Old Man Snow Mountain

Inside the Wooden House, Shen Fan read through Azure Dragon Transformation, a True Condensation Martial Art, with a calm expression. When he finished, he still felt he hadn't had enough.

Azure Dragon Transformation truly lived up to its reputation as a True Condensation Martial Art, more powerful than an Innate Cultivation Method. The martial principles it involved were clearly far more profound, and it made much better use of one's own strength.

Of course, it was also much harder than an Innate art. But for Shen Fan, whose aptitude kept rising, this martial art—which seemed unfathomably difficult to everyone else—was nothing special. Calling it easy to understand wouldn't have been an exaggeration.

As Shen Fan's aptitude improved, so did his comprehension and understanding, reaching inhuman levels. Drawing inferences and applying what he learned to other things were child's play.

"Although this technique is at the True Condensation level, its difficulty seems a little excessive. There should be a prerequisite technique. Otherwise, ordinary people would have almost no chance of mastering it!"

Relying on his Transcendent aptitude, Shen Fan had spotted the flaw in Azure Dragon Transformation at a glance.

And that was indeed the case. Xiao Yuxian had not only mastered the cultivation manual for Azure Dragon Transformation; she had also learned its prerequisite technique, the foundational martial art.

Fish Dragon Transformation was the prerequisite for Azure Dragon Transformation. Xiao Yuxian cultivated Fish Dragon Transformation, and once she mastered it, she could enter Azure Dragon Transformation with ease. After that, she would at least become a Xiantian Expert!

In Xiao Yuxian's view, nobody could master Azure Dragon Transformation without first cultivating Fish Dragon Transformation. So after enduring a bout of torment, she had handed over the True Condensation Martial Art without hesitation.

But in Shen Fan's hands, that ironclad rule seemed to have failed. After circulating the technique for just two cycles, he had already mastered the True Condensation Martial Art.

Feeling a surge of high-quality True Qi within him, Shen Fan was delighted.

Meanwhile, in the Black Wind Stockade's dungeon, Liu Yucheng, shackled in chains, was cleaning the wounds of the battered Xiao Yuxian.

Looking at his junior sister's miserable state, Liu Yucheng sighed again and again.

But Xiao Yuxian didn't seem at all dejected. Though she lay helpless on the ground, she was still as arrogant as ever.

"Hahaha, Senior Brother, tell me, aren't those country bumpkins stupid? They think they can cultivate the technique just because they got their hands on it? How foolish! Without Fish Dragon Transformation, those idiots couldn't master it even if they spent decades trying!"

"That bastard in the green robe—wasn't he acting so high and mighty? I can't wait to see him struggle with his cultivation and fail to master it. Won't he come begging me then? When he does, I'll make sure to mock that bastard properly!"

Liu Yucheng looked at his nearly crazed junior sister. He opened his mouth, but in the end said nothing. All he could do now was pray that Shen Fan wouldn't fly into a rage over this and punish them.

If Shen Fan, cultivating in the Wooden House, had heard those words, he probably would have laughed. Hard to master? Just how hard could it be? Did circulating the technique for two cycles really count as difficult?

Shen Fan couldn't understand it, and he didn't want to. The world of ordinary people was growing ever more distant from his own.

In truth, mastering Azure Dragon Transformation within two cycles was far faster even than for someone who had cultivated its foundational technique. If the founder of the Qingcheng Sect knew, he would probably have been so shocked he climbed out of his coffin, grabbed Shen Fan, and studied him thoroughly.

Of course, he would ultimately have reached only one conclusion: This boy was terrifying!

Shen Fan focused on nothing but cultivating Azure Dragon Transformation. Though he had mastered it quickly, cultivating the technique to a higher level and breaking through to the next realm would still be difficult.

At the pace Shen Fan estimated, it would take at least another month!

That was right. The Xiantian bottleneck, which ordinary people might spend more than a decade trying to break through, practically didn't exist for Shen Fan. He needed only a month to break through to True Condensation!

After mastering Azure Dragon Transformation, Shen Fan's cultivation reached the Innate Ninth Layer, also known as the Innate Peak. His lifespan increased by ten years, while his aptitude remained unchanged.

Just as Shen Fan entered seclusion, an old man riding a donkey finally arrived in Nine Lions City.

