Chapter 118: Advice
Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations
Only Liu Yan and Fang Yuan were left in the guest hall after Leader Niu left.
Liu Yan seized Fang Yuan up and sighed, "My friend, you have reached such a high level at such a young age. On the other hand, I have achieved nothing at my age..."
"Prefecture Master, you have overestimated me!"
Fang Yuan replied humbly.
While Fang Yuan had previously heard about Liu Yan's character, he still felt the need to be wary of Liu Yan.
"This is not overestimating you!"
Liu Yan stroked his sparse goatee and said, "From what I know, there are only a few people who are able to reach the level of Wuzong or spiritual knight in Xia Country. You are the first person to simultaneously reach the two levels in Xia Country! I think even amongst the neighbouring countries, you are considered a genius that appeared once every 300 years!"
While many old masters were able to alter their appearance to look young, the life energy that they exuded was different. Not even Fang Yuan's real age could be hidden from Liu Yan's spiritual eye.
Fang Yuan did not expect that Liu Yan would hold him in such high esteem.
After a moment of silence, Liu Yan asked, "Who is your teacher?"
"I am from Qinghe County, and my teacher is Master Wenxin!"
Fang Yuan used his master's alias which was the name that his master used to avoid trouble.
Upon hearing that Fang Yuan was from Qinghe County, Liu Yan laughed. "Good! Good! Good! A youth from my Secluded Mountain Prefecture!"
He pondered for a while before asking, "Where is your master?"
The master must be frightening if he was able to train his disciple to such a level.
"My master is long gone!"
This was no secret. Many in Qingye City knew and Fang Yuan did not make any attempt to hide the fact.
"I see! No wonder..."
Liu Yan nodded. He suddenly thought of something and after pondering it for a while, he made up his mind. "I want to talk to you about something but I wonder if you are willing to hear it out?"
"Please speak!"
Fang Yuan waved his hand.
"The cultivation of martial arts or the road to being a spiritual knight requires years of effort and hardship. There is a limit to the energy of a person no matter how talented he is. This is especially true where it becomes increasingly difficult to progress later on. My friend, it is advisable to only choose one path of cultivation if you do not want to end up like us. Only then will you be able to achieve success!"
Liu Yan advised.
"Thank you for your input sir!"
Fang Yuan felt like rolling his eyes as Liu Yan did not mention the conditions of joining the alliance and instead gave him a piece of advice regarding his cultivation.
Fang Yuan knew that Liu Yan meant well. However, Fang Yuan was very different from other geniuses and as such, the advice was not applicable to him.
"I would advise you to choose the path of the spiritual knight if you are to choose one path of cultivation!"
Liu Yan could see that Fang Yuan did not take his advice to heart and turned strict, "Furthermore, from my years of experience. I have a revelation that there is no path after Wuzong!"
"There is no path of cultivation after Wuzong?"
Fang Yuan quivered as he noticed this problem.
"That's correct!"
Liu Yan laughed bitterly, "Why did you think the 12 Golden Gates of Cultivation was set up?"
"It was to help those martial artists to develop a strong foundation, especially those who lacked the aptitude to reach a higher state of elemental force!"
Fang Yuan answered without a moment of hesitation.
He had the right to be confident for someone who had undergone the cultivation of martial arts.
Based on his predictions, the path of martial arts was conceived by a spiritual knight who wanted to benefit the masses. Therefore, the step by step process through the 12 Gates was created.
After all, the path of a spiritual knight started from a spiritual disciple followed by becoming a spiritual knight. This was a huge single step and was extremely difficult.
Martial arts divided this huge single step into 12 Gates. There was a process to be followed as a path to increase one's cultivation level. Finally, those cultivators with enough magical energy would successfully breakthrough if they have just enough potential to become a spiritual knight or alchemy master.
"That is correct!"
Liu Yan nodded his head, "However, martial arts' elemental force is primitive and low-levelled. How can it be compared to a spiritual knight's elemental force?
Even the techniques of the Spirit Returning Sect and the Five Ghosts Sect could only reach the realm of Wuzong with no means to progress after..."
Liu Yan continued, "There are sayings that in the distant Da Qian Empire where martial arts is common and progression in martial arts is fast where the realm after Wuzong had been clearly divided, unlike here where people are still sentimental..."
"Therefore, comparatively, for us spiritual knights, as long as we cultivate naturally and slowly develop our elemental force, by accumulating our cultivation, we would be able to achieve a breakthrough. We have also inherited a few incomplete records of the way ahead, and are not completely clueless about the future for this path of cultivation!"
