True Man Ling

For fifteen years, You Su had wielded a sword since the age of three. Though blind, his perception of the sword far surpassed that of his peers. His opponent, despite a higher cultivation level, relied on his immense energy and employed only the simplest sword techniques.

You Su had performed this exact thrust at least a hundred thousand times. Dealing with it was second nature, but unfortunately, You Su was unarmed.

In a flash of lightning, the sword light whistled towards him. How could You Su surrender so easily? Just as the Old Immortal Master thought victory was assured, You Su suddenly channeled all his Profound Energy into his feet and bent low to meet the attack.

Facing an inescapable thrust, the best solution was to find a way to subdue the opponent's weapon!

You Su used his palm as a sword, and with a "snap," it lodged itself between the prominent bones of the Old Immortal Master's right wrist. The Old Immortal Master, holding his sword in his right hand, tried to slash downwards after his thrust failed. However, he discovered that the position You Su had pinned was perfect, rendering his sword unable to move down even a fraction.

You Su's actions didn't stop there. He then clenched his left hand into a fist and struck the Old Immortal Master's inner elbow with all the strength he could muster.

The Old Immortal Master was astonished! He realized that this blind youth hadn't been intimidated by his pressure and surrendered. Instead, he was attempting a disarm. If his right hand were bent by You Su's strike, his entire forearm would be trapped, making it easy for You Su to snatch the sword away.

He was, after all, an Immortal Master of the Water Condensation Realm. What face would he have if he were disarmed by a mere youth who had only recently broken through to the Spirit Platform Realm? He had to admit he had underestimated the boy, but sword techniques weren't his greatest strength anyway!

You Su's left fist arrived, but the old man's arm did not bend as he expected. This well-planned punch seemed to vanish into thin air, leaving You Su in despair.

The Old Immortal Master then roared:

"Retreat!"

A powerful force erupted from the Old Immortal Master's body. Even though You Su was prepared and had gathered all his Profound Energy to resist, it was futile. He was sent flying several meters away, losing the only opportunity he had for close-quarters combat.

His success so far had only been due to the opponent's underestimation. Moreover, the Old Immortal Master's sword skills were average. When he had dealt with the Malevolent Spirit earlier, he hadn't used a sword but had controlled his Qi to attack, indicating that the Old Immortal Master was clearly more skilled in Qi manipulation.

You Su understood that once a powerful cultivator at least in the Water Condensation Realm unleashed their full Qi, getting close to them would be like dreaming with open eyes.

All cultivators in the world possess spiritual meridians, absorbing the Mystic Qi of heaven and earth for their practice. Whether it's opening the mystic meridians, building the mystic platform, condensing mystic water, or reaching even more profound realms later on, Mystic Qi is the fundamental basis for all cultivation.

However, the application of Qi is divided into two main streams. One is based on the control of Mystic Qi, leading to various immortal arts, with techniques like Chibaku Tensei and World Tree Descent being common. The other involves embedding Qi into external objects to achieve greater effects, with countless paths such as Sword Cultivators, Pill Cultivators, and Talisman Cultivators.

These two paths are not mutually exclusive, but individuals have different aptitudes for each.

The Old Immortal Master, having learned from past experiences, had largely converted his Profound Energy into a Protective Aura, causing much of his previous oppressive pressure to dissipate. You Su reacted swiftly. At this moment, he had been pushed to a relatively safe distance by the Old Immortal Master. After steadying himself, he channeled his Qi and retreated.

He had walked this familiar bluestone path back to his sect countless thousands of times. Not to mention, after his aloof and overbearing Master left, he had encountered numerous rival cultivators of his age on this path, facing their exclusion and encirclement.

You Su never fought back. He only focused on escaping. He understood that dealing with the young would inevitably lead to confronting the old. Moreover, those elders, full of pent-up anger, were just waiting for an excuse to act. Over the years, it could be said that no matter where he was on this path, You Su could immediately envision a viable escape route.

The Old Immortal Master hadn't expected You Su to flee so decisively. He was fighting back fiercely one second and turning to run the next. This entire sequence of actions, whether planned or a sudden inspiration, was enough to prove that this youth was no simple person.

However, the Old Immortal Master remained unfazed, appearing calm instead. He formed his hands into a delicate posture, his sleeves billowing without wind, and his lips moved: "Sun rises in the east, darkness spreads. Mountains in front, water behind, dragon to the left, tiger to the right."

"Immobilize!"

With a single explosive word, You Su suddenly found his legs as heavy as massive boulders, unable to lift them no matter how hard he tried. Upon closer inspection, he realized his entire body was stiff and immobile, as if bound by a thousand iron chains.

You Su channeled his Qi to form a sword, attempting to sever these invisible shackles. Two breaths later, You Su found the immobilizing force dissipate. Regaining his mobility, he no longer attempted to flee. Instead, he stood tall, calmly smoothing his dark robes, because he knew he couldn't escape.

The mere two breaths were enough for the Old Immortal Master to leisurely approach You Su.

The elder's eyes were sharp, and he said in surprise:

"My Body Immobilization Spell can hold even a cultivator of the Water Condensation Realm for a moment. For you, a fledgling youth, to break it in two breaths, and you're blind too, you certainly have your tricks."

"You flatter me, senior. It was merely because you held back." You Su remained humble.

"Oh? You knew I was testing you?" The Old Immortal Master's gaze intensified, his surprise growing.

"If senior truly wanted to subdue me, you could have dealt with both me and that Malevolent Spirit long ago. There would have been no need to talk first before acting."

"Your eyes are clouded, but your heart is like a mirror." The Immortal Master stroked his long beard. "Then why did you try to escape?"

You Su looked up and smiled faintly, meeting the Immortal Master's gaze directly. "I know I am like fish on a chopping block in your eyes, but passively waiting for death is simply not my style."

The Old Immortal Master met You Su's unfocused gaze and felt as if he were looking into a bottomless abyss. He couldn't help but show a look of approval, which quickly vanished as he turned serious. "It's a pity you've courted disaster without realizing it."

You Su was not a foolish person. During their brief confrontation, he had figured something out. He, who was congenitally blind, seemed not entirely blind but could see those inexplicable "dirty things." He already had some suspicions.

"This junior does not understand what senior means."

"Do you truly not understand? Or do you not wish to understand?" The Old Immortal Master slightly closed his eyes, shaking his head as if in regret.

You Su raised his hand in a salute, his tone serious. "Please, senior, enlighten this junior."

"I am True Man Ling of the Spiritual Treasure Sect from Mount Henggao. Where do you hail from?"

"Replying to True Man Ling, this junior is You Su."

True Man Ling looked up at the youth, a hint of helplessness in his eyes. He hadn't expected that even at this point, this jade-like youth would still be on guard, only revealing his name and not his origin. Was he truly going to be stubborn and seek his own demise?

You Su was also surprised. He hadn't expected this old man to be an Immortal Master from the divine mountain.

Before this, the only cultivator he had met who had a connection to the divine mountain was the old city lord of Chuyun City.

One had to know that this old city lord was merely an outer disciple of the Xuanxiao Sect, the foremost sect of the divine mountain. Because he saw no hope of breaking through and didn't want to lose the sect's resources, he was dispatched to this remote place to become a city lord.