Before the wooden cabin.
When Zhao Tianchen saw that Fang Hong had truly managed to initially stir Heaven and Earth's Momentum, his heart naturally brimmed with excitement and joy.
But after all, he was over a hundred years old.
And he was in front of his own disciple.
How could he keep losing his composure like this?
So Zhao Tianchen swiftly reined in his emotions, wiped away his tears, and returned to his previous calm.
Though his face was calm, his heart was still a storm-tossed sea.
"Hong'er, excellent. As expected of my, Zhao Tianchen's, disciple. I knew you wouldn't disappoint me!"
Zhao Tianchen praised him with a proud smile.
Fang Hong: "..."
"Master, your skill at managing your expression is quite profound too."
"If I didn't clearly remember what just happened, I might have thought my eyes were playing tricks on me."
Fang Hong teased with a soft laugh.
At those words, Zhao Tianchen's face stiffened. "Stop rambling nonsense here."
"Right, since you can stir Heaven and Earth's Momentum, that means you can continue studying the Way of Formations."
"With your talent, you should have already mastered that Detailed Explanation of Formation Basics."
"So this afternoon, you should continue learning formations from Chang Chunbo."
"That old fellow may have poor judgment, but his studies in the Way of Formations run deep. Even within my Star River Sect, he is among the very best."
"However, from what I have seen, your methods in every aspect seem somewhat lacking."
"Although your strength is already sufficient, if you encounter other Inner Disciples or True Disciples during the Sect Grand Competition, you may suffer for it."
"Today, I will first teach you the Flying Immortal Steps to make up for your shortcomings in movement techniques."
"As for your other shortcomings, we will address them one by one later."
Zhao Tianchen coughed, forcibly changing the subject in an exceedingly stiff manner.
Knowing full well how prideful his master was, Fang Hong did not dwell on that awkward turn.
"Oh, then thank you, Master." Fang Hong smiled as he thanked him.
Seeing Fang Hong's smiling expression, which carried a trace of teasing, Zhao Tianchen's old face grew a little hot.
It was over. The image he had built in this disciple's heart was probably completely ruined.
But Zhao Tianchen was famous for having a thick skin and a black heart out in the world. So even though he was nearly unable to hold it together, he still forced himself to endure.
"Mm. Here are the Flying Immortal Steps manual and some Qi Replenishing Pills. Hurry up and cultivate."
"With your talent, it should not take much time."
"Once you are done, go to the Formation Hall and study on your own. Your master has something to attend to and must head out."
Zhao Tianchen casually summoned a manual and more than a dozen bottles of pills from inside the wooden cabin, tossed them to Fang Hong, then briskly left the cabin.
If he did not leave now, he felt he truly would not be able to keep it together.
Alas, a lifetime of glorious reputation, all ruined in a single day.
Why had he failed to hold it together just now?!
Seeing his master flee in such a flustered manner, Fang Hong could not help but laugh aloud.
Hearing Fang Hong's laughter, Zhao Tianchen instantly sped up.
That rebellious disciple!!
Only after Zhao Tianchen had completely departed did Fang Hong raise an eyebrow and look at the manual and pills in his hands.
Tsk, same as before.
Being a big shot's disciple really was great.
So this was what it felt like to enjoy privilege.
He had not even finished the Qi Replenishing Pills Zhao Tianchen had given him last time, yet now he had immediately received more than a dozen bottles.
The emphasis was on an excessive supply.
Not to mention there was also a movement technique manual, the Flying Immortal Steps.
But as Fang Hong looked at the manual and pills in his hands, he quickly composed himself.
He immediately opened the manual and began cultivating.
What Zhao Tianchen had just said matched his own earlier assessment.
Although his current strength was formidable enough, his shortcomings in various methods were still obvious.
If he faced ordinary martial artists, there might not be any major problems.
After all, he could rely on his overwhelming strength and forcibly crush people with sheer power.
But against the Inner Disciples and True Disciples in the Sect Grand Competition half a month from now, he would very likely find himself stretched thin.
Those people had cultivated for many years using the Star River Sect's resources.
They were the Star River Sect's true elite disciples.
In every aspect, they basically would not possess any major flaws.
Especially those True Disciples.
They were all reserve successors whom the various peaks of the Star River Sect had invested vast resources into nurturing.
They were basically heaven-blessed geniuses already earmarked for the positions of elders, the three peak masters, and even the Star River Sect's sect master.
Not only would their methods in every aspect have no shortcomings, they might instead be even more powerful.
Not a single True Disciple could be underestimated.
With that in mind, how could Fang Hong dare waste time feeling smug?
Naturally, he had to seize every moment possible to strengthen himself in all aspects.
He had to truly become an all-round existence with no weaknesses, a perfect hexagon.
There were still half a month until the Sect Grand Competition. It sounded as though he had plenty of time.
But he also had many things to do.
Learn formations, study and cultivate all kinds of martial techniques and cultivation arts, and make up for his weaknesses.
At the same time, after last night's cultivation, he had gained many ideas for creating cultivation arts afterward.
So he planned to create another one or two cultivation arts similar to the previous Body Refinement - Muscle Chapter.
If everything went smoothly, his strength would definitely rise to another level from where it was now.
No, several levels higher!
By then, once the Sect Grand Competition began, he would truly crush everything in his path and sweep aside every enemy!
Flying Immortal Steps: Beginner (23/100) ... Taking pills, Flying Immortal Steps: Minor Accomplishment (58/100) ... Taking pills, Flying Immortal Steps: Major Accomplishment (1/100) ...
Immersed in cultivation, Fang Hong quickly spent three hours.
His Flying Immortal Steps had also successfully reached the perfected realm.
The perfected Flying Immortal Steps directly propelled Fang Hong's speed to an absurd level.
This was because he had cultivated the Muscle Chapter.
His physical body was incredibly powerful, his qi and blood incomparably abundant, his inner force long and unceasing, and his explosive power immense.
His leg muscles had already contained terrifying strength.
Previously, relying only on the brute force of his legs and one or two blood-refinement-level footwork techniques, he had already been quite fast.
But now, with the Flying Immortal Steps' more advanced methods of exerting force, along with its ways of unleashing qi and blood and inner force—
His speed directly increased severalfold from its original foundation.
Whoosh~
After tossing the manual into the wooden cabin and putting away the pills, Fang Hong merely gave a light tap with his feet.
His entire body instantly transformed into an afterimage and vanished from where he stood.
The next instant, he appeared more than ten meters away in an exceptionally graceful posture.
Graceful as a startled swan, supple as a roaming dragon!
It truly lived up to the name Flying Immortal.
Fang Hong then used the Flying Immortal Steps and rushed swiftly toward the Formation Hall.
To leave himself more time to create cultivation arts later, he needed to speed up his study of formations.
With the Sect Grand Competition fast approaching, time waited for no one!
Before you continue