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Liang Zhongkang’s expression involuntarily shifted as a hint of shock appeared in his eyes:
"Early stage of Foundation Establishment? Patriarch? How is that possible? How come I’ve never heard you mention it before, Master?"
"It was to spare you and the other mediocrities the knowledge, so as not to discourage you and halt your progress."
The elderly man shook his head and sighed.
It seemed as if he were lamenting the decline with each generation.
Yet in Liang Zhongkang’s mind, the image of that patriarch emerged involuntarily, and he suddenly felt uneasy.
The patriarch, holding the position of Hall Master of Tianyuan Hall, although female, was imposing and dignified.
Even Liang Zhongkang, who was normally fearless and unflappable, felt quite intimidated in her presence.
The thought that she had grasped the first method during the early stage of her Foundation Establishment suddenly seemed perfectly fitting to him.
However, this thought dampened the excitement he had felt from his recent advancements in cultivation base and martial techniques.
Hesitantly, he said:
"Then I’ll go spar with my martial brothers..."
"The gap between you and your martial brothers is too great. Even through sparring, you won’t learn much. You’d better refine your skills first," the elderly man said softly.
Liang Zhongkang was about to say something when he heard a somewhat familiar voice amidst the surrounding winds:
"Wang Ba of Wanfa Peak, humbly requesting to see Martial Uncle Ge, peak master of Shenxiu Peak."
"Looking for master?"
The elderly man frowned slightly.
Yet Liang Zhongkang couldn’t help but be startled.
"Is that... Wang Ba? What does he want with our patriarch?"
What came to mind were the series of events he had learned upon waking up from his coma years ago.
There were many details, but the one that remained freshly etched in his memory was
that Wang Ba of Wanfa Peak, whom he had always looked down upon before, ended up saving those he admired, including Xi Wushang and Ji Yuan.
And even his own survival was indirectly related to Wang Ba.
This piece of news was something Liang Zhongkang found utterly unacceptable.
Even though Martial Uncle Xi had personally confirmed it, he remained skeptical.
Not without reason; he considered himself to be among the very best within the Foundation Establishment Realm.
Yet even to confront an Early Stage Golden Core cultivator, he had to use all his wits and strength.
It was hard for him to imagine how a Foundation Establishment cultivator could turn the tide under such circumstances.
He trusted Martial Uncle Xi, but he trusted his own experiences more.
And just for a moment, an idea popped into his head.
"If Wang Ba can fight on par with a Golden Core cultivator and I’ve just entered Golden Core not too long ago... That means, if I were to fight him and win, couldn’t that prove he’s not that great?"
"Hmm... He has shown me some kindness, so let it be. As long as I can confirm I’m stronger than him, I’ll just pretend to be defeated. That way, I’ll save his face. My considerations are indeed becoming more and more thorough," he thought to himself, secretly giving himself a thumbs-up.
As he thought this, he heard the elderly man say:
"I’ll go and see what this is about. You stay here and diligently pursue your cultivation. Remember, you must not be..."
"Impulsive or impatient, right? I know, you go on, Master!" Liang Zhongkang interrupted, laughing cheerily.
Upon hearing this, the elderly man glared at Liang Zhongkang in annoyance.
Then, without further ado, the elderly man’s sleeve billowed, and he transformed into a gust of wind, merging into the world and vanishing without a trace.
Watching the elder’s technique, a flash of envy and longing passed through Liang Zhongkang’s eyes.
After a brief hesitation, he immediately rode the wind to the peak’s summit.
...
"Wang Ba of Wanfa Peak, humbly requesting to see Martial Uncle Ge, peak master of Shenxiu Peak."
The clear voice entered the Shenxiu Peak before him.
Wang Ba stood at the entrance to the wind-wrapped Shenxiu Peak, his gaze calm and composed.
He had once visited Shenxiu Peak with Yao Wudi and paid his respects to its peak master, leaving him with some recollections of the place.
The Shenxiu Peak was known for the rare Wind Style cultivation method "Ride the Wind," which it inherited.
Although he had started to learn the "Ride the Wind," he couldn’t cultivate it at all.
The problem lay in the fact that he did not have a Wind Spiritual Root—the prerequisite for cultivating "Ride the Wind."
To address this issue, the Dharma Lineage had thought of a solution in advance: to develop a new Dantian.
As for the spirit item capable of birthing a Wind Spiritual Root, Yao Wudi had already prepared it for Wang Ba.
It was a naturally-formed treasure of the world, known as the ’Wind Summoning Bell.’
It seemed like a magic tool capable of summoning wind.
Yet it was not a magic tool.
To be precise, it was an object that lay between a magic tool and a spirit item.
Even though Wang Ba did not have Wind Style mana, a casual activation could summon a formidable Class III Wind Demon.
Of course, because it was not a magic tool, while it could call forth Wind Demons, it lacked the ability to control them.
Thus, for cultivators, this was considered a rather useless object.
However, while of little use to others, it was perfectly suited for Wang Ba.
Wind Style spirit items were extremely rare, and treasures that could be used to establish a wind spiritual root Dantian were even more uncommon.
Of course, establishing a wind spiritual root Dantian was not as easy as before; it required the assistance of a cultivator proficient in Wind Style mana to inject their mana and create a chance for forming a Second Dantian.
Yes, merely a chance.
The Wind Spiritual Root differed from the Five Elements Spiritual Root in that it was particularly tricky and unstable, making the newly established Dantian very prone to collapse.
Even seasoned cultivators faced a high risk of losing control when dealing with such a Dantian.
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