Here is the rewritten and refined version of your chapt
Crack!
With a single strike, the thick, jet-black bamboo tree renowned for its incredible toughness snapped and crashed to the ground.
A stunned silence followed.
Song Daren, who had been observing from the side, rubbed his forehead and sighed in disbelief. "Forget what I said earlier… comparing myself to you is just asking to be heartbroken."
Tian Ling'er's eyes sparkled as she clapped with joy. "Xiaofan, you're amazing! Really amazing!"
Zhang Xiaofan withdrew his hand, still flexing his fingers, stunned by the sheer force behind his strike.
The Black Spirit Bamboo was known throughout Qingyun Mountain for being nearly unbreakable.
Cutting one down typically took three days and nights of tireless effort for a low-level disciple.
But he had done it in a single blow.
With only five complete circulations of spiritual energy running through his meridians, this was the result?
His heart surged with excitement.
So this is the power of cultivation.
If this much strength came from simply circulating spiritual energy... what about when he reached the first level of Jade Purity? Or the second? The fourth? And what of the legendary Upper Purity, or even the elusive Great Purity realm?
The idea stirred a powerful hunger in his heart.
He was hooked.
I want to grow stronger. Stronger than anyone.
He turned to his two senior disciples with a calm expression. "Senior Sister, Senior Brother, my task for today is complete. I'll return to my quarters and rest."
Just as he was about to step away, Tian Ling'er's voice rang out behind him. "Junior Brother, wait!"
She leapt into the air with a playful smile, her amber silk belt fluttering like a ribbon of light. In an instant, she descended beside him and pulled him forward, the silk wrapping around both of them as they soared down the slope like a pair of birds gliding on wind.
The wind blew past their cheeks, carrying the sweet scent of mountain flowers.
Soon, they arrived at the base of Dazhu Peak, in front of Shoujing Hall the modest living quarters for disciples of this remote peak.
"Come," Tian Ling'er said, beaming. "Let me show you your room."
Unlike the other peaks of Qingyun Sect, where dozens of disciples shared barracks or chambers, Dazhu Peak had very few disciples so few, in fact, that each one enjoyed a private residence.
Zhang Xiaofan's assigned room was no exception.
Nestled within a small, serene courtyard, it had a winding stone path leading to the wooden front door.
On the left side bloomed a small flowerbed, while a few tall, ancient trees stood to the right, their leaves rustling softly in the evening breeze.
It was peaceful, simple… and quietly beautiful.
He bowed slightly to Tian Ling'er. "Thank you, Senior Sister."
She grinned. "Rest well, Junior Brother. Tomorrow, we continue your training."
With a gentle wave, she turned and skipped off, her figure disappearing into the gathering dusk.
Zhang Xiaofan stood at the doorway a moment longer before entering.
That night, moonlight bathed the courtyard in a cool, silvery glow.
Inside the room, Zhang Xiaofan sat cross-legged on the wooden bed, breathing evenly. He reached into his robe and retrieved a strange object wrapped in a strip of silk.
As he unfolded it, a purple-red bead the size of a pigeon's egg emerged, faintly glowing with a strange green aura.
The Bloodthirsty Pearl.
A legendary demonic artifact of terrifying reputation.
Eight hundred years ago, the infamous Black-Hearted Old Man, leader of the Blood Refining Hall, had used this very treasure to dominate the Demon Sect. It was a symbol of fear and destruction one of the three great demonic relics of its time.
In Zhang Xiaofan's hands now, it pulsed with a quiet hunger.
He stared at it in silence.
He remembered the stories. In the original version of fate, he had later forged the terrifying Soul-Devouring Stick a combination of this Bloodthirsty Pearl and the Soul-Capturing Staff.
With it, during the Seven Clans Martial Competition, he had reached the fourth level of Jade Purity and still fought evenly with Lu Xueqi, who was already at the eighth level and wielded the divine sword Tianya.
Just remembering that made his blood race.
To fight a genius like Lu Xueqi while being four entire stages below her... that wasn't just talent. That was the terrifying power of demonic cultivation.
I must acquire that strength again. And surpass it.
But that wasn't all.
To truly rise to the peak of this world, he would also need to master the supreme Buddhist technique of Tianyin Temple the Great Brahma Prajna Sutra.
Even in the original tale, with his so-called "mediocre talent," it had taken him three full years to reach the first level of Jade Purity the slowest in Qingyun Sect's history. And yet, with the Heavenly Book later in hand, he had advanced faster than anyone, eventually overtaking Lu Xueqi herself.
But now?
Now, with his tenfold talent, the path ahead was no longer a long struggle.
No longer would he be the boy lagging behind.
Tenfold aptitude didn't just mean doing things ten times better it meant breaking the rules. Tearing them apart.
If others needed a hundred days, he needed ten.
If others had to risk their lives, he could dominate with ease.
Clutching the Bloodthirsty Pearl in one hand, Zhang Xiaofan took a deep breath.
He closed his eyes.
He began to circulate the Great Brahma Prajna Sutra.
Golden light began to swirl gently around him, radiating from his skin like ripples in a calm lake. His breathing became shallower, deeper, calmer. Each inhalation drew in spiritual energy from the surroundings, refined by his body and spirit.
The Bloodthirsty Pearl hovered beside him, floating midair, resonating faintly as if responding to the ancient Buddhist sutra.
He was cultivating a righteous path with a demonic relic in his possession.
No one else could walk this path.