Martial Saint with Passives

Upon hearing this, Zhao Qingtian and Liu Ruyan were stunned at first, then expressions of joy appeared on their faces.

That’s right!

How could they have forgotten about this!

Xu Zhouzi said in a low voice, ”As long as one of the disciples from our Three Sects can distinguish themselves in that selection, join the Three Top Sects, and become a member of the Celestial Strategy Guard...”

”Then no matter how arrogant Qin Fuhu gets, he would never dare to act against us as wantonly as he did today!”

”Exactly!” Zhao Qingtian nodded heavily. ”Although the Celestial Strategy Guard is equivalent to the Prefecture Commander Level, they hold the power of military supervision! Qin Fuhu will absolutely have to think twice!”

Liu Ruyan added, ”And if they could go a step further and become a True Disciple of one of the Three Top Sects, they might even have a chance to break through to the Realm of True Mastery in the future! Even His Majesty the Emperor must show courtesy to a Great Daoist of the True Mastery Realm. A mere General of a prefecture like Qin Fuhu wouldn’t even be worth a glance!”

For a moment, a look of hope returned to the faces of the three Sect Leaders.

The Celestial Strategy Guard!

This was the only thing they could grasp now, the only thing that could contend with the General’s Mansion...

Their lifeline!

...

「General’s Mansion.」

Inside the study.

Qin Fuhu stood before the window with his hands clasped behind his back, his gaze flickering as he looked outside.

”Heh heh...”

A cold, scornful sneer played on his lips.

’Those fools must be gathered together right now, thinking that if their disciples can get selected for the Celestial Strategy Guard, they’ll gain the Court’s protection and be able to... counterbalance me...’

’Simply wishful thinking!’

Qin Fuhu slowly turned around, looking at the tall, straight figure who had been waiting quietly in the center of the study for some time.

”Xuange, wouldn’t you agree?”

It was a young man dressed in jet-black Qilin Army Armor. His posture was as straight as a spear, and his aura was as sharp as a blade.

His face was seventy percent similar to Qin Fuhu’s—just as resolute, with the same sharp, defined features.

However, his eyes lacked some of the depth and reservation of his father’s.

Instead, they held a wild arrogance and battle intent unique to the young!

This person was none other than the son of General Qin Fuhu, the former number one on the Hidden Dragon List, and a peerless prodigy who had already stepped into the True Master Realm.

Qin Xuange!

”Father.”

He said in a low voice.

”Rest assured.”

”With me here, during this Celestial Strategy Guard selection, those so-called prodigy disciples from the sects...”

A cold glint flashed in his eyes.

”Not a single one of them will be chosen!”

Looking at his proudest son before him, a heartfelt, gratified smile appeared on Qin Fuhu’s usually stern face.

He walked forward, reached out, and clapped Qin Xuange firmly on his solid shoulder.

”Good boy.”

”With you here, Father... is of course at ease!”

...

「Taiyuan Sect.」

Inside the main discussion hall.

Mad Lion Zhao Qingtian sat on the main seat, his face dark and clouded.

Beside him, the few Core Elders who had also attended the banquet at the General’s Mansion all had grim faces and remained silent.

At this moment, a figure as straight as a spear slowly walked in from outside the hall.

It was Qin Wuya.

He had just ended a session of seclusion when he was urgently summoned by his master.

Seeing the strange and oppressive atmosphere in the hall, his heart sank. He quickened his pace, walked up to Zhao Qingtian, and bowed in salute.

”Master, you were looking for me? Did... something happen?”

BANG!

Zhao Qingtian slammed his hand on the armrest beside him.

The armrest, forged from a single piece of Profound Iron, was actually imprinted with a clear palm print from his strike!

”Who else could it be but that ’good’ uncle of yours!”

He squeezed the words out through clenched teeth, his voice filled with humiliation and rage!

”Uncle?” Qin Wuya was taken aback. ”Lord General, he... what happened?”

Seeing this, an Elder stepped forward to explain.

He recounted exactly how Qin Fuhu had used force to intimidate them at the banquet, tyrannically demanding half of each sect’s assets.

After listening, a look of shock also appeared on Qin Wuya’s face.

He looked at his Sect Leader and master, opened his mouth, but didn’t know what to say.

