Planning for the Future, the True Protagonist

Ning Zhongze hesitated, wanting to speak but holding back.

In the end, she said nothing.

The Purple Mist Divine Skill had always been passed down to the Mount Hua Sect Leader. Senior Brother's meaning was already clear.

Although Chong'er had now returned from his misguided path, his talent still could not compare to Boying's.

"Is Boying's inner strength sufficient?"

Though Ning Zhongze had never practiced the Purple Mist Technique, she understood many of its crucial principles.

Strictly speaking, the Purple Mist Technique was not an ordinary internal cultivation method.

Like Zuo Lengchan's Cold Ice True Qi, it was a technique that had to be actively activated.

Therefore, one needed profound inner strength before cultivating the Purple Mist Technique.

It was like an eight-year-old child wielding a thousand-pound war hammer. The hammer's destructive power was naturally immense, but if the child's constitution was not strong enough and his strength insufficient, he would be unable to control it and would instead injure himself.

"Don't worry. When I examined Boying's body just now, I already checked. His pulse is strong, and his qi channels are long and steady. His internal cultivation has clearly reached a certain level. It is no weaker than mine was back then."

Hearing this, Ning Zhongze sighed inwardly once more.

The time Yue Buqun referred to was naturally after the Qi-Sword Conflict, when he succeeded as sect leader and began cultivating the Purple Mist Manual.

At that time, he was nearly thirty, only slightly older than Linghu Chong. His inner strength could not truly be called particularly profound.

But in the martial world, he had still counted as a notable figure.

Yet Boying was only sixteen, nearly seventeen, almost ten years ahead of both Yue Buqun and Linghu Chong.

Most importantly, he had only practiced martial arts for two months so far. Even if his qi cultivation had begun earlier, it had only been three months.

Such progress was simply terrifying.

Ning Zhongze nodded in wholehearted conviction. "The Purple Mist Manual should indeed be passed down to Boying."

Ji Boying returned to his small courtyard.

He directly tore off his tattered, bloodstained clothes and threw them over the cliff.

He casually fetched some cold water and thoroughly rinsed himself from head to toe several times.

Only then did he sit comfortably in his room, gripping his half-damp hair.

Thinking back on the day's fight, it had indeed been somewhat dangerous, but his life had never truly been threatened.

Those people had not been capable of forcing him into a desperate situation.

If there had been two or three fighters with skills like that Fat Shopkeeper's, then he truly would have been in danger.

Ji Boying slowly reviewed every move from the battle at Spring Rain Tower in his mind.

He recalled their attacks and his responses, considering where he had fallen short and whether there had been better choices.

As he thought, his hand continued gesturing through the air.

The Golden Finger that simplified martial arts could only let him learn martial arts. How well he used them still depended on his own performance.

Reviewing his shortcomings after a battle like this was an excellent way to improve himself.

Ji Boying carefully considered everything from beginning to end, mentally working through every martial arts move he had exchanged.

Outside, the sky had already turned pitch-black.

More than two hours had passed in the blink of an eye.

He opened the panel again to check his current martial arts proficiency.

Name: Ji Boying

Skills: Mount Hua Breathing Technique: Proficient (284/600), Stone Splitting Jade Breaking Fist: Proficient (339/600), Rising Sun Vitality Sword: Skilled (1/400), Mount Hua Swordplay: Perfected

Talent: Skill Simplification. Simplification Energy Points can be spent to simplify skills.

Energy Points: 0. The system automatically restores 1 Energy Point each month. Points are automatically cleared and refreshed at midnight on the first day of every month.

Both his internal cultivation and Fist Technique had improved somewhat, but the greatest progress had been in the "Rising Sun Vitality Sword."

In just one day, it had already reached the Skilled realm.

He had completed all two hundred points of proficiency required today.

This was all because his Mount Hua Basic Swordplay had reached the perfected realm, directly giving him a foundation of proficiency. With that foundational swordplay, his understanding of swordsmanship had also deepened, so naturally he learned faster.

Then he had happened to encounter more than a dozen experienced killers from the martial world who had exchanged moves with him. That was how the "Rising Sun Vitality Sword" had reached the Skilled realm in a single day.

I still have room to cultivate my internal cultivation method. My Fist Technique and swordplay have not yet reached perfection, but I already have three offensive methods.

Thinking back on today's battle, what I still lack is a movement technique.

At Spring Rain Tower, a whole group of people threw tables and benches at me. I dodged rather miserably as well. If I hadn't been cautious, getting struck even once would have felt awful and greatly affected my combat strength.

Ji Boying calculated his martial arts in his mind.

He also recalled the original story's timeline.

From the looks of it, Old Yue truly treats me like a precious treasure. At the very least, I shouldn't even think of going down the mountain anytime soon.

But that works out perfectly. Zuo Lengchan bears such great hostility toward me now. If I rashly went down the mountain without enough strength, I wouldn't feel at ease either. I might as well stay on the mountain and steadily train for a few more months.

There are still five months until the year's end. I can still simplify five supreme techniques. I need a movement technique. Today, I relied entirely on the footwork naturally contained in Mount Hua Swordplay to deal with things, and it was truly inadequate.

Against a real expert, I wouldn't be able to win, nor would I be able to escape. If I practice a movement technique, then at least I can run when I can't win.

Ji Boying gathered his still slightly damp long hair and swept it all behind his head, letting it hang down his back.

He continued making plans.

Before the New Year, my Mount Hua Internal Cultivation Method will certainly reach perfection. By then, I'll need to switch to a more formidable internal cultivation manual. The easiest one to obtain would naturally be the Primordial Chaos Technique. The Purple Mist Manual will probably be rather difficult.

There is nothing else that needs much attention. I can only practice a few more sword techniques.

With that, Ji Boying drifted into sleep.

The next day, when the roosters crowed and the sky was still dark, he climbed out of bed again and continued practicing his sword and punching.

The moment he stepped out of his room, he spotted a black silhouette in the distance.

A slender figure was pacing there.

"Junior Disciple Sister, why did you come so early? Why didn't you wake me?"

Ji Boying smiled. Given Yue Lingshan's personality, if she had arrived before he got up, she would certainly have hurried to drag him out of bed and show off properly.

Yue Lingshan stared somewhat blankly at her Junior Disciple Brother, who seemed entirely unaffected.

The slight fear she had felt yesterday toward her blood-soaked Junior Disciple Brother had now completely vanished.

Yue Lingshan no longer knew how many times she had been utterly convinced by her Junior Disciple Brother.

But this time, he had once again exceeded her expectations. Yesterday, he had gone through such a dangerous battle, yet today he had risen early again, seemingly unaffected, to train at the rooster's crow.

His body seemed incapable of feeling fatigue. His heart seemed to know no fear. He never grew tired of practicing martial arts.

The martial world was vast, and heroes emerged in great numbers, but wasn't someone like her Junior Disciple Brother supposed to be the true protagonist?

"Junior Disciple Brother, let's practice together."

Yue Lingshan felt that it was time for her to truly change.