"This information should be given to you by your master. However, as he had passed away, I could only take matters into my own hands and tell you this."
Fang Yuan listened carefully and his expression grew grave.
"Loss of the path of martial arts, incomplete spiritual knight cultivation techniques...I did not expect the Secluded Mountain Prefecture and even Xia Country to be a barren wasteland for cultivators!"
"I wonder if the Da Qian Empire would be more interesting as compared to here."
He thanked Liu Yan as his mind revolved around the thought.
After all, even though Master Wenxin had given him the full inheritance describing the path to becoming a dream master, Fang Yuan was still clueless about the situation in Xia Country and the recent changes in the cultivators' world.
'I need no reminder to continue down my path as a dream master!'
Fang Yuan now realized the value of the inheritance in his hand.
Compared to the other spiritual knights who only had the badly damaged inheritance, Fang Yuan felt that he would be able to achieve much more than the other spiritual knights and would not walk into a dead-end.
Fang Yuan felt that given time and effort, he would be able to surpass Liu Yan's and Lu Renjia's level.
"So? What do you think?"
Liu Yan looked at Fang Yuan and grimaced.
"No...I was momentarily lost from too much information!"
Fang Yuan shook his head, "Furthermore, I do not know the situation of the cultivation world in the Da Qian Empire."
"There are rumours that path of martial arts is well developed in the faraway Da Qian Empire. They have already discovered the cultivation path after Wu Zong. This is unlike us here. Even if we have discovered the way ahead, we would selfishly keep it for ourselves..."
There are also many spiritual knights who possessed frightening inheritance. It is said that a single person could take on tens or even hundreds of our people..."
Liu Yan drifted off and sighed, "It's a shame that the Da Qian Empire is so far away with many dangers along the way. It is said that not even a Wu Zong or a spiritual knight would be able to reach there easily!"
'Da Qian? I would go there and have a look once I become a Dream Master!'
Fang Yuan silently made up his mind.
Fang Yuan had heard of Da Qian Empire before. Master Wenxin was from Da Qian who travelled to Xia Country to avoid trouble.
"I am really grateful for your advice!"
He asked, "I just wonder why you would tell me so much?"
"Haha...good question"
Liu Yan's eyes appeared bright, "I gave you so much information precisely because you are a part of the Secluded Mountain Prefecture! You are much better than that outsider, Lu Renjia!"
Fang Yuan did not know whether to laugh or cry. To think that the Prefecture Master was such a staunch supporter of this ideology.
"Since you are from Qinghe County, I believe that the Spirit Returning Sect Sect Master Shi Yutong fell at your hands?"
Liu Yan closed his eyes and suddenly exclaimed, "That Lin Yin was cunning and recently appeared in Qinghe County. I did not expect you to act so quickly and capture them in one fell swoop!"
"They colluded and tried to kill me. I can only act first..."
Fang Yuan laughed bitterly, "That is the reason why I come to the Prefecture Master to seek protection!"
"Hmmmm?"
Liu Yan laughed, "Haha...good, straight to the point! I like your frank and sincere character!"
Whether it was the first impression or the effect of the dream master, Liu Yan was starting to like Fang Yuan.
Elder Han and Elder Bian would not be able to die peacefully if they were to hear about Liu Yan's assessment of Fang Yuan.
"What do you want me to do? Send the army to Qinghe County to support you?"
Liu Yan looked at Fang Yuan jokingly.
"Of course not!"
Fang Yuan shook his head.
While Liu Yan appeared to like him, talk was cheap.
If Liu Yan would readily send in troops after hearing a few words from Fang Yuan, it would be because his brain was damaged.
No one so naïve would be able to hold the position of the Prefecture Master.
As such, Fang Yuan needed an object or say things that would sway Liu Yan.
Ling Yin was just a small gesture.
"Sending an army would waste too much time and effort. Furthermore, I was not hoping that the Prefecture Master would help me conquer the whole county..."
Fang Yuan blinked his eyes, "I was wondering if you are interested to quickly end the war?"
"Hmmmm? Speak!"
Liu Yan straightened up when he heard this. It was obvious that he was interested.
"It was only recently that I took down Shi Yutong and Ling Yin. Lu Renjia would not be able to receive such news so quickly!"
Fang Yuan had already thought of what to say on his journey, "The Spirit Returning Sect is currently without a leader. In order to stabilise the alliance, he would send a powerful person, even himself, to keep the situation at hand. This makes him an easy target to ambush. Even if we are not able to kill him, we would be able to gravely injure him!"
"Using a spiritual beast? He would be caught unprepared?"
Liu Yan's eyes glinted.