Scout Infantry

"Temporary notice: the midterm combat test has been canceled." Zhang Dingjun glanced at his phone. "The notice on the school network says the principal, who was supposed to play the opposing side in the exercise, suffered a mishap in cultivation."

"Alright, class dismissed!"

The students were surprised. It was extremely rare for a Foundation Establishment cultivator to develop physical problems; many of them had likely never even heard of such a thing since entering school.

The crowd dispersed. Those with flying artifacts flew away, while the rest went to catch the bus.

"Jiang Ding, stay behind for a moment." Zhang Dingjun waved to him from nearby.

"Alright."

Jiang Ding stopped using his inner force to nourish his meridians and somewhat reluctantly returned the blue steel sword in his hand to the weapon rack.

"You're a little too enthusiastic about cold weapons, kid. This isn't the path of an Immortal Sect cultivator." Zhang Dingjun frowned but said nothing more.

"How much do you know about the scout infantry path?"

Jiang Ding answered honestly, "Nothing at all."

"Then let me introduce it to you. This is very important for your college entrance examination and future career." Zhang Dingjun nodded. "The core ability of scout infantry is the Minor Breath-Concealing Technique, but that doesn't mean other abilities, such as the Vajra Seal, Thousand-Thread Guidance, and Mathematics—Formation Dao, aren't important. You need to study them too, perhaps even better than most students."

"Scout infantry is an elite profession. Better to have too few than too many; nobody needs a lousy scout exposing himself for no reason."

"Therefore, the Minor Breath-Concealing Technique must be cultivated to the minor mastery stage before you can earn any score. Otherwise, no matter how high your scores are in other areas, you get zero."

"Zero?"

Jiang Ding was startled. That was far too harsh.

"Yes."

Zhang Dingjun nodded. "Scout infantry requires the initial investment of two high-grade artifacts. The cost is much higher than line infantry, so the Immortal Sect doesn't want too many students choosing this path."

"Besides, anyone who hasn't mastered the Minor Breath-Concealing Technique is utterly useless at reconnaissance. Forcing them into the role would harm both themselves and others."

"Before you, Sun Xiao and the others tried it as well, but they gave up quickly. So, what do you think now?"

Jiang Ding considered it carefully for a while.

"Teacher Zhang, I still want to try for a while longer."

"Mm, make your decision as soon as possible." Zhang Dingjun said nothing further. "The longer you delay, the worse it will be for your college entrance examination."

"I understand."

On the bus.

"You're basically the number one Inner Force Realm student in our class now, aren't you?"

Li Junhao's words were thick with jealousy.

"I'm still far from that. I can't even see any hope of entering an Immortal Sect yet." Jiang Ding shook his head. His right hand clenched in the air as though gripping something, and he felt as if something were missing. His whole body felt uncomfortable.

"Ah." Li Junhao sighed as well. "If we could combine our strengths, we'd score quite a bit above the admission line for Qianling University's cultivation department."

"That's impossible."

After getting off the bus, Jiang Ding dashed toward the training room and pounced on the weapon rack.

Clang!

The gleaming blue blade slid free, and he immediately felt much more at ease.

A perfect arc appeared out of nowhere, faintly glowing white like a full moon hanging in the sky on the fifteenth night. Only after several breaths did it fade.

Jiang Ding was completely unaware. Arm sword, step sword, organ sword, running sword, and the rest of the sword techniques flowed from his hands like drifting clouds and running water. Streaks of sword light appeared and vanished in the air.

After a long while, he sheathed his sword.

His mind went blank, while countless thoughts and sword moves rose and fell like tides.

Ding!

Only after every thought had settled did the pale blue panel slowly unfold before Jiang Ding.

[Name: Jiang Ding]

[Student ID:]

[Realm: Initial Inner Force Realm]

[Previous Training Subject: <Sixty-Eighth Set of Fledgling Eagle Takes Flight Sword Art> (Minor Mastery 32%)]

"My fundamental cultivation art proficiency jumped by more than twenty points at once." Jiang Ding's face lit up with joy. "That counts as a small epiphany, doesn't it?"

He noticed that a details button had appeared beneath the Fledgling Eagle Takes Flight Sword Art.

He tapped it.

[Unknown Comprehension: Able to retain sword shadows for 0.2–0.5 seconds through optical principles. At the time, the internal force circulation structure changed to... Possibly derived from the texts Divine Firmament Hundred-Step Flying Sword, Great Sun Sword-Planting Sword-Refining Art, Great Sun Radiant Sword Art...]

"Sword-shadow retention... useless. It's nothing but a visual effect."

Jiang Ding thought about it and felt somewhat disappointed. It would be great if the sword shadow appeared before the blade itself, or created the illusion that it vanished at the wrong moment. That would be a true trump card in swordsmanship.

