Chapter 223 - 222: Great Success in the Wind Shadow Annihilation Sword
Chapter 223: Chapter 222: Great Success in the Wind Shadow Annihilation Sword
"What a close call!"
Fang Han stood beneath an ancient pine tree, his expression calm and unruffled. Inwardly, however, he shivered and thought, ’That was close.’
Zhao Wuji, Sun Mo, Li Qinghong...
Three True Disciples!
He had originally assumed Chu Feng would, at most, ask a few disciples from the top one hundred for help, or perhaps hire some Sixth Grade Experts from outside the Sect.
But he never would have imagined that Chu Feng had actually managed to get three True Disciples of the Qingxuan Sect to stand guard.
If he had been unable to restrain himself after breaking through to the Middle Stage of Sixth Grade and had moved against Chu Feng’s subordinate forces again, he very well might have run into one of those three True Disciples!
Even though his strength had greatly increased and he was confident he was no weaker than a top-level expert at the Late Stage of Sixth Grade, the outcome of a fight against a powerful True Disciple was still uncertain.
Even if he could fight and win, the battle would be impossible to end quickly. It would inevitably cause a huge commotion.
Once he was tied down, he would be forced to reveal the Martial Techniques he excelled at, and the risk of his identity being exposed would skyrocket.
And if his luck was bad enough to run into two True Disciples at once... the consequences would be unthinkable!
"Thankfully... I played it safe."
Fang Han let out a soft breath of turbid air, a fine layer of cold sweat breaking out on his back.
Chu Feng’s reaction this time was far more intense and cautious than he had anticipated.
It seemed the successive losses had truly made this Celestial Pride True Inheritance feel the sting, to the point that he was willing to pay a huge price to ferret out this "thief."
’Since that’s the case, I have to be even more patient before making a move.’
A cold glint flashed in Fang Han’s eyes.
Chu Feng must have paid a considerable price to get three True Disciples to help him.
Besides, this "waiting for the rabbit to bump into the tree" situation couldn’t possibly last forever. If too much time passed, those three True Disciples would surely want to leave.
This was now a contest of patience.
The most important thing for him to do now was to seize this opportunity while Chu Feng was focused on catching the "thief" and had no time for anything else, and bury his head in training to improve his strength!
’I’m currently ranked 57th. I’ll set my goal... for the top 30!’
A sharp light flashed in Fang Han’s eyes.
According to Sect regulations, disciples ranked in the top thirty on the overall list could obtain the status of a True Disciple.
Once he became a True Disciple, his status would be completely different from that of an ordinary Inner Sect Disciple. The resources he could command and the degree of protection he received from the Sect would both increase dramatically.
At that point, even though Chu Feng was a True Inheritor on the Celestial Pride List, if he wanted to brazenly suppress him as before, he would have to consider the consequences and the Sect’s attitude.
This was undoubtedly an excellent Protective Talisman.
’If I remember correctly, the 30th rank on the overall list seems to be... Li Qinghong?’
An almost imperceptible, cold smile touched the corners of Fang Han’s mouth.
The Qingxuan Sect had a fixed number of thirty True Disciple positions. If someone became a True Disciple, someone else would inevitably lose their spot.
If he raised his rank into the top thirty and knocked Li Qinghong out of her True Disciple position...
...having lost the generous treatment and resources that came with her status, Li Qinghong would surely have no time to spare guarding Chu Feng’s subordinates. She might even turn against him.
Time flowed like water, passing silently. In the blink of an eye, it was the end of the month.
Inside Room C-7, Fang Han slowly opened his eyes. A deep cyan light swirled in their depths before quickly fading away.
He softly exhaled a breath of turbid air. His breath was long and deep, and the surging, majestic Inner Qi around him gradually calmed down.
For the past ten-odd days, he had poured nearly all his energy into the Cultivation of the Profound Wind Technique and the Wind Shadow Annihilation Sword.
The reason, naturally, was that Cultivation and Swordsmanship were the two key factors determining one’s rank on the Overall Martial Arts Stele.
