Chapter 18: You Are a Sword Cultivator

Two days later, at noon.

A cloudship sailed in from the sky, descending into Canglan City.

This scene caused the city's citizens to stop and watch, their faces filled with shock.

"A flying ship!"

"Is this the cloudship from the Dao Cang Academy, used to recruit disciples? It's so grand and majestic!"

The cloudship was several dozen meters in size, making anyone nearby look as insignificant as ants.

The ship's body shimmered with a faint glow, made from an unknown material. However, a vessel capable of flying was at least a treasure of the Xuan grade.

Even Lin Che was awestruck by the sight before him.

The foundation of Dao Cang Academy was truly extraordinary, worthy of being the dominant power in Yang Province.

"Young Master."

At this moment, a pleasant voice came from behind Lin Che.

When Lin Che turned around, he was taken aback.

He saw Xiaoyao walking towards him, carrying a large bundle nearly as tall as she was, making her already delicate figure appear even more fragile.

"Why did you bring so much stuff?"

"These are just some daily necessities, some food, and a change of clothes for you, Young Master," Xiaoyao replied casually.

Hearing this, Lin Che frowned slightly, then took out a spatial ring and handed it to her.

It was the one he had obtained after killing the Fifth Elder of the Lin family.

"Take this ring and put those things inside. Don't let others see, or they might think I'm mistreating you."

Upon seeing this, Xiaoyao quickly shook her head. "Young Master, this is too valuable…"

Before she could finish, Lin Che interrupted, "If you refuse, I'll make you warm my bed tonight."

Xiaoyao was stunned upon hearing this, then took a deep breath and said, "Yes."

"Get on… no, I mean, get on the ship."

Moments later, the two boarded the cloudship.

Once aboard, they could see that the ship had over a hundred cabins, and being on the cloudship, the grandeur and size of the vessel became even more apparent.

"Newcomers, come register…"

Before Lin Che and Xiaoyao could admire the ship further, an elderly voice suddenly called out.

Lin Che looked over and saw an extremely old man lying on a wicker chair in the ship's corridor, with a long table in front of him, holding paper and pen, evidently in charge of registration.

However, what surprised Lin Che and Xiaoyao was that the old man was incredibly aged, with wrinkles deep like ravines on his face and hands, and only a few strands of white hair left swaying in the wind.

"Are you from Canglan City? What's your name?" the old man asked.

"I am Lin Che." Although the old man seemed frail, Lin Che did not dare to be disrespectful and replied courteously.

"Lin Le…" The old man nodded and then, with a trembling hand, began to write.

Lin Che was startled and quickly explained, "Not Lin Le, my name is Lin Che, 'Che' as in clear."

"Speak up, old as I am, my hearing isn't great…" The old man waved his hand.

"My name is Lin Che," Lin Che said loudly.

"Lin De, huh… virtue and integrity, good name."

The old man nodded again, writing the character "Lin," but after beginning to write "De," he seemed unsure how to finish, so he erased it and drew a circle instead.

Seeing this, Lin Che was left speechless.

It seemed the old man was not only deaf and blind but also possibly illiterate, yet he was responsible for registration on the cloudship.

This old man must have some powerful connections in the Dao Cang Academy, possibly very strong ones.

A circle would have to do. Lin Che, looking at the old man, finally gave up trying to explain.

Meanwhile, the old man's cloudy eyes turned to Xiaoyao, muttering, "Didn't that guy say the disciple from Canglan City was a young man? Why is there also a girl?"

Upon hearing this, Xiaoyao quickly picked up the pen and wrote the words "maidservant."

"Oh, a maidservant, alright…" The old man recognized these two words and then handed two wooden plaques to Lin Che.

"The room numbers are on the plaques. Don't go to the wrong room. All the people on this ship are geniuses from various cities, each more proud than the last. If you start a fight over a misunderstanding, this old body of mine wouldn't dare to intervene."

"Thank you for the warning, Senior." Lin Che cupped his hands respectfully toward the old man, then left with Xiaoyao.

Lin Che was so respectful because he suspected the old man had strong ties to the Dao Cang Academy, and considering that he had referred to "that guy," the person he mentioned was likely the silver-robed expert.

Given how casually the old man referred to him, it was clear he was not to be underestimated. Thus, Lin Che did not dare to judge him based on appearances.

After Lin Che and Xiaoyao left, the old man chuckled to himself, saying, "Heh… it's been a while since I've seen such a polite young man. Rare indeed…"

After these words, the old man closed his eyes again, enjoying the sunshine leisurely.

Lin Che and Xiaoyao found their room but did not choose to rest. Instead, they headed to the deck.

By this time, the cloudship had already taken to the skies, flying through the clouds.

Watching the rolling sea of clouds, the spectacular scenery made one feel an immense sense of openness.

"It's so beautiful…"

Xiaoyao spread her arms as if to embrace the sky. Her blue dress fluttered in the wind, and a gentle smile adorned her lovely face, her eyes shining with light as she uttered this heartfelt exclamation.

