Five Animals' Vital Blood Reaches Perfection, Dao Fruit Self-Transforms into an Innate Swordsman

An Le arrived at the Training Hall. Lin Qingyin and Lin Zhuifeng had been waiting early, yet neither showed the slightest impatience. Their maid, Liu Xiang, had likely come to tell them that An Le had been invited by Madam Hua.

"Sir."

At the sight of An Le, Lin Qingyin and Lin Zhuifeng curtsied together in greeting.

Now that An Le was teaching them sketching, Lin Qingyin naturally treated him with the courtesy due a disciple. Following Lin Qingyin's lead, Lin Zhuifeng had learned to do the same quite convincingly.

An Le smiled and greeted them, then began preparing his tools for that day's drawing lesson.

Lin Zhuifeng and Lin Qingyin followed along as they learned to draw. After practicing for a while, Lin Zhuifeng lost interest, pulled out her fire poker, and dragged the Eighth Young Master, Lin Ye, off to spar.

Lin Qingyin, on the other hand, learned quickly. A woman's thoughts were delicate and graceful, and she had already gained some insight into handling lines, light, and shade. Her only weakness was composition.

While painting, An Le also drew Time Qi from Lin Zhuifeng, Lin Qingyin, and two randomly selected lucky young masters.

Including Fairy Yun Rou, his daily limit remained five people. However, because his spirit refinement cultivation had improved, the amount he could draw each time had increased. In total, he drew fifteen strands of Time Qi.

The only regret was that he did not obtain a single strand of Flowing Gold Time Qi.

An Le took it in stride. He felt no frustration over failing to draw any Flowing Gold Time Qi.

Red clouds scattered beyond the heavens, veiling the setting sun.

At dusk, bathed in the glow of the evening sunset, An Le left Lin Manor and leisurely made his way to a tavern in Yanchun Lane on Imperial Street, where he bought a jar of Old Yellow Wine.

He did not know whether the old man from the Imperial Ancestral Temple would come that night, but there was never any harm in preparing some yellow wine for unforeseen needs.

After buying the wine and half a catty of sliced pig's head meat, he headed toward Qingbo Street, only to run into an acquaintance.

It was none other than Black Office Captain Huang Xian.

An Le smiled, his mind turning. If the senior from the Imperial Ancestral Temple did not come, the yellow wine in his hands could still be shared in a hearty drink with Captain Huang.

Yet Huang Xian wore a saber at his waist, and a hint of worry hung between his brows. When he saw An Le, he forced out a smile. "Young Master An, finished work at Lin Manor?"

An Le nodded. "Captain Huang, you look troubled. Could it be that my painting did not prove useful?"

Captain Huang hurriedly waved his hand. "Young Master An, that is not so. Your painting was excellent, and we even got hold of Hu Jingang's trail. Unfortunately, that Hu Jingang was far too cunning and slipped away. We are pursuing him now, and we will certainly bring him to justice soon."

Hearing this, An Le breathed a sigh of relief.

So long as his painting had been useful, that was enough. As for the bandit escaping, that was beyond anyone's control. It only meant that the Black Office constables still needed to work harder at their trade.

"Actually, we had already sealed off Hu Jingang's location. He should have had nowhere to flee, yet he suddenly vanished without a trace. It is truly strange. Huang must return to the Black Office to report this. Another day, I shall come drink with Young Master An."

Captain Huang sighed and clasped his fists.

He had thought they were about to capture the notorious river-and-lake bandit Hu Jingang with ease, only for an accident to arise. Naturally, he could not help but feel regret.

An Le returned the salute as well.

The two passed one another, one heading for the Black Office, the other returning to Imperial Ancestral Temple Alley.

An Le returned to his little courtyard. Beneath the evening glow, he watered the flowers and potted plants. Since he had promised that woman, he would naturally see it through. Besides, cultivating flowers and plants was itself a way of refining one's temperament.

He set out a small table and chairs in the courtyard, placing the Old Yellow Wine and sliced pig's head meat upon them. After waiting a while, the old man from the Imperial Ancestral Temple still did not arrive.

