Chapter 226 - 225: Conflict
Chapter 226: Chapter 225: Conflict
Leaving the plaza of the Overall Martial Arts Stele, Xiao Chen practically had wind at his heels as he raced along.
He rushed toward the clearing in the woods of the Sub-Branch—a place that, while not officially designated, was tacitly acknowledged as Fang Han’s.
From a distance, he saw Fang Han’s cyan figure practicing his swordsmanship in the clearing.
Flashes of the blade flowed, hinting at the power of wind and thunder, yet they were so unpredictable that their trajectories were impossible to follow.
"Fang Han! Fang Han!"
Xiao Chen’s voice arrived before he did, his face filled with an excitement and agitation he couldn’t suppress.
Hearing the shout, Fang Han flicked his wrist. The Flowing Wind Sword let out a clear ring as he instantly retracted its momentum, sheathing it like a streak of cyan light returning to its scabbard.
He turned to look at the approaching Xiao Chen, raising an eyebrow in a silent question.
"What was the result?"
Fang Han’s voice was calm, betraying little emotion, but a closer look revealed a faint hint of inquiry deep in his eyes.
He had heard that Li Qinghong was going to test at the Overall Martial Arts Stele, but he hadn’t gone to watch.
"Li Qinghong... Li Qinghong failed! He couldn’t get back into the top thirty!"
Xiao Chen rushed up, a brilliant smile spreading across his face, his voice trembling with excitement.
"Congratulations, Fang Han! It won’t be long before the Sect issues the official documents. You’ll be a true True Disciple then!"
Although he had already expected this, hearing Xiao Chen confirm it still sent a ripple through Fang Han’s heart.
An indescribable excitement quietly bloomed within him, and he couldn’t stop the corners of his mouth from curling into a subtle smile.
He nodded lightly, his tone still even.
"Thank you for going out of your way to tell me, Brother Xiao."
"I knew you could do it!"
Xiao Chen’s eyes were filled with a joy, as if he was sharing in the glory.
"A True Disciple just over a year after joining! I doubt the Qingxuan Sect has seen another one like you in decades!"
Fang Han smiled but didn’t reply.
He knew that even if Li Qinghong had managed to cling to his True Inheritor position by some fluke, with his current cultivation speed, surpassing him was only a matter of time.
But to be able to enter the ranks of the True Inheritors so smoothly, without any hitches, had saved him a lot of trouble. It was the best possible outcome.
After chatting with Xiao Chen for a bit longer and hearing about what had happened at the plaza, Xiao Chen excused himself, saying he had other matters to attend to.
Once again, Fang Han was alone in the clearing. All was quiet except for the rustling of the wind through the treetops.
He walked slowly to a smooth, green stone at the edge of the clearing and sat down.
His fingertips unconsciously brushed against the cool scabbard of his Flowing Wind Sword, his mind anything but calm.
’A True Disciple!’
He knew exactly what this meant.
A higher monthly stipend, a greater share of cultivation resources, more freedom and privileges within the Sect, and even a certain degree of transcendent status.
Most importantly, once he was ranked among the True Inheritors, it meant he had truly entered the core echelon of the Qingxuan Sect, gaining the attention and protection of the Sect’s upper echelons.
Then, even a True Inheritor like Chu Feng, who was on the Celestial Pride List, would find it difficult to suppress or harass him by exploiting Sect rules or using his connections with Stewards and Elders as he had in the past.
If Chu Feng wanted to make a move against him again, he would have to weigh the consequences and consider the Sect’s laws and the attitude of the higher-ups.
He, Fang Han, would no longer be a Sub-Branch disciple that Chu Feng could manipulate at will, someone who had to endure everything!
A feeling of sweet vindication, mixed with anticipation for the wider world that lay ahead, surged in his chest.
But he soon took a deep breath, forcefully suppressing the churning emotions.
The ripples that had just appeared in his eyes quickly subsided, returning to the placid stillness of an old well.
