Morning sunlight shone into the interior of the hut through the wooden window, bringing the cool morning air, yet showing signs of warmth and hope.
The first thing he did when he woke up was write a letter to Qian Hui.
"Qian Hui:
Recently, I made a friend named Ah Mo Li, and he is quite an interesting guy. Although he is ugly and looks very fierce, he is actually a very good person. He is a chatterbox with a bad brain, and even more foolish than me.
Sometimes he can be a little annoying and often provokes me. I call him a fly-cow. His goal is to pursue and create his own Martial Dao, but I am worried about his IQ.
Even so, I will definitely help him, because he calls me a man like a god. Oh, I feel this nickname is very suitable for me.
Qian Hui, let me tell you some good news. I have already started practicing rank two martial arts. I just passed ten days of extremely intense training. Although it was really hard, for a man like a god, all this difficult training is just a small dish on a plate.
Oh, I passed through it easily.
However, I will not be proud. I do not have much time and cannot waste time. Although the new Headmaster looks vulgar, he is actually a good person, and he gave me a Silver Grade Mental Cultivation Spirit Card. Moreover, it is an Ancient Spirit Card.
I will quickly come to the Immortal Constellation to find you. You must bring me to eat golden coconuts…."
Every word and stroke was written with focus by Tang Tian.
He diligently wrote down his sincere thoughts and described his life.
Once Qian Hui received the letter, she would become stronger!
He must regain the five years, find Qian Hui, and head to Heaven's Road.
He carefully sealed the letter.
Once he finished the most important thing, Tang Tian no longer had any worries and decided to begin cultivating the [Crane-Style Qi Manual].
The Ancient Silver Grade Spirit Card—both the fact that it was Silver Grade and that it was an Ancient Spirit Card implied that its value was extremely high. When the two were combined, even someone without business sense like Tang Tian could determine its expensive value.
He carefully took out the silver card and poured his True Power into it.
The Spirit Card suddenly exploded with rays of light, and silver light dazzled the entire room.
Suddenly, the cry of a crane sounded in Tang Tian's mind.
Tang Tian's heart trembled. The crane's cry was clear and distinct, and it seemed to contain some kind of power.
The silver light illuminating the entire sky turned into an arrow of light and entered Tang Tian's body.
Tang Tian's palm heated up as if the arrow of light was drawn toward it, drilling into his palm.
As expected… the Southern Cross Constellation Hardship Plate…
Tang Tian arrived at the Cross Door. As expected, on the door was a red-crowned crane flapping its wings, appearing vivid and lifelike.
Its eyes were as sharp as arrow tips, claws like steel, its body elegant, and its beak sharp.
"It seems it cannot be taken lightly," Tang Tian whispered.
Just like last time, he moved his entire body across the red-crowned crane on the Cross Door.
As he crossed the door, his body trembled and the crane on the Cross Door fell heavily.
An indescribable feeling filled his body, and Tang Tian's complete second-level Dantian pool suddenly burst with tremendous power.
Pa!
In an instant, the complete Dantian pool collapsed.
Above the Dantian pool, an extremely strong pulling force radiated outward.
The True Power in the pool became thinner and began to flow upward.
In the blink of an eye, a brand-new Dantian pool formed above the second-level Dantian pool.
The capacity of the new Dantian pool was several times larger than the one below.
For example, if the second-level Dantian pool was a small teacup, then the third-level Dantian pool would be considered the size of a basin.
Around the edge of the third-level Dantian pool were countless meridians connected to it. These were the pathways for third-level mental cultivation.
Each level of mental cultivation touched different methods, thereby activating various different meridians.
At that moment, Tang Tian activated the Spirit Card possession, and various secrets of the [Crane-Style Qi Manual] rapidly flowed into his mind.
With a thought, he activated the Crane-Style Qi Manual, and immediately a mental image appeared in his mind.
Tang Tian finally understood why Old Fart Wei said that the Crane-Style Qi Manual was extremely difficult to train.
The Crane-Style Qi Manual was extremely complicated, because there were endless ways to cultivate it, forming a system like roads.
Compared to it, the [Qi Cultivation Secrets] was as easy as reading a blank sheet of paper.
Tang Tian could not help but become speechless.
Ancient martial artists were truly powerful to cultivate and study such a complex art.
His brain already felt swollen and dizzy.
However, since he had already bragged that he would do it, Tang Tian had no choice but to force himself to cultivate.
He began by following the same method he used when mastering the Qi Cultivation Secrets, carefully activating his True Power.
The complicated pathways made Tang Tian almost faint with blurred vision.
He stared at the empty pathways.
Suddenly, he made an "eeeh" sound of surprise, as if he had discovered something big.
This… this… this…
Isn't this shaped like a crane?
The more he looked, the more he felt it.
Ah ha! I am truly a genius. With just one look I can clearly see the essence of it.
Tang Tian's mind became excited.
He circulated his True Power back and forth several times and became even more certain.
The "roads" of the Crane-Style Qi Manual coincidentally formed the outline of a crane's shape.
No wonder the entire technique felt so complicated.
Master Crane Spiritualist must have been extremely bored to create such a strange pathway diagram.
The Crane Sect truly deserved its decline!
If it were not for his own ability to recognize the crane shape, such a complicated mental cultivation technique would have been almost impossible.
Tang Tian did not approve of Master Crane Spiritualist.
From his perspective, in this world, the simpler something was, the better.
