Chapter 106: Renowned Throughout the World (Please Subscribe)

Page (1/3)

In truth, Fang Xian had never disclosed these details, yet the Music Bureau was aware of his true identity—as a candidate from Kaiyang Commandery—so naturally, he was in Wudu to participate in the palace examination.

“What? Young Master Fang Xian did not show up tonight?”

“Alas, Young Master Fang Xian must be a man indifferent to fame and fortune. At a moment when all courtesans would be captivated by his renown, he is nowhere to be seen.”

“Perhaps Young Master Fang harbors grand ambitions and is not concerned with such matters. Though he gains fame through the Music Bureau, he surely cherishes his wings and intends to make a mark in the imperial court.”

“As scholars, we should take Young Master Fang as our example. From now on, we must shut ourselves away to study diligently for the palace exam. Tomorrow, none of us shall visit the brothel to listen to music.”

“Tonight, we wish to listen to this masterpiece continuously. Ladies, please endure with us.”

Unable to see Young Master Fang, everyone felt a deep regret. Only by continuing to listen to the music could they soothe their hearts. Thus, they unanimously requested to hear the piece until dawn.

The steward Li of the Music Bureau quickly arranged for the numerous courtesans to take turns resting. The four leading courtesans, known as Plum, Orchid, Bamboo, and Chrysanthemum, each led a group of women to perform.

“We want to listen and learn to sing as well!” At that moment, a large group of courtesans from various brothels flooded into the Music Bureau, eager to study the performance of this divine work.

The entire night was lively and bustling at the Music Bureau, with many literati and courtesans listening to the music together. It became a grand event since the establishment of the bureau and soon spread throughout the nations.

...

“Come with me.” After Fang Xian and another returned to the clinic, Wu Qingluan immediately called Fang Xian into a room and congratulated him on the fame his lyrics had earned, celebrating together until dawn.

Only at dawn did the mysterious energy within Fang Xian fully integrate with his body and internal force, elevating his cultivation to the peak of an elite expert, yet his strength experienced a qualitative leap.

Previously, Fang Xian wielded the Divine Starfall Sword, sufficient to match ordinary Master realm experts, though it was still difficult to surpass or kill them.

Page (2/3)

After the transformation last night, he found his physical constitution greatly enhanced, comparable even to Master realm experts, and in fact stronger than most.

Moreover, Fang Xian’s internal force, both in quantity and quality, far exceeded that of ordinary Master realm experts. At this moment, relying solely on his fists and feet, he could contend with them.

If he employed his divine weapon, Fang Xian could easily slay ordinary Master realm experts—like Zhou Boxiong and others—defeating them within twenty exchanges.

In other words, Fang Xian’s true combat power placed him among the strong within the Master realm, but crucially, his cultivation was still at the peak of elite expert, not yet Master realm.

Only now did Fang Xian feel he possessed some self-defense ability. Yet he was not complacent, knowing that above the Master realm were Innate realm Grandmasters.

Should he encounter such a formidable being, a single slap could kill him outright. Therefore, Fang Xian resolved not to be too proud but to persevere quietly until he became invincible.

Not only did Fang Xian gain greatly last night, but Wu Qingluan also reaped immense benefits. Earlier in the Music Bureau, Fang Xian had infused her with copious mysterious energy, and then they cultivated together until dawn.

Wu Qingluan fully absorbed the mysterious energy, not only strengthening her physique but also enhancing her internal force. Though she had just broken through to Master realm days ago, this night’s gains saved her years of hard cultivation and laid a solid foundation for future possibilities.

At dawn, the literati and courtesans dispersed, and Fang Xian’s divine work, “Prelude to the Water Melody,” spread throughout Wudu, instantly making him a celebrated prodigy known to every household.

“Congratulations, Host, on your fame in Wudu. System rewards you with a Transforming Divine Armor.” Just as Fang Xian returned to his small courtyard, he received a system notification along with a large influx of reputation points.

Surprised, Fang Xian had not expected an item reward. System rewards were always at divine weapon level, like his previous Starfall Sword. He immediately summoned it.

To his astonishment, the so-called Transforming Divine Armor appeared as a transparent orb of light, seemingly alive, writhing and constantly changing shape in his palm.

“How does one wear this divine armor?” Fang Xian was baffled. Just then, one end of the orb suddenly transformed into a sharp needle, stabbing into the tip of his middle finger, drawing some fresh blood that merged into the orb.

Then the orb transformed into a beam of light and merged into Fang Xian’s body, surging out from every pore to form a transparent film over his skin, indistinguishable from its natural color. Without feeling it, Fang Xian would not notice he was wearing divine armor.

Page (3/3)

Fang Xian stretched out his hand. To all appearances, his palm looked and felt normal, yet he clearly knew it was covered by a layer of divine armor.

“So thin, it’s completely invisible. Is this really divine armor?” Fang Xian wondered. He then took a silver acupuncture needle and tried to pierce his palm, but it bounced off, unable to penetrate.

Trying harder, the silver needle snapped with a sharp crack, leaving no mark or pain on his palm. Curiosity about the divine armor grew within him.

Next, Fang Xian tested various ordinary weapons—swords, spears, halberds—but none could break through the divine armor’s defense. Even his Starfall Sword could only leave a mark but could not pierce it.

“Damn, with such an incredible Transforming Divine Armor, I can be invincible among Master realm experts. I just don’t know how powerful Innate realm Grandmasters are, or if I can survive their attacks.”

Elated, Fang Xian studied the armor for a long time and discovered various applications. For instance, he could thicken the armor on certain body parts or remove it from others.

Finally, he shaped the armor into a mesh, covering only vital areas—heart, throat, perineum, crown, lower back—with armor, while limbs had just thin threads connecting the mesh. In emergencies, the armor could quickly extend to cover the entire body.

In the following days, Wudu was rife with upheaval. First, the emperor, enraged by the assassination attempts on the princess and crown prince, investigated and implicated over twenty officials and some merchants. More than a hundred were beheaded, thousands exiled to the border.

Next, news spread that the princess was finally selecting her consort. The previously favored candidates like Shi Hongchang fell silent, while the recently rising Fang Xian became the hottest contender.

Lastly, Fang Xian’s divine poem, “Prelude to the Water Melody,” swiftly circulated across the region and over ten commanderies of the Wu Kingdom, even reaching the neighboring four kingdoms. The entire world now knew of Fang Xian, the great prodigy of Wu Kingdom.