Han Tianyi remained skeptical as she watched Zhangting's obedient departure. "Our Spirit Pagoda does not lack ordinary Titled Douluo," she had reminded him. To her, the Yuanen family was a ghost story, an unverified rumor. But she decided to let Zhangting's "whimsical ideas" become a headache for his grandfather, Qian Gu Dongfeng.
Zhangting wasn't worried. He knew his grandfather was a shrewd man. Even if Dongfeng didn't fully believe in the Yuanen family's potential, his nature would compel him to send scouts. Once they discovered a clan led by a Limit Douluo (Yuanen Zhentian), the Spirit Pagoda would move heaven and earth to win them over.
For seven days, Zhangting rested. He read, meditated, and allowed the last traces of the Earthly Fiend's toxicity to drain from his pores. Once his skin regained its healthy luster, Mu Ye appeared to guide him to the final stage of his two-year journey.
The Crucible of Instinct
They stood at the edge of the Valley of Fallen Souls (Despair Valley). The air here was heavy with a unique magnetic field that sealed the soul power of anyone below the six-ring level.
"The method for Minor Mastery is simple," Mu Ye said, his voice carrying over the whistling cold wind. "You get beaten up while beating others. It's a free-for-all. Every disciple here is your training material, and you are theirs."
Mu Ye pointed to the cliffside. "Stewards and elders are always on duty up here. If they see anyone hiding or resting, they throw boulders or lightning down at them. We call them the 'Lucky Ones.' My uncle and I both survived this. You don't leave until you pass out or can't move."
Zhangting looked down into the pit. It was a sea of surging blood-qi and the rhythmic sound of meat hitting meat. He swallowed hard. The Body Sect was truly a den of madmen.
The Human Javelin
As Zhangting prepared to descend, Mu Ye's large hand pressed against his back, sealing the Panlong Staff.
"Teacher Mu, what are you doing?" Zhangting asked, a bad feeling rising in his gut.
Mu Ye smiled—a wide, predatory grin full of schadenfreude. "I'm on duty today. I need to select the first 'Lucky One' to sharpen the group's instincts. And since 'teachers and students go to war together'..."
Without another word, Mu Ye grabbed Zhangting by the waist and hurled him.
Zhangting shot through the air like a humanoid javelin, aimed straight at a chaotic cluster of fighting disciples below. He was headed directly for a female disciple who looked exhausted. Whether Mu Ye was trying to be a "matchmaker" or just cruel was unclear, but the impact was absolute. The girl couldn't even dodge; she was knocked unconscious instantly as Zhangting slammed into the dirt.
Chapter 26: One Year of Chaos
Zhangting scrambled to his feet, ignoring the fainted girl. He didn't have time to be a gentleman.
A burly disciple, whose previous opponent had just been flattened by the "Ancient Pavilion Javelin," roared and charged. In the Valley of Fallen Souls, the rule was simple: if you aren't fighting, you're a target for the elders above.
"DRINK!" the burly disciple bellowed, launching himself like a heavy armored car.
BOOM—
The collision sent a shockwave of sand and gravel into the air. Zhangting didn't use his staff; he used his shoulder, his elbows, and his fists. The 206 golden runes beneath his skin hummed, absorbing the kinetic energy and weaving it into his muscle fibers.
The Final Count
For the next year, this was Zhangting's life:
Day 1-3: Near-constant combat. His body became a map of bruises, each one healing stronger than the last.
Day 4-6: Meditation and soul power recovery.
By the end of this year—his third year at the Body Sect—Zhangting's physical instincts had been honed to a razor's edge. He no longer needed to think about blocking; his body moved before his mind could register the threat.
As the sun sets on his final day in the valley, Zhangting stands alone amidst a dozen fallen disciples. He is nine years old. He is taller, broader, and his presence is no longer just "cold"—it is heavy.
The sword is forged. The "Auspicious Beast" is ready to return to the Spirit Pagoda.
Next Chapter: Return of the Sovereign — The Spirit Pagoda's New Era
How will Zhangting's peers at the Spirit Pagoda react to his transformed appearance and overwhelming physical presence? Will they see him as a leader, or as a monster who has spent too much time among the "madmen" of the Body Sect?