Ashes Of Heaven Book 1 : Solar Calamity

The elder's announcement hit the audience like thunderclaps.

No one could believe that he had called the five best disciples trash, elected Mu Ran as the representative of their generation, and chose the two pathetic mortals to be his most treasured pupils.

The twists and turns today had been too unexpected, to the point of being unimaginable!

How did things come to this?

Perhaps Han Xuhan was the least surprised by the turn of events.

Of course, the protagonist was bound to catch every proper and powerful cultivator's eyes as soon as he started showing off. What he did not expect, however, was the elder's focus on the two other weakest disciples of their generation.

If this is not the protagonist's halo rubbing off his own aura of misfortune, how else could it be explained? His usual dogshit luck would never lead to such circumstances!

Internally, Xuhan vowed to stick around Mu Ran like a proper lackey. Who knows...he might even pick up a cheat from the roadside someday.

"Now, let's move on to the more practical part of our lessons.

How can you achieve control over qi cycles as perfectly as Mu Ran?

I assume all of you have already purchased at least one qi absorption method from the sect, or brought one practiced in your family, yes?"

To the elder's questioning tone, everyone nodded vigorously, including the other mortal disciple apart from Han Xuhan. Xuhan had used an expensive technique to skip the slow, methodical practice of ordinary beginners. He didn't need these inefficient, archaic absorption techniques.

The elder's eyes focused on him for a fleeting moment and a flash of curiosity seemed to pass by in his gaze.

"Then everyone must have meditated once at least before coming here, correct?"

"Yes, elder," the collective voice of the disciples was heard.

"Do you have your cultivation techniques with you?" He inquired.

This time, the answers didn't come as loudly as before.

"Do those of you without your cultivation manuals at hand have the routes and cycles of qi memorized?"

Those who hadn't replied to the previous question shouted their confirmation.

"Good. Begin absorbing qi into your body first if your meridians aren't filled up yet. Those whose meridians are full with qi, begin your cycles according to your manuals.

Don't worry about anyone peeking on your secrets. The sect has taken strict methods to prevent that from happening. Only the buyer of a cultivation method can read their own scrolls."

While every disciple nodded with relief and excitement, Xuhan glanced at his boss immediately. It was time.

He knew he had only one chance at this. He had to make it count.

"Boss, I took great risk for you today, braving all the humiliation and insults thrown at me to defend you! At least give me what you promised."

"What did I promise?"

Mu Ran asked in alarm. He suddenly felt like he was facing a shrewd salesman who has already laid a trap for himself to step into.

"...The method to cultivate to the zeroth layer of physique transformation realm."

"I said that?" Mu Ran pretended not to remember.

"Boss, you want your underling to be an ordinary cultivator who can't even support you when you start accelerating in your ascension?"

"...Well-"

"Boss, is this how you treat your loyal underling ? Are you afraid that I'll surpass you one day if my dao foundation is perfected ? Sigh...I understand. I resign-"

"Alright, alright, fine. I'm a magnanimous man. But it's way too precious. So you'll have to work harder from now on to pay it off."

Mu Ran gritted his teeth and pulled out the scroll. He understood by now that his underling was a bit of a schemer...but that particular jab about being afraid of his own lackey, hurt his pride!

Who was Mu Ran?

He was the future lord of the world of cultivation, the man who has vowed to dominate heaven and earth. The most powerful cultivator this world will ever know of in future!

How can a man like him take that insult lying down?

Inwardly, he decided to beat some sense into his lackey once both of them reached the first layer of physique transformation realm to squash out all these rebellious scheming thoughts from his brain.

"You're the best, boss."

Xuhan nodded like a chicken, hiding his wide smile. Both of them opened the same scroll and peered down at the cycling designs drawn on it.

"Begin!" The elder shouted.

Immediately, the whole class filled with silence as everyone started to mentally connect with the qi inside themselves and slowly move it according to their respective cultivation method.

