Cultivation Dynasty

"Really? Then I want to learn!"

Fang Wang's eyes lit up, and he hurriedly said that swordsmanship was what he excelled at most. He had always dreamed of roaming the world with a sword at his side, and swords were a better match for Immortal Cultivators.

Take the Sword Control Technique, for instance. According to Zhou Xue, every Immortal Cultivator learned it, which showed just how universal swords were on the path of Immortal Cultivation.

Without another word, Zhou Xue began teaching him swordsmanship, and Fang Wang listened intently.

After a while.

Zhou Xue finished explaining, then stared at Fang Wang.

Yet Fang Wang frowned. After hesitating for a moment, he said, "There's something wrong with this sword art. Though I've never cultivated an Immortal Cultivation sword art, all methods share common ground, much less when they belong to the same Sword Dao. I feel that practicing this sword art according to the method you described won't work."

He had not even entered the Heavenly Palace, which was enough to prove that this sword art was fake!

Zhou Xue was not angry upon hearing this. Instead, admiration appeared in her eyes. She praised him, "Remarkable. Now I can be certain that, beyond your talent, your comprehension is peerless as well. No wonder you could cultivate the Sword Control Technique to that extent within seven days."

"Since you've already reached the sixth level of the Qi Nurturing Realm, continue cultivating. There's no rush for spells for now. Once you enter the Taiyuan Sect, the first two years will be spent in bitter cultivation, with your cultivation realm taking priority in the early stages. The final three levels of the Qi Nurturing Realm are far more difficult than the first six. Especially from the ninth level of the Qi Nurturing Realm to the Spirit Sculpting Realm—the hardships within are beyond what you can imagine now. If you can achieve Spirit Sculpting within five years, then the Taiyuan Sect's spells will be yours to choose from."

When Zhou Xue exposed Fang Wang's realm, he was not surprised. After all, she was an Immortal Venerable reborn. It was only natural for her to see through his cultivation.

Fang Wang pretended to be dejected. "If I hadn't seen through it, wouldn't I have practiced this sword art for nothing?"

Zhou Xue shook her head slightly and said, "I was merely testing you. Your talent and comprehension are indeed extraordinary, but you are still a mortal. Mortals have limited lifespans. Remember this: cultivation is the utmost priority. Do not rely on your exceptional comprehension and spend most of your time dabbling in side paths."

Hearing this, Fang Wang could only let it go.

He was not too disappointed. The Mysterious Sun Scripture came with True Mysterious Sun Fire anyway. If he applied it to the Sword Control Technique and the martial arts he had mastered, its power would be comparable to spells.

After giving him a few more instructions, Zhou Xue rose and left.

Watching her retreating figure, Fang Wang suddenly became very curious about her cultivation realm.

His intuition told him that Zhou Xue had already embarked on the path of Immortal Cultivation, and that her cultivation was not weak. She merely seemed to possess some method of concealing her aura, making her impossible for him to see through.

Once Zhou Xue shut the door behind her, Fang Wang stopped dwelling on it and continued cultivating.

Cultivation could be addictive, especially when effort brought results.

Beneath blue skies and amid verdant mountains, three carriages traveled onward. Within the magnificent mountain ranges, they appeared incomparably tiny; in the eyes of an eagle soaring overhead, they were no different from pebbles.

Fang Wang leaned against the carriage door, holding the reins as he admired the scenery along the way.

Thirteen days had not been enough for him to break through to the seventh level of the Qi Nurturing Realm, but his spiritual energy had increased considerably.

Thinking of his parents' reluctance at their parting, Fang Wang felt somewhat moved, though excitement outweighed it. It was not that he was cold-hearted; it was simply that he retained memories of his past life. He held favorable feelings toward the Fang Household of this life, but not yet to the point where they were inseparable.

He had long wanted to venture out, but in this world resembling ancient times, bandits often appeared beyond the city. From childhood until now, he had never left Nanqiu City, so everything along the road felt new and fascinating to him.

Zhou Xue emerged from the carriage and sat beside him, admiring the mountains and rivers with him.

"How vast do you think this world truly is? How much land does Great Qi occupy beneath heaven and earth?" Fang Wang suddenly asked.

