The dark embrace of night had descended before Zhou Yun finally began the journey back home. Even though Zhou Yun had ignored Shi Gan when he issued his challenge, he did not ignore the challenge though. There was a lot at stake if he didn't show up or lost, if either one of those things happened the other families would unite and begin whittling down the power of his family because they would think the next head is incompetent and they would not fear suffering his retaliation.
While he could argue back that he had just started to cultivate when the tournament begun. In this world no one will care, you show one sign of weakness and your enemies will continue to a sword through it.
With the way Zhou Yun was now he couldn't help but acknowledge that the way he was now he could not defeat Shi Gan. He had been training for only two days while his advancement could be consider fast, Shi Gan has been training for two years. While he had thousands of years of combat experience his current body did not have that making his body's reaction time far slower then he would like.
With the tournament was so close he needed to speed up his training as well as get his body use to combat to the point where it will react as fast as he thought and combat was the best teacher in this case. Zhou Yun has been thinking of what to do while he was eating and after coming up an idea, all he needed now was to get his father's approval.
The carriage finally arrived back at the family house, as Zhou Yun was exiting the carriage the same servant that had stopped him earlier that day came up to him. "Welcome back young master. Your father wants you to meet him in his study." said the servant as he bowed.
Zhou Yun nodded his head and began to walk to the study. After he was a safe distance away from the servant and Fang Si turned toward each other. "What did you learn?" asked the servant as they also began to walk in the same direction.
"A rumor as been going around about the city lord, apparently he has found a map to a secret realm that was created by a very powerful figure." said Fang Si quietly "One of his servants was a spy for a group known as The Night Rift. Once they got word they have begun trying to sneak in multiple times even being disguised as nobles."
"The Night Rift? I heard that they were spread out over multiple planets and are rumored to be responsible for many kingdoms falling and ritual sacrifices." said The servant.
"Yes, which means the map that the city lord has is even more valuable." said Fang Si. "We need to exercise caution other wise we will be getting ourselves inside a very dangerous situation."
Even though they had been speaking very lowly in an attempt to stop their conversation from being overheard, Zhou Yun had managed to overhear it. "The Night Rift?" thought Zhou Yun no matter how much he combed his memories from his studies he never once heard of them. Zhou Yun decided to put this group in the back of his mind after all his strength was to weak to do anything about them.
Zhou Yun finally arrived in front of his father study, he entered with out knocking. Standing there was his father. "Father I have returned." said Zhou Yun as he took of the storage and placed it on his desk. Stepping back Zhou Yun waited for his father to say something.
"I see you broke through to the bone strengthening stage." said Zhou He quietly as he looked in his son's eyes.
"Yes I broke through this morning." said Zhou Yun as he returned his father's gaze.
"Mmm I thought it would at least take you a week to breakthrough to next stage but you are progressing far faster then anticipated." said Zhou He as he took the storage ring in his hand.
"And yet I need to breakthrough even faster father." said Zhou Yun.
A questioning look appeared briefly on Zhou He's face before he shook his head. "No. Even at the body strengthening realm breaking through to fast could cause instability in your foundation." said Zhou He firmly as if he was trying to dispel any further thought in Zhou Yun's head of breaking through fast. "Besides you have no reason to break through so fast."
"There is a reason father." said Zhou Yun quietly as he looked down at his feet and attempted to put on his best guilty face. "I ran into Shi Gan and Li Qingzhao while I was in town. Anyways, some words were exchanged and I insulted them. While I was walking away Shi Gan issued a challenge for me to participate in the city tournament."
Zhou He looked at his son for a moment once he heard that Shi Gan and Li Qingzhao were together, he had already pretty much guessed what was going to happen without his son even telling the rest of the story. Zhou He was as intelligent as his son, so he could also figure out the consequences that this would have.
"So then what do you have planned then" questioned Zhou He.
"Yes father I do. What I lack is not only time but also experience I need to be able to move my body with out a second of delay. As such I need to jump into the lions den." said Zhou Yun excitedly after all there was a part of him that had doubts that his father would still deny him.
Zhou He nodded his head in approval. "Once I saw that you broke through the bone strengthening stage I also had entertained this thought. After all combat will also allow you to come accustom to the new power you wield."
