Chapter Seven: The Loneliness of a Master
On the mountain behind the sect.
The evening breeze gently brushed through the hair of the boy and girl, lifting the edges of their blue-and-white robes, casting a glow upon their youthful, spirited faces.
When Wang Ran asked such a question, his little junior sister, Yan Wanrou, blushed an even deeper red. Yet, for some reason, that initial rush of excitement in her heart had diminished considerably.
She had no idea that the reason she had been so enamored with Wang Ran earlier was because, while he was unconscious, the system had activated his automatic defense—Charm at maximum level!
Any cultivator below the Golden Core stage would find it impossible to harbor the slightest ill will toward Wang Ran; regardless of gender, they would be irresistibly drawn to admire and adore him, even feeling a spontaneous sense of intimacy and affection.
Now that Wang Ran was awake, this function had naturally faded.
Still, for little junior sister, Wang Ran had left an indelible mark on her awakening heart.
As for Wang Ran, he was completely bewildered.
How did his junior sister end up here?
Lost in confusion, he had no time to figure it out before a series of system prompts interrupted his train of thought.
“Ding! Congratulations to host Wang Ran for successfully learning ‘Diamond Glazed Body.’ Current mastery: Initiate.”
“Ding! Congratulations to host Wang Ran for successfully forging a Foundation in the physical body. Reward: one mysterious treasure chest.”
The two prompts in quick succession pulled Wang Ran’s attention away from his junior sister.
What? He had succeeded in establishing his Foundation?
Wang Ran looked down at his own hands. Outwardly, they looked just as before: fair and delicate, like those of a pampered young master. Yet only he knew the tremendous power now hidden within these seemingly frail hands!
He took a deep breath and examined his own cultivation. His realm was unchanged: still at the peak of Qi Condensation. Only his physical body had stepped into Foundation Establishment.
He opened his personal information:
Host: Wang Ran
Realm: Peak Qi Condensation
Physical Body: Foundation Establishment, Level Two
Dao Arts: Diamond Glazed Body (Initiate)
Dao Points: Five
Romantic Fortune: One
Though he had spent ten Dao Points, Wang Ran didn’t feel the slightest regret. To obtain a Dao art like the Diamond Glazed Body was more than worth the price!
As expected of a Heaven-rank combat technique, the Diamond Glazed Body was formidable beyond measure. Even at the introductory stage, it propelled Wang Ran’s physical body directly into the Foundation Establishment period—no less, at the second level.
Afterward, Wang Ran inquired about the specific cultivation method for the Dao art from the system. While he could obtain various techniques through the lottery, the system would only guide him through the entry steps. How far he advanced afterward depended entirely on his own efforts.
The system would not directly cultivate the arts to perfection for Wang Ran. As the saying goes, a master leads you to the door, but cultivation lies with the individual. At best, the system was half a teacher; how the Dao art was wielded depended solely on Wang Ran’s own will.
If he focused wholeheartedly on the Dao, its power would become boundless.
Therefore, Wang Ran’s future progress with the Diamond Glazed Body rested entirely in his own hands.
He clenched his fists, feeling the surging power within. If the introductory stage was already this formidable, what heights could he reach if he attained mastery and perfection? If he advanced to the ultimate form, his body towering nearly thirty feet, what kind of devastation could a single punch unleash?
He could probably topple mountains and overturn seas with ease.
Eager to test his strength, Wang Ran thought that if he were to encounter assassins of yesterday’s caliber again, he’d have the confidence to face them head-on, without relying on the system’s lottery-drawn grenades to escape danger.
“Senior brother, are you alright?” Yan Wanrou, seeing Wang Ran silent and head lowered, thought perhaps he was still groggy from sleep and asked with concern.
Wang Ran looked up gently, a smile blooming on his face. “I’m fine. But junior sister, what brings you to this secluded rear mountain?”
At his question, the little junior sister blushed yet again. She couldn’t very well say she’d come just to see her senior brother, could she? Such words were too embarrassing for a girl to speak aloud!
Pouting and fidgeting, Yan Wanrou’s bashfulness left Wang Ran thoroughly mystified.
