At the dawn of the next day, Huan Yi sat by the oval bed—cracking his neck while, at his back, Xinzhui lay on her side, gasping with her hands joined in a prayer sign.
"Defeat...I admit...defeat," the Dowager said in between loud gasps, and satisfied, the Autarch stood up, putting a loose black robe on his shoulders.
"Not bad at all. I give an A for skill, an A+ for effort, and a B for stamina. Take your time to stabilize your cultivation base and digest your gains. By the time you leave this room, the Three Realms won't have many warriors able to face you in a fair fight," Huan Yi said, and with a series of leisurely steps, walked out of the Red Chamber.
Meixiang and Yanran waited at the door, the former with a notebook and bright starry eyes while the latter lay on her knees, blinking in a stupor.
