He was back in the familiar personal space, the familiar meeting room.

Xu Wuyi pushed open the door. He was about to greet Teacher Han, who was already waiting inside, and ask for guidance as usual, but his gaze suddenly faltered.

Han Mo was still sitting there, his expression calm.

But beside him sat a young girl with a sweet, radiant smile. 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

The girl wore a set of pale-yellow training clothes and a neat ponytail, and her features were exquisite.

Her large eyes were bright and lively, and at this moment, they were watching him with a wide grin. Who else could it be but Qiao Zhiyao?

"Teacher Xu, long time no see!" Qiao Zhiyao spoke first, her voice crisp and clear, carrying a hint of familiarity and mischievousness.

Xu Wuyi was genuinely surprised.

After the last trial lesson, the Qiao Family had made it clear they would not be continuing, so he had thought his association with the young lady of the Qiao Family had come to an end.

He never expected to see her again here, in Teacher Han’s private space.

He looked at Han Mo with a questioning gaze, but said to her, "Our lessons are over. You can call me ’Senior,’ or you can just use my name."

A faint trace of resignation appeared on Han Mo’s face as he explained, "Don’t be surprised. Zhiyao has already been specially recruited and admitted to Star Martial University, so she’s more or less your junior now. What’s more, she just finished her college entrance exams and was this year’s top scorer in Dongjiang Province."

’Top scorer of Dongjiang Province?’ A thought stirred in Xu Wuyi’s mind.

Although he knew Qiao Zhiyao was exceptionally talented, becoming the provincial top scorer was still a testament to her strength.

And the fact that she had even taken the college entrance exams suggested the Qiao Family hadn’t let her completely bypass the normal channels for advancement.

Theoretically, before the entrance exams, the Three Greats would sign and admit a batch of people in advance. Some of these individuals would skip the exams entirely, while others, like the Song Brothers from Xingjing, would still participate.

Qiao Zhiyao added from the side, "My family originally wanted me to go straight to the Starry Sky Martial Arts Academy, but I think Star Martial University is pretty great too, and besides..."

She blinked, her gaze shifting between Xu Wuyi and Han Mo, but didn’t finish her sentence.

In reality, it was the old master of the Qiao Family who had personally stepped in and decided that Qiao Zhiyao would apply to Star Martial.

Han Mo picked up the thread of conversation, his tone calm. "The Qiao Family, through an old friend of mine, entrusted her to my care. They hope I can guide her in her training of the Hundred Refinements Melting Furnace. I figured since you two know each other, I’d let her sit in."

Xu Wuyi understood at once.

’The Qiao Family took the long way around, but they still ended up choosing the connection through Teacher Han after all.’

Given the relationship between Teacher Han and Grandmaster Yue, he was the most suitable person to guide Qiao Zhiyao’s practice of the Hundred Refinements Melting Furnace.

And since Qiao Zhiyao wasn’t surprised to see him here, it was clear that either she or Qiao Yongwen already knew about his relationship with Han Mo.

"I see." Xu Wuyi nodded and said to Qiao Zhiyao, "Congratulations."

Qiao Zhiyao crinkled her nose. "Congratulations for what? Compared to you, Senior—becoming a Martial Artist in your first year and even making it to the top sixty-four of the youth tournament—I’m still way behind. Everyone’s talking about you out there right now!"

Her tone was one of sincere amazement, with no hint of jealousy.

Coming from the Qiao Family, she had seen countless geniuses, but someone like Xu Wuyi, who had risen so quickly and yet had such a solid foundation, was truly a rare sight.

Han Mo waved his hand, interrupting their pleasantries. "Alright, that’s enough small talk. Wuyi, why don’t you start by telling me about your training progress during this period, especially with the Shocking God Spear."

Xu Wuyi focused his mind and gave Han Mo a detailed report on the difficulties he had encountered while practicing the Shocking God Spear, the methods he had used to overcome them, and his current progress.

Han Mo listened attentively, occasionally interjecting to ask about key details. Afterward, he pointed out several crucial points and offered suggestions for adjustments.

"Breaking down the practice is the right approach. A-level Martial Arts are profound and vast; biting off more than you can chew will get you nowhere. What you need to do now is continue to solidify the initial connection between ’spirit’ and ’spear.’ There’s no need to pursue fluidity or power in the forms just yet."

Han Mo continued, "Once you’ve mastered the technique for merging your spirit, linking the forms will come naturally."

"I understand, Teacher," Xu Wuyi replied respectfully.

After instructing Xu Wuyi, Han Mo’s gaze turned to Qiao Zhiyao. "Zhiyao, what about you? Of the Ten Beginner Forms of the Hundred Refinements Melting Furnace, which form have you mastered up to?"

Qiao Zhiyao immediately sat up straight, the playful smile vanishing from her face. She answered seriously, "Teacher Han, I have mastered up to the fifth form."

Han Mo nodded slightly, a flash of approval in his eyes. "Two months, from being unable to reach the Entry Level to mastering the first five forms. Your talent and effort are both quite commendable."

He knew that Qiao Zhiyao had only started to retrain her Basic Body Refining Technique in April, so it had only been a little over two months.

Upon receiving Han Mo’s affirmation, a bright smile bloomed on Qiao Zhiyao’s face, and she shot Xu Wuyi a slightly smug glance.

Xu Wuyi was also slightly astonished.

He knew full well how difficult it was to reach the Entry Level of the Hundred Refinements Melting Furnace. For Qiao Zhiyao to make such progress in just two short months after finding the right method, her talent was truly astounding.

As expected of a Direct Lineage member nurtured with the full resources of the Qiao Family. Once she found the right path, her speed of improvement was terrifying.

Seeing his expression, Qiao Zhiyao grew even more pleased with herself and couldn’t resist asking, "Senior, how long did it take you to master the fifth form?"

Xu Wuyi thought for a moment before answering, "I’m ashamed to say. My Basic Body Refining Technique had already reached Minor Achievement back then, but it still took me a month to master Furnace Flame."

"???"

A giant question mark seemed to appear over Qiao Zhiyao’s head. ’A month to master it? What in the world are you ashamed about?!’

But the thing was, she could tell Xu Wuyi wasn’t feigning ignorance; he genuinely felt that way.

"Hahaha, now you know there’s always someone better, right? Don’t get complacent," Han Mo roared with laughter.

"The Hundred Refinements Melting Furnace gets progressively harder, especially the last five forms. They involve more complex and subtle changes in the circulation of Qi and Blood, and they also have a higher requirement for the intention behind the ’Body Transformation Furnace’."

"Go ahead and demonstrate the fifth form for me."

"Yes, Sir."

Hearing this, Qiao Zhiyao didn’t dare to be slow. Her expression turned serious as she immediately stood up, took a stance in an open area of the meeting room, concentrated her spirit, calmed her breath, and began to practice the fifth form of the Hundred Refinements Melting Furnace.

Her movements were clearly more steady and fluid than they had been during the trial lesson a few months ago.

As her Qi and Blood circulated, although a trace of deliberate guidance could still be seen, it already had the initial makings of that heavy, solid feeling of a Melting Furnace.

Han Mo observed carefully from the side, speaking up from time to time to guide her and correct minor deviations, especially regarding the timing of the coordination between her intention and her Qi and Blood.

Xu Wuyi also watched quietly from the side.

Reviewing the old to learn the new—watching Qiao Zhiyao’s practice and listening to Han Mo’s guidance was also beneficial to his own understanding of the Hundred Refinements Melting Furnace.

He could see that Qiao Zhiyao’s foundation had indeed become much more solid after these few months of polishing. The superficial "perfection" she had before had now been internalized.