Huo Zhongguang accepted the jade urn handed to him by Feng Zikang, his face beaming with avarice, though his words remained polite.

Without the speed boost from the Condensing Kill Dew, his cultivation progress was as slow as a tortoise's crawl; old Huo simply couldn't bring himself to genuinely refuse the offer. Though he mumbled apologies, his hand was already inside the urn, diligently absorbing its contents using the technique Feng Zikang had taught him.

Only after another wave of intoxicating rapture subsided did Huo Zhongguang wipe the sweat from his brow and burst into laughter.

"Martial Uncle Ye is truly a divine being! To devise this secret art—if the Condensing Kill Dew weren't so rare, wouldn't every disciple of the Military School easily reach Foundation Establishment?"

Feng Zikang smiled. Of course, this so-called Condensing Kill Dew was rare; it was truly formed from the essence of genuine, core Military School disciples—a spiritual elixir that was impossible to source elsewhere.

Then again, if the Military School cultivated its disciples using a method akin to raising venomous creatures, absorbing those who failed the culling, their success rate for Foundation Establishment would certainly be much higher. However, even the most vicious Demonic Sects probably wouldn't resort to such measures, would they?

Only in the deep reaches beyond the Thirty-Three Heavens might such a ferocious mode of growth through cannibalism exist, and it was there, too, that terrifying Great Heavenly Demons likely lurked.

Huo Zhongguang regulated his breath for a moment, feeling his internal qi cycle become vigorous. His primary cultivation technique, the "War God Heart Method" from Sunset Peak, had reached the peak of the nineteenth layer. With a little more effort, breaking through to the twentieth layer within half a month would give him the chance to complete the tenth layer of Qi Induction and prepare for the Foundation Establishment attempt.

Although the odds of success when attempting Foundation Establishment with only the twentieth layer of the Military School Heart Method were slimmer, Liang Si'an had rushed his breakthrough with only the twentieth layer, meaning he wasn't far ahead.

"I haven't been idle these past few days either, Brother. A few days ago, I went to the South Sea and slew a Demonic Turtle, gaining nine hundred Merit Points. I exchanged them at the Scripture Hall for a powerful Divine Ability…"

"Oh?"

Mentioning the Scripture Hall reminded Feng Zikang of Elder Wu, whose body always made a grinding, clicking sound. The old man was unremarkable in appearance, yet his cultivation was unfathomably deep.

"What Divine Ability did Senior Brother cultivate?"

"Myriad Origin Unstoppable One-Blade Cleave! I’ve already refined it to the third layer today, and reaching the fifteenth layer before the Grand Competition shouldn't be an issue!"

Huo Zhongguang proudly thumped his chest. Although he had called on many friends for help in slaying the Demonic Turtle, it was still the first genuinely proud accomplishment he could claim in years. He had successfully taken down the beast and happily used all his Merit Points to exchange for this Divine Ability.

The "Myriad Origin Unstoppable One-Blade Cleave" was almost the highest single-target attack among the Military School's Yellow-Grade Low-Tier Divine Abilities. This technique channeled the cultivator's entire essence, spirit, and qi into a single point during one strike; once unleashed, it could change the very appearance of heaven and earth. Within a million troops, taking the general’s head would be as simple as reaching into one's own pocket.

Feng Zikang nodded. Huo Zhongguang's cultivation lagged a step behind Liang Si'an's, and to secure victory, he would need to rely on a desperate, all-or-nothing fighting style. This fierce Divine Ability suited him perfectly. Combined with a Demonic Path technique Feng Zikang could impart, Huo Zhongguang would stand a good chance against Liang Si'an, who was only in the early stage of Foundation Establishment. Even if he were ultimately defeated, he could certainly drag Liang Si'an down with heavy injuries!

"However, as far as I know, Liang Si'an has not only cultivated the War God Heart Method to the twentieth layer, but he has also mastered the formidable Azure Dragon Halberd Evasion Technique to the same high level of the twentieth layer. Winning against him will be exceptionally difficult…"

Huo Zhongguang sighed, furrowing his brow. He had made that boastful challenge that day when he was caught in a difficult spot, feeling unable to back down, but upon sober reflection, Liang Si'an possessed solid cultivation, several potent Divine Abilities, carried the Azure Dragon Crescent Blade, and wore the Adamantine Chainmail Armor. Winning a one-on-one fight against him—how easy could that be!

