Chapter 62: Passing Power to a Disciple
Chapter 62: Passing Power to a Disciple
I couldn’t be bothered wasting words with him. Golden radiance flared around me again as I threw a punch at him. I suddenly realized there was now an added kingly dominance within my Berserk Battle Energy.
Seeing the flashing golden light, the big man didn’t dare delay. He raised both fan-like palms in front of him, trying to block my attack.
The golden radiance released and withdrew in an instant. My fist and his hands never even touched. Yet the big man felt an irresistible surge of energy crash into his palms, and his whole body immediately flew backward, blasted more than three zhang away, tumbling several times along the ground.
At this point, more than a dozen villagers had gathered—old and young, men and women. Seeing the big man sent flying, they all cried out in alarm, yet no one dared step forward to help him deal with me.
The big man staggered up. A thread of blood seeped from the corner of his mouth. With a tiger-like roar, he charged at me again.
I was startled. This guy’s body really was tough. I had just used three-tenths of my Berserk Battle Energy, and he could already climb up and counterattack so quickly. Looks like I couldn’t stop until I beat him into submission.
When he was about to reach me, I raised a hand. Golden light flashed, and he was blasted away again.
This happened more than ten times. I kept attacking him with only three-tenths strength each time. His clothes were shredded in many places. He climbed up once more, panting as he glared at me.
Suddenly, he threw back his head and let out a furious roar. His body began changing violently. My heart jolted—this kind of change was far too familiar. Watching his eyes and hair gradually turn red, I blurted out, “Berserker.”
So this was what a human berserker looked like?
His already steel-like muscles swelled even further. His bones crackled. He locked his eyes on me. The villagers were terrified by the sight and retreated one after another.
The big man spread his arms and lunged at me. After berserking, his body became extraordinarily tough, and his recovery was astonishingly fast. His injuries from earlier seemed to heal in an instant. If I hadn’t gone through something similar myself, he would’ve been hard to deal with.
I stared at him, focused. Against an opponent like this, I was in a bind. I couldn’t kill him. I could only slowly drain the energy of his berserk state.
Just then, I suddenly felt my Berserk Battle Energy turning unstable. The energy that had come from the heart-protector mirror actually seemed to be trying to leak outward—it separated from my Berserk Battle Energy, and the light I was emitting immediately dimmed.
I was shocked. I didn’t want to lose it. I still didn’t know what it truly did, but I needed it to help me resist the Aura of Death.
With a thought, dark magic power swiftly enveloped my body, sealing the heart-protector mirror’s energy inside me. I retreated sharply and slammed my fist into the ground. Because the energy inside me was unstable, I stopped holding back. This Berserk Windstorm Rain, I used a full seven-tenths of my strength.
The big man, his mind already blurred by berserking, was blasted skyward by the sudden massive energy erupting from underground. He flew more than ten meters up, then crashed heavily to the ground.
Maybe it was his first time berserking. After taking that heavy blow, he tried several times but couldn’t climb up. His head tilted, and he passed out on the spot. The abnormal changes in his body also began to fade, returning him to his original appearance.
As his berserk state vanished, the heart-protector mirror’s energy stopped acting up and gradually fused back into my Berserk Battle Energy.
Letting out a breath, I walked to the big man’s side and checked his pulse. He didn’t seem to be in any real danger.
“Y-you… you killed Su Lu?”
I turned. An extremely old man was trembling as he spoke to me. The villagers around him were full of fear.
I shook my head. “He only passed out. I’m truly sorry. I originally didn’t want to fight. I was just passing by, and I was a bit tired, so I wanted to rest here. But he absolutely wouldn’t let me in, and he insisted on sparring with me. After that… it became what you saw. Don’t worry. He’ll be fine after he rests.”
Because my features were handsome and my tone was gentle, the villagers’ hostility immediately eased somewhat. The old man asked, “Then you won’t hurt us?”
I smiled and shook my head. “Of course not. I just want something to eat and a place to rest for a day, that’s all. Tomorrow I’ll leave. I won’t eat for free.”