’Becoming a True Inheritor and escaping this passive situation is just the beginning.’
’What I want is far more than this.’
’Top thirty on the Overall list? That’s by no means my final destination.’
His gaze was already fixed on the higher Celestial Pride List, fixed on the man who had given him trouble time and time again—Chu Feng.
"Chu Feng, whether it’s the Sect’s Overall list or the Celestial Pride List, I will crush you underfoot. That day is not far off."
A fighting spirit rose like a flame, then was quickly drawn inward, transforming into an even stronger motivation for cultivation.
His mind completely calm, Fang Han stood up and once again drew the Flowing Wind Sword.
The dark cyan blade shimmered with a restrained light under the mottled sunlight filtering through the trees.
"SWISH SWISH SWISH—"
He began to practice the Wind Shadow Annihilation Sword. The sword techniques were unpredictable, radiating a chilling killing intent, and his understanding of its three essences—"Deception, Annihilation, and Speed"—deepened.
He could clearly feel that ever since his swordsmanship entered the Great Success Realm, every sliver of improvement required far more insight and accumulation than before.
This was the nature of cultivating martial arts. From Entry Level to Minor Achievement, then to Great Success, the closer one got to Perfection, the more the difficulty increased exponentially.
The Wind Shadow Annihilation Sword, a top-tier example of a Top Grade Sword Technique, was no exception.
His cultivation speed had slowed considerably compared to before he reached Great Success.
However, with the terrifying boost of his sixty-four-fold Swordsmanship Talent, this "slowdown" was only relative.
His comprehension, his understanding of sword techniques, and his control over Sword Momentum were all still improving steadily and firmly at a pace that far surpassed that of any ordinary Sword Dao genius.
Many obscure sticking points that would stump even a Sword Dao genius would often become crystal clear to him after just a few practice sessions and a moment of thought.
Time slipped by quietly amidst his focused cultivation. The sun climbed higher, and it was nearly noon.
Fang Han slowly sheathed his sword, preparing to end his morning cultivation and head to the dining hall for a meal.
Just then, the sound of slightly hurried footsteps once again approached from the distance.
He looked up and saw Xiao Chen returning, his face a mixture of anxiety and gravity as he ran toward him.
"Fang Han!"
Xiao Chen’s voice rang out before he even arrived.
’He was just here a moment ago,’ Fang Han thought. ’Why has he returned, and with such a strange expression? Could something have happened?’
"Brother Xiao, you’ve returned. Did something happen?"
Fang Han took a few steps forward and asked.
"Fang Han, Song Xiang is here with Li Qinghong! They’re heading straight for the Sub-Branch. From the looks of it, they’re not here for a friendly visit!"
Xiao Chen ran up and said urgently.
Before Xiao Chen could finish, Fang Han’s gaze had already passed him, settling on the end of the path.
He saw two figures approaching quickly.
One was dressed in a regular Disciple’s Robe, his expression a mix of sycophantic and sinister. It was Song Xiang.
The other, however, wore a silver-striped cyan robe with flowing cloud patterns embroidered on the cuffs and lapels—the True Inheritor Disciple Robe!
This man was about twenty-six or twenty-seven years old with an ordinary face, which was currently so dark it looked like water could drip from it.
His eyes, sharp as a hawk’s, were locked onto Fang Han, making no effort to hide the coldness and ill will within them.
It was none other than Li Qinghong, who had just returned in defeat from the Overall Martial Arts Stele!
"Fang Han, so you really are here!"
Song Xiang’s shrill voice rang out. He pointed at Fang Han and said to Li Qinghong beside him.
"Senior Brother Li, that’s Fang Han!"
Fang Han’s gaze swept past Song Xiang and finally rested on Li Qinghong. His eyes were calm, but his voice carried a hint of coldness.
"Song Xiang, what’s the meaning of bringing Li Qinghong to my Sub-Branch?"
