I Am Supreme

Frowning as he thought it over, Li Yixi replied, “Oh? I didn’t sense this. Did you find out the source?”

Song Changgong chuckled bitterly. “Perhaps I wouldn’t be too astonished if I had some findings. I’ve performed searches in a meditative state many times before, but I found nothing. Do you know what this means?”

Li Yixin was slightly taken aback, and he answered in a baffled tone, “I’ve just recovered today, my senses were lacking before, so it’s not a surprise that I didn’t realize it. However, if you did sense it, does it not mean that there’s a pinnacle master guarding the Residence of Nine Supremes?”

Nodding, Song Changgong replied, “Not only that, the master must be someone several realms more superior than both of us…”

“That would be better. We brothers are indebted to the General Commerce League and the Residence of Nine Supremes now. We must do our best if the league faces a challenge in the future, and at the same time, we must also serve with our all if the Residence of Nine Supremes faces any form of hardship. With a top expert like this guarding the residence, we’ll have the chance to repay the sect, since it can definitely progress further,” said Li Yixin in relief.

Song Changgong chirped, “I think the same.”

“Let’s go. I hope that the Chief can retain his initial heart despite gaining the Qi of Dao this time. Otherwise, we’re still powerless against the troupe of heroes in this world, even though we’ve recovered.”

“It doesn’t matter. Every day beyond this is a blessing we pick up. It doesn’t really matter if we lose it.”

“Haha…”

“Hahaha…”

Both men made dozens of miles as they conversed.

Song Changgong suddenly spoke up, “I think, once the Residence of Nine Supremes grows… it’s actually possible for it to turn the Bound of Universe over… I have a gut feeling about this.”

“Be it as it may, remember to kill this intuition in your throat. Don’t even announce it.”

Li Yixin smiled faintly. “Let’s go.”

“Right, there’s a question I’ve been holding back from asking for days. Now that we’re young again, possessed of energy and the vigor, have you ever thought of once again…”

“Once again what? Once again watch them age and die? Watch them leave then watch the barren house for thousands of years to come?”

Song Changgong heaved a long sigh. Then, neither of them spoke as they made their way, side by side.

…

As Yun Yang’s divine senses scanned the field before the hall, he was immediately made known of the nineteen children’s cultivation state. He taught them individually according to their level before making his rounds at the nine peaks.

Now that the business with the General Commerce League was temporarily accomplished and there was still a short duration before the Celestial Luck Banner contest, Yun Yang roamed around to relax between cultivating and resting before waiting for the night drill, other than training his disciples.

The location of Yun Yang, Shi Wuchen and others’ special training were different from where their protégés trained. It was a place the children could not come near.

After making his rounds and checking out one peak after another, Yun Yang was delighted to find out that there were always a few outstanding children in each mountain who could endure the hardships, who were intelligent and eager to learn, whose characters were virtuous and principled, who were absolutely resilient.

The discovery comforted Yun Yang, knowing that it was only a matter of time before the rise of the Residence of Nine Supremes with the presence of these budding seeds.

As he came to the last mountain… Yun Yang saw two disciples who were rather different compared to the rest.

They were a thirteen to fourteen years old young man and an eleven or twelve years old girl.

The boy was decked entirely in white, a sense of toughness in his features; despite not being very tall, his stature was evident that he would grow well in the future. The girl seemed to be more vulnerable, carrying with her a stronger sense of childlikeness. From their appearance, these two children did not seem any different from the other disciples.

In spite of this, Yun Yang astutely noticed that these two children stayed with each other all the time. When they practiced, they were the utmost concentrated and diligent.

Each time they practiced the set of stance, hand, saber and sword techniques, Yun Yang could see that their foreheads would crease in consideration after each execution before they repeated the techniques once or twice until they perfected the action.

This was yet the end. Upon further ensuring that their movements were correct and precise, they would ponder, discussing while practicing.

“Here, the tip of the left foot faces outward, the heel leaves the ground. The tip of the right foot touches the ground while the body turns towards the left making a left punch. The right elbow goes down and the right palm stays inside facing downwards, exerting strength when the waist is half tilted. But what is it for moving the elbow here? The enemy will be on the left but what if there’s an accident? Are the right arm and right elbow prepared for another enemy?”

“Here, thrust the sword forward and the body falls front with the center of gravity in front as well. If there were an enemy from the side… this sword execution is probably based on speed and aura, going straight for the kill… If there were an enemy from the back or side… the one at the back can be ignored while the side can be stopped with a block… Is there anything else? If this were an actual battle… this sword execution is best aimed at one’s throat.”

“…”

Like the above, the two young children, a boy, and a girl kept mumbling to themselves in utter seriousness.

“Senior Brother Bai, look at this style… it should be…”

“No, Junior Sister Ling. I think it should be…”

“Let’s try it out?”

“Okay.”

“It should be this way indeed… It’s more streamlined this way…”

“About half of the energy can be saved?”

“Senior Brother Bai, look at this sword execution of mine…”

“Well, try it again with your elbow going an inch lower.”

“Mm…”

Both of them were focused, immersed in the cultivation land built around only the two of them.

Yun Yang watched the two kids cultivate and practice; they were wrong sometimes, occasionally getting it right, but he said nothing. He only observed quietly while recalling the time when he had just gotten into martial arts himself…

He had been as serious as they were now. Each form, each style, each step, he thought about it earnestly and asked himself countless times “Why? Is there any reason?”.

He considered questions like this ceaselessly when he broke down the techniques and practiced them. He mused again when he connected all the parts and executed them in one go. Whether he was eating or sleeping, he was thinking almost all the time.

Watching the two young children, it was as if Yun Yang had seen himself in the past.

It was not that the disciples in other peaks did not do the same but most of them cultivated on their own. Even when there were occasional interactions, they were short-lived. The students separated quickly. It was only this pair that had stayed together all this time.

While there were mockery and taunts from the other disciples, some who wanted to talk to the girl, the young girl was blind to them all. She was only after her Senior Brother Bai, like a follower who trailed after each step.

On her innocent little face, admiration and fondness were written all across it, while she looked completely distant to others.