Chapter 588 - 584: Returning to the Clan
Chapter 588: Chapter 584: Returning to the Clan
The next morning, in the Quiet Chamber.
Fang Han sat cross-legged on a cushion, his fingers caressing his Storage Ring. With a thought, a Beast Hide Booklet appeared in his palm.
On the cover were four large words in ancient script: "Void Wind God Sword."
This was the Middle-grade Wind Realm Swordsmanship he had obtained from the Ancient Ruins.
It wasn’t the original, however. The original had already been handed over to the Sect. This was a copy, but it wouldn’t affect his Cultivation.
A few months ago, he had read through it once. Even then, he knew this Middle Grade Swordsmanship was far more profound than the Low-grade Realm Swordsmanship, the Sky-Splitting Sword Technique.
Whether it was the level of the Mental Realm or its application, it was on an entirely new level.
He understood back then that if he hadn’t cultivated the Low-grade Realm Swordsmanship to the Perfection Realm, he wouldn’t even be qualified to touch this Swordsmanship.
Now that his Sky-Splitting Sword Technique had reached Perfection, it was the perfect time to switch to this new Swordsmanship.
Although he had already read and memorized it once, several months had passed, and many details had inevitably become hazy.
To ensure nothing went wrong and that no oversight would affect his Cultivation, Fang Han decided to review it carefully one more time.
He took a deep breath, held the booklet with both hands, and slowly opened it.
Past the introductory page, his eyes fell upon a Sword Momentum Diagram. In the diagram, a figure held a longsword, their body as graceful as the wind. Where the sword’s tip pointed, the air seemed to be torn apart, forming ripples visible to the naked eye.
Beside the diagram were dense annotations detailing the methods for Force Manipulation, the circulation path for Inner Qi, and the key principles of the Sword Techniques’ transformations.
Every character was written incredibly small and fine. If not for his exceptional Eye Power, they would be nearly impossible to discern.
Fang Han’s gaze shifted back and forth between the diagram and the text as he continuously simulated the trajectory of the Sword Techniques in his mind.
He read very carefully, sometimes even stopping to close his eyes and ponder silently for a moment before continuing.
Time passed, second by second, minute by minute.
Inside the Quiet Chamber, only the occasional RUSTLE of turning pages could be heard, accompanied by the chirping of birds outside the window, making it feel exceptionally peaceful.
After all, he had already read it once and had the relevant memories in his mind. Rereading it was just to fill in any gaps.
In just over two hours, Fang Han had completely reread the entire booklet from beginning to end.
He gently closed the booklet and shut his eyes. Countless images instantly flooded his mind—
the words of the Sword technique, the lines of the diagrams, the methods of Force Manipulation... Everything was as clear as if it were carved, branded deep into his very soul.
He mentally reviewed the Sword technique from start to finish, confirming there were no omissions before slowly opening his eyes.
He stood up, pushed open the wooden door of the Quiet Chamber, and walked toward the Cultivation Field.
On the Cultivation Field, Fang Han stood still.
Holding his breath to focus, the Heart Method Mantra of the Void Wind God Sword flowed through his mind.
It was as if an invisible wind was circulating within him—sometimes gentle as a spring breeze on his face, other times as violent as a hurricane, with endless transformations, impossible to grasp.
A moment later, his right hand rested on the hilt of the sword at his waist.
SHIING—
The Cloud Splitting Sword left its sheath, its dark cyan blade shimmering with a restrained light.
Following the opening stance of the first form shown in the diagram, Fang Han took a deep breath and thrust his sword forward.
The tip of the sword cut through the air, creating a faint arc. The angle was tricky, and the speed was not slow.
However, when Fang Han tried to infuse his Wind Sword Intent into it, he felt a distinct sense of stagnation.
It was as if something was blocking the channel for his Sword Intent, causing the originally fierce intent to become soft and powerless.
Where the blade passed, the air merely trembled slightly, creating a few ripples that were almost invisible to the naked eye before quickly returning to normal.
This was a world apart from the realm described in the manual as "When the Void appears, the Wind splits the sky."
’I failed to merge the Sword Intent into the technique!’
Fang Han frowned slightly and stood with his sword retracted.
He knew it wasn’t because his Sword Techniques were wrong, but because he had failed to integrate his Sword Intent into the techniques of the Void Wind God Sword.
Instead of enhancing the techniques, the Sword Intent actually hindered their power.
It was like a chef who didn’t know how to properly prepare high-end ingredients, ending up with a dish that tasted worse than one made with ordinary ingredients.
"Again."
Fang Han muttered and struck with his sword again.
The second strike, the third, the fourth...
He began to practice the techniques of the Void Wind God Sword over and over again, moving from initial awkwardness to gradual fluency and naturalness.
At first, the transitions between Sword Techniques were not smooth, and his posture was uncoordinated. But as he practiced more and more, these problems all disappeared.
Eventually, his movements became as fluid as flowing water, and every thrust carried a unique sense of rhythm.
However, there wasn’t the slightest hint of joy on Fang Han’s face.
He stood with his sword retracted, looking down at the Cloud Splitting Sword in his hand, and muttered to himself:
"I’ve mastered the techniques, but they’re still just techniques."
Right now, whether in his comprehension of the Wind Sword Intent or its integration with the Sword Techniques, he was still a great distance from reaching the Entry Level of the Void Wind God Sword.
Furthermore, this was not a gap that could be closed in a short time. Even with his current Swordsmanship Talent, it would probably take at least two months, which showed its difficulty.
’No wonder you can only attempt to cultivate a Mid-grade Realm Martial Art after you’ve cultivated a Low Grade Realm Martial Art to Perfection.’
Fang Han understood in his heart.
