From Five Animal Exercises to being hailed as a saint and ancestor

The scattered starlight points all entered Yao Mengkang's body, bringing a warm and comfortable feeling, and his cultivation and physical body both improved.

He slowly exhaled a breath of stale air before looking at the three outer disciples who were still in shock.

"Thank you so much, Senior Brother Yao, for saving our lives!" The three of them quickly stepped forward, bowed deeply, their faces filled with gratitude and lingering fear.

The burly disciple in the lead, wielding a broken heavy sword and with blood still on his lips, was named Shi Meng.

The disciple who wielded twin daggers and was agile was named Lin Feng.

The female disciple with excellent archery skills was named Su Xiaowan.

Shi Meng looked at the spot where the Star Beast had disappeared with lingering fear and smiled bitterly.

"Senior Brother Yao, this secret realm is too dangerous! We encountered a demonic beast that was already at the Spirit Sea Realm. Even the three of us almost perished together. It seems the announcement was true; life and death here are truly left to fate."

Lin Feng nodded in agreement, a hint of dejection on his face.

"We thought that with our cultivation at the ninth level of the Meridian Opening stage, we could at least gain something if we were careful, but we didn't expect... the gap is too big."

Although Su Xiaowan didn't speak, her slightly white fingers, tightly gripping the short bow, revealed her inner turmoil.

Shi Meng looked at Yao Mengkang, then at the deep valley, hesitated for a moment, and said.

"Senior Brother Yao is highly skilled, so naturally we should explore deeper to seek opportunities."

"The three of us discussed it and decided to find a relatively safe place to cultivate in seclusion and see if there was an opportunity to go to the core area. If there was no opportunity, we would wait for our senior brother to return in triumph at the exit of the secret realm."

"The stellar energy here far surpasses that of the outside world. Even if we only cultivate in seclusion, the gains will be substantial. It's much better than risking our lives outside."

This is undoubtedly the safest option at present.

Yao Mengkang nodded understandingly, neither insisting nor mocking, but simply offering a reminder.

"That's fine then. But even if we find a secluded place for cultivation, we must be extremely careful and watch out for spatial rifts and turbulent energy flows."

"Thank you for the reminder, Senior Brother Yao!" The three thanked him again, then bid farewell to Yao Mengkang and cautiously retreated towards a relatively peaceful mountain valley to the side.

After seeing the three off, Yao Mengkang took a short break to catch his breath before continuing his journey toward the center of the secret realm.

Having learned from his first battle with the Star Beast, he became even more cautious, constantly extending his divine sense to guard against any potential dangers.

After traveling for about an hour, they passed through an area filled with jagged rocks and where the ground showed signs of vitrification.

The sounds of fierce fighting and thunderous shouts echoed from ahead once more.

Yao Mengkang quietly approached and parted a huge cluster of crystal-like plants.

In the open space ahead, a familiar figure was fiercely fighting with a Star Beast.

The man was tall and muscular; he was none other than Zhou Tiancan, ranked fifth among the top ten disciples of the outer academy!

He wielded a pair of heavy octagonal copper hammers, which he swung with great force and power, causing the ground to tremble and the air to explode with each blow.

His opponent was also a Star Beast at the early stage of the Spirit Sea Realm, resembling a giant bear with a thicker crystalline body and astonishing strength.

Zhou Tiancan's fighting style is bold and unrestrained, extremely fierce.

The pair of bronze hammers were clearly of high quality; they left obvious dents on the Starbeast's body and caused the starlight around the Starbeast to tremble wildly.

But he himself was not having an easy time either, as the Starbeast's claws and bites put him in grave danger.

His robes were torn in many places, revealing his bronze skin and several bloodstains. His breathing was somewhat disordered, indicating that he had consumed a great deal of energy.

Although he was in a sorry state, his steps remained steady, his eyes fierce and fearless, as if he were determined to fight this Star Beast to the death.

Judging from the situation, although he cannot win quickly, he is not in any immediate danger due to his fierce courage and solid foundation.

Yao Mengkang did not appear immediately. Instead, as before, he first used his divine sense to carefully explore the surroundings to confirm that there were no other dangers, while also observing Zhou Tiancan's battle.

He discovered that Zhou Tiancan's elemental energy attribute leaned towards earth and stone, making him heavy, stable, and incredibly defensive, but his speed and agility were slightly lacking.

Faced with the swift pounce of the Star Beast, they often had no choice but to withstand it head-on, which is why it seemed so strenuous.

Fortunately, this person's powerful body-refining cultivation served as a backup.

Within this Meteorite Secret Realm, as long as one does not perish, one may be able to open up hidden meridians and forge the foundation of a powerful being within these two months.

Zhou Tiancan was hit on the back by the Star Beast once again.

Although he managed to withstand the attack thanks to his protective Yuan Power and strong physical body, his face turned pale. Yao Mengkang knew he couldn't wait any longer.

He flashed into the battlefield like a ghost, and the Cloud-Splitting Blade was drawn once more!

"Junior Brother Zhou, I'm here to help you!"

The blade flashed like waves, aiming straight for the Star Beast's relatively vulnerable neck joint!

Zhou Tiancan was fully focused on dealing with the attack from the front when reinforcements suddenly appeared from the side, startling him.

Upon recognizing Yao Mengkang, her eyes lit up with surprise and delight: "Senior Brother Yao!"

With the addition of Yao Mengkang, a fresh force, the battle situation was instantly turned around.

