Rushing up the mountain, Long Huang hummed a tune while admiring the flora and fauna of the mountain he called home.
After a few minutes, he arrived at the abandoned training ground and sat cross-legged, contemplating which combat art he should start with. After some thought, he decided on the Red Tiger Roar.
"Since this one focuses on precise body control, mastering it would make it easier to master both the Ocean Wave Fist and the Wind Deer Steps," he thought.
He read the manual for the Red Tiger Roar again, this time to practice it. As he read, he couldn't help but compliment the art; after studying the manual, what had once seemed incomprehensible started to become clear.
He then got up and began practicing the Red Tiger Roar according to the first layer of the combat art.
The combat art has two layers: one for Body Tempering Realm cultivators and the other for Qi Converging Realm cultivators.
As he practiced controlling his vocal cords, his basic body control began to improve.
One hour later, the sound that echoed throughout the training ground resembled that of a cat in distress.
If someone had followed the sound to locate the supposedly dying cat, they wouldn't find a cat there but Long Huang.
"Ahem, damn it! Why am I not getting it right?" said Long Huang, lightly coughing.
Frustrated and dissatisfied, he suddenly heard a noise,
Gurrrrr!!!!....
It was his stomach crying out in protest as if being oppressed by a tyrant.
"Shit, I haven't eaten anything all day. I blame this on Huang Min!" Long Huang exclaimed.
This sudden attack was unexpected.
"Well, that's it for training for now, I guess. I need to find something to fill my stomach," he told himself.
An idea flashed through his mind.
"Since it has come to this, and Huang Min is to blame, I should just crash at her place for some food. I know that big back of hers will have something to eat," he thought, chuckling at the idea.
After taking a moment to catch his breath, he headed down the mountain to the Fifth Elder's manor. He greeted the guards as usual, but was stopped due to his change in appearance.
After some questioning and verification of his identity, Long Huang entered the manor's yard, but instead of going to the main hall this time, he headed straight to the dining area to see if there was anything to eat in Huang Min's hidden stash.
As he entered, he saw Huang Min also walking into the dining area.
Seeing this, Long Huang sighed and muttered under his breath,
"Why am I not surprised?"
He decided to sneak up on Huang Min, intending to give her a little scare.
Cushioning his footsteps on the polished floor, Long Huang tiptoed closer until he stood right behind her, casting a shadow over her unsuspecting form.
Huang Min, oblivious to the approaching danger, had her focus entirely on her meal. Observing this, Long Huang seized the opportunity. He quickly covered her eyes with his hands and teased,
"Guess who!"
Unamused by Long Huang's antics, Huang Min spat back, her mouth half-full of rice cake,
"Ar... y..ou trying to scare me to death?"
She swallowed hard before crossing her arms and demanding,
"What are you sneaking around here for like a thief?"
"I'm here for food!" Long Huang retorted, a playful grin tugging at his lips.
"Why didn't you eat at home or cook something?" she quizzed, raising an eyebrow incredulously.
"Because someone decided to come bother me at the crack of dawn," he responded, a hint of indignation in his tone.
"I went to the martial pavilion and completely lost track of time."
Huang Min shot back, "How is that my fault?"
"I bet you even trained before you came here!"
The familiarity of her jibe didn't take Long Huang by surprise; lowering his head slightly,
"Yes, I did."
"See!"
"And you blame me for it, hmmp," she pouted, her lips forming an adorable frown.
Just then, a loud growl emanated from Long Huang's stomach, echoing through the otherwise quiet room like thunder.
"Hahaha!"
Huang Min burst into laughter, only to swiftly cover her mouth to suppress it and avoid offending him.
Yet, Long Huang couldn't help but admire her cute demeanor, gazing at her with a fleeting expression filled with warmth.
After the laughter subsided, Huang Min handed Long Huang a few rice cakes and instructed him to wait as she dashed off to the kitchen, requesting the cook to prepare a proper meal for him.
In the meantime, Long Huang found a seat at the dining table and nibbled on the rice cakes she had given him.
"Uhhh, these are so bland, how could she like these?"
He muttered, even as he continued to munch on them, his appetite not diminished. A few moments later, Huang Min returned, arms laden with an array of delicious dishes.
"Is all that food for you or me?"
"It's for you."
"Good, I'm so hungry I could eat a whole cow."
Long Huang quipped, eyeing the spread as he reached for a steaming bowl of noodles adorned with a colorful mix of succulent meats.
Huang Min merely rolled her eyes, dismissing his playful attempt to provoke her. At that moment, a middle-aged couple entered; it was the fifth elder, Hu Peng, and his wife, Su Yan.
