Chapter 50: Stones Bloom into Flowers (As usual, I kindly ask for your support and collection!)

Hua Su fixed his gaze on Jiang Feng and asked, “What did you just see?”

Jiang Feng answered honestly, “I saw outside my own body. I myself was a mass of strong light, and nearby were two even brighter lights, which should be you and Ping Luanshan. Besides that, there were many other lights...” He looked toward the other end of the courtyard, gazing at the pear trees and murmured, “Those must be them. They, too, like humans, are absorbing the luminous force...”

Hua Su was silent for a long moment before sighing, “If not for your bloodline being insufficiently pure, you would be an unparalleled genius! Before even entering the threshold, your consciousness can sense the world of luminous force outside your body!” He nodded, “You’re right. This world is sustained by luminous force. Everything in existence relies upon it: martial artists, ordinary people, plants, animals—all are the same. Continue to perceive it. Use a different vision and look upon this world anew!”

There was much emotion in his words. Jiang Feng was touched and nodded, “I will.”

Hua Su took a deep breath and turned to ask, “And you? What did you perceive?”

Ping Luanshan exclaimed, “The midday luminous force feels great—like downing a jug of good wine!”

Hua Su stared at him for a moment, then suddenly gave a cold, sarcastic laugh, reverting to his usual acerbity. “Congratulations, you truly have the heart of a child.” His expression darkened, “Your powers of perception are inferior even to someone completely ignorant!”

With a wave, he walked back inside, pausing on the threshold to look back. “The previous task took you both one hour and a quarter—over the time limit. Today’s lunch is cancelled.”

Only then did Jiang Feng and Ping Luanshan recall Hua Su’s earlier warning. They exchanged a glance. Ping Luanshan snorted, putting on a brave face, “Just filled up on luminous force—who needs to eat?”

He wasn’t wrong; after cultivating, the energy of luminous force filled their bodies, bringing a powerful sense of satisfaction and leaving them entirely without hunger.

But, of course, their training didn’t end at noon.

After the midday session, Hua Su led them to the backyard and announced coolly, “This afternoon’s exercise is this.”

He gestured at the stone table, on which ten black cylinders were lined up neatly, their dull sheen unremarkable.

Ping Luanshan picked one up and weighed it in his hand, surprised, “Stone?”

Hua Su replied, “It’s called ancient firestone. Your task this afternoon is to make them all bloom.”

Ping Luanshan was incredulous, “Stone? Make a stone bloom? Are you serious?!”

Hua Su cast him a mocking glance, said nothing, and picked up another piece.

Suddenly, a faint golden glow flickered across his palm, the light rippling like water, flowing into the base of the stone column.

The dull ancient firestone gradually grew lustrous, as if something deep inside was about to burst forth. The stone grew brighter and brighter. Jiang Feng narrowed his eyes and saw that changes were occurring on its surface.

Sure enough, fine cracks appeared along the stone column, growing wider until the stone broke into flakes. The flakes curled outward, layer upon layer, until it truly resembled a blooming stone flower.

At last, the entire ancient firestone had transformed into a black blossom, its petals gleaming with a lustrous sheen, as if it had suddenly come alive.

Hua Su placed the stone flower into a dish on the table. Jiang Feng, suddenly enlightened, exclaimed, “It absorbs luminous force and transforms!”

He picked up a piece, holding it in his hand to feel for himself.

As soon as he infused it with luminous force, the sensation was clear. Inside the ancient firestone was a network of veins through which the energy could flow.

However, these channels were not all open; some places required effort to clear. Only when every vein was filled with luminous force would the stone flower bloom.

Ultimately, this was still training in controlling luminous force—only this time, the level of control required was even more precise.

Hua Su set another stone on the table and pointed to the dish. “Ten stones, two hours. Same as before—if you fail, no dinner.”

He looked Ping Luanshan up and down, sneered, and strode away.

Ping Luanshan was startled, tugged Jiang Feng’s sleeve, and exclaimed, “Hey, what does he mean by that? He’s looking down on me, isn’t he? He definitely is!”

Jiang Feng rolled his eyes and shoved an ancient firestone into Ping Luanshan’s arms. “Stop complaining—you really aren’t very good at this. If you don’t want to be looked down on, prove yourself!”

Ping Luanshan shouted, “Fine, I will!”

...

Hua Su was unlike any teacher they had ever met or imagined.

The training he devised was endlessly strange—sometimes the purpose was obvious, sometimes even Jiang Feng couldn’t say what it was for.

He always spoke with barbed words, as if he couldn’t rest easy without mocking them at least ten times a day. For some reason, he was especially harsh toward Ping Luanshan; every mistake was magnified a hundredfold, and he never tired of inventing new ways to ridicule him.

Jiang Feng fared a little better—he was merely mocked less often.