As I spoke, I pulled out a few gold coins.
The old man shook his head. “We live self-sufficiently here. Your money isn’t useful to us. Please come in.”
I lifted the big man off the ground and hoisted him onto my shoulder. “Where is this Su Lu’s home? I’ll carry him back.” There were hardly any able-bodied young men here besides Su Lu. If I left it to them, they likely couldn’t move a guy close to three hundred jin.
The old man looked at me with gratitude. “Then please come with me. His home is over there.” He pointed toward a small wooden house not far away.
I followed him over. The house was crude, but solidly built. I laid Su Lu on his own bed, then checked his pulse again. It was steady now.
The old man sighed. “Don’t blame him. Su Lu used to be a good kid—normally gentle with people, living together with his elderly mother and depending on each other. A few days ago, a group of mercenaries suddenly came through here. They were just passing by too. Su Lu saw they knew martial skills and was very warm to them, hosting them.
“Su Lu’s mother had always been in poor health. They kept a few old hens at home. Su Lu had gone down the mountain to work in the town to earn money and buy them, planning to use them to nourish his mother’s body.
“After those mercenaries moved in, Su Lu used our local specialties to treat them. But they insisted on eating those hens. Su Lu has a stubborn temper, so he argued with them a few times. Later it even turned into a fight. Su Lu is very strong, but he had never trained in martial techniques, so after only a few moves he was knocked unconscious.
“When his mother saw her son being beaten, she came out to stop it. Sigh… no one expected she would be accidentally injured by those mercenaries. Her body was weak to begin with, and after being struck, she died right there.
“Seeing they had killed someone, those mercenaries tossed down a bag of gold coins and left.”
Su Lu’s experience really did make me sympathize. Moved, I said, “Su Lu should be a filial son. His mother died—no wonder he was so unfriendly to me.”
The old man sighed. “Yes. We only have a dozen households here. Su Lu is the only heavy laborer in the whole village. Everyone likes him. He was absolutely obedient to his mother in everything.
“That day, when he woke up and found his mother gone, he went crazy and chased after those mercenaries. We couldn’t stop him. A few of the healthier villagers couldn’t catch up, but because we know the nearby terrain, we eventually found Su Lu in a mountain hollow, covered in wounds. It took a lot just to bring him back.
“From then on, the child became silent and spoke little. His mother’s death hit him extremely hard.”
What I valued most was filial piety. Filial sons come first among virtues. I realized I had started to like this honest, simple man.
The old man said, “Let him rest here. I’ll take you to eat something.”
My stomach really was a bit hungry. The old man and I walked out into the yard. He brought out some food from his home—things like corn and sweet potatoes they had grown themselves. I wasn’t picky about food, and I ate with real enjoyment.
The old man seemed to take a liking to me and kept telling me stories about their village. They had originally been residents of nearby towns, but because they had no real means of survival, they came into these barren mountains and built this little village, living by planting simple grains.
Back then, Su Lu was still very small. No one knew who Su Lu’s father was. Only his mother had brought him here by herself. The old man said Su Lu was only seventeen this year. How could that be? I couldn’t tell at all—I felt like he looked older than me.
After the meal, the old man arranged for me to rest in his own place. After a night of flying and then the clash with Su Lu, I really was tired. Half-awake, I curled up on the old man’s wooden bed, which wasn’t even quite long enough, and fell asleep. The living conditions were crude, but I slept especially soundly.
Even in my sleep, my alertness remained high. A sudden burst of noise outside startled me awake. I rubbed my eyes and sat up, only to hear someone shouting outside: “Su Lu, don’t go. Don’t go looking for trouble again. He isn’t a bad person.”
I recognized the voice—it was the old man who had received me. Su Lu had woken up? Pretty fast. Was he still foolish enough to come looking for trouble with me? Knowing he couldn’t win and still doing it anyway—that would be truly stupid.
I straightened my clothes, intending to see what Su Lu wanted to do.
