Chapter 23: The Journey to the White Cloud Summit
Chapter 23: The Journey to the White Cloud Summit
"You are currently only a Seventh Rank Samurai, but the Sect Leader is unaware of your true strength. He only knows that during the baptism, you exhibited the power of a Fourth Rank Samurai. However, the Sect Leader still believes that you can prevail. Do you understand why?"
Sun Yuandao spoke.
Fang Che furrowed his brows, as this matter was the one he found most perplexing.
The difference between a Fourth Rank Samurai and a First Rank Warrior was significant.
"Why does the Seal God Palace think I can win? Why are they so confident?"
Although he knew that his talent and cultivation speed were impressive, it had only been less than twenty days.
In twenty days, following a typical progression, how much could he achieve?
Moreover, would the other party not improve while he did?
"Because I took you as my disciple, and even with a generous estimate, it has been less than twenty days. The Sect Leader knows that when I accepted you, you had just broken through to the First Rank of Samurai. When the Sect Leader saw you half a month later, you had already reached the Fourth Rank of Samurai."
Sun Yuandao said, "Your cultivation speed is rarely seen in the world. This is the first reason."
"Mmm."
"The second reason is that the other geniuses have been cultivated for over a year. For us, the higher-ups of several sects, it's almost an open secret. But you, up until now, besides me, the Sect Leader, and the three Offering Elders, no one else knows about you. In other words, you are in the shadows while they are in the light. Even if you defeat them, they will only think that the Guardian has produced a genius. With the advantage of secrecy, this is the second reason for our victory."
"That makes sense."
"The third reason is that the last time the Sect Leader saw you, he was also surprised by your exceptional talent. So, he and the three Offering Elders imparted their teachings to you. This time, when the Sect Leader was assigning the mission, he expressed his surprise that during the previous teaching, he never considered the idea of dealing with the geniuses of the three sects, but fate has brought us to this step. This is the third reason for our advantage."
"I understand."
"The final point is... the Sect Leader believes that in life, everyone has their own opportunities. Your timely appearance happened just when the sect needed someone to regain its face, and you have a certain chance of success. Therefore, the Sect Leader thinks that you might carry a special fate or perhaps you are a benefactor to the sect. So..."
"Ahem..."
Fang Che coughed.
He never expected that the Sect Leader of the Seal God Palace, the Supreme Sect, a notorious demon who wreaked havoc across the land, would have such a superstitious belief in fate.
It was almost laughable.
He almost couldn't contain himself.
But upon reflection, it wasn't that surprising.
For his baptism into the sect, there was no need for the Sect Leader to personally preside over it.
However, due to this action, fate had it that the Sect Leader came and conducted the ceremony.
A Sect Leader and three Offering Elders.
Such a high-profile baptism into the sect.
For a lowly ranked, newly inducted disciple to receive such treatment was already abnormal, as if it were destined.
And after arriving, due to his exceptional talent, the Sect Leader, who initially didn't even plan to come, taught him the sword technique that made him famous.
Thus, a connection was formed.
It could be considered a fortunate encounter.
Then, after the operation's failure, when they were mocked and about to fall behind the other four sects, there happened to be an opportunity to strike back at them, and the executor of this chance just so happened to be him.
It had to be him.
Even before this, the Sect Leader never had the thought of dealing with the other sects' genius disciples.
He just popped up out of nowhere.
For the Sect Leader to have this sense of 'fate and fortune', it was indeed... quite fitting.
With this thought, Fang Che also felt that it was destiny!
"These are the rewards from the Sect Leader. Three Azure Spirit Pills for the Samurai rank, each pill can increase your cultivation by one level. Later, I'll teach you how to refine them. Here are ten stalks of Azure Root Grass to aid in your cultivation, and three Azure Spirit Flowers to enhance your spiritual cultivation. This is a sword, personally crafted by the Sect Leader, a secret weapon of the sect, a Wind Steel Sword that has never been stained with blood."
"This sword carries the essence of wind, increasing the speed and sharpness of your strikes. It's a rare treasure in the world, so cherish it."
Fang Che's heart stirred, and his eyes lit up with anticipation.
The Wind Steel Sword was something he possessed in his previous life, but as his cultivation base grew stronger, he couldn't withstand the massive influx of spiritual energy during intense battles, and it was eventually damaged.
However, for warriors below the Royal Rank, it was a dream weapon! It increased the speed of one's strikes, enhanced their sharpness, and when unsheathed, it gave a feeling of riding the wind.
The sword felt incredible in his hands.
"These resources are almost enough for you to break through to the Warrior rank."
Sun Yuandao said tentatively.
Spiritual pills were the best, but to reach the Warrior rank, there were still three levels to go. Eighth Rank, Ninth Rank, and Perfection.
Moreover, each level required its own state of mind, experience, and combat prowess.
The pills' effectiveness depended on the individual's talent, and being able to absorb sixty to seventy percent was already impressive.
