118 Advice (1/2)

Only Liu Yan and Fang Yuan were left in the guest hall after Leader Niu left.

Liu Yan seized Fang Yuan up and sighed, ”My friend, you have reached such a high level at such a young age. On the other hand, I have achieved nothing at my age...”

”Prefecture Master, you have overestimated me!”

Fang Yuan replied humbly.

While Fang Yuan had previously heard about Liu Yan's character, he still felt the need to be wary of Liu Yan.

”This is not overestimating you!”

Liu Yan stroked his sparse goatee and said, ”From what I know, there are only a few people who are able to reach the level of Wuzong or spiritual knight in Xia Country. You are the first person to simultaneously reach the two levels in Xia Country! I think even amongst the neighbouring countries, you are considered a genius that appeared once every 300 years!”

While many old masters were able to alter their appearance to look young, the life energy that they exuded was different. Not even Fang Yuan's real age could be hidden from Liu Yan's spiritual eye.

Fang Yuan did not expect that Liu Yan would hold him in such high esteem.

After a moment of silence, Liu Yan asked, ”Who is your teacher?”

”I am from Qinghe County, and my teacher is Master Wenxin!”

Fang Yuan used his master's alias which was the name that his master used to avoid trouble.

Upon hearing that Fang Yuan was from Qinghe County, Liu Yan laughed. ”Good! Good! Good! A youth from my Secluded Mountain Prefecture!”

He pondered for a while before asking, ”Where is your master?”

The master must be frightening if he was able to train his disciple to such a level.

”My master is long gone!”

This was no secret. Many in Qingye City knew and Fang Yuan did not make any attempt to hide the fact.

”I see! No wonder...”

Liu Yan nodded. He suddenly thought of something and after pondering it for a while, he made up his mind. ”I want to talk to you about something but I wonder if you are willing to hear it out?”

”Please speak!”

Fang Yuan waved his hand.

”The cultivation of martial arts or the road to being a spiritual knight requires years of effort and hardship. There is a limit to the energy of a person no matter how talented he is. This is especially true where it becomes increasingly difficult to progress later on. My friend, it is advisable to only choose one path of cultivation if you do not want to end up like us. Only then will you be able to achieve success!”

Liu Yan advised.

”Thank you for your input sir!”

Fang Yuan felt like rolling his eyes as Liu Yan did not mention the conditions of joining the alliance and instead gave him a piece of advice regarding his cultivation.

Fang Yuan knew that Liu Yan meant well. However, Fang Yuan was very different from other geniuses and as such, the advice was not applicable to him.

”I would advise you to choose the path of the spiritual knight if you are to choose one path of cultivation!”

Liu Yan could see that Fang Yuan did not take his advice to heart and turned strict, ”Furthermore, from my years of experience. I have a revelation that there is no path after Wuzong!”

”There is no path of cultivation after Wuzong?”

Fang Yuan quivered as he noticed this problem.

”That's correct!”

Liu Yan laughed bitterly, ”Why did you think the 12 Golden Gates of Cultivation was set up?”

”It was to help those martial artists to develop a strong foundation, especially those who lacked the aptitude to reach a higher state of elemental force!”

Fang Yuan answered without a moment of hesitation.

He had the right to be confident for someone who had undergone the cultivation of martial arts.

Based on his predictions, the path of martial arts was conceived by a spiritual knight who wanted to benefit the masses. Therefore, the step by step process through the 12 Gates was created.

After all, the path of a spiritual knight started from a spiritual disciple followed by becoming a spiritual knight. This was a huge single step and was extremely difficult.

Martial arts divided this huge single step into 12 Gates. There was a process to be followed as a path to increase one's cultivation level. Finally, those cultivators with enough magical energy would successfully breakthrough if they have just enough potential to become a spiritual knight or alchemy master.

”That is correct!”

Liu Yan nodded his head, ”However, martial arts' elemental force is primitive and low-levelled. How can it be compared to a spiritual knight's elemental force?

Even the techniques of the Spirit Returning Sect and the Five Ghosts Sect could only reach the realm of Wuzong with no means to progress after...”

Liu Yan continued, ”There are sayings that in the distant Da Qian Empire where martial arts is common and progression in martial arts is fast where the realm after Wuzong had been clearly divided, unlike here where people are still sentimental...”

”Therefore, comparatively, for us spiritual knights, as long as we cultivate naturally and slowly develop our elemental force, by accumulating our cultivation, we would be able to achieve a breakthrough. We have also inherited a few incomplete records of the way ahead, and are not completely clueless about the future for this path of cultivation!”

”This information should be given to you by your master. However, as he had passed away, I could only take matters into my own hands and tell you this.”

Fang Yuan listened carefully and his expression grew grave.

”Loss of the path of martial arts, incomplete spiritual knight cultivation techniques...I did not expect the Secluded Mountain Prefecture and even Xia Country to be a barren wasteland for cultivators!”

”I wonder if the Da Qian Empire would be more interesting as compared to here.”