Nameless Saber Scripture Mental Method, Entering Fourth Rank

As the aged voice spoke, the person wearing a straw hat bent down, stretched out his hands, pressed down on the fish basket on the ground, and slowly lifted it up.

The fish in the basket were lively and jumping around, constantly wagging their tails and making a slapping sound, which was especially noticeable in the dark.

"The world is a fishpond, and we are the fish in the fishpond, just trying to make a living."

The man in the straw hat held the edge of the fish basket with one hand and placed the other hand on the bottom of the basket, slowly tilting it.

As the fish basket tilted at an increasingly steep angle, the fish flapped their tails and were poured out one by one into the lake, creating a large splash.

If Qin Feng saw this scene, his eyes would probably pop out of his head.

Fishing and then releasing the fish is a very puzzling practice.

"Grown ups."

The pitch-black night was like spilled ink, and in this darkness, a figure slowly emerged.

The figure was completely wrapped in a black robe, obscuring its features.

"Grown ups."

These two simple words clearly indicate the identity of the man in the straw hat.

"Several families have been wiped out by Xu Bai. There may be solid evidence against five of them, but the Miao Family definitely doesn't." The man in the straw hat said slowly, "We can't outmaneuver him by playing dirty tricks anymore, so we can only go through the open. With so many things happening in Purple Wood Prefecture, the people from the Bureau of Surveillance will be here soon. As far as I know, the one coming this time is a Director. Go, you should understand what I mean."

"Understood, I'll take care of it right away." The man in the black robe cupped his hands in greeting and prepared to leave.

But just as he turned around, he felt a sharp pain in his chest. When he looked down, he saw a section of the fishing rod protruding from his chest, and blood was slowly dripping down the rod onto the ground.

"My lord, why..." The person in the black robe turned his head with difficulty, but since his back was to the person in the straw hat, he couldn't turn his gaze away at all, nor could he see what the person in the straw hat's expression was.

Instead, the act of turning his head aggravated his injuries, causing him to vomit several mouthfuls of blood, and his complexion turned from rosy to deathly pale.

His breathing became increasingly difficult, and he could feel his life force gradually declining, but the confusion in his heart grew stronger.

"Oh..."

A burst of laughter came from behind, followed by a chilling voice that sent shivers down the spine of the man in the black robe.

"Since those two people from the Ingenious Craft Pavilion can testify for him, I don't need any other testimonies. It just so happens that you hold a significant position in the Purple Wood Prefecture. With your family's support, that's enough."

"I have been loyal to you, yet you treat me like this." The man in the black robe tried to resist.

The next moment, he felt a terrifying force coming from the fishing rod, and then a crack appeared in his chest, and he lost consciousness.

The man in the straw hat looked at the corpse that had been split in two in front of him, shook his head, and placed the bloodstained fishing rod into the lake.

The blood was diluted by the lake water, and in the blink of an eye, the fishing rod was as good as new, as if it had never been stained with blood.

"Heh... You're loyal to me, so I need you to make contributions. It's a very fair exchange."

At this point, the man in the straw hat turned his head and looked into the darkness.

From the darkness emerged a man carrying a longbow.

If Xu Bai were here, he would realize that this man is Ji Xiaojian.

"Greetings, Your Excellency."

After Ji Xiaojian appeared, he said, "Sir, you are indeed a man of great wisdom. They seem to have already believed that I am not one of them."

The man in the straw Ji Xiaojian's flattery, his voice turning icy cold. "What I want is not a sycophantic subordinate, but a useful one. Don't you understand the true intentions of the Ingenious Craft Pavilion? If that's the case, I won't keep you here any longer."

Ji Xiaojian was slightly taken aback, then shook his head and said, "It seems that only the Pavilion Master and Ji Xiaoshan know about this matter. They keep it a secret from everyone, only telling me that Xu Bai is particularly important. I don't know anything else, but don't worry, sir, I will definitely find out the real reason."

"In any case, the meaning of the Ingenious Craft Pavilion is that it wants to completely cling to Xu Bai's coattails. You should know what to do," the man in the straw hat added.

After those words were spoken, the room fell silent.

The surrounding night was quiet, with ripples occasionally spreading across the lake's surface. Fish would leap out of the water, adding a few sounds.

