Chapter 59: Chapter 59: Step Technique Mastery, Wang Miao of the Celestial Pride List

Half a month quietly passed as Fang Han focused single-mindedly on his arduous cultivation.

SWISH, SWISH, SWISH—

Inside the Class A-10 Martial Arts Room, the very air seemed to hiss, disturbed by a figure moving at high speed.

Fang Han’s footwork was constantly changing. His figure moved like a ghost, twisting and turning around the room. The force of his movements stirred up the dust on the floor, creating faint whirlpools.

He was completely immersed in the cultivation of the Gale Step. The terrifying comprehension brought by the fourfold Stepping Talent Amplification made every step and every subtle sensation of his qi and blood circulation incredibly clear. A constant stream of profound insights surfaced from the depths of his mind.

Suddenly, he felt a spark of insight. The qi and blood in his body surged at an accelerated rate, pouring into his legs through an even more profound circulatory path.

HUM!

An almost inaudible tremor erupted from the soles of his feet, as if he had broken through some invisible barrier.

In the next instant, his movement speed suddenly surged by thirty percent.

As he moved, he left a distinct, lingering afterimage in his wake that only dissipated a moment later.

The air around him was compressed to its limit, emitting a faint, sharp sound like the tearing of silk.

"Gale Step has reached Mastery!"

Fang Han came to a sudden halt, his body transitioning from extreme motion to absolute stillness. He stood firmly in the center of the Martial Arts Room, a flash of astonishment and joy in his eyes.

Just a moment ago, his Gale Step had broken through to Mastery.

’One month.’

As he savored the smoother, faster circulation of qi and blood within him, the corners of Fang Han’s mouth curled up in an irrepressible smile.

All told, it had taken him exactly one month to advance this Basic Step Technique from Minor Achievement to the Mastery Realm.

Such a rate of progress was astonishing. If the other Inner Hall Descendants found out, they would surely be left speechless.

And this was all thanks to the fourfold Stepping Talent Amplification.

With his natural Stepping Talent, he would have been hard-pressed to reach Mastery in a year, let alone a month; it might have even taken him several years.

’Gale Step has reached Mastery. Even though it hasn’t increased my Power of Attack, my overall strength has definitely improved!’

With the ghostly speed granted by his Mastery of Gale Step, Fang Han was confident he could now easily defeat his former self.

Although a Step Technique doesn’t increase Power of Attack, its contribution to one’s overall combat ability wasn’t necessarily less than that of a breakthrough in Swordsmanship.

...

On the morning of the last day of the month, inside the Class A-10 Martial Arts Room, Fang Han had just finished a round of cultivating the Crane Form. The roaring of his surging qi and blood slowly subsided.

A light knock came from the door. Having a good idea of who it was, Fang Han walked over to the door in high spirits.

He opened the door to find a servant respectfully presenting two wooden boxes with both hands. They seemed a bit heavier than the ones from the previous month.

"Young Master Han, these are your monthly resources for ranking second on the Martial Arts Stele."

The servant’s voice was tinged with a growing sense of awe.

Fang Han nodded slightly, took the boxes, and went back inside. He then opened them one by one.

In the first box were the usual four blue-and-white Porcelain Bottles, which contained the Qi Blood Pills. The quantity remained at forty pills.

Even for him, at the Late Stage of Bone Refining, forty Qi Blood Pills a month was more than enough, leaving him with a surplus.

But when he opened the second wooden box, a flicker of surprise crossed his eyes.

Inside, the number of silver ingots had increased to eight.

Each ingot was ten silver, for a total of eighty silver!

"Eighty silver..."

Fang Han murmured to himself, a look of satisfaction in his eyes.

Moving up one rank had increased his monthly stipend of silver by a full twenty, jumping from sixty to eighty.

Combined with the Qi Blood Pills, which were worth forty silver, the total value of the resources he received from the family each month was now a staggering one hundred twenty silver.

This was an astonishing income. Even Martial Artists who were already managing the family’s businesses typically only earned a few dozen silver a month. They would definitely be green with envy.

"System Panel."

