Dragon Battle in the Wild, Slightly Strengthened Fearlessness, Dao Fruit Self-Feedback

An Le returned to the courtyard, naturally unaware of the old man with a bamboo staff who had appeared on the street, nor that the old man was concerned about his safety and life.

In the courtyard, Hu Jingang's corpse lay on the ground, blood flowing.

An Le watched for a while, his expression unchanged, his inner turmoil from killing for the first time now as calm as still water.

He didn't regret killing. Since he had come to this world and stepped into cultivation, just as Captain Huang had told him, he had to learn to kill. If you don't kill, you will be killed.

The cultivation world could be seen as a different kind of Jianghu. Cultivators, big and small, were like beads, and the various grievances and affections were the threads. When the wind blew, this Jianghu would ripple like a bead curtain, and the beads, wanting peace, could not find it.

Sitting on a chair, with half a pot of old yellow wine left on the table and only three taels of pork head meat picked at, An Le took new chopsticks. A candle stand was placed on the table, its dim light illuminating the dark courtyard.

The clear night was dustless, the moonlight like silver.

When pouring wine, fill it to the brim.

An Le drank wine and ate meat, accompanied by the spring night, the stars, the candlelight, the old locust tree, and the headless corpse in the courtyard.

Tonight, he figured the old man from the Imperial Ancestral Temple wouldn't come, but given the other party's status, his promise of the sword would surely be kept.

An Le was not in a hurry. After finishing the wine and meat, he tidied up, picked up the candle stand, and returned to the house.

Sitting cross-legged on the bed, he first reviewed the battle with Hu Jingang tonight.

Although the battle had been one-sided, it was An Le's first solo confrontation with a cultivator. After several replays, An Le switched perspectives, putting himself in Hu Jingang's shoes to consider how he would have responded.

This kind of review was quite interesting.

[Fearless Heart (Dao Fruit): Dragon Battle in the Wild, Victory, Slightly Strengthened Fearlessness, Dao Fruit Self-Feedback]

A line suddenly appeared on the screen in front of him.

Then, a stream of clear energy seemed to spread, moving like a dragon and snake, from the top of his head to the soles of his feet, from his palms to his heart meridian.

An Le felt his Blood Essence grow a little stronger, vaguely on the verge of entering his bones – a precursor to forging Spirit Bones.

His mind, having just entered Fetal Respiration, was also stable and unbreakable!

After a brief moment of surprise, An Le realized the effect of the Fearless Heart Dao Fruit: it could break through tribulations, strengthen fearlessness, and feed back into cultivation. This time, Hu Jingang was a minor tribulation, hence the slight strengthening of fearlessness.

This "slight" was indeed subtle. His already complete Blood Essence was pushed forward a little, bringing him closer to forging Spirit Bones, and his mind was also a bit more condensed. It was truly a slight increase, equivalent to him practicing the Five Animals technique more than ten times. It wasn't bad.

An Le smiled. The battle today had stirred his emotions, making it difficult to calm down.

Instead of continuing to practice the Five Animals, he began to visualize the Sword Waterfall Diagram, combining it with the Dao Fruit that had transformed into Innate Swordsman, to temper his mind.

On the candle stand, the flame flickered, illuminating the surging light and darkness within the room.

The long night was not yet over.

The carriage returned to a secluded manor in Quiet Street.

The burly coachman removed his bamboo hat and got off the carriage shaft. His legs felt a little weak, and he almost couldn't stand. The threat of that sword intent made him feel lingering fear.

However, he calmed his startled heart and walked towards the manor with its winding corridors and flowing streams.

The sky was filled with stars, and the silver moon was like a plate.

In the courtyard, a chill pervaded. A figure in scholarly robes sat in the center of the courtyard, bathed in moonlight and starlight. The water in the pond was cut open, and small swords floated in the water, with strands of sword qi crisscrossing, like a great dragon drawing water, pouring down from above the figure's head to rinse him.

It was an attempt to wash away the gloomy sword intent that reflected in his Dao heart.

With a crisp "ding," the small swords suspended above the pond were all repelled by a mysterious force, creating splashes of water on the pond's surface.

Ripples spread and gradually subsided.

Luo Qingchen opened his eyes, a bead of sweat on his forehead. A fleeting look of pain flashed in his eyes before he got up and walked out of the pavilion, wiping away the sweat.

"Is it handled?"

Luo Qingchen asked indifferently.

The coachman, however, lowered his head, unsure how to answer.

"Failed?" Luo Qingchen raised an eyebrow. Seeing the coachman's expression, he knew it had likely failed.

"Wasn't this Hu Jingang at the peak of opening Qi and Blood? Coupled with his ferocity and decisive killing, how could he not even kill a young boy who had just started cultivating?"

Luo Qingchen sat on a round chair carved from rockery in the pavilion. The table was also carved and polished from rockery, with a tea set on it. A charcoal stove nearby was boiling water, emitting a whimpering sound.

He slowly brewed a cup of black tea, picked it up, blew away the rising heat from the surface of the tea, and was about to bring it to his lips.

"Master, that young man... his Spirit Refinement has already reached Fetal Respiration, and his Blood Essence has been opened to its peak. Hu Jingang was no match for him."

The coachman said in a deep voice.

The cup of tea that Luo Qingchen had not yet drunk froze.

He turned his head, his brows furrowed, staring at the coachman, his voice rising slightly: "His Spirit Refinement has reached Fetal Respiration? And his Blood Essence is also at its peak?"

"Are you sure?"

The coachman cupped his fist and bowed, "That young man severed Hu Jingang's head and threw it to me. Then he drew his saber at me. His Blood Essence showed some signs, indeed reaching its peak. As for his mind... I felt a subtle pressure, which confirmed it was Fetal Respiration."