As for the reference texts, they were all materials he had read recently while expanding his knowledge. Some of their internal force circulation methods had somehow been incorporated into his movements without him realizing it.

With his inner force completely exhausted, Jiang Ding swallowed a Hundred Essences Transform Qi Pill and silently circulated his cultivation art to restore his inner force. At the same time, he used meditative cultivation to temper the ten main meridians of the Pericardium Meridian of Hand Jueyin, his second proper meridian.

He shook the empty pill bottle.

"There's only one bottle of Hundred Essences Transform Qi Pills left. If I want my cultivation speed not to drop, I'll have to search for pill ingredients again." Jiang Ding thought silently. Now that I've broken through to the Inner Force Realm, I can be a little bolder.

While cultivating, Jiang Ding opened the inheritance of the Minor Breath-Concealing Technique. Comparing it against the annotations left by his predecessors, he did not demand immediate understanding, merely committing it to memory.

Knock, knock!

Huang Deyou lightly knocked twice on the back courtyard door and waited quietly.

He had already formed an understanding with this master, who rarely left the house. Every morning, he would come to the door and offer a routine greeting. If there was no response, he would leave on his own and begin the day's business.

"Come in."

Huang Deyou pushed the door open.

The first thing he saw was a handsome young man in blue robes, refined and jade-like in bearing, holding a brush and drawing something on the desk. He glanced at it and saw densely packed lines that made his head ache just from looking at them.

Huang Deyou lowered his head and did not dare look again.

Jiang Ding's inner force surged like a tide as he struggled to draw the final stroke.

Buzz!

The pale yellow talisman paper trembled slightly. A tiny, nearly invisible flash of golden light flickered and disappeared, while the paper seemed to harden considerably.

Sharp Metal Formation!

Jiang Ding's inner force was nearly exhausted. He let out a long breath and sat down.

Ever since he had successfully inscribed the Hundred-Step Flying Sword version of the Sharp Metal Formation under his teacher's protection in his last mathematics class, he had inexplicably gained some understanding of basic formations. After studying it for several days, he had finally managed to draw a standard Sharp Metal Formation.

My mathematics score should improve by at least five to ten points. As long as I successfully master the five major basic formations, I should be about able to pass, right?

Jiang Ding thought to himself.

Cultivation was a discipline that combined practice and theory. With inner force, this low-level form of energy, knowledge that had once been difficult to grasp—such as formation and cultivation art theory—became somewhat easier to learn.

Putting away the Sharp Metal Formation diagram, Jiang Ding looked at Huang Deyou.

The diagram's only use was that if it were left somewhere rich in spiritual energy for several years, it might transform into a metal plate. It was not particularly useful.

"Good morning, Master!" Huang Deyou said respectfully. "These are the shop's account books from this period."

Jiang Ding took the account books and swiftly entered the various income and expense records into the display projected by his contact lenses, then used the spreadsheet in his miniature computer to calculate and verify them.

Thirteen copper coins did not add up.

It probably was not embezzlement. Huang Deyou had not originally been an accountant, so a few mistakes were inevitable.

Jiang Ding pointed out the discrepancies and told him to correct them after returning. Then he praised him, "Steward Huang, the pace of collecting animal and plant specimens over the past few days has been several times faster than before. Well done. If you keep it up, I'll give you an additional red packet at the end of the month."

"It is only my duty."

Huang Deyou was delighted. Although this master kept a close eye on the accounts, he was generous with his rewards and would never be like Huang Deyou's former superiors, who merely made empty promises.

After hesitating for a moment, he said, "Master, most of the credit belongs to Han Lin, the worker you brought back. His grandfather used to work for the Seven Profound Sect and has many existing connections. He knows quite a few herb gatherers."

The Seven Profound Sect had previously been a major martial arts sect and had possessed a tremendous demand for all kinds of herbs. As a result, it maintained a large team of herb gatherers, and Han Lin's grandfather had been one of them.

"Also, when he gets off work, he wants to study martial arts at the newly opened Seven Profound Martial Arts Hall."

"Since the Flying Snow Fairy returned and reestablished the sect, she has issued new policies. Anyone who was formerly affiliated with the Seven Profound Sect can study martial arts for free at the Seven Profound Martial Arts Hall. If they achieve something, they can enter Seven Profound Mountain and become formal disciples of the Seven Profound Sect."

Huang Deyou sounded somewhat angry.

In his view, the master had saved that boy when he was nearly starving to death, given him food, required him to work only four hours a day, given him two days off every seven days, and paid him well. What an enormous kindness that was!

Yet instead of being grateful, he wanted to seek a higher branch to climb. What an ungrateful wretch!

"If he wants to go, let him go."

Jiang Ding said indifferently, "As long as he works seriously while he's on the clock, that's enough. After work, as long as they don't break the law, commit crimes, or steal, don't concern yourself with what they do."

"This... yes."

Huang Deyou was stunned and could not quite understand.