Leaving Chi Village

"So this is that incomplete skill?" Wang Ping revealed a look of surprise and curiosity upon hearing this.

A skill passed down from a thousand years ago—its origins were truly astonishing.

A thousand years was far too long, long enough for many things to be lost in the river of history.

Just like the history of Huaxia: ancient, vast, and splendid beyond measure, yet it was still difficult to know which parts were true history and which had been fabricated by later generations.

Time was merciless. It could bury too many things, leaving later generations ignorant of the truth of history.

This skill had been preserved for a thousand years, and it was even a skill passed down through the Chi Clan. Even if it was incomplete, its value was still astonishing.

"Village Chief, what grade is this skill?"

Wang Ping felt somewhat regretful as he asked.

"Earth Grade Supreme Rank." The Village Chief gave his answer. "This skill is divided into the Upper Scroll, Middle Scroll, and Lower Scroll. Each scroll contains a heaven-shaking Secret Art. The incomplete ancient book in your hands is the Lower Scroll."

"If it were the Upper Scroll, it could still be cultivated. Although only the first three levels could be practiced, as an Earth Grade Supreme Rank skill, its power would still far surpass other skills. It stood above Earth Grade Middle Rank skills, and only an Earth Grade High Rank skill cultivated to great depths could contend with it."

The Village Chief gently stroked the yellowed ancient book and sighed.

This incomplete skill carried far too much history. Every time he looked at it, he could not help imagining just how glorious the Chi Clan had once been, how invincible his ancestors had been after cultivating such heaven-shaking skills, cutting down all their enemies.

Yet when his fantasies ended and he looked at Chi Village's current circumstances, all he could do was grieve in silence, his heart bleak and desolate.

"The Lower Scroll... what a pity." Wang Ping felt somewhat regretful.

If it had been the Upper Scroll, his cultivation speed would undoubtedly have increased by quite a bit.

Although the Sword Spirit Sect's Earth Grade Low Rank Skill, the Sword Essence Art, was quite good as well, skill grades were like cultivation levels—every step upward meant an enormous gap.

Not to mention the gap between Earth Grade Low Rank and Earth Grade Supreme Rank. Even an incomplete Earth Grade Supreme Rank skill was not something an Earth Grade Low Rank skill could compare to.

Still, it was perfectly normal that the Village Chief did not possess the Upper Scroll.

If the Village Chief had possessed the Upper Scroll, he would have taken it out long ago for the villagers to cultivate. They would not have had to practice the self-created Fire Spirit Art.

"This skill is called the Crimson Flame Art. It is most suitable for fire-element cultivators. If you possess great fortune and can find the other two scrolls, you will surely overwhelm all experts of the same realm and become invincible beneath heaven."

The Village Chief handed the yellowed ancient book to Wang Ping and spoke solemnly.

"Thank you, Village Chief." Wang Ping accepted it gravely and placed it inside his Storage Ring.

Though he did not think he possessed some great fortune that would allow him to easily find the other two scrolls, he had the Life Simulator. If he ran a few more simulations, he might be able to find some clues.

If that happened, he might gather all three scrolls and bring the formidable Crimson Flame Art back into the world.

After that, the Village Chief and Wang Ping returned to the others and prepared to have dinner together.

"Come, come, come, Wang Ping! You'll be leaving soon, so today we won't stop until we're drunk!"

Chi Hu threw an arm around Wang Ping's shoulders and said enthusiastically.

"You lost all your meat and wine to me today. You have no right to drink."

Wang Ping spoke to Chi Hu with a completely serious expression.

"..."

"What are you saying? That was only a verbal agreement between us. It doesn't count for anything."

Chi Hu's expression stiffened, then he began winking and making faces at Wang Ping, completely devoid of any dignity as an elder.

For the sake of drinking wine and eating meat, he was truly going all out.

At those words, everyone broke into a chorus of jeers.

"Uncle Chi Hu, I never intended to make you fulfill that agreement. I was only joking with you, but aren't you being far too shameless?"

Wang Ping was speechless. For someone who loved alcohol as dearly as his life, he truly would throw away all pride just for a drink.

