Chapter 38: Be a Person that You Can Be Proud of

A wry smile appeared on Bing Shangxue's face as she said, "Your foundation is outstanding regardless of which direction you decide to go in, and your meridians will adapt perfectly once you've made your choice.

“For example, if you choose the saber, then as you cultivate, your meridians will naturally be altered to create the ideal physical constitution for saber cultivation, and the same applies for all other weapons as well.

“After assessing your cultivation over the past three days, we've noticed that you're training all four of the weapons at the pinnacle of the Cloud Weapon Archive, the saber, the sword, the spear, and the halberd!"

Fang Che looked up in a surprised manner upon hearing this.

The four instructors had far keener eyes than he had anticipated.

He had only just begun cultivating the saber, sword, spear, and halberd forms accompanying the Boundless Sutra, and he hadn't revealed that yet, but the instructors were able to identify this fact solely through observation and analysis.

Even at the peak of his powers in his past life, Fang Che knew that he wouldn't have been able to replicate such a feat.

The four top instructors of White Cloud Warrior Academy were certainly living up to their stellar reputations!

"The saber, the sword, the spear, and the halberd... The top four weapons on the Cloud Weapon Archive, also known as the Four Kingly Arms."

A hint of dejection appeared on Li Changkong's face as he spoke.

In the wake of Xue Fuxiao's defeat, the order had already changed to spear, saber, sword, and halberd.

It was a very sobering thought for everyone.

Li Changkong took a moment to compose himself, then continued, "The Four Kingly Arms are notoriously difficult to cultivate, so we normally suggest choosing one of them to specialize in. However, given your aptitude, if you can put in the work and dedication..."

Li Changkong's voice trailed off here, as if he were uncertain of whether he should continue, and it was clear from the looks on the faces of Duan Zhongliu, Bing Shangxue, and Bao Feiyu that they didn't think it was wise for him to finish that thought.

However, after some hesitation, Li Changkong still decided to continue. "I think you can handle simultaneously cultivating two or three at once before you reach the Overlord tier."

Fang Che nodded silently in response.

"However, you'll eventually need to specialize once you reach a higher level. Even though we're nowhere near that level, we're aware that for the likes of Duan Xiyang and Senior Xue Fuxiao, they have returned to a state of simplicity. It would appear as if their techniques are no different from the rudimentary ones used by low-level warriors, but it's as if they're able to draw upon the power of the very world around them.

“Of course, warriors of their caliber aren't just solely capable of using a single weapon. Instead, their mastery of other weapons is sure to also be near unmatched. However, if Duan Xiyang were to battle against Xue Fuxiao using a saber, then Xue Fuxiao would be able to defeat him within three attacks, and vice versa. Do you understand the point I'm trying to illustrate?"

"I do. Thank you, Instructor Li."

"What did you understand?"

"I understood that there are countless paths before me, but only one truly belongs to me."

"Good," Li Changkong praised with a pleased smile. "You can cultivate multiple weapons if you wish, but you must choose one to serve as your primary weapon. You can decide on that yourself, and there's no need to tell us your decision.

“For example, if you choose the saber, you can simultaneously cultivate the other three. You can use a sword in your battles while keeping the spear and the halberd as surprises up your sleeve, but your saber will be your true trump card. This is your secret, and it's not to be revealed to anyone, even the four of us."

Fang Che nodded in response.

Bing Shangxue hesitated momentarily, then added, "If you ever reveal your primary weapon to an enemy, make sure they do not live to tell the tale. That is your secret and yours alone, so no enemy can be allowed to survive once they've seen your primary weapon."

"I'll be sure to keep that in mind," Fang Che replied in a serious manner, then stood up to extend a deep bow of gratitude toward the four instructors.

All four instructors were very pleased with this outcome.

Having an ultimate trump card concealed behind many red herrings was the perfect way to cultivate, but very few people could pull it off. Only those with exceptional aptitude could hope to work on so many things at once without biting off more than they could chew.

A trump card was extremely important, but if cultivating too many things at once compromised one's ability to hone their trump card, then that would defeat the purpose.

Even the likes of Mo Ganyun and Ding Jieran didn't possess the aptitude required to pursue this path.

"You must remember that this strategy will only work below the Overlord tier. Once you go beyond that point, all of the opponents that you encounter will be able to see through such a ruse, and you would be concealing your own power at your peril. There's a very good chance that you'll be struck down before you even get to reveal your trump card."

"I understand!"

"Of course, you're still far from reaching that point. In fact, even the four of us are still nowhere near the Overlord tier. Once you get there, you'll realize the importance of giving it your all in every battle. No enemy of that tier is to be underestimated. That is a lesson you will naturally learn when the time comes."

A sense of respect toward Li Changkong welled up in Fang Che's heart upon hearing this.

He proclaimed to only be an instructor, not a master and not even a teacher, but he was trying to teach his students lessons that would hold them in good stead even centuries down the line.

"Thank you, instructors. I will never forget your teachings!"

Bing Shangxue stood up and gently placed a hand on Fang Che's shoulder as she said, "You're a good student, Fang Che. I hope that no matter where you end up in life, you will always remember to be a person that you can be proud of."

Fang Che was very touched by her sincere words.

He knew that the four instructors were suspicious of his identity, yet they were still treating him with just as much, if not more sincerity than they did the other students.

They were doing their best to guide potentially misguided students back to the path of light, and even if they couldn't, they were at least going to ensure that the student wasn't completely rotten to the core.

Fang Che understood this, and that was why he was so touched.

"I will be sure to remember that!" Fang Che promised in a solemn manner.

Li Changkong gave a light chuckle to dispel the heavy atmosphere. While it was true that Bing Shangxue had just imparted upon Fang Che a very important lesson, he didn't want to make Fang Che feel as if he were being preached to.

𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

"Fang Che, you're cultivating the Four Kingly Arms because they're at the top of the Cloud Weapon Archive, right?" Li Changkong asked.

"That's right."

This was too obvious for him to deny.

"Do you know why the Cloud Weapon Archive is only for weapons, not their wielders?"

"Huh? I wasn't aware of that... I thought it was just a name."

Fang Che was very much taken aback.

This was the first time he had heard such a concept in both of his lifetimes.

"The Cloud Weapon Archive is only a ranking of weapons, but it's impossible to rank the most powerful warriors in the world because it's impossible to accurately assess the power of those who stand at the pinnacle of this world.

“There are countless reclusive masters that haven't made public displays of power for centuries, so the Cloud Weapon Archive doesn't tell the full story at all. For example, the founders of the Guardians are still around, as are the founders of the Church of the Self-Righteous. A church must have a pope, right? Is Duan Xiyang the pope?"

"No," Fang Che replied as a revelation began to form in his mind.

"Why not?"

"Because he's not as powerful as the pope!"

This was something that was very obvious, but he had never considered it before.

Countless people were of the opinion that Duan Xiyang had to have been the most powerful warrior in the Church of the Self-Righteous, yet they failed to realize that the church had a pope.

"That's right," Li Changkong sighed. "Duan Xiyang is not our most powerful enemy."

"Do you know who the pope of the Church of the Self-Righteous is, Instructor Li?"