In that quiet grove on Mount Leigu, a brand-new tomb stood solemn and serene, as if silently recounting the story of the departed. Clearly carved upon the tombstone in bold, powerful strokes were the words "Tomb of My Honored Master, Wuyazi," exuding an air of solemnity and reverence.
A gentle breeze rustled the leaves, which seemed to be mourning this fallen master of martial arts. Standing before the grave, Jilin silently performed the full ritual of three kneelings and nine kowtows to express his deep respect for his late mentor.
Upon completing the ritual, Jilin turned to Su Xinghe beside him and said, "Senior Brother Su, now that Master has been safely laid to rest, does our Xiaoyao Sect currently possess any collected writings? I wish to peruse them first to enhance my understanding of our sect's martial arts."
Su Xinghe nodded, a flash of approval in his eyes. He knew well that Jilin was naturally gifted—after all, not just anyone could solve the Irregular Chess Formation.
Yet even more precious were his diligence in study and his modest attitude. Smiling, Su Xinghe replied, "Leader Brother, this way, please."
Su Xinghe led Jilin through the woods to a wooden cabin that looked ordinary yet possessed an ancient, rustic charm. Although simple, the cabin was surrounded by lush trees, giving it a tranquil and mystical feel.
Su Xinghe paused and said in a deep voice, "Junior Brother, this is where the texts of the Xiaoyao Sect are kept. You may browse them as you wish, though almost no advanced martial arts of our sect remain here. If you need anything, simply let me know." With that, he gently pushed open the door, allowing Jilin to enter.
Stepping inside, Jilin looked around to see rows of aged bookshelves filled with various ancient texts and martial arts manuals. A faint fragrance of old books drifted through the air, refreshing the mind.
He walked over to a bookshelf, cautiously picked up a yellowed volume, and opened to the first page. It was densely covered with text and diagrams recording various essence techniques of the Xiaoyao Sect. However, they were merely basic fundamentals and some unranked martial arts manuals.
"It seems most of the Xiaoyao Sect's martial arts manuals must be over at Mantu Manor."
Intending to find time to visit that place later, Jilin eagerly began to read. Every book offered him profound benefits, as if opening a door to the pinnacle of martial arts. He immersed himself in the ocean of knowledge, losing track of time...
"One year later..."
In the valley of the Wuliang Sword Sect lay the Jade Cavern, where a young man was running joyfully across an open clearing. As his speed increased, several afterimages unexpectedly appeared behind him.
If one were to observe closely the sequence of the youth's running and the positions of his afterimages, it would become apparent that he was moving according to the sixty-four hexagrams of the Book of Changes.
At that moment, a man suddenly fell from the sky, and the youth zipped over in a flash, catching and saving him.
"I am Duan Yu, and I thank you, brother, for saving my life!"
"Think nothing of it, my name is Jilin. This place is my master's seclusion ground. Might I ask how Duan, brother, managed to fall in here?"
In fact, half a year prior, relying on his ability to achieve twice the result with half the effort, Jilin had finished reading all the texts stored on Mount Leigu. Although he had acquired a great deal of knowledge, he had not learned any formidable martial arts. Consequently, he bid farewell to the Deaf Mute Scholar and came to this Jade Cavern.
After all, Wuyazi had only bestowed him with inner energy without imparting a single advanced martial art. Aside from miscellaneous subjects such as astronomy, geography, the Five Elements, the Eight Trigrams, and the arts of the qin, chess, calligraphy, and painting, the martial arts manuals among Mount Leigu's collection consisted only of unranked striking techniques. Thus, Jilin had been forced to rely on his own efforts to explore other martial paths.
Listening to Duan Yu's righteous indignation as he recounted the evil deeds of the Wuliang Sword Sect and the innocent ignorance of the young girl Zhong Ling...
At this moment, looking at the somewhat naive Duan Yu before him, Jilin understood in his heart that the plot had begun, which meant he could finally leave seclusion!
