For Wu Zheng, who had spent years in seclusion during his past life, five months passed in the blink of an eye.
When he finally opened his eyes, a wave of energy coursed through him. Standing up, he began to stretch, feeling the vitality surging within his body. After this period of solitude, he found himself just one step away from breaking into the fifth stage of Qi Condensation. He could have achieved that final breakthrough with just one more week, but Wu Zheng made a deliberate decision against it.
His thoughts turned to the possibility of his father checking on him. Although the chances were slim, he was unwilling to risk revealing his secrets. Instead, he resolved to emerge from seclusion and reunite with his parents.
Rising, Wu Zheng stepped out of his independent space into the original cave, which was now cluttered with dirt. He wanted his sanctuary to be in good shape, so he decided to tidy it up.
Drawing upon his sword technique, the Swift Sword Technique, even without a sword in hand, he executed the movements with precision. As he began the technique, the wind howled, and the dirt around him became restless. With a swift motion, he sent the debris flying outside. Satisfied with the cleanliness, he arranged his mat, pillow, and other belongings that had been disturbed by the gusts.
After cleaning the cave, Wu Zheng cast a pleased glance at his work before climbing upward.
Soon, he reached the edge of the cliff, and with a powerful leap, he arrived at the peak.
Standing atop the cliff, he made his way toward the western gate, moving with purpose. Upon arrival, he was greeted by a guard.
"Greetings, young master."
Wu Zheng nodded with a smile, then continued on his way. He soon reached his mother's residence but learned that she was not home at the moment. After inquiring, he discovered that she had gone to visit a neighbor.
She was worried about Wu Zheng and had asked his father to check on him. Upon hearing this, Wu Zheng let out a sigh of relief and silently praised his prudence for not being overly greedy in his seclusion.
After instructing a guard to inform his mother of his arrival, Wu Zheng set off to meet his sister.
He quickly reached his sister's house and called for her outside. As expected, Wu Hei rushed out the moment she heard his voice, her face lighting up with joy. Wu Zheng couldn't help but smile at her enthusiasm.
"Wu Zheng, you're only a step away from reaching the 3rd stage!" Wu Hei exclaimed, disbelief evident in her tone.
"Yes, sister, I was fortunate to gain enlightenment after breaking into the Qi Condensation Realm. That is why my seclusion lasted longer than planned, but I still couldn't break through to the 3rd stage," Wu Zheng replied, a hint of regret clouding his expression.
His sister chuckled, shaking her head. "You're already at the peak of the 2nd stage, and you expect to reach the 3rd stage in the same period of seclusion?"
Still, Wu Zheng's frustration lingered. "But I can't help feeling disappointed that I couldn't achieve it despite my talent."
"You would have drawn the attention of great sects if you had actually done that," she replied, her expression turning serious. "Those sects wouldn't have left you alone, and then you would have faced a terrible choice: join them or die."
Wu Zheng nodded in understanding, recognizing the weight of her words. He knew that while there were others with potential like his, they were exceedingly rare. Most of them hailed from the ten great sects or clans.
Instances had occurred where promising cultivators were snatched away by these powerful factions, often leading to the destruction of the weaker clans.
He recalled the basic rules governing the Huang kingdom:
1. A clan or sect cannot attack one of equal status. They can only engage in battles at specified times, within fixed ranges, and for limited periods.
2. A clan or sect with a higher status could attack any clan or sect at any time.
3. Most critically, nascent soul experts cannot be killed during any conflict. The royal family of the Huang kingdom enforced this rule strictly; if a clan or sect violated it, they would face complete destruction.
In battles between clans or sects, victory was determined by two factors:
1. If the nascent soul experts from both sides drew their matches, the winner was decided based on the number of cultivators remaining below the nascent soul realm after five years.
2. If one side's nascent soul expert emerged victorious, that clan or sect would claim victory, regardless of the number of cultivators on either side.
When a clan or sect won, they could kill any members below the nascent soul realm from the losing faction. If desired, they could even wipe out the entire clan or sect. However, such actions were rarely taken, as no one wanted to provoke a fearless nascent soul expert.