The worldwide tournament that's about to commence soon will reflect the effect of our sect's traditional apprenticeship ceremony. An official announcement regarding this will be made by the authorities in a few days. Don't waste any time in the next few days and prepare yourself for the first round of the tournament. I don't have the permission to tell you anything about it in advance since that goes against the tournament rules. All I'll say is...keep your mind fresh and ready to tackle some challenges ."

With the vague hints delivered smoothly, Kong Ye left Xuhan's hut. Looking at his back, Xuhan's muddled thoughts finally started clearing up.

His current situation was...terrible to say the least. The tournament was one problem he couldn't prepare to tackle with his current strength. Eld-master's vague warnings made it sound even worse and more ominous than it already was. If he had some concrete ideas about what horrors the first round held, he could have thought something up at the very least.

Setting the tournament aside, the more pressing issue was the problem with his meridians. They were damaged beyond repair to begin with. It was going to get even worse?

Han Xuhan wasn't keen on putting his trust in others to get his issues solved. Maybe his new master would really find a way to repair his meridians, maybe he wouldn't. But he had to make sure he himself did.

Cultivation was too interesting to let go of, regardless of how many obstacles he faced. The addictive feeling of superhuman strength surging through his body and Qi obeying his command was beyond anything he had ever experienced.

Taking a deep breath, Xuhan focused on the stack of papers in front of him. Two different cultivation manuals, all for himself. For so long he had been practicing that same Skeletal Monarch technique. Granted, he could have actually practiced other techniques too after getting past the sect's deadline for new disciples. But that would have set his cultivation speed back by several degrees compared to his peers. It was the wisest decision to choose to focus on a single technique unless one had powerful, rich backing and an awfully lot of time on their hand.

"The Snowfall Garden technique, eh?" Tun Shi Tian said, popping out from behind. Zhanxian too had come out of the kitchen, not having made a single appearance throughout his entire conversation with elder Kong.

"I thought you two were supposed to make tea."

"I'm sorry, but if you thought I'd be making tea after receiving the news that my very existence is in danger right now, you'll be sorely disappointed. Quit having such high expectations for my work ethic, master. You'll only hurt yourself more that way."

"Zhanxian, it's another matter whether I get crippled due to my meridians becoming damaged or not. You should be more worried about killing me with your words and you two dying that way."

"I didn't think you actually listened to anything I say, let alone feeling insulted by my words."

Bantering back and forth, Xuhan felt his spirit recover slowly. Feeling out the normalcy of his regular lifestyle seemed like a good way to get a better grip on the reality. As the three of them continued to bicker pointlessly, he studied the Snowfall Garden technique for the rest of the evening.

The first surprise he received while going through its pages was the fact that it belonged to another subtype of cultivation techniques.

Unlike stubs, where the cultivation technique doesn't generate a dao tower before the soul reformation realm, this subtype was known as 'Ghosts'. The reason behind such a title was the fact that this type of techniques had no apparent effects on one's physique or soul, which frankly, were the two major areas of focus for every cultivator. These techniques only focused on pure cultivation through enlightenments, rigorous mental discipline, pursuit of self-comprehension, and building a dao foundation. It offered no extra benefits other than the nominal status of a cultivator.

Predictably, this subtype of cultivation techniques was quite unpopular worldwide. The only redeeming quality it was known for was its lack of presence which suited cultivators with sensitive identities. To Xuhan's knowledge, the only practitioners of this subtype of cultivation techniques lived in a far-off corner of the continent as monks. Their views of cultivation were extreme, and they preferred to call all the other types of orthodox styles unworthy of the power they pursued.

The stack of papers Elder Kong had handed to him held the instructions for the entire physique transformation realm while practicing the technique. Once again, Xuhan felt a pang of shock after realizing that Elder Kong too, kept entire tomes of cultivation manuals memorized...

"Am I the only guy without photographic memory? Is this an innate skill that everybody has in this world, but I don't?"

The task ahead of him looked so lengthy, daunting, and hard to accomplish that not feeling completely disheartened and giving up was already an accomplishment to him.

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

* * * * *

"You're telling me, you got into a fight with a girl your age at the peak of the physique transformation realm, without considering how powerful a backing she would need to have a cultivation base that high at that age-"

"Who even considers that sort of stuff before getting into a fight? What kind of dumbass would wait to think through so many unnecessary details when you can just punch those...high cheekbones out of her beautiful face ?"

Seeing the dreamy look on Mu Ran's face gave Xuhan a pause while he tried to process his boss's reply to his question.

"....Okayyyy, I see. And then while the two of you were fighting, you trashed the restaurant you were in, which inevitably pissed off the owner who turned out to be an overpowered grandpa-"

"It's okay, Xuhan. He was very understanding about it, such a sporty chap. He even said that the girl and I, the two of us, suited each other perfectly."

"....He still made you two do him a favor in exchange for all the cash you cost him though," Xuhan said, still mired in deep confusion trying to find the logic in that scenario. But the answer was as elusive as any rational person's ability to imagine the scene unironically.

"A totally logical decision, I'd say," Mu Ran answered.

"The grandpa made you two look for a mysterious treasure hidden deep inside this infamous 'Black Reaper Forest' where not even soul reformation cultivators dare to enter casually. Not sure which part of that translates into him being a sporty chap."

"Eh, my original mission was a task at the outskirts of that forest too, Xuhan. His hints about the mysterious object helped me greatly! So I didn't mind hitting two birds with one stone, no wait, make it three birds, hehehe."

