A Measure of Success

Time stands still in the mountains.

Five months have passed in the blink of an eye, and we've already entered summer. Autumn will arrive soon.

Meanwhile, many people who came to Falling Stream Mountain to visit found that the cliffs, which were originally devoid of vegetation, were now covered with plants.

This scene amazed many of the residents of Qinlan City.

You have to understand, they grew up here, and the cliffs of Falling Stream Mountain are barren year-round.

I don't know what's wrong with this year, but these kinds of plants have started growing.

The bright sun hung in the sky, casting its rays upon the rising heat below.

At this moment, on a cliff face in Falling Stream Mountain, a sword with bright sides and a blue-purple light shimmering in the middle is floating up and down little by little.

As the sword continued to float, the light on the spirit sword began to dim little by little, and then the light completely disappeared.

At first glance, it appears to be just an ordinary sword.

Fang Zelin opened his eyes and looked at Bearing the Heavens in front of him. At this moment, the light on the sword had been completely subdued, and at first glance, it only gave people a sense of simplicity and unadornedness.

However, Fang Zelin could clearly sense that the sharp sword aura within the Bearing the Heavens Sword was constantly growing stronger.

The sword's power was not completely concealed within the sword itself; part of it was hidden around the body, making it undetectable to others.

"Not bad, the swordplay is contained within oneself, yet it flows throughout the body; one has already achieved some success!"

Seeing this, Fang Zelin was overjoyed and immediately praised him.

Upon hearing this, Bearing the Heavens immediately buzzed, appearing extremely cheerful.

It had been holding back its sword aura for over five months before it finally managed to do so and gain Fang Zelin's approval.

"I've been here for over five months; it's time to leave."

As Fang Zelin spoke, he reached up and plucked a twig from his hair.

He was so engrossed in his cultivation that he paid little attention to anything else, not even noticing twigs stuck in his hair.

Let's go.

As he spoke, Fang Zelin stood up and stretched out his arms, revealing clothes that appeared somewhat tattered.

This happened earlier; I had hunted some game and torn my clothes in the process.

Previously, Bearing the Heavens Sword's aura hadn't been fully concealed, Fang Zelin couldn't bring the other party into the city. He could only hunt some game outside and rely on tourists who came to the area to exchange silver for some food.

So Fang Zelin stayed in this place for more than five months.

Upon seeing Fang Zelin's greeting, Bearing the Heavens Sword leaped up and appeared directly behind Fang Zelin.

Without needing to be tied up, he stuck himself to Fang Zelin's back.

However, if you look closely, you can see that when Bearing the Heavens Sword is placed behind him, there is a small gap.

It's still early summer, and the weather is incredibly hot.

Fang Zelin first arrived at the Falling Stream Mountain, washed his face and hands in front of the Xiaoxi.

Her clean face was revealed.

His hair was still a bit messy, but Fang Zelin didn't touch it.

There are quite a few tourists visiting Falling Stream Mountain right now, and it wouldn't be good if they saw this kind of cleaning.

After washing his hands and face, Fang Zelin looked at himself in the stream.

Compared to before, his face is now much more handsome, with a rather dashing and elegant appearance.

In addition, the ginseng extract he had previously consumed made Fang Zelin's skin several times whiter and more delicate, giving him an ethereal and otherworldly air.

Fang Zelin didn't look at it much. He got up, put his hands behind his back, and walked forward with a soft hum.

After about half an incense stick's time, Fang Zelin returned to the front of Qinlan City.

About half a year later, the area in front of Qinlan City was still bustling with activity.

Fang Zelin was in a good mood and walked directly into the city.

After spending some time, Fang Zelin hesitated for a moment before stepping forward upon seeing the restaurant next door.

"Waiter, are there any seats available upstairs?"

Upon hearing this, the waiter standing at the door immediately put on a smile. "Sir, you're too kind. There are seats upstairs that you can easily spot. Please come up."

"I'm just afraid that if you see me like this, you won't want to entertain me."

Fang Zelin chuckled upon hearing this and immediately followed the other person upstairs.

He was referring to his clothes, which had been torn in several places after several months in the mountains.

"How dare we treat our guests so disrespectfully?"

Upon hearing this, the waiter quickly shook his head and said, "Besides, although the guest's clothes are a bit worn, his hands and face are very clean. He must have just encountered some trouble and hasn't had a chance to clean himself yet."

The waiter led Fang Zelin to the table and began carefully wiping the table and chairs for Fang Zelin.

"There's no need for that trouble. It doesn't matter whether I wipe my clothes or not."

Seeing this, Fang Zelin said something.

The waiter, however, continued wiping with a smile, without stopping.

Seeing this, Fang Zelin stopped trying to stop them and let them go.

Turning his head to glance at the restaurant's menu, Fang Zelin ordered a few dishes and a pot of fine wine.

He had enjoyed the Daughter's Red wine he drank in Li Family Village before, and now he couldn't help but miss it a bit.

But when the food and wine were served, Fang Zelin took a sip of the restaurant's wine and shook his head. Compared to the Daughter's Red wine, it lacked a certain flavor.

After they had eaten and drunk their fill, Fang Zelin paid the bill and left several dozen copper coins for the waiter as a tip.

The waiter had been so hospitable that Fang Zelin was in a great mood and felt it wouldn't hurt to give him a small tip.

After having eaten and drunk his fill, Fang Zelin went to the tailor shop to pick out a new outfit to change into.

Jade Void Mountain.

"Senior brother, it's been half a year, hasn't it?"

Qingcheng sat on the futon, calculated the days, and then frowned.

"Yes, it's there."

Qingyun knew what his junior brother was talking about and immediately responded.

"It's been half a year, and that person still hasn't come to our Jade Void Mountain. Presumably, they're not very interested in the generous gift my senior brother mentioned."

Qingcheng looked helpless as he finished speaking.

"Thinking about that person's level of expertise, even I need his guidance. It's understandable that he wouldn't be interested in such a generous gift."

Upon hearing this, Qingyun sighed.

Upon hearing this, Qingcheng fell silent, momentarily at a loss for words.

If that person wanted to come, they could have arrived anytime by simply riding the clouds. More than half a year has passed, and they still haven't come. They probably haven't taken this matter to heart at all.

"Very well, we cultivators also value fate; perhaps this fate has not yet arrived."

Qingyun offered a comforting word, then calculated with her fingers before a look of worry appeared on her face.

"As for the Great Jin, it is also nearing its end. At that time, demons will surely seize the opportunity to steal the Human Race Karmic Fortune. It will be time for us to descend the mountain, and I'm afraid many more fellow cultivators will perish."

As Qingyun spoke, her face was filled with deep sorrow.

In a daze, he recalled the tragic scene of countless fellow cultivators perishing when the Great Wei fell.

I asked the editor today, and they said that only a few hundred readers are actually reading the official version, so the rest must be pirated copies.

Nine thousand favorites? That's a huge proportion.

Classical fantasy novels are difficult to write, especially this type, which has a slow pace. Only frequent updates can keep the story engaging, but the author isn't a top-tier writer, so updating too quickly makes it harder to get recommendations, and without recommendations, the story flops.

Yeah, although it's still a flop now.

To get published in the top three literary journals, you'd need around 1400-1500 genuine readers following the story. The difference in readership is quite large, and the editor said it's highly unlikely.

Let's see next week. If it doesn't work out next week, it will probably be put on the shelves. To be honest, I'm a little disappointed after seeing this data. I thought the proportion was okay.