed, he had tasted all the bitterness life could offer. But today, he had finally broken free from the shadow that had hung over him for three years!

　　Over these three years, Charles York had forged an exceptionally resolute character. Though overjoyed, he did not lose composure, patiently examining his body.

　　Every part of his body—hands, feet, torso, internal organs—felt as if reborn, with a stream of pure yang energy flowing within.

　　Charles York thought of a term: the Realm of Pure Yang!

　　When a human is first born, their yang energy is abundant and pure as jade, without a trace of impurity. But as one ages and comes into contact with filth, the body becomes less suitable for martial cultivation. It’s said that only by cultivating mysterious energy to the peak of the tenth level can one use the refined energy to purify the body, returning to the pure yang state of birth. Martial skills then advance by leaps and bounds, and lifespan is greatly extended.

　　Additionally, some great families use rare elixirs to temper a baby’s body right after birth, allowing them to maintain the pure yang state.

　　Reaching the Realm of Pure Yang doesn’t mean the mysterious energy is especially powerful, but it does make absorbing energy much easier than for ordinary people, and cultivation speed is several or even dozens of times faster. This is why so many geniuses emerge from those great families.

　　Charles York never expected that he would accidentally reach the Realm of Pure Yang. He glanced at the flying dagger in his mind, recalling that vague voice from earlier. This flying dagger was simply too mysterious—who knew when he would discover its origins.

　　After waking, his mysterious energy had already reached the first level.

　　Charles York circulated this extraordinary energy within him and found that its flow was much faster than before. Even at his previous peak of the sixth level, it couldn’t compare.

　　Every time he used his mind to activate the flying dagger, a huge amount of mysterious energy would pour out from it. Thinking of that vast sea of energy, Charles York was struck by a thought: could there be a boundless sea of mysterious energy within this dagger, able to supply him endlessly?

　　Charles York frantically absorbed the energy pouring from the flying dagger, and the energy within him grew stronger and stronger.

　　Very soon, he felt the barrier to advancement. He was still only at the first level, but the barrier at the peak of the first level was as thin as paper before this powerful energy, offering no resistance at all, and was quickly shattered.

　　He advanced!

　　Second level!

　　Charles York hadn’t felt the joy of advancement in a long time. Even when he’d reached the sixth level before, it hadn’t been as exciting as advancing to the second level now.

　　Heaven rewards the diligent!

　　That saying was indeed true. Charles York clenched his fists, all the pain in his heart swept away, replaced by an overwhelming confidence. From today on, he was no longer a cripple!

　　After advancing to the second level, Charles York began to consolidate his energy in preparation for breaking through to even higher levels.

　　At that moment, a kind of mental formula or cultivation method appeared faintly in Charles York’s mind.

　　Its name was the Nine Star Heavenly Chen Art, a method for refining energy, consisting of nine chapters: Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, Earth, Ice, Wind, Thunder, and Lightning. Its content was so complex and intricate as to be breathtaking. Charles York found that the contents of the Nine Star Heavenly Chen Art seemed to be engraved in his mind, every word crystal clear.

　　Nine Star Heavenly Chen Art: only after surviving nine deaths and nine lives can one grasp the Heavenly Dao.

　　He didn’t know what it meant to “grasp the Heavenly Dao,” or what “nine deaths and nine lives” referred to. Did it mean dying nine times and being reborn nine times to cultivate the Nine Star Heavenly Chen Art to its highest level? When a person dies, it’s like a lamp going out—how could one come back to life?

　　Charles York discovered some puzzling things. Among the nine chapters of this energy-refining method, the Thunder chapter described a technique called the Thunder Emperor Art. The general principles of this method were somewhat similar to the Thunder Roar Inner Force passed down in his family, but also quite different. The Thunder Emperor Art was clearly much more complete and profound.

　　Thunder Roar Inner Force had three levels in total, with the final level’s formula in the hands of his father, Henry York. Mastering it to the highest level could reach the peak of the tenth level. But the Thunder Emperor Art had six levels in total, and at the highest level, one could control the Five Thunders, shattering the heavens and seas. Charles York couldn’t even imagine what that realm would be like.

　　In comparison, Thunder Roar Inner Force was just a fragment of the Thunder Emperor Art, not even a tenth as complete.

　　What connection did this flying dagger have with the Ye Family Fortress?

　　Each system of techniques was divided into nine grades. Thunder Roar Inner Force was a third-grade superior technique among thunder-type arts, already considered quite advanced among the major powers of Donglin County. So what level was this Thunder Emperor Art?