Mediocre Aptitude

"This, Elder Liu. Could you reconsider..." Wu Xu immediately grew anxious. "No need to say more. I understand what you mean." The old man waved a hand again, cutting him off. "How about this? Let this child enter the outer sect first. If his aptitude for cultivating External Force is also decent, his strength will surely soar. In two years, when outer sect disciples are selected for promotion to the inner court, he will have a good chance of being chosen. Rest assured, this child's circumstances are special and will not affect the rewards issued to either of you."

Wu Xu was overjoyed at this. "Many thanks, Steward Liu!" This had been precisely why he had put on such a performance earlier. Sect rules stipulated that anyone who discovered a disciple capable of directly entering the inner court during the assessment would receive generous rewards—pills, cultivation arts, materials, treasured swords, and so on. This way, even if Chen Fan only entered the outer sect, it would not affect the rewards for the two of them. Their trip had not been in vain.

"Junior Nephew Chen, you heard it too. This is the only arrangement possible for now. Cultivate peacefully in the outer sect first. I have high hopes for you!" He patted Chen Fan on the shoulder, then headed back down the mountain to continue assessing the others.

The room was dimly lit. Chen Fan sat cross-legged on his bed, quietly cultivating. At this moment, he was circulating the latter sections of the Golden Wheel Scripture.

This was already Chen Fan's seventh day in the outer sect. After Wu Xu left that day, Steward Liu had arranged for him to settle down there. Once Chen Fan entered Swordcry Mountain's main cluster of buildings, he was utterly stunned. The sect had been built between several mountain peaks, with the main peak at its center and four others standing in sequence on either side. The five peaks enclosed the entire main complex, a work of uncanny craftsmanship and magnificent grandeur. As for the outer sect disciples' living and cultivation areas, aside from inner court territories such as Soaring Heavens Palace, Sword-Imperial Pavilion, and Swordheart Hall, which were off-limits, they could go anywhere else without restriction. The sect had nearly a thousand registered outer sect disciples, but not all of them lived within the sect. After entering the outer sect, apart from several fixed group lessons and sparring sessions each month, they could travel outside at other times and enter or leave the sect whenever they wished. Naturally, they still had to obey the sect's curfew.

This was, in fact, why the sect did not place much importance on most outer sect disciples. Just imagine it: if those genius disciples were allowed to come and go from the mountain gate as they pleased, it would both hinder their cultivation progress and easily place their lives in danger. The sect's losses would be enormous.

The recruitment ended ten days after that day. Only a little over seventy new disciples met the requirements, and the sect selected fifteen replacements from those waiting. They had not truly taken in a full hundred people. After all, better lacking than indiscriminate; the sect was not a shelter.

Chen Fan and all the newly admitted disciples were housed on the side peak farthest from the main peak. Afterward, teachers in charge of instruction explained some basic sect knowledge and rules. Over the following days, several instructors of the three major categories of cultivation arts each gave their first lesson. Everyone received outer sect disciple robes and cultivation manuals, followed by a round of exhortation and encouragement. All in all, the entire process was somewhat perfunctory. Finally, they were informed that the beginning and middle of each month were the designated days for group instruction, answering questions, sparring, and exchanging pointers. They could attend according to their own needs.

After that, everyone was left to their own devices. Some nobles and disciples from great Aristocratic Clans wore their sect robes down the mountain to show off back home. Some had traveled thousands of miles to reach the mountain and were plainly exhausted, burying their heads and going straight to sleep. Others formed groups and began touring the mountain scenery...

Meanwhile, Chen Fan entered self-study mode. The sect had issued several manuals: three each for External Force, Internal Qi, and Soaring. It had to be said, great sects were indeed generous. Though the two External Force and Internal Qi manuals were not Swordcry Mountain's traditional cultivation arts, they were still among the better low-tier methods. As for the Soaring manuals, they contained only superficial knowledge, since presumably no one would devote themselves to studying them.

Within a few breaths of inhaling and exhaling, Chen Fan cultivated the Golden Wheel Scripture from beginning to end once more. More memories gradually returned to his mind. Over the past several days, as he continuously cultivated the Golden Wheel Scripture, Chen Fan's memories had slowly been recovering as well. By now, seven or eight tenths of them had returned. It would have been better if they had not returned at all. Once they did, Chen Fan could not help feeling speechless. The first fifteen years of his life could be summed up in two words: bleak and dismal.

