Chapter 505 - 501: Sky-Splitting Sword Technique Mastery
"Why would he come to support the Hundred Treasures Pavilion?"
Qian Wanjin’s voice unconsciously dropped, as if he were afraid of being overheard by the people across the street.
Sun Maocai said nothing.
He stared intently as the figure in the green robe disappeared through the doors of the Hundred Treasures Pavilion, the muscles in his face twitching slightly.
Although Fang Han was only a True Disciple, his influence was far beyond what their backers, Elders Tu Baichuan and Yan Lv, could compare to.
While Tu Baichuan and Yan Lv were Elders with real power, holding ranks officially higher than Fang Han’s, Fang Han was ranked first on the Celestial Pride List. Despite being a disciple, his status had long surpassed that of ordinary Elders, rivaling even First-Grade Elders.
More importantly, Fang Han was the most promising prodigy the Qingxuan Sect had seen in centuries. He had comprehended Sword Intent at the age of twenty and possessed the combat strength to rival a Second Grade Martial Artist.
Such potential meant he was extremely likely to become a Grandmaster in the future.
’Offend a Quasi-Master?’
Just moments ago, he had thought that only a fool would do something so stupid. Now, he realized he had nearly become that very fool.
"Boss Sun."
Qian Wanjin’s voice was tinged with bitterness.
"This matter...?"
Sun Maocai was silent for a long while before he finally spoke slowly.
"We’ll put it on hold for now."
"On hold?"
Qian Wanjin pressed.
"Until when?"
Sun Maocai didn’t answer.
He merely lifted his teacup, only to find the tea inside had grown cold.
He set the cup down, his gaze dark as he stared out the window.
The four of them exchanged glances, seeing the same thought reflected in each other’s eyes.
It was one thing for the Qingxuan Sect to send an Elder from the Pill Hall to show support. That was just a routine matter, a nod to the Hundred Treasures Pavilion’s status within the county.
It didn’t mean the Qingxuan Sect, or even that Pill Hall Elder, had any deep friendship with Lan Yuexin.
But for Fang Han to come without being assigned by the Sect—that was different. It meant Fang Han was here personally to support her.
’With Fang Han’s connection in the picture, who would dare to make a move?’
Lan Yuexin led Fang Han to a private room in the Inner Hall. She personally poured a cup of fine tea and presented it to him with both hands.
"Young Master Fang Han, Yuexin truly doesn’t know how to thank you for coming today."
Her voice was filled with sincere emotion, and her bright eyes reflected Fang Han’s image.
"Over the past few days, as the Hundred Treasures Pavilion prepared to open its branch in Qingxuan City, we’ve faced no shortage of trouble, both overt and covert. Just dealing with the probing from the local merchant guilds has left Yuexin exhausted."
She paused, her gaze lingering on Fang Han’s face for a moment.
"With your arrival today, Young Master, those with restless ambitions should quiet down."
Fang Han accepted the teacup, took a light sip, and smiled at her words.
"Miss Yuexin, there’s no need to be so formal. We are friends, and it’s only natural for friends to help each other out."
He set down the cup, his tone calm yet sincere.
"Besides, back in Jinhuang City, if Miss Yuexin hadn’t warned me in time, I’m afraid I would have long since fallen prey to Yin Huang’s treachery."
"Later on, you also went to great trouble to find information about the Howling Moon Spirit Deer Antlers. I have always kept these kindnesses in my heart."
Upon hearing this, Lan Yuexin’s bright eyes curved into crescents, a smile spilling from their corners, but she didn’t say much.
She lifted the teapot and refilled Fang Han’s cup, her movements gentle and poised.
The two chatted for a while longer, with Lan Yuexin sharing amusing anecdotes from her business dealings.
Fang Han, who was always busy with his Cultivation and had never been exposed to business, found it quite interesting. He nodded from time to time until the tea in his cup was empty.
"Miss Yuexin."
Fang Han put down his teacup and stood up.
"You’re sure to be very busy today, so I won’t stay any longer."
Lan Yuexin was slightly taken aback, then she also rose to her feet.
"You’re leaving already, Young Master?"
"Yes."
Fang Han nodded.
Lan Yuexin didn’t try to make him stay, simply saying softly, "I’ll see you out, Young Master."
The two walked side-by-side out of the Inner Hall, through the bustling corridors, and arrived at the main entrance of the Hundred Treasures Pavilion.
Outside the doors, guests came and went in an endless stream, creating a lively scene.
Upon seeing Fang Han walking alongside Lan Yuexin, some of the guests who had felt a bit slighted at not being personally received by her found their resentment vanishing into thin air.
In its place was a face full of enthusiasm.
In this corner of Qingxuan City, Fang Han’s face carried far more weight than the Hundred Treasures Pavilion’s.
"Take care, Young Master."
Lan Yuexin stopped at the top of the stairs and gave a slight curtsy.
Fang Han turned back, clasped his hands in a farewell gesture to Lan Yuexin, then turned and walked away.
His green robe fluttered gently in the wind as his figure receded into the distance, soon disappearing into the crowd at the end of the long street.
Lan Yuexin stood at the top of the stairs, her gaze following his figure until it was no longer visible, only then did she slowly look away.
’Such an outstanding man... you couldn’t find another one like him in all of Qingyang County.’
’If I miss this chance, I’m afraid I’ll spend the rest of my life in regret.’
She lowered her gaze, her eyelashes casting faint shadows in the afternoon light.
Suddenly, the corners of her lips curved slightly, a hint of relief mixed with determination in the smile.
’Fortunately, it’s common in this world for a man to have three or four wives.’
’It seems I’ll have to meet with that Sister Yun Qianyue soon,’ Lan Yuexin thought to herself.
