He sat down cross-legged and absorbed the surging mysterious energy released from the flying dagger. Very soon, his previously empty dantian was restored.

Normally, if a fourth-rank cultivator’s dantian was depleted of mysterious energy, it would take at least several hours of meditation, absorbing the energy of heaven and earth, to recover. Higher ranks would require even more time. But Charles York only needed a quarter of an hour to restore his energy.

Suddenly opening his eyes, he felt the mysterious energy in his dantian had recovered, and he could continue cultivating the Body of Primordial Thunder!

This flying dagger was truly miraculous. Charles York was a bit excited—now that he had the dagger, his cultivation speed would definitely be several times, even dozens of times, faster than others!

Body of Primordial Thunder!

As soon as Charles York finished performing the Body of Primordial Thunder, he sat down to recover his energy. After recovering, he performed it again, then recovered again, repeating the process over and over. With each repetition, Charles York felt the mysterious energy in his dantian become much more abundant than before. The amount of energy had likely reached the mid-fourth-rank level, and the duration he could maintain the Body of Primordial Thunder had increased from three seconds to about four seconds.

For some reason, after performing the Body of Primordial Thunder so many times, Charles York didn’t feel tired at all. On the contrary, he felt energized. Checking the time, it was already the third watch of the night. At this rate, he could probably train until dawn without any problem.

Matthew York’s private residence.

“Father, what was the purpose of Charles York stepping forward and saying those things? Could it be that Henry York and his son have some kind of scheme?” Ethan York felt that the position of successor to the clan head was already his for the taking. Although he was excited, he remained clear-headed, knowing that until he obtained the clan’s ancestral seal, he was not yet the successor.

“Charles York’s meridians are completely severed; he absolutely cannot compete with you. The others are much weaker than you and pose no threat. But you must still be cautious. Henry York, David York, and the others might support one or two juniors. After careful consideration, I’ve decided that there must not be even the slightest mistake in the selection of the successor at the ancestral ceremony. Within these seven days, I will raise your strength to the sixth rank.” A trace of gloom flashed in Matthew York’s eyes.

“Raise me to the sixth rank in seven days? How is that possible!” Ethan York exclaimed in shock.

“With this, nothing is impossible!” Matthew York smiled faintly, took out a brocade box, and opened it. Inside was a red pellet emitting a pleasant fragrance.

Seeing the pill, Ethan York couldn’t help but be moved. “Father, is this a Qi Condensing Pill?”

“That’s right, it’s a Qi Condensing Pill!”

Ethan York drew in a sharp breath and said, “It’s said that a single Qi Condensing Pill can be exchanged for hundreds of Qi Gathering Pills. Where did you get such a treasure, Father?” At this moment, Ethan York was already at the peak of the fifth rank, just a step away from breaking through. With the Qi Condensing Pill, he indeed had a great chance of advancing.

“It wasn’t difficult. I used a written agreement to obtain it from the Yun Family Fort.” Matthew York said coldly.

“What kind of agreement?”

“If you become the head of Ye Family Fort, you’ll transfer the mine in the back mountain to Yun Family Fort.”

“Become the head of Ye Family Fort? How is that possible!”

“Nothing is impossible. Once you become the successor, and Henry York that old ghost dies mysteriously, according to ancestral rules, you’ll be the clan head!”

Hearing Matthew York’s words, Ethan York was shocked, cold sweat breaking out on his back. Only now did he understand his father’s plan.

“Don’t let me down!” Matthew York said, looking at Ethan York.

“I understand, Father!” Ethan York knelt down with a thud and kowtowed heavily.

After receiving the Qi Condensing Pill from Matthew York, Ethan York tilted his head back and swallowed the pill in one gulp.

Late at night, Charles York’s small room was still flickering with light.

He was still diligently cultivating the Thunder Emperor Art and the Body of Primordial Thunder. In addition, he had also mastered the other two martial techniques to perfection. Although he was only at the mid-fourth-rank level, Charles York believed that, given the density of the mysterious energy in his body and his proficiency with the three martial techniques, he should be able to hold his own even against a fifth-rank expert.

Because the mysterious energy in his body was different from that of this world, Charles York wasn’t sure how strong he really was. At this moment, he couldn’t spar with anyone else, and before the ancestral ceremony, he absolutely couldn’t let Matthew York know that his meridians had healed!

Chapter 10: The Ancestral Ceremony

After continuously cultivating the Thunder Emperor Art, by the sixth day, Charles York once again broke through the barrier of the fourth rank, and his mysterious energy reached the fifth-rank level.

“Finally, I’ve reached the fifth rank.” Charles York circulated the mysterious energy in his body, which had grown several times stronger, making him quite excited. With fifth-rank mysterious energy, he could now maintain the Body of Primordial Thunder for as long as ten seconds.

Ethan York was currently only at the peak of the fifth rank. With the quality of his own mysterious energy, plus the family’s secret technique, the Body of Primordial Thunder, Charles York believed he should be able to defeat Ethan York.

Reaching the fifth rank was already quite good within the entire clan. Out of the thousands in Ye Family Fort, only a little over two hundred had reached the fifth rank, and these people were the backbone of the clan’s strength. If one could reach the sixth rank before the age of eighteen, there was hope to go even further. If not, and the meridians hardened before eighteen, it would be very difficult to break through to higher levels.