Chapter 135: Back to the Tianfeng City
Solomon tossed his practice sword onto the equipment rack. "That works perfectly. Your kinetic transfer remained continuous."
[Chi_Master: the character development is actually insane.]
[IceWaterKat: from arena enemies to training buddies.]
[Last_Fables: Solo Man just cured his skill issue.]
[Harty: this is genuinely wholesome.]
Marco wiped his forehead with the back of his sleeve and grabbed a fresh towel from the weapon racks. "The instructors restrict us to the first ten movements to build our leg strength. They claim the final three aerial maneuvers will snap our ligaments if we attempt them too early. I guess they simply underestimate how much extra conditioning some of us do."
Solomon grabbed the massive hilt of Eden’s Penance and strapped the executioner’s sword securely to his back. He completely understood the faculty’s logic regarding standard disciples.
A normal teenager pushing their body through those advanced twists would easily tear a muscle. Hence, the academy curriculum catered to the weakest link rather than nurturing the outliers.
Solomon rolled his shoulders to settle the S-Rank relic into place. "Instructors always prioritize safety over actual growth. You can’t grow strong if your body is broken. You just have to ignore their timelines and train on your own schedule. If you want to survive the real dungeons, you cannot wait for an old man to give you permission to learn a technique."
Marco leaned against the wooden dummy and crossed his arms. "Are you going to teach me the thirteenth step?"
Solomon grinned and walked toward the stone archway leading out of the courtyard. "I already showed you the mechanics for the aerial transition. You can easily figure out the rest of the sequence on your own. I need to get moving anyway."
[Fatal_Beauty: leaving him on a cliffhanger.]
[1Fizzy: the classic master departure.]
[James_Hayes: where is he even going now?]
Marco stepped away from the dummy. "Wait. The entire sect is under strict lockdown tonight. Pavilion Leader Jin deployed the veteran guards to patrol every single corridor because of the assassinations."
Solomon kept walking toward the stone archway. He kicked a loose pebble across the cobblestones. "I am completely bored. Sitting inside a quiet dorm room does nothing for me. I want to do something fun."
Marco dropped his wooden practice sword onto the dirt. He jogged across the courtyard to catch up with the silver-haired boy. "If you really want to do something fun, I know a place down in the city."
Solomon stopped walking and looked over his shoulder. He shifted the thick leather strap of Eden’s Penance across his chest. "What kind of place?"
Marco crossed his arms and offered a smug grin. "I will show you the exact location. You just have to teach me the thirteenth step of the Azure Crane Blade first."
Solomon rolled his eyes and turned fully around. "You are completely ungrateful. I just taught you the eleventh and twelfth movements for free. You need to practice and master those forms before you even think about attempting the final step."
[Fatal_Beauty: the master is scolding his disciple.]
[1Fizzy: Marco really trying to bargain with the speedrunner.]
[James_Hayes: Solo Man demands perfection.]
Marco raised both hands in a defensive gesture. "I was only joking. Why are you always so serious and aggressive about everything?"
Solomon furrowed his brow and tilted his head. He pointed a finger at his own chest. "Me, and Aggressive? Never. I always act and think calmly and rationally."
"You are incredibly passive-aggressive," Marco corrected, dropping his hands to his sides. "You snap at people and pick fights for absolutely no reason at all."
Solomon clamped his jaw shut and considered the accusation. He wondered if his severe insomnia was actively fraying his nerves and making him overly sensitive to normal conversations.
[Chi_Master: bro is having a moment of self-reflection.]
[Harty: sleep deprivation changes a man.]
Marco pointed toward the towering walls enclosing the pavilion. "Reaching the city means we have to climb all the way down the mountain. We will be breaking the lockdown rules. Veteran guards are patrolling every single exit and watching the main stairs."
A wide grin stretched across Solomon’s face. He tapped the hilt of his executioner’s sword and gestured toward the perimeter wall. "I know a shortcut."
[IceWaterKat: rule breaking stream incoming!]
[Last_Fables: he literally just got back from the city.]
Solomon led Marco past the eastern training rings and approached the hidden vertical crevice, which was the same path Pavilion Leader Jin had revealed earlier.
He leaped off the edge and landed perfectly on a sharp rock outcropping protruding from the steep cliff face. Marco swallowed hard and jumped down right behind him.
Descending the sheer mountain drop proved significantly easier than climbing upward. They utilized the narrow stone ledges and thick tree roots to rapidly lower their elevation. Dropping from boulder to boulder allowed them to completely bypass the sect checkpoints and avoid the patrolling guards altogether.
The descent through the craggy ravines and overgrown roots brought them directly to the outskirts of Tianfeng City.
Thousands of paper lanterns illuminated the sprawling dirt roads and multi-story wooden pavilions. Merchants yelled over the clamor of the dense crowds, peddling spirit beast cores and glowing herbs to wandering cultivators.
Solomon hoisted Eden’s Penance onto his shoulder and took in the vibrant scene. He had bypassed the bustling districts entirely upon his initial arrival at the transit hub.
[Fatal_Beauty: the city looks absolutely gorgeous at night.]
[James_Hayes: Solo Man is finally doing some sightseeing.]
[IceWaterKat: time for a street food stream.]
Solomon sidestepped a merchant pulling a cart laden with massive iron ores. He glanced at Marco walking beside him. "Do you sneak out of the pavilion to come down here often?"
Marco adjusted the collar of his azure uniform and looked away. "I only come down here when I have specific errands to run. Anyway, we should just keep moving before the city guards recognize our academy crests and inform the instructors. They don’t watch our live streams, so we are safe from that."
’It seems like he is trying to avoid this topic.’ Solomon grinned at the obvious evasion. ’He was acting the same during our duel. I don’t need to be cautious of him, but it’s better to be careful.’
