Mystic Jade Spirit Art

The setting sun cast its last glow, and the evening clouds burned like fire.

The green date tree in the courtyard rustled in the wind.

"Brother-in-law, actually, there's something I've always wanted to say to you."

They had just walked into the courtyard when Wen Lingxue could not help taking the initiative to speak, her voice soft, sweet, and clear.

Today she wore an elegant, plain long dress. Her slender, lovely figure radiated vibrant youth beneath the daylight, pure and bright, truly beautiful.

Su Yi was startled, then said gently, "What is it?"

A trace of guilt appeared on Wen Lingxue's face. "Brother-in-law, seven days ago, it was me, my parents, and Uncle who saw my sister off."

"Originally, I planned to tell you, but Mother wouldn't let me..."

By the end, her delicate head had lowered, her words already carrying a sense of remorse.

Only then did Su Yi understand. It dawned on him.

Seven days ago, Wen Lingzhao had set out on her long journey to Heavenly Origin Academy. When it came to seeing her off, the entire Wen Family had simply ignored him, the live-in son-in-law.

However, Su Yi was not surprised.

The relationship between him and Wen Lingzhao could not even be described as that of strangers.

On the day of their wedding, it had been the first time they met.

After a year apart, that night seven days ago had been their second meeting.

Though they were husband and wife, from the wedding until now, the two of them had not said a single word to each other.

Not even one word.

Being like passersby was no more than this.

But Su Yi had not expected Wen Lingxue to have kept this matter in her heart all along.

Wen Lingxue furrowed her willow-leaf brows. "Also, I heard that Wei Zhengyang was absolutely hateful and said some absurd, excessive things. Brother-in-law, you mustn't lower yourself to the level of that kind of petty man."

"I know my sister best. Though her temperament is a little cold, she would absolutely never do anything excessive."

In the young girl's words, there was worry, and there was comfort.

Su Yi gazed at the young girl's fair, graceful pretty face, dazed for a moment, then could not help sighing with feeling:

"I've seen countless Buddhist Bodhisattvas in this world, but I've met few as kind as you."

A long-lost warmth rose in his heart.

In his previous life, he had devoted himself wholly to seeking the Dao. His nature had been decisive in killing, and only by treading over mountains of corpses and seas of blood had he climbed step by step to the summit of the Great Wilderness Nine Provinces.

Even his nine disciples had both revered and feared him.

And in this life, as a bastard son of the Su clan of Great Zhou Jade Capital City, he had suffered neglect since childhood, developing a withdrawn and gloomy disposition.

Even during the three years he cultivated in Green River Sword Mansion, because his temperament had been too dark, lonely, and aloof, he had hardly had any friends.

Until his cultivation was completely lost and he married into the Wen Family. To the him of that time, it was like falling into an abyss; the blow had been far too great, and his entire person had become like a walking corpse, his heart like dead ashes.

It was under such circumstances that, among the entire Wen Family, only Wen Lingxue had truly treated him well!

She had once gone to the trouble of planting a patch of Sunbathing Flowers in the courtyard, hoping that whenever he saw those golden blossoms blooming in the sunlight every day, his mood would improve a little.

She had once carefully stayed by his side, speaking softly and gently about grand principles from books, trying to untangle the frustration in his heart and offer him comfort and encouragement.

She had also poured her heart into cooking all kinds of delicacies, personally bringing them before him, who almost never stepped outside.

...Although, at that time, he had never paid any attention to these acts of care.

But now, with the memories of his previous life awakened, when he thought back on every little thing Wen Lingxue had done for him over this past year, how could he not be moved?

The young girl was charming and bright, with a kind heart as clear and pure as crystal!

"Brother-in-law, you... really weren't angry about it back then?"

Wen Lingxue raised her pretty face, her pair of clear, crystal-like eyes gazing at Su Yi, her tone somewhat uncertain.

"You, you just think too much. Your sister resents and resists this marriage; that's understandable. As for what others think, if I cared, I'm afraid I would have died of anger long ago."

Su Yi said with a smile.

Only then did Wen Lingxue completely let out a breath of relief. Wen Lingxue narrowed her crescent-moon eyes and praised him with a giggle, "Brother-in-law, you have the broadest heart!"

A broad heart?

Su Yi's eyes turned somewhat odd. Back in the Great Wilderness Nine Provinces, who did not know that he, Su Xuanjun, was someone who absolutely refused to suffer losses, someone who always "repaid even the smallest glare"?

Still, this little sister-in-law of his really was lovable!

He could not help asking, "Lingxue, I also have something I want to ask you. Ever since I married into the Wen Family, everyone in the entire Wen Family except you has looked down on me. But why are you so concerned about me?"

Wen Lingxue said without the slightest hesitation, "I've never believed that the man my sister married is a good-for-nothing."

"And also, I... I don't believe Brother-in-law is a cowardly useless man either!"

As she said this, a look of determination appeared on the young girl's exquisite, pretty little face.

Su Yi laughed and said, "Why don't you believe it?"

Wen Lingxue's large, beautiful, clear eyes stared at Su Yi for a moment before she suddenly burst into a giggle and said as if it were only natural:

"How could someone this good-looking possibly be a good-for-nothing?"

Receiving this completely unexpected answer, even Su Yi could not help but freeze for a moment. Then he could not hold back a loud laugh, raised his thumb, and praised her:

"You've got good taste!"

Wen Lingxue giggled, pure and lovely as a painting.

Su Yi said, "Lingxue, I heard that in another month, your Pine Cloud Sword Mansion will be holding its year-end competition?"

"Right."

