Open a Small Stove

After an unknown amount of time, Wang Zhan, now completely covered in snow, moved slightly.

The snow on his shoulders fell in soft clusters.

In Wang Zhan’s eyes, the rage and humiliation gradually faded, leaving only cold clarity.

“Even a lion hunting a rabbit uses all its strength!”

“I had forgotten…”

A faint whisper slipped from his lips.

He looked down at his still tightly clenched fist, his nails deeply embedded into his palm.

Then, slowly, he opened his hand.

He raised his head and gazed into the distance.

“Battle Asura… Sword in White… Wang Xiaopang…”

“I will remember today’s humiliation. There will be no second time…”

As the words fell, his qi and blood burst forth, sending the snow on his body flying.

Then, step by step, he walked toward his family’s estate.

He walked slowly, steadily!

Each step was firm, powerful!

Every footfall felt like reforging his shattered will into something stronger.

With each step, his aura condensed and rose higher.

When I let go of arrogance, wash off the dust, and start anew.

…

In a hidden mountain hollow, the air rippled faintly.

Then, a figure gradually materialized. It was Wang Xiaopang, who had slipped away using a teleportation talisman earlier.

He carefully looked around, sweeping his spiritual sense over the area repeatedly. After confirming there was no danger, he plopped down on the ground.

Thinking of Wang Zhan’s final moment—how he had tried to charge through the thunder talismans straight at him—

“This Wang guy is absolutely crazy when he’s angry. Scared your Fatty right out of me,” he muttered under his breath, though no fear showed on his face.

Since Gu Changge had reshaped his foundation, and after all those days of “special attention” in the Genius Tower,

Wang Xiaopang was well aware that his physical strength and combat ability were nothing like before.

On top of that, he had a mountain of talismans with all kinds of effects.

If it came down to it, going up against Wang Zhan—who was already heavily injured by the Thunderbolt Talisman—wouldn’t have him backing down.

Still, in the end, Wang Xiaopang chose to leave.

He had already achieved his goal—testing the Nine Heavens Thunder Talisman through Wang Zhan.

Who knew how many trump cards and secret techniques a prodigy with the Emperor’s talent like Wang Zhan still had? Without a guarantee of victory, it was safer to play it cool.

“Leave the face-to-face, showy stuff to Big Senior Brother and Second Senior Brother!”

“Heh… the power’s not bad.”

He glanced at the unused Nine Heavens Thunder Talismans still in his hand, recalling the image of Wang Zhan standing firm against the thunder—hair standing on end, robes shredded, mouth full of blood.

He murmured to himself, a smug, sly smile creeping across his face.

“But still… after taking four thunder talismans head-on, this Wang Zhan was still able to fight. The power’s still not quite enough.”

He frowned.

“No, no, that won’t work. Not safe, not safe at all!” he said to himself.

“The thunder talisman’s power needs to be stronger! Strong enough that one talisman can blast even Wang Zhan at his peak—Wang Zhan realm peak—so he can’t move, loses all combat ability… or just kills him outright!”

Once the thought took hold, it grew like wild grass in Wang Xiaopang’s heart.

He could already picture himself holding an enhanced “Nine Heavens Thunder Talisman,” blowing up every opponent, including Wang Zhan, into screaming, pathetic wrecks.

“Yeah! That’s the plan!”

With that, he probed his spiritual sense into his talisman tower, where the volatile thunder source liquid pulsed with dangerous energy.

“With you, I’ll make it happen no matter what. Hehe…”

Soon, with a clear goal in mind, Wang Xiaopang calmed his mind and began working on his grand plan.

…

On Purple Bamboo Peak, clouds and mist swirled.

At that moment, Li Xuanfeng, Shi Jingxian, Lin Mochen, and Mu Chenyu stood respectfully before Gu Changge.

They had received a message from Xiao Ruobai and rushed back to the sect without delay, not even stopping to report to their respective masters.

With a mix of anticipation and nervousness, they now stood neatly in a row before Gu Changge.

Though they didn’t yet know why Gu Changge had called for them, instinct told them it had to be something good.

Almost immediately, the sound of air tearing followed.

Xuanyangzi arrived first, his cheerful and eager voice carrying through the air before his body had even fully landed: “Junior Brother Gu, is there urgent business?”

Behind him, Shi Wanshan and Ye Guying followed closely. Their gazes burned with intensity as they swept over the four juniors in the courtyard and Gu Changge, who was leisurely sipping tea in his recliner.

Gu Changge didn’t answer. Instead, his calm gaze swept over Li Xuanfeng and the other three.

Suddenly, a wave of pressure cascaded over them like a tide, settling heavily on their shoulders.

The four disciples’ faces went pale. Their spiritual power seemed to freeze, as if an invisible mountain had been placed on their backs, making it hard even to breathe.

Their cultivation techniques spun wildly, their full strength erupting without reservation—all of them at the Transcendent Realm.

In Xuanzhou, a Transcendent Realm cultivator would be enough to serve as a sect leader or even an ancestor in any of the other seven great sects.

But in Azure Mystery Sect, they were merely core disciples.

If the elders of those other sects ever found out, their jaws would hit the floor.

As Gu Changge’s pressure gradually intensified, the disciples felt as if they were bearing a mountain ten thousand meters high.

Gritting their teeth, they resisted with everything they had. Though their bodies shook, not one of them bent over, nor did anyone retreat.

Gu Changge watched as a spiritual light—far denser and more refined than ordinary Transcendent Realm cultivators—flickered faintly around them. He gave a slight nod.

The pressure lifted. The four heaved a sigh of relief; cold sweat drenched their backs, but their eyes were brighter than ever.

They knew—Gu Changge had been testing their foundations.

After a moment, Gu Changge’s voice rang out: “You four have decent foundations. Compared to ordinary cultivators, you can be considered solid.”

But then his tone shifted: “However, there is still significant room for improvement. Moreover, when you circulate your techniques, your spiritual power still flows sluggishly, not yet perfectly smooth.”

At that, Gu Changge suddenly raised his hand and gently struck each of them.

The four were jolted as if hit by a heavy blow, each spitting out large mouthfuls of blood.

The blood was dull, even dark, and made a faint sizzling sound as it hit the ground, releasing a foul energy.

Xuanyangzi, Shi Wanshan, and Ye Guying’s expressions changed drastically. Instinctively, they moved forward, but then halted, realizing what the blood signified.

Gu Changge had forcibly expelled years of accumulated blood stasis and impurities buried deep in the disciples’ meridians.

Li Xuanfeng was the first to understand. He straightened up abruptly, ignoring the blood still on his lips, and immediately examined his internal state.

What he found left him trembling. The spiritual power that had once flowed with subtle resistance now moved with unprecedented smoothness. A lightness and clarity he had never felt before coursed through his entire body.

The other three also sensed the change within themselves, their faces alight with joy and amazement. Relief flooded through them.

Suppressing their excitement, the four bowed almost simultaneously: “We thank Senior Uncle Gu.”

"Still not enough!" Gu Changge's voice rang out next.

Upon hearing this, Xuan Yangzi, Shi Wanshan, and Ye Guying were all delighted.

"Looks like Changge intends to give them some special coaching!"