The door opened. Su Lu’s tall figure appeared outside. His gaze wavered as he looked at me. I looked back at him. Though he looked tired and his face was somewhat pale, that oppressive aura was still there. Truly a piece of uncut pure gold.
“So? Still not convinced?” I asked with a bit of teasing.
With a thud, Su Lu suddenly knelt right at the doorway. His action startled me. I stood up, frowning. “What are you doing?”
Su Lu looked at me and said, “I know I can’t beat you. Take me as your disciple. I want to learn that glowing skill.”
At first I froze, then I had the urge to laugh. I was only eighteen—taking a disciple? I could barely take care of myself.
But I really did like Su Lu’s potential. A berserk physique like his was extremely rare. Though the corrosion from the forbidden technique meant I could no longer berserk, I still had an indescribable attachment to it. The first time I ever berserked, I killed a Bimon and avenged Grandma.
Seeing that Su Lu wasn’t here to cause trouble, the old man smiled helplessly and turned to leave.
I thought for a moment and said, “Get up first.”
Su Lu shook his head stubbornly. “If you don’t accept me, I won’t get up. I’m strong. I can help you with a lot of work. Please take me in.”
I snorted with laughter. “What would I want you for labor? Then tell me—after you learn martial skills, what do you plan to do?”
A fierce hatred flared in Su Lu’s eyes. Through clenched teeth he said, “I’m going to tear the ones who killed my mother into pieces and avenge her.”
I sighed. “Don’t be so impulsive. Don’t let hatred blind your reason. Fine—I’ll accept you as my disciple. Get up.”
Su Lu went blank. He clearly hadn’t expected me to accept so easily. In truth, I had only decided on the spot because a thought occurred to me.
Su Lu bowed his head and knocked three times before standing. “This disciple greets Master.”
I gave a short sound of acknowledgment. “I’m pretty casual. No need for formalities later. I’m only one year older than you. We’ll be master and disciple in name, but friends in truth.
“Su Lu, when you fought me today, you berserked. Do you know that?”
Su Lu scratched his head. “I kind of remember. Back then I felt I hated you, and then my mind got blurry. After that I don’t remember anything. The village head said you knocked me out.”
I nodded. “I’m telling you—you have a one-in-ten-thousand berserk physique. When your anger breaks through a critical point, your body changes. Your attack power rises rapidly, and your body heals much faster. It won’t last long, but it can boost your combat strength enormously in an instant.
“I won’t hide it from you—I can berserk too. The only downside after berserking is that you easily lose clarity and can only rely on instinct to control yourself. So unless you have absolutely no choice, you must stay clear-headed and must not berserk lightly.”
Su Lu nodded. “Yes, Master.”
“The cultivation method I practice is called the Berserk God Art. It’s a method of battle energy cultivation, and only those with a berserk physique can cultivate it. It’s precisely because you can berserk that I decided to accept you.
“Here’s what we’ll do. First I’ll pass you the beginner method. Then I’ll send you to cultivate in a certain place. As long as you work hard, you’ll definitely achieve results in a short time. When the time comes, I’ll go find you and accompany you to take revenge.”
A mother’s murder could not go unavenged.
Su Lu’s eyes hardened with determination. “Alright, Master. I’ll listen to you. As long as I can avenge her, I’ll do anything you tell me.”
Satisfied, I smiled. “Cultivating Berserk Battle Energy is bitter at the beginning. Can you endure it?” Without firm will, one could not learn this art.
Su Lu said, “I can endure any hardship. Don’t worry.”
“Good.”
I asked the old man (the village head) for paper and brush and wrote out the cultivation method for the first three levels of the Berserk God Art. After finishing, I immediately began explaining those three levels to Su Lu.
With my experience, Su Lu would take far fewer detours than I did back when I was fumbling through it alone. But his brain really was hard to praise. Even after an entire afternoon of explaining, he only barely understood the methods for the first three levels. His intelligence wasn’t much better than a beastman’s.
Could it really be that the more developed the limbs, the simpler the brain?
Because I still had many things to do, and because the first level of the Berserk God Art was far too dangerous, I decided to use my own power to force Su Lu through the first level.
