After agreeing to join the Baiyun Sect, Ling Feng had to leave with the middle-aged man in white the next day. Before leaving, he bid farewell to the villagers.
"Village chief, when I succeed in martial arts, I will come back for you all!"
"By then, I will develop the Ling Family Village into Ling Family Town or even Ling Family City, and I'll make you the mayor or city lord."
Ling Feng spoke earnestly.
"Good, good, good, I'll be waiting for that day."
The village chief smiled warmly and patted Ling Feng on the shoulder. "Little Feng, I've heard that becoming a martial artist is a good thing, but the path of martial arts is full of unknown dangers. You must be careful, and plan before you act."
"I understand, Village Chief."
After saying goodbye to the villagers, Ling Feng followed the middle-aged man in white.
"By the way, sir, how far is Baiyun Sect?"
"Haha, no need to call me sir. I am an elder of Baiyun Sect. My surname is Li, so you can call me Elder Li. As for Baiyun Sect, it's about 800 li (400 kilometers) from here. If we move quickly, we can get there in a day."
Eight hundred li? In a day? Is that even possible?
Ling Feng was stunned for a moment, but then realized that Elder Li could fly with the wind. It made sense—flying for 800 li was nothing for someone like him.
Ling Feng then inquired about the martial arts system in this world.
According to Elder Li, this world is called the Cangqiong Realm. Martial arts are divided into nine major realms, from weakest to strongest: Houtian (Post-Heaven), Xiantian (Pre-Heaven), Martial Master, Martial Spirit, Martial Sect, Martial King, Martial Lord, Martial Saint, and Martial Emperor. Each realm is further divided into nine levels.
It is said that those who reach the Martial Emperor level can shatter the void and ascend to a higher realm, but throughout history, only a few have achieved this.
"These Martial Master and Martial Sect levels sound so old-fashioned," Ling Feng muttered to himself.
But in the next moment, Elder Li grabbed his shoulder, and they soared into the air. The landscape on both sides rapidly receded, as if they were on a high-speed train.
"Elder Li, at what level of cultivation can one fly like you?" Ling Feng asked eagerly.
"To fly like this, you need to reach at least the Martial Master level. What I'm using now is just a light-body technique. If you reach the Martial Spirit level, you can even transform your true qi into wings and achieve true flight!"
"How long does it take to reach the Martial Spirit level?"
"For ordinary people, it takes at least ten or even several dozen years, but since you have a Sacred Body for martial arts, it shouldn't take that long. However, how long it will actually take depends on you, as I've never seen a Sacred Body before."
"Oh."
Ling Feng didn't ask more but became increasingly excited about his future martial arts training.
From sunrise to sunset and then until the next dawn, Ling Feng and Elder Li finally arrived at the Baiyun Sect. The sect was located in the mountains, surrounded by clouds and mist, with countless buildings nestled along rivers and hills, giving it a sense of an immortal paradise.
Elder Li led Ling Feng over several peaks, eventually arriving at a grand hall atop a thousand-zhang (around 3,300 feet) high mountain.
Inside the hall, many people were gathered, discussing something.
"Elder Wang, the disciple you brought back this time is quite impressive. She possesses nine martial veins and has excellent bone structure. Given time, she will undoubtedly become a Martial Spirit, or even a Martial Sect-level powerhouse! Haha, heaven blesses our Baiyun Sect."
The crowd praised a girl in red.
"Indeed, Elder Wang, you've done well this time. You may go to the Pill Pavilion to receive an Upper Purity Pill," said an elderly man with white hair, smiling.
Elder Wang's face lit up with joy. "Thank you, Sect Master."
The white-haired elder then looked at the girl in red and smiled, "Your name is Gu Linglong, right? Would you be willing to become my disciple?"
The crowd was surprised. They hadn't expected the Sect Master to personally take on a disciple.
At this moment, a black-robed elder with white hair and youthful features stepped forward. "Sect Master, you are busy with many affairs. I doubt you have much time to personally teach a disciple. Why not let Gu Linglong join me? I will certainly teach her well."
The crowd glanced at him, their expressions unclear.
"Elder, you already have four disciples, each one a genius. Now that we finally have another promising talent, you shouldn't fight me for this one," the Sect Master said lightly.
"That's right."
"Let the Sect Master take this disciple. Even if the Sect Master is busy, it doesn't mean he won't have time to teach. Besides, with so many disciples under you, how would you have time to teach Gu Linglong as well?"
The crowd also spoke out, stopping the elder.
The elder's eyes showed a trace of gloom, but he eventually gave up.
At this time, Elder Li entered the hall with Ling Feng.
The crowd looked at them, curious. "Oh, Elder Li is back, and he brought someone. Is this the disciple he found this time?"
"Let's see."
Elder Wang, who had brought Gu Linglong, chuckled. "Elder Li, where did you find this little fellow? He's dressed in rough clothes. Did you pick him up from some remote village? What kind of potential could he have?"
"The disciple I brought is certainly better than yours."
"Haha, Elder Li, aren't you boasting a bit too much? Do you know what kind of talent my disciple has? Nine martial veins and excellent bone structure, one of the best in the entire Baiyun Sect."
"My disciple, let alone being among the top in Baiyun Sect, would be considered the very best in the entire Zhou Empire!" Elder Li said with a calm smile, radiating confidence.
He then took out a jade stone used to test one's innate potential and said to Ling Feng, "Little Feng, don't be nervous. Go ahead and let everyone see your talent!"
"Alright," Ling Feng nodded slightly and approached the jade stone, placing his hand on it.
Boom!
The jade stone trembled, and a burst of golden light shot up into the sky.
Everyone in the hall was utterly shocked by the sight before them.
Their gazes fixed on Ling Feng with intense fervor.
"This… this is a Martial Sacred Body!!"
"My heavens, a Martial Sacred Body! How is this even possible?!"
"How could Baiyun Sect be so blessed to gain a disciple with a Martial Sacred Body?"
The Martial Sacred Body was the most powerful talent for martial cultivation in the world!
In the history of the Vast Sky Realm, the Martial Sacred Body had appeared only a handful of times. Calling it rare was an understatement. In fact, one could say that even in a millennium, there might not be a single person born with such a body.
The Sect Master of Baiyun Sect smiled and asked, "Young man, what is your name?"
Before Ling Feng could respond, the Grand Elder, his breathing heavy, urgently said, "Young man, take me as your master! I will teach you everything I know, and if you accept, I will focus entirely on you alone, dedicating myself to your growth."
The other elders were immediately alarmed.
"Grand Elder, don't joke around. You already have too many disciples. There's no way you could focus on teaching just him unless you're planning to abandon the others."
"If I have a disciple with a Martial Sacred Body, who cares about the rest? Once he fully matures, his legacy will last for generations!"
"No, this disciple must be taught by the Sect Master!"
"Sect Master, you've already taken Gu Linglong as your disciple. It's only fair that you let us have this one, right? Don't be greedy."
"But this is a Martial Sacred Body! How could I possibly ignore such a talent?"
The elders began arguing amongst themselves, making the scene resemble a chaotic marketplace.
Finally, the Sect Master sighed, realizing there was no other way. "Looks like we'll have to use the old method."
Huh?