Lin Chuan's Summons

"Looks like my talent for the sword was pretty decent."

Yang Chen thought somewhat smugly. He spent very little time comprehending sword techniques, devoting most of his time to cultivation, yet even so, he had cultivated the Ten Sword Technique to minor accomplishment, and the Gale Sword Technique had already reached the beginner stage.

"From now on, I'll keep up this cultivation rhythm and strive to enter the Outer Sect as soon as possible!"

Having made up his mind, Yang Chen once again buried himself in arduous cultivation.

Cultivating, comprehending the sword, patrolling the spirit fields.

The years were peaceful, the waters calm and the winds still.

Sometimes Xu Qingqing came to his wooden cabin. What had happened last time still weighed on her mind, so she often came to Yang Chen to test and compare sword techniques, with shocking results.

Yang Chen's talent for the sword was surprisingly high. Every few days, he made further progress.

From then on, she came at a fixed time every day to seek his guidance.

Yang Chen could hardly drive her away. Fortunately, Xu Qingqing never stayed long, only a quarter of an hour.

Aside from her, Yang Chen occasionally ate with Wang Feng as well, mainly to gather information.

From Wang Feng, Yang Chen learned that the new steward had already been decided upon. He was an Outer Sect senior brother from the Fourth Meridian of Hidden Sword Peak, named Chen Jinhai. His exact strength was unknown, but he was likely not much weaker than Lin Chuan.

He also asked a few questions about Zhou Han, but unfortunately, Wang Feng knew nothing either.

The days passed one after another. Yang Chen's strength rose like the tide, and his comprehension of sword techniques became increasingly effortless.

With two days remaining until the end of the month, Yang Chen's cultivation broke through once more.

[Realm: Blood Martial Fourth Level, Punching Force 38,506 kilograms]

"After forty or fifty days, I've finally broken through to the Blood Martial Fourth Level."

This was the slowest he had ever taken to break through a minor realm since he began cultivating.

"With my current strength, punching an elephant to death with one blow wouldn't be a problem. Even a thick wall would have a hole smashed through it with a single punch."

Blood Martial Realm martial artists united their qi and blood. Not only were they immensely strong, but their control over that strength was formidable as well. There was almost no waste in a punch or kick.

Yang Chen looked at the ground. Because he had sat cross-legged cultivating here for so long, a shallow indentation had already been pressed into the earth.

Not only was he incredibly strong now, his weight was astonishing as well. Beneath that well-proportioned, slender-looking body lay a weight terrifying enough to make one's scalp tingle.

"My weight must be over a thousand jin by now. Who would dare believe it if I said that in my previous life?"

This was the terror of martial artists. With such monstrous physical qualities, even a simple collision could knock down and kill swathes of ordinary people.

Moreover, with the toughness of his body now, ordinary blades and weapons could scarcely harm him anymore, because they simply could not break through his defenses.

Two days later, Yang Chen received news that Lin Chuan, who had already advanced into the Inner Sect, would be arriving.

This news left the disciples of their cohort tremendously excited. The Transcendent Realm could already be called a living legend; even many disciples born into extraordinary families had no Transcendent Realm experts in their clans.

Yang Chen also looked forward to Lin Chuan's arrival, wanting to witness the bearing of a Transcendent Realm expert.

Everyone waited and waited, yet Lin Chuan never appeared.

Just as everyone thought Lin Chuan would not be coming after all, someone suddenly pointed at the sky and cried out, "Look up there!"

Yang Chen followed the voice and saw a figure in purple robes striding through the air. The newcomer was tall and handsome, and an indistinct aura radiated from his entire body. That aura was like the might of Heaven, pressing down on everyone until they could barely breathe.

"It's Steward Lin!"

Yang Chen's eyesight was excellent. The figure standing in the void like an immortal was none other than Lin Chuan.

Lin Chuan did not appear to have changed much, but this ability to stand proudly in the air was enough to make countless people bow their heads.

This was the Transcendent Realm's unique method of flight. From then on, beneath the vast heavens and across the great earth, there was nowhere one could not go.

