Towering Cloud Wood

Mister Su was actually demonstrating martial arts right in front of them!

Xiao Tianque and Zi Jin exchanged a glance, curiosity rising in both their hearts despite themselves, and stared intently.

They saw Su Yi's movements were slow, smooth, and flowing. Every lift of his hand and shift of his foot carried a unique and mysterious charm.

In a daze, Zi Jin seemed to see an immortal crane soaring above the nine heavens, dancing through a sea of clouds, free and unfettered, wandering at ease.

Suddenly, the scene changed. An ancient pine stood propping up the sky, towering like the backbone of eternity, holding up heaven and earth, mountains and rivers—vast beyond measure!

Before she knew it, Zi Jin was entranced, her mind shaken. This... what kind of martial art was this?

"Mm?"

At the same time, Xiao Tianque's pupils constricted bit by bit.

In his senses, as Su Yi's aura circulated through his body, wisps and strands of Spiritual Qi in the void near this stretch of Mulberry Forest converged toward Su Yi like ten thousand streams returning to their source.

"What kind of fist art is this, to actually draw Spiritual Qi into the body?"

Xiao Tianque's heart trembled.

With his third-level Furnace Nourishing Realm cultivation, even within the borders of Great Zhou, he was a Martial Dao Grandmaster whose name shook a region, his status exalted, admired by the masses.

Yet this was his first time witnessing such a miraculous art!

"It has the divine charm of pine and crane, and the wondrous essence of freedom and transcendence. With each breath, it can draw in Spiritual Qi to temper the body. Could this be a 'Profound Realm secret art'?"

Xiao Tianque's gaze drifted.

He thought of certain secrets. Rumor had it that once one's cultivation broke through the Four Martial Realms and set foot upon the Profound Realm path, one could grasp inconceivable "Profound Arts" secret manuals!

That kind of power could split mountains and sever rivers at a turn, turn exhaled breath into thunder, and fly through the air—no different from immortals.

Such figures were often called "Land Immortals."

And the secret arts controlled by Profound Realm figures were called "Profound Arts"!

They were wondrous inheritances sufficient to shake and dazzle the world, with the power to seize fortune from creation itself!

As a Martial Dao Grandmaster, Xiao Tianque had once been fortunate enough to witness the bearing of a Land Immortal.

Thus, he was absolutely certain that Profound Realm secret arts truly existed!

It was not until Su Yi finished and withdrew his power that Xiao Tianque abruptly came awake as if from a dream. When he looked at Su Yi again, a subtle change had quietly come over his gaze.

"Mister Su, what sort of art are you cultivating? It actually... actually made illusions appear in my mind..."

Zi Jin exclaimed in amazement. She had not thought that much into it, only feeling that this secret art was incredibly wondrous.

"Just a Foundation Establishment method."

Su Yi said casually.

Although the Pine Crane Body Forging Art could be called the number one Foundation Establishment method in the Great Wilderness Nine Provinces, in the end, it was only a Foundation Establishment method, and could only be used to temper Dao Xing within the Four Martial Realms.

"A Foundation Establishment method..."

Zi Jin froze, somewhat dazed. A Foundation Establishment method was this miraculous?

Su Yi did not explain further. He looked at Xiao Tianque and said, "To fully eradicate the injuries inside your body, there are two ways. One is for me to write you another prescription. Within ten days, the injuries can be completely resolved."

"But if we do that, you will never again be able to break through your current martial realm in this life."

Xiao Tianque's heart tightened, and he could not help but say, "May I ask, Mister Su, what is the second way?"

Su Yi said casually, "The second way is very simple. Just tell me the cultivation method you learned."

"Ah?"

Zi Jin cried out, clearly caught off guard.

What her grandfather Xiao Tianque had learned was called the "Golden Ripple Art," the ancestral secret art of the Lanling Xiao Clan. Even within the Lanling Xiao Clan, only direct-line clansmen were qualified to cultivate it!

