"Ignore swords and flashy elemental spells, that you see your Elders use. Your cultivation has not reached Spirit Realm, so there is no point training in things you cannot touch yet.

Same with the sword. The Sword is an expert's weapon, and only really useful if one can direct sword qi, or mana through their weapon. As for a Sword Master, a single blade of grass is more than enough." Pef spoke towards the Outer Court disciples, as the youngsters struggled to maintain a horse position, legs bent low and muscles burning from pain.

"You are the weapon, and your body is your tool. And by you, I mean your mind. If your mind is focused and clear, you will find solutions to defeat a stronger enemy or else save your life from a killing formation or other traps. Your body just has to obey what you command it. Through pain, through training and through willpower alone, you have to make your body listen!" Pef shouted from his high perch on the shoulder of the Sky Herald.

To the sides of the training ground, dozens of Inner Disciples and a couple of Elders also listened to the Holy Son's teaching, perhaps hoping to learn the secrets that made Pef so powerful, even so young.

On and on, and day after day, Pef forced the Outer disciples through rigorous training, mainly focused on strengthening their minds and willpower.

Cultivators were a resilient lot, and even the lowest Foundation Realm cultivators were above Olympic level athletes in body capability. But unlike the sportsmen in Pef's memory, these disciples were a rather lazy and indolent sort, confident in their power over mere mortals. All they wanted to learn were flashy moves and skills, or perhaps a giant spell to annihilate all enemies.

However, Pef's curriculum avoided all of the flashy stuff, instead covering physical training, then arithmetic and geometry, beast lore and geography, then various political and historical facts concerning the region and the continent.

It was also an opportunity for Pef to access the Sect library to reference materials, for the daily lessons. He learned as much and more than the disciples, getting acquainted with the world he lived in, and forcing the disciples to keep pace with him or else.

And from the surprised face of the Sky Adept that carried him, Pef also knew that schooling was poorly done in the sect at all, since even a Sky Realm cultivator was often ignorant of the world realities around him.

Just then, the gates of the Icefire sect boomed loudly, as someone struck them in force.

Pef turned towards the Xia Clan Young Master, who now served as a library assistant and courier, beside being a new Icefire disciple and a reformed convict.

"I'd think that noise was your family, book worm. Except they wouldn't dare be impolite here, would they?" Pef asked in a mild voice.

"...I'm afraid they would, Holy Son. Please don't kill them...." the Young Master pleaded in a much less arrogant tone.

"Eh, I'm busy teaching my class, book worm. You go and solve the nuisance, before I get annoyed." Pef ordered while pointing at the Sect's gates.

"At once, Holy Son!" the teenager shouted and ran to open the gates, trying to stop his clan from getting massacred by the little blonde monster.

Deep inside a cave on the Ancient Peak, a pair of blue eyes with flames burning inside them opened for a second, seemingly disturbed by the commotion at the gates.

'Little Pingli, do those people think I'm dead or deaf?' the Ancient Master sent via a qi transmission.

The Icefire's Sect Master cursed inward. 'Ancestor, it is a mere misunderstanding. A Xia Clan scion is being trained in the Outer Sect, by our new Holy Son. I told you about the boy with the Sword Skill.'

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'Don't expose his Skill yet, little one.' the Ancestor commanded then closed his eyes to return to his meditation.

The Sect Master sweated for a moment, then flew out from his Hall, and landed beside the Xia scion just as the gates opened.

"Father! Well met. Don't be angry, I'm fine!" the Young Master spoke hurriedly, while taking in his Uncles and other Elders gathered in front of the Sect gate.

"Why do you keep my son a prisoner, Sect Master Pingli?" the Head of House Xia boomed out loud, towards the Sect Master.

The old Monarch shrugged outwardly. "It's a long story. Your son should be the one to tell it." he answered in a calm voice.

The Xia Master turned towards his son. "Come here, son!"

The Young Master shook his head. "As I told you in my letter, I made a deal for my life. If you agree to it, pay them the price. If not, I'll just have to die." the teenager answered in a determined voice. He was more afraid for his family's life if they behaved atrociously in view of the tiny blonde devil.

"I'm not pleased with your Sect's behavior, Iceflame Master. Even my son refuses to obey me now." the man muttered threateningly as he flared his mana to prove his own Monarch Ream cultivation.

"Your son attacked our Holy Son and tried to rob him. Don't think we will allow such transgression towards our Icefire Sect go unpunished. A hefty fine is a mild price to pay, unlike getting your entire Clan obliterated. Think it over, Master Xia." The Sect Master answered in a dignified voice, then floated away without waiting for an answer.

"Humph!" a grumpy snort erupted from the Ancient Peak, the qi intent striking the Xia Monarch in his chest, making him pale and swallow a bit of blood.

"S...saint" the Xia Master muttered as he crashed to the ground in pain.

"Father! Please leave as fast as you can. Tell mother I love her!" the Young Master urged his father as he rushed to help him to his feet.

"Take this ring, son. I can't do anything about a Saint, so I have to leave you here." the Xia master whispered in a pained tone.

"It is alright father. I am learning a lot and I will come back one day. Just, don't do anything stupid, that Saint isn't what you have to worry about." the boy advised his father as he ran back to close the gates in his face.

As the gates closed, the Xia Master barfed a liter of blood, unable to hold it in anymore.

"Damn it." he cursed as he took out a precious Red-Blood pill to recover his injury faster.

"Master, is this really alright?" A Sovereign Ranked Elder asked as he helped the Xia Master fly away.

"My son is fine, you saw it. And he was scared for us, trying to make us leave faster. Not only that hidden Saint, but something even worse. Perhaps something even our Patriarch cannot solve..." the Xia Master mused as they made their way back home.

"The bodies were burnt with a powerful fire, perhaps a Skill of some kind. Maybe they recovered their true Icefire somehow." another black-clothed Elder wondered out loud.

"The Icefire Sect has always kept low, but they have hidden strengths. Tell our people to keep an eye out, but don't engage their disciples anymore. Their Sect Master was certain we would be obliterated if it came to it." the Xia Master ordered as he began flying once more on his own.

The Elders all nodded and agreed with the order, but one black-clothed Elder glanced back with hatred in his eyes. 'Your son might be fine, but my brother is dead. Nobody even remembers him. I will find who did it and kill him' the man vowed inside.