Zhang Teng's words struck Zhang Xiaoxiao's heart like a heavy hammer.
She felt deeply wronged.
She had clearly been looking out for Zhang Teng, yet not only did he refuse to appreciate it, he was even willing to disregard their bond as siblings.
So Zhang Xiaoxiao gritted her teeth and asked,
"Brother, am I wrong? Senior Lin Bei is so powerful... if he were willing..."
Before she could finish,
Zhang Teng cut her off.
At that moment,
Zhang Teng felt an indescribable disappointment.
In his eyes, Zhang Xiaoxiao was like a frog sitting at the bottom of a well, gazing at the sky.
He offered no further explanation.
In fact, Zhang Teng could not even be bothered to explain.
"Either shut your mouth or go to the woodshed. Pick one!"
Zhang Xiaoxiao seemed to want to say something more, but when she saw Zhang Teng's icy gaze, she finally chose to keep quiet.
Time passed.
Night fell.
Tieniu settled Zhang Xiaoxiao into a guest room.
Inside the guest room, Zhang Xiaoxiao stood by the window, gazing at the bright moon outside, her thoughts unknown.
Elsewhere,
in the secluded cultivation chamber,
Lin Bei was undergoing his Fifth Tempering.
Just then, a voice suddenly rang out in his mind.
[Your disciple Zhang Teng has gained insight into the Zhou Tian Acupoints, deepening his understanding of the Tai Chi Breath-Absorbing Art. He has realized that the Tai Chi Breath-Absorbing Art encompasses all things and has achieved a second Limit-Breaking.] [Your Tai Chi Breath-Absorbing Art has advanced to three Limit-Breakings.]
Lin Bei froze for a moment.
Did that boy Zhang Teng... really have such exceptional comprehension?
After the third Limit-Breaking,
when he circulated the Breath-Absorbing Art this time, even the Aperture Points throughout his body began drawing in and releasing energy.
Lin Bei understood that Zhang Teng had not gained insight into the "Ultimate Way" he had taught Tieniu.
Instead, he had integrated what he learned, extracted its essence, and used it to achieve a breakthrough in the Tai Chi Breath-Absorbing Art!
What a monster!
That boy Zhang Teng was practically born with an immortal cultivation constitution.
Lin Bei could not help marveling inwardly...
Time slowly passed.
The next day,
at dawn,
a gentle breeze brushed past the flowers outside, carrying their fragrance into the room.
"The Fifth Tempering! I've done it!"
After his Fifth Tempering, Lin Bei possessed an air of otherworldliness.
It felt as though he had been reborn.
"It seems the nine refinements of breath absorption are a process of transcending the mortal world."
Lin Bei's understanding of Dao-method wielding was also gradually deepening.
Originally, he had envisioned Dao-method wielding as merely controlling Heaven-and-Earth Spiritual Power...
But now, he suddenly understood...
Dao-method wielding was not as simple as controlling Heaven-and-Earth Spiritual Power. Rather, it meant entering a state of resonance and symbiosis with it.
He gained a deeper understanding of what it meant to follow nature's course.
Upon arriving at the Martial Arts Grounds,
Lin Bei found Tieniu wholly absorbed in practicing his punches.
"Master! Please do something about Tieniu!" an apprentice at the Martial Arts Grounds said anxiously.
Lin Bei glanced at him. This apprentice was close to Tieniu and was called Xiao Liuzi.
"What's wrong, Xiao Liuzi?" Lin Bei asked.
"Master, Tieniu has gone mad!"
Xiao Liuzi was extremely nervous.
"He's been practicing his punches since yesterday, all the way until now! He hasn't slept all night."
"Won't something go wrong if he keeps this up?"
Just then,
Zhang Xiaoxiao suddenly said, "He rested for four hours last night."
"That still won't do! How can anyone train like this?" Xiao Liuzi's face was full of anxiety.
Hearing this, Lin Bei observed Tieniu carefully.
He was in excellent condition!
