Borrowing Momentum

"I never expected your Sect Master to come. Looks like we got lucky this time."

Once the surroundings fell silent again, Jiang Ruoshui let out a breath. Just now, they had truly been hanging by a thread.

Not only did Lu Ming not sheath his long saber, he remained on guard, sweeping his gaze around. "Let's leave this place first. Hyah!"

With that, he tugged the reins and charged off in the lead.

Jiang Ruoshui hurried after him. She understood what he was worried about as well.

They rode at full speed until dawn without encountering any further danger, only then relaxing.

"At the intersection ahead, we'll part ways. Thank you for your kindness last night."

"Whoa!"

In the blink of an eye, they reached the intersection and stopped.

"No need to thank me. We'll meet again."

Lu Ming cupped his hands from atop his horse.

"Until next time." Jiang Ruoshui returned the salute, then tugged her reins and galloped away.

Yet after riding only a short distance, she turned back.

"Wait," she called.

Lu Ming, who had been about to leave as well, stopped in puzzlement. "What is it, Miss Jiang?"

Jiang Ruoshui hesitated before saying, "Most people I've met before cherished their lives. I'd like to know—why did you let me leave first last night?"

Lu Ming froze. What kind of question was that?

He answered casually, "If you stayed, it would only mean one more person dying."

"So it seems you're a kindhearted person."

From horseback, Jiang Ruoshui gave Lu Ming a deep look. "But I've heard that kindhearted people often don't live long. Why choose to be that sort of person?"

Lu Ming laughed. "I wouldn't dare call myself kind. I can only strive to have a clear conscience. If I have to give an answer... Whoa!"

As he spoke, he pulled the reins and circled twice. Only after thinking for a moment did he reply:

"Once, when I had no clothes to cover my body and not enough food to fill my belly, someone gave me ten taels of silver, a set of clothes, and several pastries."

"Those things may be nothing to me now, but to the person I was then, they were beyond precious."

"So I will always remember that kindness."

"Hyah!"

With that, he rode away like a streak of dust, leaving only the lingering echo of "If fate wills it, we'll meet again."

"I see. That's rather interesting."

The corners of Jiang Ruoshui's lips curled slightly. She had not expected such an answer. In truth, she had merely wanted to remind him that being too kind was not a good thing.

After all, this was a world where the strong devoured the weak, just like her family...

She simply had not expected that he was not ignorant of it, but had thought even further ahead.

Several days later, Lu Ming returned to the Wuji Sect. After returning his horse, he headed to the Mission Hall to submit his task.

On the way, he happened to hear that Sect Master Li Ansheng had returned after severely wounding Xiao Zan.

"I never thought that great bandit who ran rampant across several countries was truly a remnant of the Demonic Cult."

"Exactly. The sect received word this time, and the Sect Master personally set out. If more remnants of the Demonic Cult hadn't suddenly appeared to rescue him, Xiao Zan would already be dead."

"Why can't this Demonic Cult ever be wiped out? Now it's risen from the ashes again."

"You don't understand. They possess martial arts. So long as there are people who want to grow stronger, they can never be completely slaughtered."

"Sigh, that makes sense. Back then, the Demonic Cult was a sixth-rank force spanning several countries, powerful for a time. I heard its cult leader was a Sea Transformation Realm expert, and it had several vice cult leaders in the Gangyuan Realm."

"That was in the past. Now, they might not even have many Gangqi Realm experts left. But if they can stir up such a huge commotion now, their numbers are probably not small again."

"We'll have to be more careful when taking on missions in the future."

Lu Ming took all this information to heart. The books Old Man Zhao had given him contained very little information about the Demonic Cult.

This had truly broadened his horizons.

He had never expected the Demonic Cult to have been so powerful in the past, with even Sea Transformation Realm experts among them.

As far as he knew, the strongest person in the Wuji Sect was only in the Gangyuan Realm. As the Grand Elder, he rarely showed himself.

If the Demonic Cult from that era had attacked, they absolutely would have been unable to resist.

Fortunately, the other side had now been destroyed.

Without giving it further thought, Lu Ming quickened his pace toward the Mission Hall. When the elder in charge of records saw him again, there was a trace of surprise in his eyes.

