Thunder Sacred Land
"Father, Mother, I've broken through to Heaven Rank Knight and achieved Unity of Man and Sword!"
Qie Qiong hadn't even reached the main house before he shouted.
When Qie Qiong came home from the training grounds in the back hills, Qie Yunzhou had already returned. He was sitting in the main seat of the hall, telling Lin Wantang his guess.
As the two of them were discussing it, they heard Qie Qiong's words and exchanged a glance. Surprise and delight filled both their eyes.
"Yunzhou." Lin Wantang looked at her son walking toward them, her eyes full of pride. She smiled at Qie Yunzhou and said, "Qiong'er started cultivating at three. In three years, he's already achieved Unity of Man and Sword. It looks like it won't be long before he surpasses you."
Qie Yunzhou picked up the tea on the table and took a small sip, nodding lightly. "He is our son, after all. It's only natural that he'll surpass me."
Although he said it was only natural, Qie Yunzhou was still very proud inside.
Heaven Rank Knight wasn't anything special.
But at six years old!
That was different. It meant he was bound to have great talent in the physical body.
And Unity of Man and Sword was even more impressive in terms of comprehension.
"Qiong'er's cultivation talent is far better than mine was back then," Qie Yunzhou said with a sigh.
He had also started cultivating at three, but he hadn't broken through to Heaven Rank until he was sixteen. He'd only comprehended Unity of Man and Sword after becoming a Meteor Knight.
Qie Qiong had beaten him by a full ten years.
After entering the hall, Qie Qiong grabbed the teapot and began gulping down its contents.
He'd been in such a hurry to come back and share the good news that he hadn't had a single sip of water after finishing his training.
"Gulp, gulp, gulp." Qie Qiong grabbed the teapot, tipped his head back, and drank all the tea. Then he set it down and wiped his mouth. "That hit the spot."
"Mother, have the kitchen prepare some meat for me," Qie Qiong said to his mother, Lin Wantang. Although he'd already eaten the pills Lin Wantang had refined and no longer felt hungry, he still wanted something to eat.
After hearing him, Lin Wantang went outside and gave an instruction to the maid waiting there.
Before long, the food arrived, and Qie Qiong started wolfing it down.
"Qiong'er." Lin Wantang smiled as she watched her son.
"Mother." Qie Qiong had lived two lives, and he could feel the selfless love his parents had for him, especially his mother, Lin Wantang. She devoted nearly all her thoughts to him.
Before, Lin Wantang's research had covered all sorts of things, but ever since he began cultivating, almost all her research had been related to him.
For example, she measured his body and refined pills specifically for him, along with many other things. In his mother's eyes, even the family was probably nowhere near as important as her son.
Lin Wantang looked at her son. "Qiong'er, after three years of cultivation, you've reached Unity of Man and Sword and the state of perfect unity of the physical body. What are your thoughts? With your talent, you could join the empire's Thunder Sacred Land right away. Do you want to stay home for a few more years, or go this year?"
"Thunder Sacred Land?" Qie Qiong asked, puzzled.
Over the past few years, he'd read nearly every book in the family library, but he still didn't know what this so-called Thunder Sacred Land was.
But from what his mother said, joining the Thunder Sacred Land would bring him great benefits.
He knew his father had reached the Myriad Existences Realm. In terms of realm, he was already on par with some weaker Transcendents.
That meant the Thunder Sacred Land might have Saint Rank Transcendents teaching there?
Seeing his son's confusion, Qie Yunzhou smiled and explained.
After Qie Yunzhou's explanation, Qie Qiong gained a basic understanding of the Thunder Sacred Land.
The Thunder Sacred Land had been established by the Deity of the Thunder Empire before that Deity ascended. It was located in a large Transcendent World controlled by the Thunder Empire.
It was like the Crimson Rock Mountain World in the Snow Eagle Material Realm, except that the Crimson Rock Mountain Great World belonged to the Human Race as a whole, while the Thunder Sacred Land belonged exclusively to the Thunder Empire.
Any Transcendent could join the Crimson Rock Mountain World. Those below the Transcendent level could only go there to serve as servants to Transcendents.
The Thunder Sacred Land only accepted Transcendents from the Thunder Empire, but it also accepted some exceptionally talented cultivators below the Transcendent level if they passed its tests. They would receive special training from the Sacred Land.
And just as he'd thought, the Thunder Sacred Land definitely had Saint Rank Transcendents. It even had Demigod Rank experts.
But they wouldn't waste their time instructing little prodigies like them, who weren't even Transcendent life-forms.
Also, after becoming Transcendents, they would have to make contributions to the Sacred Land. Until they had repaid their "tuition," they wouldn't be free to leave after joining as Transcendents.
But according to his father, their family had made contributions to the Thunder Empire, which could be used to offset that. They wouldn't have to be like those exceptionally talented people from ordinary families, who had to work off their debt after becoming Transcendents.
Qie Qiong lowered his head, his thoughts turning over and over. Then he looked up and said, "Father, Mother, I'd still like to wait a few years before going."
Qie Qiong had his own little reasons for wanting to wait a few years. The nameless manual in his mind still hadn't activated.
No one knew whether it would activate without a sound or cause some kind of strange phenomenon.
If some strange phenomenon appeared in the sky when it activated at the Thunder Sacred Land, what if someone got the idea to kill him and seize his treasure?
At home, at least, if anything strange happened after it activated, his parents wouldn't kill their own child out of greed for his opportunity, right?
Besides, even at the Thunder Sacred Land, he'd only be taught and guided by Flying Sky Rank Transcendents. He might as well stay at home.
His father had already comprehended Myriad Existences of Wind, even if only at the First Level.
In terms of realm, he was already no different from an ordinary Flying Sky Rank Transcendent. What's more, Qie Qiong was learning the same cultivation technique as his father, which gave him an even greater advantage than he'd have at the Thunder Sacred Land.
Qie Yunzhou and Lin Wantang exchanged a glance. Lin Wantang smiled and said, "That's fine. I want my precious son to stay with me for a few more years, too."
Although Qie Yunzhou didn't say anything, he also didn't want his son to leave home so young.
Even though Qie Qiong was already a Heaven Rank Knight, in his eyes, he was still only a six-year-old child.
He was mature in the way he handled things, but he was still young. If someone managed to instill some ideas in him, it would be too late for regrets.
"Good. We'll talk about it again in a few years. Maybe by then, Qiong'er will have become a Transcendent and be able to join the Thunder Sacred Land directly," Qie Yunzhou said with a smile.
"All right, Qiong'er is tired today. After you eat, go back and get some rest early. I'll come to the training grounds tomorrow and give you some pointers. Your mother and I have some things to discuss."
With that, Qie Yunzhou and Lin Wantang headed for the door. Qie Qiong only glanced up and said, "All right."
He didn't say anything else. In fact, when he'd first come back, he'd sensed that his parents were discussing something. They'd only stopped talking because they heard he'd reached Heaven Rank Knight.