He understood that Tieniu was pushing himself to his limits, hoping that by squeezing every last bit out of his body, he could get it to open its Aperture Points naturally.
"It's fine," Lin Bei said calmly. "Tieniu is in excellent condition. He's trying to set foot on the path of cultivation. Don't disturb him."
Xiao Liuzi was taken aback.
"Master, do you mean there's nothing wrong with training like this?"
Lin Bei saw through his intentions at a glance.
"Tieniu was born with divine strength. He has the talent and foundation to train this way. You don't, so forget it!"
Sure enough,
at those words, Xiao Liuzi and several other apprentices nearby looked disappointed.
Just then,
Zhang Teng emerged.
The moment Zhang Xiaoxiao saw Zhang Teng, surprise appeared on her face.
Because...
she actually sensed an air of transcendence about him, as though he stood apart from the mortal world.
"You've reached the fourth refinement?"
Lin Bei spoke calmly.
He was somewhat surprised inwardly as well. His Tai Chi Breath-Absorbing Art had already undergone three Limit-Breakings, making his cultivation far faster than Zhang Teng's.
Yet Zhang Teng had reached the fourth refinement in such a short time?
Seeing Lin Bei's surprise, Zhang Teng looked ashamed.
"Master, I'm ashamed to say that I only reached the fourth refinement so quickly because I had already attained indestructible vajra. During breath absorption, my body refining progressed exceptionally fast."
Zhang Teng told the truth. "The Fifth Tempering will probably be much slower."
Lin Bei nodded in satisfaction.
"Master, your disciple has one more matter to report."
"Speak!"
Zhang Teng hesitated no longer and immediately said, "Master... I gained some insight last night. My Breath-Absorbing Art seems to have achieved a second Limit-Breaking."
"Nothing exceptional."
Lin Bei spoke nonchalantly. Worried that Zhang Teng might grow arrogant and complacent if he realized how monstrous his talent was, he decided to take him down a peg.
"I originally thought that after I explained the acupoint method to Tieniu, you'd achieve a breakthrough as soon as you returned. I didn't expect you to take half a day."
At those words, Zhang Teng froze briefly, then realized that Lin Bei had known all of this from the start.
At that moment, understanding dawned on him!
So when Lin Bei taught Tieniu the cultivation method in front of him, he had also been secretly guiding him.
"Thank you for your guidance, Master!"
Lin Bei smiled faintly. Worried that too much criticism might shake Zhang Teng's confidence, he offered a little encouragement.
"Being able to break the limits of the Breath-Absorbing Art does make you outstanding. Don't grow arrogant or complacent. Keep working hard."
"Yes!" Zhang Teng was brimming with determination.
Seeing Zhang Teng's attitude, Lin Bei nodded in satisfaction.
Just then,
a figure appeared outside the Martial Arts Grounds.
Lin Bei looked up.
The visitor was none other than Mu Qingyue from the Central Hall.
"Miss Mu, you're here?" Zhang Teng greeted her with a smile.
"How did the mediation go?"
At that moment, Mu Qingyue wore a slightly ashamed expression.
"I'm ashamed to say it! Although our Martial Arts Headquarters in Azure Cloud City carries some prestige, it isn't enough in Nanyang."
Mu Qingyue sighed helplessly.
"I already went to Nanyang and entrusted the matter to their Central Hall. Unfortunately... the Nanyang Zhou Clan refused to give them any face."
Though she did not spell it out, everyone at the Martial Arts Grounds understood.
The mediation
had failed!
"However... it isn't as though there's no way out of this!"
A gleam flashed in Mu Qingyue's eyes as she changed tack.
"In Nanyang, there's nothing we can do about them, but this is within Azure Cloud City's sphere of influence. I've already reported this to the hall master, and he wants your Martial Arts Grounds to move next to the Central Hall."
Mu Qingyue said with some anticipation, "Once you're beside the Central Hall, we'll naturally have a way to protect you."
Before Lin Bei could speak, Zhang Teng refused outright.
"There's no need. We're staying right here. We're not going anywhere!"
Before you continue