A New Journey

The next morning, Neeko got up early and then shoved Jia Ruo awake.

She couldn't wait to pack their belongings, even the bear hide they were currently lying on, she wanted to take it all.

The origin of this massive bear hide was quite thrilling, Jia Ruo recalled.

The owner of this bear hide was encountered by him and Yi a few days ago:

At that time, a brown bear, which hadn't accumulated enough fat for winter, ferociously attacked Jia Ruo.

Yi intended to let him gain some combat experience, so he didn't intervene, merely tossing You Meng to Jia Ruo.

That bear looked truly robust, standing over two and a half meters tall, its swinging paws powerful.

As Jia Ruo, in his first real combat, could only desperately dodge.

"Haa... haa..."

Jia Ruo panted, though he had completely mastered the basic sword techniques Yi had taught him, applying them in actual combat was an entirely different matter.

The brown bear's hide was thick and tough. Although You Meng was incredibly sharp, if it didn't hit a vital spot and got stuck in the bear's muscles and fat, he would have no chance of turning the tables.

Jia Ruo pondered.

Moreover, his breathing was already disordered, and he needed to find an opening quickly.

His current stamina couldn't compare to a wild bear; his only advantages were his agile physique and a smarter brain.

"Roar!"

The brown bear lunged again. Already ferocious, its attacks were repeatedly dodged by Jia Ruo.

It became even angrier now.

Now!

The moment Jia Ruo brushed past the brown bear, he thrust You Meng into its neck.

Just like a bullfighter in Spain.

With a thwack, You Meng, enveloped in purple light, drew out a large gush of steaming blood.

Although this strike didn't hit the trachea, it severed the main blood vessels in the brown bear's neck, and blood poured out incessantly.

Next, Jia Ruo only needed to evade its death throes to achieve victory.

However, at this very moment, Yi moved.

Another streak of light flashed, and the brown bear's head landed on the ground.

"A very precise sword strike," Yi commented. "You've won. I'll let it suffer less; you don't mind, do you?"

"I couldn't ask for more, Master."

Jia Ruo panted, catching his breath.

Even with Yi by his side, he dared not be careless in such a life-or-death struggle.

This tense battle had almost drained his Vitality.

Jia Ruo called over the Hunters from a nearby village.

The Hunters dismembered the Brown Bear, carefully skinning it whole—they continuously praised Jia Ruo and Yi's formidable skills, noting how they hadn't damaged the hide.

The remaining bear meat was also given to the Hunters. Those five strong men had to make several trips back and forth.

In exchange, the Hunters took the bear hide back to the village for tanning and stretching.

It took two days for them to produce the finished product in hand, which now served as their bedding against the cold.

When Jia Ruo came to his senses, Neeko had already packed a bulging bundle.

This bear hide took up more than half the space. The rest consisted of nine Golden Siren Coins, and several sets of winter clothes, seasonings, and a small iron pot, all exchanged for one Golden Siren Coin in the nearby village.

Neeko patted the bundle contentedly and, along with Jia Ruo, approached the Sword Saint.

"Are you ready?"

Yi emerged from Meditation and landed softly. "Then let's go."

And so, the three of them set off towards the northern reaches of Ionia, in search of Wukong.

Along the way, while Jia Ruo marveled at Ionia's breathtaking, divinely crafted landscapes, he also began his true cultivation of the Wuji Dao.

Yi taught him a complete set of techniques, including control over breathing rhythm, footwork variations, and the true Wuji Sword Style.

More importantly, Yi guided Jia Ruo's Mana through a very peculiar circulation within his body.

"This is like a farmer digging ditches to channel water from a river to irrigate crops," Yi explained.

"Remember this route of Mana flow. It will help you carve out Mana channels within your muscles, further nourishing your Vitality. You can also call this opening up your Meridians."

From that day on, Jia Ruo finally truly touched upon extraordinary skills.

Days turned into weeks. Yi guided Jia Ruo through two more circulations.

The process was extremely intricate. Even with his comprehension amplified by the fragments, Jia Ruo barely managed to memorize all the details of the circulation.

He felt something within his body unfurling as his Mana continuously circulated.

The Mana then surged into those places resembling leaf veins.

For the first time, he became aware of Meridians, something he had only heard of in martial arts novels.

As the Mana circulated, the opened Meridians slowly expanded, and the Mana further nourished the Vitality within his Sinew Bone and muscles.

"Good. Once you've opened all your Meridians, you'll be able to Meditate like me. By then, both expanding your Meridians and increasing your Vitality will become much faster."

Yi looked at Jia Ruo with satisfaction.

This kid's talent was indeed excellent. If he could persevere and practice diligently, learning to Meditate would happen very soon.

Jia Ruo walked while urging the circulation of his Mana. His physical condition had finally seen significant progress after learning the Wuji cultivation technique. Both his strength and speed far surpassed his previous self.

This also accelerated his progress in practicing the Wuji Sword Style.

Jia Ruo's progress pleased Yi greatly, and he decided to impart some deeper insights to Jia Ruo.

"Jia Ruo, the profound truth of the Wuji Sword Style is to unite your will with the sword in your hand."

"Watch carefully."

After speaking, Yi drew his sword and slashed at a rock by the roadside. He didn't use the flowing sword techniques from before; this time, he wanted to demonstrate for Jia Ruo.

Jia Ruo saw Yi's sword hovering above the rock. Before it even touched, a deep sword mark had already appeared on the stone.

"Concentrated will can shatter stubborn rock."

Yi sheathed his sword.

Jia Ruo seemed to have gained some understanding.