Ever since he could remember, he had lived in Golden Wheel Temple and had never left that little mountain peak. Perhaps it was because his abbot master—the old monk who had brought him into the temple—worried for his safety. From childhood onward, that old monk had taught him martial cultivation methods. Like all the senior brothers in the temple, he spent year after year eating, sleeping, meditating, and cultivating. There was no entertainment of any kind, and he had never learned of the glittering affairs beyond the mountain. Everything he knew of the world came from the mouths of his senior brothers and master. At the same time, his master had been extremely strict with him, personally guiding him in both martial cultivation and all manner of cultural knowledge. Clearly, he alone had been entrusted with great expectations. Could he possibly be that old monk's illegitimate son? His master had also told him that once he cultivated either Internal Qi, External Force, or Soaring to the third level, he would take him down the mountain to gain experience. Then, one day, the old monk said he was leaving on a distant journey and never returned... until disaster descended one day.

Those memories were indeed far too monotonous, but it was still good that they had returned. In fact, after he began studying and cultivating on his own a few days ago, the first manual Chen Fan had comprehended and cultivated was the sect-issued Internal Qi art: the Qi Condensation Art. This was also a cultivation art that could be practiced to the third level, and for newly admitted disciples, it was an exceedingly rare good method. After all, not everyone had the same "family fortune" as Chen Fan.

After spending a full day and night concentrating on comprehending and cultivating it, he discovered that compared to the Golden Wheel Scripture, the Qi Condensation Art was indeed more suitable for supporting External Force sword arts. According to its cultivation method, one drew qi into the body and circulated it through the entire body. More of the world's Origin Qi would gather in the forearms, wrists, finger joints, and even flow into the soles of the feet. The Golden Wheel Scripture, on the other hand, leaned more toward the upper arms, shoulders, back, waist, hips, and thighs after cultivation. This was likely the difference created to match different External Force arts. It was profoundly mysterious.

However, Chen Fan also discovered something rather strange. Though these two cultivation arts suited different External Force arts, both were low-tier methods that could be cultivated to the third level. In theory, their cultivation difficulty, speed of drawing qi into the body, purity of Origin Qi, and effects of the heavenly circulation should not differ much. Yet when he cultivated the Golden Wheel Scripture, it was like drifting clouds and flowing water, completed in one smooth breath. After circulating it through his body, he felt his blood and qi brimming, his exhaustion swept away, as though he had reached the peak of his condition. Under the same circumstances, when cultivating the Qi Condensation Art, he could likewise complete the circulation without error, but Chen Fan clearly felt that its breathing speed, Origin Qi purity, and post-circulation effects were worlds apart from the Golden Wheel Scripture.

At first, he thought it was because he had cultivated the Golden Wheel Scripture since childhood. Yet over the next two days, after fully comprehending the first half of the Qi Condensation Art, he repeatedly compared it with the Golden Wheel Scripture. The first half of the Qi Condensation Art corresponded to the first and second levels of Internal Qi. Logically speaking, even if his proficiency was not as high, the cultivation effects at the first level alone should not have differed much between the two arts. Yet the facts remained the same as before. No matter how many times he cultivated the Qi Condensation Art, the speed and effects of Origin Qi circulation would not improve further. The gap between it and the Golden Wheel Scripture remained as vast as heaven and earth.

Chen Fan pondered for a long time. Could the Golden Wheel Scripture be some special treasure manual? Could it even be a mid-tier or high-tier cultivation art? However, he quickly rejected that thought. Leaving aside the fact that the three seniors had each tested him when he first entered the sect—if he had been cultivating a mid- or high-tier method, they would have thoroughly investigated it long ago—he had also used both Internal Qi arts over the past two days to reinforce his sword and perform ordinary External Force moves. He found little difference in power. In fact, using the Qi Condensation Art made it easier to exert force freely. That was enough to show that the two methods were indeed of comparable level, and that their overall effects when releasing External Force after cultivation were nearly identical. Both were unquestionably low-tier cultivation arts.

Then the variable could only lie within himself. Chen Fan was utterly baffled. He cultivated the Golden Wheel Scripture faster and better than the Qi Condensation Art. Though he could not puzzle it out no matter how hard he thought, this was all he could do for now. Moreover, he decided to make use of this advantage. He might as well abandon the Qi Condensation Art and continue cultivating the Golden Wheel Scripture until his Internal Qi reached the third level, then focus wholeheartedly on cultivating External Force. Though cultivating multiple arts at once would usually improve one's strength more effectively, the results would not be too obvious at his current stage. Reaching the third level of the Golden Wheel Scripture as quickly as possible would save him much unnecessary time.

