C4 A New World(2)

"Have I already drawn the Qi into my body? It doesn't seem too difficult. Plus, it feels like the Yuan Qi inside me is completely saturated."

Upon seeing the Yuan Qi sphere in his dantian as large as a cartwheel, Zhang Heng was taken aback. "Isn't this a bit too conspicuous? Didn't Senior Brother Liang mention that having a Yuan Qi sphere the size of a fist was already quite remarkable?"

"No matter, I must first condense the Qi Sea to ensure my survival."

Following the Qi Refining Technique, Zhang Heng began to direct the flow of Yuan Qi within his body.

But in the next instant, he froze.

He discovered that the moment he concentrated, it was like stirring up a hornet's nest; the Yuan Qi in his dantian started to wildly surge throughout his body.

Outside the cabin.

The senior students noticed the cyclone had vanished, indicating that Zhang Heng's dantian was full.

Once the dantian was full, condensing Qi into a sea should have been a straightforward, logical step, as easy as pie.

Yet, after a long wait, there was no sign of Zhang Heng condensing his Qi Sea.

As they observed the silent Zhang Heng's cabin, the onlookers exchanged puzzled glances.

It was then that they sensed something.

A brilliant Yuan Qi sphere burst forth, instantly shrouding a nearby small wooden house.

Then, the radiant Yuan Qi flashed and vanished into the dantian of a young man inside the small house.

"Someone has condensed their Qi into a sea!"

"That's not Zhang Heng."

"Could there be a problem with Zhang Heng?"

Nobody knew what issue Zhang Heng was facing, not even Zhang Heng himself.

By the third day, another person had successfully condensed their Qi.

On the fourth day, Lee Qi also managed to condense his Qi.

Still, there was no activity from Zhang Heng.

Out of the thirteen new students who had been exempt from the entrance exam, four had condensed their Qi.

It was common knowledge that the fourth day was a milestone; those with sufficient talent should have condensed their Qi by then.

Those who hadn't were typically seen as having mediocre talent. They might spend the next three to five years, or perhaps even longer, trying to condense their Qi into a sea.

By the fifth day, the remaining nine had given up. They began fixing up the small wooden houses, resigning themselves to a lengthy stay.

Zhang Heng was the only one who kept at it.

After five days without sleep, his eyes were red with bloodshot veins, and his lips were cracked and pale. Yet, he continued to wrestle with the vital energy within him.

But this energy was like a pack of unruly children, completely resistant to discipline.

Outside, people were talking.

"I thought Zhang Heng was some kind of unparalleled prodigy, but it turns out... heh..."

"He was just showing off before!"

"Now his true mediocrity is on display."

Zhang Heng never paid any attention to their words.

Just then, a loud crack echoed through the room.

A fist-sized hole had been punched through Zhang Heng's wooden door, revealing an enormous fist.

Another crack followed, and Zhang Heng's small wooden door was ripped in half and tossed aside.

Standing in the doorway was a bald young man, shirtless and muscular.

He looked like a senior student. With a menacing grin, he said to Zhang Heng, "Hand over your Qi Refining Pill."

"Four days have gone by, and you haven't condensed your Qi. With such mediocre talent, keeping the Qi Refining Pill is just a waste."

"Give the pill to me, Senior Brother Luo, and from now on, I'll have your back in this territory."

Zhang Heng glanced at the emerald jade bottle on the table.

Inside was the Energy Replenishing Pill, given to each new student.

It was said to boost energy and replenish blood.

When a practitioner was exhausted and depleted, consuming one pill could restore their vigor. It was an indispensable aid for cultivation.

Zhang Heng thought that only if he were brainless would he give it away.

Moreover, he had no time for idle chatter.

"Scram!"

With eyes ablaze and without looking up, Zhang Heng continued to focus intently on the technique of Qi condensation.

Senior Brother Luo, as if deaf to the command, strode into the room and reached out with his large hand, attempting to snatch the Energy Replenishing Pill from the table.

