The clan lands of the Changkong.
The Zhang clan's assembly hall.
"The more I look at Fang Yang, the more he reminds me of the Carp Eagle Saint. Should we really not take this opportunity, while he's at the Thunder Punishment Banner, to eliminate... him?" A hunched-over old man's eyes turned cold as he spoke viciously.
"Absolutely not!"
"Don't do anything reckless."
"I think you've really gone mad..."
"Fang Yang is only at the Thunder Punishment Banner because of those two little girls, Sen Hui and Sen Wei. Taking such an action would undoubtedly offend them, and it might even provoke Dao Seed Sen Yue to investigate."
"Exactly. We can't be the first to break the rules, or Ye'Er and the others will also be in danger!"
"Fang Yang is impressive, but Ye'Er is no slouch either. Besides... even if Fang Yang truly surpasses Ye'Er one day and becomes a Saint, it's not like we'll face a great purge!"
The other elders quickly shouted him down, forcibly ending the topic.
Fang Yang was indeed impressive and was beginning to show his own brilliance, but it wasn't enough to make them disregard all rules and strike a fatal blow.
This wasn't some soft-hearted sentiment; it was because they walked the Righteous Path.
The Righteous Path had its own rules. One could not act simply based on personal whim.
People who did so were villains of the Demon Dao, unacceptable to the world!
...
A letter, transferred from the Cangmu Banner on the front lines to the Thunder Punishment Banner in the rear, arrived in Fang Yang's hands.
The letter was from Second Uncle Fang!
[...I received your letter. Don't worry about me; everything is fine on the front lines.
...Though I am not by your side, you must not slack off in your training. Of course, I trust that you won't.
...If possible, you should do your best to foster a good relationship with Sen Hui. Back in the day, Ancestor Fang Nian also had his own female confidantes—more than one, in fact.
...At your current cultivation level, although you can't form a second Lifebound Skill yet, you can start practicing the 'Thunderous Strike Skill.' For specific training, you can go find your Seventh Uncle.
...The Small Frost Horse sent you a small tuft of its mane. Hehe, that little one is a bit peculiar—timid and prone to tears, but with extraordinary potential. It seems to be very interested in you. Can you accept it as it is?...]
It was a long letter, nearly every inch covered in Second Uncle Fang's handwriting, showing just how high his hopes were for Fang Yang.
As Fang Yang read the letter, his expression shifted from a frown to a smile.
When he read the part about the Small Frost Horse, the corners of his mouth turned up slightly.
'Timid and prone to tears, but with extraordinary potential? That's fine. A timid and teary personality is a speed-boosting stat.'
For some reason, Fang Yang was reminded of the pet battle games from his previous life.
He didn't mind the Small Frost Horse's personality at all. He believed they would get along perfectly, almost seamlessly.
Then, Fang Yang let out a soft breath, picked up the tuft of frost-white mane, and carefully sensed the flow of Primordial Qi within it.
Up on the roof beam, the White Feathered Eagle's eyes narrowed sharply when it saw the tuft of frost-white mane in Fang Yang's hand.
It recognized the aura—it was from the same lineage as the Frost White Flying Horse!
At that moment, the White Feathered Eagle suddenly realized that Fang Yang wasn't so cold toward certain Pet Beasts after all.
With its incredibly strange intuition, the White Feathered Eagle sensed Fang Yang's joy.
It didn't understand why Fang Yang was happy, but if Fang Yang was happy, then it was happy too.
It made a resolution: in the future, it too would make Fang Yang proud and happy!
...
In this world, Cultivators practiced Lifebound Skills. There were nine great Tiers, with each Tier corresponding to one skill.
In other words, a Cultivator could only master one Lifebound Skill per great Tier.
Some traditions distinguished between the Practitioner Realm, the Saint Realm, and the Sovereign Realm.
The Practitioner Realm, from Tier One to Tier Five, was for cultivating what were known as Magic. They were called, in order: the First Magic, Second Magic... Fifth Magic.
The Saint Realm, from Tier Six to Tier Eight, belonged to Saints, who were extraordinary beings with vast power. Thus, they were considered to be cultivating Divine Techniques. These were called: the First Divine Skill, Second Divine Skill, and Third Divine Skill.
The Sovereign Realm, at Tier Nine, consisted of beings who had already touched the Dao, or had even merged with it.
Such an existence cultivated not Magic, nor Divine Techniques, but the Great Dao itself. Their heaven-shaking power was difficult to describe in words and could only be forcibly named—Dao Fruit!
Both Magic and Divine Techniques would evolve along with the Cultivator's growth.
Non-Lifebound Skills, however, did not receive such treatment.
Although a high-tier expert using a basic magic would still be far more powerful than a low-tier cultivator, it was ultimately inferior to using a Lifebound Skill.
Therefore, even though Fang Yang was only at the middle stage of Tier One, he could still begin practicing the [Thunderous Strike Skill] and master its Mystical Skill.
