The Crisis of Little River Village

[The stances and moves of the Hidden Edge Saber Technique appear in your mind, and you subconsciously raise your saber, beginning to practice the technique.]

[Your understanding of the Hidden Edge Saber Technique gradually deepens. You wield the seven stances with proficiency. After a year of cultivation, your Hidden Edge Saber Technique transcends the entry level, reaching the Small Success stage.]

[After another half year of refinement, you wield the seven saber strikes with perfect ease, initially comprehending the meaning of Hidden Edge. Your Hidden Edge Saber Technique steps into the Proficient realm.]

[Seclusion] Remaining: 6 months

A gleam of light flashed in Shen Yi's eyes.

The Hidden Edge Saber Technique is indeed unique. The changes between concealment and release often catch opponents off guard, living up to its reputation as a first-rate saber technique.

According to Shen Yi's judgment, a Hidden Edge Saber Technique at the Proficient stage can barely compete with a fully mastered Wind Severing Saber Technique.

This is the fundamental manifestation of martial arts quality.

Even at the same cultivation realm, one person using a third-rate saber technique versus another using a saber move from a congenital supreme art...

The actual combat strength...

The difference is immediately apparent.

It's no wonder Shen Yi often heard storytellers in teahouses and taverns recount tales of the prodigies from those great sects, who could cross realms and defeat old monsters who had cultivated for decades longer.

On one hand, it's the difference in talent.

On the other hand, it's the difference in the quality of martial arts.

And Shen Yi often secretly reminded himself to never provoke these prodigies from great sects unless absolutely necessary.

Moreover, these people are quite easy to identify.

The Qilin Rankings, one hundred seats.

All those who can be listed on the Qilin Rankings by the Heaven's Secret Pavilion are rising stars in the jianghu with superior potential.

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

For jianghu grunts like Shen Yi, still struggling in the mud, that's another world entirely.

Qin Jianghe, seeing Shen Yi's eyes glazed over, assumed he was immersed in the profoundness of the saber technique and couldn't extricate himself. He smiled and patted Shen Yi's shoulder.

"Practicing martial arts and the saber is not a matter of a day or two."

"I will first help you memorize the saber stances, and then write down the essence of the saber technique for you to comprehend in detail in the future."

Shen Yi regained his senses, a smile appearing at the corner of his mouth:

"Lend me your saber!"

Qin Jianghe was stunned. Shen Yi had already extended his palm, his inner strength like an invisible hand, guiding the Broken Blade to clang as it left its sheath.

Shen Yi gripped it in one hand.

His figure leaped to the center of the courtyard, beginning to practice the Hidden Edge Saber Technique.

Each strike and stance was sharp and cut through the air.

Indistinguishable from Qin Jianghe's demonstration just now.

The saber light flickered around Shen Yi's body like a shadow, causing Qin Jianghe's eyes to widen. He subconsciously muttered to himself:

"This, this..."

"How is this possible?"

Amidst his astonishment, Shen Yi sheathed the saber and stood upright, the domineering saber light instantly converging within him, transforming into a calm as deep as an abyss.

Shen Yi strode towards Qin Jianghe, raised his hand, and with a whoosh, the Broken Blade flew accurately into the scabbard in Qin Jianghe's hand.

"How was it?"

In order not to scare Qin Jianghe, Shen Yi displayed the saber technique at the Small Success level, proficient and refined, but still with room for improvement.

Even so, it had already almost made Qin Jianghe's jaw drop.

Qin Jianghe was stunned for a long while, and couldn't help but exclaim:

"What a freak!"

"With your talent, I think you are comparable to those talents on the Qilin Rankings."

Then he sighed again:

"Seeing that you are already in your twenties."

"Only practicing family skills has been a delay."

Shen Yi curled his lips and continued along Qin Jianghe's words:

"That's why I came out to make a name for myself in the jianghu."

Qin Jianghe said:

"So I suggest again that you consider joining our Raging Tide Gang. We may not be comparable to those great sects with hundreds or thousands of years of inheritance."

"But within the gang, there are experts on the Earth Rankings overseeing things. Rewards are given based on merit, and there is inheritance of innate supreme arts. I can write a letter of recommendation for you to the main gang."

