Grace lasts no longer than three breaths!
A Flight Talisman is hardly anything to write home about; its stability is terrible, and it fails without the slightest warning before its glow flickers out entirely. Robbed of buoyancy, Zhou Chuan plummeted from the sky—fast!
Panic seized him, his mind going completely blank. The Spiritual Power within his body was utterly useless to him; he had no idea how to channel it for use. Anyone else in his shoes would have reacted the same way during their first-ever fall from such a height.
Down he plunged, tumbling earthward in the blink of an eye with a series of loud crashes!
"Agh!"
Shrieking continuously, he smashed into a tree branches, dropped down a steep slope, and rolled down the incline countless times before finally plunging straight into a tiny, secluded pool of water.
By the time he came to a halt, he had completely lost consciousness. Fortunately, he had practiced the Iron Skin Technique, or every bone in his body would have been shattered. Falling from such a height with merely a 3rd Layer of Qi Condensation physique, he was lucky to cling to life at all.
This was a pool hidden away in the mountains, undiscovered and untrodden by anyone for untold years.
At the bottom of the fathomless pool rested a fist-sized crystal. It had been formed from the half-feather of a celestial bird, possessing only innate spirit without divine sense. Having lain dormant for a very long time, its spiritual properties finally triggered today.
As if startled, the crystal suddenly burst into a brilliant purple radiance that shot straight up toward the azure sky.
Its original intention was to soar high into the clouds, but moving far too fast and unable to brake in time, it crashed straight into the white-robed young man, Zhou Chuan.
Knocked flying through the air, Zhou Chuan hung suspended for half a breath before plunging back down into the pool, where the resulting ripples pushed him ashore. The unconscious Zhou Chuan felt no pain; otherwise, he would have been screaming for his life.
At last, coming into contact with fresh blood, the crystal dissolved into a wisp of purple mist that drifted deep into Zhou Chuan's Dantian.
Owing to his cultivator's constitution, the unconscious Zhou Chuan naturally absorbed the ambient spiritual Qi, slowly healing his wounds.
Two days later, Zhou Chuan woke up, his clothes in tatters but thoroughly dried by the sun.
He patted himself all over and discovered he was missing neither limbs nor digits; only his scrapes had yet to fully heal, and a few of his ribs still throbbed with pain.
"I almost fell to my death! That was too close!"
Reviewing the events leading up to his fall, Zhou Chuan broke out in lingering fear.
"Falling from that high up and I only sustained external injuries? Cultivators really are different. I truly have a lucky life."
The Flight Talisman had left him psychologically scarred. He still had two left in his storage bag, but he dared not use them again, especially since the remainder of his journey required crossing towering mountains and ascending cloud-capped peaks.
"Cheap goods are never any good! Time to try out my spirit sword."
He intended to fly back on his sword, but having never attempted it before, he first needed to study the Art of Sword Flight. He unfolded the Jade Slip and read every single word with utmost concentration.
"The Art of Sword Flight is essentially just the application of divine sense. This won't defeat me."
The cultivation manual *Zhengyuan Changqing* had not deceived Zhou Chuan; upon reaching the third layer, his divine sense had vastly improved. Now, his sea of consciousness no longer resembled a jumble of red threads, but rather two faint red mists.
Hanging himself had proven useless, so he had abandoned the method. However, he had foolishly mentioned that method to Zhong Xiu beforehand. In hindsight, Zhou Chuan felt utterly ridiculous for actually trying to persuade Zhong Xiu to hang herself.
Half a day later, Zhou Chuan landed steadily atop his spirit sword. With both his cultivation base and divine sense having reached the required threshold, flying came to him as naturally as a stream flowing into a river.
"Sword flight doesn't seem so hard after all."
"Stepping on a spirit sword feels just like standing on solid ground—so stable!"
Able to fly now, he dared not move too fast as he gradually familiarized himself with the sensation. After spending half a day at it, he finally returned to the sect, circling Heiwu Mountain twice. Having failed to take in the full view of Heiwu Mountain previously, he now noticed something rather eerie about it.
"Why are there spirit-snaring rabbits on Heiwu Mountain when none of the other mountains have them?"
Unable to figure it out, he simply decided not to dwell on it and dived down toward his cave dwelling.
"Did I see that right? The person flying overhead is Zhou Chuan!" The speaker was Chen Ruifeng, who had also taken on a planting assignment and rarely returned to Heiwu Mountain. When he had last seen Zhou Chuan, the fellow hadn't even entered Qi Condensation—how could his progress be this terrifying?
"Good heavens! He's already at the 3rd Layer of Qi Condensation—he's surpassed me!" Li Meng felt as though she were looking at an illusion.
"Has he been hiding his true strength all along? He's fooled us all! I've never heard of anyone advancing that fast within a single year!" Hu Siye remarked.
"A top-grade-one spirit sword! He's loaded!" Dong Zhen exclaimed.
Those who had once mocked and cursed Zhou Chuan instantly turned pale. If Zhou Chuan happened to hold a grudge, their fates would be miserable. Judging solely by his mastery of the Art of Sword Flight, they felt his strength far outclassed their own.