Su Lu and I went to his home. I told the old man not to let any villagers disturb us, and I began “instilling cultivation” into my foolish disciple.
“Alright. In a moment, I’ll use my own energy to help you open your meridians. No matter how painful it is, you must endure it. And you must use your will to follow my energy as it moves. Only then can you grasp the essentials of the Berserk God Art. Understand?”
“Understood, Master.”
Hopefully he truly understood.
I sat cross-legged behind him, adjusted my breathing once, then began injecting Berserk Battle Energy into his body little by little.
The Berserk God Art cultivates along an unconventional path. The main purpose of the first level is to fully open the special meridian routes through which battle energy must run. I expanded Su Lu’s meridians bit by bit. Each time I opened a section, I drew my energy back slightly and circulated it through the newly opened passage repeatedly to consolidate the territory.
Having cultivated the first level myself, I knew it was extremely painful. When I reached the halfway point, Su Lu’s clothes were already soaked through, yet he still clenched his teeth and didn’t make a sound.
A real man.
I struck his meridians again and again. It took a full day before I finally opened ninety-nine percent of them. But I knew the last one percent was the key. I didn’t rush. I woke Su Lu, had him wash up and eat a full meal, while I rested as well and smoothed out my own Berserk Battle Energy.
To push him through the first level quickly, I truly had expended a lot of energy. And while opening his meridians, I also had to carefully control my own energy so the heart-protector mirror’s energy wouldn’t slip out. After all, people are selfish—everyone wants the greatest power for themselves.
After resting for two shichen, the sky was already dark. It seemed I would have to stay here one more day.
“Su Lu, are you ready? It may be very painful, but once you pass this barrier, you can formally begin cultivating battle energy.”
Su Lu was clearly full of confidence in me. He said happily, “Master, I’m ready. Earlier when I went to wash, I felt like my body was much lighter, and my strength seemed a bit greater too. So cultivating battle energy is this good—just a short while and there’s already obvious results.”
I couldn’t help a bitter smile. How many masters would be like me—willing to expend their own battle energy to open a disciple’s meridians?
“Sit down. Embrace the Origin and return to One. Focus your spirit and circulate your breath, and as before, follow the Berserk Battle Energy I send in and run it together.”
We began transmitting power again.
Fools had one advantage—single-mindedness. They didn’t think about messy things. That was a big help for my transmission. After I circulated through the previously opened meridians three times, I began testing the final critical point.
I tested three times and failed each time. Su Lu was already in such pain that his body began to spasm.
I knew that if I still couldn’t break through, everything would be wasted. Even if he tried later on his own, he would carry a heavy psychological burden.
I gritted my teeth, gathered Berserk Battle Energy, and launched the final impact at the end of his meridians. This time I gathered about seventy percent of my Berserk Battle Energy, and at last I successfully smashed through the final barrier.
Su Lu let out a heaven-shaking scream, piercingly clear in the dead of night. Fine beads of blood seeped from every pore. The sight was terrifying. He had already fainted.
I was startled. Had I used too much force and killed him? I hurriedly ran my Berserk Battle Energy through his body to check.
Fortunately, though his meridians had been shaken somewhat, he had successfully broken through the first level of the Berserk God Art. Inside him, a faint stream of energy had begun circulating on its own.
From experience, I knew this fainting spell would likely last more than seven days.
I felt weak all over. Opening his meridians had truly drained me.
Early the next morning, I saw black sludge beginning to seep from Su Lu’s body. I found the village head and told him Su Lu was undergoing a process of cleansing the meridians and washing the marrow. I told him to find someone to wipe Su Lu down (I certainly wouldn’t do that kind of dirty work). Su Lu was far luckier than I had been. When I broke through the first level, no one took care of me. I only washed myself after I woke up.
After resting through the entire day, my energy had basically returned to normal. I found the village head and handed him two letters I had written—one for Su Lu, and another for him to bring to the Vice Principal at Tianshou Academy.
