"Nephew-Disciple Chen, what are you thinking about?" A voice sounded behind him.
Chen Qing turned around and saw Shen Xiuyong from the Stewards' Office approaching at some unknown time.
"Elder Shen." Chen Qing gave a slight nod.
Shen Xiuyong walked to his side and looked toward the mountain gate with him. He clicked his tongue twice. "That Xiao Bieli from Hanyu Valley truly has some skill. That kid Yan Yaoyang had a solid foundation and the support of Qixia Mountain Villa, yet he still lost."
Then his tone shifted. He patted Chen Qing's shoulder. "But don't let that display frighten you. That kid looks glorious now—he has opened eleven of the twelve regular meridians and reached the peak of late-stage Embracing Dan Strength, only one step away from Gang Jin. But that one step, hehe, is a chasm that reaches the heavens!"
Shen Xiuyong lowered his voice. "Xiao Bieli has merely taken a few more steps than you and temporarily pulled ahead. His edge is fully exposed right now, and he seems to hold every advantage, but the shackles of Gang Jin are the true summit of cultivation. They are ten times, a hundred times harder than any bottleneck in Embracing Dan Strength!"
Clearly, Shen Xiuyong believed Chen Qing had been intimidated by Xiao Bieli's overwhelming pressure, so he had come to offer some guidance.
Chen Qing naturally understood his intentions, but he did not explain much. "I would like to hear the details."
Shen Xiuyong's expression turned solemn. "To break through to Gang Jin, one must draw upon Heaven and Earth Yuan Qi, open the Heaven and Earth Bridge, temper the fleshly body, and condense true gang! One careless mistake, and at best your foundation is utterly ruined; at worst, your body dies and your path vanishes! Even with