"Qiu Yang Peak's Li Chong, get your ass out here, I'm waiting for you at the training grounds!"
The next day, as dawn broke, a disciple from Xia Yang Peak issued a challenge at the entrance of Qiu Yang Peak. His challenge, however, triggered a chain reaction.
"Dong Yang Peak's Kang Cheng, I'm waiting for you at the training grounds!"
"Chun Yang Peak's Zhao Le, you coward, come quickly to the training grounds and fight."
"Xia Yang Peak's Li Qiang, you bastard, you dared to ambush me, get to the training grounds quickly. I swear I won't rest until I cripple you."
The disciples of the four main peaks had always been at odds, harboring deep-seated grudges. The incident in the back mountains served as an opportune trigger for their animosity.
It directly led to disciples with long-standing grievances no longer hiding their true feelings.
They all clamored to go to the training grounds to challenge their sworn enemies.
Their battles brought renewed liveliness to the training grounds, which had recently been quiet.
In an instant, the training grounds became the most captivating place in the outer sect of the Misty Sect.
"Such a grand spectacle, I doubt the Misty Sect has ever witnessed anything like it since its founding."
"These main peak disciples are clearly bored, their grudges run too deep. Sneaking up from behind can no longer resolve their mutual grievances."
At this moment, Zhang Ergou, however, remained oblivious to the outside world, dedicating all his attention to refining Qi Condensation Pills.
The entire cave was filled with the unique aroma of Qi Condensation Pills.
As midnight arrived, Zhang Ergou finally stood up, his disheveled appearance suggesting he had been through an ordeal.
Stretching with a loud groan, Zhang Ergou took a deep breath of fresh air.
Suddenly, Zhang Ergou froze, motionless.
A crackling sound echoed from within his body, and spiritual energy from heaven and earth surged towards Zhang Ergou at a visible rate.
The Heaven and Earth Chaos Technique began to circulate automatically, and the pill fire joyfully emerged from his Dantian, branching out into numerous streams that entered Zhang Ergou's meridians.
As the spiritual energy entering his body was tempered by the pill fire, Zhang Ergou's bones and muscles were also being refined by the same flame.
Zhang Ergou stood there, motionless, as if he had merged with heaven and earth.
The pill fire within his body seemed to grow restless and emerged from within him.
It glided over Zhang Ergou's skin, inch by inch.
He felt no pain, only a warm sensation, as if basking in the winter sun.
The entire process lasted for five hours.
When Zhang Ergou awoke from this wondrous state, the sky was beginning to lighten.
Impurities within his body, expelled to the surface, accumulated on his skin, emitting a foul odor.
*Hoo!*
He exhaled a breath of turbid air, and a sharp glint flashed in Zhang Ergou's eyes. He hadn't expected that refining pills day and night could also lead to a breakthrough.
This was truly an unexpected joy.
He let out two hearty laughs, feeling an unparalleled sense of exhilaration.
He casually swung his fists, feeling a power that was absent before.
In less than ten days, Zhang Ergou had broken through another minor realm, reaching the peak of the late Qi Refining stage.
"It seems the Foundation Establishment Pill my master bestowed upon me not long ago will soon be put to use," Zhang Ergou muttered to himself.
Cultivating both body and technique, his cultivation speed was still so rapid. If others were to know this,
It would not be an exaggeration to call him a monstrous talent.
After returning from the back mountains, Zhang Ergou took a bath and then joined Liu Cuilan and the others for breakfast.
"Ergou, where have you been these past few days? We haven't seen you at all?" Liu Cuilan asked, opening her beautiful eyes between bites.
"I haven't been anywhere, I've just been cultivating in the back mountains. My hard work has paid off; after these past few days, I've finally broken through to the peak of the late Qi Refining stage!"
"What? You broke through to the peak of the late Qi Refining stage?"
Chunyang Sanren sprayed out a mouthful of water and stared at Zhang Ergou in disbelief.
With a slight probe of his spiritual sense, he could ascertain Zhang Ergou's current cultivation level.
"What a monstrous talent, what a monstrous talent! Is this the cultivation speed of a Heavenly Grade initial-stage five-element spirit root?"
"What genius? Compared to you, they're nothing!"
Even though he already knew Zhang Ergou's current cultivation strength, Chunyang Sanren was still filled with disbelief.
"Ergou, you've already reached the peak of the late Qi Refining stage. I thought I could catch up to you!" Liu Cuilan's face showed a hint of disappointment.
"I just broke through to the mid-Qi Refining stage a few days ago, and I was hoping to surprise you. I never expected you to be so far ahead."
