Shen Xiang now possessed two True Yuan Pills, which were high-quality spiritual-grade pills. Such pills were quite rare in martial arts sects, making them difficult to acquire; usually, one had to provide the materials and hire a pill master for crafting.
"Don't eat them just yet. You've only recently entered the ninth level of the Mortal Martial Realm. Familiarize yourself with this realm first, and when you're ready to break through to the tenth level, then swallow them in one go!" Su Meiyao advised.
Shen Xiang sighed and reluctantly stored the pills away. He was eager to experience their effects.
The Zhen Tian Palm was an extremely powerful attack technique that released a massive amount of true qi from within, creating a shockwave that could strike at a distance. It could also deliver a concentrated hit, but if the target dodged, it would waste a lot of true qi.
"Zhen Tian Palm!" Shen Xiang stretched out his hand and struck forward. In an instant, ten trees in front of him shattered, and the ground trembled like ocean waves, showcasing its overwhelming power.
He practiced in a forest within the Tai Wu Sect, where, had he practiced in the martial arts academy, he might have destroyed the entire place.
"Only three days to master it, not bad!" Shen Xiang observed the results with satisfaction. "Now let's try the Xuan Gang Finger!"
Suddenly, a faint blue aura enveloped his index finger, appearing calm but emanating a suppressive force.
Shen Xiang pointed it at a stone slab and lightly poked it, creating a small hole as if he were piercing through tofu.
"Let's see… if I use my invisible and colorless Qian Kun True Qi, it should be even more powerful! I could probably destroy spiritual weapons!" Shen Xiang laughed, feeling quite pleased with the low-grade earth technique.
The Qinglong Claw was also a similar technique, but it was aggressive and a quick attack style, while the Xuan Gang Finger allowed for more subtlety, enabling unexpected strikes.
Upon returning to the martial arts academy, Shen Xiang saw that Zhang De and Yun Xiaodao wore expressions of joy, indicating they had found good masters.
"Shen Bro, you're back just in time; otherwise, you wouldn't see Zhang old man anymore!" Yun Xiaodao said.
"Oh? Why's that?" Shen Xiang asked, confused.
Zhang De replied with a smile, "My master is stationed near the border of Tai Wu State, so I have to follow him around. It'll let me experience the world and refine my skills."
"That sounds good. Take care!" Shen Xiang smiled back.
After Zhang De left, Yun Xiaodao grinned and said, "Shen Bro, do you want to know who my master is?"
"Who? Don't tell me it's the Pill Elder!" Shen Xiang laughed.
"Of course not, it's an old lady from the third martial arts academy. She has some connections with my Yun family, so she took me as her disciple. But during the assessment, I was tortured badly, and she even took my old black hawk!" Yun Xiaodao said with a grimace.
Someone from the third martial arts academy! That was quite impressive in the Tai Wu Sect, leaving Shen Xiang pleasantly surprised.
"Shen Bro, without a master, won't you feel downcast?" Yun Xiaodao asked in a lowered voice.
Shen Xiang laughed heartily, "Xiaodao, you'd better train hard, or I'll leave you in the dust! I managed to grow this far on my own; do I really need a master?"
"Xiaodao, you got a master but didn't treat us to a meal? That's not very nice!" Zhu Rong grinned as he approached. Ever since he learned that Shen Xiang was a pill master with numerous resources, he had been hanging around Shen.
"Fatty, all you do is take advantage of me! I've known you for so long, but you've never treated me!" Yun Xiaodao retorted.
"Who said? The last time we went out together, I treated you to a bowl of noodles!" Zhu Rong immediately fired back, looking wronged.
"Get lost! That bowl of noodles wasn't even worth a penny; it had no meat in it!" Yun Xiaodao kicked him.
Zhu Rong, not one to back down, grumbled, "At least it counts as a treat! You're the first person I've ever treated to noodles!"
"By the way, Shen Xiang, the Tai Dan Academy is holding a pill competition. Are you going?" Zhu Rong asked excitedly.
"What are the rules?" Shen Xiang's interest piqued.
"Same as in previous years! Within a specified time, whoever produces the most True Yuan Pills with the best quality wins!" Zhu Rong rubbed his hands together, laughing.
Shen Xiang's lips curled into a confident smile as he declared, "I'm definitely going!"
He quickly made his way out of the martial arts academy toward the Tai Dan Academy. He had learned about its location in recent days; parts of it were near the Xuan Realm, while others were within it.
Upon reaching the No. 8 courtyard of the Tai Dan Academy, he unexpectedly ran into Yao Haisheng.
"What are you doing here again?" Yao Haisheng was in charge of the registration, and he was furious, having previously dealt with Shen Xiang too harshly.
Shen Xiang hadn't anticipated encountering his second enemy within the Tai Wu Sect, but he knew that Yao Haisheng was a third-level pill master capable of refining mid-quality spiritual-grade pills. It was no wonder he had acted arrogantly that day.
"I'm here to register for the competition," Shen Xiang replied calmly.
Seeing Shen Xiang ignited Yao Haisheng's anger. He had to help Shen Xiang pay the tuition fee to enter the Tai Wu Sect, especially since Shen Xiang had severely injured his disciple.
"Just you? Can you even refine True Yuan Pills? If you fail, you'll have to pay for the materials. Fail three times in a row, and you're out," Yao Haisheng mocked.
Before Shen Xiang could respond, Yun Xiaodao chimed in, "Not only can Shen Bro do it, but he's also going to win first place and claim those two True Yuan Pills!"
"Ha!" Yao Haisheng burst out laughing. "This rookie thinks he can beat us old-timers in the Tai Dan Academy? If he wins, I'll gladly take him as my master!"
Shen Xiang chuckled inwardly at the thought of this middle-aged man bowing to him as a disciple.
Many in the Tai Dan Academy shot him disdainful glances. No matter how talented Shen Xiang was, at only seventeen, refining high-quality pills was already quite the achievement. They believed he was far from being able to produce spiritual-grade True Yuan Pills, as those who had attempted knew they had to fail hundreds of times before succeeding. They thought Shen Xiang wouldn't be able to afford the materials.
Suddenly, a cold voice interrupted, "If Shen Xiang wins first place, I will make an exception and allow him to enter the Tai Dan Royal Academy!"