Looking into the distance, Zhou Xue answered, "Very, very vast. Great Qi is merely a drop in the ocean. According to that senior, beyond Great Qi, there are even dynasties where everyone practices Immortal Cultivation."

She had already erased the matter of her rebirth. Now, all the Fang Household's younger generation knew only that some Immortal Cultivation senior stood behind her and guided her.

"Everyone practices Immortal Cultivation? How powerful would that be?" Fang Wang asked, his heart racing with longing.

Zhou Xue chuckled softly. "Perhaps Great Qi will one day become an Immortal Cultivation dynasty as well."

Perhaps?

Then it was true!

With others still inside the carriage, Zhou Xue did not dare reveal the extent of her knowledge and could only phrase it as speculation. Naturally, Fang Wang understood this.

The Great Qi Dynasty could actually transform from a mortal dynasty into an Immortal Cultivation dynasty. No wonder Zhou Xue was willing to support the Fang Household. Could it be that she wanted to establish a foothold in the future Great Qi Dynasty?

Fang Wang thought silently. Perhaps Zhou Xue had other intentions, but he did not reject them. After all, how difficult could it be for an Immortal Venerable to support a faction? Zhou Xue had not forgotten the kindness of his Fourth Uncle, Fang Zhen, who had raised her. That showed she still possessed a trace of kindness in her heart. At the very least, she was not the Demonic Cultivator he had imagined her to be.

He had always been curious about why Zhou Xue had been reborn. It could not be that she had suddenly been reborn while meditating and cultivating, could it?

The two continued chatting as the sun gradually sank from the sky.

At dusk, they stopped beside a mountain road near a river to rest. The Fang Household's younger generation began gathering firewood and starting fires. Fang Wang found a place to sit. He did not need to handle such trivial matters; he was only responsible for protecting his clansmen.

Including Fang Wang and Zhou Xue, there were nine people in total. Fang Hanyu, the young man who had already become a first-rate martial arts master, was among them. The three of them did not need to gather firewood or start fires, while the other six handled those tasks.

Fang Hanyu sat not far away, his gaze drifting toward Fang Wang from time to time, as though he were hesitating over something.

After struggling for a while, Fang Hanyu gritted his teeth, rose, and walked up to Fang Wang.

Fang Wang opened his eyes to look at him and asked with a smile, "Han Yu, is something wrong?"

Though Fang Hanyu was two years older than him, Fang Wang had possessed an adult mind from the moment he was born. Thus, he had always addressed those of his generation by name, and Fang Hanyu had grown used to it.

Since that night, the two had not had a chance to speak. Even after leaving Nanqiu City for three days, Fang Hanyu and Fang Wang had only exchanged nods and never chatted.

"Fang Wang, Zhou Xue taught us the basic Qi Absorption Method. After cultivating for half a month, I've barely managed to produce spiritual energy. Could you teach me the Sword Control Technique? I don't want to trouble Zhou Xue..." Fang Hanyu said awkwardly, his eyes darting away as he did not dare look at Fang Wang.

Fang Wang could not help laughing. He stood up and said with a smile, "Of course, Han Yu. I've been waiting for you to come find me for so long. I thought you'd already forgotten me. When we were children, if I told you to lie down, you'd lie down. Now that you've grown up, you've become so aloof."

Aloof?

Fang Hanyu could not help smiling. He had been used to Fang Wang saying strange and peculiar words since childhood, and could roughly understand what he meant. His face reddened slightly as he said somewhat awkwardly, "It's been years since we last met. Don't bring up our childhood. You made me lie on the ground and act like a dog while looking for meat buns. I still remember that!"

The two brothers grew familiar again and began reminiscing about their childhood.

After chatting for a while, Fang Wang saw that Fang Hanyu had completely relaxed, so he began teaching him the Sword Control Technique.

It was worth mentioning that ever since they had set out, Zhou Xue spent every night alone in the woods and saw no one. Fang Wang knew she was a reborn person, so he did not worry about her safety.

Because of this, Zhou Xue remained distant from the other Fang Household members. This was also one reason Fang Hanyu had come to Fang Wang to learn the Sword Control Technique.

From that night onward, Fang Wang guided Fang Hanyu in cultivating the Sword Control Technique every evening. It had to be said, this kid truly was a genius. Three days later, he could make a wooden sword float in the air.

