"Could this be a Treasure Map?"
Fang Han's gaze fell on the red dot.
This is very likely a Treasure Map.
The location marked by the red dot is very likely where the treasure is hidden.
The fact that this picture is placed alongside Middle-Grade Artistic Conception Sword Technique and a longsword that is most likely Spirit Weapon suggests that the treasure it points to must be of astonishing value.
What place is it?
Fang Han's gaze swept carefully across the map, but his brows gradually furrowed.
He carefully examined the mountain and river formations on the map for a long time, but could not match any of the terrain features in his mind.
"Not Qingyang Prefecture."
Fang Han had consulted a detailed map of Qingyang Prefecture and was very familiar with the terrain and landscape of the county.
The terrain on this map is completely different from that of Qingyang Prefecture.
"It's not just the surrounding counties."
Fang Han had specifically looked through the maps of East Foothills Prefecture, Songquan Prefecture, White Egret Prefecture, and Taishun Prefecture before heading to the Ancient Ruins.
The mountains and rivers on this map do not match the terrain of those counties.
"What exactly is this place?"
Fang Han muttered to himself, his brows furrowing even more deeply.
The map only shows the course of mountains and rivers and a red dot; it doesn't label any place names, so it's impossible to determine what kind of place it is.
Of course, even if it is labeled, given the differences between ancient and modern times, it would be difficult to determine which region the map belongs to based on the place names alone.
To find out which region the map refers to, we would probably have to return to our sect and examine the complete map of the 108 prefectures of the Great Chu Dynasty for comparison.
"Whoosh!"
Fang Han carefully folded the Treasure Map and placed it back into the jade box.
With a slight thought, the jade box, along with the Windshock Sword, vanished from his palm and reappeared in that hazy space.
"My darling."
Fang Han lowered his head, his gaze falling on the dark ring on the index finger of his left hand.
It is simple and unassuming, and anyone who sees it would probably think it is just an ordinary iron ring.
But this unassuming ring actually has a hidden space inside, where you can store items and carry them with you.
Such a treasure transcends the realm that martial arts can explain.
Most importantly, with this treasure, I won't have to carry a bundle all the time when I travel.
As a martial artist who moves swiftly and freely, it would be too much of a loss of image to always carry a bundle when going out.
"I wonder if I can switch to cultivating the < Great Void Wind God Sword > now?"
Fang Han withdrew his gaze from the ring and looked at the only item that hadn't been stored in his Storage Ring: the < Great Void Wind God Sword >.
Now that he knew this was a Middle-Grade Artistic Conception Sword Technique surpassing the < Void-Sundering Sword Manual >, he naturally wanted to see if he could directly switch to cultivating this higher-grade Sword Technique.
Opening the dark brown animal skin cover, Fang Han began to read it carefully, word by word.
Those ancient and profound characters transformed into streaks of sword light in his mind, flashing, colliding, and intertwining.
Those extremely complex humanoid sword patterns transformed into figures wielding swords in his mind, which he practiced, changed, and deduced.
Outside the window, the sun rose from the east to its zenith, and then gradually began to set in the west.
Fang Han remained seated cross-legged on the bed, motionless.
His gaze swept over the pages of the not-too-thick booklet.
He would linger for a long time on each page.
Sometimes he would stare at a particular sword incantation, his brows furrowed, as if deep in thought.
Sometimes he would look at a picture and trace sword moves on his knee with his fingers, simulating the variations in sword techniques.
Sometimes he closes his eyes, as if mentally rehearsing the flow of Internal Qi to power his Sword Technique.
The inn room was quiet, with only the occasional soft sound of turning pages and the faint murmur of the street outside the window.
Finally, as the last rays of the setting sun shone through the window paper into the room, Fang Han turned the last page.
He closed his eyes and slowly went through the entire book, " The Great Void Wind God Sword," in his mind from beginning to end.
Those sword techniques, those diagrams, those methods of channeling energy—everything is clearly remembered, without omission.
The 256-fold Sword Art Talent Amplification gave him a comprehension of swordsmanship that far surpassed that of ordinary people.
Even though this < Great Void Wind God Sword > was incredibly profound, he still managed to completely understand and memorize it in just one day.
However, his plan to directly switch to repairing the < Great Void Wind God Sword > failed.
" The Artistic Conception Sword Technique is different from previous Sword Technique; its difficulty is incomparable to Sword Technique of the previous ones."
Fang Han muttered to himself.
Before Artistic Conception, the cultivation of Sword Technique ultimately boils down to the fundamentals of swordsmanship and the understanding and control of "momentum".
With sufficient talent, it is indeed possible to skip lower-level techniques and directly cultivate higher-level Sword Technique.
But the Artistic Conception Sword Technique is different.
The core of cultivating the Artistic Conception Sword Technique lies in understanding and elevating the concept of " Artistic Conception ".
Comprehension of Artistic Conception is extremely difficult; even among Upper Third Grade martial artists, only a very small number are capable of grasping Artistic Conception.