On the foundation of his Root Bone, which had been improved by the Earth Core Stone Milk, and with the terrifying effects of the sixty-four-fold Root Bone Talent Amplification...
...as he operated the Profound Wind Technique, his body became like a bottomless pit, crazily devouring the pure Medicinal Power refined from True Spirit Pills and converting it into Inner Qi.
In just over ten days, the newly opened Tanzhong Acupoint was once again more than half-full of Inner Qi, the feeling of swelling fullness growing more apparent by the day.
At this rate, it wouldn’t be long before he touched the bottleneck of the Late Stage of Sixth Grade and broke through in his Cultivation once more.
As for his Swordsmanship, although the speed of improvement wasn’t as astonishing as his Cultivation, his progress was still extremely fast under the terrifying boost of his sixty-four-fold Swordsmanship Talent.
After more than ten days of focused, arduous practice and contemplation, his comprehension of the three essences—"Deception, Annihilation, and Speed"—had deepened considerably.
Combined with his prior accumulation with the Wind Shadow Annihilation Sword, when he now executed its Sword Techniques, a sense of smooth fluidity and burgeoning intent became increasingly clear.
The paper-thin barrier to the Great Success Realm was now as thin as a cicada’s wing, ready to be pierced at any moment.
Straightening his robes, Fang Han picked up the Flowing Wind Sword, pushed open the door, and walked out into the midday sun, his steps steady as he headed toward the dining hall.
The dining hall was bustling with noise. It was the peak lunch hour, and many disciples were gathered in groups, eating and chatting, creating a lively atmosphere.
Fang Han got his food and found a quiet corner by a window to sit down. He had just picked up his chopsticks when the discussion from a few disciples at a nearby table faintly drifted into his ears.
"Did you hear? Zhang Yuan’s True Inheritance made Senior Brother Chu Feng lose face again yesterday!"
A tall, thin disciple lowered his voice, his face full of gossip.
"Oh? Tell us, what happened?"
The others nearby immediately grew interested and leaned in closer.
"Zhang Yuan’s True Inheritance exposed some of Chu Feng’s True Inheritance’s embarrassing affairs. Senior Brother Chu Feng got angry, pulled some strings, and had the Sect assign Zhang Yuan’s True Inheritance the thorny task of hunting down the ’Blood-Handed Butcher’."
"This ’Blood-Handed Butcher’s’ Cultivation has reached the Peak of Sixth Grade. The bounty on him is as high as three hundred thousand taels. He’s incredibly vicious and extremely difficult to deal with!"
"And guess what? Zhang Yuan’s True Inheritance cleverly turned it down, using the excuse that he was ’at a critical period of breaking through to the Fifth Grade and couldn’t be distracted.’ I heard that when Senior Brother Chu Feng heard the news, his face was absolutely foul!"
"Tsk, tsk, Zhang Yuan’s True Inheritance’s response was brilliant. But it’s also thanks to his status as a True Disciple. His identity and position within the Sect are vastly different; he has the right to refuse Sect-assigned tasks. A normal disciple wouldn’t have the right to refuse at all."
"Of course. True Disciples have a transcendent status, even higher than that of a typical Steward. Even if the reason for the Sect’s assigned task is reasonable, they can still choose to refuse. Senior Brother Chu Feng was smoothly rebuffed this time..."
Fang Han ate his meal in silence, his eyes calm and unruffled, but his heart stirred slightly.
The discord between Zhang Yuan’s True Inheritance and Chu Feng was no secret in the Sect.
It was only to be expected that Chu Feng would retaliate after Zhang Yuan exposed the embarrassing news of the successive thefts from his subordinate forces.
He just hadn’t expected Zhang Yuan to be so capable, resisting the pressure Chu Feng applied using the Sect’s rules and making his opponent’s punch land on cotton.
This undoubtedly proved once again the transcendent status and autonomy that came with being a True Disciple.
’Only by becoming a True Disciple can I truly have the capital to establish myself in the Sect and no longer be easily controlled by others...’
Fang Han lowered his head and ate, a determined glint flashing in his eyes. The thought of becoming a True Disciple grew even firmer.