"Kill Xu Bai and seize the Ingenious Craft Pavilion!" Ji Xiaojian's voice was cold.

"Very well!" said the man in the straw hat. "What other plan do you have?"

"Yes!" Ji Xiaojian's eyes flashed with murderous intent. "The lord said he wanted to come openly. I know what the lord wants to do. I also have my own methods. Xu Bai has his eye on my cultivation technique, so I will give him a chaotic cultivation technique and let him reap what he sows."

In Ji Xiaojian's mind, although Xu Bai had learned a lot and a wide variety of skills, the most important thing was the path of martial arts, and the techniques he gave were also martial arts techniques.

However, if you change any part of a cultivation technique, it may have no effect at best, or it may cause irreversible damage, or even turn you into a cripple.

This was exactly the move that Ji Xiaojian was thinking of.

"Are you confident?" the man in the straw hat asked.

"No." Ji Xiaojian took out a secret manual from his pocket and handed it to the man in the straw hat. "My lord, if I modify it at will, I am very worried that he will see through the flaws, but if you make the changes, then there will be no problem."

The man in the straw hat took the technique and nodded. "Alright, I'll use my strategy, and you use yours. With a pincer attack from both sides, Xu Bai will surely die!"

Laughter from two people echoed from the dark lakeside, sounding particularly eerie in the silent night.

The next day.

After what happened last night, the clues went cold again, but it didn't matter to Xu Bai.

As long as he remains here, the other party will not let go of the opportunity to strike. Clues will come sooner or later, so there is no need to worry about that at all.

Leaning back in the chair in the room, Xu Bai put his legs on the table and reclined, looking at the Nameless Saber Scripture in his hand.

The progress bar is growing little by little, and it's not far from perfection. At most, it will only take half a day to complete another copy of the Nameless Saber Scripture.

As time went by, the streets outside gradually became lively, filled with noise, and some slight sounds reached Xu Bai's ears.

This inn is located on the side of the street, and the fact that it's soundproof to this extent, with only faint sounds coming through, is quite impressive.

After all, the prosperity of Purple Wood Prefecture is much better than that of Yunlai Prefecture.

Early in the morning, the streets were already bustling with people, and vendors and stalls were everywhere, calling out their wares and selling all sorts of goods.

"Let's have a meal first and then talk about it."

After being disturbed for a while, Xu Bai came to his senses, stopped grinding the progress bar, put the Nameless Saber Scripture into the wooden box, wrapped the wooden box in a bundle, carried it on his back, and turned to leave.

There were many pedestrians outside the street, most of them lingering at various stalls. Xu Bai walked along the street and finally came to a small stall, where he ordered breakfast.

Compared to some large restaurants, these small stalls seem to have a more down-to-earth, lively atmosphere.

Before long, the stall was full of people, and Xu Bai's breakfast was served.

People were coming and going around him, and conversations could be heard from time to time, sometimes loud and sometimes soft, but Xu Bai could hear them very clearly.

He ate and listened at the same time, his eyes slightly narrowed.

The surrounding chatter gradually reached my ears...

"Have you heard? Many families died, all of them prestigious and powerful families, and they died tragically."

"I've heard about it before. They must have offended someone, otherwise how could their entire family have been wiped out?"

"You still dare to talk? Now that the Prefectural Magistrate is involved, you'd better keep quiet, or you'll all be arrested."

"I think I heard from the Prefectural Office runners that the magistrate was just protecting the scene this time, and that some important person was coming to investigate this matter thoroughly."

The conversation was intermittent, but after listening to everything, Xu Bai came to a conclusion.

Firstly, the annihilation of these families has already caused a sensation in Purple Wood Prefecture.

That's fine, since he has evidence in his hands. These people who targeted officials of the imperial court deserved their fate. At most, he could just come up with some excuse, like saying the situation was critical and he had no choice but to intervene.

Secondly, someone was coming, and the prefect had the entire surrounding area protected because of this person.

"Who could it be?" Xu Bai thought to himself as he finished the last mouthful of porridge. "Probably the Bureau of Surveillance."

It's quite obvious that, without knowing the inside story or who did it, the prefect might assume it's something related to the martial arts world, so it's perfectly normal for the Bureau of Surveillance to come over.