He knew that given his uncle’s ruthless and ambitious temperament, it wasn’t surprising that he would do such a thing.

He stood there in silence, a trace of helplessness in his eyes.

Zhao Qingtian looked at Qin Wuya’s silent figure and sighed.

”Sigh... Forget it. This matter isn’t your fault.”

”Master...” Qin Wuya’s expression was complicated.

Zhao Qingtian’s expression suddenly turned stern.

”Wuya!”

”Disciple is here!”

”From this day forward, all cultivation resources within the Sect will be funneled to you without limit! Your only task is to cast aside all distracting thoughts and prepare with all your might for the upcoming... Celestial Strategy Guard selection!”

He rose and walked in front of Qin Wuya, his fierce eyes staring intently at him.

”Right now, you are only that final half-step away from the true True Master Realm!”

”I’ve received word that there are less than two months until the selection begins!”

”In this time, you must, at all costs, for my sake... break through to the True Master Realm!”

Upon hearing this, Qin Wuya’s eyes instantly erupted with a terrifying, sharp glint!

He nodded heavily, his voice firm and resounding!

”Yes! Master! This disciple will not fail you!”

”Good!”

Seeing his fighting spirit rekindled, a gratified smile appeared on Zhao Qingtian’s face.

He patted Qin Wuya’s shoulder, his voice softening slightly.

”I know that you’ve been harboring some resentment... ever since your defeat to Jiang Che.”

”That kid, Jiang Che, is indeed a freak. His combat power is unbelievable. Now he’s even surpassed you to become the so-called number one on the Hidden Dragon List.”

”But...”

His tone shifted.

”Ultimately, his foundation is still too shallow! He can’t be compared to a Half-Step True Master like you, who has built a solid foundation since childhood and has already tempered his Divine Thought to its Peak!”

”I believe that you will definitely... step into that Realm before he does!”

”And the difference between the True Master Realm and the Refining Organ Realm is the difference between heaven and earth! Between the clouds and the mud!”

”Once you truly break through, you will discover that this so-called Jiang Che is nothing more than an ant in your eyes... one you can crush with a casual swat!”

”No matter how great his Talent is, no matter how heaven-defying his opportunities are, it’s impossible for him to cross that great chasm without three to five years of painstaking effort!”

”If he hasn’t reached the True Master Realm, he can forget about being selected for the Celestial Strategy Guard, no matter how high his combat power is! At that time, you will represent our Taiyuan Sect, enter the Three Top Sects, and have a boundless future!”

”As for him...”

Zhao Qingtian shook his head.

”He will forever be trapped in the little mud pit that is the Cangyun Sect, and eventually, fade into obscurity!”

”By then, the two of you will be one in the heavens and one on the earth! There will be no comparison whatsoever!”

Listening to his master’s words, Qin Wuya’s Dao Heart, which had been clouded by the shadow of his crushing defeat, became firm once more!

He clenched his fists, and flames of determination blazed in his eyes again!

”Master...”

”I understand!”

...

「Profound Sound Sect.」

Sect Leader Liu Ruyan summoned Xiao Qingge and Su Linfeng to a secret chamber and, with a grave expression, informed them of the matter concerning the General’s Mansion.

She then declared that the entire Sect would exhaust its resources to pave the way for the two of them to charge into the True Master Realm!

...

「Heaven-Sundering Sect.」

Qing Ling was locked in the Sect’s forbidden ground, the Thunder Cave, by his master, the hot-tempered Sect Leader.

He was being forced in the cruelest and most direct way to challenge his limits and seek that sliver of an opportunity for a breakthrough.

...

Over the next few days, similar scenes played out continuously in the major Sects and Noble Families of Cangzhou Prefecture.

For a time, the entire younger generation of prodigies in Cangzhou Prefecture, with their respective Sects pouring resources into them regardless of cost, began a frantic sprint in seclusion!

Everyone knew very well.

The Celestial Strategy Guard selection would be their respective Sects’ only chance to escape the General’s Mansion’s control and change their destiny...

Their only chance!

...

「Cangyun Sect, Yunhai Courtyard.」

Jiang Che emerged from seclusion and was informed by his senior brother, Xiao Mingqian, that their master had something important to discuss.

