More than a month later, early morning.
Fang Han in the center of the Cultivation Ground in the courtyard, the hem of his green robe fluttering gently in the morning breeze.
He took a deep breath, and the mantra of the " Wind-Chasing Moon-Pursuing Steps " flowed slowly through his mind.
The next moment--
He moved.
"Whoosh!"
The figure in the green robe flashed across the Cultivation Ground, so fast that it left only a blurry afterimage in its place.
In the blink of an eye, they appeared at the base of the east wall.
His body had barely solidified when his toes touched the ground again.
She was like a willow catkin swept up by a strong wind, silently turning to the north.
The transitions were seamless, the Break the Wind almost inaudible.
"Shuashuashua--"
A blue shadow flickered rapidly in the courtyard.
Sometimes it would dart across the courtyard like lightning, covering the distance from east to west in a single breath; other times it would suddenly stop and rise again, materializing under the old locust tree before vanishing just as abruptly.
His steps became faster and more fluid.
The branches and leaves of those old locust trees rustled in the strong wind, and countless tiny leaves swirled and fell.
Before it even touched the ground, it was swept up again by that invisible current, leaving a pale green trail behind it.
Fang Han could clearly sense that a subtle connection was emerging between the Wind Concept and the Body Movement.
The connection was still unstable, like a very thin thread swaying uncertainly in the wind, yet it already existed in reality.
The Wind Concept and the Body Movement clearly show signs of integration, and the progress compared to a little over a month ago is enormous.
The sun gradually rose higher and then gradually set.
The sunlight filtering through the branches and leaves of the old locust tree moved slowly across the ground, shifting from the east side of the courtyard to the west.
Fang Han showed no signs of fatigue, practicing the " Wind-Chasing Moon-Pursuing Steps " over and over again.
The methods of channeling energy are already deeply ingrained in my mind and have become second nature. What I lack now is to integrate the Wind Concept into my Body Movement.
He could sense that the Wind Concept was almost integrated into his Body Movement, and he was very close to Beginner stage this incomplete Middle-Grade Artistic Conception Body Movement.
It's like looking through a very thin layer of paper; the scenery on the other side is already vaguely visible. Just break through that layer, and everything will suddenly become clear.
Several hours later, Fang Han stopped moving and landed in the courtyard.
A fine layer of sweat beaded on his forehead, and his breathing was slightly rapid, but his eyes revealed an irrepressible joy.
"Only one crucial opportunity is needed to Beginner stage."
Fang Han muttered to himself.
He walked to the veranda, picked up the teapot that had long since gone cold, poured himself a cup of tea, and drank it all in one gulp.
The coolness of the Tea slid down my throat and into my stomach, suppressing my fatigue.
Two days later, early in the morning.
In the courtyard, the branches and leaves of the old locust tree gleamed with a moist sheen in the hazy morning light.
Fang Han in the center of the courtyard, his breathing long and even.
The Wind Concept flowed slowly around him, probing, approaching, and merging with the techniques of Body Movement manipulation in an indescribable way.
At a certain moment--
"Buzz..."
A soft hum, perceptible only to himself, resounded from the depths of his soul.
The sound was extremely soft, yet it seemed to open an invisible door.
In an instant, the Wind Concept and the footwork of the Body Movement merged perfectly together in an unprecedented way.
The Wind Concept was no longer an external thing surrounding him, but had become one with his footsteps, his internal Internal Qi, and even his every breath.
He moved.
"Whoosh--"
The movement was so fast that even he was caught off guard.
From the east side of the courtyard to the west side, it was almost an instant.
What would normally require two turns to complete a change of direction can now be accomplished in a single step.
Its speed was several times faster than the Perfection Realm < Wind God Step >, leaving only a faint blue shadow in the air, as if it had merged with the wind.
"< Wind-Chasing Moon-Pursuing Steps >, Beginner stage."
Fang Han at the foot of the west wall of the courtyard, stopped, and slowly exhaled.
He carefully savored the changes brought about by the breakthrough.
The speed increased several times over.
His speed Body Movement had already subtly surpassed that of ordinary grandmasters before, and now that he Beginner stage < Wind-Chasing Moon-Pursuing Steps >, he far surpasses ordinary grandmasters.
If he were to encounter that master-level assassin from the Dark Abyss again, even just by running, he could easily shake him off, and the assassin wouldn't be able to harm him in the slightest.
"It's time to go back!"
Fang Han's gaze fell on the outline of the continuous mountain range outside the city, and the longing to return home that had been suppressed in his heart suddenly became strong.
It has been more than four months since I left Azure Profound Sect.
With strength and Body Movement surpassing ordinary grandmasters, the grandmaster-level assassins of the Dark Abyss no longer posed a threat, and he couldn't wait to return to his sect.
The thought had been there for a moment, and he couldn't suppress it. If it weren't for the fact that it was already nearing evening, he would have set off to return today.
In the evening, on the second floor of River-Gazing Tower, Fang Han found a seat by the window and sat down.
The waiter hurried over, and Fang Han ordered a few dishes, adding as the waiter turned away:
"Starting tomorrow, there's no need to deliver meals to my hospital anymore."
The waiter was slightly taken aback, then bowed and agreed:
Yes, sir.
The dishes were served quickly, and Fang Han picked up his chopsticks and began to eat slowly.
Four men dressed as martial artists were sitting at the next table, eating, drinking, and talking.
