Halfway up the mountain, at the foot of the Far Star Residence.
Inside a music hall.
Amidst the reverberation of the guzheng, Pipa, and flute, in the courtyard of the music hall's Four Directions Tower, a dozen or so beautiful women dressed in green gauze, with their moon-white undergarments barely visible, were singing and dancing lightly.
The music and dance performances, along with the aroma of wine and delicious food, created a wonderful ambiance.
The guests in the music hall shouted and waved their arms, throwing money at each of the dancers' alluring movements.
"The music halls here are really chaotic. They're not as pure as those in Great Capital."
Inside a VIP room on the Four Directions Tower.
Three young men and women dressed as well-traveled scholars were sitting together, examining the documents piled on the table.
The only man dressed as a young master let out a long sigh.
"Speaking of which, that Great Dao Sect Daozi of the Great Dao Sect has been away from the Heavenly Treasure Palace for some time now. Why is there no news about him? Wasn't he supposed to be diligently practicing the Golden Toad Skill? With such talent, after so long, shouldn't there be some progress by now?"
"Perhaps she is preparing the necessary elixirs." A pretty woman with her hair tied in a ponytail, wearing a light blue, form-fitting outfit, with a round magpie and flower patch on her chest.
A "buzi" is an extra piece of embroidered cloth sewn onto the center of a garment as decoration and a symbol.
Previously used primarily on officials' robes, it is now also used by many ordinary wealthy people to decorate their clothes.
"But it's been more than half a month, hasn't it? Why isn't it done yet?" another woman asked, slightly surprised.
She wore a long black dress with a silver ribbon tied around her waist, complemented by light blue eyes and fair, radiant skin.
Compared to the other woman, she was far superior in both looks and temperament.
If Zhang Rongfang were here, he would definitely recognize that this woman is Yan Shuang from the Taiqing Lineage of the Sensing Gate, whom he has had many encounters with.
"Shuangshuang, why are you in such a hurry? Perhaps in a few days, that Zhang Ying will be in trouble. He's not the only one who has practiced our sect's Golden Toad Skill Technique; many people have tried it before and know what it feels like to master it."
As the only man spoke, he naturally reached out, intending to gently place his hands on the back of Yan Shuang.
However, Yan Shuang also cleverly evaded it.
Another woman standing nearby burst out laughing.
"Zheng Shuyang, you think you can take advantage of Shuangshuang with your low level of cultivation? Aren't you afraid that you'll be surpassed in cultivation level in the future and die of exhaustion in bed in the middle of the night?"
The man remained calm, withdrawing his hand to tidy his sideburns.
"If that day ever comes, dying under the peony blossoms would be a romantic death, and I would gladly accept that."
Now, perhaps only Shuangshuang sister like Shuangshuang in our sect is capable of sharing a journey to ultimate bliss with someone.
"Isn't Senior Brother Shu Yang afraid that your Grand Initiation Master will be jealous?"
Yan Shuang darted around, her upper body leaning slightly forward, creating a breathtaking curve between her body and the edge of the table. The other person involuntarily swallowed.
"Her? I usually just give in to her, what's there to be afraid of?" Zheng Shuyang said dismissively.
Among the many branches of the Sensing Gate, the Taiqing Lineage is officially known as the Supreme Purity One Color Sect, or simply the Taiqing Gate.
The relationships between men and women are extremely chaotic.
Often, in order to practice their sect's techniques, members will completely disregard their social status and freely engage in sexual relations.
Sensing, sensing, everything revolves around the supreme blissful sensation.
On the contrary, those Guarding the Body and One Person's Heart like Yan Shuang are extremely rare.
But the rarer something is, the more coveted it becomes.
If Yan Shuang weren't the daughter of the Prince of Prince Yan, and her mother wasn't a formidable woman like Gong Shuyin, she probably would have been forced into marriage long ago.
"Getting back to the main point, according to the arrangements made by both sides, we cannot touch this exceptionally talented Dao Child Zhang. As long as we ensure that he can continue practicing his skills smoothly, everything will be resolved."
"But it's been so long now, why is there still no movement?" Zheng Shuyang frowned.
"I observed that he spent his days in seclusion in the monastery, and apart from buying medicine and refining elixirs, he basically never went out."
I have been practicing martial arts hard, is it possible that I have made progress now? "The woman in blue said doubtfully.
"Definitely. Judging from his training posture, he has talent, a strong will and perseverance, and can endure the tedium. No wonder he can reach such a level at such a young age," Zheng Shuyang sighed.
"Unfortunately, the harder he tries, the more bleak his future becomes. It seems we'll be able to return to Great Capital soon." The Blue-Robed Woman nodded.
Both of them thought Zhang Rongfang was definitely finished now, since Yue Dewen wouldn't stop him from practicing the Golden Toad Skill.
The more arduous the practice, the bigger the problems are likely to arise.
Yan Shuang also felt a little regretful, regretting that Zhang Ying hadn't accepted her invitation back then.
Otherwise, how could things have come to this?
However, she had some doubts. Since Yue Dewen cared so much about this Daozi, why would he let him leave Great Capital and out of his sight so easily?
Could it be that he thinks Zhang Ying will eventually listen to him and stop practicing the Golden Toad Skill?
"Impossible. Mastering the Golden Toad Skill will greatly benefit your primary martial art, significantly accelerating your cultivation speed. Zhang Ying couldn't possibly resist such temptation."
A thought flashed through Yan Shuang's mind.
But these are not things she should be thinking about; she should just focus on completing the tasks for the three of them.
The three of them immediately listened to music while organizing their documents, and then ate, drank, and chatted, thoroughly enjoying themselves.
