"Qingshan, climb that Twin-Headed Mountain ahead, and you’ll see the Bihan Pool," Teng Qinghu pointed toward a peak in the distance.

Having listened to so much talk, Teng Qingshan grew increasingly curious. "That sounds incredible. I really want to see it." The hunting party members moved forward swiftly. Having spent so long in the mountains, the Dayan Mountain range felt like their own backyard; they instinctively knew where it was safe and where danger might lurk.

As the saying goes, looking at a mountain can tire a horse to death.

Although the Twin-Headed Mountain was merely a smaller peak, the actual distance to Teng Qingshan and his group was still quite far. They walked for nearly half an hour before the group finally reached the summit of the Twin-Headed Mountain. The wind at the top was strong, yet it felt remarkably refreshing against the skin.

"Qingshan, that pool nestled halfway down the mountain is the Bihan Pool," Teng Qinghu immediately pointed downwards.

Teng Qingshan followed the indicated direction. Indeed, there was a splash of bright white on the mountainside. Upon closer inspection, he realized it was the surface of the water.

"Let's go down," Teng Qingshan took the lead, descending the slope.

With one powerful leap, he jumped directly down from a rock face about five or six meters high, landing on the flat ground halfway down the slope. Teng Qingshan had finally arrived at the location of the Bihan Pool.

"This place is truly cold," Teng Qingshan marveled. "Even though I am still seven or eight meters away from the edge of the pool, I can distinctly feel the surrounding temperature dropping sharply. It's definitely below freezing."

"Haha..." The other clansmen arrived as well. Teng Yonghao laughed loudly, "Qingshan, how is it? Feeling the cold yet? We’re still three zhang away from the pool's edge. And this isn't even the strongest chill. If you came in the height of summer when everything else is scorching hot, you’d need a padded jacket here!"

Teng Qingshan was utterly amazed. Nature was truly miraculous.

"Hey, brothers, everyone start filling the water containers," the other clansmen immediately began filling theirs.

"Hoo, it's cold," those who threw their water tanks into the surface couldn't help but sigh.

Teng Qingshan closely observed the water of the Bihan Pool. The water was extremely clear. If one looked intently, they could just barely discern... a very faint purple hue across the entire surface of the lake. If one simply scooped a ladle of water, however, not a trace of color could be found. The water remained crystal clear.

Squatting by the pool's edge, Teng Qingshan felt a wave of chill wash over him. He reached out his hand into the water, and his hand instantly went numb from the cold.

"Hiss—" Teng Qingshan gasped. "It's incredibly cold—at least minus fifty or sixty degrees Celsius!"

In his previous life, Teng Qingshan had endured hellish training in the most desolate regions of Siberia, where minus thirty or forty degrees was normal, and the coldest he experienced reached minus seventy or eighty. However, the region where the Teng Family Village was located only saw temperatures drop to a few degrees below zero during harsh winters.

That this water was this cold was unbelievable.

Teng Qinghu, standing nearby, saw Teng Qingshan plunge his hand in and exclaimed, "Qingshan, don't put your hand in there! It’ll freeze!"

"It's fine," Teng Qingshan smiled. His hand muscles vibrated as his Neijin circulated, easily dispelling the intense cold.

A master of the Internal Martial Arts fears no cold; wearing only a single layer of clothing in winter was perfectly normal for them.

"Uncles, please fill your tanks first, then rest over there for a bit. We'll set off again later," Teng Qingshan said, then turned his attention back to the Bihan Pool. The pool itself was only about three zhang wide and five or six zhang long. "With water this cold, how can it be used as a quenching agent?"

Although he knew nothing about forging weapons, he had witnessed the scene of plunging a weapon into water during the tempering process.

Will the weapon shatter due to the extreme thermal shock of placing a blazing hot weapon into water this cold? Teng Qingshan mused internally.

If these thoughts were known to the master blacksmiths, they would likely laugh themselves to death. True quenching methods involved numerous techniques, such as 'localized quenching,' 'pre-cooling quench,' 'air quench,' and using 'multiple quenching agents.' Forget the water from the Bihan Pool—blacksmiths could use even colder liquids as quenchants.

However, the quenching agent isn't better the colder it is; it must be appropriate.

Different weapon materials, forged using distinct methods, combined with a unique quenching agent, result in specialized weaponry. And the 'Bihan Blade' was the result of a thousand years of tireless refinement by the ancestors of the Teng Family Village; no other place could forge a Bihan Blade.

I’m an amateur; I shouldn't overthink this. Since Father and the others intend to use this water as a quenchant, they must have a method. Teng Qingshan dismissed the thought.

"However, with water this chilling, I can certainly utilize the Bihan Pool to stimulate my body once my 'Strongest Plan' begins," Teng Qingshan's eyes lit up. Ever since generating Neijin at the age of three, Teng Qingshan had formulated a rigorous training regimen for himself.

From the very beginning, his focus was on improving flexibility.

At three, he began practicing Xing Yi Quan, using his Neijin to constantly stimulate his tendons and bones, strengthening them, as well as his muscles. This stage was set to continue until he was about ten.

In Teng Qingshan's estimation, the most crucial part was the 'Strongest Plan.'

This phase of the Strongest Plan coincided with the body's developmental period!

