Eight-Level Gale
This was a new rule set by the three great families three years ago, after their major incident: all disciples of the three families had to train diligently, with relaxation allowed only on the last three days of each month.
The women in the family were all diligent in their cultivation, but they were women after all—who didn't love shopping? Even Wang Yue, who had a bit of a martial fanatic streak, was no exception.
So it wasn't strange at all that none of them had shown up at the training grounds today.
Wang Yue didn't blame them for not telling him in advance. Rest days were something everyone looked forward to—who could've guessed he'd forget even that?
As for why they went out without him, that was on Wang Yue himself.
In fact, they used to love going out with him, especially Wang Yarou, who always stuck to him like glue.
If he remembered right, it was at the beginning of this year when he, feeling like he'd grown up and that hanging out with a bunch of women all day was unbecoming, had declared he wouldn't go out with them anymore.
Wang Yarou had cried over it, and then Wang Yue had gotten a beating from Wang Yue for making her cry.
After that, he'd been "free." On rest days, he could go out alone.
He'd thought it was pretty great back then, but now it seemed downright stupid—turning down a group of beauties, big and small, for a day out.
Even if they were family and he couldn't act on any impulses, he could've at least met their friends and girlfriends through them.
After all, three years ago, the Wang family rules weren't so strict, and they had plenty of time to play and make friends.
And the friends of beautiful women were often beautiful themselves. Only those scheming types lacking confidence in their looks but craving attention would deliberately surround themselves with plain or ugly friends to stand out.
Of course, the world wasn't absolute—there were real best-friend duos of beauty and beast who were genuine.
Wang Yue came to the training grounds every day just to kill time anyway. Since today was a rest day, he wasn't about to stay cooped up at home like an idiot—he loved going out too; he was a teenager, after all.
But today, he had no plans to play. Instead, he was heading to Lingyun Pavilion to check it out.
Lingyun Pavilion was a powerful and mysterious commercial organization, with branches in nearly every city across human territory, backed by more than one martial holy land.
They sold only martial artist goods: weapons, equipment, cultivation resources... everything, even techniques and martial skills.
They had strict customer requirements too. The basics: only martial artists could enter and buy.
Even among martial artists, there were strict tiers based on their faction.
For example, Wang family members from Jinling were Profound-rank customers. Most things were fine, but for techniques and martial skills, the highest they could buy was Profound-tier.
This showed how rigidly stratified human society had become. To ordinary people, martial artists were lofty elites, but among martial artists, there were still ranks and hierarchies.
Squeezing into a higher circle from a lower one was nearly impossible.
Wang Yue's goal today was martial skills.
Martial skills weren't as crucial as cultivation techniques, but they determined how effectively a martial artist could unleash their power. Higher-tier skills utilized true qi more efficiently for greater strength.
The Wang family's core skill, Jade Breaking Palm, was merely Profound-tier upper-grade—decent in Jinling, but far from enough for Wang Yue.
Of course, finding powerful techniques or skills at Lingyun Pavilion was a pipe dream. They were scarce; any available would go to top-tier city branches, not a first-rate city like Jinling.
Otherwise, over the years, the three Jinling families wouldn't treat a single Profound-tier upper-grade technique as their clan treasure—Profound-rank customers could buy up to Profound-tier supreme-grade, yet the families had never gotten one because Jinling's Lingyun Pavilion never stocked them.
But Wang Yue vaguely recalled a skill at Lingyun Pavilion with no rank restriction.
It had no name, no weapon limit—just one simple move. Yet when it first appeared, it caused a huge stir.
Its origin was massive: obtained by a Transcendence Realm land immortal from a martial holy land at a secret realm's core. Even that immortal couldn't unleash its true power, so they released it for the fated one.
Almost every faction bought a copy to study, but none became the fated one.
People did notice something: among equals, those with higher-tier cultivation techniques unleashed slightly more power with it.
The conclusion: its power scaled with realm and true qi purity. Higher cultivation meant greater base power; purer true qi meant more amplification—multiplicative.
Cultivation techniques had tiers mainly for speed and ceiling; true qi purity differences were minor.
Even Heaven-tier true qi was just a few dozen to 100% purer than Earth-tier—not qualitative.
For that move, even Heaven-tier cultivators only matched mid-to-low Profound-tier skills. With just one crude move, it wasn't worth even Earth-tier.
But Wang Yue was different. After his first dual cultivation with Xue Yan, his true qi purity had tripled at least. More sessions with her and Chen Rong doubled it again from there.
If it worked as theorized, it was tailor-made for him and his dual cultivation partners.
The Wang family had bought a copy once. His grandfather tried it and tossed it aside—who knew where it was now.
Once no one bit, prices plummeted across Lingyun Pavilion branches. Better to buy fresh than hunt through storage.