Fang Han summoned the system panel, and it appeared in his field of vision.

[Host: Fang Han]

[Root Bone Talent Amplification: 8x (Level 4 Amplification requires 10,000 silver)]

[Swordsmanship Talent Amplification: 4x (Level 3 Amplification requires 1,000 silver)]

[Stepping Talent Amplification: 4x (Level 3 Amplification requires 1,000 silver)]

[Wealth: 552 silver]

"Deposit."

Without a moment’s hesitation, Fang Han chose to deposit the silver.

Eighty silver vanished in an instant, and the text on the system panel changed.

[Wealth: 632 silver]

’I’m one step closer to my goal of a thousand silver.’

Seeing his wealth reach 632 silver, Fang Han was overjoyed. He was another step closer to his thousand-silver goal.

His desire to challenge for the top spot in the Inner Hall and earn better treatment grew even more fervent.

Only a higher rank would grant him more resources, which would in turn allow him to unlock the Level 3 Swordsmanship Amplification faster.

...

The next day, Fang Han was preparing to cross the Cultivation Field to get to his Martial Arts Room, just like any other day.

As soon as he stepped onto the Cultivation Field, he sensed that the atmosphere was slightly different from usual.

Many of the descendants hadn’t started their Cultivation. Instead, they were gathered in twos and threes, their faces filled with irrepressible excitement and astonishment as they discussed something with great intensity.

"Did you see the new Celestial Pride List? Lishan City—the one right next to our Liangshui City—produced an incredible genius!"

A tall, thin descendant’s voice was sharp with excitement as he gesticulated wildly.

"Of course I did! Wang Miao of the Lishan City Wang Family, only twenty-six years old, ranked one hundredth on the Celestial Pride List!"

A short, stout descendant next to him swallowed hard, his face a mask of envy and disbelief.

"That’s a list that ranks all the geniuses under the age of thirty in the entire Qingyang County! To think someone from Lishan City actually made it on!"

another descendant murmured, his tone filled with awe.

"He’s famous throughout the entire county! This is what it means to be truly famous!"

"Compared to him, even Lin Ao, the number one of our Liangshui City’s younger generation, is nothing!"

A chorus of amazed, envious, and aspirational comments filled the air.

’Lishan City produced... someone ranked one hundredth on the Celestial Pride List?’

Fang Han’s pace slowed involuntarily, his heart stirred.

Lishan City was adjacent to Liangshui City. They were nearly identical in size and strength, both with populations of just over 200,000—small cities by any measure.

He had never imagined that such a neighboring city could quietly produce someone capable of entering the Celestial Pride List.

Although it was only the hundredth place—the very last spot on the list—it was still an authoritative ranking that gathered all the young Martial Artists of an entire county. Its prestige was immense.

To be on that list, even in last place, meant that one’s Talent and strength had been acknowledged by the entire Qingyang County. They were a true prodigy, one of Heaven’s favored!

An indescribable emotion began to spread quietly through his heart.

A genius from the Celestial Pride List—something he had once considered impossibly distant, a figure of mere rumor and gossip—had now appeared right next door.

"The Celestial Pride List..."

Fang Han softly repeated those words. Deep within his eyes, it was as if two dark flames had been ignited, burning silently.

An unprecedented ambition, like a dormant volcano, began to awaken and stir in the depths of his heart.

He wanted to get on the Celestial Pride List. He wanted to compete with the geniuses of the county. He wanted to see a wider world...

’Right now, my primary goal is to take first place in the Inner Hall!’

Fang Han quickly reined in his turbulent thoughts, his gaze becoming calm and focused once more.

You have to eat a meal one bite at a time, and walk a road one step at a time.

The most important thing right now was to surpass Fang Hong, claim the top spot in the Fang Family’s Inner Hall, obtain more resources, and use them to unlock even stronger Talent Amplification.

Only then would he have the true foundation needed to aim for the Celestial Pride List.

He didn’t join the discussion. Instead, he walked with steady steps across the Cultivation Field and toward his Martial Arts Room.

The heavy door closed behind him, shutting out the clamor of the outside world.

He began his daily Cultivation routine.