A surge of powerful force jolted Gloom, forcing his body seven to eight meters backward.

His arms were tingly and numb. On them, blue veins were bulging. He had a shocked expression on his face. “You… Your strength?”

James took in his True Energy and glanced at Gloom. “What are you doing? Are you trying to sneak up on me or is this just a test?” he said casually.

Gloom circulated his energy, and the pain in his arms started to fade gradually. He then put his hands behind his back, stared at James, and slowly approached him. He only smiled and spoke when he finally stood in front of James. “I was curious as to what rank your cultivation base had advanced to. As far as I can tell, you must have had some exciting adventures recently. Could it be that you’ve got Moonlit Flowers on Cliffside's Edge all figured out now?”

Even though Gloom was grinning, the shock and astonishment he felt had not subsided.

His cultivation base was at the fifth rank. Although his strength would not be rega