Chapter 331 - 328: Sixth on the General Ranking
Chapter 331: Chapter 328: Sixth on the General Ranking
This was Fang Han’s first time practicing a Body Hardening Technique, and he was starting directly with the Grandmaster Level *Xuanwu True Skill*. His Cultivation was predictably fraught with difficulties.
The external stances were manageable. Leveraging his precise control over his body, he was able to replicate the forms after a few stiff attempts, even if only in appearance.
However, the internal routes for circulating Inner Qi were extremely intricate and complex, and coordinating them with the external stances was even more demanding.
The slightest deviation would drastically reduce its effectiveness.
At times, a subtle imperfection in his stance would cause his Inner Qi to stagnate. At other times, focusing his mind on circulating his Inner Qi would cause his external posture to falter.
For a while, his energy felt chaotic, his muscles ached, and the warm current from the Blood Essence Pill surged uncontrollably within him, failing to be properly guided to strengthen his body.
Fortunately, he possessed a one hundred and twenty-eightfold amplification to his Body Hardening Talent.
Under the influence of this astonishing Talent, his body seemed to possess a unique "error-correcting" instinct.
Every subtle pang of pain or feeling of stagnation from a mistake clearly pinpointed the source of the deviation.
His mind raced, constantly adjusting the exertion of his muscles, the angle of his joints, the depth of his breaths, and the way his consciousness guided his Inner Qi.
Fang Han spent the entire day in a continuous cycle of trial, error, adjustment, and retrial.
By sunset, he was drenched in sweat, his face slightly flushed from the intense circulation of his Inner Qi.
However, his external stances had become exceptionally precise, each movement executed as if branded into his memory, perfectly matching the requirements shown in the diagrams.
The only issue was that, compared to the perfection of his external form, the internal circulation of his energy still felt unrefined. He had yet to fully synchronize it and achieve a harmonious integration with his stances.
Clearly, the internal Force Manipulation Method was several times more complex and refined than the external stances, making it much more difficult to cultivate.
Fang Han wasn’t discouraged. He knew that cultivating a Body Hardening Technique was a slow, grinding process that couldn’t be rushed.
He concluded his practice and stood still, slowly calming his roiling energy.
For the next three days, Fang Han didn’t set foot outside, dedicating himself completely to the Cultivation of the *Xuanwu True Skill*.
Each day, aside from necessary Inner Qi Cultivation and rest, he spent all his time in the courtyard, repeatedly practicing those few strange stances and fathoming the subtleties of his internal energy’s circulation.
Backed by his 128-fold Body Hardening Talent, his progress was astonishingly fast.
On the second day, the feeling of stagnation in his internal energy circulation lessened considerably.
By the third day, he could begin to coordinate his external stances with his Inner Qi circulation. Despite occasional flaws, he was able to complete a full Circulation of Meridians.
The first time he completed an entire Entry Level stance without a single hitch, he felt his Inner Qi coursing smoothly along its designated path, nourishing and tempering his muscles, bones, and flesh.
As it absorbed and assimilated the Medicinal Power of the Blood Essence Pill, a sense of natural accomplishment washed over him.
He slowly concluded his practice and rose to his feet. His body felt denser than before. Beneath his skin, a very faint, lustrous sheen was now visible, and his every movement carried a sense of power that was more contained and profound.
This meant he had successfully learned the Cultivation Method for the entry-level Chapter of the *Xuanwu True Skill*, crossing the threshold into this Grandmaster Level Body Hardening Technique.
Of course, this was just learning the method. To reach the true "Entry Level" and cultivate a defense tough enough to be unharmed by those of the Middle Three Grades, he would still need a great deal of patient effort and an accumulation of qi and blood.
After all, he had never practiced a Body Hardening Technique before. And though he had taken a Vajra Pill, which made his physical body somewhat stronger than that of other Martial Artists at his Realm,
the improvement was limited since he hadn’t taken many.
With such a weak foundation, truly reaching the Entry Level was by no means an overnight task.
Nevertheless, he had made the impossible possible. He had learned a Grandmaster Level Body Hardening Technique that even most geniuses couldn’t grasp without first building a foundation with a Low Tier one.
