A Brand-New World

Luo Zhengwen and Ge Xiaogu were shocked, but their faces were full of delight.

Wang Sheng had reached Bright Force. Their earlier investment had paid off handsomely.

Who would not want one more Bright Force friend?

After their surprise, Li Hu, Wei Yu, and the others quietly began assessing Wang Sheng's potential, feeling it would be necessary to strengthen their ties with him in the future.

Wang Sheng had achieved Bright Force at such a young age; he must have encountered some fortunate opportunity. That Low-grade Physique was no longer such a major flaw. With several decades still ahead of him, Wang Sheng might not be unable to attain Dark Force.

"Dean Zhao's disciples truly are all young and promising!"

Head of Academy He wore her hair in a high bun, with several loose strands naturally falling along her cheeks. Beneath the mystery of her veil, she seemed all the more gentle and graceful. The occasional glimpse of skin was as white as jade, her figure tall and ethereal, and her voice soft as she spoke.

"Hahaha!"

"Head of Academy He, you flatter him! My disciple has always been diligent and hardworking. That is how he has achieved his current cultivation!"

There was a trace of pleasure in Zhao Jie's laughter. Then he looked at Wang Sheng, nodded, and said,

"Not bad, very good. I did not expect you to be the first among this batch of new disciples to achieve Bright Force."

"You may collect a Bone Strengthening Pill from your martial mother. As for the treatment given to Bright Force disciples, I will find time to revise it as well. Remember: Bright Force is only the beginning of the martial path. You must never allow laziness to arise and ruin all your past efforts!"

"Yes, Master. This disciple obeys!"

Wang Sheng answered respectfully.

By all rights, Wang Sheng should have withdrawn at this point.

But seeing that Zhao Jie had not mentioned the subsequent method for the Great Tablet Shattering Hand, Wang Sheng could only steel himself and ask about it in front of Head of Academy He.

However,

what Wang Sheng had not expected was

that the moment the words left his mouth, Zhao Jie rebuked him.

"Hmph. I had barely finished praising you, and already you do not know the height of heaven or the depth of earth. You have only just entered Bright Force, yet you are already thinking about Dark Force. You are still far from Dark Force. When you have tempered yourself to the late stage of Bright Force, it will not be too late to ask me for a Dark Force cultivation method. Withdraw now."

Zhao Jie waved his hand, looking rather impatient.

Although outer disciples could obtain Bright Force methods, that did not mean Dark Force methods could be casually passed down as well.

Zhao Jie did not wish to teach Wang Sheng for two reasons. First, teaching a Dark Force method required the master to explain it personally, taking several days.

But the current situation was unsettled. Zhao Jie had countless matters to attend to and had no time to set aside specifically for teaching Wang Sheng.

Second, methods could not be lightly transmitted. This was true of every martial academy. Methods at the Transforming Force level in particular were priceless and unavailable on the market. Every Transforming Force expert guarded their methods tightly, unwilling to pass them on to anyone but those they trusted.

"Yes!"

With his head lowered and an ugly expression on his face, Wang Sheng immediately withdrew.

Zhao Jie and Head of Academy He strolled into the inner courtyard.

At this moment,

Li Hu, Wei Yu, and the other Bright Force disciples finally gathered around Wang Sheng in unison to congratulate him.

"Junior Brother Wang, you truly kept silent until you astonished the world with a single cry!"

"A True Person does not reveal himself. Only after seeing Junior Brother Wang do I truly understand the meaning of those words."

"Junior Brother Wang is so steady and composed. Your future will surely be boundless. Do not forget us fellow brothers when the time comes."

The group did not stint on praise. Whatever sounded pleasant, they piled onto Wang Sheng.

Wang Sheng had not expected his breakthrough into Bright Force to cause such a stir. He could only cup his hands and thank them one by one.

Meanwhile, Wu An, standing some distance away, was already burning with rage, so angry he was nearly driven mad.

However they praised Wang Sheng, when the reverse of those words reached Wu An's ears, they sounded exceptionally grating. He felt they were calling him unable to keep his composure, saying he was a fake, and so on.

"Wang Sheng, good, very good! You stole my Bone Strengthening Pill and ruined my reputation. Just you wait!"

Wu An slipped away quietly. He was going into seclusion. He secretly swore that unless he broke through to Bright Force, he would never leave seclusion.

Within the martial academy,

half a day passed,

before the group of fellow disciples surrounding Wang Sheng finally dispersed.

For this, Wang Sheng would have to put on several tables of wine and food to entertain them.

"Hahaha! Wang Sheng, you really are something!"

Luo Zhengwen was different from the others. He had long been on good terms with Wang Sheng, so only after everyone had dispersed did he step forward and excitedly pat Wang Sheng on the shoulder.