How could it be leaked so easily?

Xiao Tianque also clearly hesitated somewhat.

Leaking a secret art was a major matter involving the foundation of the clan. Even as a Martial Dao Grandmaster, he had no choice but to consider it carefully.

But immediately afterward, he gritted his teeth and said, "I choose the second way."

Zi Jin was clearly somewhat anxious, but Xiao Tianque shook his head at her, indicating that she need not say more.

Su Yi nodded and said, "A smart choice."

Xiao Tianque immediately recited the "Golden Ripple Art" aloud from memory.

Listening from the side, Zi Jin realized that her grandfather had not concealed even the slightest bit, and her heart trembled again.

This was the clan's ancestral supreme art!

It... it had been leaked just like this?

If the clan found out, Grandfather would likely suffer enormous criticism and pressure!

There was even a possibility they would use every power at their disposal to silence this Mister Su!

Just as Zi Jin's thoughts were flying, Su Yi had already spoken:

"As expected, it's just as I thought. This cultivation method has an enormous flaw. For you to have relied on it to cultivate to the third level of the Furnace Nourishing Realm, you must have gone through several deadly dangers before now."

"A flaw?"

Zi Jin's bright, watery eyes widened, her face full of disbelief.

This was the Lanling Xiao Clan's clan-guarding inheritance, passed down generation after generation for a thousand years. It was a first-rate breathing method acknowledged by all under heaven!

This... How could it possibly have a flaw?

Xiao Tianque seemed to recall something from the past. Cold sweat broke out all over him, and even his expression changed as he said:

"Mister Su is right. On this old man's path of cultivation, I once encountered three deadly dangers. One was when I broke through from the Qi Gathering Realm to the Furnace Nourishing Realm, and the remaining two both occurred within the Furnace Nourishing Realm."

Su Yi said, "That's it, then. This also means that if I used the first method to heal your injuries, even if you recovered completely, once you cultivated with this Golden Ripple Art again, you would be unable to advance an inch, and might even suffer another deadly calamity."

At this moment, Xiao Tianque could no longer remain calm. He said nervously, "Then this second method..."

Su Yi smiled and said, "Although the flaw in this Golden Ripple Art is great, it still isn't enough to stump me. I've already helped you repair and correct this method. If you cultivate with it, not only will you be able to completely drive out your injuries, perhaps you'll even be able to take another step forward in the Martial Dao."

As he spoke, he raised his hand, snapped off a section of mulberry branch, and began writing on the ground.

Rustle, rustle, rustle~

One character after another appeared on the sandy earth. The handwriting was bold and sweeping, like racing serpents and darting vipers.

Xiao Tianque's gaze was drawn over unconsciously. Very soon, shock surfaced on his face; the more he looked, the more astonished he became, until in the end, his face was full of incredulity.

Zi Jin saw it too, but limited by her cultivation, she still couldn't grasp the wonders within.

Only after Su Yi finished writing did he flick his wrist and toss the branch away, saying, "Only by writing it out can you remember every word without the slightest error, avoiding ambiguity caused by misremembering."

Xiao Tianque closed his eyes and pondered for a long while before finally letting out a long breath.

He solemnly bowed to Su Yi and saluted, saying, "Sir's learning in the Martial Dao reaches heaven and man alike, turning decay into the miraculous. With this complete and flawless secret art, my Lanling Xiao Clan will surely benefit without end. Please accept Tianque's bow!"

Every word was solemn and ringing, carrying excitement, reverence, and heartfelt shock.

Zi Jin stood there at a loss, completely dazed. This...

Su Yi accepted the salute calmly and waved his hand. "All right. The matter is resolved. I should head back too."

With that, he turned and left.

"Sir, please wait!"

Xiao Tianque hurriedly caught up. He took a jade token from his robes and offered it over with both hands, saying respectfully, "Sir, this is my Lanling Xiao Clan's command token. I hope you will accept it."

