Chapter 494 - 332: Changes and Development

Chapter 494: Chapter 332: Changes and Development

The second time, Tang Ming relied on his sword skills and experience to defeat Fang Yuan in a direct confrontation.

This time, Fang Yuan had nothing to say, but he was still unconvinced. He felt he had only lost due to his own carelessness and that if he’d been more cautious, he surely wouldn’t have been defeated.

So, on a sudden impulse, Ling Tianxiao, Qiu Chen, and the others decided to act. They felt Fang Yuan was a promising talent, and if they let him continue on this path, a gifted young man would be ruined.

Ling Tianxiao had seen plenty of talented individuals, especially from the great families and sects, but why did so few of them ever become truly outstanding? Arrogance and complacency were a huge factor.

This was especially true for those who possessed great strength at a young age. They often became condescending, believing themselves to be the greatest in all creation. With such a mindset, the limits of their future achievements were easy to imagine.

And so, Fang Yuan was hauled off to the remote mountains and forests to train with the Lightning Legion.

At first, Fang Yuan didn’t take these grunts seriously at all. He looked at the sturdy, dark-skinned men—most in their twenties and thirties, some even in their forties—and scoffed at their meager strength. ’Even if I come from a poor background,’ he thought, ’I’m going to be the Sect Leader’s first direct disciple!’

’What kind of status is that? How could these soldiers possibly compare to me?’

Fortunately, he knew that General Ling Tianxiao was the Sect Leader’s father, so he didn’t dare act up. He began the training, albeit reluctantly. To his surprise, despite his strength as a First Rank Demon Sword Master, by the end of the first day, he was so exhausted he could barely get up. Worse, he couldn’t even claim they were intentionally trying to break him.

Because that was just how the men he’d looked down on trained every single day.

And so, Fang Yuan was "looked after" in this way for seven days. Those seven days... would hold immense significance for the rest of his life. In his later memoirs, Fang Yuan would say that the ones he was most grateful to were not his master, whom he revered as a god, but his master’s father, Ling Tianxiao, and the men of the Lightning Legion.

The story of Eldest Senior Brother Fang Yuan spread throughout the Shushan Sword Sect. From then on, no one dared to openly criticize the men of the Lightning Legion. People also began to understand something: though the soldiers of the Lightning Legion weren’t powerful cultivators, if one looked into their origins, they were all the Sect Leader’s personal guard. They were the very first followers he had, from before he even established the Sword Sect.

Whatever the Shushan Disciples were thinking or guessing, today, the entire Shushan Inner City was bursting with festive energy.

Ling Tianxiao and the others had been notified at the last minute that Ling Xiao was coming back. Most of them had rushed back overnight. Now, well over a hundred people filled the Shushan Sword Sect’s banquet hall.

Among them were many mid-ranking officers of the Lightning Legion, most of whom were from the very first group to follow Ling Xiao. There were also many from the Intelligence Battalion. These were, for the most part, the "brothers and sisters" Ye Zi had grown up with. Now, they were all accomplished adults, each holding a key position.

Hearing that Ling Xiao was back, the entire atmosphere within the Shushan Inner City changed dramatically. It was as if a body that had lost its soul had finally had it returned. For everyone, their pillar of strength had finally come home.

Fang Yuan stood with another young man in a secluded corner, gazing at the bustling banquet hall from a distance. The other young man was also a Shushan Disciple, one of the more outstanding members of their generation.

Staring in that direction, he said wistfully, "Senior Brother, when do you think we’ll be able to hold our heads high and join them in a place like that? It’s enough to make you jealous! Even those people from the Intelligence Battalion get to go in..."

Before he could finish, Fang Yuan cut him off with a frown. "Those people from the Intelligence Battalion grew up with one of the Sect Leader’s closest confidantes! Do you know who she is? She’s Elder Su’s daughter! So don’t go around talking nonsense." A smile involuntarily touched Fang Yuan’s lips as he suddenly recalled being mercilessly drilled for his own loose talk. He had been resentful at first, but by the end, he hadn’t wanted to leave. He also finally understood one of the main reasons so many people had been furious with him, even though his mockery had been aimed at Tang Ming.

He had cried when he left the Lightning Legion’s training grounds. He hadn’t wanted to go; they had practically kicked him out. But his master’s father, Ling Tianxiao, had told him something that Fang Yuan remembered to this day.

"If you truly want your Sect Leader to take you as his first disciple, you must understand the meaning behind the title ’Eldest Senior Brother’! It is not about glory, but responsibility!"

’Right,’ Fang Yuan thought. He clapped the younger man on the shoulder and said softly, "Come on. Let’s get in some extra training."

"Huh? More training? Isn’t it better to just watch the party for a bit?" the young man grumbled.

"If you ever want to get in there one day, to be noticed by the Sect Leader, then listen to me: you have to work ten times harder than anyone else," Fang Yuan said quietly. "And another thing—stop thinking of yourself as a genius."

The young man stared, stunned, at Fang Yuan’s retreating back. He glanced again at the boisterous banquet hall and suddenly realized it didn’t hold as much appeal for him anymore. ’Senior Brother really has changed,’ he thought. ’I have to work harder! I can’t let him leave me too far behind!’

With that, the young man clenched his fists and ran after Fang Yuan’s retreating figure.

...

At that moment, Ling Xiao was making his rounds, exchanging pleasantries with everyone. The smile on his face was far more mature than it had been years ago. He seemed less reserved than before, radiating an incredible warmth and approachability.