Chapter 560: Chapter 559: Sword-Stirring Wind and Thunder
After being unconscious for about half a day, Shi Xiaole regained consciousness, sitting in meditation for half a day before all his power was fully restored.
Zhu Ling came over to report that because of the previous incident, more than half the craftsmen had requested to leave, even willing to pay the compensation fee. Even doubling their wages did not help.
Shi Xiaole went to the southeastern peak and indeed saw the determined looks of the craftsmen to leave. Even the disciples of Lele City could not persuade them to stay.
To build a sect was of the utmost urgency. Once these people left, news of this place would undoubtedly spread throughout the engineering circles in the Middle Domain, making future recruitment troublesome.
After a moment of thought, Shi Xiaole said, "Everyone, please compose yourselves."
The craftsmen looked over. A middle-aged man surnamed Tian said reluctantly, "Sect Master Shi, it is not that we want to break our promises and leave, but it is far too dangerous to stay here. We just want to earn a living, please let us go."
Shi Xiaole replied, "I understand your concerns, but as you can see, I am fully capable of protecting you all. Besides, if we encounter enemies we cannot repel, we can activate the Array System and retreat from Nine Heavens Mountain."
The craftsmen only shook their heads, clearly scared out of their wits.
Shi Xiaole chuckled and said, "Everyone, the compensation fees outlined in the contract you would have to pay, I’m afraid it might take a year’s hard work to earn back."
Many people’s faces turned pale.
Most of the craftsmen in the room endured hardships, otherwise, they would not have chosen this line of work. Their parents, wives, and children all rely on them. Once they pay compensation, their life for the next year would undoubtedly be challenging.
"How about this? If you agree to stay, I’ll be willing to double your wages. Furthermore, if you have children under fifteen at home, once the manor is built, they can join us and learn martial arts. How’s that?"
Most of the craftsmen perked up at his words, their eyes sparkling with anticipation.
Martial arts are highly developed in the Flying Horse Dynasty, resulting in many commoners desiring to learn martial arts and join a sect.
But it is not that simple.
Most people have average talents and their families lack power, so they end up being rejected by martial arts sects, leading ordinary lives.
Upon hearing Shi Xiaole’s words, the crowd couldn’t believe what they were hearing.
The middle-aged man surnamed Tian stuttered, "Young Hero Shi, do...do you really mean that?"
In half a day, they had learned about the identities of the Four Celestial Monastery’s people from the Lele City disciples, and realised their status in the martial world.
If their children could join the sect being built by Shi Xiaole, who was youthful and yet powerful enough to repel the four monastery people, it would be like a pie dropped from heaven. Missing this chance meant missing out forever.
"Once a man’s given his word, it can’t be taken back. If I wanted to keep you guys here by force, why would I make up such a lie?"
Shi Xiaole said calmly.
To flourish, a sect needs fresh blood. In the end, the disciples brought from Lele City were too few.
Shi Xiaole initially planned to declare to the martial world and recruit more disciples once the manor was built. But now, he decided to go with the flow. The children of the tens of thousands of craftsmen couldn’t all be mediocre, could they? Even if they were, they could still manage daily tasks because the manor was large. This way, all resources would be utilised.
The Craftsman Tian slapped his chest, saying through gritted teeth, "My third son just turned nine this year and he keeps talking about learning martial arts. If Sect Master Shi is willing to take him, I will not hesitate to risk my life for you!"
"Sect Master Shi, I, old Xu, am willing to stay."
"Sect Master Shi, Zhao Dahuo is staying."
"..."
The craftsmen were stirred up. Many who were initially hesitant immediately agreed.
The temptation was far too great.
After thinking calmly, their lives were ensured, which was worth a fight!
"Everyone, thank you."
After giving a few more instructions, Shi Xiaole left the scene to Zhu Ling, who watched him fascinated.
Nine Heavens Mountain was lively again. The craftsmen’s attitudes became more proactive, and they wished to complete two days’ work in one day to build the manor quickly.
A month passed like this.
Shi Xiaole finally achieved complete mastery of Vajra Unbreakable Body.
At that moment, he was covered in green Sword Qi as if wrapped in numerous slender diamonds, giving a sense of invulnerability.
"With the Vajra Unbreakable Body at the completed level, my defence has increased by fifty percent. Even a top mid-level Lord may not be able to hurt me outright."
As his defense improved, Shi Xiaole found his strength, speed, explosiveness, and vigor had all made substantial progress.
In terms of power, compared to a month ago, the improvement was about thirty percent.
Shi Xiaole wondered whether he could wear thin and eventually defeat the old man with a wrinkled face and thin hair, not even needing the Jade Moon Axe.
"Our Sect Master is truly extraordinarily talented."
Three figures came together, their faces filled with admiration. It was the three strange men.
In the past month, they had also begun to train in the Vajra Unbreakable Body, often consulting Shi Xiaole and receiving the most accurate guidance, which had saved them many detours.
So even the most arrogant of the three, the Golden Saber Elder, was fully convinced by Shi Xiaole now.
"The three of you, what brings you here?"
Shi Xiaole stood up smiling and asked.
"Sect Master, this time we are not here to bother you. We have found a strange place on Nine Heavens Mountain."
Said the Silver Sword Gentleman.
"Oh, where is that?"
Having intrigued the three peculiar elders, Shi Xiaole immediately became curious.