She had to convince Yun Qianyue to accept her.
She turned, her skirt swirling like a ripple of water in a graceful arc, and re-entered the Hundred Treasures Pavilion.
Fang Han returned to his residence in the Sect.
"Senior Brother, what would you like for lunch?"
Seeing Fang Han return, Qiu Lan hurried over to ask.
"Just prepare whatever. Have it sent to the cultivation field in the backyard!"
Fang Han didn’t break his stride, heading straight for the backyard cultivation field and quickly disappearing at the end of the corridor.
Qiu Lan opened her mouth, but swallowed the words she was about to say.
She watched his hastily departing figure and shook her head helplessly.
’Senior Brother has been like a man possessed these days. All he does is Cultivation, Cultivation, and more Cultivation. He even wishes he could eat in the Cultivation Field.’
In the backyard Cultivation Field, new marks had been added to the crisscrossing sword gashes on the obsidian floor.
SWISH! SWISH! SWISH!
Fang Han stood in the center of the open space, the Cloud Splitting Sword unsheathed. In his hand, the dark cyan blade transformed into streaks of sharp, cutting light.
He was not far from a breakthrough in his Sky-Splitting Sword Technique. Right now, he wished he could pour every second into practicing his Swordsmanship.
If not for his considerable friendship with Lan Yuexin, he never would have taken half a day of his precious time to attend her opening.
One slash, and then another.
Flashes of sword light flickered in the Cultivation Field. The Wind Realm condensed into faint, imperceptible, transparent ripples that plowed new gashes into the obsidian ground.
Sweat slid down from his temples, and the back of his green robe was soaked through, clinging to his skin, but his eyes were astonishingly bright.
He could feel it—the bottleneck blocking his way to the Mastery realm was now so thin it was almost nonexistent.
It was like a membrane stretched to its absolute limit, needing only one more wisp of force to burst.
The sun reached its zenith at noon, its light spilling into the courtyard.
Qiu Lan stood outside the Cultivation Field for a moment, holding a food box. In the end, she didn’t call out to disturb him, simply placing the box gently by the door and retreating silently.
Fang Han noticed her, but did not respond.
His entire being was immersed in the world of the Sword Dao.
The next day, he remained immersed in the practice of his Swordsmanship.
The third day was the same.
The morning Cultivation Field was bathed in the cool air. Fang Han stood in the center, his eyes closed in concentration.
The principles of the Sky-Splitting Sword Technique flowed slowly through his mind.
A moment later, he opened his eyes.
WHOOSH—
With this slash, he didn’t deliberately pursue power, nor did he intentionally channel the Wind Realm. He simply and naturally unleashed the enlightenment in his heart.
The Cloud Splitting Sword thrust forward.
The tip of the sword advanced inch by inch. Its speed was not fast; it was even somewhat slow.
But in the instant the blade cut through the air—
VMMMM—
An aura, far more condensed than ever before, suddenly erupted from his body.
The aura was incredibly sharp, carrying a terrifying Tearing Realm that seemed capable of ripping anything to shreds.
On the blade, the cyan-gold radiance suddenly transformed, becoming an almost transparent, yet tangibly solid, manifestation of sharpness.
PFFT—
Wherever the sword tip passed, a fine fissure silently split the air.
This fissure was no longer a fleeting ripple but a true, clear tear, like a razor slicing through paper. It lingered, refusing to dissipate, as if the sword had cut a gash in space itself.
An invisible pressure spread out in all directions like a tsunami.
CRACK—
On the solid obsidian floor of the Cultivation Field, a sword gash several dozen feet long appeared out of thin air. Its edges were as smooth as a mirror, as if polished repeatedly by an unseen blade.
Furthermore, an invisible aftershock of Sword Intent spread outwards, sweeping over the courtyard walls, through the bamboo grove, and across the crown of an ancient tree outside.
A few birds resting on a branch suddenly let out a short, mournful cry.
They were not injured—there were no wounds on their bodies—but they abruptly stiffened. Their pupils instantly dilated, and they fell straight from the branch, landing on the ground, silent and still.
—They had been killed by the Spiritual Shock contained within the Sword Intent, their very souls shattered.
There were no Martial Arts in this world that could temper the spirit, at least none that Fang Han had ever heard of. Refining the spirit through a Mental Realm was the most orthodox method of spiritual tempering in this world.
As one’s Sword Intent grew stronger, one’s spirit was likewise tempered and strengthened.
With the current intensity of his Spiritual Shock, even a Second Grade Martial Artist would probably suffer excruciating pain to their soul if struck.
"Sky-Splitting Sword Technique, Mastery."
Fang Han sheathed his sword and stood tall, slowly exhaling a breath of foul air.
He looked down at the Cloud Splitting Sword in his hand. The tangible intent of sharpness flowed faintly over the blade.
"The power has increased by at least... ten times!"
Fang Han muttered to himself, an unconcealable flash of joy in his eyes.
Just as he had predicted, breaking through from Minor Achievement to Mastery had increased the power of his Swordsmanship by more than tenfold.
He already possessed strength close to that of a First Grade Martial Artist. With his Swordsmanship’s breakthrough, his power surged, and his current strength was now truly comparable to a First Grade.
From now on, a First Grade Martial Artist would no longer pose a threat to him.
"Finally, I can set off."
Fang Han sheathed his sword and stood in the Cultivation Field with his hands behind his back. His gaze was fixed on the eastern wall of the courtyard, as if it could pierce through the layers of walls and mountains to see Wangxi County, a place five counties away from Qingyang County.
’What exactly is hidden at the location marked on the Treasure Map?’
’Will I be able to strike it rich from this and unlock an even higher level of Talent Amplification?’