Borrowing Momentum

"I never expected your Sect Master to come. Looks like luck was on our side this time."

Once the surroundings fell quiet again, Jiang Ruoshui let out a sigh of relief. That had truly been a brush with death.

Lu Ming not only kept his saber drawn, but remained on guard as well, sweeping his gaze around. "Let's leave this place first. Giddy up!"

With that, he tugged the reins and charged out ahead.

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

They galloped at full speed until dawn. Only after encountering no further danger did they finally relax.

"When we reach that crossroads ahead, we'll have to part ways. Thank you for your kindness last night."

"Whoa!"

In the blink of an eye, they reached the crossroads, and the two of them stopped.

"No need to thank me. Until we meet again."

Lu Ming cupped his hands from horseback.

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

But after only a short distance, she turned back.

"Wait!" she called.

Lu Ming, who had been preparing to leave as well, stopped in confusion. "Miss Jiang, is there something else?"

Jiang Ruoshui hesitated before saying, "Most of the people I've met in the past cherished their lives. I really want to know—why did you let me leave first last night?"

Lu Ming was taken aback. What kind of question was that?

He replied casually, "If you stayed, it would only mean one more person died."

"It seems you're a kindhearted person."

On horseback, Jiang Ruoshui gave Lu Ming a deep look. "But I've heard that kindhearted people often don't live long. Why insist on being that kind of person?"

Lu Ming laughed heartily. "I wouldn't dare call myself kind. I only try to have a clear conscience. If you insist on an answer... Whoa!"

At this point, he pulled on the reins and circled around twice. After thinking for a moment, he finally replied:

"There was a time when my clothes barely covered my body and I had nothing to fill my stomach. A woman gave me ten taels of silver, a set of clothes, and several pieces of pastry."

"Those things may not amount to much to me now, but back then, they were priceless."

"So I'll always remember that kindness."

"Giddy up!"

With that, he rode off like a streak of dust, leaving only the fading echo of "Until fate brings us together again" in the air.

"So that's how it is. How interesting."

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

After all, this was a world where the weak were prey to the strong, just like her Lineage...

She simply had not expected that he already understood this—and had thought even farther ahead.

Several days later, Lu Ming returned to Wuji Sect. After returning the fine horses, he went to the Mission Hall to submit his mission.

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

"I never thought that the great bandit who had roamed across several kingdoms would really be a remnant of the Demonic Cult."

"Exactly. This time, the sect received the news, and the Sect Master went out personally. 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. As long as there are people who want to grow stronger, they can never be completely eradicated."

"Ah, that makes sense. Back then, the Demonic Cult was a Sixth-Rank Power that stretched across several kingdoms and flourished for a time. I heard its Cult Master was a Sea Transformation Realm expert, and it had several deputy cult masters in the Gang Yuan Realm as well."

"That was in the past. These days, there might not even be a few people in the Gang Qi Realm. But to cause such a huge disturbance now, its scale probably isn't small anymore."

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

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

This time, he had truly broadened his horizons.

He had never expected the Demonic Cult to have once been so powerful—even possessing Sea Transformation Realm experts.

As far as he knew, Wuji Sect's strongest expert was only in the Gang Yuan Realm. That person was a Grand Elder who rarely showed himself.

If the Demonic Cult from back then attacked, Wuji Sect definitely would not be able to resist.

Fortunately, the other side had now been destroyed.

Without thinking further, Lu Ming quickened his pace and reached the Mission Hall. When the elder in charge of recording saw him again, a trace of surprise appeared in his eyes.

He had also heard the news that Xiao Zan had appeared. It was certainly related to his disciple.

He had never expected that Lu Ming could still complete the mission under such circumstances.

But with the Sect Master nearby, it made sense.

Only after reading the extremely detailed letter of proof written by Old Patriarch Liu did he learn the specific reason.

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

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

"Thank you, Elder."

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

He encountered no acquaintances along the way. Presumably, everyone was busy.

The strange thing was that Cui Bai was not around either.

"Could he have gone out on a mission?"

He did not think much of it and walked straight into his courtyard, first washing and freshening himself thoroughly to dispel his fatigue.

Then he began cultivating his inner arts. He could already sense the signs of a breakthrough.

After hanging a seclusion plaque outside the door, he completely immersed himself in cultivation.

Several days passed in the blink of an eye. With the help of essence stones, the true qi within Lu Ming's body finally reached complete saturation.

At the same time, his inner cultivation method, the Heavenly Saber Art, had reached the eighth layer, and another blade aura formed within him.

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

Another half a day passed. After repeated assaults, the sound of an egg cracking came from within him.

At the same time, the pure essence qi in the essence stone held in his hand, along with strands of essence qi drifting through the air, surged madly into his body.

His body was now like a funnel. Only when it had swollen to its limit did the influx finally stop.

Everything returned to calm.

"I finally broke through."

Lu Ming tossed aside the essence stone that had become a useless rock and rose to his feet. An indescribable lightness filled his body.

He quickly sensed the state of his dantian and discovered that the crimson true qi within had nearly doubled.

His cultivation had advanced greatly.

Next, he saw two streams of qi within the crimson true qi. They were even more condensed and carried a keen, cutting sensation.

They were precisely the blade auras produced by the breakthrough in his cultivation method.

Two of them—two life-saving skills, so to speak.

"Next, I'll consolidate my martial skills."

With the help of the Jade Pendant, Lu Ming had cultivated all his martial skills to their peak. Yet it seemed they could still advance further.

After thinking it over from every angle, he felt that something akin to saber intent might exist.

Just like what You Feng had said about the inexplicable swordsmanship of the Senior Disciple Brother.

Earlier, he had only had a vague sense of it. But after witnessing Lan Wuying's movement technique, he seemed to have detected another meaning within it.

He fell into deep thought. A while later, his eyes suddenly lit up.

He had thought of a single word: "momentum."

Water had the momentum of water, and wind had the momentum of wind. Going against the current was slow, while moving with it was fast. Wind was naturally the same.

With that thought, Lu Ming immediately leaped into the courtyard to comprehend Wind Momentum.

He had a feeling that if he could understand this matter, the speed of his movement technique would improve tremendously.

Another six days passed just like that. Lu Ming stood motionless in the courtyard. Only when a leaf drifted down with the wind and landed on his forehead did his eyes regain focus.

Then he moved. Without seeming to exert any strength, his body floated lightly into the air and drifted about as if without a path.

It looked extremely disorderly, yet possessed a unique beauty.

Only when his gaze fell upon a leaf did one realize that he had been moving in the direction of the wind.

He did not land until the wind stopped.

"Is this borrowing momentum?"

Within just a few days, Lu Ming had comprehended this concept—the act of borrowing Wind Momentum.

Do not assume this could not be used when there was no wind. In battle, as long as his opponent's attack stirred up wind, he could borrow it.

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

After all, his saber technique also relied on speed.

"That's enough for now."

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

Just then, a knock sounded at the door. He went over and opened it.