I told Sanjie Liguang that I had been a disciple of Leishen School all along and had been practicing Leishen School since I was very young. Although it might be suspicious that I had reached this level of cultivation in just a few years, he seemed to think I was not at the level of a grandmaster who had reversed the aging process. Of course, I honestly told him that I had eaten the Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng.
After hearing my story, Sanjie Liguang took my pulse.
Then he let out a sigh.
"Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng is truly an incredible elixir. Your meridians are almost fully open, and you are just before the stage of Tianling Pill (天靈丹)."
Tianling Pill?
I tilted my head at the unfamiliar word, but he did not explain further. Then he said,
"You and I are fellow disciples. If you are willing to serve me as your master again, perform the nine bows of respect here."
"Yes."
Without hesitation, I performed the nine bows. I had come here with the resolve to learn everything from him, even if it took several decades. When the nine bows were over, Liguang said,
"Rise. From now on, I am your master, and I will pass on the rest of the Leishen School to you."
"Yes."
"Bai Xiong. As you have probably heard from your master, the Leishen School is a school of many inheritors and a martial sect that shocks the heavens. Since you have great potential, strive to practice diligently and see the ultimate level of the Leishen School."
"I understand."
This time, I did not ask about the history of the Leishen School. I didn't want to show too much enthusiasm and risk raising suspicion. Instead, I noticed something strange.
'In the past, Liguang asked about the power of my Xuantian Divine Art. Why is he not mentioning it this time?'
Could he not have noticed? Or is he deliberately not saying anything?
I had learned the Xuantian Divine Art from the Xuantian Daoist due to our past connection, and it had combined with my immense internal energy, giving me a separate power. Since then, my Xuantian Divine Art had developed further through continuous internal energy practice and the consumption of elixirs. However, Liguang did not inquire about the origin of my Xuantian Divine Art.
But it would be foolish to reveal it here out of fear. Whether Sanjie Liguang's intention was one way or the other, if he wanted to kill me, he wouldn't have gone through all this trouble. I steeled my resolve and said,
"I have come here to learn the martial arts of the Leishen School. I am prepared."
"Prepared, that's a good word."
Sanjie Liguang smiled contentedly.
"From today, you are my direct disciple, and you should respect Jin So-cheong as your senior. Given your skills, I will grant you the position of instructor, and for the time being, you will learn from me one-on-one."
"Yes."
Then he muttered as if he had forgotten something.
"By the way, So-cheong said he was going to meet a friend."
Coincidentally, I had entered the sect on the same day as before. By now, Senior Jin So-cheong must have gone to the Chao family manor to protect Nangong Huan and his fiancée, as requested. He would likely escape with the help of the Chao family head in secret. Of course, the escape would be caught by a dozen first-rate experts, leading to an inevitable fight near the Hangu Pass.
I said,
"What should I do?"
Sanjie Liguang thought for a moment and waved his hand.
"No... It's fine. He will come back on his own. You can rest for today."
"Yes."
In the past, I had shown my eagerness by saying, "I want to see my senior in person," and Sanjie Liguang had entrusted me with the task of bringing him back. At that time, I had a strong desire to meet Nangong Huan, so I took the initiative.
However, this time, I decided not to take the lead. At this point, Jin So-cheong's skills were already at a level where he could handle a group of first-rate experts. If left alone, he could easily defeat them like a wolf among sheep, as history had shown.
'I want to save as much time and energy as possible.'
In any case, I would have to train to the death from now on. I didn't want to waste my energy by wandering around unnecessarily. Besides, I knew Jin So-cheong's skills so well that there was no need to re-experience them.
"Fang Yi, please guide Instructor Bai to his quarters."
"Yes, Sect Master."
I followed Fang Yi to the private room assigned to the instructor. As he guided me, Fang Yi looked at me with a skeptical expression, clearly not believing what he saw. Unlike before, he did not dare to grab me by the collar or intimidate me.
This was because, as a practitioner at Fang Yi's level, he understood that when a top martial artist like Liguang appointed someone as an instructor, that person must have the corresponding skills. He probably thought that if he provoked me, he would not come out on top.
"Instructor, this is your private room. Please rest comfortably."
Fang Yi's tone had become respectful. When I first entered the sect as a disciple of Chief Instructor Jin So-cheong, there was room for Fang Yi to challenge me. However, as a direct instructor appointed by the Sect Master, I naturally had to be treated with respect and addressed formally. For someone like Fang Yi, who was determined to become a master, this was inevitable.
I lay on the comfortable bed in the private room and thought,
'Pretending is unnecessary. I'll go all out from tomorrow.'
Originally, I had planned to act a bit younger than my actual level. However, after being guided by Sanjie Liguang and Jin So-cheong for a long time, I realized that crude deception wouldn't work on them. It was much better to be honest about my understanding and efforts.
The next morning, Jin So-cheong returned. When he saw me, the new instructor, he smiled brightly.
"I have a new junior! I hope you do well, Bai Xiong."
"Yes, Senior."
I smiled wryly. After competing and learning with this person for years, he felt more like a master to me than Sanjie Liguang. However, I didn't want to show this too openly, so I hid my feelings and acted a bit coldly.
Then the training began.
On the first day of one-on-one guidance, Sanjie Liguang decided to spar with me. It was not the wooden spear sparring I had done with Jin So-cheong, but a wooden sword sparring. Facing each other at a distance, Sanjie Liguang took a half-crouched stance and said,
"Come at me."
"Ha!"
I didn't hold back. I already knew that Sanjie Liguang was dozens of times stronger than his public reputation suggested.
Crack
Instantly, the realm of Leiling (雷靈) I had mastered burst forth, and my reflexes and speed increased dramatically. The wooden sword was surrounded by a blue aura of Leiling, which, if it hit, could sever the upper body of a first-rate expert like a Jin Yiwei. My body rushed forward at a terrifying speed.
Swish, swish, swish
Using the Leiying Step (雷影步) in succession, I moved like a mirror sliding, performing a triple slash in an instant. Compared to my training in the second entry, I had improved, and my consecutive attacks were faster. The Leiying Step enhanced my speed, and the ground beneath me briefly sparked like a tail.
Whoosh
"......!!"
However, I realized that all my attacks had been deflected by a hair's breadth. Moreover, Liguang did not just dodge; he had already attacked me with Sword Qi Acupoint Striking (劍氣點穴). The ability to use sword qi to penetrate and seal acupoints without being seen was beyond my imagination.
Or, is this the Leishen Sword Technique?
I could painfully feel that he had already reached a realm beyond sword techniques.
Thud
Despite my extensive combat experience from my past life, I fell in just five seconds. As I tried to unseal the acupoints, Sanjie Liguang said,
"Bai Xiong."
"Yes."
"Your internal energy and techniques are effective against ordinary martial artists, but they lack intent (意). Even with the best internal energy in the world, it will be difficult to strike a true master effectively."
"......"
I had heard this before. It was something I had heard dozens of times from Sanjie Liguang before he gave up teaching me. I felt that I had returned to the same starting point after just one day of training. Sanjie Liguang had clearly and objectively evaluated my skills at that moment.
'Right. In the past, I couldn't understand this, so I wasted time...'
I didn't just idly waste time. I thought hard about what intent (意) and thought (念) were, and I kept swinging my sword, but I couldn't figure it out. For the remaining two years, I desperately sought guidance from Jin So-cheong, but it didn't work. I was eventually sent to Luoyang to deal with Jin Yiwei's affairs.
I clenched my teeth and said,
"I don't understand."
"What don't you understand?"
"Before coming to you, I fought a great master. I used all my internal energy to increase my speed and power,