Stormy Weather

"You've been at Huashan Training Camp for nearly two months now. You've all made great progress over the past month or so, and tomorrow will be your fourth time entering the Wilderness Zone for training..."

At the Central Building, Room 301, Guan Chenglong stood in the middle of the hall, addressing the group.

"I know some of you have gotten along well with the older trainees and have probably heard a few things. Every year, July and January are the times for life-and-death training. It's already nearly the end of April, so the July training isn't far away..."

"So I hope you'll train even harder. Remember, the more sweat you shed now, the less blood you'll shed when facing monsters in the future! Understood?"

He infused his final three words with Genetic Energy, making several trainees' ears ring. They hurriedly answered in unison, "Understood!"

"Good. The rest of you can go back and get ready. Feng Qingmo, stay behind."

The others cast envious glances at Feng Qingmo. Over the past month or so, he had often been kept behind for extra instruction, but they were only envious; they had no other thoughts about it.

After all, they had the clearest sense of Feng Qingmo's strength. Even the six of them together couldn't last more than a few minutes against his sword.

With strength like that, it was only natural for him to be kept behind for extra lessons.

"You've made good progress over the past month or so. In yesterday's test, your basic strength had already reached the peak of Advanced Warrior Level. You'll probably reach the Beginner Warlord Level next month..." Guan Chenglong looked at the young man before him with satisfaction.

Feng Qingmo showed no trace of pride. He merely nodded.

"Once your physical fitness reaches Beginner Warlord Level, your Spiritual Force should be at Advanced Warlord Level... Will you still be going alone this time?"

"Yes, Teacher Guan."

After his first Wilderness Zone expedition, he had gone alone on the next two as well.

After obtaining the complete manual for the Wind-Washing Sword, he had finally reached the Perfect Level in movement techniques during those two expeditions. But his swordsmanship was still only at the specialist level, not yet at the mastery level, and he still hadn't mastered the second volume of the Wind-Washing Sword. So his Force Amplitude remained at only 1.8 times.

"This time, the destination is farther away: Prefecture-Level City 0313. It's on the edge of a plateau, with mountains and forests all around, so there are plenty of powerful monsters. Be careful out there!"

"Mm." Feng Qingmo nodded, then joked, "Don't worry, Teacher Guan. I value my life."

"Have you gotten any feel for the second level?" Guan Chenglong thought for a moment, then asked.

"No!" Feng Qingmo looked a little helpless. "My movement techniques reached the Perfect Level ages ago, but my swordsmanship still falls short. And I haven't the faintest idea how to increase my force!"

"Don't rush," Guan Chenglong said reassuringly. "You've only been training for a little over a month. It took me more than a year to master the second level..."

He smiled, a hint of nostalgia on his face. "Back then, I happened to find my wife being chased by monsters in the Wilderness Zone. I fought desperately to save her, and only managed to kill the monster after mastering the second level. Otherwise, I wouldn't be where I am today."

"You were young back then, right?" Feng Qingmo asked with a smile.

"Yeah. I was only twenty-five. After I rescued her, we returned to the Base City and got married..."

He reminisced for a while, then suddenly came to his senses. "Why am I telling you all this?"

Feng Qingmo was speechless. It's not like I asked you to...

"What I meant was, maybe you'll have a better chance of understanding something by fighting monsters. It might help you break through... But!"

Guan Chenglong's expression turned serious. "Even though you're a Spiritual Master, you must put your safety first. Avoid provoking monsters that are beyond your capabilities..."

He sighed. "I don't know what the people in charge were thinking when they agreed to let you train alone in the Wilderness Zone. You should know that when facing a beast tide, one Spiritual Master can be worth a whole group of Martial Artists of the same level..."

He patted Feng Qingmo gently on the shoulder. "So, if only to protect more of our soldiers when we face a beast tide, you have to take care of yourself..."

Ever since he began training, Guan Chenglong had faced several beast tides every year. Whenever he saw the endless hordes of monsters, he wished his team had more Spiritual Masters, so that more of the ordinary soldiers facing the beast tides could survive.

Feng Qingmo could clearly feel Guan Chenglong's earnest concern and care, and he couldn't help but feel moved. "Teacher Guan, I'll be careful to protect myself!"

Walking along the dilapidated highway, Feng Qingmo held the Slender Willow Sword and swung it from time to time. It wasn't because some clueless monster was attacking him; he was practicing the seventy-two sword forms recorded in the second volume of the Wind-Washing Sword.

He had also tried practicing the 108 sword forms from the third volume, but was shocked to find that, without reaching the mastery level in swordsmanship, he could perform them flawlessly yet lacked the fluidity he felt when practicing the seventy-two forms in the second volume. They felt stiff and awkward instead.

He was becoming more and more certain of his guess: this swordsmanship definitely carried its own artistic conception!

He had no idea what kind of encounters Bian Xiangqing must have had to create such a sword style.

"We're almost there. The city ahead should be City 0313. I heard that before the Great Nirvana Period, it even hosted the Winter Olympics. I wonder what level of monsters are occupying the Olympic Sports Center now..."

"Roar!" A beast's roar rang out. A Shadow Cat lunged at him at incredible speed. A hazy flash of sword light flickered, and the blade sliced through the Shadow Cat's throat. The creature immediately went still.

"Still doesn't feel right!" Feng Qingmo frowned slightly. Sometimes he felt as if he could unleash the second layer of force, but he just couldn't make it burst forth.

The sky darkened, and the wind picked up.

"Looks like it's going to rain. I'd better get into the city and find a place to use as a temporary base before I end up soaked to the skin..."

At the thought, his speed increased, and he raced toward the city.

On the outskirts of City 0313, he chose a residential complex with just three high-rise buildings. As usual, he cleared the area with throwing knives, then picked a fairly spacious three-bedroom apartment on the tenth floor as his temporary home.

The sky grew darker still. Before long, torrential rain poured down. Lightning snakes danced across the horizon, and thunder rumbled in his ears.

Standing before the floor-to-ceiling window, Feng Qingmo listened to the raindrops tapping against the glass. The roars of beasts below were incessant, but amid the rumbling thunder, his heart was perfectly calm.

He stood quietly by the window, still holding the Slender Willow Sword. He swung it from time to time, yet he always felt something was missing.

He took a step forward until his face was almost pressed against the glass. He could nearly smell the dust.

Suddenly, he raised his free hand and slapped the glass in front of him. It shattered with a crash, and the gale swept the shards away as the storm wind drove the rain straight into his face.