Heaven rewards diligence, but there are always fairies plotting against me.

"Junior Sister Zhou, I'm fine."

Chu Chang stopped her, somewhat amused, and pointed behind her: "Look."

Zhou Linzi was stunned for a moment, then turned her head to look.

The three seedlings of "Blood Stasis Nourishing Grass" that had weathered the storm were not only unharmed, but had grown by a full three inches because they had absorbed the pure spiritual energy tamed by the sword formation.

The originally delicate leaves now have a faint, noble golden edge.

"Golden Silk Nourishing Herb?!"

Zhou Linzi couldn't help but gasp and cover her mouth.

That's a top-grade mutated version of the "Blood Stasis Removing and Spirit Nourishing Herb"! Its medicinal effects are at least three times that of the ordinary Blood Stasis Removing and Spirit Nourishing Herb!

"This...how is this possible..." Zhou Linzi could hardly believe her eyes.

"Perhaps it's because when my Golden Geng Sword Intent was protecting them, some of my true essence was absorbed by them," Chu Chang stood up, patted the dirt off his backside, and laughed.

"A blessing in disguise. Junior sister, you can rest assured now."

Zhou Linzi turned her head and looked at Chu Chang.

The boy in front of me looked rather pale and his white clothes were covered in mud, making him appear somewhat disheveled.

But in her eyes, Chu Chang at this moment was ten thousand times more handsome than those self-proclaimed "true prodigies" in the sect.

"Chu Chang, thank you." Zhou Linzi's voice softened, a rare occurrence for her.

"Junior sister, you're too kind. Just remember to share two leaves with me when the herbs are ripe," Chu Chang said half-jokingly.

"Hmph, we know each other, why be so polite?" Zhou Linzi blushed and reverted to her usual spoiled self.

…………

…………

…………

The setting sun dyed the bamboo forest of Tianxuan Peak into a shimmering gold.

Chu Chang and Zhou Linzi walked slowly down the mountain along the path covered with fallen leaves.

Although they were tired from a day's work, looking at the three "Golden Silk Nourishing Grasses" growing peacefully in the sacred land, the two of them felt particularly relaxed.

However, their ease was shattered by a commotion as soon as they stepped into the plaza where the outer disciples lived.

In the square, a huge bulletin board was surrounded by people.

"The outer sect competition will be held in three months!"

"I've heard this competition is extraordinary. The top ten will not only be directly promoted to inner sect, but will also have the opportunity to enter the Weapon Cleansing Pool to refine their natal weapons!"

"The Weapon Cleansing Pool? That's a sacred ground of the sect, said to be able to transform ordinary iron into spiritual weapons!"

The disciples' enthusiastic discussions reached Chu Chang and Zhou Linzi's ears without missing a single word.

Zhou Linzi stopped, her almond-shaped eyes brightening slightly, and turned to look at Chu Chang: "Junior Brother Chu, will you participate in the outer sect competition three months from now?"

Chu Chang patted the mission badge in his sleeve and smiled slightly: "Of course I will participate. Only by entering the inner sect can one access the sect's true core resources."

More importantly, only by becoming an inner disciple could he openly stand shoulder to shoulder with Lin Ruoxue to explore the earth-shattering secret behind the "Quiet Mind Avoiding Poisonous Marrow".

"Alright! Then I'll participate too!" Zhou Linzi puffed out her ample chest and said proudly, "Although I'm not good at fighting, my Hundred Herbs Poison Mist and array formations are not to be underestimated. See you in the inner sect then!"

"It's a deal, see you at the inner gate."

After saying goodbye to Zhou Linzi, Chu Chang returned to his stone house alone.

In the stillness of the night, he sat cross-legged on the stone bed and took out a bronze token that emitted a faint glow from his storage bag!

This was the privilege certificate he obtained after completing the mission to hunt down Zhao Meng, granting him exceptional access to the third floor of the library.

