"Th-this... How could I accept?" Lu Ming said, holding the Grass Gliding manual.
Li Youning smiled faintly. Over the past ten days, she had secretly observed him and noticed that the light, nimble way he walked often came through.
Lu Ming really did have a talent for lightness skills!
She wasn't the only one who had noticed.
That morning, when Wu San crossed two realms in succession and displayed the power of Three Breaths Nine Breaks, she had vaguely sensed it was Shen Jue's doing. Shen Jue was trying to catch Lu Ming's attention and recruit him.
So she couldn't afford to wait any longer.
Fortunately, she had learned that Lu Ming once saved Li Hu from Wu San. That went some way toward showing her what kind of person he was.
Thinking of this, she took out another wooden box and opened it for Lu Ming to see.
Inside were six packets of medicinal powder.
Seeing the confusion in Lu Ming's eyes, she patiently explained:
"This is Qi-Nurturing Powder. Taking it invigorates your blood and greatly improves the efficiency of your training.
"One day of practice with it is worth at least two days for someone else!
"Wu San made such rapid progress because he had this medicine to help him."
Lu Ming understood. So that was why Wu San had advanced so quickly.
A spark of excitement flared in his heart. This was good stuff!
With this, he ought to be able to break into the Skin Refining realm soon!
"These are for me too?" Lu Ming asked, staring at Li Youning. "At this point, Senior Sister Li, you should tell me plainly what you need me to do. These things are so valuable that I wouldn't feel right keeping them otherwise."
At that, Li Youning sighed and said:
"To be honest, my Li Family is in a difficult position.
"Even though my cultivation is higher than yours right now, that's only because I started training when I was young. My talent has pretty much reached its limit.
"So I can't do much to help with the trouble my family is facing.
"But you're different, Junior Brother. You've only just begun.
"I only hope that if my family ever falls into trouble in the future, and you're capable of helping, you'll lend us a hand.
"After all, if you can make full use of your talent for lightness skills, you're all but certain to enter a sect.
"The status of a sect disciple is already remarkable in Red Cloud County.
"Though the top hundred disciples in the Grand Examination are all martial arts seedlings, not every martial arts seedling can enter a sect."
Lu Ming understood. What Li Youning had said was no surprise.
After a moment's thought, he said, "If it involves a threat to my life..."
"Of course I wouldn't ask you to throw your life away, Junior Brother," Li Youning replied at once.
Lu Ming finally nodded. "All right. I agree."
It wasn't only because of the Grand Examination. The appearance of demons in Red Cloud County also left him with a sense of urgency.
In this martial world, he had to do everything he could to improve his strength.
If he could learn lightness skills—or even evolve them into a divine ability—his chances of survival would improve enormously.
Qi-Nurturing Powder was something he badly needed right now too. It could make his cultivation more efficient.
In exchange for nothing more than a promise to help within his abilities, he felt these two things were well worth it.
Hearing this, Li Youning smiled, secretly letting out a sigh of relief. Whatever happened, she had done her best to recruit a somewhat talented disciple for her family.
She could only hope Lu Ming's talent for lightness skills was as strong as possible!
She turned and opened the courtyard gate.
Suddenly, her face stiffened. Two people were hurrying toward the small courtyard. The moment they saw her, they stopped short.
It was Shen Jue and Wu San!
Shen Jue really had come to recruit Lu Ming.
Shen Jue's expression shifted from surprise to gloom, then settled into a smile that didn't reach his eyes. He said:
"Beautiful Li, I remember that when I wanted Lu Ming to attend the banquet earlier, you told me not to invite him.
"So you were planning to recruit him yourself.
"We're friends. Did you really have to play such a trick? If you'd told me you wanted to recruit Lu Ming, I would've let you have him."
Li Youning's face had been a little stiff at first. At his words, anger rose in her eyes, and she couldn't help replying:
"My Li Family's decline has your Shen Family's hand behind it! Aren't you ashamed to say something so hypocritical now?"
Shen Jue narrowed his eyes slightly, his face calm.
"So you knew all along. You've kept up this charade with us for quite some time.
"But business is a battlefield! After the old master of the Li Family died, your family should have expected this day to come.
"The Li Family Bank has flourished for long enough. Its time has come to an end."
He gave a faint, cold laugh, then turned and left with Wu San.
He couldn't help thinking it was a shame.
He really had come to recruit Lu Ming.
Lu Ming was steady and had good character. If a man like that could be won over, he would be utterly loyal. He was nothing like Wu San.
Unfortunately, Li Youning had gotten to him first.
But it didn't matter. Lu Ming's cultivation talent was fairly ordinary. Even with Li Youning's help, how much could the Li Family—struggling to save itself—give him?
He wouldn't get far.
As for the talent for lightness skills they had observed, it was hard to say how great it was. After all, Lu Ming had been wandering around the Martial Arts Arena for so long, and Wei Jinlin had seen it all.
If Lu Ming's talent for lightness skills really were that exceptional, Wei Jinlin would surely have reacted by now. Since he hadn't, it must be nothing special.
Thinking this, Shen Jue's last trace of regret vanished, and he walked away calmly.
Li Youning took several deep breaths. Her expression returned to its usual coolness, and she turned to leave.
In the courtyard, Lu Ming watched Shen Jue and Li Youning walk off in opposite directions, then slowly closed the gate.
He knew nothing about the struggles between great families. All he wanted now was to work hard and improve his strength.
That night, the lamp in his room glowed like a tiny bean. Lu Ming pored over the Grass Gliding manual, studying it closely.
"Root touches no dust, leaf holds no dew. Borrow another's strength, and walk my own path..."
The Grass Gliding manual's movements were a little more complicated than the finger techniques in Bone-Unraveling Technique. He spent a full two hours silently memorizing it before he had learned it all.
"This Grass Gliding sounds like some third-rate lightness skill, but its contents are pretty good."
Lu Ming set down the manual and thought to himself that once he mastered Grass Gliding, he would be able to cross thirty zhang of grass—about a hundred meters—without touching the ground.
If he ran across solid ground, he would be even faster. Li Youning hadn't tried to fob him off with some inferior manual.
"The core idea behind Grass Gliding is the word 'borrow.' Push the borrowing of force to its limit, and even a flimsy blade of grass can support the weight of a grown man!"
Thinking of the scene when he mastered this lightness skill, Lu Ming couldn't help yearning for it. He wished he could start practicing at once.
At the same time, he still wasn't sure whether training in lightness skills could evolve into a divine ability.
His body couldn't handle any more training today. He would have to wait until tomorrow to find out.
"Whoosh!" Lu Ming blew out the candle, and darkness descended. Night had grown late. With the faint sound of blows striking wooden stakes drifting in from outside, he fell into a deep sleep.
The next morning.
He stepped out of his room looking bright and refreshed. His body had fully recovered, and he felt as though he had strength to spare.
He glanced at the Wooden Tablet Nine Palace Stakes but didn't hurry to practice the stake routine. Instead, he assumed the stance for Grass Gliding. He wanted to try training in lightness skills first!
Grass Gliding was initially practiced on level ground. Only after reaching a certain level could one practice on grass.
Drawing on his study the night before, he practiced the entry-level Grass Gliding skill.
After a long while, he finished and stood still. His thighs were aching and swollen, and he was breathing slightly hard.
Suddenly, a notification appeared on the Divine Ability Panel inside him.
[Currently evolving Leg Dao Divine Ability (1/100)...]
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