Faced with Nangong Ru's praise, Zhang Yunhao said gratefully, "It's all thanks to your excellent teaching, Senior Sister."
"I know exactly how good a teacher I am. You're simply clever."
Nangong Ru added, "But precisely because you're so talented, I'm a little worried."
"Why?"
Zhang Yunhao was puzzled. Was there something wrong with being a genius? If there really was, it seemed he was making a huge mistake!
"You're a genius, with great comprehension and aptitude. On top of that, you have a cultivation method that lets you improve quickly. That means you'll make rapid progress from here on."
"Isn't that a good thing?"
"It could leave your foundation unstable. That won't matter much at first, but later on, you'll have to put in ten times the effort to make up for it. You might not even be able to."
Nangong Ru said seriously, "This world is full of geniuses. But often, their talent ends up holding them back. That's why many major sects and Aristocratic Clans hold their talented disciples back and stop them from advancing."
"Huh?"
Zhang Yunhao was dumbfounded. If that was the case, he had a problem. He was in a hurry to advance because he wanted revenge. Though he had calmed down, his heart was still burning with anxiety and fury. Every day, he thought about killing the Great Elder to avenge himself; he was only keeping those thoughts in check with reason.
Besides, Zhang Yunhao had to place in the top ten of the Rookie Competition to become a true disciple. He also wanted to make a strong showing there, so the Zhang Clan and Heavenly Fist Sect would regret what they'd done!
To achieve all that, he had to advance as soon as possible. The problem was, that would leave his foundation terribly unstable!
Nangong Ru said, "You'll have to judge for yourself how far you can push it. But since you advanced to the True Qi Realm a few years ago, your foundation should be sufficient for you to reach the Divine Sea Realm."
Zhang Yunhao smiled wryly. Everyone now thought he had advanced to the True Qi Realm years ago, then bided his time for years while competing with Zhang Yuntang. Otherwise, there was no way he could have beaten him!
But that wasn't true. He had only advanced a little over twenty days ago. His foundation was probably as flimsy as tofu. In fact, he had Nangong Ru's painstaking guidance over the past half month to thank for keeping it from being even worse!
Nangong Ru continued, "All right. Half a month ago, you helped us catch three members of the Zhang Clan who were cultivating demonic arts. We've been following up on the matter ever since and have made quite a few discoveries. We'll be taking action in a few days. Be ready."
"Yes, Senior Sister!"
Zhang Yunhao nodded. Joining the Demon Extermination Alliance meant he had to do his share of work. Having half a month off was already quite nice. Besides, the Alliance paid very well—or rather, its stipend was generous. A month's pay was equivalent to a Zhang Clan steward's annual stipend, and there were other benefits and perks too.
After giving her instructions, Nangong Ru left. Zhang Yunhao was still thinking about his foundation, so he asked the system, "System, if I want to become a Martial Immortal, I can't have an unstable foundation, right? Is there any way to fix it?"
The system replied, "Of course. Complete another transmigration mission and you'll unlock Mind Space. Time passes at a different rate there, so you can build up experience and lay the best possible foundation. Of course, you'll have to work hard and keep cultivating."
"Mind Space? That's great! Working hard won't be a problem. I have the willpower for it. When can I start the next transmigration mission?"
Zhang Yunhao was overjoyed. The Martial Immortal Inheritance System certainly lived up to its name. Now he didn't have to worry anymore.
The system said, "You can begin your second transmigration now. Would you like to start?"
Zhang Yunhao was delighted, but also a little taken aback. "Huh? That soon?"
"The system exists to support its host. Since you need it now, the time is right."
The system continued, "This isn't a system that forces you to complete missions. It's designed to help you become a Martial Immortal. Once you've unlocked all its functions, you may even be able to control transmigration yourself!"
"I can control it myself?"
Zhang Yunhao's eyes lit up. After a moment's thought, he asked, "By the way, System, can I bring anything with me when I transmigrate?"
"Not for now. You'll have to unlock Storage Space before you can put things inside and bring them along."
The system replied, "But the Blood Origin Pearl is an exception. It's a divine item, so you can bring it with you. There aren't many restrictions on what you can bring back, though. Anything you're holding can come back with you."
"I see."
Zhang Yunhao was a little disappointed. He'd wanted to bring some pills and other supplies, but apparently that wasn't possible. He took a deep breath and said, "Start!"
Blood Hand Tian Ming had been born an illegitimate son. He'd endured scorn and bullying since childhood, and as an adult, he'd become a violent, unpredictable man—a notorious villain of the Jianghu!
Later, at his junior sister's request, Tian Ming joined several other experts in an attempt to assassinate Cao Dan, the Grand Eunuch who was ruining the country. But the renowned Great Hero of Southern Mountain betrayed them. They were ambushed by an army and slaughtered to a man.
"Tian Ming really had a tragic life. He'd never been a good person, and when he finally tried to play the hero, he was killed for it."
Remembering the memories in his mind, Zhang Yunhao couldn't help making a snarky remark. Unlike last time, he regained consciousness quickly, and Tian Ming's anger soon faded away.
"In this world, does simply having True Qi make you an expert? The level can't be all that high. It's just right for me."
Zhang Yunhao was pleased. A screen appeared before him.
Mission Background: The emperor of Jin State was young. Director of the Directorate Cao Dan held the reins of power, framing loyal officials and imposing crushing taxes and levies. The people were destitute, and cries of grief filled the land!
Mission Objective: Kill Cao Dan!
Mission Reward: Unlock Mind Space!
"This mission... is truly righteous! Am I supposed to be a great hero this time?"
Looking at the screen before him, Zhang Yunhao felt the task would be quite tricky—much trickier than killing King Yue.
First, the Grand Eunuch Cao Dan had cultivated the Child Prodigy Technique. He was invulnerable to blades and spears, and one of the strongest experts around. More importantly, he held immense power at court and commanded countless agents and soldiers!
In movies, no matter how powerful the villain was, he'd always end up fighting the hero one-on-one. But things didn't work that way in real life. Cao Dan had a huge force at his command, and his life was precious. Why would he fight one-on-one? What a joke!
In the original history, Tian Ming and the others had been ambushed by an army. Cao Dan hadn't even lifted a finger. With his status, why would he deign to fight anyone himself?
"Come to think of it, why is the mission to kill Cao Dan? Shouldn't I be going after that hypocrite, the Great Hero of Southern Mountain?"
Zhang Yunhao was puzzled. When the screen disappeared, he looked around at the empty surroundings and pondered how to complete the mission. Whatever it took, he was determined to get Mind Space!
"According to the memories, that woman will come looking for Tian Ming in a month. She wants to kill Cao Dan, so I'll probably have to use this incident to my advantage."
Zhang Yunhao quickly came up with a preliminary plan. "For this month, I need to focus on getting stronger. Most people couldn't improve much in a month, but I have immortal martial arts. A month will be enough for me to make rapid progress and become a peerless expert who can stand alongside Cao Dan!"
At the thought of something, Zhang Yunhao grinned. "Heh. In the Martial Immortal World, I have to watch my step. But in this world, I can do whatever I want!"
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