The small boat sailed on the lake surface, stirring layers of ripples. Zhao Letian stood at the bow, hands clasped behind his back, gazing at the vast sky and the boundless lake before him, his thoughts flying away.
Reborn in this world of martial arts, for him, it was both a great opportunity and a huge challenge. Here, peerless powerhouses could reign above the ninth heaven, look down upon all living beings, move mountains and overturn seas, destroy the sun, moon, and stars. But, on the path to becoming a peerless powerhouse, there were bound to be countless hardships and dangers, a single misstep could lead to total ruin and annihilation.
To become a peerless powerhouse and reach the pinnacle of martial arts, one needed not only opportunities but also a heart as firm as a boulder, unwavering. The Twin Martial Soul and the memories inherited from the Dragon Clan had already given him, Zhao Letian, an immense opportunity. Having lived two lives, and being reborn once more, had endowed him with a will far beyond ordinary people. Therefore, in this life, he would certainly wield his sword in high spirits, pursue his desires freely, and carve out a grand avenue to the heavens.
"Letian bro, where do you plan to go next? Why not join me and cultivate on our island?" Liu Wei, who was gently rowing behind him, suddenly spoke up.
"Go to your island?" Zhao Letian, his stream of thoughts interrupted, awoke from his reverie, slightly startled, then turned around, smiled, and shook his head at Liu Wei, "No need, Liu Wei, I appreciate your kindness, but I still prefer to be alone."
"Then... alright." A flash of disappointment crossed Liu Wei's eyes as she nodded.
Seeing this, the corners of Zhao Letian's mouth couldn't help but reveal a helpless and bitter smile. He certainly understood the thoughts of this young girl, Liu Wei. However, as far as he knew, Liu Wei shared an island for cultivation with Liu Fei, and now, he and Liu Fei were almost sworn enemies. Going to their island would not only lead to an awkward situation, but if Liu Fei harbored any malicious intentions, it could be disastrous. Therefore, it was better to avoid complications.
"Letian bro, can I ask what exactly happened between you and Sister Feifei? I don't believe you would disrespect Sister Feifei, but why did she not stop Shentu Yu from throwing you into the lake yesterday?" Liu Wei seemed to have guessed that Zhao Letian's reluctance to return with her was because of Liu Fei, so she asked with a frown of curiosity.
"Why didn't she stop it? Haha, how could she possibly stop it? If I didn't die, how could their affair remain concealed!" Zhao Letian sneered coldly, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes.
"You mean to say, Sister Feifei and that Shentu Yu..." Liu Wei gasped, her eyes full of disbelief.
"Alright, Liu Wei, this matter doesn't concern you, you don't need to worry about it. Let's part here. I will go and cultivate on the island ahead, you can come to find me if there's anything." Zhao Letian didn't want to talk about Liu Fei anymore. Staring ahead at a group of islets, he leaped up and swiftly ran across the lake's surface.
Although the cluster of islets was only a few yards in size and barren without a blade of grass, its proximity to the inner area meant that the Primordial Energy was rich and dense. For Zhao Letian, who urgently needed to quickly restore his cultivation, it was indeed a good place to practice.
Watching Zhao Letian's hurried departure, Liu Wei on the boat couldn't help but smile wryly, thinking that Letian bro was still the same as before, a complete cultivation fanatic. Whenever there was time, he would immediately immerse himself in his practices, but if not for this, how could he have become the top among the outer disciples?
"Although Letian bro's cultivation level is temporarily not as it was before, I believe that with his diligent attitude, regaining his peak cultivation level is surely just a matter of time. I won't disturb his cultivation." Liu Wei looked at Zhao Letian, who had already arrived at the islet ahead, smiled sweetly, and then rowed the boat away.
Atop the islet, Zhao Letian found a flat area, sat down with his legs crossed, and began to practice the "Ninefold Xuan Armor Art". Instantly, a rich vortex of Primordial Energy from heaven and earth furiously gathered around him, stirring up an invisible tempest on the islet that swirled around him in the center, creating quite the impressive sight.
The reason Zhao Letian was so eager to restore his cultivation level was not only to take revenge on Shentu Yu and reclaim his cultivation island but most importantly, to prepare for the mid-year assessment of the Zhao Family in Qingzhou City, which was fast approaching.
The Zhao Family, one of the four great clans in Qingzhou City, has most of its younger generation, like Zhao Letian, studying and cultivating outside. To encourage these younger generations to diligently cultivate, the elders of the family decided to summon them back for an assessment and competition at the midpoint of each year, in addition to the annual family meeting.
For the younger generation of the Zhao Family, this mid-year assessment not only concerns their honor and disgrace but also affects the amount of family support they will receive for the second half of the year. Therefore, everyone attaches great importance to this mid-year assessment, and Zhao Letian is no exception.
In previous years, whether it was the mid-year assessment or the annual year-end meeting, Zhao Letian had always been the most dazzling figure among his peers. This brought him supreme honor but also the envy and resentment of many fellow disciples.
However, this year, if the family's peers learn that his cultivation level is not what it used to be, they will certainly not miss this opportunity to make trouble for him and mock him.
Of course, now that Zhao Letian's cultivation level has recovered to the Primordial Martial Fifth Realm, he can completely disregard most of his peers. Still, some amongst the Zhao Family's peers are not to be underestimated, having strong cultivation levels. If he remembers correctly, during the last annual meeting, several individuals had already reached the Primordial Martial Eighth Realm, and now half a year has passed, it's possible that some of them have broken through to the Primordial Martial Ninth Realm.
With Zhao Letian's current Primordial Martial Fifth Realm strength, even facing someone in the Primordial Martial Seventh Realm would be extremely difficult, let alone confronting those in the Eighth or even the Ninth Realm.
However, if he could recover to the Primordial Martial Sixth Realm before the mid-year assessment and condense the second layer of Xuan Armor, he might still have a glimmer of hope to contend with those strong individuals.
...
As the stars shifted and the sun rose and fell, for a full three days, Zhao Letian remained motionless, sitting like a statue on the islet, enduring the wind and sun, as he cultivated to recover his cultivation level at the fastest speed.
"Primordial Martial Sixth Realm! Second Armor Power!"
Suddenly, Zhao Letian opened his eyes, stood up, and clenched his fists, feeling the beast-like formidable power within his body, his eyes gleaming with sharp light and filled with strong confidence. With his current strength, he dared not say he could completely outpower all his peers in the clan, but those who envied him would not find it easy to mock him anymore.
"Qingzhou City, it's time to head back." Zhao Letian stood on the islet with his hands clasped behind him, gazing in the direction of Qingzhou City. He pondered for a moment, then leaped into the air, stepping on the lake's surface, tracing fast arcs, and swiftly heading towards the distance.
Although he wished to cultivate for a few more days to be more prepared, there were only a few days left until the Zhao Family's mid-year assessment, and if he didn't set off immediately, he might not make it in time.