Mornings always filled Wang ng with fighting spirit. A new day had begun, and the coming month would be decisive!
Wang ng practically sprang out of bed, washing up with lightning speed.
His first attempt to pass the test for the Holy Hall’s Thunderlight Hall Branch had ended in failure, but this hadn’t dampened Wang ng’s fighting spirit in the slightest.
The Holy Hall was the sacred ground for every Cultivator. Studying cultivation there was, without a doubt, an opportunity unmatched anywhere else. The Thunderlight City region was a place where Spiritual Qi was exceptionally abundant, so it was fortunate enough to have a Holy Hall Branch. Every year, the recruitnt period was inevitably t with a sea of people. During the preliminary selection, Wang ng’s defeat was, as he had expected.
The prerequisite for cultivation was possessing a Life Mark. The Life Mark was the very root of a Cultivator. Nourished by Elental Qi, so people would naturally develop this Heaven-gifted Ability. Possessing a Life Mark was the foundation for absorbing and using Elental Power. Whether for combat, crafting items, or using Array Techniques, the Life Mark served as the channel and Elental Power as the output—all guided by the correct thods, of course.
Thunderlight City had decent Elental Qi. Wang ng, a local through and through, was currently at the Second Layer of the Life Mark Level, aning he had two Life Marks. The more Life Marks one had, the more Elental Power they could store, and the more varied their thods of using it would be. Naturally, this made them stronger.
To have a Natural Life Mark Second Layer at sixteen without a Cultivation Technique was considered decent. It would be good enough to join a minor Sect, but getting into the Holy Hall was extrely difficult. Unfortunately, Wang ng was hell-bent on getting into the Holy Hall.
It was only at the preliminary test that he discovered geniuses were a di a dozen. The Sword Sect Wang ng wanted to join was the most popular one. Applicants either had a Natural Life Mark of the Fifth Layer or higher, possessed a special talent, or had significant Sect connections. During the selection, the youngest to join the Sword Sect was a ten-year-old heir from so Cultivation Family, who already had a Natural Life Mark of the Sixth Layer. Anyone with a little less confidence could have been crushed by that reality.
Getting weeded out under these circumstances was normal. Fortunately, Wang ng was persistent and had a strong heart. After seeing all kinds of young people, his resolve to enter the Holy Hall only grew stronger. ’If I’m going to do sothing, I’ll be the best at it. If I can’t get into the Holy Hall, my life will basically be one of diocrity, just waiting to die.’
’Who am I?’
’Wang ng! A man’s man! A great figure destined to make a na for himself, to have his na carved into the Holy Hall’s Hall of rit!’
The reality was that the Elders in charge of selection would give a second chance to the more distinctive individuals among the eliminated candidates. They were given an introductory Cultivation Technique and one month to practice. After that month, the most outstanding among them would be selected based on their progress. This was the final opportunity. If he failed this ti, he could only participate in the selection again in three years. By then, Wang ng would be nineteen. The thought of being in such an awkward position, having to call a bunch of kids in their early teens "Senior Brother" and "Senior Sister," made Wang ng’s skin crawl.
Without a doubt, Wang ng decided to treat this as a do-or-die battle.
Wang ng carefully took out a mirror-like object. It was a Heart-Protecting Mirror, a low-level item that anyone with a Life Mark could use. It offered so defense, but one look was all it took to tell it was a cheap piece of junk.
Wang ng stared intently at the mirror. This was a treasure he had spent fifty silver dollars on, a find from a street stall. It had only one function, and it was truly, truly magical.
"Mirror, mirror, who is the most talented Cultivator in this world?" Wang ng asked with a grave expression.
The Heart-Protecting Mirror glowed faintly, and a crisp, pleasant voice rang out, "Wang ng. Without a doubt, it is Wang ng!"
Wang ng grinned from ear to ear and repeated, "Wang ng! Without a doubt, it is Wang ng!"
This was the treasure Wang ng had bought by emptying all his personal savings and taking on a ten-dollar debt.
A good start is half the battle. Ti for the final push!
Wang ng’s ho was just outside Thunderlight City. His parents were farrs who lived each day with honesty and diligence. They were happy that their son actually possessed a Cultivator’s Life Mark, but they weren’t overly excited. His parents just wanted Wang ng to live a healthy, happy life and do what he wanted. Happiness was the most important thing. Possessing more didn’t necessarily lead to happiness, but they supported Wang ng all the sa.
