Invincible Starts From Dao Fruit
Chapter 177 - 142 ’Little Tornado’ Wang Shan! [Please vote for recommendation!]

Chapter 177: Chapter 142 ’Little Tornado’ Wang Shan! [Please vote for recommendation!]

Spring passes, autumn comes.

After the autumn harvest, it is once again time for the annual Blood Clothes Army recruitment day.

For days on end,

Pengshan City bustled with activity as every kind of person gathered here. Many were Jianghu folk, each wielding their own weapons.

Some were sharp and efficient, some were steady and reserved, and others clearly had just entered Jianghu, looking around curiously with wide eyes.

Pengshan City, as the county seat of Pengshan County, was much larger and more prosperous than White Elephant City, boasting a permanent population of over a million.

Even on ordinary days, it teemed with traffic like rivers flowing endlessly.

But in these last few days, the city had grown several times more lively.

Though the eight cities within Pengshan County all had recruitment centers, only Pengshan City hosted the Centurion dueling platform. Whether driven by ambition to compete for the rank of Centurion or simply eager to broaden their horizons with some spectacle, people flocked to Pengshan City.

Each year, soldiers recruited here were equal to the aggregate number recruited from the other seven cities combined.

This year was no exception.

That day,

A tall and slender young man, carrying a treasured sword slung across his back, rode a horse into Pengshan City.

Pengshan City, with its million residents, covered an immense area. Traveling through the city on foot would likely take three to five days without reaching its boundaries.

For this reason, specialized horse roads had been designated within the city to accommodate horses and carriages, though travelers needed to pay a maintenance fee for using them.

For those who could afford fine steeds and carriages, this fee was hardly a concern.

Chen Jichuan galloped ahead on horseback, heading straight for the inner city.

...

Pengshan Inner City, Wang’s Mansion.

Wang Yan, dressed in a yellow robe, squatted outside with several fellow disciples, craning his neck from time to time to glance into the distance, as though waiting for someone.

Nearby,

A dull-witted boy grew impatient, turning to Wang Yan and asking, "Senior Sister, is your Junior Master returning today?"

"What are you so frantic about?"

"He always comes back around this time every year."

Wang Yan, also growing restless from the wait, exploded in frustration after being asked repeatedly and glared at the boy.

Chu Xu ducked his head, not daring to ask further.

After a while,

He couldn’t help himself and said again, "Could it be that he was injured and couldn’t make it back? He killed Zhu Ning, the ’Double Spear General,’ after all. It couldn’t have been easy. After a bloody battle like that, being too hurt to return would be perfectly understandable."

"Shut your crow’s mouth!"

"My grandfather never said Junior Master was injured!"

Wang Yan’s eyes widened fiercely. "If you keep making baseless remarks, you can roll back home," she said angrily.

Seeing Wang Yan genuinely enraged,

Chu Xu instantly dared not utter another word.

Beside them, other young men and women who had also grown tired of waiting burst into laughter, dispelling the tension somewhat.

Just as they were laughing,

Someone riding horseback appeared from afar, galloping toward them.

Initially worried by Chu Xu’s comments, Wang Yan sprang up instantly upon seeing the rider, jumping three feet into the air, waving furiously, and shouting, "Junior Master! Junior Master! Junior Master! I’m here! I’m here! I’m here!"

"Whoa!"

Chen Jichuan reined his horse to a halt outside the mansion and spotted the bouncing, jubilant Wang Yan.

A smile crept onto his face.

This was the youngest granddaughter of his master, Wang Ji, seven years his junior and now eighteen years old.

When Chen Jichuan first came to the Wang family, the little girl had been only eleven years old.

Reading and studying alongside Mrs. Wang, her grandmother, the two had formed an amicable relationship despite their generational gap.

"Waiting just for me?"

Chen Jichuan glanced at Wang Yan, who had eagerly bounced over to him, and reached out to ruffle her hair.

After a year apart, he realized he did miss her slightly.

"Yep!"

"I’ve been waiting all morning since the dew hadn’t even dried."

Clutching Chen Jichuan’s arm tightly, Wang Yan’s eyes sparkled as she hurriedly asked, "The whole city is talking about how our Junior Master killed Zhu Ning, the ’Double Spear General.’ Is that true?"

Chu Xu and the other Taixu Sword Sect disciples turned their eyes toward Chen Jichuan as well.

Curiosity and admiration filled their gazes.

Regardless of the rumor’s validity, the man before them was someone they all revered.

Having practiced martial arts for only six years, he had already entered the Hidden Dragon List two years ago. In the first half of this year, he ranked within the top fifty of the list and earned the nickname ’Little Tornado.’

Such figures were rare even among the Taixu Sword Sect’s ranks.

To interact with him up close left these disciples visibly nervous.