The four of them dashed forth, leaping towards a cliff somewhere in the southeast peak. Layers of mist, accompanied by cold wind, assaulted their faces. They quickly descended and reached the bottom within moments.
Without a need for the three peculiar elders to alert him, Shi Xiaole noticed a crevice at the bottom. It varied in width: at its widest, it was three feet and, at its narrowest, not even a finger could fit through. It extended hundreds of yards outwards.
Strings of strange energy were seeping out from the crevice.
"This is the energy of the Jade Moon Axe. It must be that a month ago, the axe had unintentionally caused damage here," Shi Xiaole commented.
Jade Axe Lady tucked her hair behind her ear and said, "We thought so too, but the old man discovered earlier that beneath the crevice lies another mystery."
Ingrained with a love for exploring, the three peculiar elders had made an adventurous habit, hence during training downtime, the Golden Saber Elder had instinctively begun wandering Nine Heavens Mountain and, truthfully, discovered this site.
After probing thoroughly, Shi Xiaole quickly detected that, aside from the aura of the Jade Moon Axe, there existed another peculiar energy. It even subtly activated his brain cells.
Could it be...
Shi Xiaole suppressed his restless heart, proposed, "Elders, let’s open up this crevice together."
The three peculiar elders nodded in agreement.
If it weren’t for Shi Xiaole, they would have started exploring long ago.
The four combined their strength, directing their power at the widest part of the crevice. The crevice gradually expanded, cracking further, and that particular energy grew increasingly intense.
The four felt like they were on the verge of a breakthrough, their minds filled with surges of inspiration.
When the crevice reached about thirty meters in width and several meters in depth, a profound and indescribable aura erupted explosively from the bottom, sweeping across the cliff base in a thirty-yard radius.
This was unexpectedly a tornado.
However, it was nothing like an ordinary tornado; it was a tornado of inspiration.
"It is indeed!" Shi Xiaole exclaimed in shock and delight.
This tornado of inspiration was identical to the one he encountered years ago at the Will Sect and the one he saw when he inadvertently entered Wind Valley during the competition of young heroes.
Indeed, regardless of scale or concentration, it far outweighed the tornado of inspiration at the Will Sect and was on par with the one in Wind Valley.
"Could this be the rumored diffusion and gathering of energy?"
As it has been said, Nine Heavens Mountain is a dangerous place—it did attract powerful characters like the Four Immortals Mountain people, Xiahou Zong, and Tianyan Sword Lord. If he himself were even slightly careless, he could easily be captured and killed.
Or even worse, he might not even make it past the gauntlet of the three peculiar elders.
Nevertheless, he managed to turn calamity into safety, acquiring the allegiance of the three peculiar elders. It was also due to the fierce battle with the Four Immortals Mountain people and Xiahou Zong, that the crevice was unexpectedly broken open, revealing the wind of inspiration inside.
The transition from danger to safety and the reversal of fortune were only the outcomes. The key determinant was still his ability to react and adapt.
"Master Shi, this is the so-called ’wind from the heavens’; one cannot waste it!"
The voice of Silver Sword Gentleman was notably agitated. While he was still speaking, the three peculiar elders had already sat down together and immersed themselves in profound comprehension.
Naturally, Shi Xiaole wouldn’t squander this chance, so he sat down as well.
This ’wind from the heavens’ was gently billowing, looking glorious like powdered glass, but not diffusing into its surrounding.
One two-hour period passed.
Then another.
Unknowingly, six two-hour periods passed.
The ’wind from the heavens’ shrank from a thirty yards to ten, then five, and three. As dawn approached, it finally dissipated.
"Ha ha ha, I finally understand!"
The first to awaken was the Golden Saber Elder, his eyes opening wide. His pupils seemed to contain a golden glow, and as he swung his saber, the blade glowed like the rising sun, swiftly slashing across a protruding mountain wall.
Bang.
A part of the mountain wall, several tens of yards in width, had been entirely lopped off, its cross-section as smooth as a mirror.
"Brother, you have reached the nine-tenth pinnacle of Gold True Intent. I wager you could rank among the top fifty of Shuntian Capital’s experts," Silver Sword Gentleman awakened unexpectedly and commented.
Laughing heartily, the Golden Saber Elder swung his sword at him, a golden blaze abounding. The Silver Sword Gentleman retaliated with a silver streak of Sword Qi that cut swiftly through the golden saber aura.
The Golden Saber Elder snorted, "Bookworm, you have made quite some progress too."
Jade Axe Lady smiled softly at the side. With a swift, elegant wave of her slender arm, something remarkable happened—the swiftly charging saber aura and Sword Qi from various directions were immutably enveloped by a jade radiance and reduced to nothingness.
"Tsk, tsk, lass, your ’Jade Radiance True Intent’ is quite fearsome. I am no match for you," the Golden Saber Elder simultaneously conceded and rejoiced.
As if by tacit agreement, the three peculiar elders suddenly turned to look at Shi Xiaole in the distance.
Out of nowhere, a gust of wind enveloped in his proximity. The wind was not intense but made one unable to look straight at it—it felt as though one’s spirit would be slashed if one looked at it too long.
Suddenly, the wind materialized into a transparent, thirty-yard-long sword that rushed toward the horizon, penetrating the clouds with rumbling thunderclaps, tearing a straight passage through the clouds.
"Sword-Stirring Wind and Thunder!"
The three peculiar elders exclaimed in astonishment.
