For the next six months, Zhao Feng never left the Upper Capital. Instead, he enjoyed a rare stretch of time reunited with his family.
The residence in Dongping Ward was much livelier than when they had first moved in. Having all his family beside him was the greatest happiness of all.
During the day, Zhao Feng handled official business at the Martial Suppression Bureau. After the Northern Protectorate and Western Regions Protectorate were established, he had not become their grand protector, but affairs on the grasslands still required the bureau's mediation and coordination. Every fortnight, Ba Tu and the chiefs of several tribes that had submitted sent reports, each of which needed his review and reply.
He usually finished the day's reports in the early afternoon, then returned home to cultivate the Martial Dao in the rear garden.
The first stage of his cultivation was completing the Seven Heaven-Cleaving Forms. In the Northern Desert, he had already reached minor mastery in the first five forms and built a considerable foundation in the sixth, World-Destroying Slash. Only the seventh form, Heaven-Cleaving, remained beyond his true grasp. The warning on the Saber Manual's final page had been no empty threat-"Those below the Profound Mastery Realm must not practice this"-but Zhao Feng's physique had already attained a perfect golden body, giving him a foundation far stronger than other martial artists at his level.
Besides, he had his panel. As long as he met the conditions for cultivation, he could always succeed.
He began with the transition between the sixth and seventh forms, repeatedly practicing that shift in saber momentum, gradually synchronizing the forging spirit within the Barbarian God Saber with the barbarian god mark deep in his sea of consciousness with every slash.
That synchronization was like two streams in the same river