Before I separated from the Tianshou group a few days ago, the Vice Principal refused to let me leave, saying I still had much to learn and had to return to the academy to continue studying. He even used Zi Yan and Zi Xue to threaten me. After the episode of the Aura of Death, my relationship with Zi Yan had become public.
Only after I produced the Mo Crystal card I got from Tian Zhong (the one worth ten million gold coins) did the Vice Principal reluctantly agree to let me go. Ten million gold coins—that was an enormous fortune, enough to build two more Tianshou Academies with plenty left over.
Seeing Su Lu made me think of myself when I had first entered Tianshou. Though we weren’t the same type, we both could berserk. Letting Su Lu rot in an unknown little village would be too much of a waste, so I decided to take him as my disciple.
Now that I had helped him cultivate the first level of the Berserk God Art, the road ahead would be his to walk. In my letter to him, I urged him to hurry to Tianshou Academy, deliver the letter to the Vice Principal, and remain there to study. Once I finished my business, I would go find him. I also warned him not to reveal our relationship. If Feng Wen and the others found out I had taken such a big foolish disciple, I’d be laughed to death.
With Su Lu’s inborn berserk physique and my letter of recommendation, the Vice Principal should accept him without any problem. Two years later, when I went to find Zi Yan and the others, Su Lu’s skills should have reached a certain level. With me accompanying him, revenge shouldn’t be an issue. Those mercenaries—wherever they were from—killing even an old woman… they truly deserved death.
When night fell, I said farewell to the village head and left Su Lu one hundred gold coins as travel money to Tianshou Academy. Originally the village head didn’t want Su Lu to leave. It took me quite a bit of persuasion before he reluctantly agreed. In truth, even if he hadn’t agreed, Su Lu probably wouldn’t have listened anyway.
Soaring through the sky, I enjoyed the constant intake of dark elements. After transforming into a four-winged fallen angel several times, I realized my Heavenly Demon Art hadn’t advanced at all. Was the seventh level really that difficult? Because of the Aura of Death, I truly didn’t dare cultivate it again—staying alive was more important.
After a night of flying, I finally reached the vicinity of White Smoke Mountain. I watched from afar for a long time and saw nothing at all. What Five-Colored Radiance? It was nonsense.
Suddenly, my heart jolted. Could it be that because I delayed for Zi Yan and the others, Dragon God’s people had already taken the treasure first? If that was the case, my fault would be huge—I wouldn’t be able to answer to the Beast Emperor.
Forget it. I should go to a nearby city and ask around. I thought of the small city where I had killed Bai Tian a year ago. It was the closest city to Baiyan Mountain. If there was any news of the Five-Colored Radiance., I could probably find it there.
With that thought, I turned and flew toward the small city.
Chapter 62: Passing Power to a Disciple (4)
Five li outside the city, I landed on the ground. I took out the mustard-seed pouch from my chest. “Mustard seed becomes Sumeru, appear.”
My veiled bamboo hat slowly floated out of the mustard-seed pouch. I didn’t know whether the people in this small city could still recognize me, but it was better to be cautious.
Putting on the hat, I entered the city. Compared to last time, it was much livelier. And I noticed many mercenaries carrying blades and swords appearing and disappearing along the streets. This place wasn’t peaceful. They were probably all drawn here by the Five-Colored Radiance.
I went to the tavern where I had killed Bai Tian’s son back then. Compared to before, it had been renovated more luxuriously, clearly under new ownership.
I pushed the door open. The wind chime on the door tinkled, and a rich fragrance of alcohol rushed at me. Last time I came, I remembered the atmosphere being quite quiet. This time it was the opposite—the tavern was packed and extremely noisy.
My entrance didn’t draw much attention. A server walked over. “Hello, sir.”
I gave a short sound. “Any seats?”
The server looked around awkwardly. “No single tables left. Would you be willing to share a table?”
I was only here to gather information, not to enjoy myself. I nodded that it was fine. The server relaxed and led me to a table. It was a four-person table with two people already seated—a man and a woman, clearly together. They were speaking softly to each other.
The server politely said, “Sir, miss, we’re full. Would you mind letting this gentleman share your table?”