That way, once his cultivation reached Tier Two, he could smoothly form the [Thunderous Strike Skill] into his next Lifebound Skill.
"With your talent and aptitude, learning a second magic now is a bit of a stretch, but it's possible. I imagine Second Brother intended for this to help you refine your True Essence."
Seventh Uncle Fang He smiled. "Ah Xuan is far behind you in comparison. I can only hope he manages to form the [Thunderous Strike Skill] as his first Lifebound Skill before you master it."
Fang Yang was silent.
In truth, his cousin Fang Xuan's rate of progress was what one would normally expect.
The speed at which he, Zhang Ye, and Sen Wei were practicing and breaking through to new tiers was simply monstrous.
And so, Fang Yang spent most of his time studying the arts of a Pill Master with Sen Hui, refining his use of the [Flame Skill] and the Fire Eagle Illusion.
In his free time, he would learn the [Thunderous Strike Skill] from his Seventh Uncle.
Occasionally, Fang Yang would also run into his cousin Fang Xuan at his Seventh Uncle's place, as they both had to attend the lectures on the [Thunderous Strike Skill] together.
"Actually, both the [Flame Skill] and the [Thunderous Strike Skill] are basic legacies of the Daoist tradition, evolved from the Talismanic Essentials."
"I'll tell you a little shortcut. Using Thunder Bomb Talismans frequently in battle can help you sense the essence of thunder magic more quickly."
During one lecture, seeing that Fang Xuan's progress was about to be completely surpassed by Fang Yang, Seventh Uncle Fang couldn't help but mention it.
He had originally planned to let Fang Yang struggle a bit to temper him, but as he watched, it was Fang Xuan who was becoming so demoralized he started to question his own existence.
If he didn't offer a shortcut, he was afraid Fang Xuan would get hung up on it again!
'Using Thunder Bomb Talismans in battle... isn't that just a pay-to-win training method?' Fang Yang thought to himself, understanding immediately.
Fang Yang thought of the over 15,000 Yuan Stones in his storage pouch. There was nothing more to say. He paid up, decisively spending over 3,000 Yuan Stones to purchase a batch of [Thunder Bomb Talismans].
In just three days, Fang Yang was able to weakly cast the spell, summoning a tiny spark of lightning in his palm.
Meanwhile, Fang Xuan was still scratching his head in frustration, stuck in a state of half-understanding, unable to advance or retreat.
'Sigh, the difference in talent and aptitude between people is truly immense,' Seventh Uncle Fang lamented internally. 'The clan elders' judgment is as sharp as ever. No wonder they broke convention after the [Young Dragon Tea Party] and insisted on placing Ah Yang in the [Third Sequence].'
Indeed, since the [Young Dragon Tea Party], Fang Yang's standing within the Fang Clan had risen dramatically, jumping to the third position on the cultivation candidate list.
The two people ahead of Fang Yang were named Fang Hao and Fang Min.
Although the Fang Clan had weakened, its population was still considered prosperous.
In less than a year, Fang Yang had surpassed a whole group of his seniors. It was, without a doubt, a remarkable achievement.
However, there's no such thing as a life of quiet and peaceful years; it's just that someone else is bearing the burden for you.
As time passed, all seven of the other Banners, aside from the Thunder Punishment Banner, were drawn into the war.
Six months after Fang Yang's arrival at the Thunder Punishment Banner, it too was about to be drawn into the chaotic war.
War is merciless.
Once the killing starts, no matter how noble your status, you could still be killed by a stray arrow!
Seeing that the war was about to enter a climactic stage, the lofty Saints began to move their invisible hands.
"Ah Yang, do you want to return to the clan lands with me? Whatever the consequences or difficulties, I can smooth them over for you."
Sen Hui looked at Fang Yang nervously. "Come back to the clan lands with me. I'll ask my great-aunt to take you as her disciple, and then we can study the arts of a Pill Master together. My great-aunt is a Saint, you know..."
Sen Wei and Sen Hui held very high statuses.
They could use their family backgrounds to forcibly withdraw from the bloody trial of war without being punished.
Fang Yang believed Sen Hui's words. She truly had the ability to solve all sorts of troubles for him.
But in Fang Yang's mind, the ball of light for [Seeking Fortune, Avoiding Disaster] was already flashing, and text appeared:
[The chaotic war is coming. You can either ride the wind and soar like an eagle, or turn and leave, hiding from danger like a deep-sea fish. Fortune and misfortune are hard to distinguish.]
[Average Fortune: Remain in the chaotic war. Stay grounded and continue studying the Fang Clan's Alchemist Doctor inheritance. No gain, no loss. However, the karmic ties of the chaotic war run deep. Caution is required for the future. Neutral.]
[Slightly Unlucky: Escape the chaotic war. Aim high, become the disciple of a Saint, and strive to ascend in a single step. But a Saint's heart is hard to fathom, the path is fraught with difficulties, and crises will come like overlapping waves, each higher than the last. Ominous.]