Leaving Chi Village

"This is the incomplete skill?" Wang Ping's expression shifted to surprise and curiosity.

A skill passed down from a thousand years ago—its origin was truly astonishing.

A thousand years was far too long; it could bury countless things in the river of history.

Just like the history of Huaxia—long-standing, profound, and magnificent—yet it was hard to tell which parts were real and which were later fabrications.

Time was merciless; it could bury too much, leaving later generations unable to know the truth of history.

This skill had been preserved for a thousand years, and it was a legacy of the Chi Clan at that. Even incomplete, its value was immense.

"Village Chief, what rank is this skill?" Wang Ping asked, somewhat regretfully.

"Earth Grade Supreme Rank," the Village Chief replied. "This skill is divided into the Upper Scroll, Middle Scroll, and Lower Scroll. Each scroll contains world-shaking secret arts. The incomplete ancient book in your hand is the Lower Scroll."

"If it were the Upper Scroll, it could still be cultivated. Though you'd only be able to train the first three layers, as an Earth Grade Supreme Rank skill, its power would far surpass other skills, standing above Earth Grade Middle Rank. Only Earth Grade High Rank skills cultivated to their depths could rival it."

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

This incomplete skill carried too much history. Every time he looked at it, he couldn't help but imagine how glorious the Chi Clan once was, how invincible his ancestors had been after cultivating this peerless skill, cutting down all enemies.

But in the end, when his imagination returned to the current plight of Chi Village, he could only feel a deep sorrow and desolation.

"The Lower Scroll... what a pity." Wang Ping felt a pang of regret.

If it were the Upper Scroll, his cultivation speed would undoubtedly increase significantly.

Although the Sword Spirit Sect's Earth Grade Low Rank skill, Sword Essence Art, was decent, skill ranks were like cultivation realms—each higher rank brought a massive gap.

Let alone the difference between Earth Grade Low Rank and Earth Grade Supreme Rank. Even an incomplete Earth Grade Supreme Rank skill was incomparable to an Earth Grade Low Rank one.

Still, it was only natural that the Village Chief didn't have the Upper Scroll.

If he did, he would have long since given it to the villagers to cultivate, rather than having them practice the self-made Fire Spirit Art.

"This skill is called Crimson Flame Art. It's best suited for fire-attribute cultivators. If you have great fortune and can find the other two scrolls, you will surely suppress all opponents of the same realm and be unmatched under heaven."

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

"Thank you, Village Chief." Wang Ping accepted it solemnly and stored it in his Storage Ring.

Though he didn't think he had the great fortune to easily find the other two scrolls, he had the Life Simulator. With a few more simulations, he might uncover some clues.

If so, there was hope of gathering all three scrolls and bringing the mighty Crimson Flame Art back into the world.

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

"Come, come, come, Wang Ping, lad. You're leaving soon—let's drink until we drop tonight." Chi Hu hooked an arm around Wang Ping's neck, speaking warmly.

"You lost all your meat and wine to me today. You've got no right to drink." Wang Ping looked at Chi Hu with a dead-serious expression.

"..."

"What are you talking about? That was just a casual agreement back then—it doesn't count." Chi Hu's face stiffened, then he started winking and gesturing at Wang Ping, completely lacking the dignity of an elder.

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

The crowd jeered at him.

"Uncle Chi Hu, I never actually intended to hold you to that promise. I was just joking. But you're really shameless, aren't you?" Wang Ping was speechless. For someone so addicted to alcohol, he'd throw away all his pride just to get a drink.

Of course, Wang Ping had only said it as a joke and never meant it seriously.

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

If he'd known this would happen, he wouldn't have said that. Now he'd made a fool of himself.

Seeing Chi Hu like that, everyone burst into laughter, the atmosphere lively.

The next morning, at dawn, Wang Ping left Chi Village, seeing off by the villagers.

Of course, this area was deep within the Blackwind Forest. Even an ordinary Innate Realm cultivator traveling alone would face danger.

But with Wang Ping's current cultivation, as long as he didn't go to the very deepest parts, there was little risk.

He traveled onward without encountering any danger.

Though he did come across a Fifth Grade Demon Beast along the way, it had already developed some intelligence and sensed that Wang Ping was not to be trifled with, so it didn't dare attack him.

As the sun set, golden light spilled across the sky, painting a beautiful scene. Wang Ping arrived at Blackwind Town.

Thanks to his previous life experience, he was quite familiar with Blackwind Town.

After all, he had lived there for about a year.

Soon, Wang Ping entered the first floor of an inn and ordered a large number of dishes.

"Friend, dining alone can be a bit dull. How about we share a table?"

"Young master, this isn't right. Your status is noble—how could you sit at the same table as common folk?"

At the table across from Wang Ping sat three diners waiting for their food. One of them, a man, looked at Wang Ping and spoke to him.

The voice that followed, a young woman's, carried a sharper edge.

The three diners were one man and two women.

The man appeared to be only fifteen or sixteen years old. He held a folding fan carved with a phoenix pattern, wore spotless white robes, and had smooth hair, fair skin, red lips, and white teeth. With a pair of phoenix eyes, he was exceptionally handsome—a graceful young man who would make many maidens feel ashamed in comparison.

The two women at his table: one had a delicate face, also around fifteen or sixteen, and seemed to be his maidservant.

The other was an old woman, looking quite aged, but her eyes were not clouded—sharp and bright, fixed on Wang Ping as if lost in thought.

The ones who had spoken earlier were the handsome young man and the woman who appeared to be the maidservant.

Wang Ping looked up with a smile at the three, his gaze deep.

He hadn't expected that, just after leaving Blackwind Forest and arriving at Blackwind Town, he would run into experts.

That handsome young man, though young in age, had astonishing cultivation—already at the seventh layer of the Postnatal Realm.

The maidservant was also at the second layer of the Postnatal Realm, which could be considered gifted.

The last one, the old woman, was the most terrifying.

Her cultivation was unfathomable—she was also a Spirit Origin Realm powerhouse.

In his previous life experience, Wang Ping had also left Blackwind Forest and come to this inn to eat, but he had never encountered a trio like this.

Of course, in that past life, he had left Chi Village over a month later, so meeting different people was only natural.

"I am Yuan Xia. May I ask how this brother is called?" The handsome young man then asked Wang Ping.

"My name is Wang Ping." Seeing that the other party meant no harm, Wang Ping gave his answer.

"Wang Ping, is it? Meeting is fate—how about we become friends?" The handsome young man Yuan Xia fanned himself with the folding fan and said with a smile.

"Fine." Wang Ping cast a subtle glance at the old woman and nodded.

"In that case, let's push the tables together and eat. It'll be livelier." The handsome young man said this enthusiastically, then moved the two tables together and called out to the waiter: "Waiter, bring the food—serve all your best wine and dishes!"

"Coming right up!" The waiter responded with a quick smile.

"By the way, Brother Wang, where are you from?" After speaking to the waiter, Yuan Xia asked with evident curiosity: "Brother Wang is so young, yet your cultivation is something even I can't see through—truly gifted. How is it I've never heard of you?"

Wang Ping looked to be around twenty, with cultivation at least above the seventh layer of the Postnatal Realm. Though his talent likely couldn't match someone as extraordinary as himself or Bai Tianhong, he shouldn't be completely unknown.

New week, begging for recommendation tickets~! Also, tomorrow is the day to check on read-through promotion rankings. Hope everyone keeps reading—endless gratitude!