A week passed in the blink of an eye.
Morning sunlight streamed through the windows of the Sect Master's residence, illuminating the quiet room. Shaurya stirred beneath his blanket before slowly opening his eyes. For a few moments, he simply stared at the ceiling, enjoying the rare sense of peace. Then he stretched lazily and sat upright.
"Hmm... that was a good nap."
[Ding!]
A familiar notification window appeared before him.
[System Notification: Correction, Host. You were not sleeping for one day.]
Shaurya chuckled. "Really? Then two days?"
[System Notification: Incorrect.]
[System Notification: You were unconscious for seven days.]
The smile on his face froze.
"Seven days?"
He stared at the panel for several seconds before immediately jumping out of bed.
"What do you mean seven days?!"
By the time he rushed outside, the morning training session was already underway. The disciples occupied every corner of the training grounds, some practicing sword techniques while others meditated or sparred beneath Elder Wu's supervision.
The moment Shaurya appeared, Elder Wu noticed him.
"Sect Master!"
His voice attracted everyone's attention.
More than two hundred disciples stopped what they were doing and turned toward him simultaneously.
"Master woke up!"
"Master is alright!"
"I knew nothing could happen to Master!"
The previously orderly training ground descended into chaos as disciples rushed forward with excited expressions.
Shaurya raised both hands helplessly.
"Calm down. I'm fine."
The crowd gradually settled.
"I merely slept a little longer than expected."
A little longer.
Only the system knew that "a little longer" meant an entire week.
Shaurya found a shaded spot beneath a large tree and sat down. Elder Wu approached alongside Guard Hee Ta. Unlike the others, Hee Ta's expression remained gloomy.
The moment he arrived, he dropped to one knee.
"Master, I have failed."
Shaurya raised an eyebrow.
"You failed what?"
"I couldn't stop Gu Tang. I couldn't protect you."
The guilt in Hee Ta's voice was unmistakable.
Shaurya shook his head.
"If you hadn't fought him first, exhausted his spiritual energy, and forced him to reveal his techniques, I wouldn't have had nearly as much of an advantage. You did your part."
Hee Ta looked up.
"Master..."
"Besides," Shaurya continued, "if every problem could be solved by a single guard, what would be the point of having a Sect Master?"
A faint smile finally appeared on Hee Ta's face.
Shaurya retrieved two jade bottles from his storage ring and tossed one to Elder Wu and the other to Hee Ta.
"Take these."
The two caught them instinctively.
"You've both worked hard. Use the pills to strengthen your cultivation and enter seclusion if necessary. The sect will manage just fine without you for a while."
After inspecting the pills, both men's eyes widened.
They immediately bowed.
"Thank you, Sect Master."
Watching them leave, Shaurya turned his attention toward the disciples gathered nearby.
A mischievous smile slowly appeared on his face.
The disciples instinctively felt a bad premonition.
"Everyone."
His voice was calm.
Yet somehow, the atmosphere became heavier.
"Elder Wu will be unavailable for the next week. He'll be focusing on cultivation."
The disciples nodded.
"So your training will be handled by me personally."
A wave of excitement swept through the crowd.
Training directly under the Sect Master was an opportunity most sect disciples could only dream of.
Lee Bie stepped forward immediately.
"Master, we're ready for anything!"
Several others nodded enthusiastically.
"That's right!"
"We won't disappoint you!"
"No challenge is too difficult!"
Shaurya's smile widened.
"Excellent."
For some reason, that single word made everyone nervous.
With a flick of his wrist, golden light erupted before him. A massive staff materialized out of thin air and slammed into the ground with a thunderous boom. The earth trembled violently as cracks spread outward from the point of impact.
The disciples stared.
The weapon was nearly as tall as a building.
Golden patterns flowed across its surface like living dragons.
Shaurya rested a hand upon it casually.
"Since all of you seem so confident, we'll begin with something simple."
The disciples suddenly had a very bad feeling.
Shaurya pointed the staff toward the crowd.
"You."
Then toward the disciples behind them.
"And you."
Finally, he swept the weapon across the entire training ground.
"All two hundred and one of you."
Silence.
The smile on his face somehow became even brighter.
"Attack me together."
