Since Ye Qingyu was able to sense the turbulent energies in the night skies, others would also naturally be able to detect such energies.
Pass Lord's Residence.
Lu Zhaoge sat in front of the wooden house, currently watering plants.
Under his familiar care, there were several basins of Clivia plants that became increasingly tall and verdant. They emitted a faint atmosphere of delight.
Compared to a few days ago, Lu Zhaoge had already completely recovered. His facial complexion was healthy, his breathing calm as the eye of the ocean or an abyss. He had already completely regained his previous splendour, with no signs that he was affected by any injury.
For an expert at the cultivation stage that he was in, as long as he erased those two alien powers that was destroying his body from the inside, recovering was a matter that could be done in the blink of an eye.
Under the night skies, the formation lanterns lit up the entire back garden.
The verdant plants and flowers were blooming while the young trees were swaying in the wind.
Lu Zhaoge wore extremely simple and coarse clothings, his sleeves casually rolled up. His white hair was tied up by a stirip of fabric, and he was wearing woven shoes. From his appearance, he seemed like a contented flower grower, his surrounding aura calm and peaceful. There was none of the killing aura of a general that emitted from him.
The other side.
In the back garden under the night skies, Ye Congyun was currently demonstrating move by move an ancient method to refine his body.
The strong muscles on his body were completely red, as if he had been scalded by boiling water. As he performed martial move after martial move, there was a strange beauty that emerged. Every movement would allow every muscle on his body to be used. One could clearly see his muscles rippling like there was a little mouse travelling beneath his skin.
Very rapidly, sweat had completely soaked his back.
There was white vapour encircling his body, his sweat having evaporated. He had expended a great deal of energy.
"That's enough, go take a rest." As he finished watering, Lu Zhaoge placed the watering pot by the side and beckoned to Ye Congyun.
"Yes, Master."
Ye Congyun deeply breathed in, and donned a cotton hemp jacket. He walked over with respect, his two hands hanging by his side.
He had already been the disciple of the War God of Youyan for an entire five days.
The little military officer still felt as if everything was like a dream. Everything was unrealistic. There were several times that he jolted awake in the middle of the night, pinching himself again and again. He wanted to know whether everything around him was real or not, afraid that everything was but just a passing dream. His fate had completely transformed, as if there was a deity that was looking after him and blessing him.
In these days, Lu Zhaoge was currently teaching him a body refining method called the [Nine Refinements].
Because he had received Lu Zhaoge's blood essence and was reborn, Ye Congyun's cultivation speed was extremely fast. In Lu Zhaoge's words, this blood essence contained the absolute power of a top level martial artist. It gave a completely new life to Ye Congyun. His current state was as if he was still in his mother's foetus, possessing natural, ‘Xiantian’, qi. As a result of this, his cultivation speed was fast, able to progress far in one single day.
Truth had also proven Lu Zhaoge's words.
In but five days of time of training in the [Nine Refinements], the little military officer was already at the peak of the ordinary martial level. With a step of his foot, he would enter into the Spirit spring stage and plant the first yuan qi seedling within his body.
Lu Zhaoge evaluated him from top to bottom, nodding his head.
The more he looked at his disciple, the more satisfied he became.
This was especially so after their several days of interaction. Ye Congyun's will and personality was something Lu Zhaoge was delighted with. There was a maturity and calmness about Ye Congyun that made it seem he was a wise old man that had experienced many things. This made the martial god see the potential for an invincible military star that would gradually rise in the future within him.
By accepting Ye Congyun as his disciple, he not only needed to teach him martial arts, but also the ways of war.
"Is there anything master needs?" Ye Congyun respectfully asked.
Lu Zhaoge was about to speak, when there was a clear and distinct energy ripple that emitted from the direction of the Crepe Myrtle sect. He smiled slightly. Nearly at the next instance, North West of the Pass, a streak of light shot down from the sky and brightened up the land around. It was like there was a silver sword slicing apart the night skies.
"There are exceptional prodigies within the sects. It's a pity….." Lu Zhaoge let out a sigh.
After reaching a cultivation stage like him, he naturally would not be shocked by one or two youngsters that had just stepped into the Bitter Sea stage. It was only that, compared to the performance of these talented youngsters of the sects, the golden wondrous age that the Empire had when it was just founded had already passed. In these years, there seemed not to be any prodigies that emerged within the Empire, causing Lu Zhaoge to sigh with deep regret.
"Do you know why I accepted you as my disciple?"
Lu Zhaoge returned his gaze to Ye Congyun, asking a question meaningfully.
Ye Congyun thought for a while. "Master, you previously said one reason was because of my personality. The other reason is because Marquis Ye helped me assimilate that drop of blood essence, and so I met the requirements of inheriting Master's martial cultivation."
"Yes, and no." Lu Zhaoge took up a pair of scissors, and began pruning the plants and shrubbery all around the little courtyard. "As the commander of the Youyan army, I've been appointed by the Emperor to protect the North West borders of the Empire. In those years, I have no family at all, without any worries constraining me, all alone. What I cultivate in is the emotionless heart mantra. What I consider, is not my personal likes and dislikes. Every decision I make, I must consider it from the perspective of the Empire. There are some matters that I do not want to do, but I have done it even so…."
Ye Congyun seriously replied: "Great saints have no family, and takes no sides."
Lu Zhaoge turned to give a glance at his disciple. "Haha, 'Great saints have no family, and takes no sides'." Evidently, the words Ye Congyun uttered had made him very pleased, but then he shook his head. "The state of a Great Saint is like Heaven's path, it is nigh impossible to find. I do not reckon I have reached such a state. The reason I took you in as my disciple, is because I had more important considerations in mind.”
