Ouyang Peng glanced at the Bone-Strengthening Pill on the table and said, "This medicine is only effective for those who practice External Martial Arts. I want Shi Niu from the sect to take it. What do you all think?"
After speaking, Ouyang Peng looked at Liu the Fifth and Xu the Sixth, since only their disciples practiced External Martial Arts.
Liu the Fifth readily said, "Fine, I have no objections. That lad Shi Niu has extraordinary strength—even greater than mine. If he takes it, he will surely become a peerless general for our Misty Sect."
Xu the Sixth thought for a moment before saying, "I have no objections either. My few disciples have limited talent, so it would be better to make Shi Niu whole. But Shi Niu is too straightforward. You must keep a firm hold on him."
Ouyang Peng nodded. "I have my own measure of that."
Hu the Eldest looked at the porcelain bottle containing the Qi Augmenting Pills and said, "Then let Third Junior Disciple Brother handle these Qi Augmenting Pills as he sees fit. Among our disciples, use them on those with decent aptitude and potential. As for those who are not up to it, do not give them any."
Ouyang Peng smiled. "Senior brothers, the medicinal herbs gathered from the Secret Realm this time were limited. I will distribute them according to each disciple's circumstances. A Hai and Qing'er said there are still many herbs in the Secret Realm. Besides, now that we control it, such herbs will flow in without end in the future. There will also be many Qi Augmenting Pills, so please rest assured. Every one of our direct disciples will receive a share."
Hu the Eldest smiled as well. "That is good. We must never harm the harmony within the sect over the distribution of these pills. And A Hai and Qing'er, who went to the Secret Realm, must certainly be richly rewarded."
Ouyang Peng said, "Yes, I share Eldest Senior Brother's view. In a little while, I will give each of them a Qi Augmenting Pill."
Hu the Eldest said, "There is no rush for that. Now that we have obtained the Qi Boosting Pill and Bone-Strengthening Pill, we should take them first, lest their medicinal properties fade."
Ouyang Peng said, "Eldest Brother is right. The sect's records state that absorbing these pills takes a full day and night. Let us enter the Secret Chamber now and circulate our qi to refine the pills. What do you say?"
Hu the Eldest said, "Good. Give instructions for the sect's affairs and summon Shi Niu. Let us enter seclusion together."
Following his words, Ouyang Peng summoned his eldest disciple, Zhang Chengyue, and gave him a string of instructions. Zhang Chengyue accepted the order and left. Before long, Shi Niu entered the Council Hall, still bleary-eyed, apparently lacking the awareness that a pie had fallen from the sky onto his head.
Behind the Council Hall was a deeply concealed small door. Beyond it lay a long tunnel, its walls lined with countless torches. At a glance, it seemed to stretch endlessly beyond sight.
Ouyang Peng led everyone through the small door and down the tunnel. After walking for nearly the time it took to drink a cup of tea, they finally reached the end. There stood a vast hall furnished with tables and chairs, with several different small doors leading farther inward. Looking up, they saw an immense open space above them, four or five zhang high, where the veins of the rock were plainly visible. They were already inside the belly of the mountain.
Ouyang Peng handed the jade case containing the Bone-Strengthening Pill to Shi Niu and pointed at one of the small doors. "Go inside, find a small room, take the pill within, then practice as you normally do—repeat it eighty-one times."
Shi Niu took the jade case without another word, turned, and left.
The others headed through different small doors, each finding a small room to enter seclusion and meditate quietly.
Ouyang Peng found a Secret Chamber and sat cross-legged. He first circulated the Misty Divine Art once, settling his mind, then took the jade case from his robes and removed the Qi Boosting Pill. Its fragrance struck his nose; the black pill felt hard in his hand, nothing like the Qi Augmenting Pills refined by the Medicine Hall. Ouyang Peng calmed himself and placed the Qi Boosting Pill in his mouth. It melted into liquid on his tongue, flowed down his throat into his body, then instantly transformed into a warm current that charged straight toward his dantian.
At that moment, Ouyang Peng dared not let his thoughts wander. He gathered his mind and circulated the Misty Divine Art with all his strength, refining that warm current. The Secret Chamber immediately fell into utter silence.
After an unknown amount of time, Ouyang Peng finally ceased his cultivation and carefully examined his body. A surge of delight rose in his heart. The Qi Boosting Pill truly lived up to its name—his cultivation had grown by more than double. His true qi flowed through his meridians as smoothly as mercury spilled across the ground, without the slightest obstruction, leaving behind no hidden danger at all. When Ouyang Peng calculated carefully, he found that he had circulated his qi exactly eighty-one times—not once more, not once less. He secretly thought, Truly a divine pill.
Ouyang Peng sat quietly for a while before rising, pushing open the door, and entering the main hall. Hu the Eldest, Li the Second, and Shangguan the Fourth were already waiting there.
Ouyang Peng stepped forward and asked Hu the Eldest with concern, "Eldest Brother, how did it go?"
Hu the Eldest said with a beaming smile, "Worthy indeed of a legendary divine medicine. It spared me ten years of cultivation."
Ouyang Peng hurriedly congratulated him.
Then Ouyang Peng asked Li the Second. Li the Second did not answer, merely drew his long sword and, with a sweep empowered by qi, caused a one-inch blade glow to extend from its edge. Ouyang Peng was overjoyed and congratulated him again.
Without waiting for Ouyang Peng to ask, Shangguan the Fourth said, "Third Brother, my cultivation has nearly doubled this time. It truly is divine medicine. What about you?"
