Aruheng was floored. The logic was undeniable—why settle for a hundred-year soul spirit when you could have a boutique, high-bloodline creature from the Spirit Pagoda's inner sanctum? He looked ready to agree instantly, but Zhangting turned to Mu Ye first.
"Teacher, what do you think? Is it feasible?"
Mu Ye felt a brief surge of annoyance at being bypassed, but it vanished as soon as he looked at Zhangting's respectful posture. "You know the Spirit Pagoda's resources better than I do," Mu Ye admitted, his voice softening. "Since you've taken such an interest in your junior brother's future, we'll do it your way. The sect will provide ten-thousand-year spiritual materials to bolster his mental strength in the meantime."
"Thank you, Teacher! Thank you, Senior Brother!" Aruheng beamed.
Zhangting gave Aruheng's shoulder a firm pat before returning to his cross-legged position. As he meditated, his body began to vent thick plumes of white steam—a visual testament to the internal war between his boiling blood and the absolute zero of the Ice God Pearl. It took a full day for the mist to clear and for his skin to fade from a scorched red back to its natural tone.
The Gilded Buddha
The cycle of the Earthly Fiend Cave became their entire world. The sun and moon traded places in a blur of agony and progress as they chased the ultimate goal: 206 Golden Runes.
Month 3: Aruheng's mental strength underwent a qualitative breakthrough. He successfully fused with a Thousand-Year Unyielding Soul (Power-type) from the treasury.
Year 1: Zhangting reached the first major milestone. As the final beginner-level rune etched itself into his skeleton, his entire body erupted in a blinding, golden radiance. He sat in the cave like a Gilded Buddha, luminous and impenetrable.
Aruheng, forced to squint against the glare, could only whisper, "Amazing... one year to finish the entry level."
Mu Ye stepped forward, cautious of Aruheng's morale. "Don't be discouraged," he said, staring at Zhangting but speaking to Aruheng. "The entry level is just the start. The real wall is the Lesser Completion Realm, where you must integrate those 206 runes into your flesh. It took me twelve years. Even with your talent, catching up to Zhangting's freakish pace is... uncertain."
Aruheng just laughed, his chest broad and his heart even broader. "If I can't catch up, I can't catch up! I'm losing to my Senior Brother, not some stranger. What's there to be upset about?"
Mu Ye stood speechless. You're making me look narrow-minded, he thought silently.
Year Two: The Qualitative Leap
The second year was the period of explosive transformation. As it neared its end, the "seasoning" of their training had created a masterpiece.
Aruheng finally refined all 206 golden runes, matching Zhangting's entry-level status.
Qian Gu Zhangting crossed the threshold into Minor Mastery.
Minor Mastery was the turning point. At this stage, his physical body was now equivalent to someone who had achieved "Major Mastery" in any acquired secret technique. He had reached the physical threshold to absorb a Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Ring.
However, the body is only half the battle. A ten-thousand-year ring brings the Soul Shock—the vengeful remnant of the beast's spirit. For most, this was an insurmountable wall. While Zhangting's mental strength was bolstered by the Ice God Pearl and his own "brain development" theories, Aruheng's spiritual talent remained his only bottleneck.
Level 20: The Record Breaker
At eight years old, Qian Gu Zhangting broke through to Level 20.
He was now poised to become a two-ring Great Soul Master. To put this in perspective:
Qian Gu Dongfeng (Grandfather): Reached Level 20 half a year later than Zhangting.
Qian Gu Die Ting (Great-Grandfather/Limit Douluo): Reached Level 20 at the same age.
Zhangting had matched the pace of a Quasi-God.
The two-year "internship" at the Body Sect was coming to a close. Mu Ye looked at the boy standing in the depths of the cave—not at the beginner's ten-foot depth, but at the hundred-foot abyss where the malevolent energy was thick enough to drown a man. Zhangting moved through it with the ease of a fish in water.
"Zhangting," Mu Ye said, his voice echoing in the deep. "This place has nothing left to teach you. You've outgrown the cave."
Chapter 24: The Spirit Pagoda's Move
Zhangting stepped out of the violet mist, his skin shimmering with a faint metallic luster. He looked at his hands, feeling the 206 runes humming beneath his skin, waiting to be called.
"Then it's time to return," Zhangting said.
But his return to the Spirit Pagoda wouldn't be a quiet one. His grandfather had already sent word. There were plans in motion—plans involving the Yuanen Family and the delicate balance of power on the continent.
Zhangting's eyes flashed. He had spent two years forging the sword; now, he was eager to see what it could cut.
Follow-up: With Zhangting returning to the Spirit Pagoda at Level 20, which type of Ten-Thousand-Year soul beast do you think best complements the newly reinforced Panlong Staff?