Xiao Shengke wore the darkest expression of all. He had always fancied himself the boss of Heiwu Mountain, yet his cultivation had remained stagnant at the 3rd Layer of Qi Condensation for a whole year. Having previously heard from Zhang Yuan that Zhou Chuan's cultivation was advancing by leaps and bounds, he simply hadn't believed it at the time.
Moreover, busy with sect missions, he had paid it no mind. Now that the truth was out, Zhou Chuan posed a direct threat to him; for all he knew, their fellow disciples on Heiwu Mountain might soon flock to Zhou Chuan, shaking the foundations of his supremacy.
"This won't do. I need to find a way to deal with him!" Remembering his past behavior toward Zhou Chuan, Xiao Shengke decided to strike first.
Fully satisfied, Zhou Chuan retrieved his sword and landed. Since his cultivation level had reached this point, it would inevitably be discovered sooner or later, leaving no reason to hide it.
"Hello everyone!" he greeted the crowd with a smile.
"Hello!" Several people responded with enthusiastic warmth.
"Brother Chuan!" Zhang Yuan stepped forward to welcome him.
Having previously lacked the courage to openly pick a side, Zhang Yuan now saw Zhou Chuan's overwhelming strength and wealth eclipse everyone else, prompting him to declare his allegiance. Addressing him as "Brother" served as a public declaration that the two of them were allies.
"Let's go!"
With a wave of his hand, Zhou Chuan took the lead and entered Zhang Yuan's cave dwelling.
He decided to clear his debts once and for all, since Zhang Yuan calculated interest on a daily basis. He didn't care about the paltry sum of money; he simply grew tired of Zhang Yuan's endless nagging every time they met. Since his Spiritual Stones fell short of the full repayment, he made up the difference with spirit fruits and Jade Slips.
"Brother Chuan, you went down the mountain and struck it rich!"
"My good brother, I was merely facing a temporary cash flow crunch. The spirit sword alone is something you could never afford to buy."
"I certainly can't afford it, let alone use it. How on earth did your cultivation advance so fast, and when did you learn sword flight?"
"Five Spiritual Stones, and I'll tell you the trick."
"I just remembered Chen Ruifeng still owes me money, so I'm off."
On this day, the long-forgotten Zhou Chuan once again became the talk of the town. A good-for-nothing who hadn't even reached Qi Condensation had rushed to the 3rd Layer of Qi Condensation in less than a year and even mastered sword flight.
...
Inside the Zhengming Hall, where the upper echelons of the Water Talisman Sect held their meetings.
Recently, even the sect master and the elders had heard the inspirational tale of Zhou Chuan.
"Looking back, our decision then was correct; we gave him a chance," Song Qian said.
"It is a blessing for our sect. Word of this will also spread the message that our immortal sect possesses a tolerant heart and the discernment to spot talent," said Lin Tianyan.
"A heart of tolerance," Zhang Jie reiterated.
It was precisely she and Lin Tianyan who had voted to keep Zhou Chuan back then, leading to the miracle of today.
"It is too early to draw conclusions. The 3rd Layer of Qi Condensation hardly amounts to standing out," Qian Youqiao remarked, catching Lin Tianyan's unkind gaze.
"Surging to the 3rd Layer of Qi Condensation in a single year isn't difficult if one relies on pills!" Zhao Xiaosheng said.
"Whether he possesses extraordinary talent or not, I happen to have a suggestion," Lin Tianyan said.
"Tianyan, it seems you have something in mind?" Song Qian assumed the posture of someone in total control.
"A year has passed, and after a year of cultivation, we should be able to tell whether our outer disciples are dragons or worms. As a third-tier immortal sect, we haven't held a lively event in a while. Why not host an Outer Sect Sparring Tournament to liven things up and simultaneously promote the sect's influence?" Lin Tianyan proposed.
"An Outer Sect Sparring Tournament? How can you suggest such a thing. No matter how talented this new batch is, how could they possibly defeat the veteran disciples at the 8th or 9th layers of Qi Condensation? Your proposal is sheer nonsense." Qian Youqiao immediately retorted.
"Vice Sect Master Qian, do not be hasty; I haven't finished yet. Naturally, we cannot have everyone mixed together in the competition. I suggest limiting the eligibility to those at the 4th Layer of Qi Condensation and below. Within this bracket, we have nearly a hundred veteran disciples and nearly a hundred newly joined disciples—making it a perfect comparison," Lin Tianyan said.
"This is a good proposal; it's about time for some excitement. With so many newcomers added to our ranks, we truly need to pay closer attention and identify key targets for specialized training. Yet we must not forget the veteran disciples either; give them a chance to prove themselves," Zhang Jie chimed in with immediate approval.
"Indeed! I support this matter," Zhao Xiaosheng declared, judging the idea on its merits rather than the person proposing it.
"You should have said so sooner! Had you mentioned from the start that the cultivation level would be capped, I would have had no objections." Seeing that the general trend was settled, Qian Youqiao conceded to save face.
"I assume the other elders have no objections either. In that case, let us discuss the prizes for the Outer Sect Sparring Tournament. I feel the secret realm..."