Book 2: Chapter 58: Who laughs at whom?
In the courtyard, Liu Mingyue wielded a long Mo Dao, her blade swinging continuously. A faint trace of Heaven’s Fate Energy flowed along the edge, exuding an air of destiny.
“It\'s her?” Zhang Xuan was startled.
Whether it was Zhao Ya, Wang Ying, Liu Yang, or Lu Chong, each had extraordinary talent, far surpassing this young lady. Yet, none of them succeeded, while she had already stepped through the door.
Though it was only a shallow entry, her progress was far less useful to him than Zheng Yang\'s.
Even with his strength suppressed, the disparity in insight and understanding of cultivation between a novice and a seasoned expert who had roamed the heavens was enormous.
“That’s not right. Raise the tip of the blade slightly, let the power sink, and imagine your strength emanating from the Source Pool…”
After recovering from his surprise, Zhang Xuan began providing hands-on guidance.
Under his pointers, Liu Mingyue progressed rapidly. In less than an hour, she could already execute a complete Mo Dao martial technique and had gained deep insight into the Mo Dao Heaven’s Fate. Her understanding even surpassed that of Madam Yu and Yu Qingyu.
With a single slash, the aura of destiny lingered, as if the soul itself would tremble before her blade.
This was no longer a mere initiation. Like Zhang Xuan before her, she had reached the state of "Heaven’s Fate Lies Within Me."
To have stepped into this realm so quickly could only mean one thing: this girl possessed the potential to become a Destiny Master!
Zhang Xuan shared his thoughts aloud. “It seems you may have the chance to become a Destiny Master!”
Liu Mingyue’s face lit up with disbelief. “Ah?”
A Destiny Master was akin to a divine being in White Roc City. The three great families, including Dean Lu and City Lord Yu Longqing, had all pursued this goal without success. That she might have such an opportunity felt like a dream.
Seeing her stunned expression, Zhang Xuan smiled. “If you could grasp the Mo Dao so quickly, it shows you have the aptitude. Pack up, and I’ll take you to the Destiny Hall for a proper assessment.”
The Destiny Hall had methods to assess talent. If she truly possessed this potential, it would surely be discovered and nurtured early.
“Yes!” Liu Mingyue nodded excitedly.
“Teacher, can we come too?” Yu Xiaoyu and Hong Yi looked over expectantly.
“Alright.” Zhang Xuan nodded. “I also have a few disciples from earlier. I’ll call them over to meet you, and we’ll go together for the test!”
Zhao Ya and the others had been training separately from Yu Xiaoyu and her group, so they hadn’t met yet. As they were all his students, it was a good opportunity to introduce them.
As he walked away, Yu Xiaoyu turned to Hong Yi with curiosity. “Didn’t Teacher only become a teacher after arriving in White Roc City? How could he have other disciples? I’ve never heard of it.”
When they first met, their teacher had been a stable hand without cultivation, seemingly incapable of guiding disciples.
“Probably like Old Zhou the horse trainer—he likely accepted students with non-combat talents. Their aptitude must not be great!” Liu Mingyue speculated.
“That makes sense. Even if their talent isn’t outstanding, we shouldn’t mock them as fellow students!” Yu Xiaoyu cautioned, worried that Liu Mingyue might act arrogantly.
“Of course not. I’m not even officially recognized as Teacher’s disciple yet. I wouldn’t dare act out…” Liu Mingyue quickly agreed.
Though she had followed the teacher here, she was still merely an observer, not a formal disciple. She had no grounds to mock others, no matter their talent.
Yu Xiaoyu looked at Hong Yi, who immediately waved his hands. “I won’t. My own talent is poor enough…”
“Good.”
As the three talked, the sound of approaching footsteps came from the courtyard’s depths. Soon, they saw a group of youths around their age following Teacher out.
“Their strength really isn’t great…”
The group didn’t hide their auras, and Yu Xiaoyu and the others quickly discerned their cultivation levels. Most hovered at the Source Pool Realm Fourth Level, Body Tempering.
In contrast, after their recent training, they had reached the Source Pool Realm Fifth Level, Meridian Unclogging—clearly a full stage ahead.
“These are my newly accepted disciples: Yu Xiaoyu, Liu Mingyue, and Hong Yi. These are my earlier students: Zhao Ya, Wang Ying, Liu Yang, and Zheng Yang…”
As Zhang Xuan introduced them, the two groups quickly got acquainted.