Again, a dreamy, dazed smirk appeared on Mu Ran's face. Realizing that his boss was smitten with this lass he had met in that restaurant, Xuhan felt a headache coming. All protagonists became useless, dense fools whenever their love interests were involved. Mu Ran had never exactly been an efficient utilizer of his brain, but now it looked like even zombies would ignore him due to the lack of substance inside his skull.

"What was the object anyway, boss? I'm not trying to sound suspicious or anything, but don't you think the whole incident is sort of shady?"

"Shady?" Mu Ran rolled his eyes in annoyance.

"Underling, you must put a bit more trust in others' characters. The grandpa was a cool, unfettered Daoist trying to comprehend the great truth in the mortal world. The moment we laid our eyes on each other, we could see the familiar sparks of magnificent spirit for the dao within ourselves. It was an instantaneous, mutual understanding. Then the grandpa simply told us that since we looked young, he'd let the slight go as long as we searched for something for him secretly. He was very straightforward while describing the object, and later when we found it deep within the jungle, his descriptions and warnings matched impeccably."

"...Wow, that actually sounds even more suspicious now. What was the object exactly, boss?" Xuhan asked curiously. A solemn look appeared on Mu Ran's face as he answered.

"It was a shortsword, its edge so sharp that it could cut through huge boulders like slicing through mud. The smithing was so incredibly advanced that I couldn't even identify what materials were used to create it. Its blade was so thin and flexible that you could twist it into a knot and carry it around in your pocket!"

The description was downright impossible to believe. How could blades like that even exist? Even back on earth where science had advanced so far, Xuhan didn't remember any type of alloy being so terrifying. Maybe something similar could have been created using nanotechnology, but Xuhan had no idea how it would be possible to accomplish that here. Wait...why was he trying to find scientific explanations when cultivation magic was involved?

Meanwhile, Mu Ran's passionate speech continued, unobstructed by the usual quips from his paranoid underling.

"Not only was its materials and craftsmanship exquisite, but it also had a requirement for its wielders! A pure, untainted mind, a heart dedicated to the great Dao, a soul untouched by the worldly sins; that sword's wielder must meet those requirements to unlock its full potential and gain its allegiance!"

"Heavens! So you became its master, right boss?" Xuhan asked, wide-eyed.

"... ."

Realizing that he had screwed up, Han Xuhan instantly employed his best skills in the field.

"What's wrong? Did your character not meet one of those requirements? Was the sword blind or what? How could it not see mt.-"

"Xuhan, the ancient scholars said, 'poking a sleeping dragon in the eye is a great way to increase the average intelligence of mankind.' Do you want to martyr yourself for this great cause?"

"...."

Xuhan fell silent. The shock Mu Ran had received in that forest had made brought a significant change in Mu Ran's perception, it seemed.

That was not a good news for Han Xuhan.

Sitting opposite to him, Mu Ran ground his teeth rather viciously for quite a while before breaking the silence.

"No matter. As my underling, you should be aware of this, just in case. The sword was taken by an arrogant little brat from a very powerful sect situated on another continent. We had a bit of a 'friendly discussion of the great dao' before he escaped. He told me that we would meet again in the worldwide tournament when he manages to unlock the sword's full potential. He might target you there. So be prepared to fight for your life."

The bout of silence that ensued after Mu Ran's warning was even more awkward and grave, with Han Xuhan staring daggers at the guy.

"Correct me if I'm wrong, boss. But, I don't have anything to do with your scuffle with this arrogant brat, do I?"

Coughing pointedly, Mu Ran looked away, staring outside through the window.

"I uh...I might have killed a few of his beast pets and crippled one of his vile-mouthed, black-hearted companions. His response is pretty logical, I'd say."

"Ah, absolutely. It all makes sense now. I can picture the whole incident very clearly now."

His eyes flashing with a gaze commonly seen among dead fish, Xuhan nodded like a sage, trying to hold back some degrading insults and the urge to throttle his martial brother.

Forgive and forget. Forgive and forget. Forgive and- FUCK!

It did nothing to make him forgive and forget. Shaking his head, Han Xuhan recalled an ancient saying that finally did the trick.

'If you want the milk, better get used to the kicks.'

"Anyway, boss. There was one thing I'd like to ask. You are aware of the apprenticeship tradition in this sect, right? I've recently gathered some inside intelligence, and if there's any particular area of skills that you'd like to develop soon, feel free to tell me. I'll help you find the best master here! It's my duty as your underling, after all." With a sigh, Han Xuhan redirected the conversation.

Mu Ran's eyes lit up in appreciation. Clapping Xuhan on the shoulder like a satisfied elder of the family, he beamed in response.

"Wonderful work, underling! This is why I like having you around. I was already about to make some inquiries myself. Since the tournament is coming closer and closer every day, there is one skill that I'd love to learn by the time it starts."

"Just name it and leave the rest to me, boss. You don't even need to grovel under the feet of those obnoxious elders. I'll handle everything!"

"Really?" Mu Ran asked with eyes opened wide in surprise and appreciation.

"Mm, the skill I want to learn is...Astral Warfare!"

Xuhan racked his brain trying to figure out what it could mean before realization dawned on him. Mu Ran had always been rather focused on spells related to souls, something that was greatly reflected in his performance in the land of laws. Since the word astral was involved, it would clearly be something to do with souls too.

"Is this a definitive name of a known skill, or just a rough area of expertise?" He asked finally, taking out a list to note it down.

"I don't know for sure. I heard the phrase somewhere. It sounds really useful and interesting," Mu Ran said, keeping his answer rather vague.

Trying not to laugh or scoff at his half-assed answer, Xuhan noted it down with a serious expression and bade him farewell for the day.

"One down, two more to go."