...
On the fourth floor of the Library Pavilion, sandalwood incense wafted through the air.
Elder Mo sat upright in his chair, holding an Ancient Scroll, but his gaze was not fixed on its text.
He gazed out the window at the drifting clouds, his mind wandering.
After checking out the *Xuanwu True Skill* for two days in a row, Fang Han had not returned to the Library Pavilion.
’Could he have already given up?’
Elder Mo’s fingertips tapped unconsciously on the armrest.
Logic told him it was impossible. Someone with no foundation attempting to directly cultivate a Grandmaster Level Body Hardening Technique was like trying to run before learning to walk.
Even a genius had to follow the principle of gradual progression.
And yet, when he thought of Fang Han’s legendary rise since joining the Sect, a faint flicker of doubt entered his heart.
’Perhaps... he really can perform a miracle?’
He muttered to himself, then immediately shook his head and chuckled.
’Even if the boy truly possesses an extremely high Body Hardening Talent, given the difficulty of a Grandmaster Level technique, it’s absolutely impossible to master it without a Low Grade one to serve as a foundation and transition.’
He collected his thoughts, pushing the pointless speculation aside, and his gaze returned to the scroll in his hands.
...
At the end of the month, in the plaza of the Overall Martial Arts Stele, the great white marble stele stood tall. Bathed in the warm autumn sun, it seemed to glow with a gentle luster.
Fang Han, dressed in a Silver-Striped Cyan Robe, approached with a steady gait.
He hadn’t planned on testing himself this month, intending to keep some of his strength in reserve as a trump card.
However, plans rarely survive contact with reality. During the battle to rescue Steward Zhao Jin, he had encountered Meng Xian—ranked seventeenth on the Celestial Pride List of the Netherworld Pavilion. To survive, Fang Han had been forced to reveal his full strength, making it pointless to hide it any longer.
Since that was the case, he might as well test himself openly to raise his rank. A higher rank meant more Contribution Points from the Sect next month.
He needed to exchange for a Cultivation Technique for his family at the end of the year, and he currently had a significant deficit of Contribution Points. Naturally, the more rewards, the better.
"It’s Senior Brother Fang Han!"
"Senior Brother Fang is here!"
Seeing him, a stir went through the disciples in the plaza. All eyes converged on him, filled with awe and astonishment.
The crowd automatically parted to form a path, and the disciples bowed in respect, addressing him as "Senior Brother."
Fang Han’s expression remained calm. He gave a slight nod in acknowledgment and walked straight to the Martial Arts Stele, stopping about ten feet before it.
He lifted his gaze, his eyes sweeping over the brilliantly shining names at the very top of the stele.
Tenth: Yang Zhe.
Ninth: Wang Miao.
Eighth: Fang Han.
His gaze continued upward, falling upon the names of the top seven:
Seventh: Liu Ruyan.
Sixth: Mo Chen.
Fifth: Su Yuwei.
Fourth: Chen Wuhen.
Third: Kuang Tu.
Second: Yun Muyao.
First: Luo Yuntian.
All seven of them were on the Celestial Pride List, and none had a low rank.
’I wonder how many places I can climb...’
Fang Han gripped his sword hilt. He channeled his Great Success Level *Nine Swords of Sky Splitting*, and a terrifying aura erupted from him.
SHING!
The Cloud Splitting Sword sang as it left its scabbard. Its dark cyan blade, infused with his Fourth Grade Inner Qi, emitted a low hum.
With a flick of his wrist, he executed the Flowing Wind Sword technique. The blade became a fine, pale-cyan line, condensed to its absolute limit, looking as if it could tear through space itself.
Carrying an incomparably sharp Sword Momentum, it lanced toward the face of the stele.
HISS—BOOM!!
The instant the sword tip touched the stele, the highly condensed Sword Momentum and his vast Inner Qi erupted.
A piercing shriek was followed by a deep, thunderous boom.
The entire Overall Martial Arts Stele erupted in a brilliant light. Its surface trembled violently as ripple-like waves of energy spread out in a frenzy.
