Yan Ran awakens and breaks through to the ninth level of the Golden Core stage.

With seven days left until the Sect Grand Competition, Chen Yuan did not Linger in Mufeng City and set off overnight for the Heavenly Maiden Sect.

Early the next morning, as the sky turned a fish-belly white, Chen Yuan arrived at the Heavenly Maiden Sect's mountain gate.

The gate-keeping Disciples of the Heavenly Maiden Sect were Inner Sect Disciples.

"Who goes there?"

The two men shouted angrily, drew their weapons, and eyed Chen Yuan warily.

Just then, a graceful figure flew out from within the Sect and landed in front of the mountain gate.

Seeing the arrival, the gate-keeping Disciples immediately bowed respectfully: "Greetings, Chief."

Shen Ling ignored the two of them, immediately rushed up to Chen Yuan, and hugged him tightly.

"Brother Chen, you're back! Were you injured? Did you encounter any danger on the road?" Shen Ling asked anxiously.

Witnessing this scene, the eyes of the two gate-keeping Disciples widened like copper bells. What were they seeing?!

The Chief Senior Sister was actually hugging a strange man and affectionately calling him Brother?!

"I'm fine, everything went smoothly," Chen Yuan replied dotingly.

"That's good!" Shen Ling breathed a sigh of relief and pulled Chen Yuan toward the interior of the Sect.

As they passed the gate-keeping Disciples, Shen Ling pointed at the Cloud Chasing Steed and instructed: "Go notify the Disciples of the Beast Taming Garden to lead Brother Chen's Steed there for feeding."

"Understood." The two immediately accepted the order, and one of them flew toward the Beast Taming Garden through the air.

The Sect Master's sleeping quarters,

At this moment, Heavenly Maiden Sect Sect Master Yan Ran was lying on a stone bed made of cold ice. Due to the damage to her Divine Soul, her face was as pale as paper, and her lips were bloodless.

Her brows were tightly furrowed, as if she were enduring some kind of torture.

Chen Yuan handed the soul recovery pill to Shen Ling, "Quickly give it to your Revered Master."

"Okay." Shen Ling nodded, carefully took the soul recovery pill, walked to the stone bed, and placed it into her Revered Master's mouth.

Afterward, she circulated Spiritual Qi to guide the Medicinal Pill into her stomach, then began helping her refine its medicinal power.

[Ding, detected that the Host gifted a Tier 5 Medicinal Pill, the soul recovery pill, triggering a hundredfold return.

Congratulations to the Host for obtaining a Tier 6 Medicinal Pill: Cold Lotus Soul Nurturing Pill.

The Medicinal Pill has been stored in the System space. The Host can retrieve it at any time.]

Outside the sleeping quarters, a group of Core Elders waited anxiously.

During this period, because the Sect Master offended the Ancient Immortal Sect and was suppressed, her Divine Soul was injured.

Other Fifth-Grade forces became increasingly unscrupulous, subtly planning to swallow the Heavenly Maiden Sect.

"Alas, if Linger hadn't been so lucky, our Heavenly Maiden Sect might have been overthrown," a Core Elder sighed.

Although the group didn't know the background of that refined Young Master, judging from his demeanor and the fact that Great Cultivator Song Xu came to apologize, his identity was certainly not simple.

"Revered Master, you're awake!" A cry of surprise rang out from inside the sleeping quarters. Hearing this, the Core Elders immediately rushed in.

"Sect Master, you are finally awake. We were terrified during the time you were unconscious."

At this moment, Yan Ran had been helped up by Shen Ling and was leaning against the headboard.

"Everyone, rest assured! I am almost fully recovered," Yan Ran said. Although her face was still slightly pale, her voice was firm and powerful.

Everyone was delighted to hear this and immediately thanked Chen Yuan, who was standing beside them: "Thank you, Young Master."

"Thank you, Young Master. We can never repay your great kindness. Please accept our bow."

As they spoke, the Core Elders immediately bowed ninety degrees to Chen Yuan, their attitude sincere.

Chen Yuan waved his hand, "If you want to thank someone, thank Linger!"

The Core Elders bowed and thanked Shen Ling. They were not embarrassed, as Shen Ling was the Sect Master's Direct Disciple and the Sect's Chief, on the same level as them.