This wooden sword was no ordinary thing. It was a magical artifact belonging to Daoist in Green. Zhou Xue had taken all of Daoist in Green's possessions, and when she heard Fang Wang was teaching Fang Hanyu the Sword Control Technique, she lent the wooden sword to Fang Hanyu.

"Brother Han Yu is incredible!"

"I haven't even cultivated spiritual energy yet. Sigh, the gap is enormous."

"Ha ha ha, Han Yu was already a genius to begin with. Didn't Zhou Xue say that cultivating a trace of spiritual energy within half a year meant one had the qualifications to practice Immortal Cultivation?"

"The more capable Han Yu is, the more confidence we'll have when we reach the Taiyuan Sect. We can look after one another in the future."

Fang Hanyu was surrounded by his clansmen. A smile appeared on his usually stern face, a rare sight. He was not being smug; he was simply thrilled by his achievement. He looked toward Fang Wang, who stood by the lake in the distance.

In the early morning, Fang Wang and Zhou Xue stood by the lake, watching them from afar. Mist drifted over the lake's surface, making it seem like an immortal realm on earth. Standing together, the two looked like a couple fashioned by heaven itself, as though they might ascend as immortals at any moment.

"Fang Hanyu's talent is indeed quite good. He has pleasantly surprised me," Zhou Xue praised. In her eyes, these Fang Household youths were not truly her peers. She regarded them more like her own descendants. After all, with her past and present lives combined, she was older than the history of Great Qi's most ancient Aristocratic Clan.

Judging from her words, in the original fate, Fang Hanyu would have died on the Night of the Clan Annihilation.

Looking at Fang Hanyu, Fang Wang thought this to himself. A smile also appeared on his face as he felt happy for Fang Hanyu.

"How many days remain until we reach the Taiyuan Sect?" Fang Wang asked.

He could already fly on his sword, but they had seven other clansmen traveling with them, including two young women who found even half a day of walking exhausting. They could only continue by carriage.

Gazing at the youthful clansmen, Zhou Xue answered softly, "Three more days, and we'll arrive."

After a pause, she continued, "You should have noticed these past two days that the villages we've encountered have become fewer and fewer. Up ahead, it will be easy to encounter evil spirits and Monsters. Be careful while traveling."

Evil spirits?

Monsters?

Rather than feeling nervous, Fang Wang grew excited.

It was the perfect chance to test his Mysterious Sun Scripture!

As the sun rose, the Fang Household's younger generation packed their belongings after their excitement subsided and continued onward.

The mountain roads in this region were rugged, with towering trees and clusters of flowers and grass. Waves of mist gave the mountain forests a fantastical air. As the carriages jolted onward, even the Fang Household members who wanted to sleep were awakened.

By noon, Zhou Xue reined in her horse, then stood and called to those behind her, "Everyone, pack your things and get down. We'll continue on foot from here."

There were three people in each carriage. They usually took turns sleeping: one held the reins, one kept watch on the surroundings, and the remaining one slept inside the carriage.

Soon, all the Fang Household members dismounted. Apart from Fang Wang, Zhou Xue, and Fang Hanyu, the other six carried luggage on their backs, including the two young women.

Fang Wang could not help glancing at Zhou Xue. He knew she carried Daoist in Green's Storage Bag, though he did not know how much space it contained.

According to Zhou Xue, Storage Bags, Talisman Paper, and Flying Swords were standard equipment for Immortal Cultivators.

Zhou Xue drew the treasured sword from Fang Wang's waist and severed all the reins of the three carriages one by one.

"What does this mean?" Fang Hanyu asked in surprise.

Zhou Xue answered, "Once we go to the Taiyuan Sect, it will be difficult to return for several years. Even when we do return, we won't need carriages anymore. Let them go, lest they be eaten by the ghosts and monsters in the mountains."

Ghosts and monsters!

At those words, the two Fang Household young women went pale. The other four youths and young men were no better.

With a flick of her hand, Zhou Xue threw the treasured sword. It cut through the air for more than thirty feet before accurately entering the scabbard at Fang Wang's waist. The others stared wide-eyed at the sight.

Fang Wang narrowed his eyes, his right hand trembling slightly. That force and speed are no simple matter. He grew even more curious about Zhou Xue's current cultivation realm.