Aptitude
Aptitude
Ulpian seemed to have detected Fang Xingjian's changes earlier on. His high-dimensional sensory abilities allowed him to completely see through the changes occurring to Fang Xingjian's martial art projections. It was just that he had not revealed it to the Silver Mage King and the Crown Princess.
Seeing that Fang Xingjian had come to look for him, he asked, "Isn't your martial will... a little too strong?"
Although he was unable to detect the full powers of Fang Xingjian's actual form in the high-dimensional world, just the waves displayed from Fang Xingjian's martial art projection already made Ulpian—who had high-dimensional sensory abilities—feel extremely astonished.
Fang Xingjian said calmly, "It's just increased by a little. I've come here because I wish to learn about mass-energy conversion and quantum foam from you."
Ulpian had used mass-energy conversion to stop the black hole and quantum foam to traverse the universe. Both of these were abilities that Fang Xingjian held very highly in regard.
"If you're willing to teach me, you can state whatever conditions you have. I'll agree to them as long as they are within my means."
Upon hearing Fang Xingjian's words, Ulpian revealed a mysterious smile. Under Fang Xingjian's puzzled gaze, Ulpian sighed and said, "This must be what they mean when they say that those closely involved can't see as clearly.
"Fang Xingjian, haven't you noticed it yet?"
"Notice what?" Fang Xingjian asked with a frown.
Ulpian said, "The rate of your level increment, realm advancement, and battle prowess strengthening is getting increasingly faster. Each increment is even faster than the one before. Haven't you noticed it?"
Fang Xingjian was slightly stunned, and the circumstances of his cultivation over the past four years immediately flashed in his mind.
From the initial stage of being a Knight apprentice to a second transition Knight, tier one of the Divine level, tier six of the Divine level, to the high-dimensional sword arts and Royal Heavenly Great Art... Not only had his cultivation speed not shortened with the increase in difficulty, it had even gotten increasingly faster instead.
However, it was not as if there was no explanation for this. Other than his talent, there were also the mystical prints, his martial will, technological information, the Nine-Tiered Heavens, and so on... The things that supported his cultivation had only increased.
"But..." Fang Xingjian looked at his own body, and a gleam suddenly flashed in his eyes, "Could it be..."
"Your aptitude, no... not just your aptitude. You luck and destiny are constantly getting stronger little by little with each passing moment. This allowed your cultivation rate to become stronger and stronger, accelerating incessantly like a rolling snowball." Ulpian's gaze seemed to see through the greatest depths, seeing the changes occurring to the countless timelines.
"I've observed this situation for very long. It's also the reason why I decided to work together with you."
With Ulpian's words, Fang Xingjian felt more confident, and he thought, 'As I get closer and closer to death, my aptitude is still continuing to increase...? Is that why I get stronger as I get closer to death?'
At this moment, Fang Xingjian felt a great sense of irony. It was as if the demonic gods were playing a great joke on him.
Wasn't he going to break free from the control? Wasn't he going to get increasingly stronger and and change his destiny?
So, if he let things be, he would get stronger and stronger as he got closer to death. Yet, no matter how strong he got, he would fail. He would walk toward death at the end, when he was at his strongest. What a joke this was.
Suddenly, the image of his mother, Fang Yueru, flashed in his mind. She had also been a genius, and her cultivation speed had also gotten increasingly faster. Similarly, she had also died young, going through an untimely death. Fang Xingjian's brows furrowed tightly.
Ulpian continued, "Even I am unable to assess your current aptitude right now. It isn't purely aptitude anymore, but a combination of fate, cause and effect, probabilities, and space-time."
The results of a person's cultivation were not just related to their aptitude. They were also affected by their backgrounds, their inherited legacies, lucky, character, and even the smallest choices they made.
In Ulpian's view, Fang Xingjian's current aptitude was no longer just aptitude. Almost all the factors that were beneficial toward his cultivation were raising incessantly.
"Haven't you noticed it? You've already learned about mass-energy conversion and quantum foam..."
Fang Xingjian was slightly stunned, and he recalled the various scenes, information, and data from when Ulpian performed those two moves.
...
Simultaneously, the Silver Mage King stood on the peak of a snow mountain in the north. Several thousand spheres kept on spinning behind him. He looked toward the sky, seemingly seeing through the atmospheric layer and noticing the changes to the Nine-Tiered Heavens.
"What are you actually planning?"
A short moment later, a voice rang out behind the Silver Mage King, "Senior Mage King, it's been a while."
The Silver Mage King turned and saw a silver-haired young man smiling and standing behind him. It was Wei Jin, the young man who had exchanged blows and held a conversation with the Silver Mage King on the Morning Star.
The Silver Mage King looked at the young man and asked, "Why have you come?"
Wei Jin shrugged. "Senior, why are you asking the obvious? Do you remember what I asked you on Morning Star? I'd like to know what Senior's reply is."
The Silver Mage King's eyes narrowed slightly, and he cast a long look at Wei Jin before saying, "If things are really as you said, then I'll have to take a good look."
Wei Jin smiled, and a big golden door suddenly appeared behind him. The door opened, and he turned and said invitingly, "Senior, please."
The Silver Mage King threw a glance toward the big golden door and stepped in expressionlessly. Wei Jin followed right behind him, and a short moment later, the door closed and disappeared.
There was another Silver Mage King at the spot where the previous one had been standing. Clearly, the one who went through the golden door was just a clone.
This was something very normal. There was no way that he would send his main body over to accept the invitation of a deep and unfathomable yet extremely mysterious influence.
Watching as the golden door disappeared slowly, the Silver Mage King mumbled, "The Saints Association? I hope they don't disappoint me..."
...
In the Empire's Eastern Sand Region...
Three Demigods wearing uniforms and Scarlet Capes cut across the midair, dragging out three streams of long air currents behind them.
In the blink of an eye, a small desolate town appeared before them.
This small town that was called the Gold Mountain Town had once prospered due to the presence of gold mines. Countless miners, bandits, big organizations, prostitutes, gold diggers, and many other people had gathered here.
However, as the gold mines dried up, the population decreased incessantly. The town that had once been prosperous became dilapidated.
The reason why the three Demigods had come was a murder case.
One month ago, the town mayor sent out a request for help. There had been a tragic case where an entire family had been wiped out, placing the townsmen on tenterhooks. Therefore, they sent out a request to the Knights in the Yellow Sand City nearby to get them to help investigate this case.
One week later, five Knights were sent to the town, then all contact with them was lost.
The Yellow Sand City then sent out another ten Knights and one Conferred Knight, but they also lost contact as well.
Right now, the Empire was prospering, and the nearby Sand Country, the plains, and the Western Sea's island countries would all send in a large amount of resources for trade each year. Due to this, the number of Knights had also been increasing. However, it was still a big case for a Conferred Knight to go missing.
The city lord felt that something was not right and immediately reported this to the Eastern Sand Region's Regional Office.
Therefore, this time around, a total of three Demigods were sent to the Gold Mountain Town to investigate the situation.