Chapter 92: Sixth Stage of Cast Tripod Realm
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
For the rest of the time, it was a tragedy for both Jiang Yi and Qian w.a.n.guan. Su Ruoxue didn’t sit down and rest while waiting for the cadets to return. Instead, she followed everyone up the mountain and constantly patrolled. If any cadet was in danger, she would even step in to a.s.sist. This meant that Jiang Yi and Qian w.a.n.guan had no ways to cheat their way out. They had no choice but to follow the instructions and hunt demonic beasts.
But on the second day, Qian w.a.n.guan thought of a good idea. He asked a group of Qian clansmen to follow him and Jiang Yi. The group would then hunt the demonic beasts together, handing over the demonic beast materials to Jiang Yi and Qian w.a.n.guan first. When the two of them completed their task, they searched for a place to either cultivate or slack. Su Ruoxue didn’t bother them and only looked at the fact that their tasks were completed.
When Jiang Yi returned to the college every afternoon, he would immediately head to the cultivation room. He would cultivate all the way to midnight before falling into a deep sleep back at his courtyard. This constant cultivation caused the dantian within Jiang Yi to form this essence force fountain. After his seal was broken, the cultivation speed he possessed was already on the level as those elite prodigies. With the enhancement from his black essence force, the Earth Essence Elixirs were raised to the level of earth-tier superior grade. Complemented with three folds of cultivation speed within the cultivation room, one could only imagine how fast Jiang Yi’s cultivation speed became.
It was rather weird that Jiang Yiliu didn’t come looking for trouble; thus, Qian w.a.n.guan went ahead to find answers. They found out he was cultivating non-stop in the East Courtyard and didn’t prepare to make any move. It was precisely because Jiang Yiliu was too quiet that Jiang Yi and Qian w.a.n.guan grew worried instead. This theory was also known as the ‘dog that bites, seldom barks.’
But Qian w.a.n.guan guaranteed to Jiang Yi that Jiang Yiliu only had the authority to make use of experts from the peak stage of the Purple Mansion Realm. There weren’t any safety issues for Jiang Yunhai and Jiang Xiaonu, which relieved Jiang Yi.
For the next month, everything remained peaceful; and Jiang Yi didn’t want to disturb this peace while he continued on increasing his strength by cultivation.
Two weeks later…
On this day, Jiang Yi didn’t even go by to his living quarters to sleep. Even when it was time to gather up for their daily task, he was still missing. If Qian w.a.n.guan didn’t know that Jiang Yi was in the cultivation room, he would have thought that Jiang Yi went missing.
“Qian w.a.n.guan. Where is Jiang Yi?” When Su Ruoxue made a headcount and didn’t see Jiang Yi, her brows raised as she looked at Qian w.a.n.guan with suspicion.
Qian w.a.n.guan took a glance at the southern side and replied, “He should still be in the cultivation room? Let me ask someone to go hurry him.”
“Swis.h.!.+”
Right at this moment, a green figure rushed here with speed, sweeping by everyone uniformly. Everyone let out a startled expression, but the surprised expression of Su Ruoxue and Qian w.a.n.guan was even more intense. When Jiang Yi headed into the team, Su Ruoxue immediately asked, “Jiang Yi, have you broken through to the sixth stage of the Cast Tripod Realm?”
Qian w.a.n.guan exclaimed, too: “Boss! Did you really have a breakthrough?”
Jiang Yi’s eyes were filled with glee. He nodded and replied, “Yes, I have just broken through.”
One for the cadet felt weird to see all of them behaving so amazed. This cadet muttered in confusion, “Isn’t it just breaking through to the sixth stage of the Cast Tripod Realm? What is there to be baffled about?”
Jiang Yi heard all the muttering of this cadet and lightly nodded. “Yea, isn’t it just an advancement to the sixth stage of the Cast Tripod Realm? What is there to be surprised for? There are at least a handful of cadets that are at the eighth or ninth stage, right?”
Qian w.a.n.guan and Su Ruoxue rolled their eyes at a well-coordinated timing. Others didn’t know, but they knew it clearly—especially Su Ruoxue. When she first met Jiang Yi at the Skyplume City, he was only at the fourth stage of the Cast Tripod Realm. But in just two months, he increased his cultivation stage to the fifth stage. After another two months from entering the college, he had increased his cultivation stage again.
Even though Su Ruoxue knew that Jiang Yi had been going to the cultivation room recently and had the a.s.sistance of elixirs, it was still too horrifying to be able to increase a cultivation stage in two months, right? If this was to carry on, he would catch up to those Prodigy Cadets quickly.
Most importantly, it was his bizarre combat strength. When he was at the fifth stage of the Cast Tripod Realm, his combat strength was already at the first stage of the Purple Mansion Realm. If he was at the first stage of the Purple Mansion Realm, would he be able to sweep a whole group of Purple Mansion Realm martial artists?
“Let’s depart!”
