Chapter 22: The Earth
A month later, the order from the patriarch of the Jax family arrived: The position of city lord of Keenel County City would be held by Keen, with his sister Jenny assisting in the county's affairs during his minority.
"Brother Lei, you're leaving?"
Jenny, Keen, and Lambert all stared at Linley in shock.
Keen had inherited the position of city lord, with Jenny assisting. At this moment, the brother and sister were at their most relaxed, and they wanted to repay Linley properly. But who would have thought Linley would say he was leaving Cheer County City?
"Brother Lei." Jenny's eyes even reddened slightly.
Linley carried his heavy sword on his back, with Bebe perched on his shoulder and the black-striped cloud leopard "Heilu" by his side. Linley said with a faint smile, "In the bustling environment of Cheer County City, my training has been somewhat affected. I'm not going far—just to that quiet valley outside the city to cultivate alone for a while."
For Linley, the most important thing was training. Especially now, when he was still making progress and hadn't encountered a bottleneck. This was the time to work even harder.
The Dragonblood Warriors of the Baruch clan had a history of enduring decades of solitary training before reaching the Saint realm and then dominating the world.
A true expert must endure loneliness.
"A valley?" Jenny and Keen breathed a sigh of relief.
"Alright, I might come to see you all from time to time. This is as much as I can help you. From now on, you'll have to rely on yourselves." Linley said with a smile.
Looking at Jenny and Keen, Linley sometimes thought of himself and little Wharton. Now, he and Wharton had no parents.
"I wonder how Wharton is doing now. Once I comprehend the next level of 'force,' I'll set out to see him," Linley thought to himself.
Linley knew very well that Wharton was currently studying and training at the O'Brien Academy. There was no need to disturb him now. Besides, people grow faster when they rely on themselves. If Linley were by Wharton's side, it might actually hinder his growth.
...
East of Cheer County City lay a green mountain range. In an inconspicuous valley within those mountains, Linley built a wooden cabin and began his solitary training.
At night, the valley had a grassy lawn, with a lake in front of it. Linley sat cross-legged on the grass by the lake, eyes closed, quietly sensing nature. Beside him, a campfire crackled, casting flickering shadows on his face.
Linley could feel the heaviness of the earth, the grace of the wind, the flow of water, and the intensity of fire...
As a mage, especially one with super-grade affinity for earth and wind elements, Linley had a significant advantage over ordinary warriors in sensing nature. This was also why, in the Baruch clan, the ancestor who used a heavy hammer only reached the "lifting heavy as light" realm when he attained the Saint level. Warriors, after all, find it harder to merge with nature than mages.
"The 'lifting heavy as light' technique of 'Thunderclap' releases power like a volcanic eruption. As for so-called 'force,' it's the force of heaven, earth, wind, and fire. However..."
After meditating for a long time, Linley suddenly understood.
"'Force' is merely force—borrowing the power of the surrounding world. What transcends 'force' encompasses everything. What I should pursue now is the path most suited to me."
In the darkness, Linley, sitting cross-legged by the lake, opened his eyes. They shone like stars in the sky.
"Different weapons follow different paths. A heavy sword relies on weight and power! A heavy sword has no edge, so it doesn't win by sharpness. It wins by its upright and imposing heaviness, its undeniable and overwhelming attack."
In a hazy realization, Linley understood that the path of the Black Mithril Heavy Sword shared common ground with the laws of the earth.
"The heaviness of the earth, the boundlessness of the earth, the steadiness of the earth..." Linley held the Black Mithril Heavy Sword, his heart fully attuned to the pulse of the earth.
The earth has its unique pulse—a rhythm that shakes the soul. Only those with an extremely deep understanding of the earth can sense it.
Linley stood up.
He began to swing the Black Mithril Heavy Sword quietly. As he moved, his steps and sword strokes fell into a unique rhythm.
It was a rhythm that made one's heart tremble.
"Whoosh."
The Black Mithril Heavy Sword seemed to weigh a million pounds as it heavily pierced through the air. Linley's movements made him feel as if he had merged with the earth. Just watching him practice gave one a sense of weightiness.
"Pfft."
Linley's heavy sword suddenly thrust into the air, producing several consecutive sonic booms. A single thrust at empty space causing multiple sonic booms was almost unbelievable. Normally, even the fastest weapon would only create one sonic boom. Creating several was nearly impossible.
"Hmm?" Linley's eyes lit up.
But this distraction immediately pulled him out of that wonderful state.
"What just happened? I didn't use any battle qi, yet the power seemed to split into several rhythmic amplifications and strike out."
Linley began to ponder.
During training, one might suddenly enter a special state and achieve astonishing results. But without fully understanding and mastering it, one couldn't replicate it at will. Linley's task was to keep thinking and training until he perfectly grasped everything.
...
The sky was a clear blue, pure and flawless. A few clouds drifted like silk scarves. The valley where Linley lived was truly peaceful.
The wind blew, and the lake rippled.
Linley wasn't training at this moment. He was fishing by the lake. One couldn't train all the time; doing so would be counterproductive.
When he felt like fishing, he fished. When he felt like sleeping, he slept.