The Low-Grade Artistic Conception Sword Technique is the most basic and rudimentary application of Artistic Conception.
It's like laying a foundation, gradually refining a martial artist's control over their Artistic Conception from its initial hazy state to a more condensed and mature one.
The Middle-Grade Artistic Conception Sword Technique, on the other hand, build upon this foundation, exploring and applying the Artistic Conception at a deeper level.
Without the foundation laid by Low-Grade Artistic Conception Sword Technique, it's like a tall building without a foundation—it can't be built at all.
"We must proceed step by step."
Fang Han gently exhaled a breath of stale air, a hint of relief flashing in his eyes.
There are no shortcuts on the path of the Artistic Conception Sword Technique.
One must first cultivate a Low-Grade Artistic Conception Sword Technique to a certain level, refining the Artistic Conception to be sufficiently condensed and pure, before venturing into higher-grade Artistic Conception Sword Technique.
Skipping over Low-Grade Artistic Conception Sword Technique and switching to Middle-Grade Artistic Conception Sword Technique is like trying to run before you can walk—it's not feasible.
"Perhaps in the future, when the Talent Amplification factor becomes even stronger, we can skip this step, but at least for now, it's not possible."
Fang Han closed the < Great Void Wind God Sword > and put it into his Storage Ring.
He was not discouraged. The path of martial arts is like this; there are few shortcuts.
Since I can't cultivate now, I'll first cultivate the < Void-Sundering Sword Manual > to a higher level. Once my foundation is solid enough, I can then switch to cultivating this Middle-Grade Artistic Conception Sword Technique.
"Knock knock knock!"
A knock suddenly sounded on the door.
Fang Han opened the door, and Chen Wanjun was standing outside.
"We obtained quite a few good things from those dead disciples of the Thunderlight Pavilion and Crimson Flame Sect; this is your share."
Upon seeing Fang Han, Chen Wanjun handed him a sword and a Cloth Pouch, saying Fang Han...
Despite the rush of time, the act of murder and looting corpses was certainly not forgotten.
However, due to the time constraints, there was no time to divide them up, so he kept them all in one place.
"Thank you very much, Vice Hall Master Chen, for bringing this."
Fang Han reached out and took it.
The sword should be the weapon of the deceased Xue Yuanlang. As First Grade martial artist, Xue Yuanlang's weapon was of a high grade, most likely a Medium Grade Dharma Weapon, even higher than the Cloud -Cloudsplitter Sword he possessed.
However, now that he possesses a weapon obtained from Ancient Ruins, which appears to be Spirit Weapon, there is no need for him to keep it.
Once we return to the sect, we can directly Recharge it into the System Panel.
The Cloth Pouch was quite heavy, indicating that they had received a lot of good stuff, since the deceased disciples of the Thunderlight Pavilion and Crimson Flame Sect had just emerged from the Ancient Ruins.
It's getting late, so I won't bother you any longer.
Chen Wanjun nodded slightly and left.
Fang Han closed the door, returned to the room, and took the contents of the Cloth Pouch out and placed them on the table in the room.
There are two kinds of items: one is contained in a jade bottle, and the other is contained in a jade box.
" Heaven Origin Pill."
There are 10 jade bottles in total, all of them are the same, and each bottle is engraved with the three ancient characters " Heaven Origin Pill ".
The Heaven Origin Pill is an extremely precious cultivation aid, even more effective than the Earth Spirit Pill Danyao.
Legend has it that the method of refining it has been lost, and now it can only be obtained from Ancient Ruins.
This kind of good stuff is perfect for him now that he has broken through to the Upper Third Grade. If he uses this kind of Danyao to cultivate, it will definitely greatly increase his cultivation speed.
"Rare and precious materials"
There are two jade boxes, and if I'm not mistaken, they should contain some kind of rare and precious materials.
Fang Han opened the first jade box and found a ginseng inside, its size comparable to the Millennium Ginseng ginseng he had once obtained.
" Millennium Ginseng."
Clearly, this is a Millennium Ginseng that is rumored to be able to "bring the dead back to life and heal flesh and bones."
Of course, the actual effect shouldn't be that exaggerated; the dead can't be brought back to life, but those on the verge of death should still be able to be saved.
He had previously acquired a plant, which he Recharge to his System Panel to increase his Talent Amplification multiplier.
For him now, a single rare and precious herb is far from enough to increase his Talent Amplification multiplier.
Therefore, he did not intend to add this plant to the System Panel, but rather to keep it for life-saving purposes.
" Longevity Fruit."
Fang Han opened the second jade box and found a wrinkled fruit lying inside.
Recalling records about rare and precious materials, Fang Han recognized that this should be a Longevity Fruit.
Longevity Fruit, a rare and precious herb that can add 10 years to one's lifespan.
It's something he doesn't need right now, but he also doesn't plan to Recharge into the System Panel.
