The battle was so intense that the other five onlookers’ eyes almost popped out of their sockets.
Too violent!
Fang Che and Mo Gan Yun clashed head-on, and within three moves, Fang Che pushed Mo Gan Yun back and then proceeded to beat him like a sandbag, causing Mo Gan Yun to roll on the ground.
Hands and feet struck Mo Gan Yun’s body, making heavy thudding noises, ending with a kick in midair.
Mo Gan Yun’s burly body flew like a small mountain for twenty-one feet before crashing to the ground.
The earth itself trembled slightly.
The other few couldn’t help but their eyes throb uncontrollably.
Too fierce!
Too brutal!
The first ranking competition ended. Fang Che was first, Mo Gan Yun second, Ding Jie Ran third, Qiu Yunshang fourth, Yu Zhongge fifth, Jing Shuanggao sixth, and Xie Gongping seventh.
"Big Brother!"
The six of them stood in a row and paid their respects.
"Dispense with the formalities." Fang Che waved his hand.
"Darn it!"
Everyone burst into hearty laughter.
Then Mo Gan Yun, full of spirit, took his place at the front, accepting the worship of his five "little brothers": "Second Brother!"
It was Ding Jie Ran’s turn next.
Four people bowed; "Third Brother!"
Finally, it was Jing Shuanggao’s turn, with only Xie Gongping paying his respects: "Sixth Brother!"
And then the seven of them laughed together.
But inside, each of them had their own thoughts.
"You, Second Brother, now have a title in the Jianghu."
Fang Che introduced solemnly, "This is ’Elder Hong’, whose na shakes the Jianghu and suppresses the heavens!"
"Wow, that na is really sothing. How did you get it?" everyone asked in surprise.
"Well, it happened like this..."
After Fang Che explained the origin of ’Elder Hong’, everyone looked at the red cloth on Mo Gan Yun’s head and laughed till they fell over.
"I suggest you make several more red scarves as soon as possible, preferably thousands of them, because when you sweat during a fight, it won’t sll good."
Mo Gan Yun blushed with rage: "One day, one day, I will bring Fang Che down, and wash away this sha!"
"Good luck with that!"
Everyone sincerely wished him well, then added, "As if!"
Mo Gan Yun snorted, "As for you guys, I’ll also find an opportunity to give you titles in the Jianghu. As the Second Brother, it’s my duty."
Everyone hastened to pay their respects: "Second Brother, please have rcy, we were wrong, there really isn’t any need."
Just by looking at Mo Gan Yun’s size, they knew he was unlikely to co up with a good na. If he gave them a terrible title that couldn’t be removed, it would truly be a predicant.
And that predicant could last a lifeti.
A few of them felt a bit fearful.
Yu Zhongge thought to himself: To beat Fang Che and earn the title of Big Brother, it will probably have to wait until the second half of the year. Only after breaking through to beco a Great Grandmaster and gaining a clear advantage in foundation would it be possible. Yet, it seems that Fang Che is still holding back with his cultivation technique and combat skill.
Qiu Yunshang thought to himself: As expected, my competition is Mo Gan Yun, Yu Zhongge, and Jing Shuanggao. Though Yu Zhongge has a deep foundation, I am not afraid. It’s Mo Gan Yun who is too resilient... As for Fang Che, I still need to observe.
Jing Shuanggao set a very approachable goal for himself: I just need to stay in the top three.
Mo Gan Yun: I had such a great ti fighting today, haha, I really hope to fight like this every day.
Ding Jie Ran: How can I improve my swordsmanship foundation?
Xie Gongping: Am I really content with borrowing other people’s montum, forever being soone else’s underling? Fair, when has the world ever been fair?
If others can push their family to the second and third level, why can’t I reach the first grade?!
As for Fang Che... Fang Che didn’t think about anything.
Because he had already anticipated everything in advance.
In the shadows.
Bing Shangxue and a few instructors all breathed a sigh of relief, each going their separate ways. Based on this observation, they all had plans for their students.
...
...
Wu Zhibing and the others were still watching.
Finally, they had seen everything.
"How is it?" Jun Hefang asked.
He already had an answer in his heart as he asked this question.
"Very good!"
Wu Zhibing’s eyes were sharp as he spoke softly, "That big guy has enormous martial arts potential! The others are good, too. The one currently ranked as the big brother is a bit enigmatic. If they compete like this every so often, the rankings will change, but the top two won’t change much within a year."
"Indeed."
The three of them had piercing gazes.
"It’s about the sa as when we were their age; back then, we were only ranked three to five among them."
Hua Kaixie said, "The top two were even stronger than we were back in the day, including our boss. At that ti, we couldn’t compare to these two."
Wu Zhibing nodded slowly: "Yes. We need to pay special attention to these two young fellows. When we’re assigned to the Guardian Hall and need manpower, it’s much more convenient to promote our own juniors."
"That’s right," agreed the others.
The three of them took long strides as they walked over.
Fang Che and the others noticed the legendary seniors from the Martial Arts Academy right away.
They all turned their heads: "Greetings to our three senior brothers."
Wu Zhibing showed a slight smile, and the chill in the air diminished a bit as he said, "What are your nas?"
"I’m Fang Che."
Fang Che, as the current ’Big Brother’, naturally took responsibility: "This is Mo Gan Yun, Ding Jie Ran, Qiu Yunshang..."
"Very good!"
Jun Hefang said, "In December, it will be the Martial Arts Academy’s tournant. The first grade will also participate, and so of you should join. When the ti cos, give those from Tianren Martial Academy a sound thrashing!"
Fang Che and the others nodded: "Definitely!"
"Don’t let them beat you for sure."
Jun Hefang laughed heartily.