"Let's wait and see." With that thought, Xu Bai stood up, took out some money, placed it on the table to pay the bill, and then turned and walked back towards the inn.

Nothing else happened along the way. After returning to the inn, Xu Bai continued to work on the Nameless Saber Scripture.

Since the other party wasn't making a move, he was happy to have some peace and quiet, and continuing to work on the Nameless Saber Scripture was the best option for him.

The longer the time, the more advantageous it will be for him.

After all, as time goes on, the more skills he acquires, the stronger he becomes, and the more stable he becomes.

As the progress bar slowly increased, Xu Bai became increasingly excited.

With only a few ticks of progress left to complete, he waited, waiting for the last tick to finish, but unexpectedly, at that moment, there was a knock on the door.

"Who?" Xu Bai put the book back into the wooden box, closed it, and placed it in a hidden spot before looking up and asking.

Outside the door, as Xu Bai asked that question, the knocking stopped abruptly, followed by Ji Xiaoshan's voice.

"Lord Xu, it's me." Ji Xiaoshan's voice came from outside the door, tinged with respect.

His tone was completely different from before, after all, their positions were different now, and they had switched directions.

Previously, he talked to Xu Bai as a partner, and the two of them discussed a business deal, each with their own capital. But now it's completely different.

Everything changed after his sworn brother attacked Xu Bai. They were in the wrong from the start, and Xu Bai didn't make any excessive demands. Just this point alone put them at a disadvantage.

But being in a weak position is fine, it doesn't matter. As long as we can hold on to this powerful figure and have the emperor's back, the day when the Ingenious Craft Pavilion is restored is just around the corner.

Last night, he spoke with his father. After hearing the whole story, his father was furious, but after calming down, he immediately gave him the authority.

In any case, they absolutely cannot give up this powerful ally. On the contrary, since the other party has already expressed their willingness to negotiate, they must take action regardless of the outcome.

What he brought now was exactly what Xu Bai had requested last night, down to the last detail.

"Come in," Xu Bai said, leaning back in his chair and squinting his eyes.

He knew that Ji Xiaoshan was coming today, so he didn't lock the door.

After he said that, Ji Xiaoshan pushed open the door and entered. Seeing Xu Bai staring at him, he quickly took out two books from behind him, lowered his head, walked to Xu Bai, placed the books on the table, and then lowered his hands and stood aside.

"Lord Xu, everything you requested has been brought. Please take a look."

Xu Bai nodded, picked up the top book, whose cover read "The Machinery Secret Technique".

The name wasn't important; what mattered was seeing the progress bar. Only then was he satisfied enough to put the book aside and pick up the second one.

The cover of the second book also features four characters: "Hundred Steps Piercing Willow, A Piercing Arrow."

However, when Xu Bai saw the book, he did not show a satisfied expression. Instead, he frowned and looked it over from head to toe.

His hands kept turning the pages, and as he looked at the contents, his brows furrowed deeper and deeper.

The book is very complete, but there's no progress bar, not even a single one.

"Fake?" Xu Bai thought to himself.

Ever since he acquired his cheat ability, he could activate the progress bar of any manual, but this one cannot be activated, so there is only this possibility.

Ji Xiaoshan stood with his hands obediently at his sides, waiting for Xu Bai's reply, but he noticed a change in Xu Bai's expression and couldn't help but feel puzzled.

When Xu Bai saw the first book, he clearly showed a satisfied expression. However, when he saw the second book, his expression was completely different. He not only did not show a satisfied expression, but instead seemed to be deep in thought.

"Sir, is this book not to your liking? If it really isn't, you can make other requests, and we will grant them."

Although he couldn't understand the reason for Xu Bai's change in expression, Ji Xiaoshan still asked.

Some things will never have an answer if you don't ask them; only by asking can things be resolved satisfactorily.

"Your brother gave me this book, right?" Xu Bai asked.

Ji Xiaoshan was slightly taken aback, then nodded and agreed, "What you say is right, sir. This book was indeed given to you by my brother, and it was done according to your request at the time. We did not do anything wrong."

"Very good." Xu Bai suddenly said, "I really like this book."

After saying this, Xu Bai put the second book aside, indicating that he was very satisfied.

Ji Xiaoshan said, "Since you are satisfied, I am relieved."

