At the Outer Gate, Li Taihang arrived just as the disciples finished their day of cultivation. He made his way to the familiar dormitory, where he used to stay, and spotted Lu Tong and the others returning together.
"Do you think you'll pass the test?" Lu Tong asked with concern.
"I… I don't know," Xiong Hu muttered, his head hanging low. "I haven't even reached the Body Refining Realm yet."
"Same here," echoed Xiong Er and Xiong San, their expressions equally downcast.
"Now it's just Brother Tong and Brother Bo Hu who've passed. It looks like us three brothers have no chance," Xiong Hu sighed, clearly frustrated by their slow progress. Despite having spiritual roots, the three brothers struggled to grasp the fundamentals of cultivation. Their efforts were hampered by their lack of aptitude, and time was running out.
Just as they were discussing their situation, Li Taihang walked up behind them and overheard the conversation. He quickly understood what was going on.
"What's the matter? Why do you all look so down?" Li Taihang asked, his voice breaking the silence.
Startled, the group turned around, wide-eyed.
"Did I just hear the boss?" Lu Tong blinked in disbelief.
"I think I heard it too," Sun Bohu murmured, scratching his head.
Xiong Hu was the first to react. "It's the boss!" he shouted excitedly, rushing over to Li Taihang.
The rest followed, grinning from ear to ear as they surrounded him.
"Boss, what brings you here?" Lu Tong asked, his joy apparent.
"I had some free time, so I thought I'd come check on you guys," Li Taihang said, looking around. "You all seem troubled—what's going on?"
"Uh… let's go inside and talk, boss," Lu Tong suggested.
They entered the dormitory, where the chair Li Taihang once used remained untouched, waiting for him. He took a seat, and the others settled on their beds, eager to talk.
"Tell me what's going on. Maybe I can help," Li Taihang offered.
"Boss, what level are you at now?" Xiong Hu asked curiously.
"I've already passed the Body Refining Realm," Li Taihang answered, his tone calm but confident.
Hearing this, the group couldn't help but feel envious. "It's great to have the Fifth Elder as your teacher, boss. We've had training too, but it's been... less effective," Lu Tong sighed.
He went on to explain their situation. The training they'd received included rigorous physical exercises, followed by meditation and some basic cultivation techniques. But while Lu Tong and Sun Bohu had made progress, the three Xiong brothers were stuck, unable to grasp the essential concepts.
Li Taihang could sense their frustration. "It's always tough at the beginning. Tell me more, and maybe I can help you break through."
He quickly realized that Lu Tong and Sun Bohu had already entered the Body Refining Realm, but only recently. Meanwhile, Xiong Hu and his brothers were struggling with a bottleneck.
"We've reached the Body Refining Realm, but the three of them are still stuck," Lu Tong explained, glancing at Xiong Hu.
"We're just not smart enough," Xiong Hu said with a bitter smile.
"Nonsense," Li Taihang replied. "You're just hitting a bottleneck. Once you push through, you'll enter the Body Refining Realm like the others."
"Really?" Xiong Hu asked, his hope rekindled.
"Of course."
Their faces lit up with excitement, but the enthusiasm quickly faded as doubt crept back in. "But, boss, we've tried and still can't break through. We don't even know what the bottleneck is," Xiong Hu admitted.
"This is easy to fix," Li Taihang said, his eyes gleaming with certainty.
"Really? Boss, can you teach us?" Xiong Hu asked, his voice full of hope.
Li Taihang smiled and pulled out several Bone Refining Pills. "Take these and then practice the techniques you've been given."
Xiong Hu looked at the pills in awe. "Is this really a Bone Refining Pill?"
"Yep."
"Oh my! That guy at the market was selling these for 10 million copper coins each. Boss, this… this is too valuable," Xiong Hu stammered, clearly overwhelmed.
Though ecstatic at the sight of the pills, they hesitated. They knew the immense worth of these items, but Li Taihang was offering them freely.
"Stop worrying. Just take them. Be obedient," Li Taihang urged.
"Yes, boss, thank you so much!" the three brothers said in unison, deeply grateful.
Li Taihang simply smiled.
The Xiong brothers each swallowed a Bone Refining Pill and began practicing the entry-level technique, Body Refining Technique, as instructed by the sect.
A resounding boom echoed through the room as the three simultaneously broke through, entering the Body Refining Realm. Their faces lit up with joy.
"Hahaha! I've finally done it!"
"Me too! I've reached the Body Refining Realm!"
"Thank you, boss!"
The three brothers immediately stood up, their excitement palpable, and bowed deeply before Li Taihang.
"Boss, we are eternally grateful. If you ever need us, just say the word. We'll fight for you, even if it costs us our lives," Xiong Hu vowed, his voice filled with sincerity.
"Haha, good!" Li Taihang responded, satisfied with their loyalty.
Thanks to the Sky Eye, Li Taihang could now see their loyalty levels:
Xiong Hu: 96
Xiong Er: 94
Xiong San: 94
Lu Tong: 85
Sun Bohu: 86
"By the way, how are Qingyao and Yue Niang doing?" Li Taihang asked.
"My sister has also reached the Body Refining Realm, but Yue Niang hasn't," Lu Tong replied.
"Is that so? Let's go find them. Maybe I can help Yue Niang break through as well."
"Alright, let's go!"
With the successful breakthrough of the Xiong brothers, everyone felt optimistic that Li Yue Niang could also achieve the Body Refining Realm. And with Li Taihang's help, they were determined to make it happen.
Together, they set off toward the female disciple dormitory to find Lu Qingyao and Li Yue Niang.
[A/N:I deeply apologize for my inconsistency. After recovering from my previous illness, I've unfortunately been hit by dengue again—twice now. Normally, I don't get sick, but this time it's really taken a toll on me. I can barely manage to get out of bed, and it's been a tough battle. I hope to recover soon and get back to normal.]