"That can’t happen."
"Ha ha ha, just wait and see."
Wu Zhibing approached, patted Fang Che’s shoulder gently, and said softly, "You all did very well. Put more effort into your cultivation, and if there’s anything you don’t understand, feel free to co to us at any ti."
The usually stoic man’s face broke into a smile, sincere as if a snowy mountain had lted, "We will always be from Baiyun Martial Academy!"
Mo Gan Yun and the others felt a warmth in their hearts, "Thank you, Senior Brother."
The three laughed heartily and then left to find a spot for sparring.
Fang Che and the rest also went back to their own affairs.
"Seven days later, the battle resus!"
...
Ti flew by, and a month had passed in the blink of an eye.
It was now the thirtieth of September.
Fang Che was in the Spiritual Energy Gravity Cultivation Room, feeling his cultivation flowing like a great river, experiencing a sensation distinctly different from before.
It was as if the whole world had been renewed before his eyes.
Innate Grandmaster.
He had finally reached this step!
At this mont, to use Fang Che’s own words, it seed like his own sweat was iridescent.
It was indeed iridescent.
There was a peculiar feeling of seeing the essence through the phenona. Even looking at the walls gave a different sensation.
Fang Che imdiately closed his eyes, continued to absorb the spiritual energy from the Spiritual Energy Gravity Cultivation Room until ti was up, and then imdiately rushed out the door.
Without caring for anything else, he dashed outside.
He settled his mind and spirit, condensed his energy, allowed the spiritual power to rise from the Dantian, circulate through his body, and then slowly opened his eyes.
This was his first look at the world after reaching the Innate level, not a mont to waste.
Now, with the emotions and insight of reaching a new realm, the view was starkly clear; yet such feelings lasted only briefly.
Human habituation is incredibly strong.
Within minutes, one could grow accustod, and never again feel this level of emotion.
(To give an analogy, it’s like when a person with 800-degree myopia wears glasses for the first ti and sees the world clearly, but after a few minutes, he gets used to it. This analogy may help explain the feeling more quickly.)
If he had carelessly opened his eyes too soon, by the ti he would co out to see the world, his eyes would have already adjusted, missing this opportunity.
Through Fang Che’s eyes, he first saw the dust particles in the air, rising like a mist, rainbow-colored with various hues.
Through the dust that covered the sky, he saw the fierce sun above.
What was that?
It was a massive, multicolored, rainbow-colored sphere in the sky, seeming to burn, to leap, to erupt with all the colors of life.
Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet.
As his gaze moved, it reached the distant trees and grass, each leaf shimring with the luster of life, swaying in the breeze.
They were dancing and laughing for joy.
Even the blowing wind seed to carry the rhythm and breath of life.
The entire world was filled with the essence of various creatures.
But behind all this vital essence, there was a gray mist quietly existing between heaven and earth.
It was impossible to tell how long it had been there.
Fang Che watched all this in a trance, too shocked to think of anything.
In his previous life when he had broken through to the Innate level, it had happened in the seclusion of a cave, and he had missed this opportunity. This was the first ti in either of his lives that he felt the profound emotion of ’Innate, rebirth, and seeing the world for the first ti.’
Suddenly, he felt his soul quietly growing, quietly undergoing a transformation, and his Divine Sense also silently increased by more than double in this mont!
This was being Innate!
This was truly being Innate!
Fang Che realized with clarity in his heart.
He imdiately sat down right there to consolidate his cultivation.
His mastery grew rapidly.
He was like a dried-up river, greedily absorbing water from all directions.
No matter how much water ca flowing in, it could never fill this riverbed buried under layers of sand.
When Mo Gan Yun ca out, he saw Fang Che sitting in the sunlight practicing, with Bing Shangxue standing not far away as a protector.
He couldn’t help but admire Fang Che’s silhouette and sighed softly.
As a mber of a great family, Mo Gan Yun knew all too well what this was.
This was the emotion of witnessing the world after becoming Innate, prompting Fang Che to begin a new surge in his cultivation.
In other words, Fang Che had now broken through to Innate Grandmaster.
And he, himself, was only at the sixth level of wuzhong.
The gap was growing wider.
Could he really catch up?
But putting aside Mo Gan Yun’s loss and envy, just knowing this fact showed sothing: Witnessing the world after becoming Innate.
Most children from families below the seventh level might not even know these four words. So, even if so of them broke through to Innate Grandmaster, the majority would miss the opportunity of witnessing the world after becoming Innate.
But no child from a great family would miss it.
That was the difference.
...
"Reporting to the Sect Hierarch, subordinate Yemo reports that I have broken through to the third level of Wuzhong, may the Sect Hierarch’s great fortune cover , and may my cultivation continue to progress smoothly."
"Reporting to the Sect Hierarch, subordinate Yemo reports that my cultivation has now broken through to the fifth level of Wuzhong and I am particularly reporting this to the Sect Hierarch."
"Reporting to the Sect Hierarch... broken through to sixth level."
"Reporting... seventh level."
"Reporting... now at the Ninth Realm, preparing to break through to the Innate Grandmaster Realm."
"Reporting to the Sect Hierarch, subordinate Yemo reports, today all cultivation materials have been fully utilized, and I am formally breaking through to Innate Grandmaster. Right after, by witnessing the world as an Innate, my cultivation directly advanced to the middle step first grade of Innate Grandmaster, and the Sea of Divine Consciousness has also doubled in size. For the following week, I cannot enter the Spiritual Energy Gravity Cultivation Room, I need to consolidate my cultivation through combat training, and temper my martial skills."
[A question for everyone to consider: in the future, who will be the leader of this small group that includes Mo Gan Yun?]
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