"What is my real purpose? You didn't tell him, did you?" Xu Bai pondered for a moment, but didn't speak aloud.

Xu Bai dipped his hand into the water glass on the table, creating some water, and then wrote on the table.

This action was very bizarre and happened very abruptly, leaving Ji Xiaoshan completely baffled.

But when he saw Xu Bai doing this, he understood what he meant: he didn't want others to hear.

So after seeing the above content, he quickly nodded to indicate that he had not told anyone else.

Xu Bai continued to wet the paper and wrote another paragraph on the table.

"The book is fake, Ji Xiaojian is faulty."

After writing this, Ji Xiaoshan looked shocked, as if he were hearing it for the first time, and couldn't help but take a step back.

His face was filled with shock and disbelief.

"Adapt to the situation and intensify surveillance." Xu Bai wiped the water off the paper and rewrote a paragraph.

Ji Xiaoshan's expression became increasingly complicated, but he still nodded, indicating that he already knew.

"Go ahead." Xu Bai waved his hand.

"Farewell." Ji Xiaoshan didn't linger, bowed respectfully, and left.

What happened today was too bizarre. He needed to go back and think carefully about what went wrong, especially Xu Bai's words. He still needed to tell his father, otherwise, if it was true, the loss would be too great.

He had considered whether Xu Bai was deceiving him, but this thought was quickly dismissed.

Impossible. Given Xu Bai's status, he would never lie.

After all, Xu Bai is now a favorite of the emperor; he wouldn't do something like this just for a secret manual.

They have already agreed to hand over the secret manual, so if Xu Bai were to do something like this, it would be pointless and unnecessary.

"We must tell Father immediately; we absolutely cannot allow anything to happen."

A short while later, Ji Xiaoshan's figure disappeared from the room.

Xu Bai stood up from the chair, went to the door, closed it, and put the bolt back in place.

After doing all this, he returned to his chair, closed his eyes, and went over the events of the previous night once more.

After about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Xu Bai reopened his eyes, his eyes gleaming with a sharp light.

"There's a flaw!"

There's a huge flaw in everything that happened last night.

The biggest flaw lies in that temple.

He remembered that after Ji Xiaojian appeared, the first person he killed was that old monk.

This action can be excused by other reasons, such as what Ji Xiaojian himself said, that it was due to extreme anger.

A little further up, that's where Ji Xiaojian said he acted that way because he saw those mummies.

So the question is, when did we see it? Before or after?

In the past, Ji Xiaojian would not have been able to hold his ground and wait until Xu Bai won before making his move.

Someone who can be controlled by their own thoughts would never be able to hold back at that moment.

Another point is that when he fought Ji Xiaojian in the woods, the first thing he shot was his arm.

Perhaps another reason could be used to cover it up, such as not wanting to take Xu Bai's life, but this reason doesn't seem very convincing.

In that battle, neither side held back anymore; the arrow made no difference where it hit—whether it hit the arm or the chest.

"If that's the case, then it's a perfect example of turning a plan against a plan," Xu Bai thought, stroking his chin.

He could easily pretend not to know the truth and use that as a pretext to find out who the real mastermind is.

Thinking about this, Xu Bai felt even more that this matter was highly feasible.

"So now, it's up to you how you make your move."

Xu Bai took out the Nameless Saber Scripture again and continued working on the progress bar. With new clues, his mindset for working on the progress bar improved considerably.

He already had a new plan: after finishing this book, he would work on the book about mechanics that Ji Xiaoshan had sent him.

After the Nameless Saber Scripture was broken down, each book was actually not very high-level, so it was more satisfying to grind for a high-level book.

As time went on, the final progress bar was finally completed.

Pale blue smoke appeared, swirling gracefully in mid-air, gradually condensing into a line of text.

[You studied the Nameless Saber Scripture and comprehended the Armor Breaking Heart Sutra (incomplete).]

When Xu Bai saw these words, a look of joy appeared on his face.

Here it comes, finally here! As it turns out, he was right.

After the Nameless Saber Scripture was divided into twenty-four parts, it was indeed not just about swordsmanship, but also other skills. Otherwise, how could one directly enter the first rank by collecting all twenty-four parts?

The mental cultivation method is the foundation of all skills and is extremely important.

