Chapter 138: Qi Refiners Scarcely Fear Death (1)
"Elder Huan, why did The Rain Hierarch summon me? What does she need from me?" Wu Yuan asked, puzzled.
"It's likely related to the two Grandmaster's Insights you've redeemed," Elder Huan replied with a smile.
Wu Yuan stiffened.
"Relax, a meeting with The Rain Hierarch will only be beneficial for you. Generally, unless a new Savant expert has emerged, or a scholar or martial artist is demoted from the governor or provincial general level, the hierarchs rarely meet with sect members," Elder Huan chuckled.
Wu Yuan nodded subconsciously. A new Savant expert meant a new sect elder or hall master. Each one was qualified to join the sect's upper echelons. It was perfectly normal for such figures to be summoned by the hierarchs. As for a governor or a provincial general? They were the political and military leaders of a province, each holding great responsibility. Naturally, they would also be summoned by the hierarchs.
Aside from these particular cases, there were hundreds of first-rate Adepts within the sect, but not many of them ever met with hierarchs regularly.
"The last Cloud Martial Hall disciple who was personally summoned by the hierarchs was your Senior Brother Xu Hui," Elder Huan laughed. "Alright lad, that's enough questions. Go, wash up quickly and change into clean clothes."
"Okay." Wu Yuan nodded. He had spent eight days without eating nor drinking, fully immersed in reading, comprehending, and cultivating. He didn't pay any attention to his appearance at all. It was only when Elder Huan informed Wu Yuan that he finally took a good look at himself. Indeed, he was filthy.
After a bath and change of clothes, Elder Huan and Wu Yuan soon arrived at the base of the Cloud Hall, only ten li away from the Cloud Martial Hall. Here, two guards verified their identities before they were allowed to head straight for the grand hall.
"Sect Elder, the defenses of the Cloud Hall seem rather weak," Wu Yuan whispered. "It's not even as well protected as your hall."
"Weak?" Elder Huan shot Wu Yuan a glance, "The Cloud Hall is the most heavily guarded location of our sect, with numerous hidden traps. Moreover, the hierarch herself is worth more than any number of guards."
Wu Yuan chuckled. True, a single Grandmaster could stop a large army. If they were to encounter an enemy that even The Rain Hierarch couldn't detect or defeat, then no matter how many experts they had, it would be useless.
They arrived at the entrance of the grand hall, Elder Huan respectfully announced, "Hierarch, Wu Yuan has arrived."
Wu Yuan followed behind him. He did not hastily activate his Soul Force to probe his surroundings as he wasn't too sure how powerful The Rain Hierarch was. Keeping a low profile and disguising his strength was his first priority.
"Come in." A gentle voice echoed from the end of the grand hall. The voice wasnt loud, yet it clearly reached their ears.
The two men entered the spacious, dimly lit hall.
"Greetings, Hierarch." Wu Yuan and Elder Huan both bowed respectfully.
"No need for formalities, have a seat." The gentle voice replied.
Both men took their seats. It was only then that Wu Yuan got a clear look at her face. She appeared to be a woman in her 50s or 60s with a kind face, like a neighborhood grandmother. Her attire was quite ornate and bulky, not suited for combat.
At first glance, seated in the host seat of the hall, Bu Yu seemed like an elderly noblewoman, not the fabled Cloudhill Sword Deity, a Grandmaster swordswoman who had stood at the peak of the Jiang Continent with her sword for three decades!
With Wu Yuan's powerful soul, he could perceive the vitality within the elderly woman despite her concealing her aura. She was more powerful than Grandmaster Chen Luo.
In his perception, she posed a lethal threat to him. Once their weapons clashed, the outcome was uncertain. She was certainly the most formidable expert Wu Yuan had ever met, far from a typical centenarian Grandmaster. This was Bu Yu, the absolute master of the Cloudstride Sect.
As Wu Yuan's gaze swept over the elderly woman, his eyes were drawn instinctively to the sword hanging prominently on the wall. Though sheathed, its razor-sharpness was impossible to hide. The Greenflame Staff could not begin to compare to it.
The Moontide Sword. A first-grade divine weapon, also the number one divine weapon in the entire Jiang Continent.
Numerous Grandmasters had met their demise at the hands of this divine sword.
Through his studies of the Grandmaster's Insights, Wu Yuan had gained a deeper understanding of divine weapons. He now knew that, apart from being sharper and crafted with superior materials, there was no essential difference between third-grade divine weapons and superior weapons.
A second-grade divine weapon harbored just a hint of spirituality. As for a first-grade divine weapon, it was not only sharp and capable of withstanding incredible force, but was also infused with spirituality that far surpassed second-grade divine weapons. Its worth transcended any mundane measure of gold and silver. The spirit was the core of a first-grade divine weapon.
Once a Grandmaster possesses a first-grade divine weapon, their power surges exponentially.
The Moontide Sword? Wu Yuan knew it well; it was a treasured heirloom of the Cloudstride Sect, forged by Grandmaster Fang Xia over two centuries ago.
As Wu Yuan contemplated, a gentle voice echoed from the host seat. "Wu Yuan, your soul seems incredibly strong."
These words caught Wu Yuan off guard. What a move by Grandmaster Bu Yu. Wu Yuan had done his best to conceal his power, yet Bu Yu still detected it.
