Chapter 200: Chapter 58: Who’s Laughing at Whom?
This confusion didn’t last long before an answer emerged.
In the yard, Liu Mingyue wielded a long Mo Dao, continuously swinging it. A subtle Heavenly Mandate Vitality trailed along the blade’s edge, imparting a faint sense of destiny.
“Is it really her?”
Zhang Xuan was astonished.
Whether it was Zhao Ya, Wang Ying, Liu Yang, or Lu Chong, each possessed extremely high talent, far surpassing this young lady. Unexpectedly, while everyone else had failed, she had already taken the first steps.
However, it was just a shallow entry, and her assistance was far less significant in comparison to Zheng Yang.
Even if strength was suppressed, the insight and understanding of cultivation between a novice and a God Monarch, who ruled across the nine heavens, were still vastly different.
“This is not right. Tilt the blade tip up a bit, let the strength sink down. Feel the strength emerging from the Source Pool…”
After his surprise, Zhang Xuan provided hands-on guidance.
With increasing advice, Liu Mingyue advanced rapidly. In less than two hours, she was already able to execute a complete Mo Blade Martial Skill and gained a profound understanding and insight into the Mo Dao Destiny, even surpassing the previous Lady Yu and Yu Qingyu.
With a swing of her blade, destiny lingered around.
It felt as if the blade’s edge could make one’s soul tremble.
This was no longer just a beginner’s level; she had reached the realm of “Destiny Includes Me,” just like the former Zhang Xuan.
Being able to step forward so quickly only indicated one thing—that this girl had the qualifications to become a Fate Master!
Zhang Xuan voiced his thoughts, “It seems you might indeed have a chance to become a Fate Master!”
Liu Mingyue looked surprised and somewhat skeptical. “Ah?”
A Fate Master in Baiyan City was akin to a celestial being. Even the Three Premier Clans, including Dean Lu and City Lord Yu Longqing, strived for such a status but could not attain it. To think that she could… it felt like a dream.
Seeing her expression, knowing what she was thinking, Zhang Xuan smiled, “Being able to understand Mo Dao so quickly indicates not only your capability; it’s also quite impressive. Come, pack up, and I’ll take you to Heaven Mandate Hall for a test.”
Heaven Mandate Hall had methods and ways to test talent. If she indeed had such capability, it would definitely be identified, allowing for earlier nurturing.
“Yes!”
Liu Mingyue nodded excitedly, repeatedly.
“Teacher, we want to go too…” Yu Xiaoyu and Hong Yi looked over, faces filled with anticipation.
“Alright!”
Zhang Xuan nodded, saying, “I had a few other disciples before. It’s good to call them over and let you guys get to know each other, then go for the test together!”
Zhao Ya and the others had been training separately from Yu Xiaoyu and the rest; since they were all students, it was a good opportunity to meet.
As he walked away, Yu Xiaoyu curiously looked over. “Wasn’t the teacher only a teacher in Baiyan City? He had students before? How come we never heard?”
When they first met, this teacher was merely a coachman without any cultivation, incapable of practicing cultivation. How could he teach disciples?
“Probably like Horse Tamer Zhou Qun, the teacher must have taken students for his other skills. Their talents probably aren’t that great!” Liu Mingyue speculated.
“Now that you mention it, that might be possible… Being fellow disciples, even if their talent isn’t great, we shouldn’t ridicule them!”
Fearing that the present young lady was too arrogant, Yu Xiaoyu solemnly briefed her in advance.
“Of course. I haven’t officially been taken as a student by the teacher yet, so before that, I certainly won’t act recklessly…” Liu Mingyue hastily nodded.
Although she followed the teacher here, she was still just auditing, not yet a true student. Even if those senior and junior fellows did not have high talents, she had no right to ridicule them.
Yu Xiaoyu turned to Hong Yi, only to see him waving his hands continuously, “I certainly won’t. My talent isn’t great…”
“That’s good!”
While the three talked, a series of footsteps sounded from deep within the courtyard. Soon after, Yu Xiaoyu saw a group of people just a few years older than them following the teacher out.
“Their strength is really not high…”
The other party did not conceal their aura, allowing Yu Xiaoyu and the others to immediately discern their cultivation levels. Most hovered around the Physique Realm, Fourthfold of Source Pool Realm.
By this time, they, after some practice, had all reached the Fascia Realm, Fifthfold of Source Pool—clearly one level higher than the others.
“These are my recently taken disciples, Yu Xiaoyu, Liu Mingyue, and Hong Yi. They are my former disciples Zhao Ya, Wang Ying, Liu Yang, Zheng Yang…”
Coming up to them, Zhang Xuan smilingly introduced everyone.
Soon both groups became acquainted.
“Let’s go!”
Zhang Xuan didn’t continue to speak further and led everyone out of the courtyard.
Their residence was some distance from Heaven Mandate Hall. Initially, Zhang Xuan started walking slowly, but seeing that everyone could keep up, he speeded up the pace, which also served as a training and assessing session for the many disciples.
Yu Xiaoyu and Liu Mingyue initially coped very well, but towards the end, they gradually found it strenuous and began to sweat.
This speed had clearly reached the limits of the Fascia Realm. Fearing being left behind, they could only grit their teeth and persevere.
