Chapter 224
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Chapter 224: Jian Wujie, Han Feiyu
Wang Xiangchi turned to look at the little boy.
“Senior, if you trust me, go to the Celestial Sword Academy and become a teacher in the Xuan Level Class B.”
“In Class B, there’s my neighbor’s older brother. He’s been a swordsmanship genius since he was a kid. He joined the Celestial Sword Academy just to learn the free swordsmanship techniques.”
“My neighbor’s brother has never shown off his skills at the Celestial Sword Academy, so not many people know about him.”
“If you put your heart into teaching, you’re sure to help him win first place in the student competition a year from now,” the boy said.
“If he’s such a swordsmanship genius, why hasn’t he joined a major sect?” Wang Xiangchi asked.
“My neighbor’s brother has an elderly mother who’s disabled. She’s suffering from a strange illness and only has a few years left to live.”
“So, he wants to spend her remaining time with her.”
The boy added, “I know what you’re thinking, senior. My neighbor’s mother has already been seen by several experts, but neither their abilities nor any medicine can save her.”
“Alright, Celestial Sword Academy, Xuan Level Class B. Got it,” Wang Xiangchi replied.
Originally, he had planned to leave and search for the beast race outside the fairy city, but after hearing the boy’s words, he suddenly felt intrigued by the idea of becoming a teacher.
Xu Fan used to tell him that swordsmanship isn’t just about the sword—it’s more about understanding the rules of the world.
Maybe being a teacher isn’t such a bad idea after all, Wang Xiangchi thought to himself.
“Senior, if you become my neighbor’s brother’s teacher, I’ll keep you updated with news for free in the future,” the boy called out to Wang Xiangchi’s retreating figure.
“Oh, and by the way, senior, my neighbor’s brother’s name is Jian Wujie.”
Wang Xiangchi simply waved his hand to show he’d heard.
An hour later, Wang Xiangchi arrived at the Celestial Sword Academy with the proof issued by the task center.
The Celestial Sword Academy is located in a corner of the Celestial Sword fairy city, about one-tenth the size of Hidden Spirit Island, and is surrounded by a protective formation. Stepping inside feels like entering another world.
Following the directions, Wang Xiangchi made his way to the administration office of the Celestial Sword Academy.
“I’m here to apply to be a teacher at the academy,” Wang Xiangchi announced to the administrator inside.
“Which swordsmanship faction do you follow, and what’s your cultivation level?” the Golden Core stage administrator asked respectfully, unable to gauge Wang Xiangchi’s strength.
“I practice the Sword of the Heart, and my cultivation is at the Nascent Soul stage.”
“I’m from the Hidden Spirit Sect,” Wang Xiangchi replied.
“The Hidden Spirit Sect that took first place in the Talented Battle Strength Competition?” the external affairs administrator of the Celestial Sword Academy asked, surprised.
“That’s right,” Wang Xiangchi nodded. The Hidden Spirit Sect had made a name for itself in the cultivation world after its members won first place in both the Foundation Establishment and Nascent Soul stages of the competition.
If it weren’t for the Hidden Spirit Sect being a reclusive faction with the Elder Council keeping its location secret, the sect’s gates would probably be swarmed with visitors.
“Wait a moment, I’ll call our academy’s elders over,” the Golden Core stage administrator said, pulling out a communication artifact and activating it.
Wang Xiangchi was then led to a tea room to wait.
“Please wait here, senior,” the administrator said, pouring Wang Xiangchi a cup of tea.
Not long after, a Void Refinement stage swordsman entered the tea room. The moment he saw Wang Xiangchi, he exclaimed, “Impressive!”
“No wonder you’re the top talent of the Hidden Spirit Sect. Your sword intent is so well-integrated that reaching the Transformation Stage will be almost effortless for you,” the Void Refinement stage swordsman said as he sat down.
“Senior, you flatter me,” Wang Xiangchi replied humbly, though he felt a deep bitterness inside. While the bottleneck to the Transformation Stage had vanished, he still faced the challenge of the Nascent Soul stage puppet, and he had no clue how to overcome it.
“Normally, we’d welcome someone from such a renowned sect to teach here.
“We’re also aware of your reasons for coming to teach.”
“To teach here, you must sign a three-year contract, meaning you must successfully guide one group of students before you can leave.”
“I hope you understand this,” the Void Refinement stage swordsman said.
“Three years? That’s fine,” Wang Xiangchi said after a moment of thought, nodding in agreement. He suddenly felt a desire to experience what his master had gone through years ago.
When he was young, he had seen his master as almost godlike—someone who could do anything. The memory brought him a small flicker of anticipation.