The man looked up first. He was very handsome—sword-like brows and bright eyes, straight nose and square mouth, fair skin, and a heroic air. He smiled and nodded. “Traveling isn’t easy. Brother, please sit.”
His polite words immediately made me like him. I nodded to him and sat opposite.
At that moment, the woman also lifted her head. When I saw her face, my heartstrings trembled violently—it was Ke Lan, the one who had taken care of me when I was injured and hospitalized at Tianshou. Even now, Ke Lan’s resentful gaze still sometimes appeared in my mind.
How could I run into her here? And judging by their closeness, she and that handsome man were very intimate.
Ke Lan only glanced at me once, then continued speaking with the man. I didn’t know why, but a sour feeling rose in my chest.
The server asked, “Sir, what would you like?”
My mind was entirely on Ke Lan, and it took him asking twice before I reacted. I deliberately lowered my voice to sound hoarse. “Oh. Bring me a lighter drink, and some snacks.”
The server nodded and left. With my veiled hat on, they couldn’t see my face through the cloth.
I heard the man say, “What a pity. I originally wanted to take you to climb Baiyan Mountain. You know—from halfway up, it’s shrouded in clouds and mist all year, and the scenery is very beautiful. But I’ve heard it’s been sealed off by the army now. No one is allowed to approach.”
Ke Lan smiled faintly. “It doesn’t matter. Everywhere is the same. Looks like something happened at Baiyan Mountain. We should stay far away and avoid trouble.”
The man looked at her with doting affection. “Isn’t it all because of that so-called Five-Colored Radiance? Don’t worry. No matter what happens, I’ll protect you. Don’t you trust my strength?
Ke Lan said in a sweet voice, “I trust you. With your Bai Li—”
The man covered her mouth, then glanced at me. His lips moved twice—clearly transmitting sound.
Ke Lan slapped his hand away and also glanced at me, pouting. “Got it. Why are you being so careful?”
By then, my drink and food had arrived, but I had no desire to drink at all. I hadn’t expected that after I rejected her, Ke Lan would find new love so quickly.
I should have blessed her. So why did I feel uncomfortable?
The wind chime on the door rang again. I turned to look. A pot-bellied fatty walked in. Without waiting for the server, he strode straight to our table and plopped down beside me, shouting, “Server! Hurry and bring your daddy some good booze. I’m fucking exhausted.”
A wave of stench rolled off him and made me frown hard. Ke Lan and the man also looked at the newcomer with disgust. Ke Lan pinched her nose. “So stinky.”
The fat man clearly heard her. He lifted his eyelids and gave a lewd grin. “What, little lady—think your daddy smells? You women love this kind of smell. Once you’re in bed, you’ll probably be calling me ‘big brother,’ hahaha.”
His filthy talk immediately triggered a burst of laughter throughout the tavern. Looks like this guy was a regular here.
Ke Lan slammed the table and sprang up. “What did you say?”
The fat man said, “What? Did I hit the truth? Later, if your daddy has time, I’ll try your other holes too. Heh heh.”
The man with Ke Lan shot out two cold beams of light from his eyes and said coldly, “Friend, it would be better to leave some virtue in your mouth.”
Ke Lan was trembling with rage, pointing at the fat man but unable to speak.
I found it very strange. That man’s self-control was really good. If it were my woman being humiliated like that, I would have torn the other party into pieces already.
When the fat man was stared at, he clearly shuddered, muttered a couple words, and stopped talking. The man pulled Ke Lan down and whispered something into her ear.
Ke Lan suddenly stood up again. “You coward. If you want to endure it, endure it. I can’t.” She shook off the man’s hand and turned to leave.
The man frowned and hurried after her, grabbing her. “Don’t do this, Lan-mei. I’ll vent your anger for you.” Hearing that, Ke Lan’s expression finally improved a bit, and she stood there waiting to see what he would do.
The man shook his head helplessly and returned to the fat man beside me. “Friend, please leave this place. Otherwise, I’ll have to be impolite.”