Struck by Fang Han’s calm yet piercing gaze, Song Xiang felt an inexplicable chill rise from the bottom of his heart. He instinctively shrank back, hiding half a step behind Li Qinghong.
Li Qinghong took a step forward, stopping about ten meters from Fang Han. His gaze was like two ice picks as he looked Fang Han up and down, his voice laced with suppressed fury:
"So you’re Fang Han? The Fang Han who kicked me out of the top thirty?"
"Li Qinghong, rankings rise and fall. It’s a common occurrence. If you’ve come because of the rankings, I see no need for it. The Martial Arts Stele has already made its final judgment."
Fang Han’s tone was flat, revealing neither joy nor anger.
"Final judgment?"
Li Qinghong sneered, the fire in his eyes burning even brighter.
"Enough nonsense! Fang Han, I, Li Qinghong, am challenging you today. Do you dare to accept?"
’A challenge?’
Fang Han scoffed internally.
Li Qinghong had lost his rank and was now just trying to save face in a fight, venting his frustration over losing his True Inheritor position.
He probably thought that if he could somehow defeat Fang Han, he might salvage a shred of dignity.
But for Fang Han, such a challenge was meaningless.
He had already secured his position as a True Inheritor. Li Qinghong’s challenge was nothing more than the impotent rage of a loser. There was no benefit in winning, only harm in losing.
"According to Sect law, challenges between disciples must be consensual. Li Qinghong, I refuse your challenge."
Fang Han said bluntly, his voice clear and firm.
"Refuse?"
A flicker of astonishment crossed Li Qinghong’s eyes, which quickly turned into thick sarcasm.
"What? Are you scared? Just as I thought—a piece of trash who only knows how to cultivate but has no idea how to actually fight. You don’t even have the courage for a proper battle!"
"Li Qinghong, I’m not accepting the fight simply because there’s no need. You, on the other hand, if you truly had the ability, you wouldn’t have lost to me in the rankings. Pestering me here, how are you any different from a common shrew? You’re just making a fool of yourself."
Hearing this, Fang Han wasn’t angered at all. Instead, a faint, mocking smile played on his lips.
"You...!"
Li Qinghong was so enraged by Fang Han’s deflective and mocking retort that his face turned shades of green and white. He could no longer contain the fury pent up in his chest.
He was an arrogant man to begin with, and after suffering one setback after another, his reason had been drowned by rage.
Provoked by Fang Han’s words, he no longer gave a damn about Sect rules or future punishment!
"You sharp-tongued little bastard! Today, your Senior Brother will teach you a lesson!"
Li Qinghong roared, and the powerful Inner Qi of a Late Stage of Sixth Grade cultivator erupted from his body. His robes billowed and snapped in the wind.
He stomped his right foot hard on the ground, instantly cracking the stone tiles beneath. His body shot toward Fang Han like an enraged lion!
Inner Qi gathered around his fists, glowing with an earthy yellow light. It carried a brutal, tyrannical fist intent that seemed capable of shattering mountains as he aimed straight for Fang Han’s chest!
It was his signature move, the Breaking Army Fist, which he had cultivated to the Mastery Realm.
The wind from his fist was sharp and piercing, compressing the air until it boomed. The display was terrifying!
"Watch out!"
Xiao Chen’s expression changed dramatically as he cried out in alarm.
Faced with this sudden, ferocious attack, Fang Han’s eyes turned ice-cold.
He hadn’t wanted to fight, but since his opponent had broken the Sect’s rules and attacked first, he couldn’t be blamed for what happened next.
"CLANG!"
The Flowing Wind Sword sang from its scabbard, transforming into a streak of dark cyan lightning. Though drawn second, it arrived first, striking with pinpoint accuracy at the very heart of Li Qinghong’s fist’s power.
On the tip of the blade, the Wind Momentum silently gathered, making the sword strike faster, swifter, and sharper!