"I see no fear in your eyes, only curiosity," The Rain Hierarch looked down at Wu Yuan, a hint of amusement and surprise in her eyes. "Among the many youths below seventeen, you are the first who dares to meet my gaze."
"Thank you for your praise, Hierarch." A hint of 'joy' surfaced on Wu Yuan's serious face, like a young boy basking in the praise of his elders.
The Rain Hierarch couldn't help but laugh, her doubts surrounding Wu Yuan dissipating. This was the typical mindset of a typical youngster. Even the most composed would feel joy when praised by their elders.
"Wu Yuan, I have known about you ever since you broke Grandmaster Fang Xia's record. Your potential is extraordinary," The Rain Hierarch smiled warmly, "Of course, it was The Sword Hierarch who formulated your initial training plan, as I was absent from the sect at that time."
The Sword Hierarch? In the Cloudstride Sect, Bu Yu was known as The Rain Hierarch despite her mastery of swordsmanship. Whereas Huan Jian, who excelled in palm techniques but never wielded a sword, was ironically known as The Sword Hierarch.
"You have made remarkable progress, yet neither The Sword Hierarch nor I have summoned you until now. Do you hold any resentment towards us?" The Rain Hierarch inquired, a playful smile on her lips.
"How could I harbor resentment?" Wu Yuan laughed, "The sect's training plan is excellent. I have received numerous cultivation treasures and the guidance of a Savant expert like Sect Elder Mo. Not to mention the care provided to my family and loved ones."
"I'm well aware of everything the sect has done for me, and am eternally grateful to the sect," Wu Yuan intoned earnestly, his face a mask of sincerity.
What a joke! Even if Wu Yuan did hold some resentment, he couldn't let it show now. When a big shot asks if you feel any resentment, you should never take it seriously. If you honestly tell them about your dissatisfaction, that's just plain stupidity.
"Well then, that's good," The Rain Hierarch nodded. "Wu Yuan, do you know why I summoned you here?"
"Could it be because of the Grandmaster's Insights?" Wu Yuan speculated.
"Indeed," The Rain Hierarch nodded. "Grandmaster's Insights are usually studied only by Savant experts and top tier first-rate Adepts within the sect. After all, if your skill level isn't up to par, their value to you is negligible, worth far less than 30,000 contribution points."
Wu Yuan gave a small nod. Martial arts cultivation should be gradual and progressive. Rushing to understand the profound mysteries of martial arts wasn't always productive.
It was just like math - children should take an interest in the subject first. If you start teaching advanced math off the bat, it would look like gibberish, completely killing their interest.
"Disciple understands. The library custodians have mentioned this," Wu Yuan nodded. "In terms of physical constitution, I am indeed inferior to a first-rate Adept. Currently, my one-arm strength is only 42,000 catties, I estimate it will only reach the first-rate Adept level earliest next year."
"But when it comes to martial skills, I dare say, I should not be weaker than the sect elders. It's just that I'm stuck at a bottleneck, so I borrowed the Grandmasters' books to resolve my doubts," Wu Yuan 'honestly' confessed.
This was the excuse he had thought of beforehand. The path of a genius meant gradually revealing his talent.
"A one-arm strength of 42,000 catties?" Sect Elder Huan couldnt hide his shock. He knew that Wu Yuan's martial skills were top-notch, but wasn't the rate of improvement of his physical constitution a little too fast?
"Your martial skills are impressive, and your physical constitution is improving swiftly," The Rain Hierarch commended. "But in martial arts, actions speak louder than words. Sect Elder Huan, kindly assist in sparring with Wu Yuan." Martial skills weren't proven through words, but combat!
"Me again?" Sect Elder Huan helplessly muttered.
"The Sword Hierarch has tasked me with keeping an eye on you and encouraging you to be active," the Rain Hierarch grinned. "I'm helping you lose weight."
Sect Elder Huan fell into a speechless silence. A 70-year-old man constantly urged to lose weight by his father... He couldn't decide whether this was a curse or a blessing.
"Sect Elder, I lost to you at the beginning of the year. This time, I will give it my all." Wu Yuan said excitedly, his eyes shining.
"Alright." Sect Elder Huan stood up, smiling, "You've roamed the world for two months, then read the Grandmaster's Insights, let's see how much progress you've made."
Under The Rain Hierarch's supervision, Wu Yuan and Sect Elder Huan positioned themselves at a distance, facing each other. It was another bare-handed match.
"Both of you are to limit your base strength to 30,000 catties." The Rain Hierarch declared, "I will serve as the referee and indicate when to stop."
"Yes." Both of them complied.
Without delay, the two of them collided with a resounding boom. Although they were only using 30,000 catties of raw strength, the actual force surged to 90,000 catties due to the activation of Threefold Power Surge.
Their battle was brief, lasting only two breaths.
"Stop," commanded the Rain Hierarch abruptly.
Wu Yuan and Sect Elder Huan pulled back several meters. Given their exceptional physical constitution, neither of them was injured.
"You've lost, Sect Elder Huan," the Rain Hierarch announced the result.
Sect Elder Huan looked defeated. Turning towards Wu Yuan, he sighed, "Indeed, I have lost. You didnt even leave a bit of face for this old man. Always one step ahead, never allowing me to gain an advantage."
Wu Yuan responded with an embarrassed smile. He could sense that Sect Elder Huan wasn't truly angered.
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