"In the past three months, the outer sect has become a den of hidden talents. Although my Golden Geng Sword Technique has been mastered, my methods are still somewhat limited. While the Tai Xuan Sword Intent's Breaking Army and Guarding as Mount Tai are powerful, they consume a great deal of true energy. I need a more profound martial art that can perfectly combine my physical strength with the five elements of true energy."

Thinking of this, Chu Chang took a deep breath and closed his eyes to regulate his breathing.

The following morning, as the first rays of dawn broke through the clouds, Chu Chang was already standing in front of the library, one of the most sacred forbidden areas of the Divine Sword Sect.

The library of the Divine Sword Sect is a nine-story, octagonal tower perched atop a solitary peak.

The entire tower is made of black "demon-suppressing stone," and is engraved with countless densely packed fire-resistant, moisture-proof, and enemy-defense arrays.

Even from hundreds of feet away, one can feel the profound heritage that comes from the ancient times.

Chu Chang stepped into the first floor, where hundreds of outer disciples were sitting on futons, reading through various basic cultivation techniques.

He didn't stop, but climbed up the ancient wooden staircase on one side.

At the entrance to the second floor, two guards verified his identity and let him pass.

When Chu Chang arrived at the entrance to the third level, an invisible and powerful divine pressure instantly pressed down on him like a tidal wave.

A withered old man dressed in hemp clothing, sitting with his eyes closed on the stone steps, slowly opened his eyes.

Those eyes had no pupils, only two deep vortexes of sword energy swirling wildly.

"Outer sect disciples, halt. The third level is a restricted area for inner sect disciples; anyone who trespasses will have their cultivation abolished." The old man's voice was devoid of any emotion.

Chu Chang, with a respectful expression, presented the bronze token with both hands: "Disciple Chu Chang, on the orders of Steward Liu of the Mission Hall, has come to select a cultivation technique."

The old man's withered fingers made a grasping motion in the air, and the token instantly fell into his hand.

He sensed the special restriction on the token, the vortex of sword energy in his eyes slightly subsided, and he glanced at Chu Chang with a hint of surprise: "Oh? The little guy who killed Zhao Meng... Go in. You only have one hour, and you can only take away a copy of one cultivation technique."

"Thank you, Elder."

Chu Chang felt a sense of relief wash over him, and the terrifying oppressive feeling vanished instantly. He bowed again and stepped into the third floor of the library.

The third floor is much quieter than the lower floors, and the space is also much smaller.

Dozens of huge white jade pillars stand all around, and several ancient jade slips, each wrapped in a bubble-like barrier, float on each pillar.

These are all top-tier Xuan-level techniques, ranging from mid-grade to high-grade.

"The Blazing Sky Sword... has extremely strong explosive power, but it is not suitable for my metal element attribute."

"The Dragon Steps... a high-grade Xuan-level movement technique, it's good, but I lack offensive methods."

Chu Chang scanned the jade slips with his divine sense, but he still couldn't find the one that best suited him.

Just as a little over an hour had passed, Chu Chang stopped in front of a somewhat dim stone pillar in the far corner.

A lone, slightly damaged, dark gold ancient jade slip floated on the stone pillar. The bubble barrier enveloping it was somewhat broken, faintly emanating a desolate, domineering, and heavy aura, like that of an ancient behemoth.

Below the jade slip, there was a line of somewhat blurred ancient characters:

The Eight Desolations Demon-Suppressing Fist!!

Marginal note: This fist technique was created three hundred years ago by a remarkably talented elder specializing in body refinement. This fist technique does not cultivate sword intent, but focuses solely on the power of the physical body and true essence. A single punch unleashed possesses power that reaches the eight directions, incomparably domineering. However, this technique demands extremely high physical strength; only those born with superhuman strength or those who also cultivate their physical body can practice it. Several inner sect prodigies have forcibly attempted to practice it, resulting in the shattering of meridians in both arms, rendering them crippled. Therefore, it is classified as an extremely dangerous technique.