His heart was in harmony with heaven and earth, completely attuned to nature. And when he did train, his efficiency would be extremely high.
"Brother Lei!" A cheerful voice came from outside the valley. Linley turned to see Jenny riding a horse, with two spirited maids behind her.
The two maids were clearly skilled, their riding movements as precise as knights.
"Jenny." Linley put down his fishing rod and stood up.
Bebe and Heilu were nowhere to be seen; they had gone deep into the mountains to hunt for wild beasts. Most of the creatures in this mountain range were ordinary animals, with magical beasts being extremely rare.
"Brother Lei, I've brought you some food." Jenny took a tightly wrapped bundle from her horse's back. "You must not be eating well here. Come on, Brother Lei, have a taste."
Jenny unwrapped the bundle layer by layer, revealing an iron box filled with various dishes and rice.
Linley sniffed.
"Mmm, it smells really good," he said with a smile.
Jenny's face flushed with excitement.
Linley sighed inwardly. He could see Jenny's feelings for him. Jenny was outstanding in both appearance and personality. But after everything he had been through, Linley found it hard to open the door to his heart.
"Feelings?"
Linley sighed to himself. Why think about feelings now? He should focus on his training. But at that moment, a scene involuntarily flashed through his mind—
After his father's death, when many nobles gathered in Wushan Town, Dylia had come to see him late at night. She had come to tell him she was returning to the Yulan Empire. Before she left that night, she had kissed him.
"Dylia?"
Besides Alice, Dylia was perhaps the only girl Linley had feelings for—especially after her sincere confessions several times. Though Linley had never admitted it, deep down he knew that Dylia's image had been etched into his heart.
"Brother Lei, eat quickly," Jenny urged expectantly.
Linley sighed inwardly. "I can't keep wasting Jenny's youth like this." He began to eat heartily, praising, "Not bad at all. It tastes great."
Hearing Linley's praise, Jenny beamed with joy.
"Jenny, you don't need to come anymore. I don't like being disturbed when I'm training," Linley said to her.
Jenny was taken aback.
"Oh," she replied, then forced a smile. "Brother Lei, you can come to the castle anytime."
"Mmm," Linley could only respond.
...
The days of training passed quickly. Before Linley knew it, he had been in the valley for nearly a month. His understanding of the Black Mithril Heavy Sword was gradually becoming clearer.
If he kept at it, he estimated that within a few years, he would definitely reach a new level beyond "force."
******
In a quiet tavern in Cheer County City.
The tavern had dim lighting, with a dusky, twilight-like atmosphere. The tables were arranged neatly, separated by screens.
It was a peaceful, tasteful tavern. Linley had liked it from his first visit.
The prices here were relatively high.
During breaks from training, usually every seven or eight days, Linley would come to this quiet tavern to drink, listen to the beautiful music, and occasionally overhear conversations from patrons from all over.
"It's almost July. Wharton's semester should be ending soon," Linley thought to himself.
The tavern had quite a few customers. They all spoke in low, polite voices, but Linley could hear every word clearly if he focused.
Suddenly, a conversation caught his attention.
"Have you heard? A super genius has emerged in the imperial capital—a seventeen-year-old named 'Wharton,'" said a man at a nearby table. Three middle-aged men were discussing the empire's prodigies.
Wharton?
Linley immediately focused.
Since entering the O'Brien Empire, he hadn't heard any news about Wharton.
"Are you talking about that genius from this year's O'Brien Academy grade competition?" The bald man beside him perked up. "I've heard of him. The seventh-grade competition at O'Brien Academy gets a lot of attention. Some participants are even eighth-level warriors."
O'Brien Academy, as the premier warrior academy on the Yulan Continent, had a seventh grade. To enter the seventh grade, one had to be a seventh-level warrior. Seventh-level warriors could graduate, but many stayed in the academy. A few eighth-level warriors also chose not to graduate early.
"Baldy, you've heard about this too. That Wharton, tsk tsk," the green-haired man sighed. "At just seventeen, he never participated in the grade competition before. But this time, in the seventh-grade competition, he defeated an eighth-level warrior and took first place."
"What? Seventeen years old, and he defeated an eighth-level warrior? Is that true?" The fat man, who had been listening, was shocked.
The bald man glared and said, "Of course it's true. I watched it myself. You should have seen him—he's about two point two meters tall, incredibly muscular. Just his size gives you a terrifying sense of pressure. His weapon is a massive war blade. With that blade, he defeated an eighth-level warrior and became the grade champion."
"From what I hear, Wharton can already beat an eighth-level warrior. He'll probably reach the eighth level before he's twenty. Back then, the genius swordsman 'Olivia' reached the ninth level at thirty. Wharton's talent is almost as impressive," the green-haired man praised. "Seventeen years old, defeating an eighth-level warrior. The imperial capital hasn't seen a genius like this in a long time. He's been hailed as the greatest prodigy of O'Brien Academy, and the Emperor even granted him the title of Count."
(Two chapters finished!
August 21, taking a day off!
I've been out for a few days, squeezing in time to write every day. I'll be home today. The two chapters I owe will be made up in the next two days.)