Little River Village in Peril

Each move of the Hidden Edge Saber Technique appeared in your mind. You instinctively raised your saber and began practicing the technique.

Your understanding of the Hidden Edge Saber Technique gradually deepened. You had mastered all seven forms. After a year of cultivation, your Hidden Edge Saber Technique crossed the introductory stage and reached the Minor Success realm.

After another half year of tempering and refinement, you wielded the seven saber forms as easily as your own arms and fingers. You had initially grasped the intent of hidden edges, and your Hidden Edge Saber Technique entered the hall of mastery.

6 months of secluded cultivation remaining

A glint of sharp light flashed through Shen Yi's eyes.

The Hidden Edge Saber Technique was indeed unique. The shifts between release and concealment often caught opponents off guard. It truly deserved its appraisal as a First-Class Realm saber technique.

According to Shen Yi's judgment,

The Hidden Edge Saber Technique at the hall-entry realm could barely contend with the Wind Severing Blade at Great Success.

This was the fundamental manifestation of martial arts quality.

At the same First-Class Realm cultivation level, one used a Third-Rate saber technique, while the other wielded saber moves from an innate supreme art.

Their actual combat strength—

The difference was immediately clear.

No wonder Shen Yi had heard storytellers in teahouses and taverns speak of the prodigies from great sects and major factions, who could casually cross realms and defeat old monsters who had cultivated for more than a decade longer.

On one hand, there were differences in talent.

On the other, there were distinctions in the quality of martial arts.

Shen Yi often secretly reminded himself that unless necessary, he must never provoke the prodigies of those great sects and major factions.

Besides, such people were easy enough to identify.

The Qilin Rankings had one hundred places.

Anyone listed on the Qilin Rankings by Heaven's Secret Pavilion was a rising talent of the martial world with exceptional potential.

As for the lofty Heaven, Earth, and Human Rankings—

For martial-world mud-legged commoners like Shen Yi, still rolling about in the mire, they belonged to another world.

Seeing Shen Yi's unfocused gaze, Qin Jianghe assumed Shen Yi was immersed in the profound mysteries of the saber technique and unable to pull himself free. Smiling, he patted Shen Yi's shoulder.

"Practicing martial arts and training with the saber are not matters accomplished overnight."

"I'll first help you memorize the saber forms, then write out a copy of the technique's essential principles for you. You can ponder them carefully in the future."

Shen Yi came back to himself, a smile curling at his lips.

"Let me borrow the saber!"

Qin Jianghe froze. Shen Yi had already curled his palm and reached out. His inner force became like an invisible hand, drawing the broken saber from its sheath with a clang.

Shen Yi caught it one-handed.

His figure leaped into the courtyard, and he began practicing the Hidden Edge Saber Technique.

Every saber stroke and every form tore sharply through the air.

They were not the slightest bit different from Qin Jianghe's demonstration just now.

Saber light flickered around Shen Yi like shadows, making Qin Jianghe's eyes widen further and further. He muttered instinctively,

"Th-this..."

"How is that possible?"

Amid his astonishment,

Shen Yi sheathed his saber and stood still. The incomparably domineering saber light instantly drew back into his body, becoming a tranquility as still and deep as an abyss.

Shen Yi strode toward Qin Jianghe, then flicked his hand. With a swish, the broken saber flew precisely into the sheath in Qin Jianghe's hand.

"Well?"

So as not to frighten Qin Jianghe,

Shen Yi had displayed the saber technique only at the Minor Success level—proficient and condensed, yet still with room for improvement.

Even so,

It had nearly made Qin Jianghe's jaw drop.

Qin Jianghe stood stunned for a long while before sighing.

"What a monster!"

"With talent like yours, you would be no less impressive than those outstanding figures on the Qilin Rankings."

Then he sighed again.

"You look to be in your twenties already."

"Yet you only practiced your family's inherited martial arts. That truly delayed you."

Shen Yi curled his lips and followed Qin Jianghe's line of thought.

"That's why I came out to roam the martial world."

Qin Jianghe said,

"That is why I once again suggest you consider our Raging Tide Gang. Though we cannot compare to those great sects with inheritances spanning hundreds or thousands of years—"

"Our gang has Earthly Rankings experts keeping watch, and rewards are granted according to merit. We possess inheritances of innate supreme arts. I can write a letter of recommendation to the main branch on your behalf."