Of course, Wang Ping's words back then had merely been a joke. He had never taken them seriously.

"Ahem, you brat, you really..." Chi Hu's old face reddened. He coughed, utterly embarrassed.

Had he known this would happen, he would not have said that. Now he had humiliated himself beyond measure.

Seeing Chi Hu like this, everyone burst into hearty laughter, and the atmosphere became exceedingly lively.

The next morning, Wang Ping left Chi Village amid the villagers' farewells.

Of course, this place lay in the deeper reaches of Blackwind Forest. Even ordinary Innate Realm experts would face danger traveling alone.

However, with Wang Ping's current cultivation, he would not encounter any danger so long as he did not venture into its deepest regions.

Wang Ping continued onward, encountering no danger along the way.

Although he came across a Fifth Grade Demon Beast, it had already developed some intelligence. It knew Wang Ping was not someone to provoke and did not dare attack him.

At sunset, golden afterglow spilled across the sky, painting it in beautiful colors as Wang Ping arrived at Blackwind Town.

Because of the experiences from his previous life, Wang Ping was already quite familiar with Blackwind Town.

After all, he had lived in Blackwind Town for a year.

Before long, Wang Ping arrived on the first floor of an inn and ordered many dishes.

"This brother, drinking and eating alone is rather dull. Why don't we share a table?"

"Young Master, that would be inappropriate. Your status is noble; how could you sit at the same table as commoners?"

At a table opposite Wang Ping sat three diners waiting for their food. One of the men looked at Wang Ping and spoke to him.

The young woman who spoke afterward sounded rather sharp and mean.

The three diners consisted of one man and two women.

The man appeared to be only fifteen or sixteen. He held a folding fan carved with a phoenix design and wore spotless white robes. His hair was soft and smooth, his skin fair, his lips red and teeth white. With his phoenix eyes and extraordinarily handsome features, he could be called a graceful young gentleman, enough to make many young women feel ashamed of their own beauty.

Of the two women seated with him, one had delicate features and also appeared to be around fifteen or sixteen. She looked like the man's maidservant.

The other was an old woman. She looked extremely aged, yet her eyes were not clouded. They gleamed brightly as she stared at Wang Ping, seemingly lost in thought.

The ones who had spoken in succession were that graceful young gentleman and the woman who appeared to be his maidservant.

Wang Ping smiled and raised his head to look at the three of them, his gaze profound.

He had not expected to encounter experts the moment he left Blackwind Forest and arrived in Blackwind Town.

That graceful young gentleman was young, yet his cultivation was astonishing. He had already reached the seventh level of the Postnatal Realm.

That maidservant was also at the second level of the Postnatal Realm, making her quite exceptionally gifted.

The old woman was the most terrifying of all.

Her cultivation was unfathomable. She was also a Spirit Origin Realm expert.

In Wang Ping's previous life, he had likewise come to this inn for a meal after leaving Blackwind Forest, but he had never encountered such a group of three.

Of course, in that previous life, he had left Chi Village more than a month later. It was only natural that he would meet different people.

"My name is Yuan Xia. May I know how to address this brother?" The graceful young gentleman asked Wang Ping.

"My name is Wang Ping." Seeing that the other party bore no ill intent, Wang Ping answered as well.

"Wang Ping, is it? Meeting is fate. How about we become friends?" Yuan Xia fanned himself with his folding fan and smiled.

"Sure." Wang Ping gave the old woman an impassive glance and nodded.

"Since that is the case, let us share a table for our meal. It will be livelier this way." As Yuan Xia said this enthusiastically, he pushed the two tables together and called to the waiter, "Waiter, bring out the dishes! Serve us all your finest food and wine."

"Right away!" The waiter hurriedly answered with a smile.

"By the way, where is Brother Wang from?" After speaking to the waiter, Yuan Xia asked curiously, "Brother Wang is so young, yet even I cannot see through your cultivation. You are truly exceptionally gifted. Why have I never heard of you before?"

Wang Ping looked around twenty years old, and his cultivation was at least at the seventh level of the Postnatal Realm. Although his talent was likely inferior to peerless geniuses such as Yuan Xia and Bai Tianhong, he should not have remained an unknown nobody.

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