It would be a waste to put such Recharge herbs into the System Panel; we can save them for our parents to use later.
"These are all good things, we really have to thank Thunderlight Pavilion and Crimson Flame Sect!"
Fang Han swept his Storage Ring and collected all the jade bottles and boxes.
Both the Heaven Origin Pill and the two rare and precious herbs are extremely valuable. To avoid losing them, it's best to store them in your Storage Ring.
As long as no one else is hurt, the item cannot possibly be stolen.
Storage Ring are really great things.
Two days later, at dawn.
Fang Han awoke from his cultivation, opened his eyes, and a flash of shrewdness appeared in them.
After two days of rest, his wounds had mostly scabbed over. Although they still ached slightly, they no longer hindered his journey.
His internal Internal Qi is abundant, and he has recovered to his peak condition.
After a quick wash and changing into a clean blue robe, Fang Han hung the Cloudsplitter Sword at his waist and pushed open the door to go out.
Downstairs in the lobby, Chen Wanjun, Luo Yuntian, and the others had already arrived.
Everyone looked much better than they had two days ago; their faces no longer showed signs of fatigue, and their wounds had all been treated properly.
"Is everyone here?"
Chen Wanjun glanced at everyone and nodded slightly.
"Set off."
The group left the inn, departed Plain Valley City, and headed towards the Azure Profound Sect along the official road.
As the morning light streamed down, it bathed the fields on both sides of the official road in a warm golden hue.
The early summer breeze carries the fresh scent of grass and trees, as well as the fragrance of earth.
Smoke curls from the distant village chimneys, and the sounds of chickens and dogs can be faintly heard.
Fang Han walked in the middle of the group with a relaxed pace. The rest he had taken these past two days had greatly improved his condition.
After traveling for about an hour, the outline of a small town could be vaguely seen beside the official road ahead.
The town is small, built against a low hill, with about a hundred households, their houses decorated with blue tiles and white walls, arranged in a pleasing, staggered pattern.
At the entrance to the town stands a stone archway inscribed with the three characters " Clear Creek Town ".
"There's trouble in the town ahead!"
However, even from afar, Fang Han had already noticed the unusual nature of the town.
A strong stench of blood wafted through the town.
The stench of blood was so strong that it could be clearly smelled even from a considerable distance.
Mixed in with it was the distinctive fishy, foul odor of demons.
"There's a smell of blood and the aura of demons inside."
Fang Han frowned slightly as he fully activated the Thousand-Mile Soul Lock, sensing the situation in the town.
The town not only has the aura of demons, but there is more than one.
"Hurry up, let's go into town and take a look."
Chen Wanjun's expression darkened slightly.
The group used their movement Body Movement to quickly run towards the town, and soon arrived at it.
The scene in the town caused everyone's expressions to darken simultaneously.
More than a dozen corpses lay scattered across the street.
There were men and women, old and young, all dead in gruesome ways, their bellies ripped open, as if they had been torn apart by some wild beast.
Blood soaked the bluestone pavement.
The houses on both sides had broken doors and windows, and collapsed walls, as if they had been hit by a huge force.
Some houses also contained corpses, who had been mauled to death.
"Damn monster."
Luo Yuntian spoke in a low voice, his voice filled with suppressed anger.
Fang Han didn't speak, but his gaze swept over the corpses, his expression solemn.
"Whoosh--!"
Just then, a huge black shadow rushed out from the depths of the town.
It was a monster that resembled a wild boar, but was several times larger than an ordinary wild boar.
It was nearly ten feet tall at the shoulders, covered in dark gray mane, with blood-red eyes and spear-like fangs that gleamed with a ghostly white luster.
The fangs were still covered with bits of flesh and blood, clearly indicating that it had just been gnawing on a corpse.
"It's a pig demon!"
With a low shout, Mad Butcher drew his giant sword.
However, Fang Han was faster than him.
The Cloudsplitter Sword was drawn, its light flashing.
A condensed cyan Sword Qi shot out from the sword, instantly traversing a distance of more than ten zhang, directly slashing at the pig demon.
The pig demon didn't even have time to react before it was struck by the Sword Qi.
"Puff--!"
Blood spurted out.
The boar demon's massive body was severed cleanly at the neck, its head flying high into the air. The headless corpse, propelled by inertia, took two more steps forward before crashing to the ground.
Blood gushed out like a spring, soaking the bluestone pavement.
One sword, and he was killed.
This pig demon was only equivalent to a Seventh Rank martial artist; it couldn't even withstand a single move from Fang Han.
"Besides."
Fang Han sheathed his sword and looked toward the depths of the town.
He sensed that the presence of a demon still lingered there.
The group continued their journey into the town.
Next, they encountered two more monsters.
One resembled a giant wolf, and the other a giant python; neither was particularly strong, with the most powerful being only equivalent to a sixth-rank martial artist.
Luo Yuntian and Yun Muyao each made their moves and easily killed them.