Am I the old man who's always by my apprentices' side?

Chapter 26 The Old Master Breaks Through to the Grandmaster Realm
The old master of the Sword Forging Manor was named Wanqi Boyan, who was also the eldest of the three masters. He was nearly eighty years old and had been obsessed with martial arts all his life. He had no children.

The so-called young master, Wan Qizhang, is the recognized heir of the Sword Forging Manor. He is the posthumous son of the deceased fourth master. Because of his good aptitude, he was personally taught by Wan Qi Boyan. At a young age, not even thirty, he already has the cultivation level of the sixth rank, making him a standout among the younger generation in the martial arts world.

The old master of the manor had stopped showing up for the past five or six years. The affairs of the manor were handled by Wan Qizhang. If there were any things he was unsure about, he would consult the second master, Wan Qizhongqiu, and the third master, Wan Qishuyi.

The reason why Wanqi Boyan has been in seclusion for many years is that he has been stuck at the third rank of cultivation for more than ten years and has not been able to make any progress.

He didn't believe in the "spiritual wheat" that Wan Qizhang sent. In today's world, those who cultivate diligently for a lifetime and can reach the level of a Venerable are already extremely rare, and if one is fortunate enough to reach the Grandmaster level, that is even more of a blessing from heaven.

immortal?

Never heard of it!

But that small box of bright green wheat kernels, with the husks and bran removed, lay in the wooden box, its aroma so enticing and refreshing that, almost against his will, Wanqi Boyan pinched off a small handful and tasted it.

A warm current slid from my throat into my abdomen, and then traveled along the eight extraordinary meridians. The blockages in my true qi meridians were cleared one by one, and my long-standing ailments suddenly improved. My heavy internal organs gradually became lighter than ever before, as if my whole body had become decades younger!

When Wanqi Boyan sensed the strange "qi", he immediately mobilized his true qi to "absorb" it, but he did not expect that no matter how much true qi surged up, it was swallowed up by that "qi".

Just as he was shocked, he was surprised to find that the "qi" gradually dissipated from the top of his head, the soles of his feet, and the palms of his hands. But immediately afterward, because the true qi channels in his body were no longer blocked, the true qi surged continuously, and his cultivation level inexplicably skyrocketed!
The third-grade bottleneck, which had been stuck for more than ten years, was actually starting to loosen!
That's how the scene that everyone in the hall witnessed came about!
Wanqi Boyan's true energy was released uncontrollably. Du Jingshan immediately sensed something was wrong and shakily helped his disciple to leave.

The others also reacted and got up, retreating towards the entrance of the hall. However, most of them relied on their own cultivation and did not leave. Even Wan Qizhang only took a few steps back and stared nervously at the old manor lord.

Several elders, hoping to learn something from the experience and perhaps even achieve enlightenment themselves, stood cautiously to the side.

Before long, the entire hall was like an ice cave. Ice flowers were everywhere on the beams and floor tiles. Wanqi Boyan's hair and beard were covered with white frost, and even the tea on the table was frozen into ice blocks.

After a while, the violent energy in the hall finally subsided, and Wanqi Boyan opened his eyes. His originally cloudy eyes became as sharp as an eagle's.

"Congratulations, Master! Congratulations! I never imagined that my elder brother would break through to the Grandmaster realm. Now, our Sword Forging Manor is the third sect in the Xiao Kingdom to have a Grandmaster presiding over it!"

Wanqi Zhongqiu was the first to speak, his face beaming with joy. He quickly stepped forward and approached Wanqi Boyan, saying, "It seems we should send out invitations widely and hold a martial arts tournament to celebrate my brother's breakthrough to the Grandmaster realm!"

"This matter is not urgent,"

Wanqi Boyan finally spoke, a slight smile playing on his lips, though his expression remained serious. He said, "This 'spiritual wheat' is indeed divine wheat. While it cannot greatly increase one's power, it can cleanse the meridians of true energy and heal chronic ailments. It is unlike any ordinary thing. Zhongqiu, take some and distribute it to everyone, making sure everyone gets some." With that, he handed the small wooden box containing the spiritual wheat to Wanqi Zhongqiu, then asked Wanqi Zhang, "How did you obtain this spiritual wheat? Is it still available for purchase?"

Wan Qizhang replied, "Reporting to the Master, this was acquired by Master Liu of the Huiyou Escort Agency in Feihu County. He said that a celestial being surnamed Zhang sent his apprentice to sell it to him. He originally did not want to sell it, but some people in the county were dissatisfied and wanted to take it. It was only when I arrived that I helped to quell the dispute and enabled him to spare this little bit..."

The enforcement elder, still the most impatient, pressed on, "Is it possible to buy more?"

Wan Qizhang shook his head with difficulty: "I'm afraid it's difficult, but I heard from that Liu Dahu that Zhang Xianren will sell another batch in three days, and we may be able to buy some at a higher price then."

“No, it’s alright,” Wan Qizhongqiu paced back and forth in the hall, nearly slipping several times on the icy floor tiles, but he didn’t stop. As he circled, he muttered, “That Immortal Zhang is selling ‘Immortal Wheat.’ Is he short of money? But if he’s living in seclusion in the mountains, what would he need money for? He’s probably lacking supplies. So, tomorrow morning… no, no, this afternoon, we’ll send someone to deliver a gift. We’ll say… we’re all neighbors, and we should visit each other… If he doesn’t accept it, we can also say that my elder brother ate ‘Immortal Wheat’ and broke through to the Grandmaster realm, and invite him to participate in the Martial Arts Tournament… We can also ask the Immortal if he’s still selling spirit wheat. If he is, the Sword Forging Manor will buy it at ten times the price, as much as he has!”

"But...but what about Chang Ping'an..."

Wan Qizhang hesitated. It wasn't that he had any issues with Chang Ping'an; the two had hardly ever met. He was just worried that with Chang Ping'an around, the immortal might already have a bad impression of the Sword Casting Manor.

It would have been better if he hadn't mentioned it, because once it was brought up, Wan Qizhongqiu became even more flustered. He clapped his hands and said, "Yes, yes, yes, Chang Ping'an is, after all, from our Sword Forging Manor. And his mother, I remember, Fang Yunying, was the swordsmith who forged that first-grade divine weapon. There should still be some miscellaneous items she forged in the storeroom. We need to send someone to find them and send them over. These can be considered his mother's keepsakes! Alas! I never thought that little girl Fang Yunying's child would grow up so big and have such good fortune. If she were in heaven, she could probably rest in peace!"

Bai Henshui couldn't stand it any longer. She plopped down in the armchair next to her and said sarcastically, "Zhongqiu, you're being far too shameless!"

Wanqi Zhongqiu was already used to his wife's temperament. In other words, the reason he could be so powerful in the manor with only a fifth-rank cultivation level was not only because he was good at managing things, but also because he had the cultivation level of Bai Henshui, who was second only to the old manor lord.

So when faced with Bai Henshui's teasing, Wan Qizhongqiu would always brazenly endure it and even retort, "How am I shameless? I'm doing this for the sake of the manor!"

Upon hearing this, Bai Henshui snorted coldly again and muttered, "I know you too well!"

Wanqi Boyan was in high spirits after breaking through to the Grandmaster realm. He found it amusing to watch his younger brother and sister-in-law bickering and said with a smile, "Alright, you two shouldn't always bicker in front of outsiders. Let's set the martial arts tournament for two months from now. Choose a date, send out invitations to the sects you have good relations with, and leave it at that for those you don't. You two can take charge of this matter!"

"I obey your command!"

……

(End of this chapter)