An Unparalleled Shameless Genius

Feng Fan, brimming with excitement, decided to continue his training. He emptied the used water from the cauldron, refilled it with fresh water, and added another dose of the body cultivation elixir.

He repeated the process tirelessly for hours until he had exhausted his entire supply of elixirs. 

The first thing Feng Fan noticed after finishing his training wasn't his new strength, but his hair.

His hair, once cut short, was now at his shoulder length.

'What a transformation.'

Stretching his body afterward, he marveled at the strength coursing through him. His muscles felt dense and powerful, and his physical abilities now rivaled those of a superhuman. 

Yet, despite his progress, he still hadn't officially embarked on the cultivation path.

'I wonder how my body compares to a true body cultivator,' he thought, flexing his arms. 

'Too bad they're so rare. I don't even know if I'll find one to compare myself with. But one thing's for sure, once I break through to the 1st Qi Gathering realm, I'll be even stronger.'

The Heavens Suppression Arts wasn't an ordinary technique; it combined both Qi and Body Cultivation. 

Until Feng Fan completed his body remodeling and successfully channeled qi into his dantian, he couldn't be considered a practitioner of either the 1st Qi Gathering realm or the 1st Body Forging realm. 

This fusion of paths made his journey both unique and challenging, but it also promised unparalleled rewards.

Feng Fan glanced at the now-empty sack and furrowed his brow, disappointment clouding his expression.

'If only I had more, I could complete my body remodeling by tomorrow,' he thought, frustration gnawing at him. 

'This batch was probably enough to get me halfway there. But will the sect give me more?'

He shook his head, dismissing the idea as wishful thinking.

'No chance. If it weren't for Qinqin, I wouldn't have even gotten this batch. I'll have to figure out another way to finish the remodeling. Still, getting this far is better than nothing.'

Feng Fan began to ponder his next steps.

'If the process relies on damaging my body and reconstructing it with spiritual qi according to the technique…' Feng Fan mused, his thoughts racing.

'Why not fight, then? There's bound to be a place in the sect where disciples can spar or challenge each other. Maybe I can use that to finish my body remodeling.'

'Fighting would give me combat experience, a perfect opportunity to train the two techniques from Heavens Suppression Arts, and a way to complete my body remodeling.'

'It's like hitting three birds with one stone!'

'Alright, it's too late now, and I'm exhausted. I'll sleep first and continue tomorrow.'

After making up his mind, Feng Fan went to bed. The next morning, he woke up, had breakfast brought by a menial disciple, and carefully read through the first technique: Snake Entering The Cave.

He read through it multiple times, absorbing the details until he was confident he understood it. 

However, as realization dawned, a peculiar smile crept onto his face.

'What the hell is up with this technique? Why does it remind me so much of that move from a certain white-haired ninja in a certain hidden village? The one that delivers a thousand years of pain to its unfortunate target?'

Feng Fan shook his head. 'Whatever, as long as it works, who cares how weird it is?'

He spent the rest of the day practicing Snake Entering The Cave, familiarizing himself with its peculiar movements and flow. 

By the next day, he moved on to the second technique: Family Jewel Destroyer Kick.

Another bizarre creation!

'The person who came up with this technique is truly shameless. I, Feng Fan, can only admire such unparalleled genius!'

The technique itself was simple: channel one's intent and energy into the leg, then aim a precise kick between the opponent's legs.

The difficult part was the intention and Dao Law needed to be imbued into the technique, but as long he practiced enough, he was confident to achieve that sooner or later.

When executed correctly, it would bypass physical defenses, inflicting real damage upon the target.

Feng Fan dedicated the next two days to refining his mastery of both techniques, pushing his body and mind to their limits. 

At some point, Black Chicken, who had been quietly observing from a corner of the room, slipped out unnoticed and didn't return. 

Realizing that her four-day stay had come to an end, Feng Fan assumed she had returned to the merchant, sparing him the effort of sending him back himself.

On the sixth day since he'd stolen Zhang Qi's map, he decided it was time to stop.

"I don't have much time left. This should be enough… hopefully."

With at best five days remaining before Zhang Qi discovered the theft, the clock was ticking faster than Feng Fan liked. 

Every second felt like a gamble.

Turning his thoughts to the techniques he'd separated for others, he considered his next steps. 

"I'll give Qinqin the technique I prepared for her. She's been good to me and deserves something in return. As for Huang Xue…" Feng Fan hesitated, weighing his options.

Although Huang Xue had seemed kind and reliable, he wasn't close enough to her to make that decision lightly. 

"I'll keep her technique on hold for now. I need to see how things play out."

Feng Fan wasted no time and left his room.

On his way to Xue Qiang's quarters, he stopped an older disciple passing by and stopped him to ask a question about where he could fight to train.

"Hello, senior brother," Feng Fan said, cupping his hands respectfully. "Do you know if there's a place where I could spar with other disciples? I want to test my techniques in real combat."

The older disciple paused, studying Feng Fan briefly before replying.

"Hello, junior brother. If you're looking to fight, head to the Fifth Peak. It's about twenty kilometers southwest of here. There are plenty of arenas there. Some people even gamble their entire fortunes on matches, though I'd advise against that. You can fight without betting if that's what you're after."

"Thank you, senior brother," Feng Fan said, bowing in gratitude.

With the new information in mind, he resumed his journey to Xue Qiang's quarters. 

Once there, he knocked three times on her door and waited patiently for her response.

Xue Qiang opened the door, her damp hair clinging to her shoulders.

"Fanfan? Is that you? How did your hair change so much in such a short time?" she asked, her eyes widened in surprise.

"Hi, Qinqin. That's the result of the cultivation manual I'm practicing. I brought you something. Can we talk inside?"

"Of course, come on in," she replied, her tone carrying a hint of shyness as memories of their last interaction—one that had led to their first kiss—played in her mind.

Stepping aside to let him enter, the door creaked softly as it swung open.