"Zhu Ning?"

"Yes, it was me who killed him."

Chen Jichuan responded, noticing the radiant faces of Wang Yan and her seven or eight fellow disciples, who appeared even more excited than himself.

He shook his head lightly.

Before Wang Yan could say anything further, he retrieved a bottle of ’A Little Red’ from his pocket and handed it over. "Share this with everyone. I’m off to see Master and Mistress."

"Junior Master,"

"Then—"

"Then I’ll wait outside for you. Once you’ve seen Grandpa and Grandma, hurry back and tell me how you killed Zhu Ning. Were the ’Double Spear General’s’ last moments tragic? I heard—"

Wang Yan’s words tumbled endlessly from her mouth.

"Alright, alright."

"I’ll be out soon."

Chen Jichuan handed the reins to Wang Yan, extricated his arm, and strode into the mansion, finally freeing himself of her chatter.

Outside,

"He really did kill him!"

"That was the ’Double Spear General’!"

"So doesn’t this mean that later this year, Junior Master Wang Shan could make the Earthly List?"

"Twenty-five years old and on the Earthly List—unbelievable!"

"Little Tornado is about to become Big Tornado!"

...

Chu Xu and the others, seeing Chen Jichuan’s figure disappear, suddenly broke their reserved demeanor and erupted in jubilant exclamation, their faces flushed with excitement.

"Junior Master."

"Big Tornado."

Wang Yan was thoroughly elated as well.

She paced back and forth, her eyes glued to the doorway, waiting eagerly for Chen Jichuan to emerge.

...

Chen Jichuan freed himself from Wang Yan and strode toward the inner courtyard.

In the inner courtyard,

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Two figures flew through the air, swords flashing.

Mrs. Wang held a sword in her hand, cutting a heroic figure, while Wang Ji displayed sword techniques as effortlessly as a skilled performer—aged, yet vigorous, his movements relaxed.

This elderly couple were both over sixty years old.

Wang Ji was an Innate Master, while Mrs. Wang, as a Postnatal Extreme practitioner, was nowhere near his level. Sparring with her was nothing more than a casual diversion for Wang Ji.

To him, it was just a way to pass the time and play along.

Not particularly meaningful.

He was just beginning to grow bored when the corner of his eye caught sight of Chen Jichuan. Delighted, he exclaimed, "Shan’er’s back! No more sparring!"

With that,

He tossed his sword onto the weapon rack and leaped out of the practice arena.

"Tch!"

"Such poor timing!"

Mrs. Wang’s face flushed slightly as sweat glistened on her forehead. Though she grumbled about the interruption, her eyes revealed a trace of happiness.

"Master."

"Mistress."

Chen Jichuan respectfully greeted the couple.

One had taught him to read and interact with others; the other had guided him in martial arts training and imparted wisdom on navigating Jianghu.

Although his decision to join Wang Ji’s tutelage had been calculated, the couple’s genuine care toward him was reciprocated by Chen Jichuan, whose every gesture showed sincerity and propriety.

"You’ve grown stronger."

Wang Ji patted Chen Jichuan’s shoulder, his grin stretching from ear to ear. His impatient nature showed as he immediately asked, "I heard you defeated Zhu Ning, ranked 100th on the Earthly List, last month?"

The Central Earth Seven States housed a sect known as the Shenji Sect, whose main business was intelligence. They maintained the ’Heavenly,’ ’Earthly,’ and ’Human’ rankings.

The Human List, also called the Hidden Dragon List, recorded the top 365 young martial artists under the age of thirty.

Chen Jichuan had secured a spot on this list two years earlier, ranked 230th, earning the title ’Little Tornado’ for his fierce and whirlwind-like Tiger Form Fist techniques.

Earlier this year, he’d shot up to 46th, drawing considerable attention and rising to prominence.

The Earthly List, however, carried far more weight than the Hidden Dragon List.

It catalogued the top 108 fighters among countless Postnatal and dark strength masters across the Central Earth Seven States, regardless of age—solely judged by martial capability.

Every Earthly List fighter could easily dominate the Human List.

Zhu Ning, known as the ’Double Spear General,’ specialized in wielding dual short spears. His origins lay in Tiger Form Fist, which he honed to dark strength mastery before transitioning to inner strength, achieving the Postnatal Extreme realm.

Renowned for his exploits,

He once singlehandedly defeated hundreds of horse bandits, including several top-tier fighters, killing them all.

An undeniable force.

"Zhu Ning was preying on a young woman; I couldn’t stand by, so I killed him,"

Chen Jichuan replied.

Although Zhu Ning was devastatingly skilled, his character was deficient. He was a lustful rogue, notorious for targeting women of virtue.

