Han Lingyun knew that Wang Yimos main reason for not challenging him was not in order to please him but rather because she simply didnt want to be ranked first. Thus, the top 11 for the next half year ended up being the following.
#1 Han Lingyun
#2 Wang Yimo
#3 Lai ihui
#4 Liao Shao
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#5 Qi Bo
#6 Qin i
#7 Liao Zhenzhen
#8 Shen Lin
#9 Li An
#10 Pan Xiulan
#11. Liao Qiaolian
For the first ti, Han Lingyun received the dal unique to the number 1 disciple of the promotion. And this while not even being at the qi condensation realm. Even his minor Ye Wenyan had just reached that threshold!
To stay on the topic of younger disciples, Han Lingyun had never seriously considered joining the new 1st years and to pass as one of them.
It would be a waste of ti. And its not very useful except to have a good laugh at the 1st years reactions. This, makes rember, I should now have a grand minor, a new mber to the Shu family. Hehe Im quite excited to et him, or her. Actually, now that Xia Shan joined the regints, Lan Ruoxi is the only girl in the line currently at the school. I bet she is praying for another girl to join our ranks. Anyway, I wont be eting my minor for now, its too embarrassing to be at a lower cultivation than him. I wonder if there ever was a situation where a mber of the Shu family was one entire cultivation realm ahead of his major. I need to fix this anomaly fast.
It was great that Han Lingyun had Wang Yimo to take him around on her flying sword like this. It would raise so questions if he walked to and from his cave on foot like those that were still at the body strengthening realm. With the rankings out of the way, it was ti to put his foot down on cultivation.
Weeks started to pass by and Han Lingyun mostly cultivated in his own cave. The environnt at the top of the mountain was ideal. Any disciple should be able to cultivate 50% faster at the location compared to his usual environnt dure to the higher qi density. As a result, Han Lingyun didnt find the need to move to the cultivation ground of the fire elent like he was doing before the SCA tournant.
Han Lingyun was also not willing to advertise his cultivation drop, and he couldnt just trouble his friends to give him a ride on their flying treasures every day. With ti, other disciples would also realize that sothing was wrong. But for now, apart from Wang Yimo, Han Lingyun had only inford Shen Lin and Yang Haoyu of his situation and to his knowledge, other disciples hadnt noticed a thing.
To be fair, Han Lingyun has always been rather discreet and hard working. Him staying for weeks at the best cave to cultivate was perfectly normal in the eyes of the other disciples.
He also avoided the fire elent formations for personal preference.
Hundreds of disciples are constantly in the underground cave. It wasnt known who started it, but soone had the idea to use this cave as a tempering tool and more and more disciples have flocked to try to put their heat resistance to the test ever since. This trend was encouraged by the caves characteristic, getting hotter and hotter as one travels deeper. It has thus beco a sort of ga for the disciples to push their limits and reach greater depths. More than a ga, it had beco a competition. Its so easy to compare each others performances here.
How can I cultivate peacefully with all those maniacs putting their limits to the test? And lets not even talk about those with a fire affinity. Lai ihuiis probably the worst of the bunch, using this burning cave to train her martial arts like a mad woman, throwing attacks in every direction. I enjoyed much more the peace of the forest ground. Han Lingyun grumbled internally.
It was after finishing a cultivation session that Han Lingyun noticed elder Wen sitting patiently in front of him. Han Lingyuns face imdiately lit up.
Teacher Wen? What brings you here? Ah dont worry about my formation array howork; I was just temporally putting it on hold to focus on getting back my cultivation.
Elder Wen gently admonished him. Dont neglect those too much, its your main path after all. But Im afraid this isnt why Im here. Disciple, I am leaving the White Tiger School. I probably wont be back for several months.
Han Lingyun took a mont to process this bombshell. What?
Dont worry, its actually mostly good news. Again, what Im about to tell you is an absolute secret. Elder Wen snapped his fingers which activated a series of arrays that he had previously placed in the room while Han Lingyun was cultivating. Spying on an array formation master was a near impossible task. Assured that his words wouldnt leave the room, Elder Wen turned back to his disciple.
