Time slipped by like flowing water.
Before long, three months had passed since Zhang Xiaofan began his cultivation journey on Dazhu Peak.
At sunrise, golden rays cascaded down the mountaintop, spilling across the flower-filled courtyards like liquid fire.
Within one such courtyard, a quiet room lay cloaked in early morning stillness.
Inside, Zhang Xiaofan sat cross-legged on a meditation cushion.
His robes were still, but a faint radiance surrounded his body. Golden light swirled around him, occasionally flickering with a hint of green.
His breathing was calm.
Each inhalation drew spiritual energy from the world, while each exhalation released impurities from his body. The aura he emitted had become refined serene, yet filled with hidden power.
Suddenly, his eyes snapped open.
Flash!
A sharp glint of golden light shot out from his pupils like twin swords slicing through the mist.
"I've reached the third level of Jade Purity… and in just three months," he muttered under his breath, astonished.
He could still recall his very first day on Dazhu Peak the moment when spiritual energy had entered his body during his first meditation attempt.
Unlike most new disciples, who might require days of struggle to establish a connection, he had done it instantly.
Five full circulations of energy, flowing smoothly without obstruction.
And yet, despite this remarkable start, he hadn't rushed ahead.
Most disciples with decent aptitude would reach the first level of Jade Purity within a week.
But Zhang Xiaofan had taken a full month.
Why?
Because while others climbed quickly with shallow roots, he had chosen to build a foundation of stone, not sand.
His cultivation path wasn't just one of Qingyun's Daoist teachings it also embraced the supreme Buddhist technique, the Great Brahma Prajna Sutra.
Merging two opposing cultivation paths was incredibly rare and difficult.
The early stages were slower, yes but the strength he now possessed far surpassed his peers.
The second level of Jade Purity had taken him twenty-five days.
The third? A little over a month.
What would take others three years, he had achieved in a single season.
And the most terrifying part?
His spiritual power wasn't just denser it was more profound, more harmonized.
He could feel it: his current strength was already comparable to someone at the fourth level of Jade Purity.
This was the power of tenfold talent.
This was the path of one who walked both light and shadow Daoism and Buddhism righteousness and the demonic.
Knock, knock...
A knock at the door pulled him back from his thoughts.
"Xiaofan!" Tian Ling'er's familiar, cheerful voice rang out from outside. "The sun is blazing already! Come on, come to the hall for breakfast!"
Zhang Xiaofan smiled faintly and stood, dusting off his robe. "Coming, Senior Sister."
When he opened the door, the warm morning light poured in, framing Tian Ling'er in a golden glow.
She stood on the path outside, arms crossed playfully, her bright eyes sparkling with mischief.
Her youthful features, framed by her soft hair and vibrant robes, carried a liveliness that was difficult to resist.
"Let's go, Junior Brother!" she said with a grin, grabbing his hand and pulling him down the stone path toward Shoujing Hall.
Zhang Xiaofan stumbled for a step, then allowed himself to be dragged along.
The two arrived at the main hall to find the long breakfast table already filled.
Seated around it were familiar faces Song Daren, the tall and muscular eldest disciple;
Wu Dayi with his quiet demeanor; He Dazhi and Lu Daxin, who always bickered playfully; and the sixth disciple, the gentle and scholarly Du Bishu.
As Zhang Xiaofan and Tian Ling'er entered, every head turned in greeting save for one.
Tian Buyi, the Peak Master of Dazhu Peak, had not yet arrived.
Behind the table stood Su Ru, Tian Buyi's wife and the true heart of the household. When she spotted them, her expression softened with a smile.
"Xiaofan, Ling'er come and eat. Breakfast won't stay warm forever," she said warmly.
"Yes, Master's Wife," Zhang Xiaofan replied, bowing respectfully before taking his seat near the end of the table.
Su Ru watched him closely.
She had been worried about this quiet, unassuming boy.
His aptitude had been rated average at the start, and in three months, he hadn't caused any trouble, hadn't drawn attention, hadn't even been particularly talkative.
She assumed he must be struggling.
That was why she had sent Ling'er to fetch him personally.
"Xiaofan," she said gently, "don't push yourself too hard, alright? Even if your talent isn't high, that's nothing to be ashamed of. Take your time.
What matters most is your health and happiness. No matter what… you'll always be family here."
Pfft!
A barely-stifled laugh escaped from somewhere down the table.
Su Ru turned sharply, eyes narrowing. "Daren, what are you laughing at? I'm trying to encourage your junior brother!"
Song Daren scratched his head, forcing a sheepish grin. "Ah no, no, Master's Wife, I wasn't laughing at you. I just… remembered something funny from a while ago."
He lowered his head quickly to hide the twitching at the corners of his mouth.
If only you knew, Master's Wife...
Zhang Xiaofan wasn't just doing fine.
He was cultivating faster than anyone in Dazhu Peak's history.
Song Daren glanced at Xiaofan, whose expression remained mild, even unreadable.
The kid's got a scary level of focus. If he keeps going like this… even Senior Sister Lu Xueqi might not be able to match him one day.
Just then, the atmosphere in the hall shifted.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
Measured footsteps echoed from the rear corridor.
Everyone straightened their backs as the heavy aura of authority swept in.
Tian Buyi entered the hall, hands clasped behind his back, his long beard swaying with each step.
His eyes were as sharp as ever, his face stern and upright.
The Peak Master had arrived.