Upon spotting Long Huang devouring his meal, they exchanged curious glances, wondering about the identity of the young man so comfortably seated with their daughter.
Yet, as they observed his familiar eating habits, it struck them like a bolt of lightning: this was Long Huang.
Their initial shock melted into nostalgia as memories flooded back those cherished years when Long Huang had lived with them, inseparable from Huang Min.
A chuckle escaped their lips, but it quickly turned bittersweet as they reflected on how much time had passed and how the distance between them, Long Huang, grew due to that day.
"So, you came to feast on our food but couldn't even manage a simple greeting first?"
Huang Peng remarked with a mix of humor and reproach, a paternal tone punctuating his words.
Su Yan had always reminded her husband to extend kindness toward Long Huang. With his mouth still full of noodles, Long Huang waved at the couple and greeted them happily.
Noticing Long Huang's hearty appetite, Hu Peng scrutinized him intently and asked,
"You've been practicing late into the night, haven't you?" His expression turned serious.
"Yes, I have," Long Huang acknowledged, meeting the elder's gaze.
"I understand why you push yourself, but too much of anything can be poisonous." Hu Peng cautioned sternly, the wisdom of his years evident in his tone.
"I will take that to heart," Long Huang responded sincerely.
"Also, I appreciate the robes you sent me, Fifth Elder," he added, feeling grateful.
"No problem, kid. I just picked them up for you," Hu Peng replied with a reassuring smile.
"Just relax and enjoy being a kid for a while before rushing to grow up."
Before he could elaborate further, Su Yan interjected with a comment that stunned them all,
"How does it feel to be a cultivator?"
"Not bad, it's..."
Before he could elaborate further, Su Yan interjected with a comment that stunned them all,
"It looks like it's not all that bad indeed."
"Considering you've already broken through to the 6th Stage Skin Tempering Realm."
"What?!" Huang Min and Huang Peng exclaimed, their voices rising in astonishment.
"You truly know how to worry an old man's heart."
"When were you going to tell me?" questioned Huang Peng.
But Long Huang, who was speechless, said nothing.
"Forget about him. When were you going to mention it to your senior sister, huh?"
Huang Min demanded an answer from Long Huang while feeling a mix of indignation and protectiveness over her childhood friend.
Long Huang, taken aback, for he knew that only someone who had reached at least the Profound Xiantian Energy Realm could discern his current level, and there were no such figures known in their sect.
He was astounded that Su Yan was also at that stage.
"Hehe, I was going to keep it as a surprise, but it seems the cat's out of the bag now," Long Huang said with a cheeky grin.
However, Huang Min remained unconvinced. After a brief negotiation involving bribery, she finally relented, saying,
"Fine, but remember our deal."
"Yes, senior,"
Long Huang replied promptly, which brought smiles to the couple's faces. Seizing the moment, Hu Peng posed the question weighing heavily on everyone's minds.
"How did you cultivate so quickly?" he asked, his curiosity piqued.
"I awakened a special body constitution," Long Huang explained.
Seeing the realization dawn in Su Yan and Hu Peng's eyes.
They began to understand why Long Huang appeared so changed and how he had managed to progress through the ranks so swiftly.
"But I awakened a Heaven-grade bloodline along with a special constitution, and it took me six days to reach that level!"
"How did you do it in one?"
Huang Min lamented, feeling wronged by Long Huang's extraordinary talent. Su Yan then remarked,
"Not all body constitutions are the same; each has something unique."
"I suspect that he leans more towards the body refining path, which is why he broke through so quickly."
Upon hearing this, the father-daughter duo seemed to understand.
"So, the body tempering realm is going to be super easy for him, huh?"
Huang Min said, clearly feeling a bit jealous. Seeing this, the couple and Long Huang shared a laugh.
After chatting with the family, Long Huang left and returned to his training ground.
He continued from where he left off, practicing the Red Tiger Roaring Art. As he practiced, his control improved greatly. After five grueling hours, he finally produced a faint tiger roar.
Elated with this achievement, he realized he was nearing the minor stage of completion of the combat art.
"If only I knew what a real red tiger sounded like, rather than just a normal tiger, I would have progressed faster," he thought.
"Damn it! Why didn't I think of this sooner? I have no experience with a red tiger, so how could I imitate its most famous feature without knowing anything about it?"
He said, frustrated with his stupidity.
"Looks like I have to make a trip to the Archdevil Mountain Range tomorrow."
Yawn!
"First thing in the morning. Now, I think it's time for me to sleep."