Lin Jingzhi said, "This is the Soul Awakening Saber, the saber of a very powerful Supreme Grandmaster."
"If even Sect Master Lin says he was powerful, then he must have been truly powerful."
Lin Jingzhi's combat strength ranked among the very best in the Great Qian Empire.
For Lin Jingzhi to call someone powerful, that person had to be a rival evenly matched with him.
The saber of a top-tier Supreme Grandmaster was unquestionably a fine treasure.
The Soul Awakening Saber was dark black, its lines smooth and flowing.
The chilling aura it gave off sent waves of cold dread through people's hearts.
"Sect Master Lin, the Sword Establishment Sect is famed for its swords. Why do you have such a precious saber?"
"He came to challenge me and lost this saber to me," Lin Jingzhi said blandly.
Lin Jingzhi stood with his hands behind his back, his expression calm.
His entire being radiated the confidence of an unmatched master.
You were deeply shaken by Lin Jingzhi's kingly, domineering aura.
You secretly swore that one day, you too would be this good at putting on airs.
After Lin Jingzhi left, you remained for a while longer.
Just as you finally planned to leave, another old acquaintance arrived.
"Young Master He, I never expected you and Young Hero Miao to have such deep ties."
Wan Qingluan came to your side with a bright smile.
Unlike the aloof temperament she had displayed the previous times, Wan Qingluan was now lively and vivacious.
Her brows and eyes brimmed with curiosity about the world.
She was the very picture of the girl next door.
You looked at the Sword Establishment Sect disciple robes Wan Qingluan wore.
Puzzled, you asked, "Heroine Wan, what act are you putting on this time? Did the Extinction Sect expel you?"
Every time you saw Wan Qingluan, she had a different identity. You no longer knew which one was her true identity.
Wan Qingluan flashed a radiant smile. "Couldn't it be that I've turned over a new leaf and returned to the right path?"
"Heroine Wan, don't dig a pit for me. I never said the Extinction Sect was evil," you replied with extreme caution.
Over the years, you had heard more and more about the Extinction Sect.
You knew that when facing people from the Extinction Sect, one wrong sentence could get your head chopped off.
The Extinction Sect's reputation had sunk to the very bottom.
"Young Master He, what do you think is evil, and what is righteous?" Wan Qingluan raised her brows and asked in a crisp voice.
"I don't think there is righteousness or evil. Everyone is merely fighting for their own interests."
Wan Qingluan was delighted. "Young Master He, you weren't lying. You truly think that way!"
"You can tell whether I'm lying?" you asked.
You had harbored that question since the first time you met Wan Qingluan.
Back then, you had only wanted to get away from Wan Qingluan as quickly as possible and had not dared ask too much.
Now that you were inside the Sword Establishment Sect, Wan Qingluan probably would not suddenly lash out and kill someone. Otherwise, she would not be able to escape either.
Wan Qingluan answered mysteriously, "That is my secret."
You fell silent without saying anything.
Wan Qingluan thought for a moment. "But... if Young Master He wishes to know, I can tell you."
You hurriedly waved your hands. "No, no, no. Close that little mouth of yours right now. I don't want to know any secrets. Knowing too many secrets makes it easy to die."
Wan Qingluan's expression turned puzzled, and she said abruptly, "Young Master He, I'm becoming more and more curious about you."
You did not understand what exactly Wan Qingluan was curious about.
That woman had said the same inexplicable thing last time.
"Heroine Wan, don't be curious about me. I'm just an ordinary, ridiculously handsome guy. Farewell."
You turned and left.
You needed to stay far away from someone like Wan Qingluan, powerful and mysterious.
Otherwise, you would surely die without even knowing how you died.
With a lively smile across her face, Wan Qingluan shouted behind you, "Young Master He, you really are well suited to our Extinction Sect. Are you truly not considering joining us?"
The instant you heard that, you acted as if you had seen a ghost, using your movement technique to vanish in an instant.
Mentioning joining the Extinction Sect in a righteous sect like the Sword Establishment Sect—if its people heard it, they would chop both you and Wan Qingluan into minced meat.