For boys, the growth spurt typically begins around ten years of age, though some start later, around fourteen or fifteen. During this period, the growth of the skeletal structure and musculature undergoes a dramatic, astonishing surge. Gaining twenty centimeters in height in a year was normal; this was the phase where the human body grew fastest!

Teng Qingshan’s 'Strongest Plan' was specifically designed around the principle of explosive growth during this developmental stage.

"In my previous life, because I started hellish training in Siberia at seven, I exploited my potential too much. When I reached my master, he only allowed me to train with an emphasis on 'nourishment' to compensate for past physical deficits. I managed to cultivate a pair of Iron Sand Palms relying on various medicinal herbs, but I dared not train further."

The body's developmental phase is a miraculous gift from heaven and nature.

For ordinary people, if they engage in sports during this phase, it's entirely normal to grow ten or twenty centimeters taller. But if they suffer from poor nutrition and stunted growth during this vital stage, even the best diet in their twenties will struggle to make up the difference.

The growth period is the optimal time to reinforce and fundamentally transform the body!

Of course, without absolute certainty, rashly forcing intense training could lead to overexertion, causing the body to fail and resulting in lifelong regrets.

"This human developmental period is the best chance bestowed by fate to alter and strengthen the body; miss it, and it never returns! In my past life, training the Iron Sand Palms required excessive volume, demanding the aid of various medicinal herbs. Otherwise, before the palms were perfected, the hands themselves would have been ruined." Teng Qingshan was acutely aware of the dangers of aggressively training during the growth spurt.

"In my past life, I needed external medicinal power. But in this life, I don't!"

Teng Qingshan possessed absolute confidence. "Since I was three, my Neijin has been stimulating and integrating with my tendons and bones. Currently, the inherent strength of my tendons, bones, and muscles far surpasses that of an average adult. I can fully undertake my 'Strongest Plan,' and furthermore, the medicinal power from herbs is incorporated externally. Now, with my potent Neijin, I can completely use it to supply the energy expenditure required for the changes in my tendons and bones!"

For tendons, bones, and muscles to strengthen, they require energy!

What is energy? Ordinary people experience a huge spike in appetite during growth spurts—this is because they consume massive amounts of energy. A martial artist training the Iron Sand Palms expends enormous energy in their hands; the energy from mere food isn't enough, hence the need for medicinal supplements.

And the power from medicinal herbs is, after all, an external force; it's naturally inferior to internal 'Neijin.'

However, in his previous life, very few people managed to cultivate Neijin. Moreover... even those who refined their essence blood to gain a sliver of Neijin possessed a minuscule amount. Even the Neijin of a Grandmaster level expert would be completely depleted after a single use of the Tianya Xing technique—one can imagine how scarce this Neijin was. This tiny reserve of Neijin wouldn't be enough to support even one percent, perhaps not even one-thousandth, of the Neijin consumed during the 'Strongest Plan'!

But...

Things are different now.

Teng Qingshan exists in this ancient world rich with abundant spiritual energy. He possesses what would be considered a 'vast sea' of Neijin compared to the Grandmasters of his past life. Furthermore, his control over his tendons and muscles is extremely high, allowing him to sense every change. During the growth spurt, he can make minute adjustments to the plan, keeping everything under control.

He was one hundred percent certain of the success of this 'Strongest Plan.'

"Over eighty percent of a person's strength, tendons, and bones are formed during the developmental period! If I can execute the 'Strongest Plan' perfectly, my body will be stronger than any Grandmaster in my previous life—reaching the absolute pinnacle of Internal Martial Arts history!" A fiery passion surged within Teng Qingshan's heart.

After all, the Grandmasters in Internal Martial Arts history possessed so little Neijin? They could never afford the luxury of the 'Strongest Plan.' Furthermore, by the time they managed to cultivate Neijin, the developmental period was likely long over.

Only Teng Qingshan, who possessed Neijin at the age of three and had nearly seven years of accumulation, could now undertake the 'Strongest Plan.' Once the growth spurt concluded, his physique would reach an unprecedented and terrifying level!

"I am nearly ten, and I can feel it... the changes in my tendons and bones seem to be accelerating rapidly." With Teng Qingshan's control over his structure, he could sense this change. In fact, when a normal person's growth spurt reaches its peak, they can usually feel the physical changes. But in the initial stages, most people couldn't sense it, whereas a Xing Yi Grandmaster like Teng Qingshan could detect it early.

"After the Year-End Sacrifice, I will begin the Strongest Plan!" Teng Qingshan thought to himself.

"Qingshan!" Someone from the surrounding clansmen called out to him. "Shouldn't we be heading back now?"

Teng Qingshan glanced at the 'Bihan Pool,' then smiled at his clansmen. "Each water tank weighs four to five hundred jin. How about this: Brother Qinghao and Brother Qinghu, you two carry them first. Halfway down, I'll take turns relieving you. Alright, let's set off for home now."

"Carrying them back to the village is a minor matter," Teng Qinghu chuckled proudly. Teng Qinghu, who could lift three hundred jin at the age of nine, was now nearly sixteen and possessed strength nearing a thousand jin. And Teng Qinghao, who had long reached adulthood, was only slightly less strong.

"Stop boasting. If you give up halfway, it'll be embarrassing," another member teased.

The hunting party members descended the mountain amidst cheerful banter and laughter.