If Liu Yucheng and Xiao Yuxian had been there, they would have recognized him as the last hidden operative of their Qingcheng Sect—and an Elder as well. In Jianghu, he was known as Old Man Snow Mountain!

Old Man Snow Mountain had made a name for himself in Lanzhou's Jianghu, but he had indeed cultivated the Qingcheng Sect's Beast King Art.

After decades of painstaking cultivation, Old Man Snow Mountain had long since reached the technique's limit and become an Innate Peak expert.

But in the decades since, he had made no further progress, remaining stuck at that level all this time.

Even Innate Experts lived for two hundred years, but at Old Man Snow Mountain's age, he didn't have many years left!

But Old Man Snow Mountain wasn't reconciled to that. He considered his talent no worse than the Qingcheng Sect leader's, yet because he wasn't of the main bloodline, he could only cultivate Beast King Art.

But if he could cultivate Azure Dragon Transformation too, Old Man Snow Mountain was confident he could become a pillar of the Qingcheng Sect!

But the difference in their status meant he could never obtain Azure Dragon Transformation through legitimate means. Still, he had other ways!

So, after plotting for more than a decade, he had finally brought the Qingcheng Sect down by making it incur King Lanling's wrath. Only two young disciples had escaped, carrying the sect's supreme martial art with them!

This was the opportunity he had been waiting for.

"Xiao Yuxian, Liu Yucheng. I haven't met those two juniors yet. I wonder how much of that old bastard's skill they inherited?

"Still, Azure Dragon Transformation has to end up in my hands. Young people are young people, after all. They can't hold on to a treasure like that!"

At the thought, even Old Man Snow Mountain, with his State of Mind, couldn't help bursting into laughter. After waiting for decades and plotting for more than ten years, he finally had a chance to enter the next realm!

No one could have held back in his place.

Old Man Snow Mountain's wild laughter eventually drew the attention of a few people.

Several subordinates of the Thirteen Protectors glanced at Old Man Snow Mountain, whose head was covered in white hair.

One of them muttered, "What a strange old man. But he isn't the person we're looking for. I wonder where those two Qingcheng Sect remnants have hidden themselves. We've searched for so long and haven't found a single clue. It's ridiculous!"

"Yeah, that's right. The Protectors put up a sky-high reward. If we find those two, we'll get an Innate Cultivation Method!"

"The bosses have really gone all out this time. Still, this task isn't easy. Those two remnants are no pushovers!"

As Innate Peak Martial Artists, the men's conversation naturally reached Old Man Snow Mountain's ears.

When he heard the words "Qingcheng Sect remnants," Old Man Snow Mountain couldn't hold back any longer. With a single bound, he covered more than ten meters and landed beside the lackeys.

He grabbed one of them and snarled, "What did you say? Qingcheng Sect remnants? Where are they? Speak!"

How could Old Man Snow Mountain not be alarmed? This was his chance to break through to True Condensation!

The men were cowed by the terrifying aura Old Man Snow Mountain unleashed and immediately realized how powerful he was.

This man was far stronger than their bosses!

Shocked, they accepted reality and surrendered without hesitation.

"Senior, don't attack! We'll talk, we'll talk!"

"Tell me right now! Get one word wrong, and I'll take your head off!"

"Please calm down, Senior. The truth is, Ding Zhen, one of the bosses, discovered those two Qingcheng Sect remnants, but they were lucky enough to escape. We're still tracking them now. We don't even know if they're still in Nine Lions City!"

"What do you say?"

The others were so frightened they were nearly wetting themselves. They quickly replied, "Senior, there isn't a single mistake in what he said. Please spare us!"

Seeing how panicked the men were, Old Man Snow Mountain believed most of their story.

But if Liu Yucheng and Xiao Yuxian had already gone into hiding, how was he supposed to find them?

The thought enraged Old Man Snow Mountain. He struck the men with his palm, smashing their heads to pieces.

"Bastards! Decades of effort, nearly ruined by a bunch of country bumpkins! That Ding Zhen, is it? Fine. I'll remember you. Just you wait!"

Old Man Snow Mountain paid no heed to the panicked crowd around him or the donkey more than ten meters away. He picked a direction and set off.

In that direction stood Nine Lions City's grandest building: the Thirteen Protectors' lair.