Chapter 411: Seize
Translator: Yukidaruma Translations Editor: Yukidaruma Translations
Anderson lifted his head and saw that the entire hall was battered beyond recognition. The steel ground was filled with shattered marks and holes. Meanwhile, the center of the room had sunk completely into a large crater, revealing the soil underneath.
The entire steel hall seemed like a toy which had been ravaged by a young child.
This was when Fang Xingjian had done his best to control his power and not borrow power from the earth.
Soon after Fang Xingjian came to a stop, over ten Knights entered and started moving the steel plates. They were going to take down the content on the steel plates to create documents and then send to the Church of Universal Truth.
Each of them looked toward Fang Xingjian in awe and veneration like he was a god.
On the other hand, Anderson’s eyes were filled with great astonishment and dejection. He asked, “How many sets of sword techniques have you learned and appraised in the past one hour?”
“32 sets. Writing takes up too much time,” Fang Xingjian spoke with indifference and headed out of the door, while some Knights rushed over to fix up the place.
Anderson looked at Fang Xingjian with disbelief. For him to be learning over 30 sets of sword techniques within an hour… Would that not mean that Fang Xingjian would merely need a few days time to complete the mission the Martial Techniques Grading Plan had allocated to him?
After leaving the Sword Tower, Fang Xingjian found a place to take a sit. He started to filter through the sword techniques he had just learned, removing the skill seeds of those which were useless. Then he directly synthesized the useful ones onto the Zenith Light Sword Formation, Ether Sword Ripples, Prodigious Demolition Sword Physique, or the Universal Truth Longsword.
Based on the benchmark of the Church of Universal Truth, his Universal Truth Longsword was at grade B, while the other three were grade A. They still had great room for growth.
As it so happened, the Church of Universal Truth had sent him 1,000 sword techniques this time around. Fang Xingjian planned to spend a few days to finish them all up and then merge these 1,000 sword techniques into his own, increasing his experience and cultivation of sword arts.
Concurrently, he was also recovering his demolition sword light while he waited to continue his sword arts appraisal in a while.
As Fang Xingjian synthesized sword techniques in his mind, he threw a glance toward Anderson and Rota, both of whom appeared to be very dejected. Fang Xingjian had clearly dealt a blow upon them.
Just then, another Conferred Knight ran over. The Conferred Knight looked at Fang Xingjian coldly and arrogantly, then he said, “You’re Fang Xingjian, right? Young Master Hildebrand is inviting you to make a trip over to meet him.”
Without even looking at the Conferred Knight, Fang Xingjian said, “I don’t have time. If he has something to talk to me about, then get him to come over himself.”
Hearing that, the Conferred Knight’s countenance changed like he had not expected Fang Xingjian to be so disrespectful. He clenched his teeth and spoke again in a low voice, “Lord Hildebrand who is ranked second in the Regional Academy is inviting you to head over. Are you really not going?”
Fang Xingjian did not say anything, but Anderson could not help but speak out. For quite a while, Anderson had been detesting the snobbish way the Conferred Knight spoke.
“He already said that he doesn’t have time. Are you deaf? Leave quickly.”
That Conferred Knight frowned and said, “I’ve already brought the message. If you don’t go over today, then you can just deal with the consequences yourself.” With a flick of his cape, the Conferred Knight turned to leave, and in the blink of an eye, he disappeared from everyone’s gazes.
After the Conferred Knight left, Rota immediately said, “That guy was Peter, the Conferred Knight ranked 15th in the academy. It’s said that he has reached level 25. Of course, compared to you, he’s nothing. But Hildebrand… should you be offending him so directly?”
Anderson said, “Who the hell is Hildebrand? Why can’t he be offended?”
“You don’t even know about Hildebrand? And yet you were blabbering off earlier?” Rota looked at Anderson with an astounded gaze.
“Why would I care who he is? Can he possibly be stronger than me?” After Anderson said this, he unconsciously threw a glance at Fang Xingjian and sighed, “In this academy, Fang Xingjian is ranked first, and I’m second. The others are nobodies.”
Rota smiled bitterly and shook her head. Then she looked at Fang Xingjian. “Xingjian, Hildebrand is not only ranked second in the Regional Academy, but he is also the one of the only three students who are level 29 Conferred Knights.
“Furthermore, not only is he strong and possess amazing talent, but he also comes from a great background. His grandfather is the previous Governor of the Beize Continent who returned to his hometown in the Great Western Region after his retirement. Hildebrand’s father is also a high ranking official in the Knight Association in the central.
“Their family’s influence is deeply rooted in the Great Western Region, and even Governor Devitt has to pay a visit to his grandfather during the festivities every year.
“Hildebrand himself is also the leader of all underground influences in the entire Great Western City.
“Xingjian, if you can help it, it’s best to not offend this person.”
Fang Xingjian gave it some thought but eventually still shook his head. “I’ve got no time.”
Rota smiled bitterly and shook her head as well. However, she then thought to herself, ‘Only Xingjian is able to do something like this.’ Recalling the speed at which Fang Xingjian had learned the sword techniques earlier, Rota felt greatly disappointed.
She had originally wanted to catch up to Fang Xingjian, but now she found that their gap was getting increasingly further.
During the next few days, Fang Xingjian went through all 1,000 sets of sword techniques the Church had provided, learning them one after another and completing his appraisals on them.
The speed at which he went through them was truly too fast, regardless if it was in terms of learning the sword techniques, appraising them, or recording them down on the steel plates.
Three days later, Fang Xingjian personally brought the cart of appraisal results and headed to the inn the archbishop was staying at. The representatives from the Church of Universal Truth had yet to leave.
In the inn, the archbishop and the Knight of the Rising Sun were seated at the dining table. Before them was a man with neatly combed hair and a strong, well-built physique. He exuded an extremely strong aura of masculinity and looked just like the sun god, Apollo.
The man was Hildebrand, one of the leading characters in the Great Western Region Regional Academy, whose talent, abilities, and background were all impeccable.
As he looked at the archbishop and the Knight of the Rising Sun, the corners of his lips curled up slightly, revealing a smile which would dazzle countless young ladies. “Archbishop and Mister Gardner, this time around, I’ve come with great sincerity. I’ll deal with Fang Xingjian’s side.”
“Are you sure?” Knight of the Rising Sun, Gardner, looked at Hildebrand and said, “Fang Xingjian doesn’t look like a person who is easy to talk to.”
“It’s just a kid kicking up a fuss. The Martial Techniques Grading Plan is a large-scale project with great influences. It’s an incomparable project, and for such a project, our country doesn’t feel reassured that the Church is only establishing contact with a single student.
“Therefore, for the continuation of the plan, our country hopes to form an official working relationship with the Church.
“Of course, Fang Xingjian will be the one leading this part of the project, and with the funding from the Empire, the project’s progression and accuracy will only be higher.
“I’ve also received the approval from the association. They’ll be sending the funding for the project in batches. It’ll mean that our country and the Church are collaborating on the Martial Techniques Grading Plan.
“With more funding and more manpower, of course, the speed and accuracy will be even higher.”
The archbishop nodded. Logically, this was true. However, with Fang Xingjian’s talent… and in addition to Fang Xingjian’s appearance… the archbishop foresaw a different outcome.
Therefore, although Hildebrand brought up various terms to persuade them, the archbishop merely seemed to be agreeable in his attitude. However, he did not actually give any verbal confirmation.
