Chapter 64

"Kha!"

Zhang Ruochen leaped out of the water, flipped in the air, and landed on the shore.

White true qi surged out from his pores, instantly drying his wet clothes.

Reaching the Xuanji Realm, the true qi in his body was abundant, allowing him to expel it externally. He could even condense it into a qi sword to kill from a distance.

Zhang Ruochen mobilized the true qi in his body, channeling it to the meridians in his right hand. A white qi glow condensed at the tip of his index finger and shot towards a ten-meter distant, bowl-thick iron pine tree.

"Bang!"

The white qi sword pierced through the trunk of the iron pine, leaving a fist-sized hole.

"Just a simple sword qi has such formidable power. Xuanji Realm martial artists are indeed incomparable to Huangji Realm martial artists. If I can cultivate the high-grade Ling-level martial technique 'Ten Pulse Sword Wave,' I wonder how powerful the qi sword would be when unleashed?"

In his previous life, Zhang Ruochen had cultivated the Ten Pulse Sword Wave, which involved training his ten fingers into finger swords. With a single point, he could unleash a sharp qi sword to kill from a hundred feet away.

However, the Ten Pulse Sword Wave was extremely difficult to cultivate. Even though Zhang Ruochen had succeeded in the past, it would not be easy to cultivate it again.

At this moment, Zhang Ruochen sensed someone approaching and immediately retracted the true qi in his body.

Yunwu County King walked over to Zhang Ruochen, sized him up, and nodded in satisfaction, saying, "You've broken through to the Xuanji Realm?"

Zhang Ruochen didn't say much, just nodding slightly.

Zhang Ruochen didn't have much affection for Yunwu County King, but he could feel his concern, so he still respected him greatly.

Yunwu County King said, "Use your strongest power to attack me."

Zhang Ruochen glanced at Yunwu County King and said, "Alright!"

Having just reached the early Xuanji Realm, Zhang Ruochen wanted to test his strength.

In front of Yunwu County King, he could unleash his full potential without reservation. Yunwu County King would never harm him and would do everything to protect him.

"Whoosh!"

Zhang Ruochen burst to his maximum speed, instantly covering ten meters and striking Yunwu County King's chest with a palm, "Dragon Elephant Returns to the Field!"

He unleashed his strongest palm, possessing the power to move mountains and overturn seas. His bones and muscles seemed to resonate like a dragon and an elephant.

The powerful palm wind made the ground fly with sand and stones.

Even when Zhang Ruochen's palm struck Yunwu County King, he remained unmoved, showing no intention of retaliating.

"Boom!"

The moment Zhang Ruochen's palm hit Yunwu County King, an overwhelmingly powerful force erupted from Yunwu County King.

Zhang Ruochen was sent flying, his blood surging, and he landed on the ground in a rather wretched state, taking over ten steps back to dispel the powerful impact.

Yunwu County King nodded and said, "Not bad. The power of your palm is stronger than many late Xuanji Realm martial artists, even comparable to some weaker Xuanji Minor Apex martial artists."

"Moreover, your greatest advantage is not your strength, but your control over it and your sword dao realm, which is comparable to that of a Diji Realm martial artist. Overall, even some Xuanji Minor Apex martial artists might not be your match. It seems you have truly cultivated to the supreme peak of the Huangji Realm, otherwise, you wouldn't be so powerful."

Zhang Ruochen thought to himself that the resonance of the gods had indeed alarmed Yunwu County King.

Yunwu County King stared at Zhang Ruochen, his eyes showing a hint of tenderness, and said, "With your talent, your future achievements will surely surpass this king. Staying in the palace will only bury your talent. Now, you have two paths before you."

"The first path, you should have heard of the YunTai Sect?"

Zhang Ruochen said, "The YunTai Sect is a fourth-rate sect with a 720-year history, possessing considerable power. In the nine counties of Lingxi, it has a highly exalted status. Princes, princesses, and noble children from various counties and kingdoms take pride in joining the YunTai Sect, which is known as a cradle of strong individuals. Nearly half of the Tianji Realm strong individuals in the nine counties of Lingxi were once disciples of the YunTai Sect."

The nine counties of Lingxi refer to the nine counties on the west side of the Tianmo Ridge, with Yunwu County being one of them.

Yunwu County King nodded and said, "This king was once a disciple of the YunTai Sect. The current deputy head of the outer sect of the YunTai Sect is an elder of the Yunwu County royal family, whom this king calls uncle. If you want to join the YunTai Sect, I can write a letter to my uncle now. With your talent, you only need to show a fraction of it to join the YunTai Sect as an outer sect disciple."

Zhang Ruochen pondered for a moment and said, "What about the second path?"

Yunwu County King said, "The second path is slightly more difficult, but if your talent is high enough and you can stand out among many geniuses, your future achievements will be even more astonishing. You should know about the Wu Shi Academy, right?"

"The Wu Shi Academy established by the Wu Shi Bank?" Zhang Ruochen said.

The Wu Shi Bank's business spans the entire Kunlun World. In every county, every city, and even every small town, there is a branch of the Wu Shi Bank.

