Chapter 416 - 413: Attention
Chapter 416: Chapter 413: Attention
Sect Leader’s Hall.
Chen Tianyuan sat behind his desk, his Vermilion Brush pausing mid-air before landing on the open scroll.
Just then—
An indescribable presence suddenly arose from somewhere on the mountainside.
The aura’s arrival was abrupt, yet it seemed as if it had always existed between heaven and earth, like an invisible sharp sword piercing the tranquility of the early summer morning.
The tip of Chen Tianyuan’s brush froze on the scroll for an instant.
He lifted his head, his gaze piercing through the window lattice toward the source of the aura.
As a Martial Artist at the peak of the Late Stage of First Grade, he was all too familiar with such an aura.
It was Sword Intent.
The Sword Intent that only a select few among the Upper Three Grades Martial Artists could ever comprehend.
"Someone has comprehended Sword Intent."
Chen Tianyuan muttered to himself, a flash of unconcealable surprise in his gentle eyes.
He stood up and walked out of the Sect Leader’s Hall.
With a flicker, his form blurred into a barely perceptible shadow, drifting toward the mountainside.
Outside Courtyard No. 35 of the True Inheritance Courtyard.
Chen Tianyuan’s figure appeared silently, landing beneath an ancient tree several dozen yards from the courtyard gate.
He did not approach, but simply stood with his hands behind his back, his gaze fixed on the quiet courtyard.
He could faintly see that the courtyard was in disarray, with broken bamboo and a scarred ground.
The lingering traces of Sword Intent still hung in the air, refusing to dissipate.
’It’s actually him.’
A hint of astonishment showed in Chen Tianyuan’s eyes.
He had originally thought some Sect Elder had comprehended Sword Intent, but he never expected it would be Fang Han.
Fang Han, this young man who had joined the Sect just over two years ago, had once again exceeded his expectations.
Comprehending Sword Intent was an incredibly difficult threshold to cross, even for Upper Three Grades Martial Artists.
Countless Upper Three Grades Martial Artists lived their entire lives without ever touching that Realm.
And yet Fang Han, at such a young age, had already managed to do so.
’Such Talent...’
’Now that he has comprehended Sword Intent, the Spirit Pass will no longer be an obstacle!’
An indescribable sense of gratification washed over Chen Tianyuan.
The path to becoming a Grandmaster had three passes: Essence, Qi, and Spirit.
The Essence Pass required tempering the physical body.
The Qi Pass required accumulating Inner Qi.
The Spirit Pass required refining the spirit.
Now that Fang Han had comprehended Sword Intent, he just needed to follow the steps of his Cultivation and use his Sword Intent to temper his spirit. The Spirit Pass would no longer be a barrier.
He had already cleared one of the three passes.
Although he had always believed that with Fang Han’s Talent, there was a high probability he would break through to the Grandmaster Realm in the future.
Seeing with his own eyes that the Spirit Pass was no longer an obstacle for the boy still filled his heart with joy.
Just then—
A figure appeared silently at his side.
Chen Tianyuan’s body tensed slightly.
’Someone managed to approach me so silently, and I didn’t even notice?’
He whipped his head to the side, his gaze falling upon the figure.
It was an elderly man dressed in a deep cyan robe.
He was gaunt and slender, with a complexion pale from long years of seclusion away from the sun.
He stood there casually, not a hint of an aura emanating from him, yet he seemed to have merged with the world around him.
The moment he saw the man’s face, Chen Tianyuan’s tense body suddenly relaxed.
He hurriedly clasped his hands, bowed, and said respectfully,
"Supreme Elder."
The newcomer was none other than the bedrock of the Qingxuan Sect, the Grandmaster Powerhouse—Gu Changqing.
Gu Changqing gave a slight nod, his eyes as deep as an ancient well now gazing at the quiet courtyard several dozen yards away.
"Who lives here?"
His voice was calm, betraying no emotion.
"To answer the Supreme Elder, the one who lives here is a True Disciple, Fang Han."
Chen Tianyuan straightened up and followed Gu Changqing’s gaze, a slight smile appearing on his face.
"Fang Han..."
Gu Changqing repeated the name under his breath, a faint look of recognition dawning on his gaunt face.
Even though he rarely involved himself in the Sect’s worldly affairs and spent his years in secluded cultivation, he had still heard this name before.
The most talented disciple the Sect had seen in hundreds of years, who, at a young age, was already ranked sixth on the Celestial Pride List.
"He’s only twenty this year, isn’t he?"
Gu Changqing asked.
"That is correct."
Chen Tianyuan nodded.
Gu Changqing asked no more questions. He simply stood with his hands behind his back, his gaze fixed on the courtyard.
An indescribable light seemed to flicker in the depths of his well-like eyes.
Chen Tianyuan stood beside him, also looking toward the courtyard.
After a moment, he spoke slowly, his voice tinged with emotion.
"Supreme Elder, this boy has achieved so much in just over two years since his entry. With his Cultivation Talent, he should be able to break through to Third Grade in half a year at most."
He paused for a moment before continuing.
"By then, no one in the younger generation will be his match."
Gu Changqing did not speak.
He just stood there silently, his gaze still fixed on the courtyard.
After a long while, he suddenly spoke, his voice flat.
"It won’t take half a year."
Chen Tianyuan started slightly, his gaze shifting to Gu Changqing’s face.
"Supreme Elder, you mean...?"
Gu Changqing did not look at him, only stating faintly,
"The boy is already at the Third Grade."
Chen Tianyuan’s expression faltered.
An unconcealable look of astonishment flashed in his gentle eyes.
’Third Grade?’
’Fang Han has already broken through to the Third Grade?’
