Comprehending Myriad Techniques as Woodcutter

Chapter 240: Chapter 193: Great Progress

Making such progress after starting from the handyman yard naturally astonished the other Outer Sect disciples and earned him high praise from the instructors.

Two months passed as autumn turned to winter. Xie Yuan had reaped many rewards, but much had also transpired in the outside world.

The results of the Cloud Mountain Sword Discourse, held during the autumn equinox, spread quickly. News traveled throughout the entire Great Li and even into the Western Regions, and the repercussions soon followed—

The Spring Rain Building published the latest Flying Dragon List and Hidden Dragon List. Wei Dong, the Pavilion Master of the Sword Storage Pavilion, was ranked fifth, while Li Xingtuo, the Sect Leader of the Cloud Mountain Sword Sect, rose from ninth to sixth.

It was a rather subtle ranking.

Although Li Xingtuo was still ranked one spot below Wei Dong, everyone understood at a glance that this signified the two were on the exact same level.

Furthermore, descriptions of the duel had also spread, leading to much speculation. Many believed the two hadn’t fought with their full strength, that it was merely a light spar. Had they truly gone all out, the rankings might have changed again.

The major shift in the top ten of the Flying Dragon List was one development. On the Hidden Dragon List, Qin Zhenyang shot up from twenty-sixth to ninth place. Just as He Jin had predicted, he now had a spot in the top ten.

Both the Sect Leader and his disciple had seen their rankings soar, each securing a spot in the top ten of their respective lists. This grand occasion, coupled with the Sword Storage Pavilion’s high-profile challenge followed by their low-key departure, caused a massive uproar. The Cloud Mountain Sword Sect’s name echoed through the martial world, its prestige soaring. For the past two months, an endless stream of people arrived to seek tutelage, issue challenges, or discuss the Dao. Not only did housing prices in Cloud Mountain Town rise again, but the guesthouses on the mountainside were nearly at full capacity. Fortunately, Xie Yuan was no longer in charge there, or else he would have had no time for his martial practice.

Consequently, the Sword Sect’s influence in the Great Li’s martial world grew immensely. Grand events in the Jiangnan region, which would have previously overlooked a sect as remote as the northwestern Cloud Mountain Sword Sect, now sent a flood of invitations. Events like the Hidden Dragon Assembly and the Lesser Hidden Dragon Assembly sent personal invitations to Qin Zhenyang, Ning Zi, and even Wei Dong, all of whom had gained fame from the duel between the two sects.

Jiangnan had always been a prosperous region in Great Li, with a dense population and a flourishing Martial Dao. Making a name for oneself at the martial gatherings there offered many tangible benefits beyond mere fame.

Aside from the Cloud Mountain Sword Sect’s spreading fame, another major event occurred in Yanzhou, a province not far from Yunzhou.

The Golden Dragon Merchant Guild, a powerhouse that dominated the border and conducted trade between two territories, was annihilated overnight. Its head, the Grandmaster Wang Jinlong, was slain by an unknown expert at the guild’s headquarters.

Rumor had it that the Golden Dragon Merchant Guild was destroyed by the surviving Grandmaster of the Mu family, though the reason remained unknown.

The incident caused a huge stir. The Golden Dragon Merchant Guild was no small power; including the late Deng Wan, it had been overseen by two Grandmasters. However, ever since Deng Wan’s death, the guild’s fortunes had been in decline, leading to its eventual and utter destruction.

And the most likely culprit appeared to be the very same Grandmaster from the Mu family who had previously killed Deng Wan.

This led people to once again discuss the chase that occurred during the chaos in Yunzhou, a pursuit that had involved several Grandmasters and a single "culprit." It was just that said culprit had long since vanished without a trace, and no one knew whether they were dead or alive.

Xie Yuan overheard this news from other Outer Sect disciples, who were also discussing his name, debating whether he was dead.

"Ahem."

Xie Yuan coughed twice.

The chattering Outer Sect disciple paused, glanced back at Zhang Mountain, but paid him no mind and excitedly continued:

"...I think that Xie Yuan must have died somewhere. Otherwise, with a fiend as brazen as him, he would have definitely done something major by now!"

"..."

Xie Yuan silently walked away.

’The gossipy nature of these Outer Sect disciples is no better than that of the handymen. Why don’t they go sweep the floors or chop some firewood?’

After hearing about the Golden Dragon Merchant Guild’s destruction, Xie Yuan thought to himself:

’Was that Miss Mu’s doing? I wonder if she found any clues... Wang Jinlong was a veteran Grandmaster. I hope she wasn’t injured...’

Mu Chaoyun was far away in Yanzhou, or perhaps somewhere even more distant. Xie Yuan didn’t know where she was and couldn’t see her. Only occasionally, standing by Waterfall Cliff, would he find himself reminiscing about the moon from that night.

In the days following the snowfall, Xie Yuan took stock of his recent gains, allowed himself a moment of reflection, and then resumed his training as usual.

He had thought things would continue on like this until the new year, but one day during morning practice, an instructor brought some news.

"Lin Zhen, Pei Yu, your cultivation has shown great results. You’ve advanced to the Fourth Training in less than a year. The masters of the Outer Sect feel it is time for the two of you to descend the mountain for a trial."

Instructor Sun said with a smile.

All the disciples’ gazes snapped to the two at the front, their expressions filled with envy.

To reach the Fourth Training within a year—such talent placed them at the very top of this year’s batch of disciples.

As for the opportunity to go on a trial, that made the other disciples even more envious.

Every Outer Sect disciple was entitled to a first trial down the mountain, but you wouldn’t be allowed to go without the masters’ approval. If you never earned their recognition, you would never leave. It was possible to languish in the Outer Sect for several years, or even decades.

The fact that Lin Zhen and Pei Yu could go on a trial in less than a year showed just how highly the masters regarded them.

Beyond its primary purpose of training disciples, the trial served another, unspoken function: it was a re-evaluation of a disciple’s aptitude, and thus, a major opportunity.

And where could one go after passing this evaluation?

The Inner Sect, of course.

In the past, many Outer Sect disciples who performed exceptionally on their first trial were transferred directly to the Inner Sect to continue their cultivation upon their return!

The resources in the Inner Sect were vastly superior to those in the Outer Sect. Not only could disciples learn higher-grade Cultivation Techniques and receive instruction from more powerful masters, but even the Spiritual Qi in their living quarters was far more abundant.

However, the Inner Sect had always been the training ground for disciples at the Qi and Blood Metamorphosis Realm. The few External Training disciples accepted were those who had displayed astonishing talent upon joining the sect, earning them direct entry.

Lin Zhen and Pei Yu had clearly reached a stage where the masters believed that if they performed well during their trial, they could be transferred to the Inner Sect ahead of schedule.

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