After sleeping that night, Bao Gang woke up refreshed. His injuries had healed completely overnight, now only leaving white marks where the slashes from the tiger used to be.
Additionally, he could feel a strange force present in his bloodstream. Not yet concentrated enough to detect, but growing rapidly, perhaps the reason for his quick recovery from wounds which would normally take months to heal. The woman attributed this to medicinal pills. Both hers, which she fed him, and she presumed Bao Gang to have eaten others as well before passing out. She also did not know the true extent of the damage, as some of it had already healed by the time she arrived. In reality, her pills did absolutely nothing to help her, but was absorbed by the mysterious force in Bao Gang’s bloodstream, which allowed it to become more prevalent in his body.
“Have you joined a sect yet, young fellow?”
“No, not yet.”
Grabbing his shoulders, the woman said,
“Now that you have healed, should we head over to my sect. We can admit you as a disciple, given how you have already reached the peak of muscle strengthening.”
She began to steer him to the north, not even giving him a chance to respond to the question which she had said. She had also said it assertively, as if not a question, but a statement.
Bao Gang, while not liking her actions, also did not disapprove of joining a sect as he had already learned of the dangers of cultivating in the wilderness.
The woman said forcefully,
“Oh, and make sure you remember to bring your lizard along.”
After making sure Bao gang was holding Xiao Gou Shi, she picked him up, threw him over her shoulder, and began to run in the direction of her sect.
Her running speed was slightly slower than Bao Gang’s jogging speed. While this could partially be attributed to the extra weight of Bao Gang, this also shows the difference between geniuses and normal cultivators. Even though they have to go through more body reconstructions, their cultivation makes them stronger than those at the same realm. The woman’s running speed had been enhanced in the strengthening muscle realm, as well as invigorated blood. By contrast, Bao Gang had only gone through strengthening muscle, but would still be faster in a competition, although he would lose in a long distance race due to the endurance gained from invigorated blood. The additional reconstructions would also allow geniuses to cultivate further, because the body tempering realm could be considered a foundational realm. The stronger the foundation, the taller a building can be built on top of it.
After running for 15 hours(she ran faster on the way back to her sect because her injuries had healed), they reached the entrance to her sect.
While running, she told Bao Gang a bit about herself. Her name was Hao Lin and worked for the Immortal Mountain sect as a treasure seeker. Her most basic job would be to use her magic tool in order to find materials which decreased the density of spiritual energy. These would not be heavenly materials, but just spiritual herbs which absorb a minute amount of spiritual energy from the air. Her entire day would be spent walking around hoping for a spiritual herb to ripen while nearby, which would allow her to find the medicine with her tool.
Bao Gang did not ask about medicinal pills or contracted beasts, as he did not want to expose himself for having a lack of basic knowledge, as well as unorthodox beast taming methods and a method to autonomously heal his body.
Over the journey, the trees became sparser and soon we saw plains, and after running in the plains, we eventually saw the sect.
This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.
A majestic gate overshadowed nearby houses. The houses clustered around the sect for protection, but it made them look shabby by comparison. The sect was located at a mountain. Living residences could be seen built into the mountain with 13 big mansions at the very top. Had he not been able to use his spiritual sense, he would not even be able to see the top of the mountain, as it rose into the clouds. The mountain looked to be about a mile in radius, with the furthest houses in the nearby town being 3-4 miles away from the sect. The houses on the edge of town looked even more ragged than the others, and the remains of fires could be seen.
“Sometimes the edges of the town are attacked by demonic beasts looking for food. The sect protects them, but only after the sect members arrive.” She explained.
After reaching the entrance to the sect, Hao Lin put him down.
A wave of cramps flooded his lower body. The 15 hour trip had robbed his legs of blood flow, and at this point they seemed to be unusable, but partially recovered after about 10 minutes.
Some of the nearby people looked at him, and then went back to their own business. Not wanting to keep drawing attention, he walked towards the gate. However, two cultivators at the sides of the gate made an angry expression as he strode past the gate.
“Halt! Only sect members can enter the Immortal Mountain!”
“He is a new recruit,” replied Hao Lin
At this, the townspeople gasped in surprise. The figure which had seemed to collapse from exhaustion and was limping as if his legs did not work, seemed so different in temperament to the other sect members. The townspeople, while surprised, did end up going back to their own business after hearing the explanation, however a few youths standing in a group looked slightly angry. They seemed to be at about the same age as Bao Gang(7 years old).
“Look at that weak descendent. If he is a member of the sect, but can barely walk, he must be the descendent of some powerful elder.”
“Jeez, I hate those who abuse their family for their own gain.”
They started mocking Bao Gang, but as he was about to retort, Hao Lin whispered to him,
“Don’t fight with him, Shang Lan has already reached the realm of steel tendons, and is also the son of one of the outer sect elders. If you fight you will only embarrass yourself, and I won’t be able to punish him due to his parents.”
Bao Gang did not reply. He kept walking into the sect, but Shang Lin jumped in front of him.
“I joined the sect due to my own efforts, instead of abusing my parents, I refuse to allow a piece of trash like you to enter the sect.”
“So I just need to beat you in a fight?”
“Yes.”
As soon as Shang Lin responded, Bao Gang threw a punch at his face from 2 feet away. Although not a fan of surprise attacks, Bao Gang already knew that he could not let his strength be shown as it would arouse suspicion, given that it would be much stronger than even the most talented genius at the strengthening muscle stage.
He also knew that he would be at a disadvantage in a straight up fight due to his lack of battle experience. However, he would not be scared to do this, as the steel tendon realm did not actually add any strength to a cultivator, it would just allow them to use their tendons more without suffering damage. In other words, in terms of strength a steel tendon realm had the same strength as a strengthening muscle realm, but a steel tendon realm has more explosiveness. As a fellow steel tendon realm cultivator, Bao Gang would not suffer from frayed tendons in an extended fight, but he would expose himself as a steel tendon cultivator, which he did not want to do in a dangerous place with people such as Hao Lin lusting after his pet.
The punch connected. Bao Gang had used more force than a normal strengthening muscle cultivator would be able to exert in order to show his genius to the sect and have value to the sect.
Shang Lin was knocked out cold in one punch.
While this would not be surprising in a fight between different level cultivators, this would be surprising if the one to be knocked out cold was the one at the higher cultivation!
Bao Gang coolly walked past his unconscious body into the sect. He did not feel pity, as Shang Lin had been asking for it.
Gasping, Hao Lin quickly remembered to follow after him, shocked out of her mind.
The other people in Shang Lin’s group said,
“Holy Crap! Not even the super genius Wang Go could instantly defeat someone at a higher cultivation with only one punch!”