Last month, while wreaking havoc in Xiyu City within Pengshan County, his life was cut short by Chen Jichuan, who struck him down on the spot.

The news spread rapidly.

The death of an Earthly List elite in Pengshan County naturally reached the Taixu Sword Sect’s ears. As Chen Jichuan’s mentor and an Innate Elder within the sect, Wang Ji was one of the first to hear of it.

All these days,

He had divided his time between awaiting his prized disciple’s return and showing off at the sect, bragging about his apprentice’s feats at every turn.

Annoying others to no end.

Wang Ji, however, reveled in this behavior.

Now that the star himself had arrived, Wang Ji cleverly restrained his gloating visage, adopting a stern demeanor and cautioning, "You killed Zhu Ning, and this earns you a place on the Earthly List. Your name will resonate across the Seven States. But this also means many will come seeking to challenge you, hoping to use you as a stepping stone to fame. If you become complacent, you may be overtaken—lightly causing disgrace, severely leading to death."

The world’s bustling crowds chased after nothing more than ’fame’ and ’fortune.’

For those nearing Earthly List status, wealth was rarely an issue, but they hungered relentlessly for renown.

As a freshly minted Earthly List entrant, Chen Jichuan represented a tempting soft target for many.

Challenges would be inevitable.

Beside them,

Mrs. Wang wiped her sweat and chimed in, "In addition to refining your skills, steel your heart as well. I named you ’Shan’ to preserve your kind spirit, not to make you overly naive. If anyone challenges you, strike decisively when necessary; show no mercy when warranted. Kill enough of them so no one dares provoke you anymore, and you’ll have peace. Those who aim to step over you are ill-intentioned charlatans. There’s no need to spare them!"

Mrs. Wang didn’t mince words.

Fearing her disciple might be overwhelmed by endless challenges, she delivered her advice resolutely.

After her warning,

Feeling it wasn’t enough, she added, "And if you’re ever up against someone you can’t defeat—run. Don’t let pride get in the way. Staying alive is more important than anything else."

"Understood, Mistress."

"The purpose of my return this time—"

Chen Jichuan nodded in acknowledgment, about to explain his motives for coming back.

"Oh!"

"Hold on!"

But Mrs. Wang suddenly slapped her forehead as if recalling something and hurriedly retreated to her room.

"Mistress... she—"

Chen Jichuan turned to Wang Ji.

"Don’t worry,"

"She’s got something good for you,"

Wang Ji said with a mischievous grin, teasingly withholding the details.

Curious, Chen Jichuan waited patiently.

Not long after,

Mrs. Wang returned at a brisk pace, holding a scroll, and handed it to Chen Jichuan with a stern note, "This is ’Heavenly Travel,’ a Qinggong movement technique your external master—my father—acquired in his travels. If mastered, the speed is unparalleled in the world, though it expends inner strength and inner energy excessively. Using it once might leave you unable to fight further, so practice mindfully."

The ’external master’ Mrs. Wang referred to was her father, Huang Mingqi, an Innate Elder within Taixu Sword Sect and ranked even higher than Wang Ji.

Renowned as the ’Double-Tailed Scorpion,’ Huang Mingqi’s shrewd, ruthless mind had earned him a far greater reputation than Wang Ji, the ’Cangshan Swordsman.’

A lightweight technique owned by someone like him would undoubtedly be extraordinary, potentially even Innate Martial Arts.

A rare treasure.

"Thank you, Mistress."

Chen Jichuan bowed, accepting the ’Heavenly Travel’ scroll.

Although he possessed the ’Wind Thunder Wings’ and the ’Catkins Body Method,’ both mid-level techniques, which were likely far superior to ’Heavenly Travel,’ he valued the heartfelt gesture deeply.

"Train hard."

"It’s no shame to lose a fight, but it’s disgraceful if you can’t at least escape."

Mrs. Wang imparted her unique philosophy to Chen Jichuan.

As she spoke,

She remembered his earlier statement and finally asked, "So, what was your intent for returning this time?"

"Is there anything you need? Speak up while you’re celebrated. The Sect Master and several elders are all praising you, saying they wish to meet you. If there’s any request you have, don’t hesitate to voice it now—Master here can help you strategize."

Wang Ji also pressed for answers.

The couple couldn’t have been more pleased with their disciple.

Wang Ji, especially, had spent years marveling at the fortune that led him to discover this gem in White Elephant City.

"Nothing in particular."

"I’ve returned this time because I feel ready to attempt the breakthrough to Transforming Strength."

As his Master and Mistress rambled on, Chen Jichuan finally found an opening to speak.

The moment his words fell—

"Transforming Strength?"

"You feel ready?!"

Wang Ji’s eyes widened.

Mrs. Wang’s eyes widened.

Their eyes were both wide open, stunned speechless.

...