Shen Ling blushed slightly out of embarrassment and shook her head, "It's all Brother Chen's credit. I didn't do anything."

"Linger, stop being modest. If you hadn't found such an excellent Dao Companion, our Heavenly Maiden Sect would have been finished long ago."

Only then did Yan Ran notice the handsome Young Master standing next to them.

It was clear from the attitude of these Core Elders that this Young Master had saved her.

"Thank you, Young Master." Since Yan Ran's injuries had not fully healed, she could only nod at Chen Yuan.

"Senior, you are too polite. You are Linger's Revered Master, which makes you my Elder. Saving you is what I should do," Chen Yuan said, his attitude modest and courteous.

Yan Ran nodded, very satisfied with Chen Yuan. He was neither arrogant nor self-important, but modest and courteous—a perfect candidate to entrust one's life to. She was happy that her Disciple had found such a Dao Companion.

Night fell, inside Shen Ling's Cultivation Immortal Cave.

After the kindling met the fierce fire, Shen Ling lay weakly in Chen Yuan's arms.

"Brother Chen, I need to work harder and quickly raise my strength, otherwise I really won't be able to handle it later."

Chen Yuan rubbed her face, took out a Storage Ring, and handed it to her.

Shen Ling propped herself up against Chen Yuan and sat up, then took the ring from his hand, asking confusedly, "Brother Chen, what is this?"

Chen Yuan smiled gently, "A gift I prepared for you. See if you like it?"

Shen Ling was delighted, her fatigue instantly swept away. She extended her Divine Sense into the ring.

There were two Flying Swords: one was the Spirit Rank Flying Sword, Frost Severing Sword, confiscated from Wang Yuting, and the other was the Heaven Rank High Grade Flying Sword, Yixuan Sword, returned by the System.

"That Yixuan Sword is a Heaven Rank High Grade Flying Sword. Keep it safe and absolutely do not display its rank in front of outsiders," Chen Yuan instructed.

Hearing this, Shen Ling widened her eyes. What did she just hear? Heavens! It was actually a Heaven Rank Flying Sword! And it was High Grade Heaven Rank, priced at hundreds of millions of Low-Grade Spirit Stones.

"This... this is too valuable, Brother Chen... I... I can't accept it."

Shen Ling was slightly flustered, which Chen Yuan found rather cute.

"It's fine. You deserve it."

Shen Ling was a very emotional person, and at this moment, her eyes were once again brimming with tears.

"Wuwuwu, I love you, Brother Chen."

Shen Ling hugged Chen Yuan and pressed her lips against his.

The great battle erupted once more. Simultaneously, the System return broadcast sounded in Chen Yuan's mind.

[Ding, detected that the Host gifted a Spirit Rank High Grade Flying Sword, triggering a thousandfold return.

Congratulations to the Host for obtaining the Heaven Rank Flying Sword: mo you sword.]

During the great battle, Chen Yuan took out another Medicinal Pill, a Tier 5 recovery pill gifted by his Revered Master, and forcefully placed it into Shen Ling's hand,

The moment Shen Ling opened her mouth to refuse, Chen Yuan fiercely bullied her. After several times, Shen Ling dared not mention it again.

[Ding, detected that the Host gifted a Tier 5 Medicinal Pill, the recovery pill.

Triggering a ten-thousandfold critical return, congratulations to the Host for obtaining a Tier 8 Medicinal Pill: Nine Revolutions Resurrection Pill.

Efficacy: Can reverse the signs of vitality depletion, reshape the Physical Body, and bring the dead back to life.]

Chen Yuan was amazed internally. The System finally acted like a decent being again.

Now, Chen Yuan completely understood the System return rules.

Hundredfold return: Medicinal Pills and Magical Artifacts increase by one tier.

Thousandfold return: increase by two tiers.

Ten-thousandfold return: increase by three tiers.

Two and a half hours later, the two sat cross-legged and began to Cultivate.

Three days later,

The Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi around Chen Yuan swirled, forming a small Spiritual Qi Vortex.

A moment later, his aura dramatically changed.

Boom! Golden Core Ninth Level.

Now, the Golden Core inside Chen Yuan's body was increasingly brilliant, the density and quality of his Spiritual Qi had improved once more, and controlling the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi felt even more effortless.

"There are only three days left until the Sect Grand Competition. It's time to go back!"