The Wu Shi Bank controls the martial markets in almost every county, effectively controlling over 30% of the economic lifelines of the Kunlun World.

The Wu Shi Bank's power is many times greater than that of the YunTai Sect, having been passed down from the Middle Ages to the present, making it a veritable financial empire. Even first-rate sects dare not oppose the Wu Shi Bank.

Of course, the Wu Shi Bank's immense wealth requires powerful martial strength to protect it.

Therefore, the Wu Shi Bank established the Wu Shi Arena and the Wu Shi Academy.

The Wu Shi Academy is dedicated to cultivating a steady stream of talent for the Wu Shi Bank, ensuring its long-term prosperity and dominance in the Kunlun World.

The better a student performs in the Wu Shi Academy, the higher their status and the more power they will have in the Wu Shi Bank after graduation.

The greatest advantage of joining the Wu Shi Academy is never lacking money or cultivation resources, with the Wu Shi Bank as the strongest backing.

Of course, joining the Wu Shi Academy is also very difficult, with intense competition, and even the risk of death in the academy.

Zhang Ruochen naturally knew the power of the Wu Shi Bank. The Wu Shi Bank in Yunwu County was just a small branch. The headquarters of the Wu Shi Bank is comparable to the imperial court of the First Central Empire, both controlling the world's situation.

Zhang Ruochen said, "The Wu Shi Bank has established an academy in Yunwu County?"

Yunwu County King shook his head and said, "Not in Yunwu County, but on the Tianmo Ridge, where a one-star academy has been established, specifically recruiting talents from the 36 counties around the Tianmo Ridge, including the nine counties of Lingxi, the nine counties of Lingdong, the nine counties of Lingnan, and the nine counties of Lingbei."

Zhang Ruochen nodded and said, "Alright! I choose the path of the Wu Shi Academy!"

Joining the YunTai Sect might allow Zhang Ruochen to face less competition and grow more easily. However, the potential of the YunTai Sect is far less than that of the Wu Shi Academy.

Zhang Ruochen was not afraid of intense competition; he was afraid of insufficient competition.

Yunwu County King was quite satisfied with Zhang Ruochen's decision and said, "If you become a high-ranking official in the Wu Shi Bank in the future, Yunwu County will surely benefit immensely. In a month, it will be the recruitment day for the Wu Shi Academy. During this time, you should focus on consolidating your realm. I will send someone to escort you to the Tianmo Ridge when the time comes."

Subsequently, Yunwu County King and Zhang Ruochen left the Wang Mountain.

Zhang Ruochen returned to the Yushu Palace but did not find General Ge Qian.

The royal guards stationed at the Yushu Palace had been replaced. The new leader was a tall, muscular general with dark skin and a full beard. Upon seeing Zhang Ruochen, he immediately bowed and said in a rough voice, "This general, Gan Li, greets the Ninth Prince."

Zhang Ruochen asked, "Where is General Ge Qian?"

Gan Li replied, "Old Ge has been dispatched by the king to the Ancestral Temple on Tianzi Mountain. From now on, I will protect the Ninth Prince's safety. Rest assured, my martial cultivation is no less than Old Ge's, and in terms of strength, I can easily overpower three Old Ges."

As he spoke, Gan Li flexed his muscular arms, which were like iron blocks.

Zhang Ruochen thought to himself that it seemed Ge Qian and the royal guards had been dispatched to the Ancestral Temple because they knew about the resonance of the gods.

Zhang Ruochen looked at Gan Li and said, "With General Gan Li protecting me, I believe no assassin will dare to step into the Yushu Palace."

Hearing Zhang Ruochen's praise, Gan Li laughed heartily and waved his giant axe, saying, "This general has entered the battlefield ten times with the king, and can even split an enemy war beast with one axe. A few assassins, if they dare to come to the Yushu Palace, will be split in half by this general."

Zhang Ruochen nodded and walked into the palace, heading to the courtyard where Ale lived, wanting to see if Ale had successfully cultivated the "Nine Transcendences of Life and Death."

As he entered the courtyard, he saw Ale standing straight in the middle.

Leaves from the bamboo forest were falling like rain.

Ale's sword speed was as fast as lightning, each strike piercing a bamboo leaf. With Ale at the center, sword shadows surrounded him in all directions, making a "whoosh" sound as they cut through the air.

None of the bamboo leaves on the ground were intact.

"Clap, clap!"

Zhang Ruochen clapped as he walked over and said, "Congratulations on breaking the cocoon and transforming. Your cultivation has advanced to a new level. You must have successfully cultivated the first transcendence of the 'Nine Transcendences of Life and Death,' right?"

Zhang Ruochen could see that Ale's cultivation had reached the early Xuanji Realm.

Ale immediately sheathed his sword, the blade returning to the scabbard with perfect accuracy.

Ale looked at Zhang Ruochen and said, "Has your cultivation also reached the early Xuanji Realm?"

"Indeed, it has reached the Xuanji Realm." Zhang Ruochen nodded and asked, "What are your plans next?"