Chapter 493 - 489: Wind God Step, Minor Achievement
Chapter 493: Chapter 489: Wind God Step, Minor Achievement
BOOM—!
The blue-brick courtyard wall shattered, leaving a gaping hole. Shards of brick flew through the air as dust filled the space.
Fang Han stood up from amidst the rubble. His blue robe was covered in dust, and a few bits of debris were stuck in his hair. He cut a rather sorry, dust-covered figure.
But his eyes were astonishingly bright.
"Wind God Step, Minor Achievement."
He muttered to himself, an irrepressible smile gracing the corners of his mouth.
The crash had happened because his Body Technique had suddenly broken through. His speed had increased severalfold in an instant, and he couldn’t stop in time, causing him to slam into the wall.
As for being injured?
With the powerful physique granted by reaching the Entry Level of the Xuanwu True Skill, crashing through a blue-brick wall wouldn’t even break his skin.
"Senior Brother!"
Qiu Lan’s voice, tinged with anxiety, came from the courtyard gate.
She hurried over, followed by two maids. The three of them stared first at the large hole in the wall, then at Fang Han’s disheveled, dusty state, their eyes filled with alarm and confusion.
"Senior Brother, are you all right?"
Qiu Lan asked hurriedly, her eyes carefully scanning Fang Han.
"I’m fine."
Fang Han calmly brushed the dust from his sleeves.
"I just lost control for a moment during my cultivation and put a hole in the wall."
"Tell the servant department tomorrow to find someone to fix it."
Fang Han said, brushing more dust off his clothes.
"Yes, Senior Brother."
Qiu Lan quickly acknowledged, bowed, and led the two maids out.
’My speed has increased by more than just a few times!’
Fang Han was now alone in the courtyard.
He stood with his hands behind his back, carefully experiencing the Transformations brought about by his breakthrough to the Minor Achievement stage of Wind God Step.
His speed was now more than several times faster than it had been at the Entry Level.
This speed wasn’t just a simple linear sprint, but an elusive and agile grace that seemed to merge with the wind and become one with the world.
’At my current speed, I should be no slower than an ordinary First Grade Martial Artist.’
Fang Han muttered to himself, a flash of satisfaction in his eyes.
Reaching Minor Achievement in Wind God Step meant that when facing a First Grade Martial Artist, even if he couldn’t win, he had a much better chance of escaping.
He looked down at the hole in the wall and fell silent for a moment.
’Finding a more open space to practice my Martial Techniques has become a pressing matter.’
As his strength grew, this courtyard was becoming less and less suitable for practicing Martial Techniques.
The aftershocks of his swordsmanship could wreck the backyard, and a breakthrough in his Body Technique could smash through a wall. If this continued, he might end up demolishing the entire courtyard.
He had to find a more spacious area to practice his Martial Techniques as soon as possible.
...
「The next morning, in the Quiet Chamber.」
Morning light filtered through the gaps in the window lattice, casting long, thin shadows on the blue-brick floor.
Wisps of blue smoke curled up from the sandalwood incense burner, its faint fragrance mingling with the cool morning air.
"Celestial Essence Pill."
Fang Han sat cross-legged on a meditation cushion and poured a Celestial Essence Pill from a jade bottle.
The elixir was the size of a longan, its color a lustrous, jade-like white, with faint cloud-like patterns swirling across its surface.
He popped it into his mouth. The elixir dissolved instantly, and a medicinal power far more immense than that of an Earth Spirit Pill erupted in his abdomen, surging through his limbs and body like a warm river.
The purity and gentleness of this Medicinal Power were far beyond what an Earth Spirit Pill could offer.
If the Medicinal Power of an Earth Spirit Pill was like river water, requiring him to temper and purify it with the Cyan Profound Technique before it could be converted into his own Inner Qi, then the Medicinal Power of the Celestial Essence Pill was like a clear stream, with so few impurities that it could be integrated into his Inner Qi circulation with just a little guidance.