"Master, please enlighten me." Ye Congyun's expression showed no hint of surprise.
"The most important reason, is because of one person." Lu Zhaoge continued his practiced movements of pruning, emitting an aura of sereneness.
"Could it be because of Marquis Ye?" There was a strange expression that appeared on Ye Congyun's face.“
Lu Zhaoge nodded his head. "How do you regard Ye Qingyu?"
"There is nothing I can do to repay his debt of remaking me." Ye Congyun did not conceal his thoughts in the slightest. "Marquis Ye is my benefactor, furthermore…….Everything that Marquis Ye have done in the city these days makes one want to slap the table in delight. I admire Marquis Ye's decisive nature, where he does not hesitate to settle his debts and grievances."
"En, I can tell, that you admire him very much." Lu Zhaoge wiped away the beads of sweat on his head. "His methods are a little too harsh, it makes me remember a person of the past…….This may not be the best way of doing things in the army. It's only that his talent, is even more monstrous than that person. He will be able to grow up. I can tell, that Ye Qingyu regards you very importantly."
"Marquis Ye treats everyone around him well." Ye Congyun said with emotion.
Lu Zhaoge nodded his head. "That's right, after all he came from a common background. He doesn't have the temper or the arrogance of those nobles. He also does not come from the Sects, so he does not have the unreasonable viciousness of the disciples of the sects. He treats people differently, and he is a person that remembers his debts. Because of your brother, you have a special position in front of him."
There was a strange glimmer that flitted across Ye Congyun's eyes, suddenly understanding what his master was referring to. With a questioning tone, "Could it be the reason that you accepted me as your disciple was solely because of Marquis Ye?"
Lu Zhaoge nodded his head. "That's right. Ye Qingyu has met fortuitous encounter after fortuitous encounter, he is definitely not a normal person. I can't see through him at all. On that day, my injuries was cured by a seemingly divine power within his body. He is not someone that belongs in a pond, as soon as he encounters a storm, he will transform into a dragon. He will definitely soar into the skies, so high that even I, can only look up at him from a distance. Such a person cannot be constrained by the army nor the Empire. A divine talent like him appearing within the human race, is the fortune of our species but his methods are too harsh, and his killing heart too deep. If in the future someone enrages him, he may do something calamitous. In his rage, rivers of blood may flow. Ultimately, this is not a good option…..”
Ye Congyun was stunned.
He felt somewhat tongue tied.
Because he had never imagined, that the War God of Youyan had such a great evaluation of Marquis Ye.
Could a person even ascend to the heights he had described?
If it was others who said this, people would definitely regard that person as mad.
"The reason I accepted you as my disciple, is because I hope in the future when Ye Qingyu's rage is unstoppable, you can say something for the Youyan army and the Empire. That way, we can prevent the greatest amount of loss. I also hope that we can gain Ye Qingyu's protection through your relationship for the Empire."
Lu Zhaoge stated.
Ye Congyun searched his master's expression, wanting to see any signs that he was making a joke.
But Lu Zhaoge's expression was unprecedentedly serious.
He was speaking the truth.
Ye Congyun felt that the impact of him becoming the disciple of the War God of Youyan, was not even as great as the impact of the words uttered today.
After a long time, when his mindset had slowly recovered, he nodded his head in full seriousness: "I will definitely remember."
Lu Zhaoge nodded his head, saying again: "Twelve days later, at the Martial meeting of the Three Sects and Three schools, I will announce publicly that you have become my inner disciple. This is the first time I've ever accepted a disciple, and it will also be my last. You should go and prepare, the top geniuses of the younger generation of the Three Schools and Three sects should mostly have arrived. There will also be people from the army going there, including Marqus Ye. At that time, you will accompany me."
Ye Congyun paid his respects: "Disciple knows."
Lu Zhaoge flicked his palms, and among the shining glimmer, an ink black stone book appeared in his hands.
"Although the history of the martial path of the army is not as long as the inheritance of the sects, but there also exists top level cultivation techniques. This [Military Path of Destruction] is the top level martial mantra within the army of Heaven Wasteland domain. It is not in any way less than the best cultivation mantras of the Three schools and Three sects. Your fortune is also not ordinary, with exceptional fate. Now that you are half a step into the Spirit spring stage, from tomorrow onwards, you can cultivate in the [Military Path of Destruction]. Your future's accomplishment, should be above me."
Ye Congyun received the ink black stone book with alarm.
It was heavy in his hands, as if it weighed tens of thousands of pounds.
Everyone knew, that the martial arts the War God of Youan specialised in, was the emotionless martial techniques. Ye Congyun originally imagined that he was going to cultivate in the emotionless martial path, but instead what he was going to train in was the top level military cultivation techniques.
"Thank you master."
……
……
The time of dawn.
Ye Qingyu once again finished a night of training.
Thirty three Spirit springs.
After an entire night, and the expenditure of two Mysterious Heaven pellets, he had risen another small level.
Little Nine had also paid another visit during the night. He roughly reported the location of Song Xiaojun and the other girl, stating that they were not in any danger.
When he left the quiet room to eat breakfast, Lin Qingyi was already waiting outside White Horse tower along with Shopkeeper Sui. Both of their expression seemed somewhat tired, as if they had not slept at all during the night. But excitement was still present on their faces.
Mother Wu led the two into White Horse tower.
From Mother Wu's memories, these two people were the first lucky people who were allowed to see Marquis Ye.
"Marquis, headquarters have sent out news. They have accepted your offer. The Origin crystal that you desire, will arrive this afternoon." Shopkeeper Sui said in delight. “
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