He had also heard that Xiao Zan had appeared, and it was certainly connected to his disciple.

He had not expected Lu Ming to complete the mission even under such circumstances.

But since the Sect Master had been in that area, it made sense.

It was not until he finished reading the detailed letter of proof written by Old Patriarch Liu that he learned the full reason behind the matter.

He had not expected Lu Ming to possess such resourcefulness. It was truly rare.

Thus, he praised him greatly. "You did well. This is your reward. Keep it safe."

"Thank you, Elder."

Lu Ming thanked him, put the item away, and prepared to return. This time, he intended to properly consolidate everything he had learned before.

He did not encounter any acquaintances along the way. Presumably, everyone was busy.

What was strange, however, was that Cui Bai was not around either.

"Could he have gone out on a mission?"

Without thinking much of it, he headed straight into his courtyard. First, he washed up thoroughly and rid himself of his fatigue.

Then he began cultivating his internal energy. He could already sense signs of a breakthrough.

After hanging a secluded cultivation sign outside the door, he completely immersed himself in cultivation.

Several days passed in a blur. With the aid of origin stones, the true qi within Lu Ming's body finally reached complete saturation.

At the same time, the internal cultivation method [Heavenly Saber Art] had reached the eighth level, and another strand of saber qi was born within his body.

However, he had no time to concern himself with that now. He focused all his strength on breaking through his realm.

Another half day passed. As he continued his repeated assaults, the sound of an egg cracking open finally came from within his body.

At the same time, the pure origin qi within the origin stone in his hand, along with strands of origin qi drifting through the air, flooded wildly into his body.

His body was like a funnel now. Only when it swelled to the point of bursting did the influx finally stop.

Everything returned to calm.

"I finally broke through."

Lu Ming tossed aside the origin stone, now reduced to worthless rock, and rose to his feet. An indescribable lightness filled his body.

He hurriedly examined the state of his dantian and found that the crimson true qi within had nearly doubled.

It could be said that his cultivation had advanced greatly.

Then he saw two streams of qi amidst the crimson true qi, even more condensed and carrying a razor-sharp sense of cutting.

They were precisely the saber qi brought about by the breakthrough in his cultivation method.

Two of them—essentially two life-saving trump cards.

"Next, I should consolidate my martial skills."

With the Jade Pendant's help, Lu Ming had cultivated all his martial skills to their peak. Yet they seemed capable of advancing further still.

He pondered it from every angle. There was most likely something akin to saber intent.

Just like what You Feng had said about Senior Disciple Brother's inexplicable swordsmanship.

Previously, he had only had a vague impression of it. But after witnessing Lan Wuying's lightness skill, he seemed to glimpse another layer of meaning.

So he fell into thought. After a while, his eyes suddenly lit up.

He thought of the word "momentum."

Water had the momentum of water; wind had the momentum of wind. Going against the current was slow, while following it was fast. Naturally, wind was the same.

With that thought, Lu Ming immediately leaped into the courtyard to comprehend the wind's momentum.

He had an intuition that if he could figure this out, the speed of his movement technique would improve enormously.

Another six days passed just like that. Lu Ming stood motionless in the courtyard until a leaf drifted onto his forehead in the wind, and only then did focus return to his eyes.

Then he moved. Without any visible exertion, his body floated lightly away, drifting about as though without any discernible path.

It looked utterly chaotic, yet possessed a unique beauty.

Only when one fixed their gaze upon the leaves did they realize that he was moving along with the wind's direction.

Only after the wind stopped did he land.

"So this is borrowing momentum?"

Over the past few days, Lu Ming had comprehended this thing—borrowing the wind's momentum.

Do not think it could not be used when there was no wind. In battle, as long as his opponent's move stirred the wind, he could borrow it.

Now he felt that his movement technique and lightness skill had advanced once more, and even his saber technique had improved along with them.

After all, his saber technique also relied on speed.

"That will do for now."

Lu Ming stopped. He felt that he had only grasped the surface and could still improve, but that would certainly not happen in a short time.

Just then, someone knocked on the door. He went over and opened it.