Chapter Sixteen: The Reason for Being Suppressed

The morning sun filtered into the room through the wooden window, carrying the unique chill of dawn, yet filling the space with warmth and hope.

The first thing he did upon rising was to write a letter to Chihui.

"Chihui: Recently, I've made a new friend named Amory. He's quite an interesting person. Although he's ugly and looks fierce, in truth, he's a soft-hearted fellow. He's a chatterbox, not very bright—actually, even duller than I am—and sometimes a bit annoying, often getting on my nerves. I call him the Fly Ox. His ambition is to pursue his own martial path. I'm a little concerned about his intelligence, but I'll help him because he says I'm like a god among men. Hmm, I think that title suits me perfectly. Chihui, I have good news for you: I've started practicing second-tier martial techniques. I've just completed a grueling ten-day training session. It was very challenging, but for a man like a god, all training is a piece of cake. I finished it with ease, but I won't let myself get arrogant. My time is limited; I can't afford to waste it. The new principal, though he looks a bit sly, is actually a good person. He gave me a Silver Soul General Card for cultivation, and it's an ancient one, too! I'll be heading to the Perseus Constellation to find you soon. You must take me to eat Golden Coconut..."

Tang Tian wrote with careful strokes, his expression focused.

He was earnestly sharing his thoughts and his life. When Chihui received this letter, she would surely become stronger! He had to reclaim the five years he’d lost, to work hard, to find Chihui, to reach the Heavenly Road.

He sealed the letter with great care.

Having completed the most important task, Tang Tian, now free of worries, decided to begin cultivating the Crane Qi Technique. A silver card, an ancient Soul General Card—either alone would be considered priceless, but together, even someone as clueless in business as Tang Tian could imagine their immense value.

He carefully took out the silver card and poured his true power into it.

Suddenly, the Soul General Card flared with dazzling light; the whole room was flooded with brilliant silver, and a clear crane’s cry sounded sharply in Tang Tian’s mind.

His heart trembled—the crane’s call seemed to carry a mysterious power.

The silver light filled the air, coalescing into an arrow of radiance that shot into Tang Tian’s body.

His palm grew hot as the light arrow, as if drawn by a magnet, burrowed into it.

As expected... the Southern Cross Ascetic Card...

Tang Tian approached the gate of light, and sure enough, on it was a lifelike white crane poised to take flight. Its eyes were as sharp as arrows, its talons like steel, its form elegant, its beak sharp.

"It looks like it wouldn't be easy to deal with," Tang Tian muttered.

Just like before, he passed his body through the crane on the gate of light. The moment he crossed, his body shuddered, and the white crane on the gate shattered with a crack.

A strange and indescribable sensation surged through him. In his perfected second-tier dantian pool, a new force suddenly arose.

Crack. The wall of perfection broke in an instant.

From above the dantian pool came a powerful suction, drawing the true power from within upward in a thin stream. In the blink of an eye, a brand-new dantian pool formed above the second-tier one.

The new pool was several times larger—if the second-tier dantian pool was like a small teacup, the third-tier was like a small basin.

Along the edge of this third-tier pool stretched countless fine meridians—the very paths through which the third-tier cultivation method would run. Every tier’s technique activated different meridians.

Now, with the Soul General possessing him, the secrets of the Crane Qi Technique flooded Tang Tian’s mind. He focused, setting the method into motion.

At last, Tang Tian understood why Old Man Wei had said that the Crane Qi Technique was so difficult to cultivate.

The routes for the Crane Qi Technique were incredibly complex; compared to it, the Nourishing Qi Technique was as simple as a blank sheet of paper.

Tang Tian couldn't help but marvel silently. The martial artists of old were truly remarkable—this was so complicated, it was making his head spin.

But having boasted earlier, Tang Tian forced himself to continue, carefully guiding his true power along the routes of the Nourishing Qi Technique.

The intricate pathways made his head swim.

Staring at them in a daze, he suddenly let out a surprised sound, as if he’d discovered a new continent—

Wasn’t this the shape of a crane?

The more he looked, the more he was sure. Haha, I really am a genius—I've seen straight through to the essence at a glance!

Excitement surged in Tang Tian, and as he traced the routes several times, he became increasingly certain—the Crane Qi Technique’s path traced the outline of a crane.

No wonder it seemed so complicated! That so-called Master Crane must have been incredibly bored to devise such a bizarre circuit diagram.

No wonder the Crane Sect declined! If he hadn’t recognized the pattern, this overly complicated method could have driven people mad.

Tang Tian felt little respect for Master Crane; in his view, the simpler things were, the better. He wasn’t wrong—overcomplicated methods had indeed been a major factor in the Crane Sect’s decline.

Now that he had uncovered the "secret" of the Crane Qi Technique, it was no longer a problem for Tang Tian. After a few rounds of tracing the crane shape, he memorized the method’s routes.