"So there really are immortal figures in this world who can fly through the heavens and burrow through the earth!"

Almost everyone was shaken to the core. The notion of flight was far too illusory; at least ninety-nine percent of the disciples had never seen it before.

Over time, everyone had come to treat it as a legend. Now that a figure from legend had appeared, no one could remain as still as calm water.

The next moment, Lin Chuan descended to the ground beneath everyone's reverent gazes.

"Greetings, Martial Uncle!"

All the disciples spoke in unison.

Lin Chuan glanced toward where Wang Feng and the others stood. Wang Feng and the rest felt their hearts grow hairy; this really had been arranged by them.

"No need for formalities."

Lin Chuan was as gentle as ever. After raising his hands in a token gesture, he smiled. "Time truly passes quickly. Before you knew it, you had gone from bewildered newcomers when you first entered the sect to veteran disciples. I have watched all your changes, and your growth has brought me great comfort."

"I came here today to bid you farewell."

"Starting tomorrow, I will no longer serve as the steward of Area 8."

Many disciples wore expressions of reluctance. Though Lin Chuan had not met with them often, he had left a profound impression in everyone's hearts.

Before entering the Sun Moon Sword Sect, while they had been thrilled and excited to become servants of the Sun Moon Sword Sect, they had also been anxious and uneasy, worried that they would face exploitation and oppression after entering the sect.

Yet under Lin Chuan's management, not only had they not suffered oppression or exploitation, they even received extra cultivation resources from time to time. This gave them an exceptionally strong sense of belonging to the Sun Moon Sword Sect.

Seeing the reluctance on many faces, Lin Chuan felt somewhat emotional as well. He smiled. "The martial path stretches long and far. You and I are all climbers upon it. You are outstanding. It is as if I can already see the day when I fight shoulder to shoulder with you. I look forward to that day."

"Today, I have come to distribute next month's cultivation resources to you."

Lin Chuan sat down before the table. All the disciples voluntarily formed a long dragon-like line, waiting in perfect order to receive their supplies.

"What is your name?"

Lin Chuan asked warmly.

The disciple at the front of the line trembled with nerves. "Th-this disciple is Ling Wu..."

"Don't be nervous." Lin Chuan offered a word of comfort, then took out five spirit crystals and a bottle of Qi Strength Pills and handed them to him. "Cultivate well, and strive to bring glory to the sect!"

"Yes!"

Ling Wu's face flushed red with excitement. The instant he saw the spirit crystals in his hand, he was struck dumb.

"The extra two are a token of my regard. You may go."

Ling Wu was moved beyond measure, cupping the spirit crystals in his hands as he walked to one side.

Every disciple after him received more spirit crystals than in previous months, and every one of them was ecstatic.

"Yang Chen, why are you lining up? Go wait to the side."

When Lin Chuan saw Yang Chen step forward with a beaming smile, he shot him a glare and drove him off to one side.

Yang Chen was helpless. How else could one call him a Transcendent Realm expert? His memory really was good.

Many people still did not know what had happened, since the matter had not spread back then.

Many wore puzzled expressions, but Zhu Xi, standing at the back of the line, lowered his head in shame. If not for him, Yang Chen would not have been deprived of his resources.

After everyone's supplies had been distributed, Lin Chuan encouraged them once more. His words were filled with high hopes for every disciple present.

Before long, the other disciples gradually left.

Yang Chen and the others on the ranking were kept behind and received the final resource rewards from the Cultivation Ranking. Starting tomorrow, the Newcomer Cultivation Ranking would be for disciples who had entered the sect at the beginning of this month.

After distributing the supplies, Lin Chuan left.

After he left, Yang Chen and the others also dispersed. Just as Yang Chen was preparing to return to cultivation, a voice reached his ears:

"At midnight tonight, come to my Training Ground."

Yang Chen's gaze shifted. He recognized Lin Chuan's voice and pricked up his ears, waiting for further instructions, but nothing followed for a long while.

He did not think too much about it. After returning to his residence, he began cultivating, continuing until the end of the Hour of the Pig before heading toward the mountainside beneath the cover of night.