That night, Fang Qianyuan and Sun Zhuo followed Jiang Yunfeng back to the sect Headquarters.
Along the way, Jiang Yunfeng casually asked what they had been doing over the past few days, and Sun Zhuo told him how he had taken Fang Qianyuan on a buying spree for Heavenly Wind Essence and Heavenly Frost Essence fragments.
Jiang Yunfeng was somewhat surprised. "You've already bought that much? Good. With those materials, your upcoming training will be much easier."
Fang Qianyuan could not help asking, "Master, you said before that you would put me through special training. What exactly did you mean?"
Fang Qianyuan had heard Sun Zhuo mention it several days earlier, but Sun Zhuo had spent the days since taking him everywhere to browse and shop. The matter had all but been cast beyond the ninth heaven, and only now did he remember it.
Rather than answer, Jiang Yunfeng asked, "How strong do you think you are?"
Fang Qianyuan thought for a moment, then answered honestly, "Fairly strong, I suppose?"
Jiang Yunfeng said, "Not merely fairly strong. Among those at Human Rank, you're already worthy of being called an expert!"
Jiang Yunfeng's praise surprised Fang Qianyuan and left him a little embarrassed.
In the presence of a great expert like Jiang Yunfeng, how many people had the right to call themselves experts?
Fang Qianyuan knew his own limits.
But Jiang Yunfeng changed tack and continued, "Yet even the strongest mortal is still only a mortal. Until you reach Earth Rank, you're nothing. Even if you cultivate until you're unrivaled under heaven among those at Human Rank, what of it? I can tell you that any Earth Rank cultivator could defeat you easily. What meaning is there in being that sort of expert?"
"Well... that..." Fang Qianyuan was momentarily dazed.
He