“Sister Xiaoyan, someone is looking for you!”
“What’s that now?” Chen Xiaoyan was full of questions.
A Dream within a Dream pointed out the door and said, “You’ll know if you go out and take a look.”
Chen Xiaoyan walked out of the small courtyard with doubt, and immediately saw a group of Tianxiang players searching house to house not far away.
“This one isn’t a big shot either.”
“Does nobody really know where that big shot was assigned?”
“I know! I remember it was in this area. I saw the big shot run this way that day.”
“Who doesn’t know that? We need to be specific. Look, there are hundreds of small courtyards here. If we search them one by one, how long will it take to find her?”
When new disciples joined, their residences were automatically assigned by the reception sisters; individuals could not choose. Furthermore, there were originally few Tianxiang players, and there were many new disciple courtyards on the mountainside. Thus, the players were like a tray of loose sand, scattered all over the mountainside, far apart from each other.
Later, the thirty-some Tianxiang players scattered and searched slowly. Finally, after 30 minutes, they found Chen Xiaoyan’s small courtyard.
She stood outside the door, watching the Tianxiang players using light-body techniques to travel like a swarm of flies. She felt overwhelmed by their energy.
‘What are these girls doing?’
“The big shot is up ahead!” one Tianxiang player shouted in surprise.
The other players rushed out one after another, looking at Chen Xiaoyan, who was standing outside the door like a wooden post.
Chen Xiaoyan was slightly startled and gave an awkward smile.
‘So they came for me. That’s fine.’
“Big shot, big shot, we’re begging for sect quests! This kid hasn’t done a quest for 2 days!”
“We’ve been missing for 2 days. No matter what, you have to assign quests today!”
“Exactly, exactly!”
Even if some players had a lot of resentment, they only dared to say a few words behind her back. Say it to her face? They didn’t have the courage.
After all, Chen Xiaoyan was now the Tianxiang Great Disciple, the immediate superior in charge of them. She also held the power to issue sect quests. If anyone was foolish enough to cross her, their future days would be difficult.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t log in for the past 2 days due to personal reasons, which delayed all of you. How about everyone adds me as a friend? If you need help or quests in the future, you can private message me directly. What do you think?” Chen Xiaoyan was not angry at their complaints and spoke to them one by one with a smile.
“Well… alright, then. Thanks.”
“Big shot, I’m not from Snow Smoke Pavilion. Can I still ask for a carry?”
Chen Xiaoyan nodded.
“Yay! (o1 )a”
The Tianxiang players who had opinions about Chen Xiaoyan stopped talking now. Since she had already apologized, it wasn’t right for them to pursue it further. If word got out, it would only make them seem petty and as if they had hidden motives.
Chen Xiaoyan accepted the friend requests of these thirty-some Tianxiang players. Most of them belonged to other sects or were scenery-loving casuals. Currently, her friend list contained more than half of all the Tianxiang players, except for people like Yunyun Doesn’t Want to Heal and her group.
‘How can I trick those girls into adding me?’
Yunyun Doesn’t Want to Heal.
Chen Xiaoyan had a deep impression of this girl. From the previous sect competition, she could tell the girl was polite and upright. But she was a member of Wushuang Tower.
‘Would she hate me just because I’m from Snow Smoke Pavilion?’
Chen Xiaoyan wanted to try. If there really was hatred, she would give up on that girl. She was either brainless or a die-hard Wushuang fan. Either way, Xiaoyan didn’t want to associate with her.
Because of the changes in the real world, she was no longer obsessed with the grudges between guilds. Perhaps she never had been. As the Tianxiang Great Disciple, she had to fulfill her duties. She had to protect them in reality for Sister Shen. She would give them a warm embrace and a stable… ahem.
In short, every Tianxiang player was a treasure that needed to be cherished.
After assigning them quests, Chen Xiaoyan returned to the courtyard and stretched. Looking over the list of Tianxiang girls in her friend list, a smug smile appeared at the corners of her mouth.
“Hehe, Sister Xiaoyan, your smile is so lewd,” A Dream within a Dream said as she walked over to her, sporting a ridiculous expression.
Chen Xiaoyan’s face darkened, and she glared at her. “Aren’t you going to do your quest? Why are you still here?”
“We’re having a meeting soon anyway. I figured it wouldn’t be too late to do it after the meeting.”
Chen Xiaoyan gave her a dissatisfied glance and walked into the inner room. A Dream within a Dream watched her back and pouted, feeling a bit aggrieved. She wasn’t wrong; that smile really was a bit lewd.
—
Shence Mansion training grounds, the Capital City.
The two brothers, Wu Gao and Wu Shang, who had practiced spear techniques for 1 full day, sat cross-legged near a cliff on General’s Mountain during the sunset. They carried a plate of wine and appetizers.