Hu the Eldest and Li the Second also looked at Ouyang Peng with concern.
Ouyang Peng smiled as well. "By luck, my Misty Divine Art has increased by more than double and is now nearing the realm of great completion."
Shangguan the Fourth cried out in admiration again and again.
After some time had passed, Liu the Fifth, Xu the Sixth, and Shi Niu still showed no sign of emerging. Shangguan the Fourth could not help feeling worried. Ouyang Peng said, "There is likely no need for concern. External Martial Arts differ from internal arts; internal power need only circulate. External Martial Arts presumably alter the bones and muscles, so let us wait a little longer."
They waited in the great hall for the time it took to eat two meals. Suddenly, wild laughter rang out from a nearby stone room as Liu the Fifth pushed open the door and emerged. His burly frame seemed to have slimmed down somewhat, while the two axes in his hands now appeared light as feathers. He strode before them with brisk steps, no longer carrying his former heaviness. There was no need to ask—his martial arts had advanced by leaps and bounds.
Soon after, the door to another stone room opened, and Xu the Sixth emerged from seclusion as well. His figure had not changed much, but when he approached, everyone saw that his temples bulged slightly and his large hands had turned fair, carrying the texture of jade. It seemed his External Martial Arts had begun to progress from without to within.
When the Misty Six Tigers gathered, their cultivation having surged wildly, they naturally congratulated one another without end.
Only Shi Niu in the last stone room had yet to emerge.
Everyone could not help finding it strange.
Ouyang Peng walked lightly to the stone room where Shi Niu was in seclusion and listened closely. He heard gusts of wind from within, accompanied by Shi Niu's faint breaths. He was still practicing.
Ouyang Peng turned to look at Liu the Fifth, feeling puzzled. Fifth Brother and Sixth Brother have both emerged. Could this Shi Niu's cultivation be deeper than theirs? Why has he still not come out?
After another while, Ouyang Peng listened again, but nothing had changed.
Ouyang Peng was utterly baffled. Could it be that the Misty Sect was about to produce an unparalleled master?
After the time it took to eat another meal, Ouyang Peng could no longer restrain himself. He gently pushed the door open a crack and peered inside. A huge figure was methodically practicing the Great Strength Vajra Hand. Every move was powerful, every gust of wind fierce. Palm force split through the air from afar before Ouyang Peng's eyes, even stirring a response from his Misty Divine Art. After Shi Niu had practiced for a while, he finally shouted, "Seventy-eight!" Then he began again from the first form of the Great Strength Vajra Hand. At that moment, Shi Niu spotted Ouyang Peng peeking in. His fists and feet did not pause as he shouted, "Sect Leader, wait a moment! I've only reached the seventy-eighth round. I'm not far from eighty-one!" His words were clear and his breathing steady, without affecting the execution of his techniques in the least. Such profound skill could not be attained without thirty to fifty years of bitter practice.
Ouyang Peng was greatly shocked. Was this the true way to take the Bone-Strengthening Pill? He had no idea how Fifth Brother and Sixth Brother had circulated their qi. He wanted to ask them, but after thinking it over, he decided against it. It was already over; even if they had taken it incorrectly, nothing could be changed. It would only add to their troubles.
Thus, Ouyang Peng returned to the others and chatted idly with them as they quietly waited for Shi Niu to complete his eighty-first round.
They stood there until their legs were beginning to ache. Fortunately, they had just received such a fortuitous encounter, so none of them minded much. Just as they were silently complaining, the stone door finally opened.
Shi Niu emerged, his body now a third larger than before. A faint gleam shimmered across his skin, and his imposing aura shot into the heavens. As he walked before them, he gave the impression of a giant spirit god.
The moment Shi Niu saw Ouyang Peng, he shouted, "Sect Leader, what was that thing you gave me? Why was it so fragrant? It worked better than eating ten bowls of rice! Usually, after practicing the Great Strength Vajra Hand three times, I'm drenched in sweat and gasping for breath. But after eating that little pill, I practiced eighty-one times without feeling tired at all! I still feel strong right now—I could practice a while longer without any problem."
Everyone secretly laughed.
Ouyang Peng asked, "Shi Niu, how do you think your cultivation compares to before?"
Shi Niu scratched his head. "I don't know. I just feel stronger than before. Before, I could kill a cow with one punch. Now, I could probably kill a bear."
Liu the Fifth stepped forward. "Shi Niu, come. Hit me with all your strength."
Hearing this, Shi Niu did not stand on ceremony. He took a deep breath and threw a punch. Liu the Fifth also raised his fist to meet it. He had intended to use eighty percent of his strength, but before the fists even drew near, the punch wind was already rushing at his face, sharp and biting. Startled in his heart, he hurriedly exerted his full strength.
The two enormous fists collided with a Bang! Shi Niu retreated one step, stamping a deep footprint into the stone floor. Liu the Fifth, meanwhile, staggered back five steps, each step leaving a footprint in the stone slabs.
Cradling his slightly aching fist, Liu the Fifth walked up to Shi Niu and said, "You brat, you've improved greatly. This old man may no longer be your match."
Shi Niu grinned foolishly.
Xu the Sixth said from the side, "Fifth Brother, do not belittle yourself. Shi Niu's skill lies in his hands, while you use Weapons. He is likely no match for your battle axes."
Liu the Fifth patted Shi Niu's statue-like muscles. "Of course I know that. Come on, Stone Ox, let's go drink."
Then he grabbed Shi Niu and headed toward the corridor.