Wen Lingxue nodded. The smile on her pretty face vanished, and she said in distress, "With my current cultivation, I'm afraid it'll be very hard to make it into the top ten. After all, I've only been cultivating at Pine Cloud Sword Mansion for a year."

If she could enter the top ten in the year-end competition, she would be able to enter Pine Cloud Sword Mansion's "Class A Institute."

And so long as she became a disciple of Class A Institute, it would be the same as gaining the qualifications to go to Cloud River County's "Green River Sword Mansion" to cultivate!

Pine Cloud Sword Mansion's influence was limited only to Guangling City, while Green River Sword Mansion was enough to influence all nineteen cities of Cloud River County!

The two were simply not academies on the same level.

"The day before yesterday, I forgot to prepare a birthday gift for you, but giving it to you now isn't too late."

Su Yi took a scroll of writings from his sleeve and said softly, "This is a breathing and circulation method. Although it can't be called top-tier, it's the most suitable for you to cultivate right now. If you persist in cultivating it for a month, it will be enough to let you rank among the top ten in the year-end competition."

Wen Lingxue's eyes widened, and she said in surprise, "Really?"

Su Yi smiled and handed the writings over. "Would I lie to you? Oh, right, don't mention this matter to anyone else. After you've memorized the profundities of this wonderful art, you must immediately burn this book."

By the end, his expression had already turned solemn.

There was nothing for it. The breathing method he had given Wen Lingxue was called the "Mystic Jade Spirit Art"!

Although it only recorded the cultivation path of the "Blood Moving Realm," the complete Mystic Jade Spirit Art was ranked among the top ten on the Great Wilderness Nine Provinces' "Emperor Realm Marvelous Arts Ranking"!

Back then, Su Yi had once passed this method down to his young disciple Qingtang. It was precisely by relying on this art that Qingtang had sung all the way forward on the path of cultivation, proving the Dao in one stroke and becoming the world-renowned "Qingtang Empress"!

If such a wonderful art were leaked, even if it only recorded the cultivation essentials of the Blood Moving Realm, it would still bring Wen Lingxue no small amount of trouble.

This was something Su Yi did not wish to see.

Wen Lingxue's heart trembled. She carefully put the book away and nodded hard. "Brother-in-law, I'll listen to you."

She still did not know that she had inadvertently obtained a "fortuitous opportunity" enough to drive all the martial cultivators beneath heaven mad!

Otherwise, she probably would not have been so calm right now.

Su Yi did not explain further either. He had plenty of wonderful methods like this in his possession.

In his previous life, everyone in the world knew that he, Su Xuanjun, possessed "a thousand wonderful methods and ten thousand divine abilities." This was absolutely no exaggeration.

"If you have free time, come see me once every seven days. When the time comes, I'll help guide you in the martial Dao profundities of the Blood Moving Realm."

Su Yi reminded her.

Wen Lingxue's clear eyes shone, and her heart was full of joy. "I'll definitely come!"

She knew that although Brother-in-law had now lost all his cultivation, back then, he had once been the Outer Disciple Sword Leader of Green River Sword Mansion, a famous figure who stirred the winds and clouds throughout Cloud River County.

With Brother-in-law's guidance, why would she worry about being unable to rank in the top ten of the year-end competition?

"Hurry back. If your mother discovers you're here with me, she'll inevitably fly into another rage."

As Su Yi said this, even he could not help laughing.

That mother-in-law of his had an extremely fierce temper.

The young girl's figure was light and graceful as she turned and left. It was clear that she was in a very good mood.

Only after watching the girl's lovely figure disappear beyond the courtyard did Su Yi turn and return to his room.

Although it was already deep into dusk, the Old Madam of the Wen Family's Longevity Banquet was still proceeding in a lively bustle.

Only, all of this already had nothing to do with Su Yi.

Wen Lingxue did not go back to attend the Longevity Banquet either.

The young girl had just bathed, looking delicate, elegant, pure, and beautiful, with a lazy, charming air.

She impatiently opened the book Su Yi had given her.

Wen Lingxue sighed in admiration inwardly, and immediately afterward, her mind was drawn in by the subtle profundities contained within the handwriting.

Although the book only recorded the "Blood Moving Realm" method of the Mystic Jade Spirit Art, it was still extremely obscure and profound. Between every word lay great mysteries.

Never mind Wen Lingxue—even if those people of profound Dao Xing in the Great Zhou Kingdom were made to study it, it would be utterly impossible for them to comprehend all its profundities in a short time.

Fortunately, beside the text of the cultivation method were annotations Su Yi had personally written, which made Wen Lingxue's comprehension far from strenuous.

In the early hours before dawn, the moon's shadow slanted west.

Wen Lingxue finally finished reading through the cultivation method once. A dazed look rose on her delicate, otherworldly face, and an irrepressible shock surged in her heart.

Although she was young, she was by no means someone who understood nothing of cultivation.

How could she fail to understand just how powerful this wonderful method Su Yi had given her was?

By comparison, whether it was the Wen Family's ancestral cultivation method or the cultivation methods taught by Pine Cloud Sword Mansion, they were simply full of holes and crude to the extreme!

"No wonder Brother-in-law told me not to leak this wondrous formula. Mm, he must be worried this wondrous formula will bring trouble down on me..."

Wen Lingxue stared blankly, vaguely understanding Su Yi's painstaking intentions. Her heart felt warm, too, both delighted and moved.

Very soon, she took a deep breath, and her expression turned serious as well.

In her heart, she silently said to herself:

Lingxue, oh Lingxue, no matter how great the difficulties you encounter in the future, you must help Brother-in-law find a way to cultivate again. Brother-in-law right now... is already pitiful enough...