For Luo Zhengwen, Wang Sheng's attainment of Bright Force meant that his earlier loan of silver, his hard clash with Fang Mingguang, and his opposition to Wei Lingqin had not been in vain.

"I must thank Senior Brother for helping me so many times! If you ever have any orders, this junior brother would not dare disobey!"

Wang Sheng said, cupping his hands.

"I would not dare disobey" was merely a polite phrase, but it was indeed effective when spoken and quite pleasing to hear.

The smile on Luo Zhengwen's face deepened. He nodded and said,

"Junior Brother, asking Master for a Dark Force cultivation method just now was a mistake. It was also this senior brother's fault for not telling you about these matters."

"Now, I will carefully explain the world beyond Bright Force. It is already vastly different from that of ordinary people. You must remember it well."

Wang Sheng nodded solemnly and cupped his hands in salute. "I ask Senior Brother to enlighten me."

"Hahahaha..."

"Good. Let us go have a drink at Hundred Flowers Pavilion. We can talk while we drink."

A short while later,

after collecting the Bone Strengthening Pill from his martial mother, Wang Sheng sat in a private room at Hundred Flowers Pavilion, talking at length with Luo Zhengwen.

"Come, Junior Brother, taste this Treasure Fish."

"This fish is worth one tael of gold. Its flavor is exquisite; even I cannot bear to eat much of it."

After Luo Zhengwen took a bite of fish, satisfaction immediately appeared on his face.

Wang Sheng took a bite, and his eyes instantly lit up.

A mouthful of fish entered his stomach and transformed into a breath of energy that traveled through his body. The warmth was intense, soothing some of the discomfort from his internal injuries. He could clearly feel his body becoming more comfortable.

"Hahaha, hurry and eat. Let us finish this Treasure Fish first, then we can talk."

Luo Zhengwen said with a laugh.

Before long, the two finished an entire Treasure Fish.

With a thought, Wang Sheng opened his panel and discovered that the Forging Gold Technique had suddenly gained twenty points of progress. Half a fish alone had saved him several days of time. This Treasure Fish even seemed to have some healing effect!

"Junior Brother Wang, once you enter Bright Force, you can be said to have entered the martial world."

"The world is vast, and martial strength alone reigns supreme. Once you reach Bright Force, you will discover that this world contains many things you never knew existed."

"Take this low-grade Treasure Fish, for instance. It costs one tael of gold apiece, and in the water, it can even bite a fisherman skilled in the ways of water to death. There are also flood dragons in the waters and demonic tigers in the mountains. All sorts of strange beasts are incomparably fierce and tremendously powerful."

"As for cultivation methods, the world is vast, and all manner of methods are unfathomably changeable, wondrous beyond understanding. It is said that some are skilled in swordsmanship and can pierce armor for two thousand six hundred with a single sword!"

"Some master body techniques, moving mountains and severing rivers, standing shoulder to shoulder with gods and ghosts!"

"Others understand yin and yang, observe the great momentum of mountains and rivers, shift the stars and turn the constellations, and decide victory a thousand miles away."

"Therefore, cultivation methods are of utmost importance and cannot be lightly passed on. You must understand the stakes involved."

"Junior Brother, the realm is about to descend into chaos. Anyone can see that. Thus, demons and monsters that are rarely encountered in ordinary times will appear. You must act carefully. Lean against the great tree that is Master, and never provoke him or make him angry."

"And one more thing, Junior Brother. Now that you have achieved Bright Force, this senior brother has gained support as well. From now on, let us watch over and aid each other. Perhaps Ershui City, too, may become a realm where we make our mark."

During Wang Sheng and Luo Zhengwen's long conversation, Luo Zhengwen did most of the talking while Wang Sheng listened.

Occasionally, Wang Sheng asked for details about certain things.

For example, the various powers, rare and strange beasts, and legends of great supernatural experts.

Gradually, a brand-new world unfolded before Wang Sheng's eyes.

No one had ever told him these things before, because he had merely been an ordinary man who knew a little fist and foot technique. He was not worth spending the time to inform, and even if they had told him, it would have been useless.

But now Luo Zhengwen took the initiative to tell him, even laying out such a lavish feast to entertain him. It was clear that only after entering Bright Force was one formally accepted, truly entering this circle and being treated with due seriousness.

But I am about to reach Dark Force!

Wang Sheng murmured to himself.

He knew that since he could not obtain the subsequent method from Zhao Jie, advancing to Dark Force through the Great Tablet Shattering Hand would likely be impossible in the short term.

But he now had money in hand, as well as several other methods capable of cultivating to Dark Force. He was not afraid of being unable to advance; it would merely take more time.

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