After nearly 1 month of cultivation, the aura on their bodies had become sharp. They were no longer as simple and honest as they had been back in Muxiang Village. Wu Shang poured a small cup of wine for his elder brother, and the two drank together in mutual respect.
“Xiao Shang, I’ve noticed you’ve been a bit distracted during our spars these past few days. Is something on your mind?”
Wu Shang remained silent, using his chopsticks to pick at the appetizers on the plate. Seeing that his younger brother wouldn’t speak, Wu Gao didn’t press him. He had some idea of what was going on. He could only sigh at the trouble a beautiful woman could cause.
“Since we have entered the cultivation world, we should focus on cultivation from now on.”
Wu Gao’s words caused Wu Shang’s hand to pause briefly. He slowly put down his chopsticks. His eyes were as sharp as a venomous snake as he looked at Wu Gao.
“Big brother, what are you cultivating for?”
Wu Gao chewed his food and smiled without answering. Actually, he couldn’t say for sure. When he first ran away from Muxiang Village, it was to stand out and bring honor to his mother. After entering Shence Mansion for nearly 1 month and coming into contact with cultivation, he realized how naive his previous thoughts were.
Now, his thoughts had changed. He wanted to be number one in the world. With strength, what kind of Tianxiang fairy couldn’t he find? Unfortunately, his foolish younger brother still couldn’t see through it and insisted on being obsessed with that woman.
*Sigh.*
“Xiao Shang, take my advice. Once you have strength and become famous in the cultivation world, that Tianxiang disciple will naturally notice you. So, your main priority right now is your cultivation. Only when your cultivation is profound can you catch her attention. Do you understand?”
Wu Shang drank another cup of wine and gave a bitter smile. He naturally understood such a simple truth. But how easy was it to become famous in the cultivation world? His aptitude and talent were only upper-middle tier. Cultivation was extremely time-consuming; it would probably take 100 years to achieve success.
By then, would she still remember? Would she remember the two brothers from the Wu family whom she had saved in Muxiang Village? Perhaps 100 years later, she would already be someone else’s Dao companion.
At the thought of this outcome, anger surged in Wu Shang’s heart. He almost couldn’t control his rage.
*Crack!*
By the time he snapped out of it, the small wine cup in his hand had already turned into a pile of powder. Wu Gao was startled. Seeing this scene, his brow furrowed deeply.
‘This is likely a sign of falling into demonic possession.’
Wu Shang stared blankly at the powder in his hand, lost in thought. After a long time, he raised his hand and scattered the powder down the cliff. Then, he picked up the wine jug and poured it into his mouth. Wu Gao didn’t stop him, watching quietly.
Wu Shang drank the wine in the jug in one gulp and smashed the jug on the ground, shattering it into pieces. He then stood up and cupped his fists toward Wu Gao. “Big brother, I’m going to cultivate now.”
Wu Gao nodded slightly.
Inside the secluded stone chamber.
Wu Shang sealed the stone door. Unless it was broken through by force, no one could enter. He sat cross-legged. He took several low-grade Qi-augmenting and Body-tempering pills and began practicing the Shence Basic Mental Law.
Mortal Shedding.
It was a realm that countless mortal cultivators dreamed of breaking into. But very few successfully broke through. Mortal Shedding and the Supernatural Realm — also known as the Martial King Realm — are the two major dividing lines in the cultivation world.
Mortals can only be called cultivators after entering Mortal Shedding, and cultivators can only be called Great Powers — also known as Supernatural Beings — after entering the Supernatural Realm.
Wu Shang didn’t dare think about the Martial King Realm yet. But the Mortal Shedding Realm was within reach.
Players: ???
On that day, Wu Shang entered Mortal Shedding.
He didn’t go around boasting about his breakthrough; he didn’t even tell Wu Gao. To Shence Mansion, Mortal Shedding was just an entry-level disciple’s rank. What was there to be happy about?
—
The Happy Courtyard for New Disciples.
Since Wu Gao and Wu Shang were also newly joined disciples, they were assigned to the same area as the players. The courtyards of Shence Mansion were different from Tianxiang’s. There were no peach blossom trees, but rather a 2-meter-tall phoenix tree and an iron-wrapped wooden post used for punching and body tempering.
Wu Shang was not wearing his battle armor. His upper garment was tied around his waist, leaving his torso bare, revealing strong and tight muscles. Holding a long spear, he danced in the courtyard, creating a whistling wind.
Having just broken through to Mortal Shedding, his strength was not yet stable. He needed time to familiarize himself with the powerful force brought by his breakthrough. The Shence Spear Technique followed a fierce and vigorous path. Regardless of whether the spear hit the target, the impact of the force alone would vibrate several meters away.
With one move of Brainless Split, the soil in the courtyard was almost completely overturned. After Sweeping the Eight Directions and Blue Dragon Break, he finished with a final move, Mountain-Piercing Stab, thrusting the long spear straight into the iron-wrapped wooden post.
Wu Shang took a deep breath. He pulled out the long spear and continued practicing.
