Ye Fan stood beside a tree, holding the Stardust Sword in his hand. After looking around, he gradually relaxed and thought to himself, "Could this be time travel?"
"Hey, who is there?" Suddenly, a voice broke the silence.
A woman in white was seen holding a sword in her right hand, pointing it warily in Ye Fan's direction.
Ye Fan's heart skipped a beat. Reacting quickly, he gripped the Stardust Sword firmly in his right hand while secretly grabbing a handful of dirt with his left hand behind his back.
Wearing a smile, he explained to the woman in white, "Miss, I was just passing by and happened to find a rabbit that had crashed into the tree and died. I found it quite strange, so I lingered for a moment."
Hearing this, the woman in white nodded slightly and replied, "Oh, is that so? Then I won't disturb you any longer. Farewell."
She turned and left quickly, though she muttered to herself inwardly, "This person's behavior is somewhat suspicious, and he seems to possess a high level of cultivation."
When the figure of the woman in white had gradually receded and disappeared, Ye Fan also breathed a sigh of relief.
He immediately executed the Lingyun Step, running swiftly toward the outside of the woods.
As he neared the edge of the woods, he slowly decelerated, casually tossed the dirt from his hand onto the ground, tucked the Stardust Sword back into his waist, and walked out of the woods with poise.
Not far away, many travelers were lining up to enter the city. Ye Fan joined the queue and moved forward slowly with the crowd.
Upon reaching the city gate, a young guard was busy collecting the city entry fee.
Ye Fan paid the fee and entered the city.
...
In Clear Wind City, at the Drunken Wind Tower, Ye Fan sat at a table near the window, savoring fine wine and delicious food.
Nearby, an elderly man in his sixties was conversing with a young child beside him.
"We have the Quanzhen Sect stationed here to thank for the peace and order of Clear Wind City; otherwise, how could it be so stable?" the elderly man said with a hint of emotion.
The young man beside him chimed in, "I heard that the Quanzhen Sect is the greatest sect in the world! How wonderful it would be if I could join them and study there."
Hearing this, the elderly man smiled and said, "The Quanzhen Sect is indeed remarkable, but it also has strict precepts. You probably couldn't endure that kind of ascetic lifestyle."
Upon hearing this, the young man wore a look of hesitation, then said, "Well, never mind then."
Hearing this conversation, Ye Fan pondered inwardly: It seems this place really is Mount Zhongnan. Then was the woman in white he met earlier Li Mochou or Xiao Longnü?
Just as Ye Fan was pondering his next move, a man with a resolute face and a young boy walked toward his table.
The man asked, "Excuse me, brother, is anyone sitting here?"
Ye Fan looked up and replied, "No." But in his heart, he thought: This man has an extraordinary demeanor and a resolute face. Could he be Guo Jing?
After the man sat down, the young boy sat beside him as well.
Guo Jing spoke up, "I am Guo Jing. May I ask the young hero's honorable name?"
Ye Fan replied, "I am Li Feiyu."
Inwardly, however, he thought: Guo Jing's cultivation is evidently extraordinary, which means this is the world of The Return of the Condor Heroes. Then this child beside him must be Yang Guo.
Guo Jing continued to ask, "I wonder what brings Young Hero Li to Mount Zhongnan?"
Ye Fan took a gentle sip of tea and replied, "I simply wanted to come and see this world-famous sect. I wonder why Grandmaster Guo has come to Mount Zhongnan? And what is this little friend's name?"
Guo Jing drank a mouthful of wine and replied, "I brought my nephew here to the Quanzhen Sect. His name is Yang Guo."
Shortly afterward, Guo Jing left the tavern with Yang Guo.
In the guest room, Ye Fan sat cross-legged on the bed with his hands resting on his knees, closing his eyes to begin practicing that foundational cultivation technique.
His breathing gradually grew steady, and a faint aura emanated around his body.
As time passed, Ye Fan's body gradually adapted to this method of cultivation.
He felt his cultivation steadily increasing, but he also realized that such a rate of cultivation was simply too slow.
