The Grand Overture of the Plot Begins

Zheng Qian didn't fully understand how formidable an Innate expert truly was, but he could guess a fair amount from mere speculation.

First, with the support of their endlessly surging Innate True Qi, an Innate expert's strength, speed, attack range, attack power, and defensive capabilities were all beyond compare for anyone below the Innate Realm.

Even a Half-Step Innate expert couldn't match them.

Because compared to a true Innate expert, a Half-Step Innate had only a limited amount of Innate True Qi within their body and dared not use it recklessly.

Every bit they used was a bit lost, and after consumption, they had to compress and refine it anew from their internal energy.

Unlike an Innate expert, who could continuously refine pure Innate True Qi directly through the Eight Extraordinary Meridians.

Beyond that, the quantity and purity of a Half-Step Innate's Innate True Qi fell far short of a true Innate expert's.

Thus, even without any exquisite techniques, an Innate expert could crush any Houtian Realm or even Half-Step Innate opponent solely by relying on their formidable Innate True Qi.

Of course, if they paired it with exquisite techniques, it would be like adding wings to a tiger.

[In the seventh month of the twentieth year, after over half a year of arduous cultivation, you successfully opened the Chong Meridian among the Eight Extraordinary Meridians, and your cultivation broke through to the Mid Xiantian Realm.

Beyond that, with the help of your powerful mental processing speed, you managed to deduce and elevate all the Houtian Realm martial arts you had learned to Perfection Level.

When you, using only Late Houtian Realm strength paired with the sword in your hand, easily defeated your master Yue Buqun, his shock gave way to boundless joy.

He had been too tired over the years—reviving the declining Mount Hua Sect, fending off the covetous Songshan Sect, and guarding against the ever-plotting Sword Sect faction... each one drained his energy.

Now, at last, a disciple could share his burdens, allowing him to become a true Gentleman of the Sword.

You were naturally unaware of the changes in your master Yue Buqun's heart. What you knew was that he would no longer force you to practice swordsmanship, letting you focus wholeheartedly on cultivating the Purple Mist Divine Skill.

At the start of the twenty-first year, as you devoted all your time to cultivating the Purple Mist Divine Skill, your cultivation speed immediately surged.

In just over half a year, you successively opened the Dai Meridian and Yin Qiao Meridian among the Eight Extraordinary Meridians, and your realm broke through to the Late Xiantian Realm, with only the Yang Qiao Meridian left before reaching the Great Perfection of the Purple Mist Divine Skill.

[That year, your senior brother Linghu Chong had already turned twenty-five, with his internal energy cultivation reaching the peak of the Mid Houtian Realm.

Paired with a sword technique more exquisite than in the original story, he had reached the level of a second-rate expert in the martial world, second only to the sect leaders and various martial elders.

Over the years, he had descended the mountain many times for training and built up a considerable reputation.

But every time he returned to the mountain, he would seek a spar with you, yet he never won. This dealt a heavy blow to his spirit, driving him to work even harder, even cutting down on his drinking time.

However, your bouts were conducted in secret. Apart from your master Yue Buqun, no one knew that your strength had long surpassed that of your senior brother Linghu Chong, the leading figure among the second-generation disciples of the various sects.]

[In the third month of the twenty-first year, as you were diligently refining Innate True Qi to open the Yang Qiao Meridian and break through to the peak of the Late Xiantian Realm, a piece of news quickly spread through the martial world and reached your ears as you trained hard.

Lin Pingzhi, the young master of the Fuwei Escort Agency, had killed Yu Renyan, the only son of Qingcheng Sect leader Yu Canghai. In revenge for his son, Yu Canghai wiped out the entire Fuwei Escort Agency, with only Lin Zhennan, his wife, and their son Lin Pingzhi escaping.

The reason you, who had almost shut yourself off from the outside world, learned of this was that the Mount Hua Sect had gotten involved. Your master Yue Buqun ordered you to descend the mountain immediately to rescue your junior sister Yue Lingshan.]

"Is this... the curtain finally rising? I wonder what I'll do in the simulation?"

Looking at the subtitles that had just appeared before him, Zheng Qian's eyes lit up, and he muttered to himself with some curiosity.

Throughout the entire world of The Smiling, Proud Wanderer, the techniques and martial arts that caught his eye were only a few: the Purple Mist Divine Skill, the Dugu Nine Swords, the Star Absorbing Great Method, the Yi Jin Jing, the Tai Chi Fist Manual, and the Cold Ice True Qi.

As for the Sunflower Manual and the Evil Warding Sword Manual, those two castration divine arts, he would at most draw some reference from them; he would never cultivate them even if beaten to death.

And now, it was time for him to get his hands on the Evil Warding Sword Manual. Any later, and there would be trouble.

[Over the years, aside from visiting your parents once each during the New Year and around their birthdays, you had spent almost all your time cultivating on Mount Hua.

Your master Yue Buqun never forced you to descend the mountain for training, especially after learning of your 'true' strength.

Thus, you were virtually unknown in the martial world.]

[In contrast, over the years, your fellow disciples often went down the mountain for training, and even your junior sister Yue Lingshan was no exception.

You didn't know why your master Yue Buqun never let you go down to raise the Mount Hua Sect's reputation. Perhaps it was to protect you and let you grow better, or perhaps he wanted to keep you as a trump card to spring at a critical moment.

But regardless of the reason, you were happy to have the leisure, focusing solely on improving your strength.

Because you didn't lack experience; what you lacked was combat experience against top-tier experts.

But how many such experts existed in the entire world of The Smiling, Proud Wanderer?

There were only a handful: Feng Qingyang, living in seclusion on Siguo Cliff of Mount Hua; Dongfang Bubai, in seclusion on Black Wood Cliff; Ren Woxing, imprisoned under Plum Manor for over a decade; Shaolin's Master Fangzheng; Wudang's Daoist Chongxu; and Songshan's Zuo Lengchan.]

[This time, your junior sister Yue Lingshan, along with your senior brother Linghu Chong and second senior brother Lau Der-no, had been sent to Fuzhou Prefecture to gather information, and as a result, they had provoked the Qingcheng Sect.

Thus, upon learning the news, your master Yue Buqun immediately sent you ahead to rescue them, while he himself followed with the other disciples.]

[This was the first task your master Yue Buqun had assigned you, and since you had been itching to move and wanted to get a look at the Evil Warding Sword Manual, you immediately took your sword and descended the mountain.]

[As a major sect in the martial world, Mount Hua naturally had channels for gathering intelligence.

According to the intelligence, your junior sister Yue Lingshan was heading to Hengshan City, so you went straight there as well. To be safe, you moved at full speed, covering a thousand li in a day, and arrived in Hengshan City after just one day and one night.

There, you met your second senior brother Lau Der-no and a group of junior brothers and sisters who had arrived early to attend Liu Zhengfeng's 'Golden Basin Hand-Washing Ceremony.']

[You didn't find your senior brother Linghu Chong or your junior sister Yue Lingshan among them.

With seven days still left until the 'Golden Basin Hand-Washing Ceremony' officially began, you recalled that this was around the time Linghu Chong and Tian Boguang were causing a ruckus at the Returning Goose Tower.

You decided to go there and wait for them.]