Within the mountain gate's territory, even if someone harbored jealousy toward him, the sect's rules would restrain them.
Even if they found him displeasing, they could only deal with him through various indirect means.
Those methods were still manageable.
After all, he was no ignorant greenhorn. Such tricks were of little use against him.
But once he left the mountain gate's territory, there was no telling whether someone would directly attack him.
That would be troublesome.
Although he had accumulated a few trump cards, if he encountered someone too powerful, he could only consume experience points to raise his cultivation instantly if he wanted to survive. But if he did that, he would have to flee for his life afterward.
It would not be worth it.
"Waiting until my cultivation improves before leaving the mountain gate, without giving them the slightest opportunity, is the best choice." Zhang Wan made his decision.
In truth, he had already made preparations in this regard.
Zhang Wan had long known that no matter how low-key he kept himself, as long as his cultivation continued to rise, he would sooner or later arouse the hostility of some people in the sect.
There were only so many resources. Once his cultivation rose and he claimed a portion of them, it was bound to provoke the hostility of others.
Clashing with them was only a matter of time.
It was just that clashing with them now was far earlier than Zhang Wan had anticipated. It had caught him off guard, and many things he had originally planned to do had become impossible.
Take his younger sister and younger brother, for example.
He had originally planned to visit them every so often and supervise their cultivation.
Now that he had best not leave the mountain gate's territory, he naturally had best not go to Fengliu Commandery either.
"Perhaps I should write a letter to my younger sister and younger brother, explain the situation, and tell them about my circumstances and concerns."
Although Zhang Lingshu and Zhang Yan were still young, Zhang Wan would not hide from them what they ought to know.
After all, when it came to strife, trouble reaching one's family was as natural as water flowing downhill.
If he did not explain the situation clearly to his family and they remained unguarded, it would hardly be strange if they were schemed against without even knowing when it happened.
"Besides, if I can't visit them every so often, I'll need to use another method to make sure they don't slack off."
"A sense of crisis is a good choice."
"But I need to think carefully about how to write the letter. They need to feel the crisis, but not be crushed beneath the pressure it brings."
"That will also help them grow."
Zhang Wan also planned to write a letter to his parents, telling them that he had been accepted as a disciple by the two vice branch heads and informing them of the possible hidden dangers.
He would invite his parents to move to the Beginner Martial Arts Academy as well.
With the academy's dean and the others watching over the place, anyone who wanted to target them would have their misgivings. It would also be convenient for them to look after Zhang Lingshu and Zhang Yan.
In the past, Zhang Wan had not possessed the ability to bring his parents into the Beginner Martial Arts Academy.
He had not had enough standing with the dean and vice dean.
But now that he had two Ninth Level Postnatal masters, his status had risen, and he could take advantage of that to arrange for his parents to enter the Beginner Martial Arts Academy.
If they were willing, they could join the academy's miscellaneous services office. If they were not, they could live as the family members of academy students in the independent courtyards where Postnatal students resided.
With Zhang Wan's current status, he could accomplish this.
For Zhang Wan, power was meant to be used. Otherwise, it would simply be too wasteful.
While Zhang Wan was writing his letters, news spread that he had been accepted as a disciple by the two vice branch heads of the Dust Bone Fourth Branch.
The students who had entered in the same cohort as Zhang Wan had also long since arrived at the mountain gate to report.
Among them, outstanding students such as Yu Shui, Xu Hui, and Lin Fangyan had also been accepted as disciples by veteran Postnatal martial artists of the sect during this period.
In addition, graduates from the various academies of the Jade Bone Sect's previous cohorts were all living in the residences for outer disciples. Almost every day, some outer disciples were taken under the wing of veteran Postnatal martial artists of the sect.
It was not strange for someone to be accepted as a disciple by a veteran Postnatal martial artist of the sect.
But being accepted as a disciple by a Ninth Level Postnatal martial artist—and having two Ninth Level Postnatal martial artists accept the same person as their disciple at the same time—was uncommon.
It immediately aroused the curiosity of a crowd of outer disciples and became gossip among them.
Although the topic came and went quickly, it still let many outer disciples learn of Zhang Wan. Some who had other ideas even etched his name into their minds.
When those veteran Postnatal martial artists heard about it and then thought of Wang Yue and Li Guannian's circumstances, they immediately understood. Wang Yue and Li Guannian had joined forces to take a disciple—they were treating this Zhang Wan as their successor!
Some people did not care, while others regarded Zhang Wan as a roadblock.
Undercurrents surged among the outer disciples.
But this was only the beginning.
When the news reached the ears of the sect's Prenatal martial artists, most of them paid it no attention.
Yet a few Prenatal martial artists turned their attention toward it.
One of them was Zhao Kun, Zhao Qixin's father.
"He is from the same cohort as Qixin. Not only does he possess Third Level Postnatal cultivation, he has also achieved something in the field of spirit plants."
"He has decent talent in both martial arts and spirit plants?" Zhao Kun said indifferently, though wisps of coldness flashed through his eyes.
"Yes, Master."
"Apart from Zhang Wan, Xu Hui, and Yu Shui, who are in the same academy as your junior sister, the other academies in this cohort also have quite a few talented graduates. Several of them not only have solid foundations, but have also reached Third Level Postnatal cultivation."
"A few of them are at the same cultivation level as your junior sister, having cultivated to the late stage of Third Level Postnatal." Xu Shenghua informed his master, Zhao Kun, of the situation he had learned.
"From the looks of it, the quality of this cohort's students is indeed quite good. That's a good thing, but we can't let them block Qixin's path." Zhao Kun looked at Xu Shenghua.
"Fourth, you should know what to do, right?"
Xu Shenghua lowered his head. "Master, I understand. Before Junior Sister breaks through to the Prenatal realm, none of them will be qualified to break through to the Prenatal realm."
Zhao Kun nodded, then sighed. "Even with a Prenatal Pill, there's no guarantee that one can break through in a single attempt. We must reserve at least two opportunities for Qixin to break through. Before then, suppress their cultivation properly. Don't let them pose a threat to Qixin."
"You don't need to do this alone. You can call your senior brothers, junior brothers, senior sisters, and junior sisters as well."
"As for the other Prenatal martial artists, I'll contact them too. You won't be the only ones doing this."
"Remember, they are ultimately disciples of our sect, and in the future they may become the sect's backbone. You only need to suppress the progress of their cultivation. There's no need to go too far."
Xu Shenghua silently added in his heart: There's no need to make it too obvious!
He understood perfectly what his master meant.
The sect's Prenatal Pills were limited, so the number of sect members who could obtain a Prenatal Pill and break through to the Prenatal realm was limited.
Naturally, the sect's Prenatal martial artists would first satisfy the needs of their own blood descendants.
Only when their blood descendants proved worthless would it be the turn of their accepted disciples.
If any Prenatal Pills remained in the end, only then would it be the turn of those Postnatal disciples without a Prenatal martial artist backing them.
But this was merely an unspoken understanding among the sect's Prenatal martial artists. It was not a rule written out in the open.
Although Old Ancestor Jade Bone turned a blind eye and did not interfere much with this understanding among the sect's Prenatal martial artists, the Old Ancestor had also established rules.
If a disciple's cultivation reached the required level and they had rendered great service, then if the sect still possessed Prenatal Pills, that disciple could exchange for one. This was something even the sect's Prenatal martial artists could not influence.
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