In a corridor adorned with delicate red patterns, Liu Hongwu wandered forward with a dazed expression, her gaze fixed ahead at a garden not far away—an area cherished by her father. This was the residence of Liu Bao, the commander of the Blood Robe Guards. The garden ahead served as a tranquil retreat for Liu Bao, a place he frequented whenever he sought solace.
As the apple of Liu Bao's eye, Liu Hongwu understood his temperament well. After walking along the lengthy corridor for a while, she spotted a familiar figure diligently tending to the flowers in the garden.
"Father!" Liu Hongwu called out softly, lowering her head as she regained her focus.
Before her stood a middle-aged man clad in a coarse, simple coat, intently pruning the blooms in his hands. It was hard to believe that this farmer-like figure was the formidable Liu Bao, who commanded five thousand Blood Robe Guards—a superpower second only to the city lord in the entirety of Blood Jade City.
This mighty warrior now resembled a humble gardener, his eyes solely entranced by the beautifully trimmed blossoms.
"Father, are you still tending to the flowers?" Liu Hongwu asked again when it seemed Liu Bao had not heard her.
This time, Liu Bao responded. He set down his shears and gazed at Liu Hongwu with warm affection, smiling as he said, "These are your mother's favorite maple flowers. I promised her I would take good care of them."
Liu Bao then moved to a nearby pavilion, sitting down and casting his eyes upon the freshly pruned maple flowers, his face lighting up with a satisfied smile.
Upon hearing this, Liu Hongwu's gaze dimmed momentarily, tinged with sadness and longing. Her mother had passed away when she was very young, leaving her memories of her mother hazy. All she knew was that her father had adored her mother, a love so profound that it seemed to leave no room for anyone else, not even for her, his daughter.
"Hongwu, where have you been today? What happened?" Liu Bao suddenly inquired, noting the melancholic aura surrounding his daughter.
"Father, I accompanied our centurion on a mission today—the recent bandit suppression operation. I just returned a short while ago!" Liu Hongwu replied, stepping behind Liu Bao to massage his shoulders.
"Oh? A bandit suppression mission? Well done! Gaining such experience will greatly benefit your training. Remember, in the path of martial arts, one cannot progress through mere introspection. Only through practice and continual self-improvement can one ascend the heights of martial mastery," Liu Bao nodded approvingly.
"Yes, Father, I think the same," Liu Hongwu said. Although she was quite willful outside, she was exceptionally obedient in front of Liu Bao, almost as if she were a different person altogether. If Ye Tian were to witness this, he would surely think he had mistaken her for someone else.
"It's good that you understand. Dedicate yourself to your training. With your talent, surpassing me is not beyond your reach!" Liu Bao encouraged.
"My talent…" Liu Hongwu mused, a fleeting image of a young man flashing through her mind, a bittersweet smile appearing on her face. "Father, do you think a level ten warrior could defeat a level one martial master?"
She asked suddenly.
At this, Liu Bao's eyes narrowed, and he chuckled, "Of course it's possible! Some truly gifted warriors can challenge beyond their rank; it's not unusual. If you can cultivate the techniques I taught you to perfection, you could defeat some newly promoted level one martial masters."
"Work hard! I believe you can achieve it!" Liu Bao added with encouragement.
"Father, during the bandit suppression, we encountered a newly promoted level one martial master. He was defeated by our centurion," Liu Hongwu recounted.
"Haha, it seems the recruits of the Blood Robe Guards possess impressive talent if a martial master has emerged among them. Tell me, what is the name of your centurion? I'd like to keep an eye on him when I have some time," Liu Bao laughed.
"Father, he is just a level ten warrior and only seventeen years old!" Liu Hongwu said, stepping in front of Liu Bao as she spoke.
"Hmm?" Upon hearing this, Liu Bao's eyes brightened. He stared intently at his daughter, astonished. "A level ten warrior? At just seventeen years old? Who is this gifted individual? Tell me, what was the battle like?"
Liu Bao's face radiated excitement.
"It was like this, Father—his name is Ye Tian…" As Liu Hongwu recounted the events, the astonishment on Liu Bao's face grew, and when he finally heard that Ye Tian had comprehended the essence of the blade, he leaped to his feet in sheer exhilaration.
"Essence of the blade!" Liu Bao exclaimed, staring at Liu Hongwu with wide eyes, his nostrils flaring in disbelief. "To grasp the essence of the blade at the warrior level, and at just seventeen… I never expected such a prodigy would emerge in Blood Jade City. Even in the entirety of the Great Yan Kingdom, he would be counted among the elite talents!"
As Liu Bao stood before her, astonished, Liu Hongwu's expression grew complex. The image of that young man deepened in her mind.
...
For an entire week, Ye Tian remained indoors, refining the essence of the fire dragon fruit.
As time progressed, the process of breaking through the acupoints became increasingly arduous, and the pace slowed considerably.
A full week passed before Ye Tian finally consumed the last of the fire dragon fruit's potency, having successfully opened sixty-one acupoints.