This sight made Lin Che momentarily dazed.

He had to admit that this girl, who had followed him since childhood, was indeed quite beautiful. Though she was still young, it was clear she would grow into a stunning beauty.

"It is beautiful. I wonder when I'll be able to soar through the sky on my own, looking down on this vast land!" Lin Che sighed inwardly as he snapped out of his reverie.

To fly through the sky, free between heaven and earth, was the dream of every warrior.

"Came from Canglan City?"

Just as Lin Che was lost in thought, a deep voice suddenly pulled him back to reality. He turned to see a tall, brawny young man standing before him.

This young man was over two meters tall, his muscles bulging like coiled dragons. Standing in front of Lin Che, he was like an iron tower, blocking out the sunlight and casting a large shadow.

Seeing the slight disdain in the young man's eyes, Lin Che frowned.

Before Lin Che could speak, the young man spoke again, "I am Cang Ming, born with an indestructible battle body, the young lord of Juxiang City… You look like a rogue cultivator, don't you?"

For martial artists, their clothing usually bore the insignia of their family or sect. Seeing Lin Che's simple attire, Cang Ming's eyes filled with even more disdain.

"What exactly are you trying to say?" Lin Che asked coldly.

Cang Ming grinned broadly, then looked at Xiaoyao, "Who is she to you?"

"I am the Young Master's maidservant."

Before Lin Che could respond, Xiaoyao, sensing the greed in the young man's eyes, replied with some distaste.

"Very well. I'm in Room 16 on Deck A. Tonight… send her to serve me," Cang Ming said, his tone leaving no room for negotiation.

Swish—

As soon as Cang Ming finished speaking, Lin Che's sword was already out of its sheath.

Sword momentum!

With this strike, Lin Che held nothing back, directly unleashing the Reverse Chaos Nine Forms, a spiritual-grade combat technique.

In an instant, sword energy burst forth, tearing through the air.

"Hmm?"

Sensing the fierce sword energy, Cang Ming's expression changed drastically.

"Indestructible battle body!"

Cang Ming roared, crossing his arms in front of his chest. A layer of yellow light enveloped him, forming a protective barrier.

Boom!

The force of Lin Che's strike hit the barrier, and a terrifying shockwave spread in all directions.

After a brief moment of resistance, the barrier shattered!

Thud, thud, thud.

At the same time, Cang Ming's massive body was forced back three steps on the deck, making heavy, muffled sounds, his posture now somewhat disheveled.

"You're a sword cultivator!"

After stabilizing himself, Cang Ming's eyes filled with deep apprehension as he looked at Lin Che.

"What do you think?" Lin Che sneered.

"Uh… it seems there was a misunderstanding earlier."

With a look of shock in his eyes, Cang Ming left without another word, not staying even a moment longer.

It wasn't that he was afraid; initially, he had thought Lin Che was weak and came to bully him.

But now that Lin Che had shown his strength, there was no point in continuing the fight.

Lin Che watched Cang Ming leave without stopping him, though his gaze grew slightly more serious as he looked at the man's retreating figure.

"Second level of the Spiritual Martial Stage?"

Lin Che sensed that the young man was at the second level of the Spiritual Martial Stage.

Here is the translation:

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That sword strike just now was Lin Che's full strength, and although he acted first, it only forced the opponent back three steps. This shows that the talents on this cloud ship are indeed not to be underestimated.

Indeed, those who enter the Dao Cang Academy are the top talents from the major cities of Yangzhou, and none of them are weak. Take this Cang Ming for example; not only has he reached the second level of Spirit Martial Realm, but he has also awakened a special physique.

Of course, the fact that Lin Che was using an ordinary sword also contributed to this outcome. If he had used the Ling Han Sword, Cang Ming might have suffered more.

"This person from Cang Lan City is quite strong..."

"Indeed, sword cultivators are always more troublesome compared to other warriors..."

Meanwhile, many young talents on the deck who had witnessed the recent events began to view Lin Che with different eyes. Cang Lan City had just entered Dao Cang Academy's sight for the first time, and the talents coming out of there were initially viewed as weak by those from other major cities. Moreover, Lin Che was a loose cultivator without any affiliated power and limited resources for cultivation.

Previously, when Cang Ming caused trouble, these people saw it more as a joke, but now, their eyes showed more respect and even some awe toward Lin Che.

This is how the world works—only by demonstrating enough strength can one earn sufficient respect.

"Young master... I've caused trouble for you."

After Cang Ming left, Xiao Yao stood beside Lin Che with a face full of apologies. The conflict arose because of her, and it seemed that the young man was quite strong.

"It's not really trouble..." Lin Che shook his head.

"Since people think we are easy to bully, even without this guy, others would come looking for trouble in the future. After this incident, at least those weaker than this person won't have such ideas. In fact, it has saved us quite a bit of trouble."

Lin Che's gaze swept over the young talents on the deck.

Establishing his stance!

This was one of the reasons Lin Che acted so decisively just now.