Upon seeing this line of text, Chu Chang showed no fear; instead, his eyes gleamed with an unprecedented sharpness.

"Extremely high requirements for physical fitness?"

"Specializing in domineering power?"

This was practically made for him!

He had cultivated an unknown, mysterious technique, and after repeated purification of his body, his physical form had become as powerful as a demon beast of the same level. Moreover, when he severely injured the one-eyed giant in Black Wind Valley, he had vaguely grasped the threshold of this "overcoming all laws with force" technique.

"It's you."

Without the slightest hesitation, Chu Chang reached through the broken barrier and grabbed the dark golden jade slip in his hand.

After obtaining the rubbing of "Eight Desolations Demon-Suppressing Fist", Chu Chang did not delay for a moment and went straight to a secluded valley in the back mountain of Tianxuan Peak.

Here, a waterfall hundreds of feet high crashes down from the cliff like a giant silver dragon.

"Boom!"

The raging torrent of water crashed against the massive black "thousand-pound stone" below, sending up a cloud of mist and creating a deafening roar. The gravity and water force here were more than ten times that of ordinary places, making it an ideal place for body tempering.

Chu Chang stood by the pool, placed the jade slip on his forehead, and immersed his consciousness into it.

"boom!"

A magnificent scene instantly exploded in his mind.

A blurry, golden giant shadow, with the blue sky above and the earth beneath its feet.

Facing the thousands of demons roaring towards him, he simply took a step forward, then lowered his shoulders, tucked in his stomach, and threw a punch.

"Eight Desolations... Suppress Demons!"

That punch seemed to have smashed a huge black hole into the void.

The violent fist wind transformed into tangible golden ripples, instantly turning countless demons into ashes wherever it passed, and even the laws of heaven and earth trembled slightly under this punch.

What an overbearing and invincible "fist stance" that was!

"No regrets when the fist strikes, the intention precedes the fist. Using the physical body as a furnace, and true energy as firewood, it blends the energy of all directions to suppress the demons of the nine netherworlds..."

Chu Chang muttered to himself, completely immersed in that domineering and unparalleled fist intent.

After a long while, he opened his eyes, a resolute glint in them.

He took off his shirt, revealing a well-defined, perfectly sculpted upper body. He took a deep breath, and with a swift movement, he charged directly into the raging waterfall, onto the slippery "thousand-pound rock" in the center of the pool.

"boom!"

The heavy water slammed into his back in an instant.

The powerful impact caused Chu Chang to groan, his legs trembling violently, nearly plunging him directly into the deep pool. His skin instantly turned bright red, with even tiny blood vessels seeping from his pores.

"Stand still!"

Chu Changgang gritted his teeth, his feet gripping the slippery rocks like dragon claws.

The golden true essence within his body began to circulate wildly, combined with his powerful physical strength, allowing him to forcefully maintain his footing despite the violent impact of the waterfall.

"First Move: Shatter Mountains and Rivers!"

Chu Chang clenched his fists and, under the immense pressure of the waterfall, managed to assume the starting stance of the giant golden shadow with great difficulty.

The water hit the fist with a dull thud.

Chu Chang's eyes widened, and under the overwhelming water pressure above his head, he suddenly threw a punch upwards.

"Bang!"

He used only his physical strength to deliver this punch, but due to the resistance of the waterfall, the speed of his punch was as slow as that of an old man in his twilight years. Before he could even deliver most of the punch, he was smashed down by the violent water flow.

"Again!"

Chu Chang roared defiantly.

Once, twice, ten times, a hundred times...

Beneath the waterfall, the boy's figure was repeatedly knocked down by the water, yet he stubbornly rose again and again. His fists were pounded until they were torn and bleeding, the blood mingling with the water, only to be instantly washed away.

But with each failure, his eyes grew brighter and more resolute.