The training ground fell deathly quiet.
Xiao Rui stared at him blankly. For a moment, he wondered if he had misheard.
"Master... what exactly did you just say?"
Before Shaurya could answer, Luo Chen stepped forward with a frown. "Master, if all of us attack at once, you're going to get hurt."
Several disciples nodded immediately.
"Senior Brother Luo is right."
"We've become much stronger recently."
"Master shouldn't underestimate us."
Lee Bie rested his weapon on his shoulder and grinned. "After all that training, we're not the same disciples we were before."
Shaurya listened quietly before raising an eyebrow.
"Oh?"
The confidence radiating from the group was almost tangible.
He nodded thoughtfully.
"Good thing you stopped me."
The disciples exchanged confused glances.
"I was about to say something very wrong."
A smile appeared on Xiao Rui's face.
"I knew it. Master must have misspoken."
"Indeed."
Shaurya nodded seriously.
"Only the male disciples will be participating."
The smiles froze.
"The female disciples can train among themselves. I don't hit women unless it's absolutely necessary."
A brief silence followed.
Then Xu Ran narrowed her eyes.
"Master, are you looking down on us?"
The surrounding female disciples immediately turned toward him.
Shaurya felt danger approaching.
Fast.
"Of course not."
He shook his head without hesitation.
"You misunderstand."
His expression became solemn.
"A true man has principles. One of mine is that I don't casually fight women. Unless circumstances leave me no choice, I won't break that rule."
The female disciples glanced at one another.
After a moment, their expressions softened.
That sounded reasonable enough.
Su Quan chuckled.
"In other words, Master is saying the boys are about to suffer."
A burst of laughter erupted among the female disciples.
"Sounds about right."
"Poor Senior Brother Luo."
"I almost feel sorry for them."
"Almost."
The group headed toward the nearby spectator stands while discussing which disciple would be the first to get beaten.
Meanwhile, the male disciples felt their blood pressure rising.
The girls' laughter was far too irritating.
Xiao Rui gripped his spear and pointed it toward Shaurya.
"Brothers!"
His shout echoed across the training grounds.
The male disciples immediately straightened.
"Today, we prove our worth!"
A wave of battle intent erupted from the crowd.
"That's right!"
"We'll show Master how much we've improved!"
"Victory!"
Luo Chen smiled confidently.
"Master, don't blame us if we accidentally injure you."
Several disciples laughed.
For the first time in a long while, they felt genuinely confident.
They had trained day and night.
They had fought dangerous enemies.
They had survived countless hardships.
Surely they could force their Sect Master to take them seriously.
Shaurya looked at their determined faces and slowly smiled.
The sight made several disciples instinctively shiver.
"Accidentally injure me?"
His grip tightened around the golden staff.
"Interesting."
The massive weapon spun effortlessly in his hands despite weighing several tons. Golden runes illuminated its surface as it cut through the air with a low hum.
"Then I suppose I won't need to hold back."
The disciples suddenly felt as though they had made a terrible mistake.
"Attack."
The next instant, more than one hundred and sixty male disciples surged forward simultaneously.
The ground shook beneath their combined charge.
Sword lights flashed.
Spears pierced forward.
Spiritual techniques exploded into existence.
The sheer momentum was enough to overwhelm an ordinary Core Formation cultivator instantly.
Yet Shaurya remained standing calmly at the center of the field.
A faint smile rested on his face.
Then he moved.
The golden staff blurred.
One moment he stood in place.
The next, he had vanished.
The disciples' attacks collided with empty air.
"What?!"
"Where did Master go?"
"Behind you!"
Panic spread through the formation.
Shaurya weaved effortlessly through the battlefield like a fish swimming through water. Every attack missed him by inches. Swords sliced through afterimages. Spears struck empty space. Spiritual techniques exploded harmlessly in the distance.
Not a single attack touched him.
The disciples felt as though they were trying to catch the wind.
Then Shaurya suddenly appeared directly in front of Luo Chen.
The latter froze.
A familiar smile greeted him.
"Senior Brother Luo."
Cold sweat instantly formed on his forehead.
"You were saying something about injuring me?"
Luo Chen's confident expression vanished.
"Master..."
His voice weakened.