Jilin asked Duan Yu to wait a moment, then turned and walked back into the cave. After storing the jade statue of the fairy sister into his spatial domain and glancing around, he stepped out of the cave and departed together with Duan Yu.
Chatting as they walked, the two men soon arrived before the mountain gate of the Wuliang Sword Sect.
"We have arrived, right here," Duan Yu said, pointing toward the gate ahead.
Jilin looked up to see four bold characters—"Wuliang Sword Sect"—engraved imposingly upon the gate, inspiring a sense of awe.
At that moment, a group of swordsmen clad in white swarmed out from within. An elderly man at their fore wore a gloomy expression as he scrutinized Jilin and Duan Yu.
"Brat, I told you to go fetch the antidote, why have you returned?" the old man demanded coldly.
Duan Yu hurried forward, cupped his fists, and said, "Zuo Zimu, release Zhong Ling this instant, and naturally she will give you the antidote, otherwise..."
Hearing this, the old man's expression grew even gloomier. "Otherwise what? Just because of this brat beside you?"
Jilin pondered silently to himself, "It seems this Wuliang Sword Sect will serve nicely as a touchstone to test just how strong my current strength truly is." With this thought, he curved his lips into a smile and channeled his inner energy.
Seeing Jilin make a move, the disciples of the Wuliang Sword Sect all drew their swords, watching him vigilantly.
With a flash of his figure and movements swift as lightning, Jilin incapacitated the disciples in just two or three strokes, leaving them in a sorry state.
Jilin waved his hand, feeling a sense of surprise. "Is my strength too great, or is the Wuliang Sword Sect simply too weak?"
At that very moment, Duan Yu ran over. Seeing the Wuliang Sword Sect disciples sprawled across the ground in disarray, he gasped, "Brother Ji, you are actually this formidable?"
Jilin smiled faintly and said, "It is merely a trifling trick. All along this journey I told you my martial arts were formidable, yet you remained full of anxiety."
Guarding Zuo Zimu, Jilin and his companions tracked down the place where Zhong Ling was imprisoned.
"Brother Duan, I asked you to go find my father and mother, why have you returned so quickly?"
"Zhong Ling, this is Jilin, a martial expert I met along the way. That you were saved is entirely thanks to his intervention."
Zhong Ling stared at Jilin, who held a sword, and momentarily lost herself in a daze. Then, her face flushed slightly. "Thank you, Brother Ji, for saving my life."
"Forget it. As the saying goes, friends are often made through blows. Zhong Ling, now that I have taught this Wuliang Sword Sect a lesson, it can be considered venting your anger. Hand over the antidote to him now."
After taking their leave of the Wuliang Sword Sect, the trio wandered leisurely for several days.
One day, while conversing, Jilin suddenly heard the sounds of combat and shouting carrying from ahead. Jilin and Duan Yu exchanged a glance and immediately decided to go check it out.
As they drew near, they saw a beautiful woman being besieged by two individuals. The well-informed Zhong Ling instantly recognized the beautiful woman as Mu Wanqing, while one of her attackers was Ye Erniang, and the other Yun Zhonghe. These two were among the Four Great Evils, notorious figures in the jianghu.
Seeing the woman's attractive appearance, Duan Yu was instantly stirred with pity and wanted to step forward to help. Jilin pulled him back and whispered in a low voice, "Brother Duan Yu, those two possess consummate martial arts, and you have no martial arts at all. It is better to let me go and help." With those words, Jilin drew his sword and charged directly at Ye Erniang.
Seeing this, Ye Erniang brandished her weapon to meet him. The two exchanged blows with neither gaining the upper hand for a time. Taking advantage of the distraction, Yun Zhonghe launched a sneak attack on Mu Wanqing, prompting Jilin to hurriedly execute the Lingbo Weibu to shield her.