To enter the inner court, he had to pass the outer sect disciple promotion assessment two years later. Rapidly increasing his cultivation was of vital importance, and time was precious. So long as his Internal Qi reached the third level, it should completely compensate for the Golden Wheel Scripture's unsuitability for sword use. After all, almost no outer sect disciple could possibly cultivate to the third level. During sparring, when External Force was revealed, one's Internal Qi art could barely be distinguished and did not need to be examined closely. Besides, the sect had no rule forbidding the cultivation of other methods. There was another important point as well: Chen Fan had recognized his own ability. If not for cultivating the Golden Wheel Scripture, his talent was merely ordinary. His cultivation speed with other arts was only average, and even that stemmed from the experience he had accumulated through cultivation since childhood.

Thus, he began fiercely cultivating the Golden Wheel Scripture. Finally, on some night, he somehow opened another meridian and completely recovered his memories...

More than ten days passed after that. Chen Fan spent most of his time shut inside his room. Besides cultivating the Golden Wheel Scripture, he also began studying the Poisoncraft Manual.

Gradually, he gained a slight grasp of the Poisoncraft Manual. Beyond methods for preparing poisons and antidotes, he spent enormous time and effort identifying the various plant and animal materials recorded in the manual. He also learned how to combine them for poisoning, healing poison, and other applications. Although he had memorized several hundred materials and their effects over the past days, knowledge gained from paper always felt shallow. When he had the chance, he would have to put it into practice to see the results.

A few more days passed, and the beginning of the month arrived. Early that morning, just as Chen Fan put away the Golden Wheel Scripture after cultivating all night, he suddenly heard someone knocking on his door. When he opened it, a smiling face appeared before him. The person said, "Junior Brother Chen, today is the beginning of the month, the fixed monthly lesson day. This morning, a teacher will be teaching swordsmanship. We are all already impatient with anticipation. I wonder if Junior Brother Chen would like to come with us early and claim a good spot?"

The speaker was the young man who had questioned Li Hui at the foot of the mountain, Murong Zhu. After the recruitment period ended last month, he had indeed entered the outer sect through the replacement selection. Several of those who had gathered outside the mountain gate with him were also chosen; they were all nobles or children of great Aristocratic Clans. Li Hui had not deliberately made things difficult for him because of his earlier insolence. This was enough to prove that Swordcry Mountain, as a great sect, would never bend the rules for personal reasons over such a trivial matter. Afterward, he quickly hit it off with several disciples of similar age and cultivation level. Being older, he faintly carried the air of an elder brother. Soon after entering the sect, he found Chen Fan and chatted with him at length, his attitude so warm it was almost excessive. They could be said to have become acquainted. Was it a joke? He knew about Chen Fan's terrifying hidden strength. If he did not try to befriend someone like that, he would be a fool.

Although Chen Fan did not wish to become entangled in too many social obligations, Murong Zhu was, generally speaking, straightforward and frank. His character was not bad, and he lacked the airs of many great family descendants. Perhaps it was because he valued Chen Fan. Besides, Swordcry Mountain was a place where crouching tigers and hidden dragons abounded. Noble and Aristocratic Clan descendants like them were nothing remarkable here. Chen Fan also had some affinity with him, and they had occasionally interacted in daily life. They were no longer strangers.

"Senior Brother Murong truly seems to have a special fondness for sword arts. I also wish to broaden my horizons, so I shall go along with all of you senior brothers." After many days of bitter cultivation and contemplation, Chen Fan had wanted to go out for a walk as well. Since today happened to be an instruction day, he would go listen. Perhaps he would gain much from it.

Behind Murong Zhu stood more than a dozen young disciples. A few of them even looked somewhat familiar. They should all have been among those who entered the outer sect through replacement selection outside the mountain gate that day. They were all older than Chen Fan, so he addressed them all as senior brothers.

When several people in the group saw Chen Fan, goodwill flickered in their eyes as they nodded slightly. Most of the others were indifferent and relatively cold. Clearly, not many knew about Chen Fan's assessment. Thus, the group chatted and laughed as they made their way toward the outer sect martial arts arena.