Although Zheng Qian did not know exactly how powerful an Innate expert was, he could still make a rough guess.
First, with their inexhaustible Innate True Qi, Innate experts surpassed those below the Innate Realm in every aspect, whether strength, speed, attack range, attack power, or defensive ability.
Even those at the half-step Innate Realm could not compare.
Compared with a true Innate expert, the Innate True Qi within a half-step Innate expert was not only limited in quantity, but they also did not dare to use it casually.
Once used, it was truly reduced by that much. After it was expended, they had to compress and refine it anew with their internal energy.
Innate experts were different. Through the Eight Extraordinary Meridians, they could continuously refine pure Innate True Qi directly.
Moreover, the Innate True Qi of a half-step Innate expert was far inferior to that of a true Innate expert in both quantity and purity.
Therefore, even without knowing any exquisite techniques, an Innate expert could rely solely on their formidable Innate True Qi to crush any Houtian Realm or even half-step Innate Realm expert.
Of course, with exquisite techniques to complement it, the result would naturally be like a tiger sprouting wings.
[In the seventh month of the twentieth year, after more than half a year of painstaking cultivation, you successfully opened the Chong Meridian among the Eight Extraordinary Meridians once again, and your cultivation consequently broke through to the mid-stage of the Innate Realm.
Moreover, with the help of your powerful speed of thought, you successfully deduced and raised all the Houtian Realm martial arts you had learned to Perfection Level.
When you defeated your master, Yue Buqun, with ease using only the strength of the late Houtian Realm and the sword in your hand, his shock was followed by boundless joy.
He had been too tired these past years. Reviving the declining Mount Hua Sect, fending off the covetous Songshan Sect, and guarding against the still-ambitious Sword Sect lineage... Every one of these burdens had left him mentally and physically exhausted.
Now, at last, he had a disciple who could share his burdens. He could also become a true Gentleman Sword.
You naturally had no idea of the changes in your master Yue Buqun's heart. You only knew that he would no longer force you to practice the sword, allowing you to cultivate the Purple Cloud Divine Skill without distraction.]
[At the beginning of the twenty-first year, as you devoted all your time to cultivating the Purple Cloud Divine Skill, your cultivation speed immediately increased dramatically.
In just over half a year, you successively opened the Dai Meridian and Yin Qiao Meridian among the Eight Extraordinary Meridians. Your realm consequently broke through to the late stage of the Innate Realm, leaving only the final Yang Qiao Meridian before the Purple Cloud Divine Skill reached grand completion.]
[That year, your senior brother Linghu Chong was already twenty-five years old, and his internal energy cultivation had reached the peak of the mid-stage Houtian Realm.
Combined with swordsmanship more exquisite than in the original story, this had already brought him to the level of a second-rate expert in the martial world, second only to the heads of the major sects and a number of renowned martial arts elders.
Over the years, he had descended the mountain many times to gain experience and made quite a name for himself.
However, every time he returned to the mountain, he would seek you out for a duel. Unfortunately, he had never won, which dealt him a heavy blow and drove him to work even harder. He even had much less time for drinking.
However, the contests between the two of you were always held in secret. Aside from your master Yue Buqun, no one knew that your strength had long surpassed that of 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, you were working hard to continue cultivating your Innate True Qi, hoping to open the Yang Qiao Meridian and break through to the peak of the late stage of the Innate Realm.
A piece of news quickly spread throughout the martial world and reached your ears as you were painstakingly cultivating.
Lin Pingzhi, the young master of the Fuwei Escort Agency, had killed Yu Renyan, the only son of Qingcheng Sect Leader Yu Canghai. To avenge his son, Yu Canghai wiped out the entire Fuwei Escort Agency. Only Lin Zhennan, his wife, and their only son Lin Pingzhi escaped.
The reason you learned of this despite almost never paying attention to affairs beyond your immediate concerns was that the Mount Hua Sect had also become involved. Your master Yue Buqun ordered you to descend the mountain at once and rescue junior sister Yue Lingshan.]
"What is this? Has the grand curtain finally risen? I wonder what the simulated version of me will do?"
Looking at the subtitles that had just appeared before him, Zheng Qian's eyes lit up, and he muttered curiously.
In the entire world of The Smiling, Proud Wanderer, there were only a few techniques and martial arts that caught his eye: the Purple Cloud 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 severing-manhood divine skills, he might borrow some ideas from them at most. Even if beaten to death, he would never cultivate them.
And now, it was time for him to obtain the Evil Warding Sword Manual. If he waited any longer, trouble would arise.
[Over the years, aside from returning home once each around the New Year and his parents' birthdays to visit them, you had spent almost all your time cultivating painstakingly on Mount Hua.
Your master Yue Buqun had also never forced you to descend the mountain to gain experience, especially after learning of your "true" strength.
Thus, you could be said to be completely unknown in the martial world.]
[Unlike you, your fellow senior and junior disciples often descended the mountain to gain experience over the years, and even junior sister Yue Lingshan was no exception.
You did not know why your master Yue Buqun never let you descend the mountain to raise the Mount Hua Sect's reputation. Perhaps he wanted to protect you and let you grow better, or perhaps he wanted to treat you as a trump card and catch his enemies off guard at a crucial moment.
But regardless of the reason, you were happy to enjoy the peace and simply focused on improving your strength.
You were not lacking in experience. What you lacked was merely combat experience against top experts.
But how many such experts were there in the entire world of The Smiling, Proud Wanderer?
There were only a few: Feng Qingyang, secluded at Siguo Cliff on Mount Hua; Dongfang Bubai, secluded at Black Wood Cliff; Ren Woxing, imprisoned beneath Plum Manor for more than a decade; Master Fangzheng of Shaolin; Daoist Chongxu of Wudang; and Zuo Lengchan of Songshan.]
[This time, it was your junior sister Yue Lingshan who had been sent to Fuzhou Prefecture with senior brother Linghu Chong and second senior brother Lau Der-no to investigate the situation, thereby provoking the Qingcheng Sect.
Thus, after learning of the news, your master Yue Buqun immediately sent you ahead to rescue them, while he himself led the other disciples after you.]
[This was the first mission your master Yue Buqun had ever assigned you. In addition, you had already been restless after staying still for so long and wanted to obtain the Evil Warding Sword Manual for a look, so you immediately took up your sword and descended the mountain.]
[As a major sect in the martial world, the Mount Hua Sect naturally had channels for obtaining intelligence.
According to the intelligence, your junior sister Yue Lingshan was heading for Hengshan City, so you went there directly as well.
To guard against any mishaps, you went all out, traveling a thousand li in a day. You reached Hengshan City after only a day and a night.
In the city, you met second senior brother Lau Der-no and a group of junior brothers and sisters who had only recently joined the sect. They had arrived early to attend Liu Zhengfeng's "Golden Basin Hand-Washing Ceremony."]
[You did not find senior brother Linghu Chong or junior sister Yue Lingshan among them.
At that moment, there were still seven days before the "Golden Basin Hand-Washing Ceremony" officially began. You recalled that this was precisely when Linghu Chong and Tian Boguang would cause a disturbance at Returning Goose Tower.
You decided to wait there and catch them by surprise.]
Before you continue