"Looking for trouble!"

Unable to tolerate Senior Brother Luo's brazen theft, Zhang Heng's patience snapped.

He suddenly swung his right fist, unleashing a ferocious punch that bore down on Senior Brother Luo.

Senior Brother Luo was in high spirits, having just received a bottle of Energy Replenishing Pills.

Upon witnessing Zhang Heng's punch, he scoffed with disdain, "You're out of your depth. You haven't even begun Qi Refining, so your Yuan Qi is dispersed throughout your body. You can't focus it in your fist. How do you expect to compete with me?"

While speaking, Yuan Qi from Senior Brother Luo's dantian roared into his right fist. With a casual punch, he whipped up a whistling wind.

His fist, as large as a copper bowl, met Zhang Heng's right fist head-on.

"Crack!"

The sound of bones shattering filled the air.

Zhang Heng was unharmed.

His fist remained unscathed.

In contrast, Senior Brother Luo's entire fist was shattered.

Not just his fist, but his entire right arm was severely deformed, fractured at every inch.

His body was flung by the force of a single punch, slamming into an empty house, which collapsed upon impact.

Timbers fell, burying Senior Brother Luo beneath them.

He struggled to rise, but it was an impossible feat.

With just one punch, Zhang Heng had inflicted severe injuries on Senior Brother Luo!

Senior Brother Luo was aware that Zhang Heng hadn't condensed a Qi Sea, and therefore couldn't focus his body's Yuan Qi.

What he didn't realize was that Zhang Heng possessed a demon's body, with an exceptionally strong physique.

He was also unaware that the Yuan Qi within Zhang Heng was incredibly dense; even if evenly distributed, each part of his body contained more concentrated energy than Luo's focused Qi.

Zhang Heng approached the injured Senior Brother Luo.

Amidst the chaotic timbers, Senior Brother Luo's limbs twitched, and blood mixed with bubbles frothed from his mouth, his hand still clutching Zhang Heng's Energy Replenishing Pill.

"Do you think having a Qi Sea makes you so remarkable?" Zhang Heng said, looking at the pitiful state of Senior Brother Luo. He reclaimed his Energy Replenishing Pill and, after a moment's contemplation of the green jade bottle, added, "Now, I'll be taking all of your Energy Replenishing Pills. Any objections?"

Senior Brother Luo had his reservations, but he dared not voice them.

Zhang Heng continued unabated, "If you stay silent, I'll take it as your silent consent."

"Don't worry, I'll put those Qi Replenishing Pills to good use."

"Given your mediocre talent, leaving those pills with you would be a waste."

With that, Zhang Heng barged into Senior Brother Luo's room.

All that could be heard was the sound of rummaging through boxes and cabinets.

Then came Zhang Heng's voice, "Who would've thought? Twenty-eight bottles!"

He followed up with, "Senior Brother Luo, I've taken a liking to your room! It's mine now."

Zhang Heng promptly made himself at home, discarding anything he deemed useless and moving his own belongings in.

Later, several newcomers came to reclaim the Qi Replenishing Pills that Senior Brother Luo had taken. Zhang Heng, acknowledging their shared status as new students, returned their respective pills.

The newcomers were, of course, full of gratitude and praise. Zhang Heng, unfazed, dismissed them with a wave of his hand.

After tallying up, he found he still had twenty bottles of Qi Replenishing Pills.

Yet, regardless of his actions, he never stopped pondering over the method to condense his Qi.

Sadly, he was without a single lead.

Determined, he resolved, "Today is the last day. If I can't condense my Qi Sea tonight, I have no choice but death."

"Rather than stand here clueless, I might as well check the Library of Whispering Wisdom."

From beneath the wooden beams, Senior Brother Luo watched Zhang Heng with venomous eyes, his gaze flitting about, plotting some scheme against him.

Senior Brother Luo, though merely a lowly servant disciple, had never tolerated such humiliation, bolstered by his brother's position in the Hall of Judgement.

To think he would let this slide? Impossible.