An entire week has passed since Wu Tianyi traveled millions of years into the past, and he hasn't done anything notable besides cultivating inside his room.
[It had taken me 4 years to reach the seventh level of Qi Condensation in my previous life, yet it only took me a single week to achieve the same results this time around. The difference between a superior cultivation technique and an inferior one is truly like heaven and earth.]
Reaching the seventh level of Qi Condensation meant that Wu Tianyi was qualified to graduate as a Junior Disciple and become a Senior Disciple at the Unwavering Sword Academy. However, because he couldn't care less if he was a Junior Disciple or Senior Disciple, Wu Tianyi did not speak to any of the Sect Elders regarding his growth. Furthermore, even if he speaks with a Sect Elder, what is he supposed to tell them? That he's advanced 5 levels within a week? Nobody would believe him. In fact, they might even suspect him of practicing Demonic Techniques, something strictly forbidden in the world of Cultivation, and if deemed guilty, he will most likely be executed.
Wu Tianyi stopped cultivating after reaching the seventh level of Qi Condensation and went to clean his body that was covered in sweat and impurities.
After removing all of the filth on his body, Wu Tianyi prepared to enter another session of cultivation.
However, before he could even sit on the bed, the door to his living quarter was knocked on.
Wu Tianyi went to open the door a moment later.
"H-Hello…"
A beautiful young lady in red robes greeted him at the door with a slightly red face, and she happened to be the same girl who was practicing sword techniques in the Training Ground last week.
"What is it?" Wu Tianyi's expression remained nonchalant.
"After listening to your advice last time, my sword techniques have improved by leaps and bounds. I know I was wrong for striking you with my sword, but I was wondering if you have any more advice for me…"
The young lady was clearly pushing aside her pride when asking him for advice. After all, what kind of Senior Disciple would ask a Junior Disciple for advice? That was no different than an old man asking for a child for advice in life.
Wu Tianyi did not immediately respond to her and took a moment to ponder.
[I haven't used the sword for a few thousand years, and this would be a good chance for me to test my own abilities after turning back time.]
"Do you want to spar with me for a bit?" Wu Tianyi suddenly asked her.
Although she was surprised at first, the young lady nodded with enthusiasm. "Really?!"
Wu Tianyi nodded. "Wait here for a second while I grab my sword."
Wu Tianyi went back into his room and picked up the training sword that is given to every Junior Disciple before heading to the Training Grounds with the young lady.
Once they reached the Training Grounds, Wu Tianyi and the young lady faced each other with a few meters between them.
"I want you to come at me with everything you've got for the next 10 minutes. If you manage to land a hit on me, I will admit defeat. Don't worry, I won't attack you in the meantime." Wu Tianyi said to her.
With a dumbfounded face, the young lady spoke, "Umm… although you are a no-doubt a capable swordsman, aren't you looking down on me a little bit too much? I am still a Senior Disciple whilst you are a Junior Disciple."
"Do you want to spar or not?" Wu Tianyi sighed. "I am a busy man, after all."
"..."
After a moment of silence, the young lady nodded. "Don't you dare complain about being bullied afterward."
"Here I come! Ha!" The young lady rushed at Wu Tianyi with both of her hands tightly grasping onto the sword.
"Unwavering Sword Strike!"
The young lady swung the sword as though she was trying to split the seas.
Ding!
Wu Tianyi blocked the powerful strike with a single hand holding the sword, dumbfounding the young lady for a moment.
"Not bad. Compared to before, it's much more tolerable to look at." Wu Tianyi nodded.
"..."
The young lady couldn't tell whether he was praising her or mocking her and became a little bit angry.
"Unwavering Sword Dance!"
In the blink of an eye, the young lady struck her sword four times at Wu Tianyi.
Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding!
As one would have expected, Wu Tianyi blocked those four strikes with ease.
"Let's see if you can continue blocking them!"
The young lady gnashed her teeth and continued to attack Wu Tianyi without giving him any chance to take a break.
Ten minutes later, the young lady collapsed on the floor while taking deep breaths.
"H-How is this possible…" Despite her efforts, her sword has failed to touch even a single hair on Wu Tianyi.
"Your movements are smooth but fierce, which is a clear result of your training. However, as I'd already said before, you lack the experience. All of your movements are predictable and without any depth."
"T-Then what should I do? I can't just get experience from nowhere…"
"Sparring is also a form of experience. However, it won't be as effective as fighting demonic beasts in the wild."
"F-Fighting demonic beasts?" The young lady swallowed nervously.
Demonic beasts are basically animals that cultivate. However, most of them have little to no intelligence and act only upon their natural instincts. With that being said, they cannot be underestimated just because they have no real intelligence. In fact, demonic beasts are often stronger than human cultivators with a similar cultivation, and underestimating them will cost your life.
"Even the weakest demonic beasts around here are at the ninth level of Qi Condensation whilst I am only at the eighth level. I can't fight them. What else should I do?"
"That kind of question should be answered by your master."
"But he's away on vacation right now."
"Then you can wait for him to return," said Wu Tianyi with a nonchalant face.
"I know! Why don't we train together? I feel like we will improve significantly if we spar like this every day!" she suggested.
"Do I look like someone with that much free time? I have my own cultivation to worry about."
"H-How about once a week?"
"Find somebody else."
"Please?" The young lady showed him a pair of begging eyes.
If he was still the naive Wu Tianyi from before, he would definitely fall for this young lady's charm. However, unfortunately for the young lady, the Wu Tianyi right now is not someone who can be easily charmed by beauty.
"No matter what kind of expression you show me, my answer will remain the same. It's not as though I am the only person in this place. There are other disciples here, too. Go bother them."
The young lady showed a desperate face and said, "Besides the Sect Elders and the Elite Disciples, you are the only one who can match my swordsmanship in this place! Please! I beg of you!"
Wu Tianyi showed a pondering expression, and after a moment of silence, he spoke, "I don't mind sparring with you when I am free, but you must do something for me in return."
"Really? If it's something I can do, I won't refuse!"
"I want you to get me a thousand-year-old Spirit Fruit."
"..."
When the young lady heard his demands, her face quickly turned into a frown.
"A thousand-year-old Spirit Fruit?! What kind of absurd request is that? You might as well ask for my body! At least that's somewhat of a realistic request!"
"It's just a thousand-year-old Spirit Fruit. How hard can it be to obtain one?" Wu Tianyi raised an eyebrow.
"Listen here! By consuming a hundred-year-old Spirit Fruit, a Cultivator at Qi Condensation can be guaranteed to enter Foundation Establishment stage, much less a thousand-year-old Spirit Fruit that can guarantee one to enter the Core Consolidation stage! Even the most powerful Sects in this world would pay a fortune for one of them! In fact, I don't think we will be able to afford it even if we auctioned off the Unwavering Sword Academy!"
"It's actually that rare? How problematic." Wu Tianyi frowned.
He needed the thousand-year-old Spirit Fruit before he could breakthrough to the Foundation Establishment stage. But if he cannot buy it, he'll have to find one in the wild by himself.