When Shen Cangsheng came out of the Government Hall, he looked ten years younger.
He walked beside Shen Fan, his spirits soaring.
He had looked forward to this day for sixteen years, and his son had not let him down.
Today was just the beginning.
He knew that many more challenges awaited Shen Fan, and there were some things a father ought to remind his son.
“Fan’Er, the path of the Martial Dao is about following your heart, fearing no challenge, and forging ever onward.” Shen Cangsheng stopped and looked Shen Fan in the eye, his expression solemn.
“You must go further than I ever did. Become one of the strong. Venture beyond this small world.”
“Father…”
“I believe in you,” Shen Cangsheng said, cutting him off before turning to leave.
Shen Fan watched his father’s retreating back, tears welling in his eyes.
He knew those words represented his father’s own dream from sixteen years ago, a dream now passed on to him.
‘Father, I won’t let you down.’ Shen Fan pursed his lips and gazed at the horizon, murmuring to himself, ‘Next is the Outer Courtyard examination.
I have to place in the top three and enter the Inner Courtyard.’
“Not bad, not bad. Useless Shen has finally shed his useless title.” A flat voice drifted from the woods to the left.
Liu Jie, dressed in a white robe, emerged, his aura as a Third Rank of Meridian Opening cultivator pressing down.
“Defeating Zhang Sheng with a Cultivation at the Second Rank of Meridian Opening certainly shows some skill. But in my eyes, you’re still not worth a second glance. Leave Zhao Minji. You’re too weak. You don’t deserve her.”
Liu Jie acted high and mighty.
As one of the top three disciples in the Outer Courtyard, he was immensely proud.
Yet, this former piece of trash happened to be Zhao Minji’s fiancé.
He had long considered Zhao Minji his own private prize and couldn’t stand the thought of anyone else near her.
‘Who the hell do you think you are?’ Shen Fan was furious.
Zhao Minji was his fiancée, and he wouldn’t tolerate anyone ordering him around about her.
Did Liu Jie really think he could just push him around like this?
“Hmph. You don’t know what’s good for you. Don’t get arrogant just because you beat Zhang Sheng. In my eyes, you’re nothing but a slightly larger ant. Competing with me for a woman… heh heh.” Liu Jie’s voice grew cold.
“During the Outer Courtyard examination, I’ll make you understand. Some people are not to be provoked, and some women are not for a toad like you to even think about.”
“Same to you.” Shen Fan shoved Liu Jie aside and strode off.
He might not be Liu Jie’s match right now, but in a little over two months, things could be very different.
On the way home, Shen Fan felt a knot in his stomach.
The Outer Courtyard examination was less than three months away.
With his current strength, he could probably pass, but he was still a step below figures like the Top Ten Disciples.
Every one of the Top Ten Disciples of the Outer Courtyard had cultivated a High-tier Martial Skill.
When fueled by the immense Primordial Qi from the Third Rank of Meridian Opening, the power of these skills was enormous.
‘So, during this period, I must cultivate diligently and strive to break through to the Third Rank of Meridian Opening as soon as possible.’
“Hey, have you guys heard? The Outer Courtyard examination is different this time.” A few disciples at the Third Rank of Meridian Opening were walking toward him, speaking loudly as if to ensure everyone could hear.
“Is it related to the Inner Courtyard hunt nine months from now?”
“That’s right. I heard that the top three finishers in this year’s Outer Courtyard examination will not only receive two High-tier Martial Skills but will also qualify to enter the Inner Sect and participate in the Inner Courtyard hunt.”
“No way! Only Inner Courtyard Martial Artists at the Fifth Rank of Meridian Opening can participate in the Inner Courtyard hunt.”
“That’s what you don’t understand. This time, all top ten disciples from the Outer Courtyard will receive one High-tier Martial Skill. The top three will get two High-tier Martial Skills and, on top of that, a Kaiyuan Pill!”
“A Kaiyuan Pill! The kind that lets you ignore a cultivation bottleneck and instantly advance a whole Small Realm in your Cultivation Realm! My heavens, I heard those elixirs are sent down from the Upper Sect. You can’t buy them anywhere in the Black Water Kingdom!”
“Now you get it. This is all for the hunting Trial. The top twenty participants in that Trial will be eligible to compete in next year’s Three-School Joint Examination, which determines the spots for entering the Upper Sect! This story is hosted at novelping(.)com. That’s why our Black Water Academy is sparing no expense. They want to gather this generation’s geniuses from both courtyards, unearth their potential, and train them to get good results. If they do, our academy will receive more favor from the Upper Sect!”
…
Shen Fan stood to the side in silence.
After listening to their conversation, his mind was in turmoil.
‘If I can place in the top three of the examination, I’ll not only get to cultivate High-tier Martial Skills, but I’ll also receive a Kaiyuan Pill.’
He had heard of the Kaiyuan Pill but had never seen one.
Any Martial Artist between the Fourth and Sixth Ranks of Meridian Opening who took it could advance an entire Small Realm.
To a Martial Artist, it was an incredibly precious elixir.
‘If I can place in the top three, I’ll get a Kaiyuan Pill.
Then, once I reach the Fourth Rank of Meridian Opening, I can take it and jump straight to the Fifth Rank!’
Most importantly, placing in the top three meant he’d have a chance to join the hunting Trial and, from there, the Three-School Joint Examination.
Shen Fan clenched his fists.
