Crimson Fire Sword Art

The next morning.

Zhao Huaian devoted himself wholeheartedly to drawing Protective Talismans.

After nearly ten hours of focused work, his proficiency with Protective Talismans had risen substantially.

Zhao Huaian's Storage Bag had also gained a large number of Protective Talismans.

"Mental strength... for a Spirit Talisman Master, the most important thing is still mental strength. Only powerful mental strength can sustain prolonged, high-intensity Drawing Talismans."

"But clearly, I don't possess that yet."

"Looks like I'll still have to seek out treasures and Spiritual Medicine that can improve mental strength in the future."

Rubbing his swollen, aching head, Zhao Huaian could not help but give a bitter smile.

After putting away everything on the table, he looked at the morning sunlight streaming in through the window and raised his brows. "By my calculations, Liu Yuanping should have been awake long ago at this hour, shouldn't he?"

Just as Zhao Huaian was wondering, a crisp knock sounded outside the door.

"Junior Brother Zhao, it's me!"

Liu Yuanping's voice rang out from beyond the door.

Hearing his voice, Zhao Huaian smiled and stepped forward to open the door.

The door opened.

Liu Yuanping's complexion was now nearly the same as an ordinary person's, and he looked far more spirited.

Liu Bohu beside him was much the same. His former dejection had vanished, replaced by the high-spirited vigor a young man ought to possess.

"Junior Brother Zhao, please accept this bow from your senior brother!"

The moment Zhao Huaian opened the door, Liu Yuanping immediately pulled Liu Bohu along and cupped his hands in a bow.

"Th-this... you mustn't, you mustn't." Zhao Huaian was somewhat startled as he hurriedly helped Liu Yuanping up.

He had not expected Liu Yuanping to bow to him, someone who outwardly appeared to be only at Qi Refining Layer Four.

"Junior Brother Zhao deserves it! After all, you saved my life!" Liu Yuanping said with a firm expression. "Furthermore, I promise Junior Brother Zhao that once my injuries recover and I earn enough Spirit Stones by going out to carry out missions, I will definitely give Junior Brother Zhao a grand gift."

"No rush, no rush. We can discuss that later. Senior Brother Liu's recovery is what matters now."

Zhao Huaian did not refuse the grand gift Liu Yuanping had promised.

Because he had earned all of this.

Without him, Liu Yuanping would probably have already kicked the board, and the funeral banquet would have begun.

Liu Yuanping nodded and said nothing more.

Yet inwardly, he swore that he would recover as soon as possible, earn enough Spirit Stones, and repay the debt of gratitude he owed Zhao Huaian.

After exchanging a few pleasantries, just as they were about to leave, Liu Yuanping suddenly remembered something. Looking at Zhao Huaian, he asked, "Junior Brother Zhao, I heard from Bohu that Wang Daniu secretly followed your Rogue Cultivator friend yesterday?"

Zhao Huaian slowly nodded. After pondering for a moment, he said, "I think something like that did happen, but I'm not too sure myself. After all, Brother Liu was the one who told me about it."

Liu Yuanping gritted his teeth. "That damned Wang Daniu—he truly deserves to die. Rest assured, Junior Brother Zhao. If anything has happened to your friend, I definitely won't spare Wang Daniu."

Zhao Huaian had told him before.

That Rogue Cultivator involved in this transaction was Zhao Huaian's lifesaving benefactor.

Zhao Huaian had only just saved his life, and Wang Daniu was already making a move against Zhao Huaian's benefactor. Wasn't that the same as slapping him across the face?

If this matter got out, how was Liu Yuanping supposed to keep his footing in the Greenwood Sect afterward?

"It's nothing!"

Zhao Huaian shook his head, a confident smile appearing on his face. "I believe in my friend's strength. What I'm worried about now is Wang Daniu. If he underestimates his opponent, he may be killed by my friend instead. When that happens, I hope Senior Brother Liu won't hold him accountable."

"How could I?"

Liu Yuanping hurriedly said, "This matter was my failure toward Junior Brother Zhao to begin with. If Wang Daniu truly gets killed instead, he can blame no one but himself. It will only mean his skills were inferior to another's and that he deserved to die for courting death."