His third-tier dantian pool gradually stabilized. He kept circulating the Crane Qi Technique, this session lasting a full two hours before the pool was once again filled.

Having stepped into the third tier, the surge of true power made Tang Tian feel overwhelmingly strong, as though he had limitless energy.

At that moment, he noticed a line of writing behind the gate of light.

"First round of ascetic training completed. Completion rating: Good. Second round of ascetic training activated. Duration: ten days."

Tang Tian was overjoyed; indeed, good fortune had come one after another. Since his last training, he hadn’t returned here, and hadn’t expected a second round.

It seemed he was doing quite well!

However, Tang Tian didn’t begin immediately. The last round had left him with lingering apprehension. Continuous, frenzied training was agony—he could barely remember how he’d endured it. The hardship had been terrifying.

Even a godlike youth found it hard to bear.

As Tang Tian’s eyes caught sight of another line of words, his entire body froze.

"...You have no time to waste..."

Tang Tian stood up, all hesitation vanishing from his face, replaced by determination and resolve. Yes, he had no time to waste. If he couldn’t endure even this pain, how could he speak of dreams?

He remembered Chihui, the promises with his friends, the oaths he had sworn.

With his simple mind, Tang Tian was instantly filled with renewed fighting spirit, as if a shot of adrenaline had hit him.

"Wow, wow, wow—Tang the youth fears nothing! Charge, charge, charge!"

Tang Tian raised his arms high, shouting like a hero.

* * *

"Do you know why Tang Tian always suppresses you?" Old Man Wei appeared at some point, holding a battered knife, his manner uncommonly serious.

Amory perked up at once. "Why, why?"

He was puzzled too—whenever he fought Tang Tian, he always found himself overpowered, and could never figure out why.

"You’re too fixated on meaningless things. For example, last time—why did you fight barehanded? Your main skill is with the blade, yet you fought Tang Tian with your fists. Don’t you think that’s wrong?" Old Man Wei squinted at him.

"Now that you mention it..." Amory’s face showed thoughtfulness.

"This shows you don’t take Tang Tian seriously enough," Old Man Wei said, hitting the mark. "I heard Liang Qiu is your goal. Would you fight Liang Qiu barehanded?"

A vision of that imposing figure flashed in Amory’s mind, and he shook his head without hesitation. "No."

"Exactly. You must learn to give every opponent your all. That is the respect a martial artist owes every adversary. You haven’t done that. Also, though your talent surpasses Tang Tian’s, you lack his ferocity," said Old Man Wei.

"Ferocity?" Amory murmured to himself.

"That’s right—ferocity," Old Man Wei said, eyes narrowed. "If Tang Tian had a target like Liang Qiu, he would charge ahead without a second thought. If defeated, he’d return in a few days, fail again, and keep coming back until he won."

Amory fell silent. He’d felt Tang Tian’s relentless drive most keenly.

It was true—though he admired Tang Tian’s basics, he hadn’t truly respected him enough. Without Tang Tian’s ferocity, it was natural that he’d be suppressed.

"Tang Tian’s greatest strength is his fearlessness; it’s as if he was born without knowing what fear is. That’s something you haven’t achieved. There’s no shame in fear—it’s human nature—but to become stronger, you must overcome it." Old Man Wei’s tone was uncharacteristically stern; in this moment, the usual slovenliness was gone, replaced by the aura of an unsheathed wild blade.

"Your talent is exceptional, your nature simple and honest—perfect for the blade. That’s why I chose you. You’re more suited to swordsmanship than Tang Tian, who’s a born brawler." Old Man Wei’s voice grew deep. "I know you aspire to forge your own martial path—a grand ambition. Many will mock you as overreaching, but to me, that dream is magnificent. Those who mock you are people without dreams—they are weak. Standing on small hills, they gaze at distant mountain peaks, lacking even the courage to imagine."

Amory’s eyes reddened in an instant; he clenched his fists tightly. For the first time, he felt so deeply understood.

"All great dreams sound laughable. All great paths are destined to be arduous. But so what? Only by standing still will you never be bruised by stones on the road. Is there any path in this world that is truly smooth? Life is meant to be hard. If you have no dreams, how bleak is that?"

"We are the same kind of people, Amory. I once had the same dream. I failed to realize it—not that it matters. What’s tragic is that I am old now and cannot walk that road. Amory, I hope you can go farther than I did. I hope you can fulfill that grand dream, for it is mine as well."

"I will teach you all I know. I don’t care if you inherit my style; I only hope you’ll avoid some of the detours I took. Such a grand dream, such an arduous road—I only walked a small part of it, and all I can offer you is this meager help."

Old Man Wei seemed transformed, standing tall with blade in hand, his aura fierce and unmatched. His white hair danced wildly in the air.

"Earthshaker Blade—Amory, do you wish to learn it?"