For Han Xuhan , it was a fresh experience. He had the barest possible amount of control over qi, and even that was turbulent. Often, he had to concentrate to find the qi first rather than guiding it. The extremely complex cycle that circled all around his body didn't help either, making him falter very few seconds.

After completing the first successful cycle where he had moved nearly one percent of his total qi according to the design of the scroll, Xuhan felt very tired and decided to take a break.

Taking his eyes off the scroll he looked around, only to be greeted by the elder's face three feet away from him, gazing at him curiously.

"You two, your current cultivation technique isn't from this sect."

Xuhan was given a massive fright. Why was this elder so perceptive? Aren't elders in xianxia novels supposed to be dumb old woodblocks who ignore everything the protagonist does under their nose?

There was definitely something wrong with this elder! He keeps veering off the script!

"Yes, elder Kong. The cultivation technique we're practicing is a family treasure of my martial brother Mu Ran." Bracing himself, Xuhan answered the elder's question after sneaking a glance at the meditating Mu Ran.

Pushing the ball towards the man in limelight always works fine in situations like this.

But not this time.

The elder narrowed his eyes and lifted a hand with one finger stretched toward Xuhan's temple.

"Let me examine your progress. Don't worry. I am not going to steal your cultivation technique."

Xuhan swallowed down his immediate urge to protest and let the elder push his finger on his right temple.

"Hmm...about one percent has gone through a cycle and imprinted on your juvenile cultivation base. Along the way, you lost track of nearly half of the qi from the initial amount and your concentration slackened at least nineteen times throughout the cycle.

Halfway through the cycle, one of your meridians blocked a portion of the qi due to a natural defect in that particular vessel. This defect will trouble you greatly in future if you don't take any measures to remove it.

Seven meridians inside your body are in a bad state from internal blocks and muscle structures. If I'm not wrong, approximately seven months ago, you suffered from a deadly sickness, which damaged the growth of four essential vessels of your body. They will definitely slow you down when you cultivate.

In the end, from that initial one percent of the total cycled qi, one tenth of it reached the final point and completed the session.

"If this is your first time with this technique, then I'm not going to criticize you for such lackluster performance.

Now, cycle your qi again. Let me see if you can correct your mistakes. "

Xuhan was dumbstruck.

You can infer that much just from a casual examination touch?!

Holy shit! This elder has to be a hidden boss or something!

No way can a normal cultivator be so badass!

Even Mu Ran, who had been absorbed in his own qi cycle opened his eyes and stared at the elder with a stunned expression. Suddenly, his face became deathly pale. Stopping his session midway, Mu Ran rose from his seat.

"Elder Kong! I think I received a hidden injury earlier in the duel. Please let me visit the infirmary pavilion," Mu Ran hurriedly turned to leave.

"Wait, a hidden injury? Where? I'm good at identifying them. Let me inspect it-"

"No, elder! It would be rude of me to interrupt your teaching. Please keep instructing my martial siblings. This isn't something you need to bother with."

Mu Ran's face become even more pale as the elder tried to inspect him in the same way as he inspected Xuhan.

Without even waiting for the elder to give him his permission, he hurried away out of the hall while everyone looked at his back with suspicion.

The elder slowly walked to the door of the hall and gazed at the half-running silhouette of Mu Ran in the distance.

In a low voice that no one could hear, the elder muttered to himself.

"First that girl, and now this kid. Both of them have the halo. I have to take them in as disciples to fill the yearly quota from my system or face dire punishment.

Heavens...why is my system such a cruel one? How am I supposed to unlock the blueprints of spirit grade weapons from the shop if these disciples with halos are such weirdos!

No, I must keep trying. His Twin Dragon Devil Reverend physique is a top tier physique in this realm. Moreover, he definitely has other secrets. I can't let such a big fish off the hook.

"Hehe...little boy, do you think just because you have the halo, you can oppose this young master?

Prepare to bow down to me and call me master!"