In a magical and profound realm, Zhang Ergou yearned for the power to control heaven and earth.
Yet, he struggled to grasp that feeling.
Lost in thought, a sky-shattering roar echoed through the entire small world.
ROAR~~~
A colossal dragon's roar shook the entire small world.
Leaves rained down, and the mountains trembled in that instant.
The spiritual beasts, who had been watching the pouring rain, cowered in fear, afraid to move, even as they stood in the muddy ground.
Heaven and earth spiritual energy surged towards Zhang Ergou, cloaking his body in a sacred radiance.
He seemed like the master of this world.
......
After a long while, the world gradually returned to calm. The dark clouds dispersed, leaving only the rain-soaked ground and scattered fallen leaves to tell of the recent turmoil.
Zhang Ergou slowly opened his eyes, a sharp gleam flashing within them. Had anyone been present, they would have noticed a significant change in him.
His aura was more potent yet more restrained.
If the former Zhang Ergou was like a drawn sword, sharp and ostentatious,
the current him was much more subtle. However, there was no doubt that Zhang Ergou had become stronger!
"Did I... break through?"
Zhang Ergou felt the formidable power and abundant spiritual energy within his body and asked in surprise.
What he didn't know was that he had been in that state of profound enlightenment for ten full days.
Fortunately, he was inside the small world within the black iron sphere, where the flow of time differed greatly from the outside.
Otherwise, Zhang Ergou would have already missed the second round of the Grand Competition between the two sects.
During this enlightenment, not only did his cultivation level improve, breaking through to the mid-Golden Core stage,
but his practice of the "Furious Dragon Roar" also advanced, directly reaching its second realm.
Previously, the "Furious Dragon Roar" could only cause enemies to briefly lose their focus and slightly disrupt their spiritual consciousness.
However, the current "Furious Dragon Roar" could directly inflict damage upon the opponent's soul.
Both these developments brought Zhang Ergou immense joy.
He never expected that the inconspicuous black iron sphere he accidentally obtained would bring him such great benefits.
......
During these three days and three nights, the elders and disciples of the Misty Sect waited with burning anxiety.
Zhang Ergou had remained in his room for three days and three nights.
Apart from the sudden gathering and rapid dissipation of spiritual energy on the first night,
there had been no further disturbances from Zhang Ergou's room.
What worried the elders was that their spiritual senses still could not penetrate Zhang Ergou's room.
The mysterious formation remained, and on several occasions, the divine senses of powerful Nascent Soul cultivators like Elder Tiandao were repelled.
This made the faces of the Nascent Soul elders grow increasingly grim.
Elders and disciples with cultivation below the Nascent Soul stage, while unaware of the specifics,
could sense the unease as Zhang Ergou remained secluded and the elders' expressions darkened.
The atmosphere at the Misty Sect's encampment became heavy. Zhang Ergou's previous victories against two mid-Golden Core disciples of the Liuhai Sect had greatly boosted the Misty Sect's morale.
Now, their "hero" had been absent for three days and nights, his condition unknown, casting a shadow over every member of the Misty Sect.
......
Creak!
The room door opened, and Zhang Ergou emerged. Seeing the courtyard crowded with people, he scratched his head sheepishly.
"Everyone's here!"
"You little brat, are you alright?"
Chi Yu flashed before Zhang Ergou, examining him from head to toe, meticulously checking if he was injured.
"No, I'm perfectly fine. Can eat, drink, jump, and run."
As he spoke, Zhang Ergou stretched and even did a few bounces.
The Nascent Soul elders exchanged glances. Others might not see it, but they could clearly sense it.
Zhang Ergou had grown stronger again. Although he had deliberately concealed his cultivation,
suppressing it to the early Golden Core stage, the perception of these Nascent Soul powerhouses had detected Zhang Ergou's change the moment he stepped out of the room.
However, none of the elders said anything. Seeing that Zhang Ergou was safe and had become stronger, they returned to their respective rooms.
"Ergou, are you okay? Everyone was very worried when you didn't come out for three days and nights."
As Chi Yu was scrutinizing Zhang Ergou, Lin Yueru stepped forward and spoke softly.
Zhang Ergou looked up and saw Lin Yichen, Wang Teng, Xiao Qingyu, and Lu Xiaoyu nodding vigorously.
As if to confirm Lin Yueru's words.
"Heh heh, thank you all for your concern. I had some insights during my fight with Liuhe of the Liuhai Sect."
"I'm sorry for making everyone worry."
Zhang Ergou bowed to them and waved to the assembled Misty Sect disciples and elders.
The elders and disciples all offered him benevolent smiles...
"You brat, you think you can just brush off what happened these three days? Then you owe us an explanation for where you were the night before the competition?"
Chi Yu grabbed Zhang Ergou's ear and asked sternly.
The elders and disciples who had not yet dispersed also perked up their ears, eager to hear Zhang Ergou's explanation.
"Ah! This..."
"Alright, it's getting late. Today is the second round of the Grand Competition between the two sects. Everyone should head to the venue quickly."
Just as Zhang Ergou was about to fabricate an excuse, Elder Tiandao's voice came from inside the room.
The elders and disciples dared not delay, quickly tidying themselves up and heading to the competition grounds.
Zhang Ergou, thus, avoided the need for excuses and explanations, temporarily escaping a difficult situation.
......
"I heard that the Liuhai Sect plans to have their Saintess compete in the second round."
"What, the Saintess? You mean the one who awakened her bloodline a year ago?"
"Yes, who else could it be? They say her strength is already close to the peak of the late Golden Core stage."
Ahead of Zhang Ergou, two Misty Sect disciples were whispering to each other.
However, with Zhang Ergou's current hearing, their words reached his ears clearly.
"Saintess?" Zhang Ergou's mind drifted back to Ling Feng'er's face. Her unfamiliar expression that night didn't seem feigned.
This puzzled him. But when he heard the words "awakened her bloodline" from the two disciples ahead, his expression changed.
Back during the Outer Sect Grand Competition of the Misty Sect, Lin Yichen had mentioned a Xuanling Saint Body with an awakened bloodline in the Liuhai Sect.
Could this "Saintess" be the one Lin Yichen was referring to?