C20 Master Has Broken Through

When I first met Lee Qinglian, he was the epitome of a refined scholar.

Shen Jun openly expressed his desire to take him on as a disciple, with the goal of turning him into the world's most formidable warrior.

Lee Qinglian, however, declined with crisp decisiveness.

He proclaimed that all pursuits paled in comparison to the nobility of scholarship.

Shen Jun couldn't help but be amused.

He recited a poem from the Tang and Song dynasties, and Lee Qinglian was so impressed that he was immediately prostrate with admiration.

Little did Lee Qinglian know that his decade of diligent study, poring over more books than most could stack, would pale in comparison to even half a poem from Shen Jun.

Upon becoming Shen Jun's disciple, Lee Qinglian wasn't urged to abandon his literary pursuits for martial arts.

Instead, Shen Jun used this as motivation.

For every sword technique mastered, Lee Qinglian was rewarded with a Tang poem.

Each time he overcame a bottleneck, he earned a Song poem.

This effective educational approach, coupled with Lee Qinglian's exceptional talent, saw his cultivation progress skyrocket.

He was the first among all of Shen Jun's disciples to reach the Supernatural Power Stage, the Heavenly Profound Stage, and the Meditation Stage.

He was a triple crown champion!

Shen Jun even bestowed upon him a fitting moniker: Faker.

On the night Shen Jun passed away, Lee Qinglian, who had always abstained from alcohol, drank for the first time.

He consumed a hundred jars of wine in a single night!

The wine fueled his spirit and fortified his sword heart.

With a single exhale, he unleashed a torrent of sword energy!

Thus, he became the first disciple to ascend to the Great Saint realm.

Yet at that moment, he was overwhelmed with tears.

His cries of self-reproach could be heard from miles away.

"Why couldn't I have broken through sooner to make my master proud before he departed?!"

"Master, your disciple has become a Saint!"

Of all his disciples, it was Lee Qinglian with whom Shen Jun was most pleased.

"After eight hundred years, given Qinglian's talent, he must be on the verge of becoming a Sovereign by now, right?"

The two fellow disciples exchanged glances, their faces etched with concern.

After what seemed like an eternity, Wang Jingyu finally managed to say, "Senior Brother Qinglian reached the Half Emperor level two hundred years ago. But then..."

"What happened next?!" Shen Jun demanded.

If anything had befallen his disciple, he would ensure the Nine Great Holy Lands paid dearly!

"After breaking through to Half Emperor, Senior Brother ventured alone into the Star Sea Holy Land. What transpired there remains a mystery... When we next saw Senior Brother Qinglian, he had regressed to the eighth level of the God Stage."

"Since then... Senior Brother's cultivation has made no further progress."

"He wouldn't tell us anything when we asked, appearing utterly dejected."

A chilling light flickered in Shen Jun's eyes.

"Where is Qinglian now?"

"In Taibai City, at Lotus Villa," replied Wang Jingyu. "It's quite a distance. Even by airship, it'll take six days to reach."

"Let's go!" Without further ado, Shen Jun rose and strode out the door.

The two disciples were thrown into a frenzy, mistaking Shen Jun's urgency for anger towards their Fourth Senior Brother.

Lee Hongyu wanted to offer some words of comfort to Shen Jun but was too flustered to articulate his thoughts.

Observing his distress, Shen Jun sighed softly and reassured him, "Don't worry. Why would I be angry with Qinglian?"

"However, if I don't give him a stern talking-to, how will he find the strength to bounce back?"

"Do you really want to see your Fourth Senior Brother remain in this slump?"

Both disciples vigorously shook their heads, saying together, "No, we don't!"

"That's more like it," Shen Jun said, nodding with a mischievous grin. "Come with me, and let's 'wake' your Senior Brother up!"

That grin brought back memories for Wang Jingyu and Lee Hongyu, sending shivers down their spines.

Go!

They must go quickly!

Such matters of awakening were surely best left to the Master!

