Shredded leaves pierced through tree trunks, leaving countless tiny, deep pits in the sturdy wood.
"Huh?"
Zhang Ergou stared at the scene in shock, terrified by the power of this punch.
Then, Zhang Ergou swung his fist again along the same trajectory as before.
The falling leaves were pulverized by the punch, and the shredded remnants pierced the tree trunks, embedding themselves within.
Zhang Ergou rejoiced inwardly and continued to throw punches.
Each punch pulverized the falling leaves, the shredded fragments possessing immense penetrative power.
In the forest, the young man tirelessly swung his fists, each punch pulverizing a leaf.
The sound of breaking wind filled the air as the young man's punches grew faster and fiercer.
*Bang!*
The young man struck a tree trunk with his fist, but the struck trunk remained unharmed.
*Crack!*
A tree beyond the struck trunk snapped and broke in two.
Looking at the broken tree, Zhang Ergou knew for certain that he had finally succeeded.
Indeed, it required constant persistence, with quantity leading to a qualitative change.
Zhang Ergou, suppressing his joy, firmly memorized the trajectory of his previous punches.
With the powerful cheat device of the Six Paths Reincarnation Eyes, even techniques Zhang Ergou discovered on his own would be simplified and perfected by the great wheel of time.
After a night of deliberation and refinement, the punches Zhang Ergou had developed using only physical strength and speed were not only more powerful but also far more precise in their targeting.
With a mere thought, a tree three meters away snapped with a crack, while the one he had struck was right in front of him.
Striking through obstacles, this martial skill, common in the mortal world, had been independently discovered by Zhang Ergou.
The young man was naturally ecstatic, even forgetting the passage of time.
"Brat, why are you still practicing punches here? Don't you know it's already dawn?"
Chi Yu, who had just entered the forest, did not witness Zhang Ergou's "striking through obstacles" move. She only saw the young man standing before the trees, lost in thought.
She assumed he was contemplating some unreliable idea again.
This brat always came up with bizarre notions every day, and each time he'd spend a lot of time trying to prove his ideas correct.
He was entirely different from other cultivators; others practiced what their masters taught them.
This brat, however, always sought understanding and offered his own insights.
Several times, Chi Yu had been left speechless by Zhang Ergou's questions.
Fortunately, this brat never slacked off during his cultivation. No matter how demanding Chi Yu made his training regimen, he completed it without any compromise.
He never resorted to shortcuts, faithfully completing every training plan.
This was also why, over these past days, Chi Yu had become increasingly satisfied with Zhang Ergou.
"Master, you're here?" Zhang Ergou turned his head and saw Chi Yu, clad in snow-white robes, looking like an ethereal fairy.
"Yes, I didn't sense you going back to rest all night, nor did I see you eating breakfast, so I came to find you."
Chi Yu frowned slightly. She saw an expression of immense joy on the young man's face.
Although the youth tried his best to suppress it, the curve of his lips and his luminous eyes could not escape Chi Yu's gaze.
"Hmm? What happened to those trees? Did you break them!"
Chi Yu looked up behind him and saw a row of broken tree trunks lying behind Zhang Ergou.
"Heh heh, Master, don't rush. Would you like to spar with your disciple?"
Zhang Ergou chuckled, holding back the urge to tell Chi Yu about the martial skill of "striking through obstacles" that he had discovered.
"You brat, it's only been a few days since I last beat you, what, your skin itching again?"
Chi Yu noticed Zhang Ergou's behavior was different from usual but couldn't quite pinpoint how.
"Master, please, just spar with your disciple. I promise you won't be disappointed."
Zhang Ergou patiently and persistently tried to persuade Chi Yu to agree to a spar.
"What's gotten into you? Usually, when we spar, you try to dodge me. Are you trying to be brave today? Have you gotten stronger?"
Chi Yu stared at the young man's face, trying to discern any difference.
"Since you're so eager for me to beat you up, it's not impossible."
Chi Yu smiled. She had grown accustomed to beating Zhang Ergou these days. The brat had tough skin and never complained, making him the perfect sandbag.
"Heh heh, then Master, please be on guard. Your disciple won't hold back!"
Zhang Ergou boasted shamelessly.
"Brat, you're getting cocky with a little success. You, wanting to hit me? Practice for a few more days!"
Chi Yu shot Zhang Ergou an exasperated look. She couldn't understand what had gotten into him, making her prepare her defense.
After being beaten by her so many times, he was always left bruised and battered. Although things had improved recently, they weren't much better.
But today, the brat had some strange whim, telling her to defend herself. How could Chi Yu not be surprised?
Despite her surprise, Chi Yu didn't take it to heart.
In her opinion, Zhang Ergou had probably coincidentally broken a tree with a punch like last time, and was now eager to show off his progress.
But the last time he tried to replicate the feat, he couldn't achieve the same result, and she expected this time to be no different.
As for the broken tree trunks on the ground, she naturally overlooked them, assuming Zhang Ergou had broken them while running. She didn't consider any other possibility.
"Master, are you ready?"
"Brat, bring it on! Do I need to prepare myself to spar with you!"
*Bang!*
Zhang Ergou's fist struck Chi Yu's spiritual energy shield, emitting a crisp sound.
*Puff!*
Chi Yu, who hadn't paid much attention, was sent spitting blood by the punch. A mouthful of fresh blood erupted.
Her gaze towards Zhang Ergou was filled with shock.
As the recipient of the blow, she had genuinely felt the power of this punch, which had managed to make her, a peak Golden Core cultivator, bleed.
This was a testament to the punch's potency.
Even more incredible was that Zhang Ergou's punch had struck her spiritual energy shield, not her body directly.
Even an opponent of equal cultivation, to break her defense and injure her, would have paid a heavy price.
Yet, the young man before her, her disciple, possessed only late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivation.
Even more terrifying was that the strength used in his punch carried no spiritual energy; it was purely his physical strength and speed.
Although Zhang Ergou's punch didn't break Chi Yu's defensive shield, it caused her to be injured and bleed through the spiritual energy barrier.
This was even more horrifying than breaking her shield. In all her years of cultivation, Chi Yu had never been injured by a cultivator with a lower cultivation level than hers.
And Zhang Ergou, who was a whole realm below her, had accomplished this. How could she not be astonished?