"It seems I need to go and retrieve techniques like the Nine Yin Manual and the Nine Yang Divine Skill as soon as possible," Ye Fan thought to himself.
...
The next day, Ye Fan walked toward the back mountain of Mount Zhongnan, searched for a long time, and spotted a pool of water.
He then hid his bundle beside a large tree, stripped off his clothes, and dove into the pool.
"Whew, I'm out." Ye Fan looked around and thought to himself: This must be the interior of the Ancient Tomb Sect.
Afterward, Ye Fan wandered around and discovered an inscription on a wall: "I, King Chongyang, built a large warehouse to store military provisions and supplies, designing it in the shape of an ancient tomb to deceive the public eye. The ancient tomb contains numerous mechanisms."
"After the anti-Jin righteous army failed, I indignantly secluded myself in the ancient tomb, calling it the 'Tomb of the Living Dead' to signify that though alive I was like the dead, holding an irreconcilable enmity with the Jin."
"If later generations find this place and have the ambition to fight the Jin, they are entirely welcome to take away the stored military provisions and supplies."
"I obtained the Nine Yin Manual, which is engraved upon these stone walls; those with a predestined affinity may learn from it."
"The Nine Yin Manual..."
Gazing at the Nine Yin Manual engraved on the wall, Ye Fan committed it to memory word by word, every single character deeply branded into his mind.
A moment later, he slowly exhaled a breath and muttered to himself, "Indeed, even the top martial arts of a low-martial world have their unique marvels."
Having completed his memorization, Ye Fan turned and walked toward the pool, preparing to continue his training.
However, just as he finished tidying his clothes and was about to leave, a figure inadvertently caught his eye.
Not far away, a woman stood quietly, dressed in robes as white as snow, like a blooming lotus—pure and beautiful.
The lightweight fabric fluttered gently in the wind, adding a sense of ethereal grace, as if a fairy had descended to the mortal world, making it impossible to look away.
Moreover, she appeared to have just put her clothes back on, leaving a hint of spring scenery still exposed.
The appearance of this woman was like adding a brilliant splash of color to the tranquil pool, bringing the entire scene to life with breathtaking beauty.
"Ah! You, you..." The woman in white's face instantly turned as red as blood, her eyes filled with rage and shame.
The long sword in her hand flashed with a cold light, and she stabbed toward Ye Fan with fierce sword qi.
Every sword strike was imbued with her anger and determination, as if she intended to hack Ye Fan into pieces.
Seeing this, Ye Fan shifted his figure and easily dodged the woman in white's attacks.
During the fight, the woman in white gradually realized that her strength was vastly inferior to Ye Fan's.
A trace of despair inevitably rose in her heart, but she did not give up, continuing to attack Ye Fan with all her might.
Watching the woman in white struggle desperately, Ye Fan felt a twinge of pity.
He thought to himself: Anyway, she poses no danger to me.
So he decided to give her a chance, stopped dodging, and met the woman in white's attack head-on.
Seeing Ye Fan stop dodging, a flash of surprise crossed the woman in white's eyes.
Exerting all her strength, she unleashed her strongest strike.
However, with a gentle wave of his sleeve, Ye Fan neutralized her attack.
The woman in white widened her eyes, staring at Ye Fan in disbelief.
She understood that she was no match for Ye Fan at all.
Looking at the woman in white, Ye Fan said, "Dare I ask this young lady's name? If you won't tell me, then I will..."
With that, Ye Fan let out a wicked laugh.
Blushing deeply, the woman in white said, "Don't! My name is Long Bixia."
Ye Fan thought to himself: It seems this must be Xiao Longnü.
Then, Ye Fan smiled and said, "Today was just a misunderstanding. Tomorrow I will bring something to apologize to you."
Xiao Longnü looked at him quietly, a trace of an indiscernible gleam flashing in her eyes.
She thought to herself: I can't beat him in a fight; I'd better figure out a way to slip away first. In the end, she nodded gently.