He tried to sense it carefully, but he still couldn’t perceive Fang Han’s Cultivation Realm.
But that was because Fang Han wasn’t fighting anyone. Furthermore, his own Cultivation was inferior to Gu Changqing’s, and his perception was not as sharp as a Grandmaster Powerhouse’s. It didn’t mean Gu Changqing’s judgment was wrong.
The perception of a Grandmaster Powerhouse was far beyond his own.
"To think he broke through to the Third Grade so quickly..."
Chen Tianyuan muttered to himself, his voice laced with disbelief.
Gu Changqing said nothing, simply standing with his hands behind his back, his gaze still fixed on the courtyard.
No emotion could be read in his eyes, as deep as ancient wells.
Chen Tianyuan was silent for a moment, the surprise on his face gradually melting into wistfulness.
"Luo Yuntian has been stuck at this stage for a year and still hasn’t broken through, yet he..."
He didn’t finish his sentence, merely shaking his head softly.
Fang Han had only been in the Sect for a little over two years, yet he had already stepped into the Third Grade.
Such speed was unprecedented in the entire history of the Qingxuan Sect.
Neither of them spoke again.
They just stood there quietly, gazing at the secluded courtyard.
After a moment, Gu Changqing retracted his gaze.
He said nothing more, and with a flicker of his form, he was gone.
He came without a shadow and left without a trace.
It was as if he had never been there at all.
Chen Tianyuan remained where he was, gazing at the courtyard for another moment, the gratification in his gentle eyes growing ever deeper.
He did not disturb the person inside the courtyard, and also turned and drifted away.
The two figures, one after the other, disappeared into the light and shadows of the morning.
Only the quiet courtyard remained, standing silently on the mountainside.
The bamboo grove was broken, the ground was scarred, and the scratches on the courtyard walls were still clear.
It bore witness to the heaven-soaring Sword Intent from just moments before.
And it bore witness to a young prodigy taking another solid step forward on the Martial Dao.
...
The midday sun filtered through the leaves of the bamboo grove, casting mottled patterns of light and shadow on the ground.
Fang Han walked out of his Quiet Chamber and stood under the eaves, looking at the mess in his courtyard—the broken bamboo, the cracked ground, the scarred walls.
The faintest hint of a smile touched his lips.
Comprehending Sword Intent and reaching the Entry Level of the Sky-Splitting Sword Technique was a quantum leap for him.
From this day forward, he had stepped into a whole new Realm on the path of the Sword Dao.
He was in a rather good mood.
He glanced up at the sky. The sun was high; it was nearly noon.
A thought suddenly came to him—he should go down the mountain, find a tavern, and treat himself to a good meal.
Indulging one’s appetite once in a while was a pleasant affair.
Martial Dao Cultivation was about practicing martial arts, not immortal cultivation. There was no need to abstain from grain, live on wind and dew, and certainly no reason to lose one’s appetite.
’This isn’t a bad thing. If one doesn’t even have an appetite, can they still be called human?’
Fang Han didn’t change into his True Inheritor robes, remaining in his usual casual cyan robe. With the Cloud Splitting Sword hanging at his waist, he left the courtyard.
He followed the stone path toward the sect gate.
The early summer breeze brushed against his cheeks, carrying the fresh scent of plants and the unique coolness of the mountains.
The disciples he met along the way all stopped to bow, their eyes filled with awe.
Fang Han nodded slightly, his pace unwavering.
After walking for a while, he suddenly sensed that something was off.
There seemed to be far fewer people in the Sect than usual.
Normally at this hour, the mountain path would be bustling with disciples heading to the Dining Hall in twos and threes.
Today, however, it seemed particularly deserted.
’Is it because...?’
Fang Han’s gaze swept around him, his brow furrowing almost imperceptibly.
Thinking of the recent, escalating conflict between the Sect and the Netherworld Pavilion, a guess began to form in his mind.
After Yin Wugou was ambushed and killed, the Netherworld Pavilion had retaliated madly. Although the Sect had been prepared and repelled them, the feud between the two sides had only deepened.
At a time like this, the Sect would surely be assigning many missions—either to strengthen the defenses of its various assets or to take the initiative and counterattack the Netherworld Pavilion.
The missing disciples had probably accepted missions and gone out.
He withdrew his gaze and didn’t dwell on it further.
Such matters were for the Sect’s elders to worry about. His current task was to focus on Cultivation and increase his strength as quickly as possible.
Only by becoming strong enough could he be of any real use in the conflicts to come.
After leaving the sect gate and walking along the main road for about an hour, the silhouette of a city appeared on the horizon.
This city was called Qingxuan City, named for its proximity to the Qingxuan Sect, and it was one of the few major cities in Qingyang County.
The city walls were high and the gates were wide, with an endless stream of carriages, horses, and people.
Fang Han followed the crowd into the city and headed straight for its most prosperous district.
Before long, a three-story tavern came into view.
It had upturned eaves, intricate brackets, and carved beams, with an ebony plaque hanging above the entrance. On it were three large, gilded words: Drunken Guest Tavern.
This was the finest tavern in Qingxuan City.
As soon as Fang Han approached, an attendant came forward to greet him, his face wreathed in an enthusiastic smile.
"Welcome, honored guest! This way, please! How many in your party?"
Just as Fang Han was about to speak, a figure strode quickly out of the tavern.
It was a middle-aged man of about fifty, dressed in a dark purple brocade robe. He had a wealthy-looking face and the shrewdness peculiar to a businessman in his eyes.
His gaze fell upon Fang Han, and he started for a moment before his face broke into an even more enthusiastic smile.
"True Inheritor Fang! You honor us with your presence! Forgive me for not welcoming you sooner!"