“Good, let’s sign the contract.”
“Which class do you want to teach?” the Void Refinement stage swordsman asked.
“Xuan Level Class B.”
Inside the Celestial Sword Academy, a group of 50 students was in a training ground, focusing on comprehending sword intent through Sword Force.
Most of the students were between 10 and 13 years old.
A Foundation Establishment stage assistant teacher looked at the group of Qi Training stage children and called out, “Focus on understanding Sword Force. This is the foundation of swordsmanship.”
“It’s also what will determine whether you’re chosen by a swordsmanship sect in the future.”
“Only by building a strong foundation can you excel in the assessments ahead.”
“Doing so will earn the favor of your swordsman teacher.”
“Forget your physical exhaustion and focus on understanding. Only by reaching a state of total immersion can you truly stand out.”
The assistant teacher repeated the same speech he gave every year, but this time, he felt a pang of sadness. The best outcome at the Celestial Sword Academy was being chosen by a swordsmanship sect.
But those who were chosen were usually the geniuses from the Earth and Celestial levels. In a class like this, only a few previously undiscovered talents might be selected.
Most would simply “graduate” and go out to make their own way in the world. If they were lucky, they might save up enough spirit stones to buy a Foundation Establishment Pill and advance to the Foundation Establishment stage. Their lives might even end up slightly better than those of Qi Training stage fairy citizens.
This was the fate of most members below the Earth level—and it had been his own fate as well.
Just then, the assistant teacher’s communication artifact chimed.
He glanced at it and excitedly announced to the students practicing Sword Force, “I’ve just received news. A Nascent Soul stage swordsman will be teaching your class, and he’s said to be quite distinguished.”
“This is your chance. Make the most of it.”
The assistant teacher looked at the lucky students with a hint of envy.
When he had been a student here, his swordsmanship teacher had been a wandering cultivator at the Golden Core stage—someone who couldn’t make it in the outside world and had come here to settle down, teaching however he pleased.
Hearing the assistant teacher’s words, the students immediately perked up, their eyes gleaming with excitement.
Most children their age already understood their likely futures. Without some stroke of luck or a powerful benefactor, their lives were pretty much laid out before them.
“Take a break. Soon, you’ll meet your teacher, so be at your best.”
The assistant teacher didn’t say anything more. Those who understood, understood, and those who didn’t didn’t need to be told.
The students who had been holding their Sword Force stances immediately collapsed to the ground and began meditating to recover their strength and focus.
Watching the students recover, the assistant teacher felt a sense of pride. Though this class wasn’t particularly talented, not a single one of them was a naive fool.
The students had barely rested when a sword light flashed in the distance, and Wang Xiangchi appeared before the group of disciples.
Instantly, all eyes turned to Wang Xiangchi.
The assistant teacher hurried over to Wang Xiangchi and asked respectfully, “Are you Elder Wang? I’ll be your assistant teacher from now on. Feel free to give me any instructions.”
Wang Xiangchi glanced at the assistant teacher, nodded, and asked, “Are these 50 kids going to be my students?”
“Yes,” the assistant teacher replied, then turned to the students and said, “Come and greet your teacher.”
Just as the students were about to bow deeply, a gentle force stopped them.
“Don’t call me teacher yet. You haven’t earned my approval,” Wang Xiangchi said.
Under the influence of this gentle force, all the students held their swords and assumed an unusual Sword Force stance.
“Hold this position for an hour, and then you’ll have the right to call me teacher.”
“Those who last until the end will receive a small reward,” Wang Xiangchi added.
He then pulled out a high-quality Spiritual Sword, an artifact-level weapon. It was one of the many Spiritual Swords Xu Fan had casually crafted for him during his Qi Training Stage. Wang Xiangchi still had over a dozen of them, and now he was ready to give one away.
“This is the Spiritual Sword I used during my Qi Training Stage. The student who endures until the end will get this sword.”
“Not only that, but I’ll also teach you a swordsmanship technique in the future,” Wang Xiangchi announced.
Hearing about the reward for lasting until the end, the students’ eyes lit up with determination.
Wang Xiangchi could sense their mental strength surging to its peak.
“Is this the mental strength my master was talking about?” he wondered, recalling Xu Fan’s words as he watched the determined students.
For some reason, as he observed these hardworking kids, Wang Xiangchi felt like playing some motivational background music to boost the mood.
He was starting to enjoy being a teacher. Whenever a student struggled to hold on, Wang Xiangchi would appear beside them and offer quiet encouragement.
As the hour neared its end, some of the less physically strong students were reaching their limits, relying purely on willpower to keep going.