Seeing you flee in panic, Wan Qingluan did not follow. She merely giggled foolishly.
Not long after, her expression became contemplative.
Her eyes looked as though she had made some decision.
After leaving the Sword Establishment Sect, you headed east.
Your target was the Golden Saber Academy.
You now possessed the absolute strength to make the Golden Saber Academy disappear.
Even if Wang Yuanyi was a minor prodigy of the Martial Path, he could not possibly be your match after you cultivated the Ninefold Profound Art.
You planned to destroy the Golden Saber Academy once in this simulation first.
That would prevent any unknown risks from arising.
The journey from the Sword Establishment Sect to the Golden Saber Academy took more than three months.
You wandered as you traveled, taking half a month at a leisurely pace.
Half a month later, you bought a horse for transportation.
When you were tired of walking, you rode the horse.
When the horse was tired of walking, you carried the horse.
Two months later.
Year sixty-one.
You broke through to the late Bone Tempering Realm.
Your bones had completely transformed into jade, their strength reaching an unprecedented level.
Your bones could now be used as weapons.
Even without circulating true qi to protect your body, you could take ordinary blades and swords head-on without suffering the slightest injury.
The Ninefold Profound Art had also completed its sixth condensation.
The true qi you fired now could easily break through the defenses of a Mid Skin Tempering Realm martial artist.
Firing condensed true qi became one of your important offensive methods.
Your Aura Concealment Art reached minor mastery.
Even martial artists two realms above you could not see through your true cultivation.
With your original Martial Path talent, the Aura Concealment Art would not have cultivated so quickly.
But the Ninefold Profound Art was continuously improving your Martial Path talent.
Thus, even cultivating a top-tier martial skill like the Aura Concealment Art had become fast as flying.
There was also something that pleasantly surprised you: your Qi and Blood Pill refining skill.
You could now hit the mark every time. Refine ten pills, and all ten would succeed.
Even though your current cultivation relied on high-end Inner Divinity Pills, you still persisted in refining Qi and Blood Pills.
Because to low-level martial artists, Qi and Blood Pills were still miraculous elixirs.
You could sell Qi and Blood Pills to accumulate wealth and use it to buy more Inner Divinity Pills.
After all, once you ran out of money, you could not keep sneaking around like a thief.
Walking the road of lawbreaking and crime forever carried rather great risks.
Moreover, you planned to use your Qi and Blood Pill refining skills to play an important role in the next simulation.
Another month later, you returned to Xian'an City.
Relying on your memories, you swaggered over to the Golden Saber Academy.
The Soul Awakening Blade slid into your hand.
You kicked the academy gates to pieces.
"You little turtle bastards, accept your father's judgment!"
You laughed wildly and darted into the Golden Saber Academy.
But in the next moment, your ferocious grin froze on your face.
Because before you stood not a group of burly martial artists as you had imagined.
Instead, there were more than a hundred young children looking at you curiously.
Each child held a book, and before them stood a frightened teacher.
"When did the Golden Saber Academy turn into a daycare?"
You backed out and looked at the Golden Saber Academy's plaque. Sure enough, it had been changed into the name of a private school.
Unable to make sense of it, you walked back inside.
In the end, you learned the full story from that teacher.
The Golden Saber Academy had been destroyed twelve years ago.
The one that destroyed the Golden Saber Academy was Xian'an City's number-one Black Tiger Martial Hall.
At the time, Wang Yuanyi had broken through to the Bone Tempering Middle Stage. Together with Wang Kun, who was in the Early Bone Tempering Realm, the Golden Saber Academy possessed two Bone Tempering Martial Artists.
The Golden Saber Academy no longer hid its edge and frequently clashed with the Black Tiger Martial Hall.
The Black Tiger Martial Hall's master at the time was a late Bone Tempering Realm martial artist.
Naturally, he did not indulge the father-and-son pair from the Golden Saber Academy.
As their conflicts deepened, the two martial halls finally erupted into a fierce confrontation.
Before you continue