At the Wang Family Estate parking lot, Wang Yue picked a small hovercar, drove off alone—no maid needed.
Hovercars were a post-spiritual qi revival product: tech and cultivation fused. Powered by beast cores from cultivated beasts, arcane formations created anti-gravity, floating half a meter off the ground.
Performance-wise, no better than fuel or electric cars, but insanely pricey—replacing a core could fuel a regular car for centuries.
Pure gimmick to flaunt status.
As Jinling's three families' sole remaining male heir, Wang Yue was the city's most famous figure. No low-key "pig-eating-tiger" moments here.
So, go flashy—save time on roads. People would yield to the car; basic respect for martial artists.
Wang Yue wasn't bad or arrogant, but raised in privilege, he couldn't suddenly champion the masses without experience.
The hovercar glided through Jinling's streets. Wang Yue gazed at the skyscrapers, feeling worlds away.
For the family, his last outing was under a month ago. For him, eons—he'd half-forgotten the city's layout.
Luckily, navigation guided him straight to Lingyun Pavilion—no getting lost.
Amid dodging pedestrians and traffic, he reached the street, finding everyone lining the sides, faces reverent.
Puzzled, he heard rhythmic footsteps ahead. Then, uniformed, upright figures appeared.
Even privileged Wang Yue pulled over, yielding the road.
Humans vs. beasts: martial artists were vanguards, hot weapons standard, armies the backbone.
Soldiers trained not in martial techniques but a special method from an early secret realm.
Alone, a soldier was just stronger than ordinary folk—below a Body Tempering 1st layer martial artist.
But it linked them into formations, stacking and amplifying power.
One soldier lost to Body Tempering entry; ten matched Qi Condensation; a hundred took on Spirit Condensation; a thousand held against early-to-mid Heavenly Origin (1st-6th layer); ten thousand forced Return to Truth experts to retreat.
Humanity's stable territory relied on millions of soldiers forming an iron wall.
Even arrogant martial artists respected them sincerely.
Of course, scumbags existed—freeloaders despising soldiers or traitors.
The hundreds passed; streets normalized.
Wang Yue noted it mentally.
Border armies fought beasts; city garrisons rarely moved. Hundreds deploying meant something.
But probably minor—no major events in his past life timeline here.
If not for whimsy, he'd miss it this life too.
Shrugging it off, he parked underground at the Lingyun Pavilion skyscraper after ID check.
Despite the "Pavilion" name, it occupied one floor of a 100+ story commercial building—martial goods only, and martial artists were few.
From parking, elevator to the top floor.
"Lingyun" meant soaring clouds—top spot for prestige.
Rule: top button skips all stops, straight to summit—martial privilege everywhere.
Non-martial artists pressing it faced severe consequences.
Privilege sped him up top.
Inside: martial artists and civilians.
No sales to civilians, but they bought martial goods from them.
With billions, even ordinary folk lucked into stuff—useless and risky, so they sold for cash.
"Yo, Young Master Wang—what wind blows you here today?" A smiling clerk greeted him at the door.
Lingyun Pavilion dwarfed Jinling families but never bullied customers—treated all like gods.
Wang Yue cut straight: "I want a copy of that martial skill."
No name, so "that one"—habit now.
"Which?" Forgotten amid dust.
Clerk slapped forehead, grinning: "Right, my bad. Young Master Wang's a prodigy—maybe the fated one. I'll fetch it."
Wang Yue sneered inwardly: Bullshit. You say that to everyone.
Clerk pulled an A4 sheet from a sealed case—printed text.
Wang Yue facepalmed: At least fake aged parchment for style. This screamed cheap.
Price: 100,000 credits. Cabbage scraps!
Martial goods, especially techniques, started at billions—even lowest.
Mass-produced, no secrecy—sell while it lasts.
Decent power: worst true qi hit Earth-tier supreme-grade at mastery. But one crude downward chop—useless except ambushes.
Only bottom families with low-tier stuff bothered.
Wang Yue paid via comms, scanned it.
True qi circulation diagram, notes on exertion and guidance.
Simple, but unique routing—unthinkable without guides.
He memorized it once, folded casually into pocket.
"Need anything else, Young Master? Like a weapon—this maximizes with one."
Weapons: family armory had heat weapons for palm skills; cold arms mediocre.
"Show me long sabers."
"Sticks yearly, sabers decades, swords ten years, spear lifelong"—easy to learn.
No sticks—uncool, monkey vibes.
Sabers domineering enough.
"This way!" Clerk beamed—commissions on sales. Skill was peanuts; weapons cashed in. Heir wouldn't cheap out.
Weapons room: blades galore.
"How's this? Tianhai master Oushen's work—razor-sharp, takes Earth Palace high-layer infusion. 50 million credits."
Medium pick—not gouging a whim-buyer.
