Volume 1 Chapter 25: Master?

"Hey, have you heard about Lin Ming? He already reached the Soul Formation realm!"

"He's still 17 years old, right? That's just plain ridiculous!"

"But that's not even the best part! Other than being a Soul Formation expert, he could fight those seniors at God realm!"

"Just what sort of monster is that kid? If not for the fact that he was in the same generation as the Overlord, I would treat him like a freak!"

As the group of Sword Peak's disciples was discussing at the foot of the peak, Fang Zhaoge who listened had a strange expression. Turns out, Lin Ming already reached the Soul Formation realm. That's pretty fast. The fact that he could fight those experts four realms above him was even more impressive.

How about that Lu Shi? Fang Zhaoge was quite curious. He heard that donkey inherited the Body Tempering Peak's most brutal method, right?

Soon, after a brief stroll, the swan-shaped pendant in his hand emits a soft glow, and just right below the foot peak where female disciples live, a massive rock inconspicuously bends.

It looks pretty odd. A rock, bending? However, as Fang Zhaoge approached the rock, a small light under the rock was exposed. The rock was bent, and a small expanse was revealed!

"Just what's going on in that head of my master? Why would someone create such a mechanism?"

Fang Zhaoge was dumbfounded. Just who would have thought that a rock bending as a secret opening of a passage would be feasible?

Nonetheless, he quickly jumped into the weird passage. Afterwards, the rock turned into its original shape and closed off the opening. Fang Zhaoge was speechless. Damn that's interesting!

He began to have a feeling. Just the entry was enough to befuddle him, what would happen inside?

Before he could do anything else, a formation was instigated by his movement and the entire place was lighted up, revealing an extremely wide meadow! It was quite eerie, especially since no one realized that such a huge space was just below the Sword Peak…

The meadow was so extensive the light couldn't cover its whole, and thus there's a part where the meadow was dark, preventing him from checking the situation. Fang Zhaoge has his guard up, who knows what sort of thing would come out of that dark spot…

In truth, at his level, the darkness can't limit his vision. But it's special here. It was also the same when he was in the Dark Forest. Just the foliages there could block his sight…

Soon, something did come out! He stumbled in shock, however, his hand was ready to deliver a critical blow. And without thinking, he swung his sword like a maniac.

Turns out, it was his master…

"What the f*ck? Your master just came out yet you wanted to get rid of me? Alright, so that's how it is!"

"Wait, master–!"

Unfortunately, the void eyes of his master did not waver, and with a wave of Li Tianwen's hand, his Immortal-grade sword was thwarted away to somewhere else and his face was smashed, crashing against the wall with a deafening boom.

Inwardly, Fang Zhaoge cursed his master to death. You didn't say sh*t, but you immediately beat me up just because of a humane mistake?

"Hm, you're getting more and more ridiculous. Just a Qi Refinement junior, yet you could contend against a peak God Immortal expert. Not bad. Truly, a monster incarnate deserving to be my disciple, hahahaha!"

Li Tianwen laughed in satisfaction, staring at the painting-like Fang Zhaoge from afar. The more he looked at him, the more satisfied he became. However, his void eyes soon turned cold as he appeared before Fang Zhaoge.

"But for you to visit this place meant that you formed the Demon Heart. Fool, just what are you thinking all day long? You're not even in the Immortal World, yet you feel you have reached the peak."

Li Tianwen forcefully pulled Fang Zhaoge from the wall and manipulated the qi to fix his broken bones and muscles. He sighed as he looked at the pathetic state of Fang Zhaoge.

"Just what happened?"

"I don't understand it either, Master. I was just yapping around while I visited some places and soon, when I asked myself the reason for invincibility, I… got lost. And doubt began to encroach me. I truly don't understand!"

The now-void-eyed man widened his eyes and cupped his chin thoughtfully. As the extensive meadow was filled with silence, the situation became even more eerie.

"So you thought too much and formed a Demon Heart."

"...That's basically it, Master."

Li Tianwen was speechless, "You know when I formed my Demon Heart? It was when multiple ancestors bombarded me as they forced me to give up on my wife, and I soon doubted my capability to be with my wife."

"It was when I became a Pseudo Immortal expert. But what the f*ck is this embarrassment of a reason?"

Fang Zhaoge feels even more ashamed. Yes, I'm bad. Yes, I'm really sh*t. Just teach me how to fix it already!

