Jiang Man did not dwell on it.
As had been said before, when the Magpie Bridge opened this time, she would project herself across through some art. It would not be her true body.
Divorce was actually open to discussion.
Afterward, Jiang Man began cultivating.
He had to master the spell, the Nine Clouds Dragon Suppressing Seal, as soon as possible. Only then could he bring the advantages of the Qi-Linking eighth layer into full play. Otherwise, when facing an ordinary cultivator at the Qi-Linking eighth layer, it would just be an even match, simply because he lacked a sufficiently powerful spell.
With the same spell, he could learn faster than others, and its power would be greater than others'.
And besides spells, there was his cultivation.
In the span of three months, he needed to find a way to earn spirit sources and advance further. After all, those competing in the next trial would be from the Three Towers. Although the Six Pavilions' top rank was also a threat, Qi-Linking eighth layer posed no danger to him.
Having already circulated the spell once, continuing was naturally easier than before.
After pondering for quite a while, he successfully circulated it again.
This time, he still had not reached the spell's first layer.
But it was close.
When he circulated it successfully for the third time, Jiang Man felt the power of the spell resonate with the Dragon Suppressing Method.
A massive golden mark, shaped like a glyph, slowly emerged.
Nine Clouds Dragon Suppressing Seal, first layer.
The mark shot forth and crashed down following his palm strike.
With a boom, it blasted a crater into the ground.
Its power was stronger than the Dragon Suppressing Method, comparable to three palms combined into one. There was good reason it was difficult to learn.
The hour was late, and Jiang Man dared not stop. Dawn would arrive soon, so he could only keep cultivating.
After circulating it six more times:
Nine Clouds Dragon Suppressing Seal, second layer.
After twelve times:
Nine Clouds Dragon Suppressing Seal, third layer.
After twenty-four times:
Nine Clouds Dragon Suppressing Seal, fourth layer.
The sky had already brightened.
Yet Jiang Man did not rest in the slightest. He had to cultivate the Nine Clouds Dragon Suppressing Seal to the twelfth layer before the first of April. Logically speaking, there was enough time. He could even spare two hours to light the lamps at the Spirit Gathering Hall.
Now he could earn a hundred spirit sources a day.
Three thousand a month.
Compared to the average pay of six hundred outside, this was considered a high income. Unfortunately, even three thousand was not enough for his cultivation. The higher his cultivation, the greater the consumption.
Thinking back on Fang Yong's situation, Jiang Man was quite curious. To have grown to this point, what had Fang Yong relied upon?
Clearly, the resources provided by his family were insufficient. Nor had he been seen going to the Spirit Gathering Hall. Where did he earn spirit stones?
It had to be said that for Fang Yong to advance to the Qi-Linking sixth layer, he too possessed extraordinary talent. However, to enter the sect, he would likely need to advance to the Qi-Linking seventh layer. And between the sixth and seventh layers lay a massive bottleneck; breaking through was no easy feat.
Yet...
Jiang Man recalled the envelope he had received. Logically speaking, Fang Yong must have received one as well. If he chose to marry into the family, this would no longer be a problem.
For a moment, Jiang Man was also very curious whether Fang Yong would marry into the Luo family. As things stood, for poor people like them, marrying into a prominent family was the best choice.
Unfortunately, he was already married.
Of course, even if he weren't, he wouldn't stoop to the point of marrying into someone else's family. As for why? Naturally, it was a matter of talent.
Putting aside his wandering thoughts, Jiang Man continued cultivating.
After forty-eight times:
Nine Clouds Dragon Suppressing Seal, fifth layer.
After ninety-six times:
Nine Clouds Dragon Suppressing Seal, sixth layer.
Another day passed.
Nine Clouds Dragon Suppressing Seal, seventh layer.
Two days later:
Nine Clouds Dragon Suppressing Seal, eighth layer.
Four days later:
Nine Clouds Dragon Suppressing Seal, ninth layer.
By late March, Jiang Man was cultivating bitterly without stop in the courtyard, not slackening in the slightest. Golden light shimmered around his body, and nine cloud seals flickered in and out of view.