In terms of strength, he had reached the pinnacle of level one martial master; with just three more acupoints, he would ascend to level two martial master.
Such a rapid advancement in training was unimaginable, even with Ye Tian's green martial spirit; this remarkable progress was entirely due to the assistance of the fire dragon fruit.
In the early morning, as the first rays of sunlight streamed through the gaps in the window, Ye Tian slowly opened his eyes, rolled over, and leapt out of bed, making his way to the yard outside. At that moment, he felt invigorated and full of energy.
"Let's see just how strong I am now!" Ye Tian thought to himself, squinting his eyes as he swung his long blade through the air. A blade of light, nearly ten feet long, shot forth with a chilling brilliance, exuding a fierce and murderous aura.
"Boom!" A thunderous explosion echoed through the air as Ye Tian's strike, casual as it was, unleashed an astonishing force. The blade of light soared for hundreds of meters, cleaving a massive crack in the stone wall five hundred meters away.
"Hiss~ Incredible! I could probably slay that one-eyed bandit leader with just a casual swing!" Ye Tian exclaimed, his eyes wide with shock, soon replaced by an expression of exhilaration. He could feel the tremendous power coursing through him, far beyond his wildest expectations.
"Goo goo!" Suddenly, a discordant sound broke the serenity. Ye Tian clutched his stomach, offering an awkward smile. "It's been a week since I last ate. Although I have my true energy to sustain me, I'm nearly starving. I should head to the dining hall for a meal."
With that, he sheathed his long blade and walked towards the Blood Robe Guard's dining hall.
The hall was already bustling with people, mostly fellow Blood Robe Guards who had joined around the same time as Ye Tian. He noticed many bore injuries, and their spirits appeared quite low.
His arrival quickly attracted attention; as a hundred-man captain, his presence was certainly impactful.
"Ye Tian, over here!"
As soon as he stepped into the dining hall, a familiar voice reached his ears. He looked up to see Wu Qinghu, Bai Shui, Huang Fei, and Yun Feifei gathered at a nearby table, with Huang Fei waving enthusiastically at him.
"It seems everyone has successfully completed the bandit eradication mission!" Ye Tian said with a smile as he approached, ordering some food along the way.
A week had passed, and it was no surprise to him that Wu Qinghu and the others had completed their tasks; he had confidence in their abilities.
"Ye Tian, why did we only just see you now?"
"I heard you were the first to return. Where have you been all this time?"
"Sis has missed you so much, you little rascal! Did you forget about me?"
As soon as he sat down, Ye Tian was bombarded with a barrage of questions, leaving him slightly overwhelmed.
"Wait, wait, wait... let me explain!" Ye Tian quickly raised his hand to halt their inquiries. He managed a wry smile and said, "Dear brothers and sisters, I've been training in my room for the past few days, so it's perfectly normal that you didn't see me."
"Come on! You training fanatic!" Bai Shui rolled his eyes.
"Still, you are quite diligent, Ye Lao Di!" Huang Fei complimented.
"Hey, take it slow! Don't choke!" Yun Feifei said, exasperated, as she watched Ye Tian wolf down his food, wondering how long it had been since he last ate—he looked like a starving ghost.
Across from him, Wu Qinghu had been silently staring at Ye Tian, an unusual expression on his face, hinting at a hint of disbelief.
Noticing his friend's odd demeanor, Bai Shui, Yun Feifei, and Huang Fei soon caught on.
"Wu Ge, what's wrong? Why are you staring at Ye Tian like that? Is something off?" Yun Feifei asked, her face filled with curiosity.
Beside her, Huang Fei and Bai Shui also looked at Wu Qinghu with puzzled expressions.
"Wu Lao Da, are you feeling ill?" Bai Shui said without a care.
"You're the one who's sick!" Wu Qinghu shot him a glare before returning his gaze to the devouring Ye Tian, sighing quietly, "It's just so disheartening to see. We worked so hard to complete the bandit extermination mission, suffering significant losses among our comrades. Yet, Ye Lao Di, you completed your task effortlessly and even advanced to the martial master realm. Congratulations, brother."
His face was filled with envy and admiration.
"What! Ye Tian has advanced to martial master!"
Upon hearing this, Bai Shui, Huang Fei, and Yun Feifei were all left dumbfounded.
"Haha, Wu Ge, you're giving me too much credit. Let me finish eating first..." Ye Tian humbly replied before resuming his rapid consumption of food, his hunger nearly unbearable.
Wu Qinghu and the others could only stare at him, speechless.
Yun Feifei pinched Ye Tian's ear and playfully said, "Little brother, quickly tell your sister how you advanced to martial master so fast!"
"I don't really know; I just trained for a few days and broke through," Ye Tian said nonchalantly, still focused on his meal.
Hearing this, Wu Qinghu and the others felt a pang of frustration. It was truly infuriating. All of them had received the same Blood War Eight Wilderness technique, yet they were still painstakingly working to open their acupoints while Ye Tian had already advanced to martial master.
The gap between them seemed insurmountable. The four of them couldn't help but sigh inwardly!