After a long while, Shopkeeper Xia ultimately did not dare to try.
"Hero Ji, please, go ahead."
Hearing this, Ji Qing released the hilt of his blade and slowly vanished from everyone's sight, step by step.
Shopkeeper Xia's expression turned grave as she said in a deep voice, "If Ji Qing had drawn his blade, A-Fei, could you have stopped him?"
The One-armed Flying Swordsman shook his head. "He was not bluffing. If he wanted to kill you, I could not stop him!"
Shopkeeper Xia fell silent.
The One-armed Flying Swordsman was already the strongest martial artist under her command.
"A-Fei, in a one-on-one fight to the death, how certain are you of defeating Ji Qing?"
"Not certain at all! At our level, who is truly the better can only be known after we fight in person. But once we fight, it will surely be a battle to the death, with not the slightest room for luck. If you are determined to kill Ji Qing, I can catch up to him now!"
The One-armed Flying Swordsman spoke earnestly.
Shopkeeper Xia had saved his life.
If Shopkeeper Xia needed it, he could return that life to her at any time!
Shopkeeper Xia shook her head. "It is not yet time to risk our lives... Let us go back. Shopkeeper Yu will restrain herself!"
This was an internal "competition" within Listening Wind Tower. Shopkeeper Xia also understood clearly that their struggle had to remain fierce without shattering the whole.
Otherwise, neither she nor Shopkeeper Yu would be able to bear the consequences!
Three days later, Ji Qing returned to Anyang City.
He immediately went to Listening Wind Tower and met Shopkeeper Yu.
"The mission is complete? Good. You have done me a great service this time. Here is the second-rate internal cultivation art you wanted."
Shopkeeper Yu handed Ji Qing a second-rate internal cultivation art.
Ji Qing accepted it.
"Shopkeeper Yu, Shopkeeper Xia of Copper City said she could restore my intelligence records. Is that true?"
Ji Qing asked.
Shopkeeper Yu nodded. "The Listening Wind Towers in various places can withdraw intelligence on certain people or restore it, so long as they pay a price. If Shopkeeper Xia truly wants to restore yours, it would not be much of a problem."
"However, the struggles between Listening Wind Towers everywhere remain fierce without breaking apart. Shopkeeper Xia was merely putting on a show to threaten you. She will not pay a great price to restore your intelligence."
Shopkeeper Yu sounded utterly certain of this, brimming with confidence.
Ji Qing stared into Shopkeeper Yu's eyes and said coldly, "No matter how your Listening Wind Tower fights among yourselves, our agreement was very clear. You would ensure that Listening Wind Tower removed all intelligence concerning me."
"If my intelligence is restored, I will kill you and wipe out Listening Wind Tower in Anyang City!"
After saying that, Ji Qing turned and left.
Shopkeeper Yu watched Ji Qing's retreating figure gradually disappear, but said nothing. She merely let out a long sigh.
She knew very well that Ji Qing always did what he said!
If Ji Qing's intelligence was truly restored, she did not know what would happen to others. But she herself would certainly be the first person Ji Qing slaughtered!
Of that, Shopkeeper Yu was absolutely certain.
Ji Qing returned to the Hundred Battles Sect.
After greeting Lie Yingniang, Ji Qing continued staying in the library pavilion.
Ji Qing took out the second-rate internal cultivation art Shopkeeper Yu had given him from his robes.
This was the first second-rate internal cultivation art Ji Qing had obtained. It was called the Inner Breath Technique, and it primarily cultivated the Girdling Vessel.
The Internal Force cultivated by this art was upright, balanced, and gentle. It had excellent nourishing effects on the organs, flesh, bones, and more. It also worked wonders in restoring one's vitality, allowing one to remain vigorous and bright-eyed every day.
It was an internal cultivation art of an "auxiliary" nature.
Ji Qing had actually expected this long ago. The second-rate internal cultivation art Listening Wind Tower offered could not possibly be a top-tier second-rate art.
