Outer Court Disciple

Fortunately, the ‘Map of the Hidden Yellow Dragon Spring’ saved me today. What secrets does this map have? What level magic treasure is it?

Fang Han laid on his bed, and took out the map, incessantly observing it.

The picture was still pitch-black and obscure, a dragon/snake like creature still crawling into the Huang’quan River, obscure and hidden, giving off a feeling of mysteriousness.

However, other than its mysteriousness, it was nothing but an ordinary painting.

Never mind, let’s wait until I train even further and comprehend more before coming back and studying his picture. Fang Han got ready to put the map back up.

Eh?

At this time, he realized that there was one spot which seemed to be different than before.

In the pitch-black and hazy picture, amid the yellow dusk colored Huang’quan River, there seemed to be something swimming. Fang Han hurriedly and carefully looked over it, and realized that the thing swimming in the picture’s Huang’quan River was actually a horrid face made of long, oily black smoke. It was the ‘Sky Wolf Seven Evil Spirits Smoke’ that had been chasing and trying to kill him earlier.

It had actually been sealed within the picture’s Huang’quan River.

Could it be that the ‘Map of the Hidden Yellow Dragon Spring’ can absorb any magic treasures? Looking at it over and over again, Fang Han speechlessly observed the face swimming freely in the picture’s Huang’quan River.

This picture, although I can’t use it, it can still protect my life. Truly pretty good. From now one, I will always keep it on me. Finding a rope, Fang Han tied the map around his body, wearing it like a piece of inner clothing. Afterwards, he finally calmed down and went to sleep.

Upon waking up, it was already the third geng, the sky a hazy ma.s.s, the night very quiet.

At the Yu’hua Immortal Mountain, atop Purple Lightning Peak, there was also no one awake. However, Fang Han, upon training to the fifth realm, G.o.dly Strength, had become very critical of time.

After flipping his body and getting out of bed and washing up, he stood atop a cliff and trained punches and kicks and jumping and landing while facing the abyss below, not affected in the slightest.

This demonstrated his courage, practicing by the cliff edge. Training his flesh at such a high level of tension caused his body to become tauter and more stable than before.

Originally, when he first trained by the cliff, he had times where his legs went numb. However, after riding on the crane, he felt that his courage had risen by a layer, his heart deeper than before, as if it had gained a layer of ‘bravery.’

Because he had this kind of feeling, he had decided that today, he would train to a breakthrough.

In the Mortal Realm, upon training to the fifth level, G.o.dly Strength, it was as if one had reached a bottleneck. Many pract.i.tioners, even clan disciples, would all become stuck at the level of G.o.dly Strength and unable to breakthrough.

This was because in order to break through to the next level, one needed to have an inspiration of some sort, an enlightenment. The following levels, Breath’s qi, Inner Strengthening’s nei, G.o.dly Courage’s yong, Spiritual Expert’s ling, and G.o.dly Transformation’s bian were only things that could be felt, and not explained.

[TL: Breath – qi’xi, Inner Strengthening – nei zhuang, G.o.dly Courage – shen yong, Spiritual Expert – tong ling, G.o.dly Transformation – shen bian]

Those who broke through the G.o.dly Strength level either had G.o.dly talent, or were very lucky.

One could say that breaking through the G.o.dly Strength level meant that one was eligible to pursue the Divine Realm. Otherwise, one shouldn’t think about it.

Today, it seemed as if Fang Han had gained a realization.

After training a round of punches while standing by the cliff edge, he felt his breath boiling. He quickly stood up took a breath, holding it, before unendingly breathing in and out, as if one were washing rice and vegetables.

This was a method of training breathing called ‘Tao’qi.’ It didn’t mean naughty, but rather had the meaning of washing rice, cleansing gold, and waves eroding sand. One would cleanse all the air out of their lungs then breathe in new air.

This was a method of the “Seven Star Fist” given to him by Bai Hai Chen.

“Gu’dong, Gu’dong, Gu’du’du”

Each breath felt like blowing a bubble in his throat, his lungs constantly inhaling and exhaling, washing in and out, turning over and over again. Each breath circulated his blood, the blood then pressuring the heart and affecting his body’s strength.

Suddenly, Fang Han’s entire body felt in ecstasy. His body stood on the crumbling cliff, seemingly like a wind would blow him off, but he remained oblivious, entering into a new level.

The impurities within his blood were being cleansed with each breath, “Great Waves Erode Sand to Reveal Gold.”

His breath reached the greatest extent.

“Pu’chi!”

Fang Han emitted a cry that was even clearer than the Crane Fairy’s.

His entire body’s physique as well as his inner heart seemed to become more compact, denser, and firmer than before, his also hearing becoming clearer. He was able to hear the movement of gra.s.s due to a mouse.

This was the sixth level of the Mortal Realm, Qi. His entire body became more sensitive, his reflexes more agile, and his inner heart firmer and more condensed. The impurities in his blood had slowly been refined, and cleansed.

Fang Han felt as if he had endless energy, and as if he could clearly “see.” The ‘Nine Aperture Golden Pellet’ in his heart constantly exuding a great medicinal power.