Until the setting sun sank in the west.
Jiang Man withdrew his power and formed hand seals. *Rumble!*
A dragon's roar resonated, and golden radiance burst forth. A colossal golden dragon unfurled behind Jiang Man, while nine cloud seals spun madly around him.
Nine Clouds Dragon Suppressing Seal—major mastery achieved.
The old yellow ox watched Jiang Man, chewing the grass in its mouth.
The speed of Jiang Man's advancement was truly absurd. At the Qi-Linking stage, no one could match him. It was very curious about what was really going on, yet it would not ask again.
If it asked, the answer was always "a matter of talent." Or because he took a wife.
It believed neither, yet... could there be another reason? After all, it knew better than anyone what he had been doing over the years.
Still, there was no rush. Once he reached Foundation Establishment, it would be plain at a glance whether this was a fleeting flash in the pan or the rise of a prodigy.
"Old Yellow, how is my Nine Clouds Dragon Suppressing Seal?" Jiang Man's voice came from a distance.
The old yellow ox lowered its head to graze, paying him no mind.
Jiang Man walked over and said, "Old Yellow, you aren't as fun as you used to be. In the past, you'd at least mock me a bit."
The old yellow ox gave a dry chuckle. *The basest traits of humanity are displayed by you to perfection.*
Looking at the setting sun, Jiang Man sighed with emotion. His cultivation speed had been a bit slow this time; the progress of his spell mastery was lagging behind. He still needed to go touch some treasures; that was how he could stimulate his talent.
Afterward, Jiang Man cleaned the stables and began cooking. He still had to go to the Spirit Gathering Hall tonight.
By now, he had saved up two thousand spirit sources. Tomorrow was April the first. The little fatty's spirit sources and Spirit Gathering Pills would arrive. He could further consider how to advance, and take the opportunity to ask if Fang Yong had married into the Luo family.
***
On the other side, at Moonviewing Tower.
A young man was cultivating the Nine Clouds Dragon Suppressing Seal, with four glyph-like cloud marks already revolving around him. When he withdrew his power, a fifth mark appeared alongside them.
Only then did the youth exhale a breath of relief.
Beside him stood a middle-aged man—the very person who had previously sought out Jiang Man on behalf of the Li family.
"Young Master," the middle-aged man greeted respectfully with a bow.
"Old Jin, how did things go?" the youth asked.
"A few people still refused us for the second trial, but most require no attention. There is only one named Jiang Man who needs to be contacted again," Old Jin said.
"Jiang Man? The one ranked second in the Six Pavilions?" the youth asked with curiosity.
"Yes. His vision is too narrow; we still must find a way to make him understand that not all people are created equal," Old Jin replied.
"The first rank of the Six Pavilions is Cheng Moyang, right?" the youth said softly. "Right now, he should be the one under great pressure. Unless necessary, we don't need to make a move. Cheng Moyang will likely act as the villain to make Jiang Man understand that people are different. A poor person is ultimately just a poor person. No matter how high their talent, they remain poor. Without someone backing them, they won't amount to anything in the end. Besides, my demand is simple: I want him to pave the way for me in the next trial, so that I can reach greater heights."
In the third trial, the finest rewards would certainly not be simple. Thus, anyone who accepted the Li family's sponsorship had to become his stepping stones. The purpose of sponsoring them was never to let them claim top honors, but to make it easier for members of the Li family to take first place.
Pausing, the youth continued, "When necessary, have Li Yuan cooperate with you to bring Jiang Man into line. The second rank of the Six Pavilions can indeed be put to good use."
To the Three Towers, the second rank of the Six Pavilions was hardly a formidable rival—at best, possessing a bit of competitiveness, but only a bit. The best use for such a person was to obstruct others' progress, as had always been done over the years.
Hearing this, Old Jin nodded, then departed to make contact with Jiang Man.
Meanwhile, in the Six Pavilions quarters, Cheng Moyang remained silent. Beside him, Young Master Yang lowered his brow and said, "I never expected that a poor kid we once casually toyed with could actually become a threat."
Chapter 71