To put it simply, if the mental cultivation method is the person, then the other techniques are the weapons. If no one uses the weapons, they will just sit on the ground and remain lifeless forever.

Of course, this doesn't mean that other types of skills are unimportant; in fact, they complement each other.

Xu Bai is currently at the Fifth Rank Loose Cultivator spirit level, but all his skills are at the maximum level. Even if his rank is not high enough, ordinary fourth-rank experts would probably not be able to gain any advantage in front of him.

Therefore, not only mental techniques, but other skills are equally important. They are not contradictory to each other, but rather complement each other perfectly.

"I guess it will be upgraded by one level."

Looking at the pale blue smoke in front of him, Xu Bai looked forward to the moment of fusion.

Sure enough, the fusion began the next moment.

The pale blue smoke gradually dissipated, drifting in the air and eventually becoming invisible. However, it didn't last long before new pale blue smoke appeared.

[Mergeable options found, currently in progress.]

[Inverted Purple Firmament Gale Wind Yin Yang Chaos + Armor Breaking Heart Sutra (Fragment) = Inverted Purple Firmament Gale Wind Yin Yang Break.]

[Merger successful.]

Xu Bai: "..."

As expected of Little Gold, he only changed one word.

A large amount of information, as the pale blue smoke gradually dissipated, merged into Xu Bai's mind.

The next moment, the latest panel appeared.

[Name: Xu Bai]

[Realm Level: Fourth Rank Loose Cultivator.]

[Severing Break Three Styles (Tier 4): Max Level]

[Inverted Purple Firmament Gale Wind Yin Yang Break (Tier 6): Max Level.]

[Returning Wind Flowing Snow (Tier 5): Max Level.]

[Movement-Armor Break Second Revolution (Tier 4): Max Level.]

[Cosmic Shift (Tier 4): Max Level]

[Vajra Heart Demon Body (Tier 4); Max Level.]

[Strengthening Kidney Gathering Art (Tier 5): Max Level.]

[Hundred Poisons True Explanation (Tier 3): Max Level.]

[Paper Art Essence (Tier 5): Max Level]

[Undying Body (Fragment) (Tier 5): Max Level.]

[Comprehension: Max level.]

A sixth-tier cultivation technique! Fourth-grade strength! True Yuan Power was growing at an extremely terrifying speed, only gradually stopping after reaching a certain level.

Xu Bai sensed the change in the True Yuan Power within his body, which had nearly doubled compared to before.

With his current strength, even a slight increase would be considered a great success, let alone the fact that he doubled his strength after advancing from the fifth rank to the fourth rank! From any perspective, this is a qualitative improvement for him.

and...

After absorbing the information in his mind, Xu Bai finally understood the domineering nature of this mental cultivation technique.

Inverted Yin and Yang – a mixture of illusion and reality, confusing people's minds, swapping weaknesses and strengths so that others cannot see through it.

Zixiao – By leveraging external forces, one can increase their strength by 10%, but the consumption of True Yuan Power will also increase accordingly.

Gale Force – When True Yuan Power surges, it can form a powerful gale force to attack enemies from a distance.

Break—every move, every move, possesses the power to pierce armor!

This last item is the newly acquired ability, which Xu Bai considers extremely powerful.

Previously, he needed to use his swordsmanship to possess this trait, but things are different now.

Even a punch, a kick, or even a poke with a finger can carry armor-piercing power as long as True Yuan Power surges.

"Haven't I become a human weapon?" Xu Bai's lips curled up, feeling increasingly satisfied.

From this perspective, the left hand holds a knife, the right hand holds a fist, and with the addition of copper coins and gale force, the attack is quite diverse.

Although he doesn't know any boxing techniques, a casual move he makes carries the power to pierce armor.

Xu Bai just wanted to say, "Can you withstand the power of twenty years of my punch?" "Very good, I have a better grasp of it now," Xu Bai thought.

With a good start, Xu Bai's mindset naturally improved, and his mood became more cheerful. He took out the "Machinery Secret Technique" given to him by Ji Xiaoshan and continued to grind.

Logically speaking, a fourth-rank master should have some demeanor, but Xu Bai was not.

When he was engrossed in his book, he was completely relaxed, just like an ordinary person. If it weren't for the fifth-rank paper figure serving tea and water beside him, probably no one would have been able to tell.