At the same time, he slightly tried to command his heart. Suddenly, his heart faintly stopped beating, the ‘Nine Aperture Golden Pellet’ sinking even deeper into his heart, and no longer exuding its power.

At this time, no one could tell that he had a spirit pellet in hidden in the depths of his heart.

It had gone even deeper.

“Who?”

At this time, Fang Han heard the slight movement of wind behind him. He was currently very sensitive, seeing and hearing very well, and able to hear the slightest movement of the gra.s.s.

Turning around, he saw a female, her white clothes fluttering, seemingly like a dragon princess or fairy. It was Fang Qing Xue who had been undergoing closed-door training.

“You managed to break through the G.o.dly Strength level and enter the sixth level, Qi. Your talent is very good, and contains potential. Amongst the Fang Clan disciples, those who enter the sixth level are rare. What is your name?” asked Fang Qing Xue as she looked at Fang Han.

“Does first lady not remember me anymore? I am servant Fang Han. Only last month, first lady instructed me to be the person in charge of raising spirit beasts,” stated Fang Han hurriedly, his heart faintly beating.

“Fang Han? I seem to have an inkling of who you are. You are the servant who ate the gallbladder of a horned viper right?” asked Fang Qing Xue after contemplating a while.

Fang Han’s statement of eating a horned viper’s gallbladder was a lie to trick Fang Qing Xue. He truly had received the ‘Nine Aperture Golden Pellet.’ However, Fang Qing Xue had never scrutinized him over this matter.

Fang Han felt that other than matters with Divine Realm pract.i.tioners, Fang Qing Xue couldn’t remember much else, as she didn’t think much of common matters.

She no longer cared about mortal affairs, and was only focused on gaining more power.

“This is that servant,” Fang Han hurriedly replied.

“Yes, not bad, you have reached the sixth level. Letting you raise spirit beasts is a pity. Since you are a person of my Fang Clan with power, you should receive status correspondent to your level. Right now, I still have s.p.a.ces left amongst the Yu’hua School outer court disciples, why don’t you fill one,” Fang Qing Xue stated faintly. “Go train amongst the outer court disciples. If you can be promoted to inner court disciple, perhaps you will be presented with a ling’qi from my Fang Clan.”

“What? You are actually giving me a spot amongst the outer court disciples!”

Upon hearing those words, Fang Han didn’t dare to believe his ears.

Originally, he had thought that as long as he stayed at Purple Lightning Peak, he would remain a servant unless he trained to the Divine Realm. However, if he became a Yu’hua School outer court disciple, that would change greatly!

His status would immediately increase greatly!

These days, Fang Han already knew that the outer court disciples of the Yu’hua School were all either disciples of the Da’li Empire or disciples of smaller, n.o.ble families.

Right now, he had the chance to be on the same level as these n.o.ble disciples, and enter the walls of the Yu’hua School. His status was about to skyrocket! He was about to jump one thousand li, from a servant to a n.o.ble.

Also, within the Yu’hua School, he would be able to learn various things.

Fang Han knew that if he tried to hole up and invent his own training methods, he would be unable to train to the Divine Realm. His rapid progress up to now was all due to the power of the pellet.

This could be seen by the fact that he had gone from the fifth level to sixth level in a month.

If he kept training by himself, it would only become harder and harder, perhaps he would be able to train to the seventh level and that would be it. How long would that take though, one year, two years, three years?

“Does servant have the virtue and capability?” asked Fang Han, trembling.

“You managed to train to the sixth level which shows you have virtue and capability. In this world, one only sees strength, not status. Strength alone is eternal. Every year, our Yu’hua School requires tribute from the Da’li Empire, Da’De Empire, and Da’Xu Empire. Collecting tribute from these three great empires is not due to our status as Immortal road pract.i.tioners, but because of our strength. Alright, pack up all of your stuff and bring my signature and go to the outer court disciple registration area. Quickly, lest I forget about this time.”

Fang Qing Xue raised a finger, and from out of nowhere, a snow sign appeared, flying over. Then, in her hand, she condensed a ball of purple lightning, which were then condensed into a couple characters on the snow sign. The snow sign began to shine as if it had a spirit.

Fang Han collected the snow seal and read the condensed purple lightning characters. “Fang Han, Outer Court Disciple. Recruit!” Very simple, just like a warrant.

Just how much authority do true disciples have? Perhaps the more powerful they are, the more authority they control? thought Fang Han in his heart as he hurriedly stored the sign.

By the time he stored the introduction letter, Fang Qing Xue had already disappeared without a shadow.

“First lady, what about my job raising spirit beasts? Who will you give it to?” asked Fang Han hastily. However, no reply came, as Fang Qing Xue had already returned to closed door training.

“Never mind, Fang Qing Xue doesn’t care about any matters and only does things that she feels like doing, truly funny. The tablet is in my hands, so I can still communicate with Crane Fairy. This is very helpful for me as an outer court disciple, and will probably give me higher status. This time, first lady has shown me grace like that I received from Bai Hai Chen. In the future, who will I follow? Never mind, there is no point in thinking about it right now. I’ll figure it out later.”

Fang Han stopped thinking about complicated matters.

Now then, what kind of people were outer court disciples?