Wang Yue shook head: Earth Palace? I'm there now; Heavenly Origin soon—shatter on use.
Clerk thought too good, prepped worse. Wang Yue: "Best long saber. Money no issue."
Clerk overjoyed, grabbed from special rack: "'Cold Moon'—our expedition team's secret realm find. Tested by Mortal Shedding expert: full infusion withstander. Rare treasure."
Wang Yue drew partway—chill ray dropped room temp.
"Name's tacky, but prime blade. Price?"
Claims exaggerated—likely low Mortal Shedding. But good for Jinling.
"500 million credits—or equivalent trade."
Clerk grinned toothily. Doubted heir's need—Return to Truth ceiling maybe—but sales were sales. Fixed prices, no haggle.
Wang Yue paid. Lingyun Pavilion monopolized high-end; families low. As sole heir, never broke.
500 million hurt but doable.
Asked others: as expected, only that skill—no techniques, not even low Earth-tier.
No surprise—limited stock, first-come grabs.
Leaving, not home—city outskirts to test.
If as hoped, Earth Palace ruckus would alert grandma/mom to his surge—hard to explain.
East: barren hills, no mines/crops, deserted—perfect.
Through fields/villages, 100km out.
Hovercar bonus: off-road, no crop damage.
Deeper 20-30km, clear 10km radius, stopped. Drew Cold Moon, tested.
Simple—key rotation/exertion. Half-hour mastery, fluid.
Stanced, two-hand overhead chop.
Shhh~
Whistling air-slice. Base: doubled power—Earth-tier max.
(Martial skill amp: Earth 10%-100%; Profound 100%-300%; Earth 300%-1000%; Heaven 1000%+)
True power: rotating true qi in meridians.
Rotated once en route—shhh~ Sharper, 200%—mid-Profound.
Heaven-tier effect.
Not limit. Twice: Whoosh~ Wind howl, 400%.
Eyes lit—thrice: 800%!
Purer qi = easier control = more spins.
Deep breath—limit test.
Overhead—dantian surge, four spins instant. Chop: 1600%!
Heaven-tier baseline crushed.
Tailor-made!
Excited, raised again—minimal test; now full power!
"Hah!" Legs exploded—3+ zhang leap, slammed empty ground.
Earth Palace full, four spins <0.5s, blade-exit.
BOOM!
Air/ground erupted—1m deep, 20m gash.
Aftermath gale swayed trees, snapped branches.
Wang Yue froze, blade in hand—disaster-level from him?
Joy surged.
Too strong!
Beyond Earth Palace. Grandma's mid-Heavenly Origin matched this.
He: Earth Palace 1st layer.
But 1600% amp + dual-cult pure qi = mid-Heavenly Origin output. Logical.
Skill thrilled him.
Four spins now; purer/firmer control... five? 3200%—Heaven-tier supreme+!
Speed scales too—now sub-0.5s; higher realms faster.
One move, practical in combat.
Limitless potential with his qi.
Downside: qi-hungry. One full chop: 1/3 reserves. Max three.
But surviving three? He'd flee anyway.
Satisfied.
"Bottom-boxed now—no more 'that skill'; "Needs a domineering name." Chin-stroked the ruined 20–30m patch.
"Power aside, gale aftermath level eight—call it 'Eight-Level Gale'!" Grinned mischievously—perfect double entendre.
Forward: enemy-slayer gale.
Reverse: his "endowment" for women!
Genius!
Laughed, sheathed—but rebound-strapped back, hilt over right shoulder.
"Now, I'm a famed bladesman!"
Self-admiring mutter, boarded—awkward fit.
Horse-beast mount?
Whim: viable. Humans tamed beasts despite war—pets/mounts.
Early revival: loyal pets powered up, fought beasts.
Legend: martial holy land's ancient Chinese rural dog—Mortal Shedding 9th.
Rumors.
Sighing, front-seated blade, drove back.
20km from Jinling: roar ahead.
Squad low-altitude flyers whooshed over—military marked.
"Trouble confirmed." Recalled street troops.
Curiosity stirred.
Military vs. beasts usually. As human, duty to help.
Plus: past life, three families beast tide-wiped—blood feud.
This linked to that odd tide?
Public good or grudge—follow.
No power before: pray only. Now Earth Palace, peak-equivalent—useful.
U-turned, trailed afar.
Lucky top-tier hovercar—kept pace.
Jinling peripheral, not edge. 1000km east: human fortress, then beasts.
Flyers headed there, no stop, east on.
Fortress cleared—prepped.
Fort anti-beast; checked humans—smart beasts mimicked, traitors traded.
Military outbound—not inbound breach. How follow?
"Halt, inspection!" Troops blocked.
"I'm with them." Wang Yue bluffed, pointing distant flyers.