The rest of the medicinal power would dissipate into the air.
"Enough!"
Fang Che didn’t have many thoughts.
He lacked nothing in terms of insights and experiences, and his mental state was even more transcendent. Below the Sovereign level, it was as if he had no bottlenecks at all.
"That girl has pretty good potential. I plan to cultivate her."
Fang Che began to play mind games: "Master, you don’t need to worry about it. I want her to belong entirely to me."
Sun Yuan got the hint and laughed with a lecherous expression: "You know a lot, don't you?"
Fang Che coughed; this old pervert had completely misunderstood him.
When I said ‘entirely to me,’ it’s not the same as your lecherous laugh.
"From body to mind and spirit, including every step of her improvement, you want to leave your mark, right?"
Sun Yuan squinted and smiled: "That’s a good plan. In the future, when you use her, it will be more convenient and much more... enjoyable."
"..."
Fang Che’s face was dark.
Old pervert! This gentleman looks down on you!
"Alright, I won’t interfere. I’ll leave it to you to train her from a young age."
"Uh... Master, you also need to add a note for me regarding the matter of the personal attendant."
Fang Che’s words were extremely tactful.
By adding a note, he would have a personal attendant. This way, Night Dream wouldn’t have to undergo the sect’s baptism and would exist as his possession.
Moreover, in the future, she could stay or leave as he wished, all depending on his mood.
It was a clever trick.
Sun Yuan almost didn’t hesitate to agree. For him, an Offering, such a small matter didn’t require anyone else’s approval; he could handle it with just a few words.
"Alright, I’ll take care of it. You focus on your preparations."
"Yes."
That day, Fang Che took a single Azure Spirit Pill and an Azure Spirit Flower, beginning to absorb the medicinal power.
Sun Yuan guarded outside the door.
He saw a vortex suddenly form around Fang Che, drawing in boundless amounts of spirit qi from the heavens and earth, ceaselessly pouring into Fang Che’s body.
At first, Sun Yuan was startled.
What the—!
Is this the cultivation of a Seventh Rank Samurai? What an eye-opener!
As the Azure Spirit Pill entered his throat, boundless spirit qi began to fill his internal organs, spreading through his meridians, and even after entering his intestines, it continued to disperse.
Every part of his body was filled with spirit qi.
As he repeatedly circulated the Boundless Scripture, the spirit qi was drawn back into his dantian, then circled the body, becoming his own power.
The bottleneck of the Seventh Rank Samurai was almost instantly filled.
Then, it broke through like a bamboo shoot splitting, advancing to the Eighth Rank Samurai. The spirit qi gathered again, circulated once more, and the dantian spirit qi refilled.
With a boom, a new acupoint was opened.
He advanced to the Ninth Rank Samurai.
By the time Fang Che had absorbed the Azure Spirit Pill, he was already at the peak of the Ninth Rank Samurai.
Moreover, his spirit had doubled in strength, thanks to the Azure Spirit Flower.
Fang Che felt incredibly comfortable, his mind extremely clear.
Standing up, his bones crackled.
Stepping out the door, he saw Sun Yuan’s shocked face.
"Ninth Rank peak?"
"Yes."
Sun Yuan’s body trembled, and he forced a smile to maintain his composure: "Not bad, it’s within my expectations."
He quickly turned his head and said, "Let’s practice to disperse the medicinal power."
"Alright!"
By evening.
At dawn.
After the practice session, Sun Yuan found an excuse and hurriedly left.
There was no other way.
Suppressing his cultivation to the same level as his disciple, he couldn’t even beat him.
Not only that, when he secretly increased his cultivation to the First Rank Master, he was... beaten!
Where could he go to complain about this?
So, he secretly increased his cultivation to the Third Rank Master, only then managing to suppress his disciple.
Sun Yuan felt he had lost all his dignity.
Although in the battles with his disciple, he sometimes felt ‘inspired’ by the techniques used, which was a tangible benefit...
But Sun Yuan felt even more uncomfortable because of this.
Who is the Master and who is the disciple?
So...
"From now on, you can cultivate on your own. I believe you can do it. I’ll continue to find cultivation resources for you."
Maintaining his last bit of dignity and the authority of a ‘Master,’ Sun Yuan fled.
He had originally intended to guide Night Dream to assert his presence.
But now, he had no such thoughts.
Fang Che’s guidance would probably be better than his...
"Having a genius disciple is really... a kind of indescribable pain."
...
Fang Che spent five days absorbing three Azure Spirit Pills and three Azure Spirit Flowers. As for the Azure Root Grass, he planted it in the courtyard.
This was to gather spirit qi.
Under each plant, Fang Che placed two beast cores.
The entire courtyard was filled with increasingly dense spiritual energy.
Every day, Ye Meng Fang Qianyi and the two maids felt refreshed, their complexions glowing.
Five days later, Fang Che had directly advanced his cultivation to the third level of the Martial Master realm!
