Chapter 23: Towards the White Clouds.
"You are currently only a Warrior of the Seventh Rank, but the Sect Leader is unaware of this. He only knows that during your baptism, you were only a Warrior of the Fourth Rank. Yet, the Sect Leader still said that you could win. Do you know why?"
Sun Yuan asked.
Fang Che frowned. This was something he couldn't understand.
The difference between a Warrior of the Fourth Rank and a Master Warrior of the First Rank was significant.
Why did the Yin Shen Gong say that I could win?
Why were they so confident?
Although he knew that my talent was good and my cultivation was fast, there was still less than twenty days left.
In twenty days, based on the usual progress, how much could be achieved?
Moreover, if I improved, wouldn't the other party also improve?
"Because when I took you as my disciple, it was less than twenty days in total. The Sect Leader knows that when I took you as my disciple, you had just broken through to Warrior. When the Sect Leader saw you, it was only half a month, and you were already a Warrior of the Fourth Rank."
Sun Yuan said, "Your cultivation speed is rare in the world. That's one reason."
"Mm."
"The second reason is that their geniuses have been cultivated for more than a year, which is almost no secret to us, the high-level members of our sects. However, until now, besides me, the Sect Leader, and three other high-ranking members, no one else knows about you. This means you are in the dark, while they are in the light. Even if you defeat them, they will only think that a talented guardian has appeared. With the enemy in the light and you in the dark, the chances of winning are the second reason."
"That makes sense."
"The third reason is that when the Sect Leader saw you last time, he was also very surprised by your talent. So, he and the three high-ranking members have taught you something. The Sect Leader even sighed when he issued the task this time, saying that he had never thought of dealing with the geniuses of the three sects when he taught you last time, but it turned out to be a coincidence."
"The teachings of the Sect Leader and the others are truly valuable. They are the best techniques, and as long as you practice them well, fighting against higher-level opponents will not be difficult. This is the third reason for the chances of winning."
"Understood."
"And the last point is... the Sect Leader believes that in a person's life, there are various opportunities. Your timely appearance happened to coincide with the need to regain face for our sect after your appearance. There was a task that required you, and you have a certain chance of winning. Therefore, the Sect Leader believes that you may be carrying some luck with you, or perhaps, you are a person of importance to our sect. So..."
*cough cough...*
Fang Che coughed.
He really hadn't expected that Sect Leader Yin Shen Gong, the notorious demon lord who wreaked havoc across the world, would be so superstitious.
It felt a bit ridiculous.
He almost couldn't control himself.
But thinking about it, it wasn't really surprising.
When he underwent the sect's baptism, there was no need for the Yin Sheng Gong to personally conduct it.
But just because of his actions here, there was a coincidence of opportunities, and the Indigo God Palace came and presided over it.
One Sect Leader, four high-ranking members.
Such a high-standard baptism for joining the sect.
A disciple with such a low status and cultivation level joining the sect.
It was abnormal in itself, seemingly exuding a sense of destiny.
And after coming, because of his talent, Yin Shen Gong, who originally had no intention of coming, actually passed on to him the sword technique on which he relied for his fame.
There was a bond between them.
It could also be considered a good connection.
And then, after the failed operation, being mocked by others, and about to face being behind the other four sects, there happened to be a chance to defeat the other side, and the executor of this opportunity happened to be himself.
It had to be himself.
Even before this, Yin Shen Gong had never even thought about dealing with the other sect's talented disciples.
He just emerged like this.
The fact that the Yin Shen Gong could have such a sense of 'destiny and luck'... was it really... quite reasonable?
Thinking about this, Fang Che also had a thought: This is fate!
...
"This is a reward from the Sect Leader for you: three Blue Spirit Pills at the Warrior rank. Each pill, when consumed, can increase your cultivation by ten years. I will teach you how to refine them later. These are ten Blue Root Grasses, which can assist in cultivation. These are three Blue Spirit Flowers. Consuming them can enhance your spiritual cultivation. This is a sword personally bestowed by the Sect Leader, the sect's secret weapon, the Wind Steel Sword, which has never been stained with blood."
"This sword carries the spirit of the wind. When drawn, it can increase speed and sharpness. It's extremely rare in the world, so you must treasure it."
Fang Che's heart stirred.
His eyes couldn't help but light up with eagerness.
The Wind Steel Sword, he also had one in his previous life.
It's just that later on, when his cultivation became higher, he couldn't withstand the immense spiritual power infusion, and it was damaged in battle against a strong enemy.
But for a warrior below the Imperial Realm, it was a coveted weapon!
It increased hand speed, sharpened the blade, and when drawn, gave a feeling of controlling the wind.
It had an excellent feel to it.
"These resources should be enough for you to break through to the Master Warrior rank."
Sun Yuan said tentatively.
Spirit pills and herbs were excellent, but there was still a three-tier gap to reach the Master Warrior rank: the Eighth Rank, Ninth Rank, and Perfection.
Moreover, it also required insight, mentality, and combat experience at each level.