When he walked into the familiar quiet room, he found his master, Xu Qingshan, standing before the window with his hands clasped behind his back, facing away from him without a word.

The entire quiet room was filled with a heavy atmosphere, so oppressive it was suffocating.

Jiang Che’s heart sank, a bad feeling creeping over him.

”Master, you were looking for me?”

Xu Qingshan slowly turned around. His face, which usually wore a gentle smile, was now covered with an indelible exhaustion and gravity.

”Che’er,” he looked at Jiang Che and said in a hoarse voice, ”the day before yesterday, I went to the General’s Mansion with the Sect Leader.”

”Do you know what that Qin Fuhu said to us?”

Then, he began to slowly recount everything that had happened at the banquet.

”...He wants each of our sects to hand over half of our assets as military provisions!”

”Half?!” Jiang Che was shocked to hear this!

’This Qin Fuhu... has finally shown his true colors!’

Xu Qingshan looked at Jiang Che and let out a long sigh.

”Sigh... Che’er, our only hope now lies in the Celestial Strategy Guard selection!”

”As long as you can distinguish yourself in that selection and gain the Court’s recognition, Qin Fuhu will have to be more cautious!”

As he said this, a look of deep regret suddenly appeared on his face.

”What a pity... The timing is just too tight!”

”With your stunning talent, if you had another year or even six months, you would surely be able to break through that final chasm and step into the True Master Realm! At that point, participating in the selection with the cultivation of a True Master, your success would be almost guaranteed!”

”But now...”

Jiang Che looked at his master’s worried expression, opened his mouth, and was about to say something.

”Master, actually I...”

”Sigh, but it’s useless to talk about this now.”

But Xu Qingshan cut him off directly. He walked forward, patted his shoulder firmly, and forced a comforting smile. ”But, you don’t need to worry too much! Even if you haven’t broken through to the True Master Realm yet, with your combat power that far exceeds the ordinary, there’s still a very high chance you’ll be selected! I... believe in you!”

”Master, I...”

”Don’t you worry!” Xu Qingshan interrupted him again, thinking he was worried about not having enough cultivation resources. ”In this final period, I will use all of my connections to search for all kinds of Elixir Pills that can nourish the Divine Soul for you! Just focus on your cultivation and don’t worry about anything else!”

”No, Master, I wanted to say...”

”Oh! Right, right, right!” Xu Qingshan slapped his forehead as if he suddenly remembered something. ”Are you worried about the method for breaking through that last acupoint? Although True Master Bai Yi left behind his inherited experience, he was an ancient after all, and some of his Dharma Gates might not be suitable for the present! Don’t worry, I will now impart to you all of my own insights and experiences from when I broke through the Baihui Acupoint back then! You don’t need to worry!”

Jiang Che looked at his master’s ”I understand you,” ”I’ve thought of everything for you” expression and felt a wave of helplessness.

’Forget it!’

He took a deep breath and circulated the True Qi within his body—which had already been completely transformed—at full power and without reservation!

After breaking through to the True Master Realm, he had discovered that as long as he didn’t deliberately circulate his True Qi or use his Divine Thought,

his True Qi would remain hidden within his body.

Unless a top-tier expert with a much higher Realm carefully probed him with their Divine Thought,

it was impossible for them to see through to his true Cultivation!

Although Xu Qingshan’s Realm was high enough, he hadn’t used his Divine Thought to probe, so he naturally didn’t know that Jiang Che had already broken through.

BOOM!!!

As Jiang Che circulated his True Qi at full power, a terrifying pressure—countless times more vast and majestic than that of the Peak of the Refining Organ Realm—erupted from within him!

This was a pressure that only a True Master Realm expert could possess!

Xu Qingshan froze mid-sentence!

His eyes, wide with extreme excitement, bulged like bronze bells.

His mouth gaped open wide enough to fit a whole egg!

”You...”

”You...”

”You...”

He said ”you” three times in a row but couldn’t form a complete word.

Jiang Che looked at his master’s expression, as if he’d seen a ghost, and a helpless smile appeared on his face.

He slowly withdrew his True Qi and bowed to his master, who was frozen stiff as a board.

”That’s right, Master.”

”I... have already broken through to the True Master Realm!”