"I may have been slightly overconfident."
"Slightly?"
"Very overconfident."
"Good answer."
Luo Chen forced out a nervous laugh.
"Master, surely we can discuss this peacefully—"
The golden staff descended.
BAAM!
Luo Chen's eyes widened.
BAAM!
His body folded like a shrimp.
BAAM!
The final strike launched him into the sky.
Hundreds of disciples watched as their senior brother became a distant black dot before crashing into the far side of the training grounds with enough force to create a small crater.
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Every disciple slowly turned toward Shaurya.
The Sect Master rested the staff on his shoulder and smiled warmly.
"Who's next?"
What followed was a massacre—Shaurya style.
No one could even land a hit on him. One by one, they were flung aside, groaning in pain.
Wang Tian sat comfortably in the stands, munching on popcorn.
Muo Qian glanced at him. "Hey, Wang Tian, why aren't you participating?"
He smiled calmly. "I'm not foolish enough to jump into a beating."
Ten minutes passed. Every male disciple lay flat on the ground. Shaurya stood tall, balancing on his staff with one leg.
"You all are too weak. And you wanted to injure me?"
He glared at them.
"I was going to take it easy… but then some big-mouthed people decided to show off."
Everyone turned their eyes toward Lee Bie, Luo Chen, and Xiao Rui.
"It was them! Beat them!"
The remaining disciples formed a mob and pounced on the three.
Once peace returned, Shaurya clapped his hands.
"Alright, you all need serious training. Let me introduce something."
He gestured grandly. "Behold—the Gravitational Training Chamber!"
Everyone's eyes sparkled.
Wang Tian frowned. "We've seen this building for days but had no idea what it was."
"This chamber strengthens your physical body," Shaurya explained. "Inside, you'll face intense gravitational pressure—nine floors, each stronger than the last. Special training awaits at each level."
Gasps echoed.
"Thanks to dimensional formations, it has endless space. You all can train here together."
He flung the doors open. "Go on. Inside."
They entered.
BOOM!
The pressure hit—10× gravity.
Most disciples dropped to their knees. Shaurya strolled in effortlessly.
Wang Tian and Luo Chen exchanged glances.
"Let's see who lasts longer," Luo Chen smirked.
"You're going to lose again," Wang Tian replied.
An hour passed. Most lay on the ground.
Wang Tian stood, breathing heavily. Luo Chen, on one knee, admitted, "I lose… again."
Three more hours passed. Only a few remained—Wang Tian, Luo Chen, Xu Ran, Su Quan, Muo Qian, Lee Bie, Xiao Rui, Xiao Lian… and their mighty leader, Shaurya.
Eventually, even they fell—except Wang Tian and Shaurya.
After another hour, Wang Tian exited the chamber.
Everyone was stunned.
"Senior, you lasted six hours!" "You're amazing!"
They cheered as Wang Tian smiled humbly.
Meanwhile, inside, Shaurya had moved to the second floor.
20× gravity.
He sat cross-legged, cultivating in silence.
The next morning.
Everyone gathered.
"Where's Master?" "I haven't seen him…"
Suddenly, the chamber doors creaked open. Shaurya stepped out, drenched in sweat and breathing heavily.
"Wait… Master was inside this whole time?" "For twenty-five hours in 10× gravity?"
Shaurya smiled weakly. "Wrong. I was on the second floor—20× gravity—for nineteen hours."
Gasps filled the air.
He collapsed. "Bring me… Oran Herb…"
Xiao Rui rushed forward and handed it over. Shaurya munched it, recovered instantly, and stood up.
"Let's begin training."
"No, Master, please!" "Not in the mouth!" "Not the back!"
Their screams echoed across the mountains as the sun shone brighter.
In a distant, luxurious mansion, a dark figure sat on a throne. Blue hair. Red eyes. A muscular frame. His aura brimmed with fury.
He clenched a glass in his hand—it shattered under his grip.
"Who dared to harm my family?!" he roared.
Several guards bowed before him.
"Go. Find the killer. I don't care who he is. I will crush him!"
The guards bowed and retreated.
His eyes burned with rage.
"I don't care who you are. I, Gu Yang, will destroy you."
To be continued…