"Senior Brother, do not worry. Sun Tzu said: 'Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be in peril.' Although Liang Si'an is formidable, he has absolutely no idea about your rapid progress in these past few days. In terms of knowing the enemy's situation, you already have a massive advantage."

Huo Zhongguang chuckled, "I didn't expect that after just a few days, my junior brother has read more classics. Your citing of texts has merit. But those things in books only talk about the Great Dao in theory; they aren't the true essence of cultivation. Junior Brother, don't focus too much on them."

He paused, "In any case, I'm just putting everything on the line for this last burst of effort. I imagine even if I lose, as long as there's a glimmer of hope for Foundation Establishment, Liang Si'an wouldn't dare openly make things difficult for me…"

He still harbored the delusion that after he made his move, Liang Si'an would let him off lightly. The world is always hesitant and constrained; people always comfort themselves this way.

Feng Zikang offered no agreement or disagreement. Regardless of what Huo Zhongguang thought, he was determined to push this situation to an irreversible climax.

As the two were conversing, a flash of crimson light suddenly swept past the thatched hut window, flickering erratically and appearing highly unstable.

"Ah!"

Huo Zhongguang exclaimed in surprise, "Junior Brother, a senior from your lineage is summoning you!"

Before the words had fully left his mouth, he reached out, and a Crimson Jade Military Tally shot through the window, landing before Feng Zikang and dissolving into a rolling mass of red mist. Within the mist, an image gradually materialized: a red-armored elder with a face framed by a fiery, coiled beard, sitting quietly on a folding stool, his eyes slightly closed.

"It's Martial Uncle Chiyuan from Crimson Stone Peak!"

Huo Zhongguang recognized him instantly and quickly pulled Feng Zikang to bow in reverence.

The elder gave a slight nod and spoke, "Is Feng Zikang, disciple of Little Bamboo Grove, present? I must request you come to Crimson Stone Peak to provide a clear explanation regarding the disappearance of my disciple, Miao Yuchun."

"Yes!"

Feng Zikang responded. Miao Yuchun's disappearance—his own master wouldn't ignore it. As expected, Elder Chiyuan sought him out immediately upon emerging from seclusion.

The communication tally could not last long. Since Feng Zikang had agreed, the tally burst into nothingness with a loud crack, and the red mist completely dissipated.

"I didn't expect Miao Yuchun's disappearance to alarm Martial Uncle Chiyuan. He claimed he would enter ten years of sealed seclusion; for him to come out early, that disciple must be extremely important to him!"

Huo Zhongguang muttered to himself, a self-deprecating look on his face, clearly reminded of his own hardship from not having a master to guide his cultivation.

"However, a few days ago, that irritating little Gao from Sunset Peak also disappeared… I suppose he couldn't stand the austerity of the mountains and ran off? It caused quite a stir on the mountain, too…"

"Oh? He disappeared too?"

Feng Zikang feigned indifference but listened with extreme focus for any reaction from the elder generation of the sect. Though Qi Induction stage disciples were not rare, they weren't crops to be harvested indiscriminately. Having two core disciples vanish in a short span, it was inevitable that the Martial Uncles might harbor suspicions.

If they suspected a connection between the disappearances of Miao Yuchun and Little Gao, then Elder Chiyuan emerging from seclusion to summon him would be understandable given the gravity of the situation. After all, Feng Zikang was the last person to see Miao Yuchun, and the reason for the disappearance was that they were together hunting the Ghost God General. As for Little Gao, Feng Zikang was certain no one witnessed their interaction, nor should any suspicion fall upon him.

In the Military School, strength reigns supreme; it was not unusual for the weak to be eliminated. Occasionally, disciples couldn't endure the hardship and fled to the mortal world to enjoy wealth and comfort; this was not unheard of. Judging by Huo Zhongguang's words, the sect elders were indeed not overly concerned, which aligned with Feng Zikang’s initial assessment. Still, in the future when hunting disciples from Sunset Peak, the cleanup needed to be even cleaner.

"Senior Brother, since Martial Uncle Chiyuan has summoned me, I will leave at once. We shall speak again another day!"

"Good. Since Martial Uncle called for you, he likely just wants to know the circumstances of Miao Yuchun’s disappearance that day. You shouldn't worry too much. I will escort you to Crimson Stone Peak!"

Huo Zhongguang eagerly acted as a chauffeur for his junior brother, riding his own Serrated Long Saber to deliver Feng Zikang to Crimson Stone Peak before heading back by himself.