Without the foundation laid by mastering the Sky-Splitting Sword Technique to Perfection, trying to comprehend a Wind Sword Intent stronger than the one from the Perfected Sky-Splitting Sword Technique would be like building a castle in the air. While not absolutely impossible, the difficulty would be astronomical.
No wonder he couldn’t immediately start cultivating the Void Wind God Sword, a Mid-grade Realm Martial Art, when he first obtained it.
’Even though it’ll take at least two months, once I reach the Entry Level, the improvement will be immense!’
Fang Han estimated that once he reached the Entry Level with the Void Wind God Sword, the power of his Swordsmanship would increase by at least tenfold compared to his Perfected Sky-Splitting Sword Technique.
And this would be a massive boost to his strength.
He estimated that his strength would leap from being comparable to a Second Breakthrough Martial Artist to that of a Third Breakthrough Martial Artist, making him virtually invincible below the Grandmaster level.
SWISH, SWISH—
Fang Han struck out again, flashes of his sword crisscrossing the Cultivation Field.
From Chen hour to Wu hour, a full four hours, he practiced tirelessly.
His Sword Techniques had long since become perfectly fluid. What he lacked was a deeper comprehension of the Wind Realm and a better way to integrate it into the Swordsmanship of the Void Wind God Sword.
And these were things that couldn’t be achieved overnight. They could only be slowly comprehended through daily Cultivation.
...
On the last two days of the New Year’s holiday, in front of the Fang Mansion in Liangshui City.
A Cyan Hoof Deer Carriage was waiting by the steps. The Cyan-hoofed Deer pulling it had short, cyan fleece on their four hooves and slender bodies.
One of them snorted in the morning light, blowing out two puffs of white mist.
After bidding farewell to his parents, Fang Han boarded the carriage.
Fang Yingxue, carrying a blue cloth bundle on her back, said goodbye to her parents and gave a deep bow to Elder Fang Yuan before following him.
Inside the carriage, it was comfortably warm. Fang Yingxue sat bolt upright, her hands placed properly on her knees. She occasionally glanced out the window at the winter scenery rushing by, her eyes filled with both anticipation and unconcealable nervousness.
Fang Han sat opposite her, his eyes closed as if dozing.
The Cyan Hoof Deer Carriage was much faster than traveling on foot. After more than a day, the majestic silhouette of Qingxuan Mountain came into view.
At the mountain gate, the disciple on duty saw Fang Han disembark from the carriage and hurriedly came forward, bowing in salute.
"Senior Brother Fang!"
"Thank you for your hard work."
Fang Han nodded slightly and walked along the bluestone path toward the True Inheritance Courtyard.
Fang Yingxue followed behind Fang Han, her gaze sweeping over the disciples and Stewards in Qingxuan Sect attire they passed along the way.
She saw that regardless of their age, they all stopped, moved to the side of the path, and bowed in salute upon seeing Fang Han, addressing him as "Senior Brother Fang" or "True Inheritor Fang."
Their gazes were filled with reverence, not feigned, but genuine awe from the heart.
She was slightly shaken.
She knew Fang Han held a very high status in the Qingxuan Sect, but she hadn’t expected it to be this high—everyone they encountered along the path took the initiative to step aside and bow.
After passing through several corridors, Courtyard No. 35 appeared before them.
At the courtyard gate, Qiu Lan was already waiting with two Maids. Seeing Fang Han’s figure from a distance, she hurried forward to greet him, bowing and saying:
"Senior Brother, you’ve returned."
Fang Han nodded slightly, glanced at Fang Yingxue behind him, and said to one of the Maids:
"Take her to a guest room and get her settled."
The Maid respectfully complied and gave Fang Yingxue a small smile.
"Miss, please follow me."
Fang Yingxue bowed to Fang Han in thanks and followed the Maid along the corridor deeper into the courtyard.
Her steps were a bit reserved, but she couldn’t help but secretly observe the quiet courtyard—the rockeries, the flowing water, the swaying bamboo grove.
’To have such a residence in the Qingxuan Sect, Fang Han’s status must be truly extraordinary.’
Fang Han retracted his gaze and walked toward the Warm Pavilion.
Qiu Lan followed behind him, softly reporting on minor matters related to their affiliated factions that had occurred during the New Year’s holiday.
Inside the Warm Pavilion, a charcoal fire was burning brightly. Fang Han sat down in a pearwood chair, accepted the teacup Qiu Lan offered, took a sip, and then asked:
"Which courtyard will this year’s new disciples be joining?"
The Qingxuan Sect had a total of the Twelve Courtyards, named after the twelve Earthly Branches. Each year’s new disciples were assigned to a different courtyard in rotation. He hadn’t paid attention to which one it was this year.
"Answering Senior Brother."
Qiu Lan stood to the side with her hands lowered, her voice respectful.
"This year’s new disciples will be joining the Rooster Courtyard."
Fang Han nodded slightly, rubbing the warm porcelain of the teacup with his thumb. After a moment of contemplation, he said:
"Go to the Rooster Courtyard and find out what the requirements are for applying for an internal disciple slot."
He knew that those at the level of a True Inheritor or Elder were qualified to apply to the Sect for internal disciple slots, allowing people who didn’t meet the assessment standards to join.
Back then, Wang Miao had used this method to apply for a slot for his sister, Wang Meng, which allowed her to enter a Sub-Branch for cultivation.
However, he wasn’t clear on the specific application requirements. Besides, that was several years ago, and there was no guarantee things hadn’t changed.
"Yes, Senior Brother. I’ll go at once."
Qiu Lan bowed and turned to leave the Warm Pavilion.
Fang Han leaned back in his chair, his gaze falling on the bamboo grove outside the window, which was swaying gently in the cold winter wind.