When Advancing Fearlessly

Yun Qianyue.

Qin Jue's eyes flickered with surprise.

"Seventh on the Outer Prefecture Battle Rankings, truly lives up to its reputation. This demeanor is quite rare."

He nodded inwardly, but quickly collected himself. Though she was beautiful, for an old monster like him who had lived two lives, he was long past being swayed by beauty. The path of martial arts was the only true way; everything else was fleeting.

Yun Qianyue had been watching for a long time, her clear, cold eyes filled with undisguised admiration.

"Solid foundation, thorough power delivery, no wonder you can fight above your level." Yun Qianyue stopped about ten steps away from Qin Jue, her voice clear and cold, "Junior Brother Qin's swordplay is very interesting."

Qin Jue sheathed his sword, his expression calm. "Senior Sister Yun flatters me. May I ask why you are here and what guidance you have?"

She got straight to the point, without any preamble. "On the Martial Arts Stage, although your Tide Rising Sword Technique is only Mortal Tier Mid-grade, your sword momentum was continuous, and the transitions between moves were seamless and fluid, without any hesitation. This level of mastery is absolutely not what a seventeen-year-old boy should possess."

"That is a realm only an old hand who has immersed himself in the way of the sword for decades can comprehend." She looked into Qin Jue's eyes, trying to see through his inner secrets. "I am very curious, how did you, a mere teenager, achieve this?"

Qin Jue's expression was open. "Practice makes perfect."

"Practice makes perfect?" A meaningful glint flashed in Yun Qianyue's eyes. She didn't believe this explanation, but she didn't press further. Instead, she changed the subject.

"I've looked into you. You're from a collateral branch of the Qin family, with no one to rely on. Your Jade Bone Realm cultivation was likely achieved by piling up resources at the risk of your life, wasn't it?"

Her tone was calm, yet her words hit the mark.

Qin Jue did not deny it. "So what if it was?"

Yun Qianyue walked slowly to the edge of the pond, gazing at her solitary reflection in the water. She said softly, "The path of martial arts requires wealth, partners, methods, and location. You come from a collateral branch of the Qin family, lacking resources. Although I don't know what you obtained at Silver Moon Bay to break through to Hundred Refinements Fourth Layer, the road ahead will become exponentially more difficult."

"Hundred Refinements Fifth Layer's Bone Penetrating Force, Sixth Layer's fusion of muscle and bone, each step requires a massive amount of resources. Without the support of a family, relying solely on taking those academy missions, even if you risked your life, would not fill this bottomless pit. Your talent will eventually be worn away by these trivial matters."

She turned around and looked directly into Qin Jue's eyes:

"Join the Yun family and become my follower."

Qin Jue remained silent, simply looking at her, waiting for her to continue.

"I know you have some pride. Geniuses all have pride," Yun Qianyue smiled, a confidence that belonged to someone in a position of power. "But pride cannot be eaten, nor can it be used as a resource."

"I can apply to the family to provide you with three times the resources of a collateral disciple each month. My Yun family's library will be open to you, and even..."

Yun Qianyue paused, then slowly revealed a tempting offer. "My Yun family once had a peerless prodigy ancestor who researched the 'Ultimate Form' extensively. He was only half a step away from comprehending the legendary Ultimate Form. His cultivation insights are a secret art of my Yun family. As long as you agree, if you achieve merit in the future, I can make an exception for you to study them."

"Ultimate Form!"

Qin Jue's heart jolted violently.

The Ultimate Form was a must-kill strike that broke through shackles and achieved sublimation after martial skill cultivation reached its peak! It was a realm dreamed of by countless martial artists. At Qingcang Academy, the cultivation insights for the Ultimate Form were on the second or even third floor of the Myriad Scrolls Pavilion. With his current Battle Merit, he had no chance of accessing them.

It had to be said that Yun Qianyue was a very intelligent negotiator. She didn't make empty promises but laid out naked benefits on the table, each point precisely hitting the soft spots of a martial artist.

Seeing Qin Jue's silence, Yun Qianyue's gaze was resolute, and she continued to increase her offer. "If you agree, I can guarantee that a woman with excellent talent and appearance will be chosen from the collateral branches of the family and betrothed to you. In this world, wealth, partners, methods, and location are all important. My Yun family can provide you with the first three. As for 'location,' as long as your strength is sufficient, the Yun family will carve it out for you."