Luo Qingchen put down the teacup and narrowed his eyes.

"Spirit Refinement talent? No wonder Madam Hua is protecting him on his cultivation path... his Spirit Refinement speed is indeed extraordinary."

"However, it's also possible that Madam Hua gifted him a Spirit Refinement magical artifact. This young man is likely a Juren scholar participating in the Spring Imperial Examination in Lin'an, right? It seems Madam Hua wants to use this young man to break the deadlock, helping him achieve a high rank in the Spring Imperial Examination, participate in the Palace Examination, and with a slim chance, obtain the Calm the Waves."

Luo Qingchen smiled and surmised.

He only began his cultivation enlightenment at eighteen. How could he possibly achieve Entering Samadhi and then Fetal Respiration in such a short period? He must have received external assistance.

Fetal Respiration in three days... even he, Luo Qingchen, was far from achieving that.

Since An Le had Madam Hua's favor, Luo Qingchen naturally assumed Madam Hua was the one assisting An Le.

"Keep watching him. We can't make a move on him for now. Since Hu Jingang failed to kill him this time due to a fortuitous opportunity, it will be difficult to find such a good chance again."

"However, it's not a big problem. Using external forces for Fetal Respiration is like pulling up seedlings to help them grow; it damages the foundation of one's cultivation. This young man has undoubtedly ruined his future in cultivation."

Luo Qingchen said dismissively.

The coachman glanced at Luo Qingchen and remained silent.

The confidence, the arrogance, the unrestrained spirit displayed when the young man threw Hu Jingang's head... it didn't seem like someone whose future was ruined.

"But we do need to pay attention to this young man. Madam Hua Jiebing is putting so much effort into nurturing him, perhaps she harbors a hope for the Palace Examination. I need to visit Prime Minister Qin's manor and mention this to Young Master Qin. We can start by targeting the young man's future prospects, crushing his ambition to rank high in the imperial examinations, and making the Lin family give up hope. I'm sure Young Master Qin would be very willing."

"In this year's Spring Imperial Examination, geniuses cultivated by various factions are all being put forward to compete. It's a struggle on another level. To rank high in the imperial examinations is extremely difficult, but since the young man is connected to the Lin family, it's never wrong to be prepared."

Luo Qingchen thought for a moment and said.

The coachman nodded. His master was indeed very cautious.

Although he also felt that a young man who had just achieved Entering Samadhi and then Fetal Respiration, without external help, was too monstrous, and this young man only started his enlightenment at eighteen, he couldn't be more monstrous than his master, right?

As for whether the young man was a monster.

He was just a coachman, so he wouldn't worry about it.

Lin'an, Ye Manor.

A grand banquet was in full swing, brightly lit, with clinking glasses and flowing wine and exquisite dishes, exuding fragrance and splendor.

However, at the banquet table, only women were seated; there wasn't a single man.

At the head of the table sat a woman of great dignity and wealth, dressed in equally luxurious attire. She smiled serenely, as if capable of melting the ice of a cold winter.

Beside the woman was the stunningly beautiful Madam Hua.

Madam Hua was engaged in a pleasant conversation with the dignified woman when suddenly, Madam Hua's expression shifted. She seemed to sense something and looked towards the direction of Imperial Ancestral Temple Alley.

Since she had said she would light a green lamp for An Le on his cultivation path and protect him, she had naturally left behind some means. If An Le encountered danger, she would be able to sense it.

This sensation came and went quickly, indicating that An Le might have encountered a battle, but no experts far exceeding his realm had intervened, so she didn't need to help.

Protecting the path was one thing, but not every hardship needed to be smoothed over. Most hardships had to be overcome by the young man himself for him to grow.

Returning to her senses, Madam Hua raised her wine goblet and drank a toast with the dignified woman.

"Sister Jiebing, I know why you've come to find me, and I will naturally help you with this matter. However, my ability to help is limited. During the Palace Examination, I can accompany you into the Grand Xuan Palace under the guise of my noble title. But if you wish to retrieve Eldest Brother's Calm the Waves, I cannot assist much."

The dignified woman said gently with a smile.

Madam Hua's eyes flickered with emotion upon hearing this. She knew this was the greatest promise the woman could offer.

Madam Ye knew her purpose for entering the Grand Xuan Palace, yet she still made this promise.

"Sister Jiebing, actually, to retrieve Eldest Brother's Calm the Waves, you should find a distinguished talent who can rank high in the Spring Imperial Examination, and do your utmost to win in the Palace Examination to be rewarded with Calm the Waves," Madam Ye, the dignified woman, said with a hint of confusion.

Madam Hua, however, shook her head and sighed, "Sister, do you think my Lin family can find such a heavenly prodigy to help us? Those distinguished talents already have affiliations behind them. If my Lin family seeks help, we will inevitably be controlled by various factions..."

"Therefore, Jiebing is unwilling to rely on any distinguished talent."

Madam Hua said frankly, and Madam Ye nodded, indicating she understood. "Then has Sister Jiebing never considered cultivating a talented individual who can rank high in the imperial examinations with the Lin family's resources?"

"Sister, you jest. Although the Lin family is a family of military merit, their foundation is far inferior to that of the Academy of Literature or the Temple of Martial Arts. Moreover, to rank high in the imperial examinations, one must also be able to win the championship in the Palace Examination. Talent and cultivation are indispensable. How can the Lin family easily cultivate such a prodigy?"

Madam Hua said with a wry smile.

For some reason, as soon as she finished speaking, the figure of a young man suddenly flashed through her mind.