"You are at the ninth grade of Foundation Establishment and possess double martial speed. To tell you the truth, I couldn't believe that. Just last year, you were only at the first grade of Foundation Establishment, with even less than the original martial speed. And yet somehow, in the span of just one year, you've made such unbelievable progress! It's simply unheard of!" Lewis couldn't help but exclaim in awe. Truth be told, he wasn't all that suspicious about Zachary using unusual methods. After all, disciples of Foundation Establishment were still in their formative years. They hadn't yet fully explored their potential. At this point, anything was possible. Nevertheless, what Zachary had just accomplished wasn't just astonishing—he improved from less than original martial speed to double martial speed! And moreover, he went from the first grade of Foundation Establishment to the ninth grade of Foundation Establishment. That was jaw-dropping progress and unprecedented in the history of the Welkin Sect.
"But Zachary, why is your martial energy purple in color? You should be practicing the meditating cultivation method of our Welkin Sect, as planned. However, purple martial energy is only ever seen in cultivators of the physical cultivation. How is this possible?" Lewis asked, somewhat suspicious.
"Um... I'm afraid that I don't know much about it either. My martial energy has always been purple," Zachary replied, pretending to be just as baffled.
"Is that so? Well I suppose it's just a coincidence, then. Still...that's quite unusual." Lewis trailed off, seemingly deep in thought. Then he added, "But believe me, if your father could see your progress now, he would have been so proud! This is remarkable progress, Zachary."
"Perhaps so...I believe I'm blessed by God to be so fortunate. At the rate I'm going, I have the chance to avenge my parents and even find Alisa," Zachary replied fervently.
"Ah, still so persistent, I see. Since you've improved to this point, I don't understand why you didn't tell me all of this earlier. Were you worried about something?" Lewis asked.
"I'm just trying to keep a low profile, honestly. I'm not here to attract attention to myself," Zachary replied quietly, not willing to divulge much more.
"Is that so? Do you realize that you've caused some dispute in the Welkin Sect? Many of the disciples, and even some stewards themselves, can't believe that you've improved so much. They don't understand how you've managed it," Lewis told him pointedly.
"Whether they believe it or not is up to them. What they think of it has nothing to do with me," Zachary answered flatly.
"I just wanted to let you know, Zachary. There are eyes on you now, whether you like it or not. You did say you were trying to keep a low profile. If what you say is true, well, I hope you won't be too bothered by others people's opinions," Lewis told Zachary in a careful tone.
"Sure, I'll keep that in mind. Don't worry." Zachary nodded in response, unperturbed.
"Remember this: When you become a formal disciple of the Welkin Sect, you'll find yourself making even greater progress than you already have. In roughly three to five years, you'll be eligible to enter the esteemed Celestial College. Once you do, I am confident that you'll have a bright future there. And of course, this might be a good chance for you to further your goals. If revenge is what you seek, you can strengthen yourself there to take it. Don't let me down, alright?" Lewis told him with finality. He seemed to study him for a moment, before he nodded and left the cottage.
"Celestial College?" Zachary watched Lewis's back depart; his thoughts muddled with deep considerations of what the future might hold.
It wasn't long before he found the important knowledge with regards to the Celestial College from the memories of this body.
The Celestial College was one of the four biggest martial colleges in the Supernal Continent. The other three colleges of note were the Crane College in the Vanity Kingdom, the Dignity College in the Canopy Kingdom, and the Shura College in the Devil Kingdom.
Together, these four martial colleges held an assemblage of some of the most powerful warriors in the entire Supernal Continent. And it was important to note that a large proportion of those acclaimed warriors were ranked above the King Level. Beyond that, there was also a certain unofficial ranking system. Warriors of the Imperial Level were considered incredibly powerful throughout the Supernal Continent. Beyond them, warriors of the Sage Level were considered amongst the finest warriors and the cream of the crop. And after this level, warriors of the Holy Level were considered incredibly select and exclusive; they were at the pinnacle of talent. And more powerful than any of them, there were the warriors of the Divine Level, who were thought to exist o
nly in legends.
Within the four martial colleges, the strongest and most noteworthy college in terms of both disciples and masters was the Dignity College. The Celestial College was considered second to them. Coming in third was the Shura College, and finally, the Crane College was the last, but not the least.
What made the true difference between disciples and masters was that disciples were often below the Imperial Level. However, once disciples made their breakthrough to the Imperial Level and beyond, they would automatically upgrade to be considered as masters.
In addition, even though the Dignity College ranked the first in terms of acclaim, they did not have a monopoly of the top ten of disciples. Three of those top ten disciples actually came from the Celestial College. Though the Dignity College had the honor of claiming the first and third of the top ten, the second, the fourth, and the fifth came from the Celestial College, proving that this institution was no less accomplished.
Out of the famed top ten of disciples, there were only three women among them. Two of them hailed from the Celestial College. Rumor had it that these high-ranking women were placed in the top ten not only because of their renowned power, but also because of their arresting beauty. Each one of them had countless male admirers, followers, and patrons who would do just about anything for them. They all vied for their attention and to hover in their periphery, like butterflies to blossoms. Because of this double-edged fame, the girls also served as a major incentive for male warriors to opt for attending the Celestial College over the other three colleges. Many of the warriors from the other three colleges aspired to transfer to the Celestial College, if only just to earn a glance at the two famous beauties.
Of course, this was all easier said than done. It would be a hard road for them, as it was very difficult to get enrolled into any of these establishments. Strictly speaking, there were three ways to get recruited into one of the colleges. First, an applicant must have triple martial speed to be considered qualified to enter any of the four college. Second, within each kingdom, every clan or sect was held to a strictly followed, specific quota of how many of their disciples they could send into the colleges. This quota was based on the sect or clan's rank. And lastly, warriors could choose to take on the colleges' incredibly rigorous entrance examinations. However, only one in ten thousand eligible candidates ever managed to cross the threshold in this manner.
The whole gist of it was that it was virtually impossible for any simple man or woman to find themselves admitted into the martial colleges, especially for those who were less talented or from a weak clan or sect. This incredibly exclusive and strict process made it clear that to every clan and sect that it was considered a great honor for disciples to make it to any of the four martial colleges.
For warriors themselves, the most effective incentive that motivated them to pursue eligibility into the martial colleges wasn't the exclusivity or the beauties. It was the access: the warriors would be able to learn from famous masters. Moreover, it opened the opportunity for them to meet other skilled warriors there, creating a continuous drive to further improve. Without a doubt, any of the four martial colleges was considered a paradise, and a highly coveted place to go for all warriors who strove to improve. Once in every three years, the four martial colleges would enroll new disciples. And once the warriors were recruited, they would be allowed to stay in those martial colleges for as long as they wished. Regardless of whether they were ranked as disciples or masters, as long as they performed well in the martial colleges, they would have a significant opportunity that was inaccessible to many: they would be able to enter a highly-ranked clan or sect. That was also another major incentive of the martial colleges. The warriors' performances in the college would play a tremendous role in determining their future not only in their craft but also in their society.
The Welkin Sect, compared to all the other sects in the Enigmatic Kingdom, was considered to be at the lower end of the medium stage. And when taking into account all the other sects and clans throughout the Supernal Continent, the Welkin Sect ranked even lower. It was only natural that the Welkin Sect eagerly hoped that its disciples would earn a great achievement, elevating its status throughout the continent. Unfortunately, to date, there had not been a single disciple who had managed to stand out in the four martial colleges.
After learning all of this, Zachary finally got a sense of what the Celestial College was about. And the more he thought about it, the more he felt that this was where his future lay.