An Le was in no hurry. He closed his eyes, and the light screen appeared.

``` Name: An Le

Time Qi: 29 strands

Time Dao Fruit: Talent of the Ages (Flowing Gold Time Qi 0/2 strands, 0/100 strands), Sword Dancer (0/10), Fearless Heart, Quenching Demon Ancient Jade

Cultivation Methods Mastered: "Sword Waterfall Diagram" (0 strands), "Qi Induction Breathing Technique" (1 strand)

Skills Mastered: "Five Animals Body Tempering Technique" (3 strands), "Zhao Ancestor Long Fist (Incomplete)" (1 strand)

His accumulation of Time Qi had reached twenty-nine strands, quite a considerable amount. An Le began considering how to sort and allocate it.

First, there was naturally no need to further empower the "Qi Induction Breathing Technique" and the commonplace "Zhao Ancestor Long Fist." An Le turned his attention to the "Sword Waterfall Diagram" and the "Five Animals Body Tempering Technique."

"The 'Sword Waterfall Diagram' is a top-tier Spirit Refinement Method passed down by Madam Hua. With the Sword Dancer Dao Fruit assisting it, its improvement is already quite rapid. Though the 'Five Animals Body Tempering Technique' is not top-tier, it contains killing intent alongside body forging. It is the only offensive method I possess."

"Therefore, Time Qi should first be invested into the 'Five Animals Body Tempering Technique' and the Sword Dancer Dao Fruit."

"The Talent of the Ages Dao Fruit requires one hundred strands of Time Qi, along with two strands of Flowing Gold Time Qi capable of transforming Dao Fruits. Its priority for Time Qi investment can therefore be lowered for now."

"So, I'll first raise the Sword Dancer Dao Fruit to its next stage. It can assist my comprehension of the 'Sword Waterfall Diagram' without delaying the improvement of Five Animals Body Forging." An Le finished organizing his Time Qi allocation.

Once he decided, he acted without further hesitation. With a thought—

Strand after strand of Time Qi was infused into the Sword Dancer Dao Fruit.

Before his eyes, grey Time Qi burned like incense sticks, and scenes gradually emerged: Fairy Yun Rou's breakthrough in swordsmanship, Lin Zhuifeng's surging vital blood as she used a fire poker to beat every young master of her generation in Lin Manor, and more.

When all ten strands of Time Qi had been infused—

An Le felt the tiny mind-sword condensed within his Niwan Palace tremble faintly, radiating delight.

Suddenly, it was as if sword light swept past his eyes!

It condensed into words!

Dao Gives Birth to One, One Gives Birth to Two; time never stays, seasons flow like water, the Dao Fruit self-transforms.

The river's roar boiled of itself, Sword Qi yet arose; the Sword Dancer transformed, becoming an Innate Swordsman.

The Dao Fruit transformed. Sword Dancer became Innate Swordsman!

Note: Innate Swordsman (Dao Fruit): No sword under heaven cannot be grasped. When wielding a sword, one may resonate with Sword Qi, enhancing the sword's sharpness.

Innate Swordsman—what was a swordsman?

A favor must be repaid when its time came; how could one lightly cast away one's life? The divine sword shot into the vault of heaven—who would right what was unjust?

To raise one's heart with the sword, make one's intent clear, and strengthen one's lofty aspirations—such was a Swordsman!

An Le drew a deep breath and examined the self-transformed Dao Fruit.

Time Dao Fruit: Innate Swordsman (Flowing Gold Time Qi 0/2 strands, 0/100 strands)

Sure enough, after transformation, the conditions for the Dao Fruit to transform again had become much the same as those of Talent of the Ages.

It seemed that transforming it again would not be easy.

But An Le truly felt the difference. His understanding of the "Sword Waterfall Diagram" seemed to have deepened further. Faintly, countless strands of Sword Qi cascaded down from the ninth heaven; within his Niwan Palace, Sword Qi shone brilliantly, charging toward the Bull and Dipper!

An Le suddenly felt an unparalleled familiarity with the sword.

The only pity was that, even now... he did not yet possess a sword of his own.

The evening glow spilled into the courtyard, stretching the Old Scholar Tree's shadow long and narrow.

An Le, seated cross-legged with his eyes closed, slowly opened them. He opened his mouth and exhaled a strand of razor-sharp breath that seemed to slice through the air several meters away.

Feeling thoroughly exhilarated, An Le poured himself a cup of Old Yellow Wine and drank it himself.

He then rose. With a thought, he added one strand of Time Qi to the "Five Animals Body Tempering Technique," then began practicing the Five Animals beneath the Old Scholar Tree in the courtyard, performing the tiger form.

Each time he practiced it once, he added a strand of Time Qi. Every time brought a different realization!

His understanding of Five Animals Body Forging grew ever deeper, and his control over every detail became increasingly refined.

Deep as embroidered hues slanting through the pavilion, shattered like floral light scattered all over his robes!

Within the small courtyard, beneath the scholar tree, the youth was draped in sunset robes, jade hanging at his waist. The grey patterns on the white jade boiled as demonic qi surged through his body, tempering it!

A total of fifteen strands of Time Qi had been infused into the "Five Animals Body Tempering Technique." It could still be further empowered, seemingly a bottomless pit without any upper limit.

His vital blood steamed and billowed. As the youth practiced the Five Animals, force arose from within his meridians, continuously driving his vital blood through his entire body!

Vaguely, his vital blood had already climbed to the late stage and was rapidly charging toward perfection.

When the sun slanted westward and heaven and earth fell completely dark—

After fifteen strands of Time Qi had been infused, the Five Animals the youth practiced finally stepped into the perfection of the first body-forging realm!

The clamor in the courtyard gradually faded. Starlight poured down upon the world from behind the dispersing twilight clouds.

The moon sank, crows cried, and frost filled the sky.

Qingbo Street, before Imperial Ancestral Temple Alley.

A luxurious carriage slowly rolled over the bluestone road. A burly coachman sat upright on the shaft, while beside him stood a lean man in black robes and a conical hat, lightly wiping a thick-backed saber in his hand.

"Will the noble really keep their word? If I kill the youth in the courtyard within this alley, they will help me safely leave Lin'an Prefecture?"

From beneath the lean man's conical hat, his face swallowed by darkness, came a slow voice.

"When a noble gives their word, it carries the weight of nine tripods. Even if you bear countless blood debts, if the noble wishes you to live, you shall naturally live."

The coachman sat upright upon the carriage shaft, reins in hand, and replied expressionlessly.

"Heh, interesting... In the noble's eyes, human lives truly vary in worth. One youth's life is worth more than all the lives on my hands. That painter's drawing nearly allowed the Black Office to capture me. Had you not helped me, I might already have been seized."

The man in the conical hat leaped down from the carriage and hoisted the thick-backed saber onto his shoulder.

"So you have come to kill this youth in order to repay a grievance with a grievance."

The coachman said faintly.

The man in the conical hat looked toward the depths of the alley.

Where starlight could not reach, darkness lay like an abyss.

The man grinned, resting the saber across both shoulders as he slowly stepped forward. Vast vital blood intertwined around him, like heat waves stirred up by a roaring furnace, surging in ceaseless currents.

"I hate this painter to the marrow as well."

"Kill him, and I will be satisfied too!"

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