Wang ng’s personality was very different from his parents’. It was as if he had a fire burning inside him. He had been restless since he was a child, and getting into fights was a common occurrence. For him, life wasn’t about length, but about living it to the fullest. Getting into the Holy Hall and finding a bigger stage—that was his happiness.
Carrying his special training gear, Wang ng went to the mountain behind his ho to begin his "secluded training." Here, he had his own exclusive cultivation cave... which was actually just a pit with nothing in it. Wang ng had found it himself after discovering his Life Mark. ’Hey, for cultivation, you need a proper-looking base of operations.’
In Wang ng’s own words, cultivation relied on Spiritual Attribute and feeling.
The Nourishing Essence Technique. As the na implied, it was for consolidating one’s foundation and cultivating one’s origin. It was an introductory Cultivation Technique for low-level Cultivators. While cultivation could grant power beyond that of mortals, it was also extrely dangerous.
The goal of cultivation was simple: to raise the layer of one’s Life Mark and beco proficient in its use. In other words, the more Life Marks, the better. This was especially true after the tenth layer; with each additional layer, the number of possible Life Mark combinations grew exponentially, allowing for the use of more complex and powerful forces.
However, improper training thods and reckless combinations could easily lead to cultivation deviation and cause one to beco a Demon. The results were tragic. In mild cases, one would beco a cripple; in severe cases, it ant death.
Of course, Wang ng didn’t need to worry about that at all. With only two Life Marks, he couldn’t form any combinations even if he wanted to. Cultivation below the Fifth Layer was extrely dull and tedious. The so-called Nourishing Essence Technique was just about repeatedly using one’s Life Marks and Elental Power to perform the simplest attacks, all to build a solid foundation.
But to Wang ng, this was undoubtedly a secret manual. It was the first ti he had ever co into contact with the proper way to use Elental Power.
It wasn’t as complicated as he had imagined. Wang ng understood it almost at a glance. It simply taught a Cultivator how to use Elental Power. With the Second Layer of Life Mark, this just ant enhancing his physical strength.
After reading it over five tis and pondering for a while, Wang ng began his relentless training. ’If I’m going to do this, I’m going to do it seriously.’
Wang ng’s thod was simple, direct, and even a bit brutal. He just punched a stone wall, infusing every fist with Elental Power. He threw punch after punch until his Elental Power was completely depleted. According to the Nourishing Essence Technique, this cycle of depletion and regeneration could solidify his Life Marks and possibly even give birth to new ones.
If he had three Life Marks, he could form the simplest of Magic. The very thought made Wang ng’s whole body burn with excitent, and he no longer felt the pain in his fists.
Sowhere in the outskirts of Thunderlight City, a dull THUD THUD could be heard every day. But in a place so rarely visited, who would ever notice?
A month isn’t a long ti, but it isn’t short either. For so, however, it was more than enough to be mind-numbingly boring and agonizing.
Zhang Xiaojiang could hardly believe that the person standing before him was his buddy, Wang ng.
The Little Fatty’s jaw dropped. "Damn, Brother ng, you look like a wild man! That hairstyle is seriously domineering. So, how’d it go? Any progress?"
Wang ng had told him to co get him at this ti to end his seclusion. To avoid all distractions, Wang ng had brought nothing but food with him.
Wang ng touched his ssy hair and shook his head helplessly. "Still at the Second Layer. Zhang Xiaopang, do you think my talent really sucks?"
In the final few days, Wang ng himself had grown a bit anxious. But he suppressed his unease and trained relentlessly. ’To succeed, you have to be confident.’
Zhang Xiaojiang looked at the pockmarked wall covered in bloodstains, then at Wang ng’s hands. The fatty’s own flesh couldn’t help but tremble. "You don’t have to torture yourself like this! We’re brothers for life, man. I’ve got your back. If anyone dares to bully you, I’ll shoot off their little pecker!"
BONK~~
Zhang Xiaopang received a sharp knock on the forehead. "Get lost! If I had to rely on you, I wouldn’t get a damn thing done! Let’s go. No matter what, I’m out of seclusion. Even if I can’t get into the Holy Hall this year, I’ll be back in three years. An older genius is still a genius!"
Zhang Xiaopang imdiately gave him a thumbs-up. "Badass!"
User Comments
0 comments from readers