Only Two Words

Luo Xuan looked at the woman before her and ultimately asked nothing more. Had it not been for her, Luo Xuan might have secured that spot. Had she competed against Fang Yong at her peak, her chances of winning would actually have been quite good. Yet matters had reached this point, and she had no choice but to accept it. It was all scheming and tactics, and she had simply lost. Still, to say she harbored no resentment toward the woman before her was naturally impossible. Revenge... seemed pointless as well. Because the outcome could not be changed. Why bring additional trouble upon her clan? Pausing, she asked, "When will Jiang Man find out that the letter was written by you?" "Soon enough. It won't be long now. Though clearly, that letter didn't bring about any change in him," Cheng Yu said with a smile. Pausing, she added, "It's already March, and there isn't much time left until August. Have you made up your mind? "Will it be recruiting a son-in-law, or an arranged marriage alliance? "Once August arrives, it will be too late." By then, everything would already be settled, leaving no opportunity to spot a diamond in the rough. Whether one could enter the sect would be nearly impossible to alter. The earlier resources were put to use, the better. To win someone over and do so successfully was naturally best accomplished when he was at his weakest and most helpless. "The second contention will produce rankings again. They should all be watching the outcome this time," Luo Xuan said. "If Jiang Man weren't already married, he would truly be an ideal choice," Cheng Yu remarked with feeling. Luo Xuan shook her head and said, "Actually, you're overthinking it. After sparring with him several times, I've found he isn't like ordinary people. "He likely won't be reined in, nor is it possible he would marry into another clan as a matrilocal son-in-law." Cheng Yu shook her head, a stubborn look on her face. "I don't believe that. Everyone has a weakness. I just haven't found his, or perhaps his weakness hasn't been triggered and exposed yet." "You still plan to provoke him?" Luo Xuan asked in surprise. "No." Cheng Yu shook her head and smiled. "What right do I have?" "What about Fang Yong?" Cheng Yu asked then. "He isn't typical either. His heart is set entirely on climbing upward, and he will never stop. He probably has an indelible conviction, and marrying into a family would run completely counter to it," Luo Xuan said. "Your perspective is too narrow, and you hate fighting for things. Someone like you is bound to suffer losses," Cheng Yu continued. "Right now you are the young mistress of your clan, so naturally it doesn't matter much. But whether it's taking a husband or entering a political marriage, your temperament is one that always ends up drawing the short straw." Luo Xuan lowered her gaze. Having failed to secure a spot, she could no longer see any hope for the path ahead. "Courtesy of you," she said indifferently. Cheng Yu merely chuckled, offering no reply. *** Jiang Man sat cross-legged in the courtyard. Over this period, he had cultivated without ceasing. From February until now, in mid-March, he had consumed pills almost every day— those he earned himself, as well as those given by the little fatty. This allowed his progress to be exceptionally swift. The seventh "gourd" had gone from twenty percent at the beginning to thirty percent, fifty percent, seventy percent... and now, a full hundred percent. It had truly been agonizingly hard work. Nearly three months of consuming massive quantities of pills and pouring in immense effort had barely allowed him to step half a foot into the Qi-Linking eighth layer. His physical cultivation had also smoothly advanced from the fifth tier to the sixth, and his Flawless Qi and Blood Pills were completely exhausted. So to break through the bottleneck, he chose the Visualization Method after all. Mainly, the Visualization Method had thirteen layers and did not require enduring starvation, reducing the expenditure of spirit sources. After taking three ordinary Mind Concentration Pills, he smoothly entered the Spiritual fourth tier. Half the credit went to having thirteen layers of the Visualization Method. With a higher layer, visualizing went faster, and the tempering of his spirit became increasingly pronounced. Having finished circulating his technique, Jiang Man let out a long breath. "Judging by the timing of the first contention, there should still be about three days left this time. There's no great