Yao Mengkang's "Thousand Waves Overlapping Edge Technique" is incomparably sharp, specifically targeting the weak points of the Star Beast, such as its joints and energy core, while Zhou Tiancan directly confronts it head-on, drawing most of the firepower.

The two, one skillful and the other fierce, worked together, though not perfectly in sync, they still managed to overwhelm the Star Beast, leaving it battered and bruised.

Finally, Yao Mengkang seized an opportunity, and with the power of triple waves, the Cloud-Splitting Blade pierced into the nebula core of the Star Beast's head!

The Starbeast's body froze, then collapsed, turning into pure starlight.

This time, as if summoned, most of these starlight points rushed towards Yao Mengkang, with only a very small portion dissipating.

Zhou Tiancan, leaning on his copper hammer and panting heavily, watched as the immense power of the stars merged into Yao Mengkang's body.

Sensing the subtle increase in the other person's aura and the more lustrous glow of their body, he couldn't help but feel a deep envy in his eyes.

He clicked his tongue and said, "Damn, the effect of tempering my body with the power of the stars is amazing! It's a pity I can't beat these things, otherwise I would have killed ten or eight of them to satisfy my craving!"

Upon hearing this, Yao Mengkang felt a slight stirring in his heart, and suddenly, a familiar vibration came to his mind.

[Target Individual: Zhou Tiancan: Envy (strong), Gratitude (strong), Respect (moderate), Fighting Spirit (not yet dispelled)]

Upon realizing this result, Yao Mengkang couldn't help but look at Zhou Tiancan with newfound respect.

Faced with such a huge temptation that could directly enhance their strength.

This person harbored not a trace of jealousy or malice, only pure envy and gratitude. Such sincerity is truly admirable! He is an upright and honest man!

I, Yao, approve of this brother!

Yao Mengkang sheathed the Cloud-Splitting Blade, walked up to Zhou Tiancan, patted his sturdy shoulder, and smiled.

"Junior Brother Zhou, you haven't experienced the feeling of being tempered by the power of the stars yet, have you?"

Zhou Tiancan scratched his head, a shy smile spreading across his face, a mixture of embarrassment and helplessness in his expression.

"You bet! It's so satisfying to watch you. But this thing is too tough for me. I wonder if there are any weaker Star Beasts. The effect of your Star Power tempering is truly enviable."

"Junior Brother Zhou, you don't need to be envious. With your strength, you'll be able to easily defeat star-bone beasts of this level in just a few days."

Yao Mengkang waved his hand generously, his tone hearty.

"To be honest, we are both among the top ten outer disciples, and you, junior brother, are truly genuine. Seeing you is like meeting an old friend I haven't seen for many years!"

Yao Mengkang paused for a moment and then continued.

"Moreover, who knows how many dangers are in this Meteorite Secret Realm, and there must be even stronger beings among these Star Beasts."

"I remember the academy's announcement said that there are even demonic beasts in the secret realm that are comparable to those in the Yuan Dan realm."

"Why don't we act together? We can deal with a Star Beast of this level in a quarter of an hour at most, which will also allow us to increase our strength faster. What do you say, Junior Brother?"

"But if we go together, what about the spoils? At my speed..."

At this point, Zhou Tiancan hesitated, but Yao Mengkang understood his concerns.

"Don't worry, Junior Brother Zhou, you'll know what kind of person I am once you team up with me."

"We'll determine who owns the Starbeasts based on how much they've contributed."

"In that case, I killed this beast. You can kill the next one, so that you can see my sincerity."

Zhou Tiancan's eyes lit up at first, then dimmed again. He shook his head, quite honestly:

"No, no, Senior Brother Yao, I appreciate your kindness. But I know myself that if it weren't for you, I wouldn't have been able to kill that beast, and I might not even have survived."

"I haven't even repaid my senior brother for saving my life, how can I take advantage of him again?"

Seeing his straightforwardness, Yao Mengkang admired him even more. He deliberately put on a stern face and said in a slightly teasing tone:

"What Senior Brother Yao? We hit it off immediately, how could I let you suffer? I said you have to kill, so you have to kill! Otherwise, you're disrespecting me. Listen to your senior brother, you kill, and once you're stronger, we'll go kill even stronger ones."

Zhou Tiancan was taken aback at first, looking at Yao Mengkang's serious expression.

Then he recalled his elusive movements and unparalleled swordsmanship.

Feeling his sincerity and generosity again, a surge of passion welled up in my heart.

He was a straightforward person by nature, and valued loyalty above all else. Without further hesitation, he slapped his chest with his large, fan-like hand, his voice booming:

"Alright! Senior Brother Yao! From now on, I, Zhou Tiancan, will follow you! If you say I'll kill, then I'll kill!"

"As long as you don't make me fight with Senior Sister Mu Qingqing, everything else is negotiable."

Yao Mengkang looked shocked: "You silly boy, do you and Junior Sister Mu have some... past?"

Zhou Tiancan's face turned pale and then red, thinking to himself, "It's over. If Brother Yao finds out about my engagement with Qingqing, what will happen...?"

Zhou Tiancan's eyes glistened with tears, and he said awkwardly, "Brother Yao, don't ask about this anymore. Help me, help me increase my strength. I'll tell you when I can beat Senior Sister Qingqing."

Looking at the muscular man's teary eyes, Yao Mengkang felt helpless. Thankfully, a familiar sensation returned to his mind...

[Target Individual: Zhou Tiancan: Strong feelings of admiration, gratitude, respect, and anxiety]

I think I understand now, hehe.