‘Big brother is right. Strength is the foundation. Without strength, I can’t even protect her. Talking about possession is just self-inflicted humiliation.’
If he had possessed great strength, that tragic scene in the Fragrant Wood Forest would never have happened. To save her, the Demon-Slaying Army had been almost completely wiped out. And what about him? He had been so scared by that evil cultivator that he couldn’t move an inch on the ground.
He didn’t want to repeat such a disgrace. Only by becoming stronger — becoming so strong that no one in the world could suppress him — could he break free.
At this thought, Wu Shang’s pupils shrank suddenly. The blood in his body surged, and traces of blood seeped from his pores, making him look like a man made of blood.
“Kill!”
He roared and suddenly leapt up, descending from the sky. Gripping the spear with both hands, he struck it down toward the iron-wrapped wooden post.
*Boom!*
The iron-wrapped wooden post instantly shattered into pieces, and wood chips flew through the air, slowly falling down.
Wu Shang was covered in sweat, panting heavily. His hands were trembling so much from severe physical exhaustion that he couldn’t even hold the long spear, and it fell to the ground. Looking down at the webs of his thumbs, they seemed to have split, stained with blood.
However, there was more joy in his eyes. He was gradually getting the hang of his power. After practicing a bit longer, he would be able to completely stabilize the internal energy in his body.
*Clap, clap, clap.*
Suddenly, a burst of applause came from outside the courtyard door. A young man wearing Shence battle armor was standing there with a smile on his face, looking at him with both surprise and excitement.
‘This NPC hasn’t even been in Shence Mansion for 1 month, yet his strength is almost catching up to mine. Who’s the player here?’
It now seemed that the bet he had placed was absolutely correct.
“Nice moves.”
Wu Shang gave him a fierce look, like a tiger or a wolf. There was a slight trace of displeasure in his eyes as he cupped his fists. “Guild Master Wushuang.”
He and Wu Gao had joined Wushuang Tower. No matter how much he disliked this man, he could not discard proper etiquette.
“Brother Wu Shang, may I come in?”
“Please.” Wu Shang picked up the spear, leaned it against the door of the inner room, and brought out two wooden stools.
The courtyard originally had a stone table and stone benches. But during his practice in the courtyard the previous few days, he hadn’t held back, and they were basically all destroyed.
“Guild Master Wushuang, please sit.”
Peerless Under Heaven wasn’t polite either. He sat directly on the wooden stool, his hands on his knees. “Brother Wu Shang, you can just call me Brother Wushuang. ‘Guild Master’ is too formal.”
Wu Shang didn’t answer. He sat down and forced a smile onto his face. “I wonder why Guild Master Wushuang has come to my place?”
Peerless Under Heaven didn’t mind the snub; instead, his smile grew even brighter. “It’s nothing. I was just passing by out of boredom. I saw Brother Wu Shang practicing spear techniques and stopped to watch. I hope Brother Wu Shang won’t take offense.”
“Guild Master Wushuang’s spear technique should be more profound than mine, right?”
“No, no, no. Although I entered Shence Mansion some time before Brother Wu Shang, in terms of spear techniques, I’m still slightly inferior to you.”
“Is that so? Then why don’t we spar?”
Peerless Under Heaven was stunned. He was telling the truth. In terms of cultivation, he might be slightly higher than this NPC. But in terms of spear techniques and strength, based on the performance just now, he certainly couldn’t have shattered an iron-wrapped wooden post with a single strike.
There was no need to look for a beating. But on second thought, if it was just a spar, it was feasible. Only by fighting against a powerful opponent could he clearly recognize his own deficiencies.
This thought was exactly what Wu Shang was thinking as well. The leader of a guild with over 1,000 people wouldn’t be weak. He was perfect to use as a training partner.
“Alright. I ask that Brother Wu Shang shows some mercy.”
“Of course.”
Removing the wooden stools, Wu Shang went to the door of the inner room to retrieve his long spear and stood opposite Peerless Under Heaven. Then, with a thrust of his right hand, he planted the spear into the ground.
Peerless Under Heaven also took a long spear out of his game inventory. He held the spear in his right hand, with the tail of the spear resting against his right waist, and extended his left hand toward Wu Shang. “Brother Wu Shang, please.”
Seeing this, the corner of Wu Shang’s mouth curled up. He kicked the tail of his spear, sending it flying into the air. In a flash, he quickly reached out, grabbed the tail of the spear, and thrust it toward Peerless Under Heaven.
Peerless Under Heaven swept away the incoming spear tip. Before Wu Shang could react, using his waist as a support, he thrust out eight spear strikes in 1 second. He was so fast that only the afterimages of the spear could be seen in the air.
Wu Shang was shocked and hurriedly retreated. The Shence Spear Technique focused on fierce, wide, and open movements; it rarely had this kind of speed.
‘How exactly did he train? To take such a different path.’