Zhang Cong was furious.

"Zhang Chu... you rascal, can't you stop fooling around?"

"Leave! Get out of here!"

"There's nothing for you here. If you don't leave right now, I'll personally take you to the Disciplinary Hall and have your sister pick you up from there..."

"Tsk, who are you trying to scare? I'm not leaving! Let me tell you, I came here today to claim a reward too..."

"I've also achieved initial success in my Basic Stance Training! You gave Li Yun a reward, so you can't just not give one to me, right?"

"You...?"

Zhang Cong laughed in exasperation. Said, "A guy like you, who only reached Entry entry not long ago and fools around all day—how could you possibly achieve initial success in Stance Training so quickly?"

"See... looking down on me again, aren't you?"

"I knew you'd be like this. Today, I'll broaden your horizons."

Having said that,

Zhang Chu walked to the side in high spirits and began performing the Basic Stance Training.

At first, Zhang Cong thought nothing of it, believing Zhang Chu was just messing around.

But soon, as Zhang Chu smoothly executed stance after stance, Zhang Cong was instantly stunned, his eyes widening completely.

His reaction was even more exaggerated than when he learned Li Yun had achieved initial success in Stance Training.

It wasn't that he looked down on Zhang Chu; hailing from the same Clan, how could he not know what Zhang Chu's Aptitude was? Yet precisely because they were so familiar, preconceived notions led him to assume Zhang Chu was simply fooling around.

He never expected that Zhang Chu could truly achieve initial success in Stance Training in such a short time.

Only after Zhang Chu completed all twelve stances,

did Zhang Cong Said with pleasant surprise, "Not bad! You've actually achieved initial success in Stance Training. It seems during this month since your Entry admission, you've put in hard work and study. That's very good. With your second-grade Aptitude, as long as you maintain this attitude, while I can't guarantee a promotion to the Inner Sect within three years, there is still great hope within five years."

In saying this, Zhang Cong wasn't exaggerating.

Under normal circumstances, for someone with second-grade Aptitude to reverse Acquired into Innate within five years—meaning three years as an Outer Sect Disciple plus two years as a deacon—the chances were only about fifty percent.

But that was under normal circumstances.

Zhang Chu was no ordinary person. Behind him was not only his biological Elder sister, Zhang Ruohan, but also the entire Zhang Clan. As long as he showed an upward momentum, the Zhang Clan's resources would tilt toward him to assist his reversal from Acquired to Innate.

Who would have thought, Zhang Chu was very dissatisfied.

"Tsk, no need for you, my old nephew, to tell me that. With my boss leading me, I can definitely enter the Inner Sect, and it won't take five years..."

"Right, Boss?"

Zhang Chu looked at Li Yun with a grin.

Li Yun: "..."

Boss?

This time, Zhang Cong seemed to catch on and turned his gaze toward Li Yun.

"Stop staring, old nephew..."

"With your eyesight—dimmed by old age, unable to judge talent—what Proficient realm? What does the Proficient realm even amount to? Let me tell you, yesterday my boss's Stance Training reached Minor Achievement, had an epiphany right in front of my sister to reach Proficient, and by today, it's straight up Perfection!"

"When have you ever seen such a peerless Genius?"

"And you're still being so stingy... rewarding only one Martial Technique and two Qi and Blood Pills! Hmph, if I were my boss, I'd pack up and leave the mountain tonight, and tomorrow offer myself to another sect to—"

"Zhang Chu, stop talking nonsense."

Seeing Zhang Chu speaking more and more outrageously, Li Yun quickly yanked him back.

Then, cupping his fists, he apologized to Zhang Cong.

"Elder Zhang, please don't take it to heart... This guy Zhang Chu just likes to fool around."

Zhang Cong was not angry, however. He merely stared fixedly at Li Yun.

"Whether Zhang Chu is fooling around, I know in my heart."

"Right now, I only ask you: has your Basic Stance Training truly reached Perfection?"

Li Yun smiled faintly and calmly nodded.

Since he came here, he had no intention of hiding anything.

In a massive sect like the Heavenly Martial Sect, if one wanted to receive support or special privileges, one had to demonstrate their worth.

"Thanks to Deacon Xu Qing and Senior Sister Zhang, disciple's Basic Stance Training has indeed reached Perfection, and I have currently comprehended the Pine True Intent of the first stance!"

Boom!

The moment these words left his mouth, Zhang Cong felt a roar in his head, his face full of shock.

Barely a month since his Entry admission, reaching Perfection in Stance Training and even comprehending True Intent?

This was simply unbelievable.

He could hardly believe his ears.

"Li Yun, perform your Stance Training for me right now."

"Yes."

Li Yun walked to the side; this time, Zhang Chu did not disrupt things further.

Instead, he deliberately winked at Zhang Cong with a show-off expression, though Zhang Cong ignored him completely—how could he be in the mood to care about Zhang Chu right now?

Right at this moment, two figures suddenly entered through the doors of Azure Cloud Residence.

"Old Zhang, what are you doing? Old Li and I came to drink with you, hurry up and welcome us..."

Two elderly men who looked about the same age as Zhang Cong walked into Azure Cloud Residence chuckling, but upon noticing other people inside the residence, their smiles vanished as they looked at Zhang Cong in bewilderment.

"What... what is going on here?"

Zhang Cong did not explain, merely smiling, Said, "Old Li, Old Huang... you came just in time. Don't speak for now; just stand to the side and watch with me."

"Li Yun, begin!"

"Yes!"

Without another word, Li Yun took a deep breath and immediately entered the zone.

Beginning with the first stance of Basic Stance Training, the moment he started, both Zhang Cong and the two newly arrived elderly men widened their eyes in astonishment.

"Good heavens, this Stance Training... so completely natural, this is a sign of Perfection!"

"Such a young kid—could he have just had his Entry induction in September?"

"Entry induction in September... barely a month has passed, and his Basic Stance Training is at Perfection. Old Zhang... are you trying to give us a massive shock?"

Zhang Cong said nothing, his eyes glued onto Li Yun.

Watching Li Yun complete stance after stance, each flowing like clouds and water, completely natural, it was like watching an exquisite performance.

He could not bear to look away.

All twelve stances were completed in the blink of an eye.

Returning to the first stance, he stood completely still.

At that instant, an extraordinarily profound cadence suddenly emanated from Li Yun's body.

"Pine True Intent!"

"Pine True Intent!"

"Pine True Intent!"

All three men blurted out in unison, their voices filled with immense shock and delight.

Only then did Li Yun conclude his stance.

The three had already darted in front of Li Yun in excitement, surrounding him and scrutinizing him from head to toe with burning gazes.

"A Genius, an absolute Genius!"

"Barely a month, mastering Entry Stance Training and comprehending True Intent... in the eight hundred years since the Heavenly Martial Sect was founded, never has a peerless talent like you appeared!"

Zhang Cong was ecstatic.

On one hand, it was because an extraordinary Genius had appeared in the Heavenly Martial Sect; on the other hand, it was because Li Yun had practically been discovered by him.

Within a grand sect like the Heavenly Martial Sect, several factions lay beneath the surface.

Having discovered a Genius like Li Yun by his own hands brought immeasurable benefits to his faction and even the Zhang Clan.

Almost simultaneously, the same thought sprang up in the minds of Zhang Cong, Old Huang, and Old Li:

"This person must be nurtured with utmost priority!"