He was granted special permission not to attend the teachings, and even though such a major incident had occurred because of him, he was not held accountable. This was truly suspicious.

William Carter considered many possibilities, even suspecting that Reverend Mason might also be an enemy. Of course, this thought was a bit dark, but in this lifetime, no matter what, he was determined to pursue immortality!

Immortality, becoming a celestial being and a god—this was his goal!

After Reverend Mason returned, Longqi Temple finally settled down completely. The disciples no longer worried, life returned to normal, and since all the disciples were orphans who had more or less experienced separation and death, they did not remain immersed in grief. Only one person was deeply affected.

Charles Foster.

He began to train in martial arts obsessively, and received the same treatment as William Carter: he no longer attended the teachings, and instead devoted himself to martial arts at the edge of the cliff. Stephen Reed even remarked to William Carter that this new senior brother now trained as if his life depended on it.

William Carter did not meddle or try to comfort Charles Foster; he didn’t have the ability to do so anyway.

Time continued to pass.

Unknowingly.

The fifteenth year of Kaiyuan arrived, and William Carter turned fifteen.

His true qi kept increasing, but he was always just one step short of reaching the fourth level of the Dao Follows Nature technique.

Before the winter snow had fully melted, David Brooks came to visit, and this time he brought a grand gift.

“Hahaha, Changsheng, you’ve really struck gold! I helped you request a treasured sword from His Majesty. At His Majesty’s command, after several months, a famous sword was procured from the martial world. This sword is called the Taihang Sword, and it’s said to be one of the top ten famous swords in the martial world.”

David Brooks laughed as he placed the sword on the table, producing a crisp sound as it struck the surface.

William Carter asked in surprise, “His Majesty went to such great lengths?”

David Brooks shook his head and said, “It was just a word from His Majesty; it was the people below who ran themselves ragged. Longqi Temple is located in the capital and is a temple personally designated by His Majesty. With disciples slaughtered by death row prisoners from the imperial prison, too many powerful departments were involved. Those below, eager to please His Majesty, naturally had to give their all. This was also to smooth over His Majesty’s anger. Besides, in today’s martial world, swordsmen are weak, and the prestige of the top ten famous swords is not what it was in the previous dynasty.”

William Carter suddenly understood. He came to the table, picked up the scabbard, and drew the Taihang Sword. The sword’s gleam flashed, making him squint.

David Brooks was also dazzled and exclaimed, “The Taihang is truly a divine weapon! I tried it—it cuts through iron like mud, and the sword’s light can even confuse the enemy.”

William Carter examined the Taihang Sword. It was over three feet long, the blade three fingers wide, yet the whole sword appeared slender. Strange patterns were carved along the center of the blade, and the edges had a bluish tint. The hilt was also finely crafted, comfortable to hold, not at all rough.

“Not bad, not bad, I like it. Thank you, Big Brother Brooks.”

William Carter praised, thinking the sword was handsome and matched his looks.

David Brooks smiled, then spoke about the outcome of the case.

The imperial prison would be completely renovated to pursue greater security. More than thirty officials of various ranks had been dismissed, and no fewer than five had been executed. The highest rank involved was a third-rank official. During this period, the capital was in turmoil, everyone was on edge, and the authorities inspected the city daily. The emperor suspected that there was someone behind the Ghost-Eyed Evil King, but in the end, the real mastermind was never found, and the case came to a close.

As for Longqi Temple, the emperor bestowed a great deal of money and grain as consolation.

William Carter had no objections, nor was he qualified to have any.

After finishing, David Brooks hurriedly left—he had just been promoted and was very busy.

William Carter did not stay indoors, but went to the Dao Bell Tower. Few disciples were around here, as the buildings nearby were all storerooms for firewood, grain, and other goods.

He began to channel spiritual energy according to the Sword Control Technique, first trying to make the Taihang Sword float in the air, which was necessary for sword control. The process was difficult, but he found it novel and was full of fighting spirit.

Controlling a sword—that’s true cultivation!

How could a dignified cultivator always use the techniques of a mere martial artist to fight?

……

After the Longqi Temple tragedy ended, those powerful figures who wanted to kill William Carter also settled down. The year William Carter was fifteen passed peacefully, with no more assassination attempts or disasters.

In the sixteenth year of Kaiyuan, William Carter turned sixteen.

On a summer afternoon, he finally mastered the fourth level of the Dao Follows Nature technique, and the true qi in his body began to transform into a stronger energy.

Spiritual power!

The energy of cultivators!

From this moment on, he had truly shed his mortal form. From now on, he could practice spells and use magical artifacts.

The magical artifact, the Qilin Duster, which he had obtained at the age of six, was still in his mind, never used. He had long looked forward to trying it.

William Carter compared and found that his spiritual power was ten times greater than his true qi before the breakthrough—immense. His senses had also multiplied; his hearing could cover the entire Longqi Temple. At the same time, he had developed divine sense, which was the vision of the soul, able to penetrate matter, probe the outside world, and perceive the essence of things.

A single transformation!

William Carter felt elated, thinking that even if enemies came again, he had nothing to fear.

Compared to when he killed the Ghost-Eyed Evil King, his strength had advanced by leaps and bounds—one could even say he had been reborn.

After two days, William Carter consolidated his cultivation and mastered his spiritual power. He could even fly on his sword, though he didn’t dare to show off; after a brief test, he stopped.