Zhang Er Gou woke up in pain.
Yes, he had fainted from exhaustion while practicing horse stance, but Chi Yu, feeling a pang of sympathy and a touch of admiration, had still given him the medicinal bath.
Amidst the excruciating, needle-like pain that made him feel as if he were between heaven and hell, Zhang Er Gou painstakingly opened his eyes. Gazing at the pool of crimson liquid before him, he could only grit his teeth and persevere.
Just as Chi Yu had said, the dosage of the medicine tonight was significantly increased compared to yesterday, and the pain was several times more intense.
Hiss!
He gasped, drawing in a breath of the rich medicinal aroma emanating from the pool. Zhang Er Gou emptied his mind, trying his best to ignore the physical discomfort.
To his surprise, this approach proved effective. Gradually, Zhang Er Gou began to forget that he was submerged in the medicinal liquid, and the sensation of pain on his body lessened considerably.
With his previous experience, Zhang Er Gou knew that relying solely on his own endurance was mentally taxing. It was better to multitask.
As soon as the thought occurred, Zhang Er Gou, while soaking in the pool, began to cultivate his soul power.
Previously, while learning alchemy from Qiao Yan Yun, he had been told that the reason he could refine pills was because his soul power had already reached the Profound tier.
This was rare among cultivators of the same cultivation level. It was his innate, superior soul power that allowed him to learn alchemy so quickly.
Of course, this was also due to his possession of spiritual fire. From then on, Zhang Er Gou had silently taken Qiao Yan Yun's words to heart.
He had been deliberately and unintentionally exercising his soul power. On the night before the Outer Sect Competition, he had learned the Roaring Dragon Chant.
However, due to his insufficient soul power, he could only execute the Roaring Dragon Chant once, and it would cause severe repercussions.
Taking advantage of this lull, Zhang Er Gou intended to vigorously cultivate his soul power. But since he had never specifically trained his soul power, he could only figure it out himself.
The Roaring Dragon Chant, as a sonic attack skill, could not only catch opponents off guard in battle, causing confusion, but most crucially, it could inflict a certain amount of damage to the enemy's soul.
Since it was an attack on the soul, its execution relied on soul power. The cultivation method for the Roaring Dragon Chant was already imprinted in Zhang Er Gou's mind.
Therefore, he didn't need to search extensively. With a thought, a string of mysterious characters appeared in his mind.
Zhang Er Gou intently observed the characters that appeared in his mind, hoping to find a way to enhance his soul power.
Time ticked by second by second. After a long while, Zhang Er Gou had reread the cultivation principles of the Roaring Dragon Chant countless times, back and forth, yet he still couldn't find a method to improve his soul power.
As expected, it wasn't as simple as he had imagined. Zhang Er Gou had underestimated the difficulty of enhancing soul power.
However, he wasn't without gains. By studying the cultivation technique of the Roaring Dragon Chant nearly a thousand times, he gained a new understanding of its vocalization methods.
This was a case of "when one door closes, another opens," or "an unintended action yielding an unexpected result."
With thousands of repetitions, Zhang Er Gou's proficiency in the Roaring Dragon Chant reached a new level.
If before Zhang Er Gou could only barely execute the Roaring Dragon Chant, now he could perform it at any time, without any preparation.
Roar!
A low, deep dragon's roar suddenly issued from Zhang Er Gou's mouth. His eyes were tightly shut, and he felt nothing unusual.
However, Chi Yu, who was meditating and cultivating not far away, was startled. She opened her eyes, and with a swift movement, she arrived at the edge of the pool.
Looking at Zhang Er Gou with his eyes closed, a flicker of confusion and surprise crossed Chi Yu's beautiful eyes.
"To enter a state of enlightenment under such circumstances, he is truly a monstrous talent!" Chi Yu thought, inwardly astonished.
Indeed, unbeknownst to Zhang Er Gou, by repeatedly reviewing the cultivation principles of the Roaring Dragon Chant in his mind, his mind and spirit had become one, and he had entered a state of enlightenment.
The low dragon's roar he had just uttered was unconsciously produced.
Chi Yu stared intently at Zhang Er Gou, who was submerged in the pool, feeling pleased that the young man could enter a state of enlightenment under these conditions.
Of course, any disturbance during the state of enlightenment was highly detrimental. From Su Dan Novel Network.
Fortunately, Chi Yu sat down beside the pool to guard Zhang Er Gou. Who knew how long this boy would remain in his enlightened state.
Enlightenment was an extremely difficult state for cultivators to achieve. Some enlightenments led to a new realm of advancement for a cultivator.
Some enlightenments, however, resulted in a cultivator gaining a new understanding of a particular spell or skill.
But regardless of the type, enlightenment brought about a qualitative improvement for the cultivator, a transformation that simple cultivation could not achieve.
Therefore, seeing Zhang Er Gou enter a state of enlightenment, Chi Yu was also very happy for him.
"I wonder what he will realize from this enlightenment. He will likely undergo extraordinary changes upon awakening," Chi Yu murmured to herself, feeling proud of herself for taking in such a prodigious disciple.
Chi Yu had never heard of anyone entering enlightenment at the Foundation Establishment stage. This was because enlightenment was not merely a change in a cultivator's thought process.
It also involved a connection with the power of heaven and earth, leading to a new understanding of the laws of nature.
Communicating with heaven and earth was a capability possessed only by Nascent Soul stage powerhouses. Therefore, upon first seeing Zhang Er Gou enter a state of enlightenment, Chi Yu's initial reaction was disbelief.
However, once she confirmed that Zhang Er Gou had indeed entered a state of enlightenment, the excitement in her heart surpassed even her own cultivation advancements.
Silently keeping watch by his side, Chi Yu lost the mood to cultivate. Her eyes remained fixed on Zhang Er Gou, submerged in the pool.
Fearing that any surrounding noise might disturb Zhang Er Gou, Chi Yu thoughtfully set up a barrier, isolating the immediate environment from the outside world.
At this moment, Zhang Er Gou remained in that profound and mysterious state. The cultivation principles of the Roaring Dragon Chant were already incredibly familiar in his mind.
Gradually, those characters transformed into points of light, which then converged, forming the image of a colossal dragon.
Initially, the dragon's shadow was faint and ethereal. As the characters slowly dissolved into nothingness, the dragon's shadow finally solidified into a substantial, colossal dragon, swimming within Zhang Er Gou's mind.
Roar!
A tremendous roar erupted within Zhang Er Gou's mind. A world appeared in his consciousness, and with the dragon's enraged roar, the heavens and earth themselves changed.
A feeling of earth-shattering upheaval swept over him. Although Zhang Er Gou was like an observer, he was still stunned by the changes brought about by this single roar.
His eyes snapped open abruptly, and fear was evident in the young man's gaze.
"What's wrong?" Zhang Er Gou, having just opened his eyes, hadn't yet recovered from the shocking scene when a gentle voice reached his ears.