SHHH—
Fang Han focused his mind, and the Cyan Profound Technique began to circulate slowly.
The cyan-gold Inner Qi coursed through his meridians like a fine net, capturing, absorbing, and refining every wisp of the Celestial Essence Pill’s dissolving Medicinal Power.
The Medicinal Power transformed into new strands of Inner Qi, which circulated through his meridians and then poured into the Shenmai Acupoint.
The rate of growth was visible to the naked eye.
With every new strand of Inner Qi that merged, the Inner Qi within the Shenmai Acupoint grew a fraction denser.
The feeling of fulfillment was like a long-parched field receiving welcome rain, every inch of soil greedily absorbing the moisture and gradually becoming saturated.
Time passed quietly in the silence.
Outside the window, the daylight shifted from hazy to bright, then gradually took on a warm hue.
In the distance, the faint shouts of disciples during their morning practice could be heard, along with the long, drawn-out chiming of a bell.
More than two hours later.
"Huuu—"
The Celestial Essence Pill’s Medicinal Power was completely refined and absorbed. Fang Han slowly opened his eyes.
A faint golden gleam of essence flashed in his eyes before vanishing.
He gently exhaled a breath of turbid air. This was a Long Breath, deep and profound, that lingered in the Quiet Chamber for a moment before dissipating.
"Seventy percent."
Fang Han felt the increasingly full Inner Qi in his Shenmai Acupoint.
Some time had passed since he broke through to the Middle Stage of the Third Grade. In all that time, he had never stopped his Inner Qi cultivation, even while injured.
Now, the Inner Qi in his Shenmai Acupoint was more than seventy percent full.
At this rate, in half a month at most, his Shenmai Acupoint would reach complete Perfection. At that point, he would be able to touch the bottleneck of the Late Stage of the Third Grade.
CRACKLE—
Fang Han stood up, stretching his slightly stiff and sore muscles.
After eating the breakfast Qiu Lan had prepared, he left his courtyard and walked along the bluestone path toward the Steward’s office of the True Inheritance Courtyard.
Morning light spilled down as the plants and trees lining the mountain path swayed gently in the breeze. A few leaves spiraled to the ground.
The Steward’s office of the True Inheritance Courtyard was a two-story wooden building with blue bricks and black tiles. A plaque hung before the entrance, inscribed with the four words: "True Inheritance Steward Office."
Fang Han stepped into the building.
A servant disciple had already notified Steward Zhou Heng. Zhou Heng put down his work and, with a broad smile, immediately came to welcome Fang Han.
"True Inheritor Fang, what brings you here today?"
The position of steward in the True Inheritance Courtyard was a lucrative one, and for him to hold it, he naturally had to have some backing.
But no matter what his background was, he wouldn’t dare to slight Fang Han.
After all, as a Sect True Inheritor with the potential to break through to the Grandmaster realm, Fang Han’s status had long since transcended the barriers of background. Even someone like him, who got his post through connections, didn’t dare be disrespectful.
Fang Han got straight to the point.
"Steward Zhou, the cultivation field in my courtyard has become inconvenient for daily practice. I’d like to find a more open training ground. Could you arrange that?"
Zhou Heng was slightly taken aback, then smiled.
"That’s no trouble at all. The True Inheritance Courtyard has ready-made cultivation fields. I’ll take you to one right now."
He set aside his work and led Fang Han outside.
The two of them walked along a bluestone path for about the time it takes to burn an incense stick, arriving before the door of a stone chamber built underground.
Zhou Heng took a ring of keys from his waist, selected one, inserted it into the keyhole, and gave it a gentle twist.
The stone door slid open without a sound.
Behind the door was a flight of stone steps leading down. Luminous Pearls were embedded in the walls on either side, emitting a cool glow that brightly illuminated the passage.
Fang Han followed Zhou Heng down the stone steps.
After descending several dozen steps, the view suddenly opened up.
This was a huge, underground cultivation field.
The ceiling was high, several zhang tall, and the walls and floor were all paved with a type of grayish-blue stone.