The trio quickly gathered their belongings and departed from God Whew Beef.

Before leaving, Shen Jun took a moment to offer some guidance to Wang Wu. His brief advice significantly expanded Wang Wu's understanding of the cultivation path.

Soon after, the airship was speeding towards Plum Blossom Manor at full throttle.

Along the way, Lee Hongyu's curiosity got the better of him. "Master, how were you resurrected? My junior and I inspected the tomb, fearing someone had stolen your remains."

"Let's not get into that right now," Shen Jun said with a dismissive wave of his hand. "Do any of you know who was the last to achieve the Great Sage Stage?"

"Reaching the Great Sage Stage? That's ancient history, centuries ago."

"Hmm... I need to think about this. Wasn't it Junior Sister Qing'er? She broke through over a hundred years ago, didn't she?"

"Absolutely, it's her, no doubt about it!"

"Well, it's not certain... In the eight hundred years since then, there have been about a dozen senior brothers and sisters we've lost touch with. The Heavenly Mysteries Pavilion has never ceased searching, yet there's been no word from them."

The mood grew heavy with Wang Jingyu's remark.

The two of them, as senior brothers, had somehow lost track of their junior siblings, and the guilt weighed heavily on their hearts.

Shen Jun could only let out a sigh.

If these two senior brothers felt such remorse, imagine the burden on him as their master.

These disciples were like his own children.

He could only fault his own lack of talent back then, unable to even break through the Supernatural Power Stage.

If he had his current talent back then, the Nine Great Sacred Grounds wouldn't dare to confront him.

Fifty years!

He was confident that within fifty years, he could ascend to Emperor!

Once he claimed the title of Emperor, what would the Holy Lands amount to?

Shaking off these distracting thoughts, Shen Jun crossed his legs and entered a meditative state for cultivation.

In the current predicament, the priority was to rapidly enhance his own strength.

He had many aces up his sleeve, but many were restricted by his level of cultivation.

Without the requisite realm, they were useless to him.

Eight hundred years ago, he had gazed upon these treasures with such discomfort.

An abundance of supreme treasures lay before him, yet they were beyond his reach.

It was like a eunuch in a brothel!

Seeing their master settle into his cultivation, Wang Jingyu and Lee Hongyu held their peace.

Having just advanced to Half Emperor themselves, they needed a few days to stabilize their newfound power.

But as they assumed the correct posture, the spiritual energy around them began to violently stir.

Upon opening their eyes, they were shocked to find that the source of the tumultuous spiritual energy was none other than Shen Jun, who was deep in meditation!

"Master, what grand event are you stirring up now?"

The rate and efficiency at which he absorbed spiritual energy rivaled that of a top-tier spirit gathering array.

It would be no surprise if a God Stage Expert were breaking through.

But Master was only at the second level of the Supernatural Power Stage!

And yet, the cultivation technique he was practicing seemed eerily familiar.

Hold on, isn't that the Chaotic Fortune Technique?!

The very same Chaotic Creation Technique that Eldest Senior Sister practices?!

Master had once said that this technique originated from a wisp of chaotic energy at the dawn of the world, incredibly profound and demanding exceptional innate talent from the cultivator.

Among all our fellow disciples, only Eldest Senior Sister's talent was barely sufficient.

But it was this very technique that led Eldest Senior Sister down an irreversible path.

The mere thought of Eldest Senior Sister sent a simultaneous shiver down their spines.

Those harrowing memories were crystal clear.

Boom!

A muffled explosion caused the entire aircraft carrier to shudder.

Shen Jun's aura surged dramatically.

The already turbulent Spiritual Force grew even more frenzied.

Wang Jingyu, bracing himself, reached out with his Divine Sense to gauge Shen Jun's level of cultivation.

How had he reached the third level of the Supernatural Power Stage so quickly?!

They exchanged looks, astonishment written all over their faces.

Had he really broken through? Had Master just achieved a breakthrough like that?!