Chapter 5: Chase

The female disciple couldn't believe what she was seeing. She had struck an Outer disciple a hundred times with her whip yet not only did he not scream in pain, he also didn't budge even an inch from where he stood. No matter how strong an Outer disciple was, they couldn't compare to the Foundation Building Realm at all yet today, that rule was broken. 

"I also have to cripple your cultivation before you'll be allowed to leave the sect with your things!" she said as she moved swiftly and struck his chest with her palm. Apart from leaving a print on his chest, her palm strike did nothing to Zixin. 

The female disciple then changed her strategy and used fists, kicks, elbows, knees but nothing worked. 

"Senior Sister has punished me on behalf of the sect, I shall take my leave now. And I'm very grateful to the sect for what it has done for me all these years. I shall never forget the kindness it has shown me all these years." said Zixin before walking away. Many disciples murmured in disbelief at this situation.

Zixin didn't even take his stuff with him and directly left the sect. He didn't have any valuable stuff because all his wealth was spent on resources that could help him grow stronger. He saw the tall trees very far away and ran at full speed towards that direction.

…

[ARE YOU SURE?!] exclaimed Elder Choi 

"Yes." answered the disciple 

[COME WITH ME!]

Elder Choi grabbed the disciple by the shoulder and flew away with her. They flew towards the highest mountain in the sect where the elders and leader of the sect often gathered. This was the sect's Grand Hall. Elder Choi then slowly descended with the disciple and they entered the hall. 

A few elders were already there including Grand Elder Luo. Elder Choi took a seat among the elders while the female disciple remained standing. 

[Tell them what you told me.] said Elder Choi calmly. The disciple nodded and started to tell the other elders what she told Elder Choi.

"Elders and Grand Elder Luo, former disciple Xong Zixin came to the Medicine Hall earlier today to fetch some healing pills. Everything was fine until he gave me his token instead of his badge that I'd asked for. I knew from that moment that he hadn't participated in the event so I took action according to the sect's rules and whipped him a hundred times and cripple him but I failed. 

When I whipped him, he only suffered some superfluous wounds but nothing serious. He also didn't budge from where he stood the whole time and finally, when I tried to cripple him, I actually failed. I used all my strength and techniques but nothing happened." reported the disciple truthfully. 

[Grand Elder Luo, two months ago, Zixin asked me to allow him to enter the Cultivation Pagoda to choose a Body Strengthening Technique and I allowed him inside. He spent hours inside the pagoda until I had to go inside, but I found him unconscious on the ground floor and took him to Elder Lily to check on him. 

I then investigated the matter, I asked the disciples what had Zixin been doing inside. They told me that he ran to the ground floor while holding a cultivation book from the first floor. I then checked the records and found out that five cultivation books went missing. The Primord Cultivation Technique, Horn Cultivation Technique, Ant Cultivation Technique, Dung Cultivation Technique and Bee Cultivation Technique are the missing cultivation techniques but I don't know how he stole them.] said Elder Choi. 

[Primord Cultivation Technique, Horn Cultivation Technique, Ant Cultivation Technique, Dung Cultivation Technique and Bee Cultivation Technique.] softly muttered the Grand Elder. 

[I believe he found a way to cultivate one of these techniques and used the other four as a cover-up for us not to know which one it is but I think it's the ANT Strengthen Technique. We must hunt him down and get these techniques back and further strengthen the sect.]

[Where did he spent the last two months?] asked the Grand Elder. 

"Reporting to the Grand Elder, Zixin spent his two months in the training room and during that period, he didn't come out even once."

[I see, let's go then to see what he's been doing for the past two months.]

…

The elders then followed behind the Grand Elder and entered the training room that Zixin had been using for two months straight. Once inside, the Grand Elder took out his jade token and poured energy into it. A huge array formation on the floor lit up and replayed all that Zixin had done for the past two months. It was like watching a movie in real life. 

[Oh my goodness!] exclaimed one of the elders. 

Currently, they were watching Zixin being beaten up half dead by three puppets. Zixin would then lay there for hours and once he got up, he'd sit in a meditation position for an hour or two and repeat the same process again. 

After repeating the same process for a few days, Zixin increased the strength of the puppets. After a month, he'd increased the strength of the puppets to the Advanced Organs Tempering Stage. After that, it showed Zixin actually battling with the three puppets at the same time and every punch from him sent the puppets flying. Sometimes, he'd collide punches with the puppets and his hand would suffer only fleshly wounds.

The elders exclaimed in shock and wonder and only the Grand Elder remained calm. It was when Zixin did something absolutely mind blowing that the Grand Elder couldn't keep his facade anymore. 

Zixin slightly touched the puppet's stomach and the puppet's stomach caved in, leaving a huge dent on its abdomen. The metal used to create these puppets was stronger than gold and Zixin actually managed to damage one with just a slight touch. It was simply heaven defying. 

[Send twenty Core disciples to apprehend Zixin. Dead or alive, he must be brought back to the sect!] ordered the Grand Elder after watching everything that Zixin had accomplished in the training room. 

'Boy, whatever secret you're hiding, I'll unveil it and take it for myself.' thought Elder Luo with a sinister smile.