Chapter 596 - 592: The Recognized Trio

Chapter 596: Chapter 592: The Recognized Trio

Fang Han had just settled into his private courtyard when the sound of footsteps came from outside the gate.

He looked up to see Luo Yuntian leading five others down the bluestone path toward him.

The five were all familiar faces.

One was Liu Bai, the head disciple of the Lingyun Sword Sect.

He wore a moon-white long robe and had an ethereal, otherworldly air about him. At his waist hung the longsword inlaid with seven Gemstones.

Another was Mad Saber, the head disciple of the Overlord Blade Sect.

He was burly and imposing, dressed in a sleeveless tunic that revealed his lean, bronze-colored muscles.

He still carried that massive, wide-bladed sword—as large as a door panel—on his shoulder. His face was rugged, and he looked around with undisguised curiosity.

One was Wu Xiang, the head disciple of the Vajra Temple.

He was slender and wore a gray monk’s robe. With a peaceful expression and steady gait, he was the complete opposite of the typically brawny Horizontal Martial Artist, exuding a sense of reserved composure instead.

Another was Xu Qing, the head disciple of Tingyu Building.

His face was plain and his demeanor equally unremarkable; he would likely go unnoticed in a crowd. But it would be a grave mistake to underestimate him, for anyone who could rank fifth on the Qingyang County Celestial Pride List—even higher than Luo Yuntian—was bound to be anything but simple.

The last person was Hua Jieyu, the head disciple of Baihua Valley.

Her eyes crinkled with a smile, and she moved with the grace of a butterfly. Her curious gaze swept across the courtyard from time to time.

Fang Han rose and strode quickly toward the courtyard gate.

"Junior Brother Luo, everyone, please, come in."

Luo Yuntian nodded slightly and led the five into the courtyard.

As soon as they entered, Mad Saber couldn’t help but look around.

The courtyard wasn’t enormous, but it was exquisitely designed.

Opposite the gate was a spacious main hall, with side rooms on either side. To one side of the courtyard was a separate Cultivation Field.

The ground was paved with bluestone bricks, and several unfamiliar flowering plants grew around the perimeter, filling the air with a faint, fresh fragrance.

"Tsk tsk."

Mad Saber took the giant sword from his shoulder and propped it on the ground. His gaze swept over the Cultivation Field, and he couldn’t help but smack his lips.

"A private courtyard with its own Cultivation Field... Brother Fang, your accommodations are much better than ours."

Liu Bai, standing with his hands clasped behind his back, remarked,

"Mad Saber, if you can defeat Brother Fang and take first place on the Celestial Pride List, the Royal Villa will naturally arrange such a courtyard for you too."

Fang Han glanced at the two of them. ’The Lingyun Sword Sect and the Overlord Blade Sect are known to be on bad terms, but judging by how these two interact, their personal relationship isn’t nearly as hostile as the rumors claim.’

"Everyone, please, have a seat inside."

The six of them entered the hall and took their seats. Fang Han summoned the maid provided by the Royal Villa and asked her to make tea.

The maid bowed and left, returning shortly with six celadon teacups filled with a clear tea that gave off a faint, pleasant aroma.

Fang Han lifted his cup, took a small sip, and set it back down, his gaze sweeping over the faces of his six guests.

"When did all of you arrive in the Imperial Capital?"

"We’ve been here for a few days," Hua Jieyu said with a charming smile. "We ran into Brother Luo at our lodgings, and when we heard you had also arrived, we came to have a look—to see the accommodations of the number one prodigy on the Qingyang County Celestial Pride List."

She paused, her gaze sweeping around the hall with a trace of admiration.

"A private courtyard with its own Cultivation Field and a personal maid... These accommodations are certainly a lot better than our suites."

Fang Han asked,

"Have any of you seen anything interesting in the Imperial Capital these past few days?"

Liu Bai spoke first, a hint of wonder in his voice:

"The day before yesterday, I attended an auction. The sheer number of treasures there was far beyond anything you’d see in Qingyang County."

He paused before continuing.

"There were five specimens of Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures alone, and one of them was even Mid-grade."

"A Mid-grade Heavenly Material and Earthly Treasure?"

Luo Yuntian raised an eyebrow, a hint of surprise in his voice.

"It’s rare enough to see a Low-grade Heavenly Material and Earthly Treasure at an auction in Qingyang County. To think that an auction in the Imperial Capital would even feature a Mid-grade one..."

’A Mid-grade Heavenly Material and Earthly Treasure at an auction... The Imperial Capital truly lives up to its name.’ Fang Han was also deeply shocked.

Mad Saber picked up his teacup, gulped down a mouthful, wiped his mouth, and continued,

"Speaking of things we’ve seen, I also ran into something interesting a couple of days ago."

He put down the teacup, a note of excitement in his voice.

"The other day, I was about to eat at this unremarkable little shop in the city. It looked completely ordinary. But right as I was about to go in, I saw a few disciples—prodigies from some county or other—causing a ruckus inside."

He paused, a strange expression flashing across his rugged face.

"And guess what happened?"

Luo Yuntian raised an eyebrow.

"What happened?"

Mad Saber grinned, his voice full of awe.

"The owner of that shop was actually a Grandmaster!"

At his words, everyone in the hall was stunned.

"A Grandmaster?"

Wu Xiang put his palms together, his voice tinged with surprise.

"A Grandmaster... running an unremarkable little shop like that?"

"It’s shocking, I know, but he was definitely a Grandmaster," Mad Saber said, his voice filled with a sense of wonder.

"The Imperial Capital really lives up to its name. It’s full of crouching tigers and hidden dragons. The owner of some unremarkable little shop turns out to be a Grandmaster... It was a real eye-opener for me."