Hua Su cared nothing for their feelings, only for whether they completed his assignments. Even if they did, he would always find fault and mock them; if they failed, there was no dinner or, worse, the next session would be doubled in difficulty. They always paid the price.

Every two days, Hua Su would change the training method. Only one task remained constant: every day, they were to make the ancient firestones bloom—ten per day, without fail.

Moreover, the allotted time grew shorter and shorter: from two hours, to one and a half, and finally to just half an hour...

Jiang Feng and Ping Luanshan became increasingly familiar with the veins in the ancient firestones, and their speed improved dramatically.

In the blink of an eye, ten days had passed since their arrival in Linxi County.

In those ten days, they had not set foot outside the remote martial hall; all training was conducted within its walls.

That afternoon, Ping Luanshan was in a foul mood—once again, as usual, Hua Su had found an excuse to subject him to a sharp-tongued tirade.

Truth be told, after ten days, he was starting to get used to Hua Su’s manner, but he hadn’t expected the man to keep finding new ways to push his limits, leaving him red-faced and infuriated.

He slumped over the stone table and muttered, “Old Jiang, what exactly does that Hua guy have against me? I can’t take it anymore!”

Jiang Feng shook his head in silence. He had noticed that, although Hua Su was difficult, his attitude toward Ping Luanshan was markedly different from his own. Occasionally, he would catch Hua Su staring at Ping Luanshan—his gaze shadowed with a faint anger, as if, through him, he saw something else.

Jiang Feng said, “Just imagine that the things Teacher Hua says aren’t directed at you.”

Ping Luanshan protested, “But he’s clearly targeting me!”

Jiang Feng patted his shoulder in consolation. He reached for an ancient firestone on the table, and after a few seconds, golden light rippled across the stone column, and the black blossom unfolded at a speed visible to the naked eye. Compared to when he had first begun, his speed had increased tenfold.

He said, “Whatever the case, I think Teacher Hua’s training methods are effective. I can feel real change.”

He clenched his fist, feeling clearly the luminous force flowing through his muscles, brimming with life, more vivid than ever before.

Because of his bloodline, he could command less luminous force than others, so control was all the more important.

He set the stone flower down and tapped his finger in the air. Tiny sparks of electricity danced around his fingertip, bursting with a soft crackle.

This was another refinement of his Falling Thunder Palm. The stronger his control, the more it bent to his will.

Ping Luanshan rolled his eyes and muttered, “Skill and character are two separate things... And as for his skill...”

“Are you done?” Hua Su’s voice suddenly sounded behind them.

Caught bad-mouthing him, Ping Luanshan jumped up in alarm, nervously watching Hua Su.

Hua Su approached, said nothing more, merely swept a glance over the table, and said, “You’ve been here ten days. It’s time for you to try your hand outside.”

Ping Luanshan’s eyes lit up. “Try our hand? Where?”

Hua Su sneered, “Do you practice martial arts just to show off forms?”

Already used to his tone, Ping Luanshan’s eyes shone even brighter. “So we finally get to go out and fight?”

Hua Su snorted, tossing each of them a leather pouch. “Your task today is to go to the Twilight Forest and fill these pouches.”

These pouches were specially made for collecting materials from exotic beasts. Jiang Feng and Ping Luanshan immediately understood, exchanged a glance, and responded in unison, “Understood!”

...

The Twilight Forest lay in the center of Yushui Prefecture, spanning an area fifty times the size of Linxi County.

Within the forest, ancient trees soared skyward. Ordinary beasts were rare; most were luminous beasts.

Jiang Feng had read about this place in books. According to the texts, the forest had existed for millennia, with powerful luminous beasts inhabiting its depths—places never to be ventured into lightly.

Its greatest feature was the abundance of luminous plants.

Luminous plants were a special kind of vegetation, similar to luminous beasts, possessing a core within their bodies. Because of this core, luminous plants had a measure of independent will, were quite aggressive, and could wield many special abilities.

However, all this was just theory to Jiang Feng. He had never seen a luminous plant before, nor had any experience dealing with them.

Ping Luanshan was the same. Around Luming Town, the landscape was all hills; the forests were sparse, lacking the conditions for luminous plants to grow.

Hua Su brought them to the edge of the Twilight Forest and remarked airily, “So long as you live, you’ll always face new situations. Go now, experience it for yourselves, and come back alive... If you die, blame your own luck.”

Ping Luanshan spat quietly twice and muttered, “Just an old wives’ tale—good luck to me... I’ll definitely come back alive!”

Before he finished, Jiang Feng had already swept into the forest like the wind. Ping Luanshan shouted, “Old Jiang!” and dashed in after him.

------------------------------------

Fatfox911 and Zhesha, thank you! And welcome, new friend Zhing! Someone in the reviews said the previous chapter had the feel of a master of mechanisms—yes, that’s the style I love...