Realizing the gravity of the situation, Jilin unleashed the Beiming Divine Art, absorbing Yun Zhonghe's cultivation entirely. This was also the first time Jilin had absorbed anyone's inner energy. In the end, Jilin thrust his sword straight through Yun Zhonghe's throat. With a miserable cry, Yun Zhonghe collapsed to the ground and died. Seeing that the situation had turned sour, Ye Erniang turned and fled.
Seeing his opponent escape, Jilin did not give chase.
Having lived two lifetimes, this was the first time Jilin had ever killed someone. Though he felt a slight pang of discomfort in his heart, it quickly subsided.
Once the battle concluded, Mu Wanqing stepped forward to thank Jilin.
The two onlookers also walked over. "Sister Mu, why were you being hunted down by the Four Great Evils?"
Zhong Ling had known Mu Wanqing for a long time. Seeing Zhong Ling here, Mu Wanqing recounted the reason she was being pursued.
As it turned out, she had previously gone to Mantu Manor to assassinate Madam Wang and failed, after which Madam Wang had hired the Four Great Evils to hunt her down.
Listening from the sidelines, Jilin sighed inwardly, "This is all the fault of heartless men!"
...On the border of Dali, Yunnan.
Ever since saving Mu Wanqing that day, because he still needed to return and report to his master, the other party had not lingered long before leaving. Afterward, Zhong Ling also prepared to return to the Wanjie Valley out of a longing for her parents, leaving only Duan Yu and Jilin.
Duan Yu looked at Jilin and spoke up, "Brother Ji, how about accompanying me back to the city of Dali?"
Jilin thought for a moment, nodded, and agreed, "That sounds wonderful, let us be on our way!"
Thus, the two set off together on the road to Dali. Along the way, they admired the scenery and discussed amusing tales from the jianghu, their spirits exceptionally light and cheerful.
Just then, four figures appeared ahead, turning out to be the four major retainers of the Duan family—Ba Tianshi, Fan Hua, Hua Hegen, and Chu Wanli. Upon seeing Duan Yu, the four men immediately hurried forward.
Ba Tianshi said excitedly, "Young Master, we have finally found you!"
Duan Yu smiled and asked, "Why have all of you come?"
Ba Tianshi replied, "The Prince was worried about your safety and sent us out to search for you. Since you are safe and sound, that is truly wonderful!"
Duan Yu turned to Jilin and introduced him, "This is Brother Jilin, a good friend of mine."
Jilin cupped his fists in salute to the four retainers and said, "Greetings, four seniors."
The four retainers returned the courtesy one by one, expressing their polite regards to Jilin. Following that, they set off together on the journey toward Dali City. Along the way, their path was filled with laughter and an atmosphere of complete harmony and warmth.
Upon arriving at the Deliverance Prince's Mansion in Dali, Jilin received a warm and grand welcome. He was escorted into the mansion, passed through ornate corridors, and finally arrived at a spacious and brightly lit hall. There, he met that legendary number-one philanderer of Tianlong—Duan Zhengchun.
Duan Zhengchun was handsome and dashing, his bearing elegant and refined. His gaze exuded a deep and unique charm that was impossible to resist. Jilin secretly praised in his heart, "He truly lives up to his reputation as the number-one philanderer of Tianlong!"
Night fell, and moonlight like water spilled across the city of Dali. Jilin sat quietly on his bed and began to regulate his breathing through martial meditation.
Ever since absorbing Yun Zhonghe's inner energy that day, he had relied on the wondrous properties of the Beiming Divine Art to meld the acquired energy with his original internal strength, elevating his cultivation to a whole new level. This enhancement filled him with boundless excitement and satisfaction while also charging him with anticipation for the future.
As time passed, Jilin gradually became immersed in his cultivation. He felt the inner energy within his body surging like a tide, flowing through his meridians.
Every breath seemed imbued with power, and every circulation made his body sturdier. In this tranquil night, he devoted himself entirely to cultivation, constantly exploring his own potential and limits.