Xu Qing gently set down his teacup and said,

"The Imperial Capital is the heart of the Great Chu Dynasty, a gathering place for experts. There are many Grandmaster Powerhouses who have settled here. You must not act too ostentatiously, or you never know when you might offend one."

"That’s right. You can’t be too flashy here," Hua Jieyu’s tone suddenly grew serious as she spoke.

"By the way, have you heard about the three people who are currently considered the most likely to win first place in the Martial Arts Assembly?"

"The three people considered most likely to win the Martial Arts Assembly? Which three?" Fang Han asked curiously.

Hua Jieyu held up three fingers and counted them off one by one:

"The first is Qin Yuan, from the Overlord-level influence, Dragon Abyss Pavilion. He’s number one on the Celestial Pride List for Longxing County, one of the Central Thirty-Six Counties."

"The second is Lin Qingyin of the Biluo Sect, an Overlord-level influence in Celestial Wave County. She’s number one on her county’s Celestial Pride List, also one of the Central Thirty-Six Counties."

"The third is Chu Jinghong from the Cangwu Sword Sect, the Overlord-level influence of Cangwu County. He’s first on the Celestial Pride List there, and it’s another one of the Central Thirty-Six Counties."

She lowered her hand, her gaze sweeping over the others, her voice growing more solemn.

"These three are the ones currently considered to have the best chance of winning the Martial Arts Assembly."

Luo Yuntian frowned slightly, a hint of confusion in his voice.

"I don’t get it. The Martial Arts Assembly hasn’t started yet, and none of the prodigies from the different counties have fought each other. Why are those three singled out as the most likely winners?"

Hua Jieyu looked up, her voice calm yet carrying a note of gravity.

"Because all three of them have already broken through to the First Grade. And they might be even further along than just the Early First Grade."

The hall fell silent for a moment.

Luo Yuntian’s brow furrowed even tighter, his voice filled with disbelief.

"First Grade? Not yet thirty years old, and already a First Grade Martial Artist?"

He paused, a touch of awe in his voice.

"In Qingyang County, short of a Grandmaster, a First Grade Martial Artist is considered a top-level expert. For those three to reach the First Grade before they’re even thirty... Isn’t that a bit absurd?"

Fang Han sat in the host’s seat, his expression calm.

’He wasn’t too surprised that these three had become First Grade Martial Artists before the age of thirty. At his current rate of cultivation, he should be able to break through to the First Grade within the year. That would make him a First Grade cultivator at only twenty-one years old. Still, he felt a new sense of gravity when considering their strength. Everyone attending the Martial Arts Assembly was a genius among geniuses from their respective counties. It was common for them to fight opponents several Minor Realms above them. Even though his current combat prowess was comparable to a Second Stage Martial Artist, he probably wouldn’t be a match for those three prodigies who had already broken through to the First Grade.’

"There’s no need to be so down on ourselves," Liu Bai said, picking up the thread of conversation. "The fact that those three broke through to the First Grade before thirty certainly makes them geniuses among geniuses, but it’s also inseparable from their environment."

"Not only do they come from the Central Thirty-Six Counties, where the Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi is more abundant, but they also come from Overlord-level influences. The resources they receive are not something we, from the Seven Sects, can compare to."

"That’s true."

At these words, Luo Yuntian’s frown gradually smoothed out, and he let out a slow breath.

"For the three of them to be able to break through to the First Grade before they’re thirty, it indeed has a great deal to do with their environment," Hua Jieyu said.

"Also, besides those three, some other prodigies from the Central Thirty-Six Counties are also suspected of having a First Grade Cultivation. The number of experts at this Martial Arts Assembly will probably be even greater than expected."

The six of them chatted in the hall for a while longer, their conversation drifting from the various prodigies to the famous sights within the Imperial Capital. They all seemed to enjoy the discussion.

After a while, Liu Bai was the first to stand. He clasped his hands and said,

"Brother Fang, we’ve intruded enough for today. It’s getting late, so I’ll take my leave."

"Yes, it’s getting late. We won’t disturb you any longer."

Mad Saber and the others also stood up and said their goodbyes.

Fang Han rose and saw the six of them to the gate.

Watching their figures disappear around the bend in the bluestone path, Fang Han turned and returned to the courtyard.

The courtyard, which had been bustling just a moment ago, fell completely silent, with only the occasional chirp of birds from outside the window remaining.

Standing in the courtyard with his hands behind his back, his gaze swept over the bluestone-paved Cultivation Field. ’So many experts,’ Fang Han muttered to himself.

He had always known that the Martial Arts Assembly, gathering prodigies from all One Hundred and Eight Counties, would be full of experts. Still, he hadn’t expected there to be so many, nor for them to be so powerful.

The three top contenders had not only reached the First Grade, but were apparently well beyond the initial stage.

And besides those three, there were many others suspected of having a First Grade Cultivation.

’Since I chose to participate in the Martial Arts Assembly, I have to aim for a good ranking.’

Since he had decided to participate in the Martial Arts Assembly, Fang Han was naturally determined to achieve the best possible result.

’If he ranked high enough, he would have a chance to receive multiple Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures as a reward, and he’d even be able to choose their type. If he could get a Heavenly Material and Earthly Treasure that improved his Body Technique Talent, his progress in that area could finally catch up to his Swordsmanship. If he obtained enough Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures, he might even be able to improve his Body Hardening Talent and Secret Technique Talent.’

’There’s still some time before the Martial Arts Assembly begins. I need to improve my strength as much as possible.’

Fang Han took stock of his current situation, considering how he could rapidly increase his strength in the short time he had left.