One of them, with a sallow complexion, picked up his wine glass, took a swig, and said in a low voice:
"The most exciting thing recently has been the competition for Starry Ink Jade. Many pieces of Starry Ink Jade have changed hands several times, and the struggle is fierce."
"Many forces are searching for the middle-aged man who obtained the Starry Ink Jade the size of a human head, but he hasn't been found yet."
"Didn't find it?"
A short, stout man at the same table put down his chopsticks, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.
"Multiple top-tier forces have been searching for almost two months, and there's still no news?"
"Not a single clue. I heard that the top powers sent many people to gather information, but they haven't even caught a glimpse of it."
The man, his face sallow, put down his wine glass and lowered his voice even further.
Another elderly man in gray at the table pondered for a moment before slowly speaking:
"That person seems to have vanished into thin air. He stole the goods and never showed his face again. Could he have been secretly eliminated?"
"I don't think so. Even if they had been found and eliminated, it's unlikely that there wouldn't have been a sound about it."
The man, with a sallow complexion, shook his head.
The middle-aged man in the green robe, who had remained silent until now, suddenly put down his wine cup, his voice neither loud nor soft:
"I have heard a different story."
All eyes fell on him at the same time.
The middle-aged man in the green robe picked up his wine cup, took a sip, and said slowly:
"A martial artist who saw that person in the Misty Forest said that the person's face... was somewhat stiff."
"Stiff?"
The short, stout man frowned.
"What's the meaning?"
"It means that the person's face might not be their real face."
The middle-aged man in the green robe put down his wine cup.
"They either wore Human Skin Mask or used some kind of disguise, which is why those top forces have been searching for almost two months without finding a trace of them."
Upon hearing this, the others at the table suddenly understood.
The man with the sallow complexion slapped his thigh:
"I see, no wonder I couldn't find it no matter how hard I looked."
The old man in gray seemed to be deep in thought:
"If he has really disguised himself, then he will indeed be hard to find. He can just take off his mask and hide somewhere, who would recognize him?"
The short, fat man clicked his tongue:
"No wonder, almost two months have passed and we still haven't found a trace of him. This guy is a seasoned veteran; he's very cautious in his actions."
Fang Han paused slightly in the hand holding the wine glass, then resumed his normal posture.
He picked up a piece of meat and put it in his mouth, chewing slowly, his face expressionless, but inwardly he was on high alert.
The disguise mask was discovered to be problematic.
Although he had expected this, the fact that it was actually revealed still made him wary.
Fortunately, it was just that his disguise was exposed; it didn't mean they could find him that way.
"Bill, please."
Fang Han put down his chopsticks, placed a piece of broken silver on the table, got up, picked up his sword, and went downstairs.
Dusk was gradually enveloping the city, and the shops along the street were lighting up one after another.
He blended into the crowd and walked along the street towards the north of the city.
Back in the courtyard, he turned the door latch shut, went to the main room, and began packing his luggage.
There weren't many things, just a few changes of clothes, which he put into his Storage Ring.
To prevent theft, the Danyao used for daily cultivation, as well as the Starry Ink Jade the size of a human head, were always stored directly in the Storage Ring after each use.
the next day.
Fang Han left Misty City early in the morning.
He didn't wear a disguise mask, since the identity the mask concealed was now in considerable trouble, even more troublesome than his own.
"Whoosh!"
Fang Han determined the direction and used his Body Movement to rush towards Qingyang Prefecture.
The figure in the green robe swiftly darted along the official road, the wind whistling past his ears.
Beginner stage the " Wind-Chasing Moon-Pursuing Steps " technique, and his speed was astonishing.
A few days later, Fang Han had already left the Central Thirty-Six Prefectures.
As dusk fell, the outline of a small town emerged at the end of the road.
The city wall wasn't high, but it was fairly well-maintained, casting long shadows in the setting sun.
The stone plaque above the city gate is inscribed with three characters: River City ).
Fang Han looked up at the sky; it was almost dusk, and if they continued on their journey, they would have to spend the night in the wilderness.
He strode toward the city gate.
There weren't many pedestrians at the city gate, and the guards leaned against the gate opening, yawning listlessly.
Fang Han followed several other people entering the city through the gate. Among the city guards, a lean-faced city guard with high cheekbones was lazily scanning the people entering the city.
His gaze swept over Fang Han, but it was just a perfunctory glance before he looked away, showing no sign of anything unusual.
But after Fang Han left, he quietly retreated into the sentry post behind the city gate.
The guard post was dimly lit, and several soldiers resting after their shift were playing dice around a broken table.
The lean soldier walked to a corner, took out a palm-sized portrait from his pocket, and carefully examined it for a moment.
The portrait depicts a handsome young man whose features bear a striking resemblance to those of the person who had just entered the city.
His pupils contracted slightly. He tucked the portrait back into his pocket, quickly exited through the back door of the sentry post, and jogged along the alleyway at the foot of the city wall.
A moment later, he stopped in front of an inconspicuous general store in the city, pushed open the back door, and went inside.
In the back room of the grocery store, a tall, thin man with an ordinary face was sitting behind a table drinking tea.
Upon seeing the visitor, he put down his teacup and asked:
"What is it?"
" Fang Han was found in River City, just after entering the city."
The lean soldier lowered his voice.
The tall, thin man paused slightly, a glint of shrewdness flashing in his otherwise unremarkable eyes.
He stood up and asked seriously.
"Did you see it clearly?"
"Look carefully, there's no mistake."
The lean soldier nodded vigorously.
"Very good. If it is confirmed to be true, you will certainly receive a reward."
"That's what the tall, thin man said."