But Ji Qing's Internal Force was already extremely profound.
Even if the Internal Force cultivated by the Inner Breath Technique possessed little offensive power, as long as its "quantity was sufficient," he could purify its Internal Force once more. Even auxiliary Internal Force could undergo transformation.
Thus, Ji Qing began cultivating the Inner Breath Technique.
Three days later, Ji Qing's Inner Breath Technique had already reached the entry level.
Ji Qing no longer hesitated.
"Raise the Inner Breath Technique to perfection."
As six Origin Points were consumed, scene after scene surfaced in Ji Qing's mind.
He cultivated the Inner Breath Technique day after day, year after year.
Boom.
When the Inner Breath Technique reached major accomplishment, the Girdling Vessel within Ji Qing's body naturally opened.
This was an effect inherent to the Inner Breath Technique.
But major accomplishment in the Inner Breath Technique was not the end.
Ji Qing still cultivated the Inner Breath Technique day after day, trying to seize a trace of opportunity from it.
"Six Origin Points consumed. Inner Breath Technique has reached perfection. Your Inner Breath Technique has attained miraculous mastery. You have comprehended Inner Force Reversion!"
Ji Qing opened his eyes.
He immediately opened the Demon Record and checked his own information.
Ji Qing: Second-Rate Martial Artist (two Extraordinary Meridians opened) Supreme Yang Pure Origin Inner Breath Technique: Perfection (Supreme Yang Inner Force, Inner Force Burst increased by thirty percent, Internal Force Purification, Inner Force Reversion) Startling Swan Blade: Perfection (ultimate move: Thread of Sky, Shocking Force, Accumulating Momentum) Grass on Wings: Perfection (ultimate move: Void Borrowing Strength) Origin Points: 4
Only four Origin Points remained. Raising the Inner Breath Technique this time had cost a full six Origin Points.
Raising a second-rate martial art once required two Origin Points.
That was twice the cost of raising a third-rate martial art!
The effects of a second-rate internal cultivation art were also astonishing.
The Internal Force cultivated by the Inner Breath Technique had already been relatively pure. After another purification, it became even purer.
More importantly, the quantity of his Internal Force had directly doubled!
This was also a characteristic of the Inner Breath Technique: its Internal Force flowed on without end.
After being nourished by the Internal Force of the Inner Breath Technique, Ji Qing even felt that old injuries and deep-seated ailments within his body had all been swept away.
He was bursting with vitality, feeling better than ever.
Ji Qing carefully sensed Inner Force Reversion once more. This was what he had comprehended when the Inner Breath Technique reached perfection.
So-called Inner Force Reversion meant that when one normally cultivated Internal Force, part of it would naturally merge into the flesh, tendons, bones, skin, and organs, subtly strengthening the body.
Over time, the practitioner would naturally enjoy a healthy body, free of illness, with abundant vitality, forever remaining at their peak!
Most importantly, if one's Internal Force was drained dry, Internal Force could still continuously surge forth from the body, as though it could never be exhausted no matter how it was used.
This was Inner Force Reversion.
A second-rate internal cultivation art, even one merely of an auxiliary nature, far surpassed a third-rate internal cultivation art in effect.
This internal cultivation art had not only opened the Girdling Vessel and caused Ji Qing's Internal Force to surge, but also possessed many inconceivable effects.
Those six Origin Points had been very well spent!
However, second-rate martial arts consumed twice as many Origin Points.
And Origin Points could only be obtained by killing demons.
Demons were not easy to find.
Therefore, Ji Qing had to make choices.
Internal cultivation was the foundation. He could not be stingy with it; if Origin Points could be used to raise it, then he would use them.
As for blade techniques, Ji Qing had an idea. There was actually no essential difference between second-rate blade techniques and third-rate blade techniques.
Then he could simply rely on third-rate blade techniques to "pile them up," raising his blade technique to an utterly inconceivable level!