While the power of the spirit pills was indeed substantial, it also depended on the individual's talent and how much they could absorb. Generally speaking, being able to absorb sixty to seventy percent was already very good.
The rest of the medicinal power would dissipate into the air.
"That's enough!"
Fang Che didn't have so many thoughts.
He lacked nothing in terms of insights and experiences, and his mentality was even more transcendent. Below the Emperor level, there were no bottlenecks for him.
"That girl has pretty good talent. I plan to nurture her a bit."
Fang Che started to play tricks, "Master, you don't need to worry about it. I want to make her completely mine."
Sun Yuan understood tacitly and chuckled with a sly expression, "You know quite a bit."
Fang Che coughed. This old guy was completely misunderstood.
When I say "completely mine," it's totally different from your lecherous smile.
"From your body to your mind, including every step of improvement, you need to leave a mark."
Sun Yuan squinted and smiled, "This plan is not bad. In the future, when you use it, you'll be even more adept and even more... enjoyable."
"..."
Fang Che was speechless.
Old pervert!
I am a righteous gentleman, and I look down on you!
"I won't interfere; you can train her yourself since childhood."
"Um... Master, could you also make a note in the sect records about the matter of having a personal maid?"
Fang Che's wording was extremely skillful.
By adding a note about having a personal maid, Ye Meng avoided the baptism of joining the sect, making her exist as his subordinate.
And in the future, she could come and go as she pleased, everything depending on his mood.
This was a clever way out.
Sun Yuan agreed almost without hesitation. For a high-ranking member like him, this small matter didn't need to go through anyone else. He could handle it himself, just by adding a sentence.
"Alright, I'll take care of this. You focus on preparing for the upcoming battle."
"Understood."
That day, Fang Che swallowed a Blue Spirit Pill and a Blue Spirit Flower, starting to digest their medicinal power.
Sun Yuan stood guard at the door.
He saw a vortex suddenly form around Fang Che, with countless spiritual energies from the heavens and earth roaring in and endlessly pouring into Fang Che's body.
At first, Sun Yuan was startled.
Damn!
Is this the cultivation of a Warrior of the Seventh Rank?
This is eye-opening, truly eye-opening.
As the Blue Spirit Pill entered his throat, endless spiritual energy began to fill his organs, spreading through his meridians and into his entire body, even reaching his stomach and continuing to spread.
Every part of his body was filled with spiritual energy.
With each cycle of the Infinite True Scripture, these spiritual energies were once again drawn into the Dantian through the meridians, then circulated through the meridians, becoming his own strength.
The bottleneck of the Warrior's Seventh Rank was almost instantly filled.
Then, like a bamboo bursting through the sky, he surged forward, entering the Warrior's Eighth Rank. Then, the spiritual energy gathered again, circulating once more, and the Dantian's spiritual energy was replenished once again.
With a loud bang, a new acupoint was broken through.
He advanced to the Warrior's Ninth Rank.
After Fang Che absorbed a Blue Spirit Pill, he had reached the complete Ninth Rank of the Warrior level.
Moreover, his spiritual consciousness had also doubled, thanks to the power of the Blue Spirit Flower.
Fang Che felt extremely comfortable all over, and his mind was extremely clear.
Standing up, his bones crackled and popped.
As he walked out the door, he saw Sun Yuan's shocked face.
"Complete Ninth Rank?"
"Yes."
Sun Yuan's body trembled slightly. He gritted his teeth and forced himself to calm down, saying, "Not bad; it's within my expectations."
He quickly turned his head and said, "Let's spar, I'll help you disperse the medicinal power."
"Okay!"
In the evening.
In the early hours of the morning.
After finishing the sparring, Sun Yuan found an excuse and hurriedly left.
There was no other way.
Suppressing his cultivation to the same level as his disciple, he actually couldn't beat him.
Not only that, he secretly increased his cultivation to the First Rank of the Master Warrior level, and yet... he was beaten!
How could this be reasoned with?
So he secretly increased his cultivation to the Third Rank of the Master Warrior level again, finally suppressing his disciple.
Sun Yuan felt that he had lost all face.
Although fighting with his disciple sometimes gave him a feeling of being 'inspired' when using certain moves, which could be considered a tangible benefit...
But because of this, Sun Yuan felt even more uncomfortable.
Who was the master, and who was the disciple after all?
So...
"In the future, you'll cultivate on your own. Master believes in you. I'll continue to look for cultivation materials for you."
Maintaining his last bit of grace and the dignity of "Master," Sun Yuan left after leaving these words, fleeing in haste.
He had originally wanted to give some guidance to Ye Meng and show his presence.
But now, he had no intention to do so.
Fang Che's guidance should be better than his...
"Having a talented disciple is really... indescribably bittersweet."
...
It took Fang Che five days to absorb three Blue Spirit Pills and three Blue Spirit Flowers. As for the Blue Root Grass, he planted it in the courtyard.
These were used to gather spiritual energy.