Tang Tian also guessed one part correctly. The Crane Sect's mental cultivation art was too complicated, which was clearly one of the major reasons why the Crane Sect declined.
Since he had discovered the secret of the Crane-Style Qi Manual, it was no longer a problem for Tang Tian.
He simply followed the crane shape several times before memorizing the entire pathway.
The third-level Dantian pool gradually calmed down.
Tang Tian continuously circulated the Crane-Style Qi Manual.
This training lasted exactly two hours before the Dantian pool was filled again.
Entering the third level, the sudden surge of True Power made Tang Tian feel as if he would never run out of strength. It was power he had never experienced before.
At that moment, he suddenly noticed a line of words behind the Cross Door.
"First Hardship Cycle completed. Completion level: good. Second Hardship Cycle activated. Time: ten days."
Tang Tian was pleasantly surprised. As expected, good things came one after another.
Since the last time he underwent Hardship Training, he had never returned to the Cross Door. He did not expect that there would actually be a second Hardship Cycle.
It seemed he had performed quite well!
However, Tang Tian did not jump directly into the Hardship Training.
The last time he entered, it left him feeling frightened.
Continuously performing insane Hardship Training was basically a form of torture.
How he managed to survive it, he could not clearly remember, but it was definitely terrifying.
Even a youth like a god had limits.
Tang Tian suddenly froze as his eyes swept across a sentence.
"…You have no time to waste…."
He stood up.
Determination replaced the hesitation on his face.
He once again became firm and unwavering.
Yes, he had no time to waste.
If he could not endure even this level of suffering, how could he talk about his dreams?
He thought about Qian Hui.
He thought about the promises he made to everyone.
He thought about the oath he had sworn.
The simple-minded Tang Tian immediately seemed rejuvenated, once again filled with a desire to fight.
"Wa wa wa! Young Tang has nothing to fear! Go! Go! Go!"
Tang Tian raised both hands and shouted like a heroic warrior.
---
"Do you know why you are suppressed by Tang Tian?"
Old Fart Wei suddenly asked, holding a broken blade in his hand, with a rare serious expression.
Ah Mo Li immediately became attentive.
"Why? Why?"
He also felt it was strange. Why suddenly, every time he fought Tang Tian, he was always suppressed?
He simply could not figure it out.
"You are too tied down doing useless things. For example, why do you fight with your hands? You specialize in blade arts, yet you actually use your fists to fight Tang Tian. Don't you think something is wrong with that?"
Old Fart Wei squinted his eyes.
"Yes… it seems so."
Ah Mo Li looked as if he was thinking deeply.
"This means you do not value Tang Tian enough," Old Fart Wei incited slightly.
"I heard defeating Liang Qiu is your goal. If you fought him, would you use your bare hands?"
A suppressive silhouette appeared in Ah Mo Li's mind.
He shook his head and, without any hesitation, said,
"Impossible."
"Exactly. Therefore, you must learn to use all your strength when fighting anyone. This is a form of respect every martial artist deserves. You should understand that.
And although you have more talent than Tang Tian, you fail when compared to his ferocity."
"Ferocity?"
"Exactly. Ferocity."
Old Fart Wei narrowed his eyes.
"If Tang Tian had someone like Liang Qiu as his goal, he would not hesitate at all to rush forward to fight him. Even if he were defeated, he would return again two days later, fail again, and again, until he achieved victory."
Ah Mo Li fell silent.
Tang Tian's ferocity had left a deep impression on him.
It was true.
Although he admired Tang Tian, he did not truly respect him enough.
And he was not as sharp as Tang Tian, which was why he was suppressed.
"The power of Tang Tian is that he fears nothing. He is like a newborn baby who does not know what fear is.
You cannot do that.
Having fear is not shameful; it is human instinct. But if you want to become stronger, you must get rid of it."
Old Fart Wei rarely spoke in such a tone.
Not even half of his usual carelessness could be seen. He was like a drawn mad blade.
"Your talent is outstanding. With your simple and honest character, you are very suitable for blade arts. That is the potential I see in you.
You are more suited to using blades than Tang Tian, and he is a naturally gifted close-combat fighter."
Old Fart Wei spoke deeply.
"I know you are determined to find and create your own Martial Dao. This is a great dream.
Many people will laugh at you for not knowing your own limits, but from what I see, this dream is extraordinary.
Those who laugh at you are people without dreams. They are weak.
They all stand in low positions on small land, looking up at distant peaks without the courage to climb."
Ah Mo Li's eyes began to redden.
He clenched his fists tightly.
This was the first time he had been taught like this.
"All noble dreams may sound ridiculous, but all great paths are meant to be difficult.
So what?
Other than standing still at the starting point so you will never stumble on obstacles, which road in this world is a shortcut?
Your life is destined to be tough. If you do not even have a dream, your life will be extremely boring."
"We are all human, Ah Mo Li.
I had the same dream as you when I was young. I failed to realize it, but that is not the regret.
The regret is that now I am old, and I cannot move as I once did.
Ah Mo Li, I hope you will walk further than me.
I hope you will realize this great dream of yours, the dream I once had."
"I will try my best, using everything I have learned.
I do not mind passing these thoughts to you. I only hope you will take fewer detours.
Such a noble dream is destined to be filled with suffering and hardship.
What I have experienced is only a small part.
And what I can give you is only this much."
Old Fart Wei's determination appeared powerful, as if he had become a completely different person.
His white hair fluttered in the air.
"This world is filled with so many different blades, Ah Mo Li…
Which one do you want to learn?"