"Sister Cuilan, what are you saying? I only broke through due to a fortunate encounter; it was mostly good luck."
"You shouldn't belittle yourself. Going from just entering the sect to the mid-Qi Refining stage in just over a month is something many cultivators can only dream of." Zhang Ergou said comfortingly.
He didn't want his monstrous talent to dampen Liu Cuilan's ambition.
Chunyang Sanren observed this, feeling pleased.
Cultivators with such rapid breakthrough speeds as Zhang Ergou were undoubtedly exceptionally gifted individuals.
Yet, Zhang Ergou appeared very calm, without a trace of arrogance.
Chunyang Sanren nodded silently, "This child's future achievements are boundless."
Having cultivated for hundreds of years, Chunyang Sanren had seen countless geniuses.
However, most of them were arrogant and overbearing, looking down on everyone else due to their talent.
Their ultimate fate was already sealed.
Zhang Ergou was an anomaly.
"Master, today seems to be the day the Scripture Repository is open to new disciples. I'd like to go and take a look," Zhang Ergou said respectfully to Chunyang Sanren after breakfast.
"Go ahead. The master guides the way, but cultivation is personal. Your future achievements depend entirely on your own efforts." Chunyang Sanren smiled and nodded, cherishing this occasionally mischievous disciple.
When Zhang Ergou appeared before the Scripture Repository, he caused quite a stir.
"Is this guy's body made of iron? He took so many lashes and recovered so quickly?"
"This is too incredible. There seems to be no injury on his body at all."
"He must be a transformed beast, right? In just a few days, he's too monstrous!"
Some even suspected Zhang Ergou was a transformed beast.
Zhang Ergou ignored the whispers around him.
When Song Zhinan heard the news, he was so shocked that he fell off his stool.
Not only him, but all the elders and disciples of the outer sect of the Misty Sect were greatly astonished upon hearing this.
This was a phenomenon that had never occurred in the history of the Misty Sect.
Zhang Ergou paid no mind to the astonishment of others and entered the Scripture Repository with his identity token.
The Scripture Repository today was much quieter than usual.
Firstly, it was the day open to new disciples, and disciples who had joined earlier were not allowed to enter.
Secondly, the training grounds were as lively as ever today.
Disciples flocked to the training grounds to watch the excitement, so very few came to the Scripture Repository.
The interior of the Scripture Repository was a world unto itself, vast and boundless, with rows upon rows of bookshelves filled with various ancient texts.
These ancient books were collected by the Misty Sect over the years.
The caretaker of the Scripture Repository was a thin old man with white hair, known by the Misty Sect disciples as Book Valley Daoist.
"Greetings, Elder!" Zhang Ergou bowed respectfully to Book Valley Daoist.
"Hmm, leave your identity token here. You can browse freely inside. New disciples are only allowed on the first floor. Be sure not to go up to other floors!" Book Valley Daoist nodded, revealing a set of white teeth.
Zhang Ergou handed his identity token to Book Valley Daoist and stepped inside.
Many of the ancient books on the shelves were diverse. He casually picked one up and flipped through it.
It was a book introducing spiritual herbs and medicinal materials, which Zhang Ergou then returned to its place.
The Scripture Repository was very quiet. Zhang Ergou walked and stopped, selecting books from the shelves.
Ancient books were picked up and put down. Some he would glance at briefly before returning them.
For others, he would stand in place and read for half an hour.
Continuing onward, Zhang Ergou was surprised to find no ancient books on spell techniques.
He surmised that such books would not be placed on the first floor.
Thinking this, Zhang Ergou shook his head slightly, feeling a bit disappointed.
"Old Book, how have you been lately!" a pleasant child's voice called out.
"You little brat, aren't you supposed to be causing trouble at the Precious Pill Pavilion? What are you doing here?" It seemed Book Valley Daoist did not welcome the arrival.
"I just missed you!"
Zhang Ergou then saw a girl about chest-high to him, dressed in purple and with two ponytails.
Her bright, large eyes darted around, as if contemplating something.
"This little girl is... "
"Eh! Why haven't I seen you before?" Just as Zhang Ergou was observing her, the little girl flashed beside him.
"Such speed."
Zhang Ergou only saw a blur of afterimages!
"I'm a new disciple from Chunyang Peak!" Zhang Ergou replied.
"Chunyang Old Man's disciple, not bad, I have high hopes for you!" the little girl said in an adult-like manner.
"Eh, you have pill fire in your body?" the little girl suddenly asked, her eyes flashing as she brought her nose close to Zhang Ergou.