Fang Han’s name suddenly lit up, and the number representing his rank began to flicker!
Eight!
The number blurred and instantly leapt upward!
Seven!
The light stabilized for a moment, causing the onlookers’ breath to catch in their throats.
Before anyone could even gasp, the number blurred again, forcefully shattering the boundary of seventh place!
Six!
Finally, the light settled, and the number came to a firm stop on "six."
Sixth on the Overall List!
Fang Han’s name now stood above Liu Ruyan and Mo Chen, second only to the five of Luo Yuntian, Yun Muyao, Kuang Tu, Chen Wuhen, and Su Yuwei!
"Sixth! Senior Brother Fang jumped to sixth place!"
"He jumped two spots at once, surpassing Senior Sister Liu Ruyan and Senior Brother Mo Chen!"
"This... how long has it been? The rate at which Senior Brother Fang is improving is terrifying!"
The plaza erupted with discussion among the disciples.
The higher one’s rank on the Overall List, the harder it was to climb.
Fang Han had only reached eighth place last month, yet this month he had shot straight to sixth. Such a rate of advancement was simply unheard-of.
"It’s one thing that Senior Sister Liu Ruyan is seventy-ninth on the Celestial Pride List, but Senior Brother Mo Chen is ranked as high as seventieth!"
"Since Senior Brother Fang has surpassed Senior Brother Mo Chen, doesn’t that mean... when the Celestial Pride List updates next month, his rank will be at least seventieth?"
"Not necessarily. The Overall List test focuses on instantaneous burst power, so it’s a bit one-dimensional. It’s different from actual combat, so Senior Brother Fang might not surpass Senior Brother Mo on next month’s Celestial Pride List."
"That’s right. The Celestial Pride List measures comprehensive strength. Senior Brother Mo Chen is a battle-hardened veteran with rich combat experience. It’s not a given that he’ll be surpassed."
With his current Cultivation, Fang Han’s hearing was exceptionally sharp, so he easily overheard the buzzing discussions among the disciples in the plaza.
’Everyone seems curious whether my rank on the Celestial Pride List will surpass Mo Chen’s next month.’
He, too, felt a flicker of curiosity about whether he would surpass Mo Chen on the next Celestial Pride List.
While the Overall List ranking reflected a portion of one’s strength, the Celestial Pride List’s evaluation system was far more complex. Even he couldn’t be sure if he would surpass Mo Chen.
’Mo Chen, that name...’
Fang Han slowly sheathed his sword. As his gaze swept past the name "Mo Chen" on the stele, something stirred in his mind.
He remembered that the top new disciple at Tingyu Building last year was also named Mo Chen.
It was quite a coincidence that two individuals with the same name were both so exceptionally talented.
Perhaps in the future, there would be a scene of two "Mo Chens" on the Celestial Pride List at the same time.
Fang Han didn’t linger and turned to leave.
His cyan robe swayed as his figure receded into the distance, watched by the awed gazes of the crowd. All that remained was his sixth-place rank on the White Jade Stele, shining brilliantly.
...
Early one morning at the beginning of the month, a thin mist still lingered.
Fang Han, who had already been up cultivating for over two hours, slowly concluded his practice. The vast, surging Inner Qi around him gradually subsided, returning to the various acupoints in his body.
A sharp glint, so deep a cyan it was almost black, flashed in the depths of his eyes before vanishing.
He pushed open the door to his Quiet Chamber. His maid, Qiu Lan, had already prepared a light breakfast and set it on the pearwood table in the outer hall.
He sat down to eat.
Just as he finished his breakfast, Qiu Lan approached and reported softly.
"Senior Brother, Steward Zhou Heng is here to deliver this month’s resource allotment. I’ve shown him into the parlor."
"Mm."
Fang Han nodded slightly, straightened his robes, and walked toward the parlor.
Upon seeing Fang Han, an enthusiastic smile immediately spread across Zhou Heng’s face. He rose and cupped his fists in salute.
"True Inheritor Fang, congratulations on your advancement in Cultivation! Your presence is even more formidable than before. This month’s resource allotment from the True Inheritance Courtyard has been finalized, and I have come to deliver it to you."