"Father I ask that you also let me do this alone. If I get accustomed to being saved by you it would make grow complacent and I wont truly grow into my own." said Zhou Yun
Zhou He looked at his son but yet didn't give a reply. As Zhou He remained silent he began to drum his fingers on his desk and this was the only sound that could be heard in the room. "Fine! I agree." said Zhou He "But since this is what you want then I also have two conditions for you then. First You must wear the Magnetic Fluid Stoic outfit the whole entire time your training. Second, you must stay in the outer regions of the Cross Forest"
Zhou Yun couldn't help but grimace when he heard this after all the weight of the training outfit was as random as a wind blowing. You could be in an area where there no metal around making the outfit extremely light or in an area full of metal causing the outfit to bring down its full weight. This could make escaping and fight very difficult. However he knew in order to go by himself he would have to agree to this.
As for the second part he knew it would be very dangerous to go any where besides the outer region of the forest. The closer you get to the core regions of the forest the stronger the beasts were and the more dangers the forest had. In fact there was one time the city lord had sent a massive army into the forest needless to say it was a massacre like no other and only a handful of survivors had made it and that was in the middle of the inner region. They had not even touched the core region, it was even rumored that the core region was hiding a massive secret but the strength of this planet was to low to even make it that far.
"I agree." said Zhou Yun. Since he hadn't planned on going further then the outer region it was easy for him to agree to the second part.
"Good." nodded Zhou He as he knew that his son would agree. He could have imposed the condition of having his legs tied and he knew Zhou Yun would still agree. "Now onto our original business." Zhou He lifted up the ring and showed it to his son. "Can you tell me what I had you picked up?"
"Well since you sent me to master Long Ju i'm guessing it the weapons that I was suppose to pick like you said yesterday." replied Zhou Yun easily.
"Yes a weapon is a martial artist greatest asset, your best friend in dark places, and in some cases your strongest shield." said Zhou He as he drew one weapon at a time from the ring setting each of them on his desk. Once their was seventeen on the desk did he stop.
"A weapon must be an extension of you, it needs to feel comfortable other wise you might as well be swinging a mountain. While still deadly, its still uncomfortable in your hand." said Zhou He. "You must find the right weapon for you. There is eighteen weapons here for you to choose from."
"Eighteen? There is only seventeen on the desk father." said Zhou Yun as he looked at his father with a confused expression.
"No there is eighteen." chuckled Zhou He. "You must never forget that your fist and legs are also weapons and can be equally as effective as a sword, spear or saber."
Zhou Yun nodded in agreement, there has been many times where a well placed kick allowed him to turn the tides on his enemy. He walked over to the first weapon which was a long silver staff he slowly round his hand around it but once it was fully in his grasp it felt heavy in his hand and clunky. Shaking his head he put the staff back.
The next weapon was a bow however he didn't pick it up. Zhou Yun knew that his style of fighting would be up close and personnel making the bow almost incompatible with him. He finally arrived in front of the weapon he was truly looking forward to pick a silver spear.
Zhou Yun rubbed the shaft with affection as he recalled his beautiful white spear that he last held before his death. Zhou Yun couldn't help but smile and he grasped the spear with no hesitation as if he was certain that him and the spear were compatible. However the smile slowly vanished as sadness seeped into it.
The weapon that he was looking forward to wielding the most was like a stranger that was from another planet, spoke a completely different language, and was a different person. The spear no longer felt like it once did in his hand. Zhou Yun could only sigh dejectedly as he placed the spear back now.
Zhou Yun began picking up weapon after weapon, each one didn't feel like it belonged in his hands. It wasn't until he was in front of the fifteenth weapon a saber that he felt it again. But it still seemed like there was something off about it. Zhou Yun placed it down and moved on to the next the weapon, a sword.
The difference between a sword and a saber, was that a saber was one sided, slightly curved blade with a thick back edge with some saying that the saber's main focus was offense while it can still defend it was like comparing night and day. The sword though was two sided straight blade seemed to focus on balance as it based on its user on weather it truly excelled in offense or defense.
Once Zhou Yun wrapped his hand around the hilt did he feel that comfortable feeling again, like at one point was his arm cut off and now it was reattached. Lifting the sword in the air began to swing it around as he tried to familiarize himself with it. After a couple of swings he stopped.
"This is it right here." said Zhou Yun as he looked at his father.
Zhou He nodded his head. "Good, now go get some rest tomorrow we will head to cross forest."