Everyone felt that this mission was incredibly easy; they didn't have to worry about anything and could just happily wait for the target to do something stupid.
***In the blink of an eye, another half month has passed. Inside the same music hall.
The three of them reunited and stood side by side in front of the window, looking at the courtyard in the direction of Far Star Residence, all with furrowed brows.
From that direction, they saw Zhang Rongfang, accompanied by two guards, leisurely walking out.
This guy now has a rosy and glowing complexion, and his physique is much more robust than it was half a month ago. He also seems to have grown taller.
You can tell just by looking at those arms; they're about as thick as an average person's thigh.
"What's going on? He took the medicine, and with his talent, he should be starting to practice the third level by now, right? Why does he still look so healthy?" Zheng Shuyang asked with a furrowed brow.
He thought he was a peerless genius back then. In his youthful arrogance, he also practiced two levels of the technique. As a result, his body did absorb the nutrients and became stronger, but he looked weak and his heart always felt like it was beating faster.
At that time, people's faces were pale, and their hair had turned white.
Later, he had to forcibly disperse his internal energy, sacrificing a small portion of his martial arts foundation, before he could recuperate for a long time and regain his health.
Therefore, he knew very well that once the Golden Toad Skill was mastered, one would suffer from a pale complexion, depleted blood and energy, and lethargy for six consecutive months. This was something that could not be concealed.
There isn't a single master in the entire Sensing Gate who has practiced the Golden Toad Skill, like this Zhang Ying, who is still full of energy and looks even stronger.
"Could it be that he didn't practice at all?" Yan Shuang guessed.
"Impossible. I review the places he's been to every day from afar, and I have backup records of all the medicinal herbs he's bought. It is indeed the prescription for refining the Golden Toad Skill, no doubt about it," the Blue-Robed Woman said solemnly.
"I've also peeked at him from afar, and he is indeed refining pills every day, consuming medicinal herbs like water. Could it be that he hasn't been able to refine the pills?" Yan Shuang guessed.
"But the first stage of the Golden Toad Skill, Hidden Moon, requires pills that are very easy to refine. Any Pill Master could make them, right?" the Blue-Robed Woman retorted.
Yan Shuang was at her wit's end.
The three of them fell into deep thought for a moment.
There was a moment of silence.
"So, why is the old Yue Dewen so confident that his Final Disciple is going out? Does he really trust Zhang Ying to not practice the Golden Toad Skill? What guarantees does he have?" Yan Shuang finally voiced her doubts.
"I've thought about that too," Zheng Shuyang nodded. "Miao Yu too, right?"
"Of course." The Blue-Robed Woman nodded. "Now it seems that the old Daoist priest might have really prepared some backup plan, which is why Zhang Ying has not been able to master the technique yet."
"At this rate, when will we ever finish our mission?" Yan Shuang frowned.
"How about we carefully check and examine the cultivation manual for him?"
"Absolutely! And the pill refining process is also crucial. This guy has wasted so many good medicines and hasn't even managed to refine a single one?? Unbelievable." Zheng Shuyang agreed.
"I'll go check if there's anything wrong with the medicinal herbs," said Miao Yu, the Blue-Robed Woman, first.
"I'll try to find a way to verify the manual," Yan Shuang said.
"I'm observing him every day to see if there are any other factors affecting his progress and preventing him from mastering the technique," Zheng Shuyang said earnestly.
The three of them exchanged a glance and all agreed that it was feasible.
"If we still can't find the reason after this, my senior uncle will be coming to Citong at that time. I will personally ask him to take action and see what's wrong with this Daozi."
"His cultivation is profound; even within the Heavenly Treasure Palace, he's Grand Initiation Master who ranks among the top. He'll definitely be able to find the reason!" Zheng Shuyang said in a deep voice.
"Yes! Let's work together!"
Miao Yu stretched out her hand.
"Let's work together!" Yan Shuang on the back of her hands.
Zheng Shuyang also wanted to put it up, but Yan Shuang immediately pulled back, leaving him only to smile helplessly.
*** Far Star Residence.
Zhang Rongfang slowly added the three attribute points he had just collected to the number of times he could use External Medicine.
The Super Grade External Medicine had already reached its seventh dose at this point.
At this height, he could clearly feel that his body was much stronger than when he first set off from Great Capital.
A series of loud clicking sounds followed.
A popping sound, like popping beans, emanated from his entire body.
In just two months, he surpassed what others had trained for years. Moreover, he transcended physical and aptitude limits.
This greatly eased the slight unease he felt over the matter of the Golden Toad Skill.
"But it's still not enough." With a sigh, Zhang Rongfang was certain after all these attempts that the Golden Toad Skill really couldn't refine the second layer of pills.
He looked up and glanced at Chen Han A Yi, who were sitting and playing chess in front of the opposite door.
"You two are bullying A Er again, leaving him to watch the courtyard alone?" he said helplessly.
"He lost to us in chess, so it doesn't count as bullying!" Chen Han argued.
"Fine, whatever you say. I'm planning to go out for a bit, wander around the area, and clear my head. Who wants to come?" Zhang Rongfang wondered how to keep the three of them from following him.
On the surface, they still earnestly invited him to join them.
He had made up his mind. Since the Golden Toad Skill couldn't advance, he would search for the Eastern Sect Secret Treasure regarding the Spirit Transformation Ritual.
Everything else is irrelevant, but I must obtain the secret of immortality regarding the Spirit Transformation Ritual.
This secret is something not only he wants to know, but there are definitely other people and other forces who want to know it too.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have been assigned here so easily.