“Sisters, I’m having trouble keeping up…”
Hong Yi was the first to falter; his zhenqi became chaotic, and he started panting heavily.
“Keep going…”
Yu Xiaoyu furrowed her brows, clenching her teeth, “The teacher’s other students, who have lower cultivation than ours, can keep up. Why can’t we?”
“Yes!”
Spurred by his sister’s words, Hong Yi endured the discomfort in his body and looked ahead.
Zhang Xuan’s previous dozen or so disciples were sprinting ahead. Although their cultivation was lower than theirs, they moved smoothly and effortlessly, in stark contrast to their own struggle.
“Isn’t that weird… Why aren’t they tired?”
Yu Xiaoyu also noticed something was off.
Even though her own strength was better, she still couldn’t keep up. The opponents seemed weak, yet they faced no pressure; something was definitely amiss.
“I guess they’re also gritting their teeth and enduring…”
Liu Mingyue speculated.
They were struggling, so the opponents couldn’t be faring much better. The calm on their faces was probably all an act.
“Hmm!”
Yu Xiaoyu nodded, fully agreeing.
Just then, their teacher’s pace increased once more. Taking a deep breath, the three activated the strength within their Source Pools and desperately circulated it, only to find that their robust zhenqi had, unknowingly, been utterly depleted.
“No zhenqi is no problem; our Source Pool’s level is high. We can forge Origin qi while using it…”
Liu Mingyue whispered.
The other two nodded at the same time.
Their opened Source Pools weren’t particularly high, but the flame they could ignite was top level. If it was just walking and not fighting, they could sustain themselves completely, far beyond what others could compare to.
Opening all acupoints, they frantically absorbed the leaked Origin qi in the air. Only then did they start to feel some relief. Looking again at the other disciples, they realized these people were still moving smoothly, without the slightest sign of strain.
“What in the world is happening?”
The three were completely baffled.
They were running to the point of almost spitting out their tongues, yet this group, clearly weaker than them, seemed unaffected. How could that be? We are at the Fivefold of Source Pool, and you… are only at Fourfold!
Surprised, they then heard Wang Ying’s voice: “Senior sister, it seems they can’t keep up…”
Instantly, the dozen or so disciples in front turned to look back.
Yu Xiaoyu and Liu Mingyue’s faces turned beet red.
This was embarrassing.
“It’s my fault. I wasn’t paying attention, sorry!”
Zhao Ya smiled slightly and approached Yu Xiaoyu: “Come on, I’ll lead you…”
Just as Yu Xiaoyu was about to refuse, she saw the other’s palm already resting on her arm, and immediately, a warm current flowed into her body along the meridians.
In the blink of an eye, all fatigue was swept away, and her steps involuntarily quickened. What had been a challenging pace was now trivial.
“This…”
Yu Xiaoyu’s pupils sharply contracted.
Through the incoming zhenqi, she could feel that the opponent’s strength was indeed inferior to hers, yet the flow of zhenqi ran like a relentless river, seemingly inexhaustible.
Most importantly, the strength was dense and pure, far surpassing what she had cultivated.
If her zhenqi was like a river flow, then the other’s was like mercury.
The same teacher, the same cultivation, yet why such a big difference?
For a moment, Yu Xiaoyu was somewhat dazed.
“Could it be… this Zhao Ya’s talent is even higher than mine?”
The city lord’s daughter couldn’t help but speculate, then felt it made sense: “Since she is the teacher’s eldest disciple, it’s natural for her talent to be higher. Perhaps the others are not so capable…”
This thought hadn’t finished forming when she heard an unhappy voice not far away.
“You’re indeed walking too slowly. Forget it, I’ll carry you!”
Hurriedly turning her head, she immediately saw Hong Yi, who, like herself, couldn’t keep up. He was now being hoisted onto the shoulder of a young man, who strode forward with meteoric speed.
“???”
Struggling to walk herself, yet the other, carrying someone, did not show the slightest sign of exertion…
A twitch formed at the corner of Yu Xiaoyu’s mouth as she looked closely at the young man.
This fellow disciple was not ranked among the top; he was the tenth disciple of Zhang laoshi, named Dan Xiaotian.
As for his cultivation… it seemed he had just reached the Third Level of Power Storage Realm.
That someone from such a lowly realm walked faster than them was one thing, but carrying another person without falling behind at all?
Instantly, Yu Xiaoyu suddenly felt that her previous “mocking of the others” had been somewhat unnecessary.
She had thought these people’s talents must definitely be inferior to her own, but now it seemed not the case…
“Dan Xiaotian, Zhao Ya, what are you two doing?”
Just as they were at a loss, a displeased reproach bellowed from the front; Zhang Xuan, walking in the lead, had noticed this scene, frowning deeply.
“Teacher…”
Zhao Ya and Dan Xiaotian stiffened and simultaneously let go; Yu Xiaoyu stumbled and nearly fell.
As for Hong Yi…
Thud! He fell to the ground and did not get up for quite a while.
“I was walking fast on purpose because their foundation is too weak. I wanted to temper them a bit. What’s the point if you do this?”
Zhang Xuan waved his hand: “Alright, step aside, I’ll handle it!”