After lunch, Fang Han didn’t return to his residence. Instead, he walked straight to the clearing in the woods where he usually practiced.
Sunlight filtered through the sparse leaves and branches, casting dappled shadows on the ground. The fresh scent of grass and trees filled the air.
SWISH—
He found a flat, open area, drew his Flowing Wind Sword, and, holding his breath to concentrate, began to practice the Wind Shadow Annihilation Sword.
As the sword’s light flared, it was devious and unpredictable, and a sharp killing intent spread through the air.
The manual’s description of the Great Success "Deception, Annihilation, and Speed" flowed through his mind as Inner Qi surged along complex pathways and poured into the sword’s blade.
The Flowing Wind Sword transformed into streaks of dark cyan afterimages. At times, it was like a venomous snake slithering in ambush, striking out silently and suddenly.
At other times, it was like a hurricane tearing through, ripping everything apart with absolute speed and power.
And at other times, it would conjure layers upon layers of sword images, a mix of real and illusory that was impossible to defend against.
His linking of Sword Techniques, his application of Inner Qi, and his grasp of timing had already reached a near-instinctual level.
Many subtle transformations that had previously required conscious control now came to him effortlessly, each one brimming with power.
However, that final barrier to "Great Success" remained tough, as if separated by a veil of gauze that was extremely thin yet impossible to pierce.
Fang Han didn’t lose heart. His mind was completely immersed as he repeated, corrected, and comprehended, over and over again.
Sweat gradually soaked his robes, but he seemed completely unaware.
An unknown amount of time passed.
VMMMM!
The Flowing Wind Sword let out a clear, long hum, as if it had resonated with some kind of rhythm between heaven and earth.
Fang Han felt a thunderclap explode in his mind, and the feeling of stagnation that had always hindered his use of "Wind Momentum" was suddenly broken through!
The Sword Technique in his hand changed with the flow, and five sword images suddenly merged.
They became a single, extremely condensed, almost transparent thin line of pale cyan that silently shot across a distance of several dozen feet, striking a millstone-sized green rock in the distance.
TCHH...
A paper-thin cut appeared on the green rock’s surface. The cut was as smooth as a mirror. A moment later, the rock slowly split in two and crashed to the ground.
And yet, the passing sword wind had stirred up nothing more than a few specks of dust!
His induction and control of "Wind Momentum" had shockingly soared from the previous "fifteen percent" to "twenty percent"!
An unprecedented feeling of perfect, transparent control—of command originating from the heart—welled up inside him.
"Wind Shadow Annihilation Sword, Great Success!"
Fang Han slowly sheathed his sword and stood tall. Deep in his eyes, a glint as sharp as a sword’s edge flashed and then vanished.
Feeling how the Flowing Wind Sword in his hand moved with ever-increasing smoothness, as if it were an extension of his own arm, and sensing the sharp killing intent within his Sword Momentum that far surpassed its previous level, he let out a soft breath of turbid air.
The power of the Wind Shadow Annihilation Sword at the Great Success Level had increased by at least fifty percent compared to when he was at the Mastery level!
Its speed was faster, its trajectory more devious, and its killing power more focused and terrifying.
’My Cultivation and Swordsmanship have both advanced. I wonder how much my rank will increase in this test... ’
A trace of anticipation flashed in Fang Han’s eyes.
Compared to a month ago, both his Cultivation and Swordsmanship had advanced. He was extremely eager to see if his current strength was enough to break into the top thirty and earn the status of a True Disciple.
Of course, regardless of whether he could break into the top thirty and become a True Disciple in one go, he still had to go to the Overall Martial Arts Stele for a test today.
The last few days of the month were the crucial time for sprinting up the rankings and determining the next month’s rewards.
Every single rank he climbed meant a more generous reward of Contribution Points for the following month.
’It’s getting late.’
Fang Han looked up at the sky. The sun was already slanting west; it wouldn’t be long until evening.
He delayed no longer, sheathed his sword, turned, and left the clearing, heading toward the plaza where the Overall Martial Arts Stele was located.