Li Tianwen looked as Fang Zhaoge knelt down before him, "Please Master! I really can't take it anymore! Not to mention the reason, I don't know anything about the true meaning of cultivation and all. I'm truly lost!"

As Fang Zhaoge was getting increasingly anxious, Li Tianwen also revealed a hint of guilt before it dissipated.

It's true that as a master, he never really did sh*t to his disciple. All he did was give him techniques and beat him up.

Still, this disciple is pretty stupid. Who the hell formed a Demon Heart by asking themselves a question? Even a donkey would gape because of how idiotic it was.

Li Tianwen sighed in remorse before he manipulated his qi to bring Fang Zhaoge up.

"Alright, I admit I'm a little bit at fault here. You're clearly just a dumb child getting thrusted into the cultivation world because of his talent, yet I did not say nor teach anything crucial in cultivation to you. I created this place out of that Senior's inheritance palace in case you need a further explanation and refinement regarding your cultivation, including Demon Hearts."

"Thus, I have created seven tests. And you need to complete them no matter how long it takes. So don't think you could leave before you complete my course!"

Li Tianwen flicked his finger, and the expansive meadow turned into a smith! It was unbearably hot and humid.

Fang Zhaoge was dumbfounded as his clothes started to turn wet. Why would his master even turn the meadow into a smith? Wait, the most important thing is, how did he do that?

"Master, how–?"

"Don't ask. You're too damn weak. Just shut up and listen to my instructions. I won't repeat it, and if you failed even a little bit of what I've told you, then you couldn't leave this place. Ever!"

Fang Zhaoge was intimidated, and he just nodded in obedience. He's indeed too weak, he's also so damn stupid.

"Enough of your own inner monologue. Today, we will temper that weak, soft heart of yours. We will be smithing till our hands turn rough!"

In Li Tianwen's hand appeared a piece of cloth as he tied it up on his head while a hammer materialized from the ground. Along with his rough accent, he looked like a true forger!

And a handsome one at that!

"Just remember one thing before we start everything. Mistakes are not your sins, they are your best teachers! Repeat after me, Fool!"

The rough Li Tianwen smashed the hammer on an anvil beside the furnace, and Fang Zhaoge straightened himself.

"Yes, Master!"

"Mistakes ain't sins, they're your best teachers!"

"Mistakes ain't sins, they're your best teachers!"

"Again! Your tone is too damn weak. Louder! Stronger! Now repeat after me!"

For seven days straight, it was the same routine over and over again. Fang Zhaoge screamed the same phrase till his throat went weak, yet Li Tianwen looked like he was not stopping anytime soon. As if he wanted the phrase to brand itself on Fang Zhaoge's brain and be eternalized.

"One last time!"

"Yes, Master!"

Fang Zhaoge stood still like a soldier despite his weak voice. He has been tricked by this same phrase again and again, and now, he doesn't even care anymore. He'll repeat it and let his master decide for him!

He no longer felt anything even if his master did not fulfill his words.

"Mistakes ain't sins. They're your best teachers, they're your best friends, they're your best advisors, and more importantly, they're the ones who will always have your back."

Li Tianwen truly finished this time. There's also no "Repeat after me!" drill.

Fang Zhaoge blinked, and despite his disbelief, his heart remained unshaken. Instead, he evaluated the phrase that he's been repeating for the last seven days.

"Mistakes are not sins, they're my best teachers."

It's nothing complicated. Fang Zhaoge did not even need to decipher it. It was plain to see. It was a direct message.

"Yes. So make your mistakes be your best lessons and never consider them as your sins. They're not what people branded on you that makes you a sinner in the eyes of the world. It's what you seized from them that will become your best weapons against your enemy."

Li Tianwen's mysterious handsome face showed a smile as he put the hammer on the anvil, and the smith was gone. Now, it was a colosseum.

"Now, let's see if you can survive the battles with experts at the same level!"

"Wait, we're not smithing?"

Fang Zhaoge scratched his head. Although repeating such a phrase was indeed useful and his anxiety was gone, it was still baffling. Li Tianwen merely smirked.

"Of course not. I don't even know how to forge."

"Wait! How about the reasons for cultivating and what not?! Master, are you scamming me?"

Unfortunately, that question was answered by a smack on his head. Fang Zhaoge groaned as his master sneered.

"You think it'll be that easy to drill such a profound knowledge into that thick head of yours? Just be patient. Trust the process. Your master won't lead you astray."