‘I promised my father I would cripple Guo Yaoshi with my own hands.
Therefore, I must not only place in the top three of the Outer Courtyard examination, but I must also pass the hunting Trial and attend the Three-School Joint Examination to enter the Taihang Sect.
It’s the only shortcut!’
At that moment, he felt an immense weight on his shoulders.
Placing in the top three of the Outer Courtyard, the Inner Courtyard hunting Trial, and the Three-School Joint Examination—these were like three great mountains pressing down upon him.
But the greater the pressure, the stronger his motivation.
Ever since obtaining the Yin-Yang Divine Coin, he had feared no challenge.
‘I have to increase my strength as quickly as possible!’
In his Cultivation Chamber, Shen Fan stood in a horse stance with his eyes lightly closed.
His Divine Soul entered the Yin-Yang Space to analyze the Fast Blade and the Great Sorrow Palm.
Insights floated by like clouds, some drifting past individually, others gathering in great clusters.
‘The Fast Blade is formless, just like the clouds.
It has no set shape, no fixed Technique.
Its sole purpose is to kill the enemy.
Thus, “fast, ruthless, and precise” refers not only to the strike but also to the conviction in one’s heart.
When I pick up my blade, I see nothing but the enemy!’
‘The Great Sorrow Palm is like a giant pushing a mountain—no frills, no flair.
You gather all your Primordial Qi into a single point and unleash it in an explosive strike that can shatter mountains.
So, when I use the Great Sorrow Palm against an enemy, I must leave myself no room for retreat.
It’s either their death or mine.’
…
Aided by the deductions of the Yin-Yang Divine Coin, Shen Fan’s Comprehension was shockingly powerful.
He didn’t even realize it himself, but his understanding of the Fast Blade had deepened once more.
Now, he stood in a grove of trees.
He performed a Sword Slash at a large tree to his right.
The glint of the blade was like a shadow, there and gone in an instant.
In the next moment, the tree, as thick as a rice bowl, snapped in two, the cut surface as smooth as glass.
“I’m so close,” Shen Fan murmured.
“I can make over twenty slashes in a single breath now. I just need to break through that final barrier to master the Fast Blade to the Great Success stage. But for some reason, something is still missing. My understanding of the technique has reached a new level, but my body’s response feels… disconnected.”
He practiced the Fast Blade a few more times, then stopped.
It was hard to make any further progress this way.
Ten breaths later, he sprang into the air like a great bear pouncing.
He descended, and his massive palm struck an angular green rock.
CRACK!
Countless jagged lines spiderwebbed across its surface.
With a gentle push, the rock crumbled to the ground with a CLATTER.
‘The Great Sorrow Palm is truly worthy of its creator, Elder Qing Pao,’ Shen Fan thought, holding the technique in high esteem.
‘Every time I practice it, my Physical Strength increases, and my qi and blood become more vigorous.
It’s an amazing Martial Technique for accelerating my Cultivation.’ Even though it was only a Middle Tier skill, he felt its power was not much less than that of a High-tier Martial Skill.
And since it specifically focused on Refining the Flesh Body, he considered it far more valuable than a purely offensive High-tier Martial Skill.
After the Yin-Yang Space analyzed the Great Sorrow Palm once more, Shen Fan’s entire aura shifted from sharp to profound.
Each of his steps landed with unshakable firmness.
The whistling wind from his palms kicked up fallen leaves, gathering them into a ball that snowballed, growing larger and larger.
“Hah!”
With an explosive shout, a powerful force erupted from within him.
He unleashed the Great Sorrow Palm at the ball of leaves.
BANG!
A Flying Dance of shredded leaves filled the sky.
At that moment, the Primordial Qi within his second Elemental Pattern became abundant, surging until it filled his entire Primordial Vein, making it swell.
Within his Soul Sea, the light on the white Divine Pattern expanded to cover nearly thirty percent of its surface, making the Yin-Yang Divine Coin seem all the more mysterious.
‘Peak of Meridian Opening Second Stage!’ Shen Fan’s face lit up with joy.
In just a few days, his Cultivation had soared from the Second Rank of Meridian Opening to the Peak of the Second Rank.
Furthermore, this was achieved through solid practice, not with the aid of any elixirs.
Now, not only had his physical strength reached three thousand jin, but his Primordial Qi was also exceptionally dense—he was even stronger than Zhang Sheng, the opponent he had previously defeated.
‘Although I’ve reached the Peak of Meridian Opening Second Stage, breaking through to the Third Rank isn’t something I can do in a short time.
If I want to advance courageously, I still need to temper myself through trials.’
He realized his Cultivation had reached a bottleneck.
It would be difficult to make any further progress by simply hiding away in the Cultivation Chamber.
After all, Martial Artists needed to fight.
Moreover, within the nine ranks of Meridian Opening, every single advancement was exceedingly difficult and time-consuming.
This was especially true for the breakthrough to the Third Rank and all cultivation beyond it.
Without the support of elixirs and other resources, relying on hard work alone could take a year, or even longer, of accumulation.
The Outer Courtyard examination was a little over two months away.
Every one of the top ten disciples on the Outer List was at the Peak of Meridian Opening Third Stage.
Against them, his current strength was still insufficient.
Therefore, it was imperative for him to venture out.
He needed to gain real-world experience, hone his Martial Techniques and Cultivation, and earn money to purchase elixirs.