"The resources available to a jianghu traveler with power and influence are vastly different from those available to a solitary jianghu wanderer."

Shen Yi was silent.

What Qin Jianghe said was indeed tempting.

However, he had omitted some drawbacks that he considered insignificant.

For example, joining a faction meant being subject to rules and regulations.

And having to deal with complex interpersonal relationships.

Compared to the Raging Tide Gang, the Pacification Office was, in a sense, a larger and more top-tier sect.

But so what?

The real channels for advancement were still blocked by the likes of Niu Ben and Cui Kui, even forcing Shen Yi to violently kill and flee into the jianghu.

"Is this world already rotten?"

Shen Yi muttered to himself.

Qin Jianghe didn't hear his mutterings.

He was still waiting for his answer.

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

Thinking of the kindness of Old Jiang's family.

He couldn't help but grin.

At least, there was still genuine sentiment in the jianghu.

"I will consider it."

The next day.

Qin Jianghe was still recovering from his injuries, and Shen Yi stayed in the side room of his courtyard, pretending to practice saber techniques under his guidance.

In the eyes of the others in the Broken Blade Hall.

It was unbelievable that Qin Jianghe and Shen Yi were living and eating together, and that Qin Jianghe was even teaching Shen Yi his own saber techniques.

Zhao Qiushan, as the Law Enforcement Elder.

Had quite a few criticisms about this.

However, Qin Jianghe said that the saber technique he was teaching Shen Yi was one he had comprehended himself, and not a supreme art of the Raging Tide Gang, which silenced the gossiping mouths.

This afternoon.

Shen Yi and Qin Jianghe were practicing saber techniques in the backyard.

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

So he also humbly listened to Qin Jianghe's experience in using the saber.

After Qin Jianghe's guidance.

Shen Yi only spent another four months of cultivation time to advance the Hidden Edge Saber Technique to the Great Accomplishment realm.

[Host]Shen Yi
[Cultivation]First-Rate
[Martial Arts]Wind Severing Saber Technique (Perfect), Bone Dislocation Hand (Perfect), Array Breaker Art Fragment (Perfect), Grass Treading Flight (Perfect)
Hidden Edge Saber Technique (Great Accomplishment)
[Unique Skills]Listening Wind Slash, Water Treading Wave Step, Bone Dislocation Tendon Severing
[Cultivation]Remaining 2 months

Outside the courtyard.

Ji Chengkong and Zhao Qiushan hurriedly pushed open the door and entered, Zhao Qiushan's rough voice echoing from afar:

"Brother, something bad has happened!"

Shen Yi put away the Broken Saber.

And looked towards the entrance along with Qin Jianghe.

Zhao Qiushan's mountain-like figure, and Ji Chengkong's scholar-like thin figure appeared from the backyard entrance.

Zhao Qiushan saw the Broken Blade Hall's token in Shen Yi's hand at a glance, and couldn't help but snort coldly, but he didn't say anything.

Clearly.

This wasn't the first time he had seen it.

Moreover, with Qin Jianghe present, it was useless for him to say anything.

"What is it?"

Ji Chengkong bowed respectfully to Shen Yi, then said to Qin Jianghe, "Brother, my men have reported."

"The Whale Gang has taken advantage of your injury to expand along the Clear River. The Little River Village where you were previously stranded..."

Qin Jianghe and Shen Yi narrowed their eyes slightly.

Ji Chengkong paused, his voice somewhat somber:

"Has been slaughtered by the Yaksha Branch."

Suddenly.

A terrifying aura, the likes of which Shen Yi had never seen, erupted from Qin Jianghe.

Qin Jianghe, whose injuries were gradually improving, Finally revealed a hint of the terrifying strength of a master in the acquired realm.

"Is this true?!"

Ji Chengkong lowered his gaze, submissive:

"Still confirming, the upstream is occupied by the Whale Gang, and the brothers can't get too close."

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

"Assemble the brothers, we will reclaim the Clear River!"

Zhao Qiushan was horrified:

"Brother, your injuries haven't healed!"

"You absolutely must not act rashly now!"