Fourteen Years Old, a Great Grandmaster

The sky was bright and clear, and a bell rang out across the Cloud Sword Palace Mountain Gate.

The silence was broken. Many Cloud Sword Palace disciples woke from their slumber, dressed and washed up, then carried their swords toward the core Training Ground of Cloud Sword Palace.

Next came the time for Morning Practice.

People arrived at the Training Ground in groups of two or three, found their places, and stood ready, waiting for the Transmission Elder to arrive and begin the day's Morning Cultivation.

This was likely what the young Cloud Sword Palace disciples still in the Postnatal Realm looked forward to most. Practicing swordsmanship together in a sword formation of several thousand people allowed them to comprehend the stacked sword intent of thousands, while also receiving a small Baptism of Heaven and Earth Origin Energy from the formation.

Often, half an hour of Morning Practice brought them more progress than a full day of cultivating alone.

This unique cultivation method ensured that disciples of ordinary aptitude could reach the Xiantian Realm within their lifetimes. It helped those with exceptional talent break through more quickly, and was also one of the secret methods that allowed Martial Arts Holy Lands to keep their sects flourishing.

Clang!

The second bell rang out, and Transmission Elder Jin Ming appeared punctually atop the raised platform at the center of the Training Ground.

"Morning Practice beg—"

Jin Ming had not even spoken the word "begin."

When, suddenly, a sharp sword intent shot into the heavens from the rear mountain of Cloud Sword Palace.

That sword intent was immensely vast and powerful. It possessed both the sharpness of a sword and the elusive, shifting quality of a mountain breeze and drifting clouds.

High in the sky, clouds began to gather.

The heavens gradually darkened, and lightning flashed as thunder rumbled amid the friction of the clouds.

At this moment, even these Postnatal Realm Martial Artists on the Training Ground, who had yet to achieve Spirit Merging with Heaven and Earth, could vaguely sense the Origin Energy between heaven and earth surging toward the rear mountain.

"What happened?"

"Could an external enemy have invaded? Such might is too terrifying—it must be a Peerless Expert."

"No one should dare come to Cloud Sword Palace to seek death. Look at the Transmission Elder!"

The Training Ground, which had only just quieted down, became noisy again as people discussed what had happened.

Some disciples standing closest to the Transmission Elder noticed Jin Ming's expression. There was no gravity or anger on his face; instead, it was filled with joy.

That made some people vaguely realize that the change taking place was probably a good thing.

"Silence."

Transmission Elder Jin Ming gave a light shout, subduing the entire grounds.

Then his smiling voice rang out. "The Young Sect Master has broken through in cultivation."

The moment those words were spoken, joy appeared on everyone's faces.

Everyone knew that their Young Sect Master, Lin Heng, had broken through to the Grandmaster Realm several years ago.

Now, he had caused such an enormous commotion, and the Transmission Elder said he had broken through. He must be on the verge of becoming a Peerless Expert at the level of a Great Grandmaster.

Only a Peerless Expert could stir the heavenly phenomena through their own strength.

If they remembered correctly, the Young Sect Master had only just turned fourteen this year!

"As expected of the Young Sect Master—he's incredible!"

"The Young Sect Master possesses unmatched immortal grace and peerless talent. Under his leadership, Cloud Sword Palace will surely rise to an even greater height in the future."

"The Sect Master and the Elders had the discerning eye to recognize a jewel and devoted themselves to nurturing the Young Sect Master. Their contribution cannot be overlooked either."

People talked excitedly.

Thinking that such a heaven-defying genius was their Young Sect Master, even the Cloud Sword Palace disciples with the most ordinary Talent, who had entered the sect by paying money, could not help but proudly straighten their chests.

The Young Sect Master's rapid achievement of Great Grandmasterhood had been funded in part by their entrance fees too.

And in truth, just as Transmission Elder Jin Ming had said—

After two and a half years of accumulation and refinement, Lin Heng's cultivation had reached the Great Perfection of the Twenty-Seventh Heaven of the Grandmaster Realm, ushering in a Transformation at the Peak.

By the cliff, Lin Heng danced with his longsword in the fresh breeze.

His heart was empty and clear, while a vast Spiritual Power circulated within him.

At this moment, his Physique had reached the Peak. Every Meridian and Acupoint in his body was filled with white Internal Breath like clouds. Driven by Artistic Conception, his Spiritual Power continued to brew, gradually transforming into a fierce sword intent capable of piercing heaven and earth.

At last, this sword intent accumulated to its Peak and surged forth from Lin Heng's heart.

At this moment, even the heavenly phenomena changed according to his will.

Heaven and Earth Origin Energy poured back toward him along with the powerful sword intent spreading through heaven and earth. The Internal Breath accumulated to the Peak within Lin Heng's body now underwent a Transformation, shifting from a cloud-like state into something even more compressed and Condensed.

At this time, Lin Heng's Internal Breath changed from its former thin, mist-like state into thick clouds and fog. Every thread and wisp contained even more powerful and astonishing force.

His Bronze Head Iron Arms, which had reached the limits of the Human Body, broke through its boundaries at this moment. Vast vitality burst forth from his blood, flowing throughout his body and bringing Lin Heng into another brand-new Transformation. His flesh, blood, tendons, bones, organs, and brain were all evolving.

His fleshly body, as though cast from bronze and forged from iron, seemed to be undergoing countless hammerings in a blazing furnace at this moment, becoming even more powerful and capable of containing even more vast cultivation power.

For the next period of time, Lin Heng's Physique and Internal Breath would enter another phase of rapid growth. Only after all the potential released by this bodily Transformation had been fully realized would they reach the Peak.

"So this is the power of a One Man Army. It truly lives up to its name."

Lin Heng sensed the power he possessed at this moment and sighed.

His internal force was now as vast as the sea, his Physique had transcended the mortal realm, and his Spiritual Power was tough and mighty. In a Single Thought, he could alter the heavenly phenomena.

Even an army, even an empire ruling over vast territory, would be beneath his notice if placed before him. Those forces, incomparably powerful and invincible in ordinary people's eyes, were like castles piled from sand before Lin Heng—one push, and they would collapse.

This power of ultimate strength was known as that of a Great Grandmaster. Across the entire world, such a person was a top-tier Peerless Expert.

From this day on, Lin Heng stood at the very pinnacle of the Lan Continent Jianghu pyramid. Only a tiny number of people in the world could be mentioned in the same breath as him. In confrontations between great powers at the level of Martial Arts Holy Lands, he was the kind of existence capable of changing the entire situation.

"Disciple, congratulations on becoming a Great Grandmaster."

"From today onward, you have completed your training."

Xiao Rang, who had been quietly watching Lin Heng from afar, approached with a smile on his face.

Alongside his gratification, Xiao Rang felt somewhat wistful. At first, his expectations for Lin Heng had been for him to reach the Mid to Late Xiantian stage at fifteen. His greatest hope had merely been that Lin Heng might attain the Grandmaster Realm at that age.

Yet Lin Heng had pushed his Talent to the Peak through extraordinary self-discipline, becoming a Great Grandmaster at fourteen.

Not only had he far exceeded Xiao Rang's expectations, he had reached a height Xiao Rang himself could never have attained even in his dreams.

Never mind what astonishing achievements Lin Heng would attain in the future—there was no doubt that from this day onward, Xiao Rang would go down in history in the field of education.