“Let’s go!”
Without further elaboration, Zhang Xuan led them out of the courtyard.
The Destiny Hall was some distance away. Initially, Zhang Xuan kept a slow pace, but seeing that everyone could keep up, he gradually sped up. This became an impromptu endurance drill.
At first, Yu Xiaoyu and Liu Mingyue managed smoothly, but as they progressed, they began to feel the strain, beads of sweat forming on their foreheads.
This pace was clearly at the limit of their Meridian Unclogging cultivation. Afraid to fall behind, they gritted their teeth and pressed on.
“Seniors, I can’t keep up…” Hong Yi, however, was the first to falter, his True Energy in disarray and his breaths labored.
“Hang in there…” Yu Xiaoyu frowned and gritted her teeth. “If Teacher’s earlier disciples, with their lower cultivation, can keep up, why can’t we?”
“Yes!” Encouraged, Hong Yi pushed through his discomfort.
Peering ahead, Zhang Xuan’s earlier disciples ran with ease, their movements fluid, contrasting sharply with their own struggles.
“This doesn’t make sense… Why aren’t they tired?” Yu Xiaoyu muttered, puzzled.
With lower cultivation, those students should have been struggling even more. Yet, they moved with effortless grace.
“Maybe they’re just pushing through like we are,” Liu Mingyue guessed. “They probably look calm but are faking it.”
“True!” Yu Xiaoyu nodded, agreeing with her assessment.
Just then, Teacher increased his pace again. Gritting their teeth, the trio drew on their Source Pool’s reserves to sustain their True Energy. But they soon realized that their seemingly abundant energy had been entirely depleted.
“No matter. With our high-grade Source Pools, we can refine Source Energy as we go…” Liu Mingyue murmured, and the other two nodded.
Activating their Source Pools, they absorbed energy from the air. This eased their strain somewhat, but when they glanced back at the earlier disciples, they were still moving smoothly, as if unaffected.
“What’s going on here?”
The trio was baffled. Despite their superior cultivation, they were struggling to keep up while the others, weaker on paper, remained unfazed.
As confusion set in, Wang Ying turned and called out, “Teacher, they’re falling behind…”
Hearing this, Zhang Xuan’s earlier disciples all glanced back at them, and Yu Xiaoyu’s and Liu Mingyue’s faces flushed with embarrassment.
“My mistake. Apologies!” Zhao Ya smiled as she approached Yu Xiaoyu. “Here, let me help you.”
Yu Xiaoyu wanted to refuse, but before she could, Zhao Ya placed her hand on her arm. A warm energy flowed through her meridians, erasing her exhaustion in an instant. Her steps felt light, and the pace that had seemed overwhelming moments ago became trivial.
“This…”
Yu Xiaoyu’s pupils contracted. Though Zhao Ya’s cultivation was lower, the True Energy coursing into her was boundless and pure, far beyond her own.
Her own energy was like a stream, while Zhao Ya’s was like mercury—dense and unyielding.
“Could her talent exceed mine?” Yu Xiaoyu speculated, finding it reasonable. “Since she’s Teacher’s senior disciple, it’s natural she’d have greater talent. The others, though, should be different…”
Before the thought concluded, she heard a voice nearby.
“You’re too slow. Forget it—I’ll carry you!”
Turning her head, she saw Hong Yi being hoisted effortlessly by a young man, who then charged forward at an astonishing pace.
“???”
Struggling to walk, Yu Xiaoyu could hardly believe her eyes. How could someone carry another person and still move this swiftly?
The young man was ranked tenth among Zhang Xuan’s disciples—Shan Xiaotian. His cultivation? Only at the Source Pool Realm Third Level, Energy Storing!
A mere Energy Storing practitioner was running faster than them, and with someone on his back no less.
For a moment, Yu Xiaoyu questioned her earlier assumptions. Mocking these disciples now seemed unnecessary. Clearly, they weren’t as ordinary as they appeared.
“Shan Xiaotian, Zhao Ya, what are you doing?”
Zhang Xuan’s stern voice cut through the air as he turned to face them. His expression darkened.
“Teacher…” Zhao Ya and Shan Xiaotian froze, immediately letting go. Yu Xiaoyu stumbled and nearly fell, while Hong Yi landed face-first on the ground, groaning pitifully.
“I purposely increased the pace to temper their weak foundations. What’s the point if you help them?” Zhang Xuan waved dismissively. “Move aside. I’ll handle it!”