Time is passing by, and the progress bar is growing.

While Xu Bai was working tirelessly to catch up on the progress, Ji Xiaoshan returned to the Ingenious Craft Pavilion and found his father.

The master of the Ingenious Craft Pavilion is a fourth-rank expert, a middle-aged man.

She wore ordinary clothes and had an ordinary appearance; she was the kind of person you wouldn't notice in a crowd.

In fact, the Pavilion Master Ji was not just a fourth-rank official. As one of the top forces back then, it would have been unacceptable for him to only have this level of strength. However, that incident and that seemingly idiotic young madman caused him to drop to this level.

The room he was in had a unique mechanism that prevented even Ji Xiaoshan, let alone Ji Xiaojian, from entering.

After all, Ji Xiaoshan is a relative, especially in the Great Chu Kingdom, where this custom is only natural.

Therefore, Ji Xiaoshan had no reservations and told Xu Bai everything he had said. He then stood quietly to the side, waiting for his father to speak.

The Pavilion Master Ji remained expressionless. After waiting for a long time, he finally let out a long sigh, his face aging considerably.

"I know why, Xiao Jian must care."

"Yes," Ji Xiaoshan replied, "Although we treat him like family, we haven't let him get involved in many confidential matters, so it's understandable that he has a lot to think about, but it's really wrong of him to do something like this."

"How I wish..." The Pavilion Master Ji said with a wry smile, "Putting aside blood ties, there's just one rule left by our ancestors that I cannot break."

He can't even practice mechanical arts, so how could I let him know any more secrets? This is an ancestral rule, and even if I treat him like my own flesh and blood, it's not allowed."

"But Xiao Jian doesn't think so," Ji Xiaoshan said. "He will think...we are lying to him, and he may even feel resentful. Resentment and hatred are the root of all bad things."

After he finished speaking, the room fell silent.

After a long while, the Pavilion Master Ji closed his eyes and said, "According to Lord Xu's idea, this is a strategy of turning the tables on a plan. Let's cooperate. You can do it yourself. You should know how to do it."

"Yes." Ji Xiaoshan bowed and said, "Your son is leaving now, Father, take care."

The Pavilion Master Ji nodded without saying a word.

Even long after Ji Xiaoshan left, he still maintained a blank stare, staring straight ahead.

"I consider you my own flesh and blood, but now that you have done such a thing, I have no choice but to... uphold justice and put family above family."

"In that battle, besides the significant drop in my cultivation level, I also suffered irreparable damage. Only the medicine from the royal family could save my life."

"I cannot fall. If I really fall, the Ingenious Craft Pavilion will never be able to recover."

His voice echoed through the room, lingering for a long time...

At this moment, everyone has their own thoughts and is doing their own thing.

In the Shadow Courier Station far from the Purple Wood Prefecture, a neatly dressed young man with a long sword at his waist was drinking tea.

On his waist was a plaque with the name of the Bureau of Surveillance engraved on it.

The Purple Wood Prefecture was very large, and the surrounding Shadow Courier Station was also very large, which naturally attracted many Courier Folk to do business here.

After all, these days, being able to make a stable fortune is much better than wandering the streets.

But at this moment, the Courier Folk were all going about their business and didn't look this way.

A few of the bolder ones immediately averted their gaze upon seeing the sign on the man's waist, not daring to look any longer.

The name "Bureau of Surveillance) is renowned throughout the martial arts world.

Backed by the imperial court, they manage affairs of the martial world, slaying demons and monsters.

The power was so great that it inspired awe.

The Courier Folk were also people of the martial arts world, so of course they were afraid, not only afraid, but deeply afraid.

The young man ignored the stares of the others. He had a letter in his hand, unsigned, which he had found by chance on his way here.

He came here this time because of the matter at Purple Wood Prefecture. After all, so many murders have occurred, so it's only natural that he needs to get to the bottom of it.

And then another letter arrived on the way, the strangeness of which is self-evident.

Taking advantage of the moment while he was resting, the young man opened the unsigned letter in front of him without pausing.

The young man frowned as soon as he opened the envelope and saw the contents.

He saw the first two words, and it was these two words that stirred his emotions.

The young man stared intently at the letter, slowly reciting the two words aloud in his mind—

Xu Bai!