The stone’s surface was as smooth as a mirror but had a faint metallic luster—it was obsidian, a material renowned for its hardness.
This stone was several times harder than ordinary steel, making it an excellent material for constructing cultivation fields.
The entire cultivation field was several times the size of a normal courtyard. It was vast and open, and the Luminous Pearls on the walls cast a cool glow, illuminating every inch of the ground with perfect clarity.
Fang Han’s gaze swept across the area, and a hint of satisfaction appeared in his eyes.
This place was more than enough for him to cut loose.
Zhou Heng handed the key to Fang Han.
"True Inheritor Fang, how is this cultivation field? If you find it suitable, feel free to use it for now. As for your backyard, I’ll have someone go measure it right away. We can begin expansion work in a few days."
"Thank you for your trouble, Steward Zhou."
Fang Han took the key and gave a slight nod.
Zhou Heng offered a few more words of instruction before taking his leave.
The sound of his footsteps faded up the stairs and eventually disappeared beyond the stone door.
Fang Han was once again alone in the cultivation field.
He didn’t rush to draw his sword. Instead, he stood in the center of the open space with his hands behind his back, closing his eyes to focus his mind.
The cool light of the Luminous Pearls spilled down, casting his long shadow across the smooth obsidian floor.
’Sky-Splitting Sword Technique.’
The principles of the Sky-Splitting Sword Technique flowed slowly through his mind.
The Sword Techniques, their Transformations, and the Magic Gates for circulating Inner Qi—all of which he knew by heart—now unfolded in his mind with incredible smoothness.
It was as if a thin veil before his eyes was being lifted away, layer by layer, revealing every minute detail with perfect clarity.
The three stalks of Sword-shaped Grass had greatly increased his innate Swordsmanship Talent.
Stacked with the two-hundred-fifty-six-times Swordsmanship Talent Amplification, the resulting Transformations were nothing short of a complete rebirth.
Now, when he cultivated the Sky-Splitting Sword Technique, it was like practicing a top-level swordsmanship technique back then; he no longer felt the difficulty and sluggishness that came with facing Grandmaster-Level Martial Arts.
Every key point became clear with a single thought; every moment of comprehension yielded new insights.
CLANG—
Fang Han opened his eyes.
His right hand rested on the hilt of his sword.
The Cloud Splitting Sword left its sheath, its dark-cyan blade shimmering with a reserved luster under the light of the Luminous Pearls.
Wherever the blade pointed, the very air seemed to stagnate.
He didn’t execute any fancy moves, just a simple thrust.
Where the tip of the sword passed, a faint ripple appeared in the air.
The ripple was barely perceptible, yet it held its form without dissipating, lingering for several breaths after the blade had passed before slowly fading away.
He retracted the sword and thrust again.
The second thrust was slightly faster than the first.
The third was faster still.
The fourth, the fifth, the sixth—
Flashes of sword light flickered in the cultivation field, sometimes like a gentle breeze on the face—soft and silent, yet hiding a lethal intent.
Other times, they were like a sudden clap of thunder—sharp, unparalleled, and chilling to the bone.
The Transformations of the Sword Techniques, the circulation of Inner Qi, the fusion of the Wind Realm and the Sword Momentum—
Everything became clear in his mind, like parting the clouds to see the sun.
He could clearly feel his understanding of the Sky-Splitting Sword Technique deepening at a rate visible to the naked eye.
Each thrust was a fraction more harmonious and fluid than the last.
’Once, twice, ten times, a hundred times—’
Fang Han immersed himself in the cultivation of his swordsmanship, losing all track of time.
Sword light crisscrossed the cultivation field. The Wind Realm solidified as if it were tangible, and the faint ripples in the air grew clearer and more persistent.
Fine beads of sweat broke out on his forehead, and the back of his blue robe gradually became soaked through. But his eyes were astonishingly bright.
After a long time, he finally retracted his sword and stood still, ending his swordsmanship cultivation for the day.