74 To stand at the top 1 (1/2)

Jia Lin stood at the top of the mountain, bathing in the sunlight. He could feel the worshipping gaze of the girl just by the corner. He loved this.

”Brother Lin, congratulations on completely learning the thousand swords skill.” she said.

He did not bother to glance at her, much less respond.

At early spirit merging, he had represented the sage empire in the Godhand meet, fighting his way to fifth place. Being only the only spirit merging cultivator in top ten, he had impressed the crowd and Godhand gate elders. It has only been one year since that day. Since then, he had entered the Godhand gate as a core disciple and gained the recognition of the gate master, who took him in as his disciple.

Ten years had passed since he stood in the valley and told Ed that he was too old to join the emperor sage academy and in those ten years, he had long forgotten who Ed was.

Jia Lin was no more a young boy of thirteen. He was now twenty-three and looked it too. His tall frame and broad shoulders looked elegant in his white garbs, with his long black hair tied back. It was no wonder the girl behind him stared so much infatuation. This was a common look on the female disciples in the gate. No matter how much they yearned for him, they were not as beautiful as lady Jian. And he knew that with her background, she would be just as powerful today.

He turned from the beautiful scene before him, and started to descend the mountain.

”Let's go.” he said.

The girl nodded and followed him to descend, not minding his cold attitude. He had always been like this since he entered the gate, this only made him more mysterious and appealing in the eyes of the female disciples.

She had been here to help him train for the past two months. Being an expert in a high level energy stabilizing skill, the gate master had her follow him into seclusion. As he practised the thousand swords technique, she was to help his energy stay stable, so as not to be drawn in to the skill too long. This job, she took happily, because it meant spending long days and nights with him.

Jia Lin made his way to the gate master's residence and was let in without identification. The girl behind him stay back as he made his way into the inner courtyard. Walking before door, he knelt and kowtowed to someone inside.

”Master, I have returned.” he said.

”Come in.” a cold voice said from inside the room.

He did as told, and entered to meet an old man whose entire hair on his face, till his beards and long goatee were white.

”Master I have completely mastered the thousand sword skill.” he knelt before the old man.

”Don't kneel on ceremony, sit.” the gate master said and he complied, sitting in lotus fashion.

”You have done me proud. Learning any high level technique in two months is something to brag about. Learning the alliance patriarch's technique in two months is even more outstanding. You broke the record of learning it in six months.” the gate master said.