Liu Yuanping truly meant those words.

Setting aside whether he even believed that a Rogue Cultivator at Qi Refining Layer Six could kill Wang Daniu, even if he really did, Liu Yuanping had never met that Rogue Cultivator at Qi Refining Layer Six. What grounds would he have to hold anyone accountable?

It was not as though he could question Zhao Huaian, who had saved his life.

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Liu Yuanping could never do such a thing.

"That's good, then!"

Zhao Huaian smiled and said nothing more.

Seeing Zhao Huaian speak less and less, Liu Yuanping did not linger to disturb him. He clasped his hands in farewell with Liu Bohu and left.

"He's a fairly clever man. I hope he lives up to his words. Otherwise, I can save people, and I can kill people too."

Watching Liu Yuanping and Liu Bohu's receding backs, Zhao Huaian narrowed his eyes, a glint of cold intent flashing through his heart.

He had never been a merciful man.

The moment he sensed anyone who posed a threat to his life or represented a hidden danger, he would never sit and wait for death. He would strike first and root out the trouble forever.

No matter who it was!

"So... this matter can finally be considered settled. Now I can absorb that Foundation Establishment-level Sword Dao inheritance without worry."

Returning to his room, Zhao Huaian locked the door completely before preparing to absorb that Foundation Establishment-level Sword Dao inheritance.

He swallowed an Elixir Pill.

After restoring himself to peak condition, Zhao Huaian took the Jade Slip from his Storage Bag.

Following the instructions, Zhao Huaian squeezed a drop of blood essence from his fingertip and let it fall onto the Jade Slip.

Once the blood essence had completely seeped in, Zhao Huaian immediately circulated his Spiritual Energy and pressed the Jade Slip against his forehead.

A faint chill spread between his brows.

In an instant.

Vast, intricate streams of information burst forth and poured directly into Zhao Huaian's mind.

Upon the Attribute Heavenly Book.

A new line of small text slowly emerged.

"Crimson Fire Sword Art (Beginner 0/100)"

At the same time, one sword move after another played out within Zhao Huaian's mind.

Amid those paths of the sword, waves of insight surged into his heart, and the proficiency of the Crimson Fire Sword Art steadily rose.

As his proficiency continued to increase, strands of Sword Qi began to emerge within Zhao Huaian's Spiritual Energy. The two complemented each other, and his cultivation proficiency also began to rise slowly.

Zhao Huaian immersed himself in it.

Time slowly passed.

By the time he awoke, half a month had already gone by.

"Success! It truly deserves to be called a Foundation Establishment-level Sword Dao inheritance."

As he slowly opened his eyes, a sharp strand of Sword Qi flashed through Zhao Huaian's pupils.

Feeling the Spiritual Energy and Sword Qi within his body, Zhao Huaian felt that his strength had grown far greater than before.

But he did not know exactly how much stronger he had become.

Perhaps he would need to kill one or two people with cultivation equal to Wang Daniu's to find out.

"Attribute Heavenly Book!"

With a silent thought, Zhao Huaian immediately turned his attention to the Attribute Heavenly Book in his mind.

Name: Zhao Huaian

Lifespan: 16/123

Cultivation: Qi Refining Layer Six (49/100)

Cultivation Art: Crimson Fire Sword Art (Proficient 51/200) Azure Wood Art (Great Accomplishment 1321/1600)

Spells: Fireball Spell (Grandmaster 1400/3200), Earth Wall Spell (Grandmaster 440/3200), Entangle Spell (Grandmaster 160/3200)

First-rank Spirit Talisman Master (100/100): Water Arrow Talisman (Perfected) Protective Talisman (Great Accomplishment 331/1600) Light Body Talisman (Great Accomplishment 162/1600) Concealment Talisman (Mastered 76/400) Freezing Talisman (Proficient 63/200)

Skills: Medical Skill (Perfected 2363/6400), Flying Needles (Perfected 963/6400) Gentle Breeze Footwork (Grandmaster 1131/3200)