Resources, secret manuals, beauties.

These were conditions that any martial artist from a collateral branch, lacking resources, could not refuse. In Yun Qianyue's eyes, this was the greatest sincerity she could offer, and the only chance for Qin Jue to change his destiny.

"Are you done talking?"

Qin Jue looked at the confident Yun Qianyue and suddenly let out a light laugh.

"Senior Sister Yun, your conditions are indeed very tempting. If it were anyone else, they would probably have knelt down and thanked you by now."

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"And you?" Yun Qianyue asked.

"I refuse."

The expression on Yun Qianyue's face froze for a moment. The confident smile gradually disappeared, replaced by confusion. "Why? Is it because of that so-called self-esteem? Or do you feel ashamed of being dependent on others?"

"No."

"Senior Sister Yun, you are right, the path of martial arts is difficult and requires immense resources. But you forgot one thing."

Qin Jue raised his head, his gaze sharply piercing Yun Qianyue's mind. "Martial artists cultivate their bodies, and even more so their hearts. If one always thinks of relying on others or taking shortcuts when encountering difficulties, then this martial heart will develop a crack."

"Power borrowed is, after all, not one's own."

"If I were to depend on the Yun family for resources today, would I not have to switch allegiance tomorrow if I encountered a stronger force? In the long run, what would I, Qin Jue, be cultivating? The sword in my hand, or the knees that bow in subservience?"

Qin Jue's words were like pearls, echoing in the bamboo forest.

Yun Qianyue looked at him, her expression complex. "But you must know, without the support of a family, this path of yours will be very difficult. The Ning family will not let you go, and the Shen family is also watching you. How long can you hold them off with just yourself and your sword?"

"The competition in martial arts has always been about fighting against fate," Qin Jue said lightly, his eyes sharp. "If I were afraid of death, I would have gone home to farm long ago. Why would I cultivate martial arts?"

"As for those Ultimate Form insights..." Qin Jue paused, a powerful confidence in his tone. "The paths of our predecessors were forged by them. My path, Qin Jue's path, will be forged beneath my own feet. Why would I need to borrow from others?"

Arrogant!

This was the first word that popped into Yun Qianyue's mind. A mere boy who hadn't even reached Hundred Refinements Fifth Layer claimed he would forge a path that even their ancestors hadn't fully completed?

But looking into Qin Jue's clear eyes, her assessment of arrogance inexplicably turned into a strange sense of shock.

This young man, his heart holds not profit, nor life and death, but pure martial arts.

This kind of gaze, she had never seen in many so-called geniuses, but rather saw it in a certain senior of her family.

That senior was the same back then, his eyes only on martial arts, unmoved by external things. It's a pity...

Silence for a long time.

"Well said, 'no need to borrow from others'."

Yun Qianyue's face showed no annoyance at being rejected; instead, she smiled faintly, the excitement of meeting a worthy opponent.

"Qin Jue, I take back what I said earlier. You don't need to be my follower."

"But I hope your strength can match your arrogance. At the Outer Prefecture competition, I will go all out. Let me see how far this sword that does not bend can go."

"If you can't even get past Ning Wuque, and die along the way..."

Yun Qianyue's figure flickered, and she swiftly darted out of the bamboo forest, leaving only a cool remark to drift in the wind.

"Then it will be me, Yun Qianyue, who misjudged."

Qin Jue gazed in the direction she disappeared, his expression calm, but with a hint of admiration in his eyes.

Interesting.

This Yun Qianyue is quite a pure martial artist. She lacks the arrogance of a noble family's son, nor the demeanor of a young girl; her thoughts and desires are all about martial arts.

"The Outer Prefecture competition, huh..." he murmured to himself, fighting spirit rising in his eyes.

There are less than seven months until the competition. With his current cultivation at the peak of Hundred Refinements Fourth Layer, it is far from enough to stand out in a competition surrounded by heroes.

He needs to break through to Hundred Refinements Sixth Layer, or even higher, before the competition. Only then will he have the qualifications to fight these geniuses.

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