This scene reminded Wang Xiangchi of his first meeting with his master.
“Don’t call me master yet. Hold this Sword Force for three hours, and I’ll accept you as my disciple,” Xu Fan had said with a relaxed smile, while his Senior Brother and Second Senior Sister cheered him on.
Before he knew it, the hour was up. Wang Xiangchi shook off his memories and addressed the students, “Well done. The hour is over, and you’ve all earned the right to call me teacher.”
“Now, let’s see who can last the longest,” Wang Xiangchi said with a grin.
By now, the sun was setting, casting a poetic glow over the training ground.
The assistant teacher watched the students with envy, knowing that the arrival of this swordsman had given them a chance to change their destinies.
As the shadows of the setting sun stretched over the students, the first to give in was a ten-year-old Little Girl.
She collapsed to the ground, her mind growing hazy.
“I’m sorry, teacher. I couldn’t make it to the end,” the Little Girl said, unwilling to accept her failure, before passing out.
Wang Xiangchi waved his hand, summoning a palace artifact.
A three-story building materialized.
“Assistant teacher, take her upstairs to rest,” Wang Xiangchi instructed.
"Yes, sir."
The assistant teacher quickly carried the Little Girl into the building.
Wang Xiangchi looked at the group of students who had already reached their limits and said, “Whether you choose to keep going or give up now, it won’t change how I see you as your teacher.”
“Only one of you can get the reward, so it’s fine to quit if you feel like you can’t handle it.”
After Wang Xiangchi finished speaking, he glanced at the students who were still standing strong and realized the rewards he offered had a much bigger impact than he’d expected.
As time went on, more and more students dropped out, until only two were left.
One of them had the kind of face Xu Fan would call a “protagonist’s face”—sword-like brows and star-like eyes, handsome and well-built, the kind of face that could make wedding gifts cheaper. It was clear this kid was something special.
The other student looked completely average, with a face so plain his own parents might lose him in a crowd.
“Tell me your names,” Wang Xiangchi said as he walked over to them.
“Jian Wujie,” said the student with the protagonist’s face.
“Han Feiyu,” said the ordinary-looking student.
“Can you both still hold on?” Wang Xiangchi asked, intrigued.
At this point, he felt like he was almost seeing a younger version of himself—though not quite. He’d been six back then, while these two were just over ten.
“Yes,” they both answered.
“Then keep going.”
Wang Xiangchi stood beside them, watching with admiration. He hadn’t expected an ordinary mysterious-level class to produce two such talents at the same time.
The Sword Force they were holding was something Xu Fan had originally created to test Wang Xiangchi.
This Sword Force took a huge toll on both the mind and body, but if you could connect with the sword and understand the Sword Force itself, it became much easier.
“This Sword Force is called ‘Tenacity,’ and it carries a certain sword intent.”
“A sword intent that’s unyielding, that keeps going even in the face of death.”
“If you can grasp it, you’ll at least reach the Golden Core Stage in the future.”
“Take a moment to feel the sword intent within this Sword Force,” Wang Xiangchi encouraged, casually playing some background music.
As the music started, the two students maintaining their Sword Force entered a state of enlightenment, guided by the rhythm.
Watching them, Wang Xiangchi glanced toward Hidden Spirit Island and wondered, “Should I bring them into the Hidden Spirit Sect?”
Meanwhile, Xu Fan, who was crafting artifacts in the underground space, received Wang Xiangchi’s message.
“Huh, this little rascal’s gone and become a teacher. Not bad—he’s got some ideas.”
Then Xu Fan saw the images Wang Xiangchi sent of the two students in their state of enlightenment, asking if he should guide them into the sect.
“Jian Wujie, Han Feiyu.”
“Names like that won’t stick around. Let fate decide.”
Xu Fan had Grape send a message back to Wang Xiangchi.
“Make a good connection, but there’s no need to bring them into the sect. Let it play out naturally.”
When Wang Xiangchi saw Xu Fan’s message, he paused. His master’s criteria for accepting disciples or sect members had always been a mystery.
Back when he and Li Xingci had gone out to recruit, they’d come across plenty of incredibly talented kids, but none of them ever passed his master’s test.
Once, he’d asked Li Xingci out of curiosity, “What’s the criteria for joining the sect?”
Li Xingci thought for a moment and said, “The master isn’t looking for disciples. He’s looking for family.”
At the time, Li Xingci didn’t fully understand what that meant—he only had a vague idea.
Just then, two strands of unyielding sword intent rose from the two students, and they both collapsed to the ground like deflated balloons.