My cultivation has progressed trendously during the last two years. You played a bigger part in this than you could imagine, my fantastic disciple. Old Yi has also greatly opened my mind. As a result, I will go into seclusion to attempt to breakthrough to the Nascent Soul realm. This might take several months. However, Im afraid that no matter if I succeed or not, the sect will call on the regints of the White Tiger Sects side afterwards.
It appears that occasions to see each other again will beco scarce.
Han Lingyun found himself more ntally affected than he would have imagined. He realized at this point that Elder Wen had beco a pillar of support and a guiding light in his first cultivation years.
With slightly teary eyes, Han Lingyun kneeled on the ground and kowtowed three tis to his teacher. Master, I will be rooting for your success. And the help you have provided in 2 years will forever be in my heart.
Please stand up, my disciple. Your words are the best encouragents I could have hoped for. Now, now, Im leaving the school but its not like I wont leave you anything behind.
Elder Wen let out a light chuckle of pride.
First of all, if you turn around, this pile of books should occupy you with formation arrays until your 16th birthday without doubt.
And here is one of my finest creations, the Wen Multipurpose Formation, or WMF for short.
Elder Wen handed proudly a series of arrays, disks and other tools to assemble the formation. The WMF is capable of hiding a surface of 5-ter radius from the eyes and spirit sense of Core Formation Elders. Plus, it should be able to hold off the attacks of Late Core Formation Elders for an hour!
Its only issue, is the power source
Elder Wen suddenly appeared a bit more embarrassed as he took out a near see-through qi crystal, with a multitude of colors being reflected and refracted from its patterns. Han Lingyun tried to contain his laugh as he found that Elder Wen was acting like a naughty child that had just been caught cheating.
The formation needs a top-grade crystal to be powered. I only have this one on myself, so keep it well and take good care of it!
A top-grade crystal. Above the dium grade was the high grade, and the top grade was the next level! Han Lingyun made a rapid ntal calculation.
If one high grade crystal is worth 10 000 low grade qi crystals, and a top-grade crystal is worth 100 high grade crystals, then this single top-grade crystal is worth 1 million low grade crystals! And thats just by considering the amount of qi stored inside. In reality, top grade crystals are even more valuable due to its rarity and usefulness for storing extre qi quantities in such a small volu.
Han Lingyun was holding the resplendent crystal with shaky hands as he looked back up at his teachers face.
Master, I dont deserve all this.
Hahaha, but you do, disciple Lingyun. I still feel indebted! If it bothers you, just think of it as my goodbye gift, or as a reward for achieving the number 1 rank while being so weak. Hahaha, this gave us Elders a good laugh! But you were quite lucky to not be challenged. For the promotion of your minor for example, the number 1 disciple receives challenges during every ranking! Well, this one is truly deserving of his rank; he very well might bring ho the first place at the SCA competition for 2nd year disciples this year.
The master and disciple then took another good hour to talk about various matters. After everything was said, Elder Wen stood up, looking ready to depart.
Oh, before I forget. My disciple, I also provided to you all those books because I dont want you to join the Array Pavilion, its a place full of arrogant and entitled Elders, that might try to hamper you because they grow jealous of your talent. You have what it takes to self-study anyway.
Rather, I recomnd that you join the Forging Branch during the year. Its a complentary discipline to array formations and the atmosphere is much more genuine on that side. I have good friends over there as well; they shouldnt mistreat you.
Disciple understands.
Elder Wen nodded approvingly and picked up the formations he had laid around. Then, I wish you well my disciple, this is my goodbye. May our paths cross again.
Goodbye, teacher.
With a gust of wind, Elder Wen was already gone.
Han Lingyun stood up and walked out of his cave. He suddenly felt the impulse to admire the view from above, or perhaps he just wanted to catch one last glimpse of his teacher.
---End of Book 2: The SCA competition. ---
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