rush." Jiang Man felt he already had half a foot in the Qi-Linking eighth layer and could successfully break through within a day or two. As for the Qi-Linking ninth layer... He had a feeling that it would be very difficult to reach. "I wonder if there is anyone at the Qi-Linking ninth layer in Qingyun Pavilion. "Logically, there's a certain probability among the Six Pavilions, and the Three Towers definitely have some." Recalling Li Yuan and Fang Tianyi, Jiang Man felt there was no Qi-Linking ninth layer in Qingyun Pavilion. The Qi-Linking eighth layer should be the limit. At least the top two or three were not at the ninth layer, though it was still uncertain whether Fang Tianyi was first or second. Regardless, he definitely had to reach the Qi-Linking eighth layer and then obtain the spells he wanted. Without spells, he was too passive. He needed sufficiently powerful spells to defeat those clan prodigies. Otherwise, merely entering the sect would be easy enough, but entering in first place was basically impossible. The gap in financial resources was simply too vast. "Old Yellow, where do you think I can get some powerful spells?" Jiang Man asked. As he was now, his cultivation was on the verge of peaking; only spells were lacking. Without spells, he could not bring out his true strength. "You can continue raising your cultivation. When your cultivation reaches the pinnacle, even if your spells are somewhat inferior, your chances of winning will still be the highest," the old yellow ox said. Jiang Man was stunned. "The Yunqian Division has no Qi-Linking ninth layer?" The old yellow ox raised its brow, looking at Jiang Man. "Why wouldn't there be?" "Then how do I reach the highest cultivation?" Jiang Man asked. "There are disparities even among prodigies, and the Qi-Linking ninth layer is no exception," the old yellow ox said calmly. "Reaching the highest cultivation does not mean your physical body is at the highest tier, nor does it mean your spirit is at the highest tier." Hearing this, Jiang Man understood. The Qi-Linking ninth layer required a physical body of the sixth tier and a spirit of the third tier. Few people raised both all the way to the ninth tier, because there simply wasn't enough time. Yet as long as he had spirit sources, he had enough time. After all, he had nine layers of the Qi-Blood Method and thirteen layers of the Visualization Method. It seemed he could shift his focus here. Immediately, he asked, "The little fatty's training plan doesn't seem to be doing much." "Is he a prodigy like you?" the old yellow ox asked. "No." Jiang Man shook his head. "Then isn't it perfectly normal that there's little progress?" The old yellow ox paused, then continued, "It can only show results over a long time. You can't see much from this training plan right away, but over time it will be of some use. "If all else fails, let him follow your old path and marry a wife." Jiang Man: "..." Forget it. As long as it was useful, he wouldn't dwell on it further. Better to focus on raising his own cultivation first. *** Gao Manor. Holding the book the little fatty frequently read during cultivation, Gao Cunfeng handed it to a man with graying temples and said, "Old Chen, take a look at this. Is this thing of any use?" Old Chen took the book and began reading. At first, there was nothing unusual, but the more he read, the tighter his brows furrowed. Because looking at it from beginning to end, he saw only two words throughout the entire book: stay up. Soon, he closed the book and said, "Patriarch, this cultivation method is somewhat..." "Somewhat what?" Gao Cunfeng asked. "Somewhat overly extreme. Is this meant for death warriors to train with?" Old Chen asked cautiously. Gao Cunfeng: "..." In an instant, he felt that the little fatty was simply fooling around. Following the top student was fine, but why on earth had he asked him to teach? He had overlooked that anyone from a poor background was prone to risking life and limb. From the looks of it, this truly wasn't suitable for his son. Yet he said no more about it, merely stating, "Old Chen, help modify it. See what would be most effective." "That depends on who is training with it," Old Chen said. "It's for Gao Yao," Gao Cunfeng said. Once it was properly modified in the next couple of days, he would secretly swap out this book. He would just say the other boy had provided a new one. Still, a new round of the technique contention was approaching; he might as well see just how capable this person truly was.