Suddenly, a rustling wind swept through the nearby bamboo grove. With his physical body now at Foundation Establishment and his senses keen, Wang Ran instinctively looked up. Not far off, three men in black appeared in the middle of the path.
Sensing their aura, Wang Ran immediately recognized that the leader among them was the very assassin who had tried to kill him the previous day.
He hadn’t expected them to return, this time with reinforcements!
But now, even without relying on any items, Wang Ran was confident he could handle them with his physical strength alone.
The three enforcers exchanged glances.
“Big brother, is it this kid?”
“That’s right, it’s him. He has a powerful hidden weapon—be careful.”
“Hmph, he’s just at the peak of Qi Condensation. Is he really that formidable?”
“Was Fourth’s death a lie, then? If you don’t believe me, go try yourself!”
They whispered among themselves. The leader, Vermilion Bird, was cautious, but his two companions were skeptical.
Because Wang Ran’s cultivation was now concealed by his Foundation-tier physical body, outsiders could sense only his Qi level and not his physical realm, unless a cultivator of great power was present to see through it.
Seeing this tattooed assassin return with backup, Wang Ran’s face darkened. “How dare you! Have you forgotten the terror of the grenade?”
His words were forceful, brimming with confidence. Vermilion Bird’s face instantly paled, and the terrifying memory of the grenade’s might flashed through his mind, causing cold sweat to bead on his forehead.
“Ding! Congratulations, host, for causing moderate psychological shock to the black-clad assassins. Reward: two Dao Points!”
Wang Ran’s expression remained calm. It seemed the man was indeed afraid.
In truth, Vermilion Bird was shaken; the memory of the grenade’s power still vivid. Yet, having come this far, he had no choice but to see things through.
While Vermilion Bird hesitated, the other two assassins grew impatient.
No matter what, they simply refused to believe that a peak Qi Condensation cultivator could kill a Foundation Establishment expert in a single blow. After sizing Wang Ran up and down, they couldn’t help but strike!
“A mere Qi Condensation cultivator dares boast? Take my sword!”
But as the two of them charged, Wang Ran merely snorted coldly, leaping atop a massive boulder. With a flick of his wide sleeve, he stood with hands behind his back.
He didn’t spare them a glance, instead narrowing his eyes to gaze at the starry sky, as if they were beneath his notice, not worth his attention in the slightest.
Vermilion Bird, who had been observing with caution, was startled and quickly called out, “Second and third brothers, be careful, it could be a trap!”
At his warning, the two halted abruptly, warily watching Wang Ran’s serene expression.
Wang Ran gazed at the stars above, as if lost in reminiscence, his eyes at times filled with emotion, at others shining with cold light—complex and unfathomable. At last, he sighed softly.
“When autumn comes on the eighth of September, after my flowers bloom, all others wither. The fragrance soars through Chang’an, the city awash in golden armor...”
Everyone present was stunned.
What a poem!
A verse suffused with killing intent!
But what did he mean by this?
As uncertainty gripped their hearts, Wang Ran continued, “In years past, I rode through battlefields, a million souls beneath my sword. I once swore never to kill again in this life, yet today I must break that vow.”
“So be it. Fate and time dictate as they will. Since you have come today, abandon hope of leaving alive!”
With the air of a lonely master, Wang Ran’s blue-and-white robe billowed in the mountain breeze, his aura swelling until he seemed every bit a peerless cultivator.
Everyone on the scene was awestruck. Little junior sister Yan Wanrou’s eyes sparkled with adoration.
“Ding! Congratulations, host Wang Ran, for causing intense psychological shock to the black-clad assassins. Reward: three Dao Points!”
“Ding! Congratulations, host Wang Ran, for causing intense psychological shock to the black-clad assassins. Reward: three Dao Points!”
“Ding! Congratulations, host Wang Ran, for causing intense psychological shock to Yan Wanrou. Reward: three Dao Points!”
...
Hearing the system’s prompts in his mind, a barely discernible smile appeared on Wang Ran’s face of solitary mastery.