He was still unsure whether there were other cultivators in this world, or martial artists who could rival him, so he could not act recklessly.

Chapter 9: The Marvelous Power of the Magical Artifact—Would You Like to Be the Abbot?

The bright moon hung high, and the stars shimmered faintly.

In the courtyard, a group of disciples stood along the four-sided corridor, cheering excitedly as they watched Stephen Reed sparring with William Carter.

William Carter stood in place, his feet unmoving, his left hand resting behind his waist, his right hand fending off Stephen Reed. No matter how Stephen Reed attacked, he could always deflect it with ease and then counter with a gentle push.

At sixteen, he was handsome and elegant, standing out among the crowd.

Stephen Reed was practicing the Nine-Seeking Heavenly Dragon Steps that William Carter had taught him. The footwork was exquisite, but lacked any real offensive power, so Stephen Reed's attacks were based on the martial arts of Longqi Temple.

It had to be said, most of the martial arts at Longqi Temple were quite weak. In William Carter's view, they were no different from the traditional martial arts of his previous life on Earth.

Once again, William Carter pushed Stephen Reed away with one hand. Stephen Reed staggered back seven steps, lost his balance, and fell to the ground.

Stephen Reed called out helplessly, "I give up."

The surrounding disciples cheered and praised Third Senior Brother's skill.

Ever since he reached the fourth level of the Dao Follows Nature technique, William Carter would occasionally instruct the other disciples. Thus, the image of Third Senior Brother was established, and his prestige steadily grew.

Just as William Carter was about to ask if anyone else wanted guidance, the courtyard door was pushed open. Everyone turned to look, and immediately ran back to their rooms in fright.

Stephen Reed quickly scrambled up and dashed back inside, leaving only William Carter and the newcomer in the courtyard.

"Third Junior Brother, it's late. You should get some sleep and not indulge these little rascals in their mischief."

Charles Foster walked up to William Carter, speaking earnestly. His brows were tightly furrowed, and there were even a few strands of white hair at his temples.

In just two years, he had become a different person. The once lively and cheerful Second Senior Brother had now turned into a gloomy man obsessed with martial arts...

William Carter felt a pang of emotion. In the end, it was because of him. If he hadn't been rescued and brought to Longqi Temple, things would have been different.

But none of this was truly his doing—he was a victim as well.

William Carter smiled and said, "Alright, Senior Brother."

Charles Foster stared at him intently and said, "Third Junior Brother, two years ago you were able to slay the Evil King. How strong are you now? When will you spar with me?"

William Carter didn't want to discourage Charles Foster, so he politely declined, "Forget it. Back then, the Evil King was just careless. I actually wasn't his match. Senior Brother, I'm tired. I'll go rest now. Let's practice swordsmanship together when we have time."

With that, he turned and walked toward his room.

Charles Foster asked, "I heard that James Thompson has already reached the pinnacle realm. Third Junior Brother, do you want to go down the mountain and make your mark?"

So soon?

Could it be that he cultivated some demonic technique?

William Carter thought to himself, then waved his hand and said, "I don't want to leave the mountain. I just want to stay at Longqi Temple and live in peace."

Charles Foster watched him enter his room before turning to leave.

Back on his bed, William Carter frowned.

What did Charles Foster mean by those words just now?

Does this guy want to follow James Thompson's example too?

He thought about it for a while, then decided not to meddle, and began to meditate and cultivate.

Early the next morning, after ringing the Dao bell, William Carter returned to find Stephen Reed absent from the room. He then took the Qilin Duster out from his mind. He had been worried that once he took out the survival reward, he wouldn't be able to put it back, so he had never taken it out before. Now was the time.

During this period, he had fully mastered the Sword Control Technique. Other than cultivating the Dao Follows Nature technique, he had nothing else to do, so he might as well play with the magical artifact.

The Qilin Duster appeared in his hand out of thin air. It looked no different from an ordinary duster, but the handle was jade-white, almost like a piece of white bone.

As he gripped the Qilin Duster, he could feel the magic power surging within. As expected of a magical artifact, it possessed its own spiritual energy.

A memory surfaced in his mind, telling him how to make the artifact recognize its master. He began to imitate the process, sending his spiritual sense into the Qilin Duster to break through the internal restrictions.

After half an hour, the Qilin Duster successfully recognized him as its master. Once it did, it began to absorb the spiritual energy of heaven and earth on its own—truly marvelous.

When William Carter infused spiritual power into the Qilin Duster, its long tassels could extend and retract at will, and he could control them to bind, strike, and perform other actions.

Marvelous!

William Carter tried to put the Qilin Duster back into his mind, but as expected, he failed.

Once an item from the survival reward was taken out, it could only exist in the real world.

Although he felt a bit regretful, he could accept it.

From then on, William Carter wore the Taihang Sword at his waist and held the Qilin Duster in his hand, exuding an immortal aura. When disciples asked about the duster, he said it was a gift from David Brooks. All the disciples in the temple knew that David Brooks and the Fourth Prince would occasionally visit him.

Not only these two, but other high-ranking officials and nobles also wanted to visit William Carter. At first, he received them, but as the visits became more frequent, he politely declined, since those people only wanted to see him and lacked the sincerity of David Brooks.

……

The summer heat was scorching, making the very air shimmer.

"Brother Changsheng, I'm going to join the army. For the next five years, I won't be able to visit you. I hope you'll understand."

The young man stood before William Carter, full of spirit. His hands were on his hips, sweat streaming down his face, but his energy remained high.

William Carter had just finished instructing him in the Shadow Step Kick and was about to send him off, but hadn't expected to hear these words.