Su Yi raised an eyebrow and said, "What do you mean by this?"

Xiao Tianque hurriedly explained, "This old man also knows that Sir is far from ordinary, but when walking through this mundane world, one inevitably runs into some trivial worldly entanglements. With Sir's temperament, you surely don't like being disturbed by such vulgar affairs."

"And with this token, at least within the nineteen cities of Cloud River County, it will be enough to resolve those worldly matters. Consider it... a small token of my Lanling Xiao Clan's regard."

At this point, he added, "Of course, Sir's kindness today is far from something a mere little command token can repay. In the future, should Sir have any matter, my Lanling Xiao Clan will not refuse!"

Su Yi accepted the command token and said, "For you to have such sincerity is somewhat unexpected. Many thanks."

As he spoke, he had already turned and left.

Xiao Tianque cupped his hands and watched him go. Only when Su Yi's figure disappeared did he finally relax. A hint of a smile appeared on his lean face. At last... he had managed to establish some connection with Mister Su!

"Grandfather, the Golden Ripple Art that Mister Su modified, is it really... really that miraculous?"

Zi Jin had taken in every scene from before, and her heart had long since become like rivers overturned and seas capsized. At this moment, she could no longer hold back her question.

Xiao Tianque said with feeling, "Just by hearing me describe the Golden Ripple Art once, he could see through the deadly dangers I encountered over my lifetime of cultivation, and in less than a moment, he could repair the flaws of the Golden Ripple Art. Such methods are more than merely miraculous; they are no different from Turning Stone into Gold, turning decay into the miraculous!"

As he spoke, he looked at Zi Jin with a face full of smiles and said, "Girl, you're still young. You simply don't understand that after Mister Su's repair, our clan's ancestral Golden Ripple Art is completely different now. In the future, our Xiao Family... will surely produce even more Martial Dao Grandmasters!"

Only then did Zi Jin somewhat understand, and she couldn't help saying excitedly, "This... This is wonderful!"

"Now, do you still dare regard Mister Su as merely a son-in-law of the Wen Family?"

Xiao Tianque asked with a smile.

Zi Jin immediately flushed with embarrassment and said awkwardly, "Grandfather, I really was Blindfolded by a Leaf before, ignorant and ill-informed."

Xiao Tianque looked at this beautiful, peerless granddaughter of his and said gently:

"People of the age do not recognize the Towering Cloud Wood; only when it touches the clouds do they speak of its height. Mister Su is in the prime of youth, mingling within the dust and vulgarity of the mortal world. He is precisely a Towering Cloud Wood almost no one can see for what it is. Since we have encountered such an eminent person, we should use our hearts to befriend him!"

Zi Jin said in a clear voice, "Grandfather, do you want to win Mister Su over?"

"Win him over?"

Xiao Tianque laughed disdainfully. "How could a divine figure like Mister Su possibly live beneath another? With his methods, even a Martial Dao Grandmaster like me can only look up to him. Perhaps... only a Land Immortal would be able to sit and discuss the Dao with Mister Su?"

Only a Land Immortal had the qualifications to be compared to Mister Su?

The more Zi Jin listened, the more startled she became.

"Moreover, Mister Su is now in the prime of youth. The heights of his future achievements are destined to be beyond the imagination of people like us!"

Xiao Tianque's eyes burned brightly. "Therefore, when forming ties of friendship with such a person, one must treat him with utmost sincerity."

"And right now, we have already established a certain connection with Mister Su. To me, and to our Xiao Clan, this can be called a tremendous fortune!"

Zi Jin's emotions surged, unable to calm for a long time.

After a while, a resolute light gradually appeared in her dazed, starry eyes, and she said softly, "Grandfather, don't worry. I will definitely grasp this opportunity firmly!"

--

P.S.: I only remembered after finishing dinner that I forgot to update this chapter...

Mm, there'll be another at 6 p.m.~