The peak.
Fang Qianyi's mouth was curled into a delighted smile.
Especially after sparring with his son and being suppressed to the same cultivation level, Fang Qianyi couldn't help but grin even more.
"A genius! Truly worthy of being my son!"
His sword skills were now polished.
In these few days, Ye Meng had been beaten by Fang Che over forty times and scolded two hundred and sixty-three times.
Currently, Ye Meng was completely dazed.
Because Fang Che's scoldings made sense.
Each time after being beaten and scolded, when Ye Meng returned to his room and reflected, he felt that Fang Che's words were indeed correct.
Following Fang Che's instructions, his combat strength was indeed rapidly increasing.
Thus, Ye Meng once again fell into self-doubt.
Since Fang Che hadn't taken any action, Ye Meng didn't have any information to pass on, and everything was rather calm.
Regarding the opponents that Unity Sect had asked him to deal with, Fang Che didn't plan to expose them to the Guardians just yet.
He had just received the news, and if they were exposed now, he would undoubtedly become a target without any suspicion.
"There's still time, let's take it slow."
Days passed one by one.
Soon, it was July, the month when the Martial Arts Academy held its annual enrollment.
Martial students from all over began to gather in White Cloud Continent.
Southeast White Cloud Martial Arts Academy!
As the saying goes:
Cultivating heroic spirit, proudly standing at the White Cloud's edge!
Among the eight top-tier academies in the world, the White Cloud Martial Arts Academy ranked fifth.
It was one of the very best.
The entire Southeast Region, with its seven states and fifty-six cities, was within the academy's recruitment area.
"After you arrive, don't forget to contact your cousin. Your cousin is a top student at the White Cloud Martial Arts Academy, and with him there, I'll be at ease."
Fang Qianyi packed her bags while constantly chattering.
"I understand, Mother."
Fang Che repeatedly agreed, "Mother, I've left you five hundred beast cores and a small bag of spirit crystals. From now on, don't go on missions, just focus on cultivating at home. That way, I won't have to worry about you getting injured or worse."
"But... I should still do something, right?"
"I think it's better if you cultivate. If something happens to you, I'll be worried sick. It's easy to get into trouble at the academy, and I'm too young to keep my mind calm. If I go there and don't have any holidays to come back, what if I get injured or killed?"
Fang Che tried to scare her.
Fang Qianyi shuddered, and with her fingers, she tapped twice on her son's head, making a crisp sound, and said, "Then I'll try not to go out."
"Okay. Just cultivate in our courtyard; I've planted the Azure Root Grass given by your master, which can gather spiritual energy."
Fang Che also felt a bit relieved.
As long as Fang Qianyi didn't venture into the deep mountains and forests, with her Great Grandmaster cultivation, she was practically invincible in Verdant Wave City.
But if she went out... to be honest, this Preeminent Primordial Grandmaster cultivation wasn't really that impressive.
There were countless experts outside, and a casual Wang-level or Huang-level expert could easily kill her with a single strike.
Fang Che's words gave Fang Qianyi a scare, and he began making preparations.
He had plenty of money, and the entire Su family's wealth was temporarily under his management. This financial power was likely unmatched among all the new and old students at the White Cloud Martial Arts Academy.
The academy had a rule that new students were not allowed to be accompanied.
They must travel to the academy on their own.
"From this day forward, you're no longer a child under your parents' knees but a warrior in the world."
This was the academy's rule.
There were various assessments along the way.
These assessments awarded points.
With over 100 points, one could enter the academy without an exam, and with over 200 points, one could enter for free without an exam.
Those who safely arrived at the academy would compete in martial duels according to their point rankings, with the top 100 vying for the title of 'White Cloud Scholar'.
The next morning.
Fang Che wore a black robe, a long cloak draped over his tall and straight figure.
His maid, Ye Meng, wore a pink dress and stood by his side with her hands hanging down.
The carriage arrived, and the luggage was loaded onto it with a loud thud.
Ye Meng lifted the curtain with her hand.
Fang Che's black robe fluttered as he took a step inside.
Ye Meng followed, lowering her head as she entered.
The driver cracked the whip, and the steed's hooves thundered as the carriage slowly started moving.
Under the reluctant gazes and earnest instructions of Fang Qianyi and Fang Zhenghang, the carriage slowly left the courtyard.
A sudden gust of wind blew, stirring up a cloud of dust.
Fang Che's thick eyebrows furrowed slightly as he sat upright, his gaze fixed on the road ahead, a long path stretching before him.
His eyes were deep, his face calm, and his heart was as tranquil as a calm lake and sea.
He knew that at this moment, he had truly embarked on his journey.
And so:
With a chest filled with cloud-soaring spirit, he tested his sword in the southeast;
Amidst the sudden gales and rain, he stood tall at the White Cloud's peak.
...
[End of Volume 1, updates will resume at 5:30 PM for Volume 2.]
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(End of Chapter)
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