When Su Ruoxue flew a look at Jiang Yi, she unintentionally revealed a charming and flirtatious expression, causing all the male cadets to fall into a daze. She promptly restored her indifferent expression and guided the team out of the college.
“Boss, this is too violent! Two months, and you actually broke through a stage!”
Qian w.a.n.guan’s eyes were filled with awe. What he cared about were Jiang Yi’s potential and status. Looking at the situation, he couldn’t count on Jiang Yi’s status anymore, but he was delighted to know of Jiang Yi’s speed of improvement. It was a known fact that a regular prodigy would require at least half a year before advancing from the fifth to the sixth stage of the Cast Tripod Realm.
“Young Master Qian!”
When they were heading out of the South Courtyard’s gate, Qian w.a.n.guan was halted by an individual. After whispering a few sentences to Qian w.a.n.guan, Qian w.a.n.guan immediately caught up to Jiang Yi and informed him, “My Second Uncle is here at the Spirit Beast City, and I’m afraid I have to go for a quick trip. Be careful, Boss. I shall let Qian Fu and his group accompany you.”
Jiang Yi nodded. Qian w.a.n.guan briefed a few cadets from the Qian Clan and quickly headed over to Su Ruoxue. It was unknown what he told Su Ruoxue, but the usually strict Su Ruoxue actually gave Qian w.a.n.guan a day of absence.
After arriving at the mountain where they were going to hunt demonic beasts, Jiang Yi and seven members of the Qian Clan easily hunted a few tier-one demonic beasts. As usual, Jiang Yi sat atop an ancient tree and began cultivating while the rest of the Qian clansmen searched the nearby areas to hunt demonic beasts.
“Jiang Yi!”
After cultivating for a short moment, Jiang Yi got roused up by a shout. He took a glance below and saw a face that was just like a spotlessly white moon, looking at him.
He immediately leaped off the team and grinned. “Mentor Su. Are you ‘oldways’ so carefree?”
“‘Oldways?"” Su Ruoxue glared with her big round eyes and asked with fury, “Am I that old?”
“Hehe!”
Jiang Yi laughed and quickly said apologetically, “Aren’t I addressing a senior? Mentor Su looks even younger than me—how can you be old?”
“Glib tongue!”
Su Ruoxue rolled her eyes and suddenly paused. It seemed like she had been very used to rolling her eyes? This wasn’t what she was normally like. She then felt this sense of danger before restoring her icy cold expression and looked at Jiang Yi. She was trying to find out what kind of magical power was within Jiang Yi? To actually be able to remove the icy seal from her and exposing her true nature?
But no matter how she looked, she could only see that ordinary face of Jiang Yi that was with a genuine smile and had nothing special. She then recalled Jiang Yi’s words and found out that there wasn’t anything special either—they were all just daily used words.
Looking at Jiang Yi’s genuine smiley face, Su Ruoxue had a sudden realization. Perhaps it was because of Jiang Yi’s genuine att.i.tude and casual way of speaking that made her put her guard down. This could be why she removed her pretense and revealed her true nature.
“Mentor Su, is there anything you need me for? I am busy cultivating.”
Jiang Yi casually spoke in a tone that wasn’t meant for Su Ruoxue as his mentor—but for her as a friend instead. This was where he got clever: in fact, he had a reason for confronting Jiang Yiliu the day he did. That was to acquire a favorable impression from Su Ruoxue!
Of course, he didn’t have any ulterior motives towards Su Ruoxue. He didn’t have the time to think about a love affair. The reason for getting a favorable impression from Su Ruoxue was all for Jiang Xiaonu.
Jiang Xiaonu was in need of the college’s heaven-tier healer for her treatment. With Su Ruoxue’s exceptional status within the college—if she was willing to help, there was a great chance that the healer would offer the treatment. What was he here at the college for again? Wasn’t it for Jiang Xiaonu? And naturally, he wouldn’t let this opportunity slip away.
In order to get a favorable impression from Su Ruoxue and become her friend, he had to treat her with sincerity and as a true friend. He must not show any motives for a love affair to her. It was obvious that Jiang Yi was successful. One could see the unintentional revealing of Su Ruoxue’s true nature when she was interacting with Jiang Yi.
“Nothing much! I just want to ask about your process in cultivation. How did you breakthrough so quickly?” Su Ruoxue’s eyes had restored her calm self. Jiang Yi’s bizarre strength was what made her curious.
“Howl!”
Right at this moment, a shocking loud howl echoed from a distance. A horrific and fearful presence enveloped the entire area. Just as Jiang Yi prepared to reply, his expression instantly changed. He looked into the eyes of Su Ruoxue and saw that her eyes were filled with a bewildered and grave expression. Jiang Yi asked with a heavy voice, “Is it a tier-two demonic beast?”
“En, and it is of a superior grade!”
Before Su Ruoxue could finish her reply, she already flew far into the distance while she shouted with her loudest yet delicate voice, “All cadets are to retreat to the college now! This demonic beast isn’t something you can handle! Flee!”