"The resources available to a martial wanderer with backing and a lone martial-world drifter are worlds apart."

Shen Yi fell silent.

What Qin Jianghe said was indeed tempting.

Yet Qin Jianghe had glossed over certain drawbacks that he considered insignificant.

For instance, joining a faction meant being bound by its rules.

And having to deal with complicated interpersonal relationships.

Compared to the Raging Tide Gang, the Pacification Office was, in a sense, an even more massive and more elite sect-like power.

But so what?

The true paths of advancement were still blocked solidly by people like Niu Ben and Cui Kui. They had even driven Shen Yi to rise up and kill, leaving him adrift in the martial world.

"Has this world already rotted away?"

Shen Yi murmured to himself.

Qin Jianghe did not hear him.

He was still waiting for Shen Yi's answer.

Shen Yi looked up at Qin Jianghe's sincere expression.

He thought of Old Jiang's family and their kindness.

A grin spread across his face.

At least there were still people of true temperament in the martial world.

"I'll consider it."

The next day,

Qin Jianghe was still recovering from his injuries, while Shen Yi stayed in a side room of his courtyard, putting on a show of practicing saber techniques under Qin Jianghe's guidance.

In the eyes of the others at Broken Blade Hall,

Qin Jianghe ate and lived alongside Shen Yi, and had even taught Shen Yi his own saber technique. It was simply unbelievable.

As the disciplinary elder,

Zhao Qiushan had quite a few objections to this.

However, Qin Jianghe said that what he had taught Shen Yi was a saber technique he had comprehended himself, not one of the Raging Tide Gang's supreme arts. Only then did he silence the gossiping crowd.

That afternoon,

Shen Yi and Qin Jianghe were practicing sabers in the rear courtyard.

Shen Yi discovered that with Qin Jianghe's guidance, paired with the infusion of secluded cultivation time, he could achieve twice the result with half the effort.

Thus, he humbly absorbed Qin Jianghe's experience in using the saber.

Under Qin Jianghe's guidance,

Shen Yi consumed only another four months of secluded cultivation time before pushing the Hidden Edge Saber Technique to the Great Success realm.

Host Shen Yi

Cultivation First-Class Realm

Martial Arts Wind Severing Saber Technique (Perfected), Bone Dislocation Hand (Perfected), Fragmentary Array Breaker Art (Perfected), Grass Treading Flight (Perfected)

Hidden Edge Saber Technique (Great Success)

Ultimate Skills Listening Wind Slash, Water Treading Wave Step, Bone Dislocation Tendon Severing

2 months of secluded cultivation remaining

Outside the courtyard,

Ji Chengkong and Zhao Qiushan hurriedly pushed open the door and entered. Zhao Qiushan's coarse voice rang out from afar.

"Big Brother, something's wrong!"

Shen Yi put away the broken saber.

He and Qin Jianghe looked toward the entrance together.

Zhao Qiushan's mountain-like, burly figure and Ji Chengkong's lean, scholar-like figure appeared at the rear courtyard entrance.

The moment Zhao Qiushan saw Broken Blade Hall's token in Shen Yi's hand, he could not help snorting coldly, but he said nothing.

Clearly,

This was not the first time he had seen it.

And with Qin Jianghe present, anything he said would be useless.

"What is it?"

Ji Chengkong cupped his hands toward Shen Yi in greeting, then said to Qin Jianghe, "Big Brother, the brothers under us have sent word."

"Taking advantage of your injury, the Whale Gang has been expanding along Clear River. Little River Village, where you previously ended up..."

Qin Jianghe and Shen Yi both narrowed their eyes.

Ji Chengkong paused, his voice growing somewhat heavy.

"Has already been slaughtered by the Yaksha Branch."

Abruptly,

A terrifying aura Shen Yi had never seen before rose from Qin Jianghe's body.

As Qin Jianghe's injuries gradually improved,

He finally faintly revealed the terrifying strength of an Acquired Realm expert.

"Is this true?!"

Ji Chengkong lowered his eyes respectfully.

"It is still being confirmed. The upper reaches have been occupied by the Whale Gang, so the brothers have found it difficult to get too close."

A fierce killing intent burst from Qin Jianghe's eyes, and his voice was colder than ever before.

"Gather the brothers. We will take back Clear River!"

Zhao Qiushan was horrified.

"Big Brother, your injuries have not healed!"

"You absolutely must not act rashly at a time like this!"