“Newly arrived laborers in the valley who have no cultivation foundation are given two months to train. You are a wind-element spiritual body, so all the cultivation methods and martial techniques suitable for you are here, including your normal annual salary for the first year—ten low-grade spirit stones. This is an advance, meant to help you quickly accumulate cultivation so you can better handle the duties of a laborer.”

“Senior Sister Foster?” David Clark was still completely confused, but at last a graceful figure flashed through his mind. The figure was blurry; he only remembered that when he was being brutally bullied by Brian Harris and struggling desperately to stand up, a vague silhouette had appeared by his side. Was it her who made an exception to recruit him into the sect?

Surprised and delighted, David Clark also stood up. Did he really stand up? He hesitated for a moment, then hurriedly saluted Eric Smith.

But Eric Smith waved his hand. “There are now six hundred and ninety-seven laborers in my Laborer Valley. You are the last one. This is your separate courtyard. You have two months to train. Make the most of it, and just don’t embarrass Senior Sister Foster too much.”

After waving his hand, Eric Smith strode out the door. David Clark was stunned again and hurriedly followed, but by the time he reached the living room entrance, Eric Smith had already disappeared outside the courtyard.

“I’ve joined the sect? I’ve really become a member of a martial arts sect? Even though I’m just a laborer, I can still cultivate… Two months of training? Don’t embarrass Senior Sister Foster too much? What does that mean?” Standing dazed at the doorway, David Clark was filled with countless questions, but soon he became excited and thrilled, almost moved to tears.

After enduring countless hardships for two years, he had finally joined a martial arts sect. Now that he was one big step closer to realizing his dream, how could he not be excited?

For more than two years, David Clark had walked thousands of miles on foot, visiting forty or fifty martial arts sects, only to be rejected every time for his poor aptitude. But he had never given up. It wasn’t that his heart for martial arts was so steadfast—if that were all, he would have given up long ago. After all, he wasn’t stupid; being rejected by so many sects basically meant he was not cut out for this path. It was a matter of innate talent, something that could hardly be changed.

But he had persisted without wavering. His greatest dream was simply to enter the world of martial artists—to save his father!

David Clark had grown up without a mother, raised solely by his father, who was just a hunter in Wangshan County, living off the mountains. Before he turned fifteen, his father had always been a legendary hunter in his eyes, easily providing for their needs. But more than two years ago, after returning from a trip to the mountains, his father collapsed unconscious as soon as he entered the house. David Clark then sold all their possessions and sought out every famous doctor nearby, including some martial artists from minor martial families, but all he got were sighs. They told him that to save his father, perhaps only the rare treasures found in martial arts sects could help.

So David Clark entrusted his father to an aunt who had always been extremely kind to them, and resolutely set out on the path of martial cultivation. But he never imagined this road would be so hard!

Countless times over the past two years, he had nearly died of hunger, thirst, illness, or cold in the wilderness, or almost been killed by wild beasts. Every time he reached a sect’s gate, he faced constant setbacks and ridicule… He had almost given up so many times!

“Senior Sister Foster? Senior Sister Foster…”

Murmuring Senior Sister Foster’s name a few times, he couldn’t even remember what Senior Sister Foster looked like, but at this moment, the name was etched deep into his soul.

Standing there with blurred vision for a moment, David Clark finally snapped out of it, then walked to the stone table and sat down, picking up the book with “Great Wind Art” on the cover and started reading. The Grade One cultivation method, Great Wind Art, was suitable for wind-element spiritual bodies.

After reading it several times, David Clark roughly understood that cultivating the Great Wind Art began with regulating one’s breathing frequency, allowing oneself to enter a state of emptiness. In that state, one could perceive the world more clearly, sense the world, and feel the wind-element spiritual energy between heaven and earth, then use the method to absorb it and temper the body.

The Grade One cultivation method, Great Wind Art, was the lowest-level method. The Grade One martial technique, Gale Fist, was the lowest-level fist technique. The Grade One martial technique, Spirit Wind Step, was the lowest-level movement technique. Although they were all the lowest level, to him they were treasures.

……

“He’s David Clark?”

“Ha, he’s the loser who was rejected by forty-nine martial arts sects?”

“Keep your voice down, he was specially admitted by Senior Sister Foster. Senior Sister Foster is an inner sect disciple!”

“What’s there to be afraid of? Senior Sister Foster may have pitied him and let him in, but that was just a moment of sympathy. She’s probably already forgotten about him!”

“Nonsense, Senior Sister Foster definitely hasn’t forgotten him. Don’t you know? Inner sect Senior Sister Foster and Senior Brother Harris made a bet. Senior Brother Harris picked a laborer at random from our Laborer Valley, and within two months, he wants to prove that even a random laborer he picked is far superior to the ‘genius’ that Senior Sister Foster carefully selected! The competition in two months will decide everything!”

“Pfft~ No way? Senior Sister Foster agreed? Are you kidding? Senior Sister Foster dares to bet on him against Senior Brother Harris?”

……

A day later, David Clark was walking through Laborer Valley in gray clothes. The valley was huge, with six or seven hundred disciples, each having their own separate courtyard. With the dining hall, welfare hall, and other public buildings, the whole valley was like a small town. As he walked the path to the dining hall, David Clark was surrounded by figures near and far, laughing and jeering at him.