Underneath each Blue Root Grass, Fang Che placed two cores of demonic beasts.
The spiritual energy in the entire courtyard became increasingly dense.
Every day, Ye Meng Fang Qianyi and the two maidservants felt the air fresh and revitalizing.
Five days later, Fang Che directly pushed his cultivation to the Third Rank of the Master Warrior level!
Peak.
Fang Qianyi was delighted, her mouth almost crooked with smiling.
Especially after sparring with her son and being beaten despite being at the same cultivation level... Fang Qianyi couldn't close her mouth in amazement.
"Genius! Truly my child!"
His mastery of the sword and blade was exquisite.
During these few days, Ye Meng was beaten by Fang Che forty to fifty times and scolded two hundred and sixty-three times.
Now, Ye Meng was completely bewildered.
Because Fang Che's scolding made sense.
Every time, after being beaten and scolded, when she returned to her room and contemplated, she felt that Fang Che was right.
Following Fang Che's instructions, her combat power was indeed rapidly improving.
So Ye Meng fell into self-doubt again.
Because Fang Che didn't take any action, Ye Meng didn't have any intelligence to pass on, so everything was quite ordinary.
Fang Che had no intention of exposing the opponents given to him by the One Mind Sect to the Wardens yet. He had just received the information, and if they were exposed now, he would be almost certainly targeted without any doubt.
"There's still plenty of time; let's take it slow."
Days passed, one after another.
Soon, it was July, the time when the Martial Academy recruited students every year.
Students from various martial arts schools began to gather on Baiyun Island.
Baiyun Martial Academy in the southeast!
As the saying goes, "Train to be a hero and stand proudly on the edge of the Baiyun Clouds!"
Among the top eight martial arts academies in the world, Baiyun Martial Academy ranked fifth.
It is one of the top-tier academies.
The entire Southeastern Province, with its seven states and fifty-six cities, is within the recruitment scope.
"After you arrive, don't forget to contact your cousin. He's a top student at Baiyun Martial Academy. With him there, I can rest assured."
Fang Qianyi kept nagging as she packed his bags.
"I know, Mother."
Fang Che repeatedly promised, "Mother, I've left you five hundred pieces of monster cores and a small bag of spirit crystals. You shouldn't go on missions anymore. Focus on cultivating at home. I worry too much when you're out risking your life, and it unsettles my mind."
"Well... I still want to do something."
"I think you should focus on cultivation. If you get injured or something, I'll be very anxious. It's easy to make mistakes at the martial academy if I'm not calm. I'm young and can't keep my mind calm. If I go and can't come back, what if someone kills or cripples you?"
Fang Che threatened.
Fang Qianyi shuddered, tapping her son's head with her finger twice, saying, "Then I'll try not to go out."
"Yeah, yeah. Just cultivate in my courtyard. I'm growing the spirit grass my master gave me, which can gather spiritual energy."
Fang Che also felt relieved.
As long as Fang Qianyi didn't venture into deep mountains and forests, in this city of Bibo, with her Grandmaster-Realm cultivation, she was basically invincible.
But if she went out... To be honest, this innate Grandmaster-Realm cultivation wasn't much.
Outside, there are countless experts. A random King or Emperor-Realm expert could easily slap Fang Qianyi to death.
Seeing Fang Qianyi scared, Fang Che began to prepare.
He had money. The entire Su family's property was "temporarily held" by him. This financial strength probably ranked top among all the new and old students at the Baiyun Martial Academy.
The academy rules stipulate that new students are not allowed to be escorted.
He had to set out on this journey himself.
"From today on, you are no longer a child under your parents' knees, but a warrior in the world."
This was the rule of the martial academy.
There were various assessments on the way.
The assessments were scored.
With over 100 points, one could enter without an exam, and with over 200 points, one could enter for free without an exam.
Upon safely arriving at the martial academy, the top 100 ranked by points would engage in combat the next day to compete for the position of "White Cloud Top Scholar."
Fang Che wore a black robe that draped over his tall and straight figure, exuding an air of elegance.
His attendant, Ye Meng, stood beside him in a pink dress, hands hanging by her sides.
As the carriage approached, they loaded four boxes onto it with a thud.
Ye Meng reached out and lifted the carriage curtain.
Fang Che's black robe fluttered as he stepped in.
Ye Meng followed suit, bowing her head as she entered.
With a command from the coachman, the spirited horse began to move, pulling the carriage slowly.
Under the reluctant gaze and earnest advice of Fang Qianyi and Fang Zhenghang, the carriage slowly left the courtyard.
A sudden gust of wind stirred up a swirl of dust.
Fang Che's thick eyebrows furrowed slightly as he sat upright, his gaze fixed ahead on the long road stretching out.
His eyes were deep, his face calm, and his heart was as tranquil as a serene lake.
He knew that, at this moment, he had truly set out on his journey.
Indeed:
With lofty aspirations, I wield my sword to the southeast;
Facing storms and tempests, I raise my head towards the clouds.
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