Genius, A Fleeting Bloom

Over the next few days, although they encountered many refugees along the way, they were mostly spared from any real danger.

The weather was harsh, and these refugees were so cold and hungry that they simply lacked the strength to keep chasing the caravan.

Even when resting at night, the caravan either stayed at post stations or set up camp in the desolate Wilderness Plains where people were rarely seen.

During these days, Lu Yuan continued to maintain his schedule of practicing the Five Animals Fist once a day.

His proficiency had already exceeded two-thirds, and he estimated that in three to five days at most, he would successfully reach perfection.

Besides that, his Wind-Breaking Blade Technique had also smoothly progressed to the minor success stage, and he was nearly halfway through that progress as well.

If nothing went wrong, by the time he perfected the Five Animals Fist, the Wind-Breaking Blade Technique would likely follow suit and reach perfection shortly after.

By then, even if he hadn't yet undergone his second blood-qi tempering to become a Dark Jin martial artist, his robust blood-qi and the blade aura should allow him to easily contend with average Dark Jin or even Hua Jin martial artists.

The sun set over the barren wilderness.

Beside a withered tree, several campfires were lit.

The caravan guards were still gathered around a fire, eating and drinking while chatting and laughing.

Meanwhile, the Song Academy martial disciples like Wu Yu, Chen Ping, and Lu Yuan began to continue their practice of the Wind-Breaking Blade Technique.

On the other side, Hong Lei and Fang Chang were also working hard under the personal guidance of Master Song.

As for the noble in the luxurious carriage, they had never stepped out from the very beginning.

Therefore, everyone was actually quite curious about what this noble inside looked like—was it a man or a woman, old or young, and how many were there?

"Hum, hum, hum..."

Not long after, a crisp, low humming sound suddenly rang out.

Everyone turned to look, only to see a thin, small youth wearing a tattered green jacket whose blade was not only moving faster and faster, but his transitions between moves were quite smooth, even bordering on fluid.

Each strike was faster than the last, seemingly whipping up a sharp, fierce force.

"He's reached the entry level?"

Someone couldn't help but exclaim.

"How is this possible? To reach the entry level of the Wind-Breaking Blade Technique in just a few days—what kind of genius is Wang Liang?"

Wu Yu, Chen Pi, and the others all stared at the youth in the green jacket with disbelief.

Although they had also been practicing the Wind-Breaking Blade Technique extremely diligently over the past few days, to the point where their progress in the Five Animals Fist had slowed down significantly, they were still a long way from the entry level.

Wang Liang had only been at Song Academy for a little over three months, and he had only reached the entry level of the Five Animals Fist a few days ago. Yet, having started the Wind-Breaking Blade Technique at the same time as them, he had actually reached the entry level in just a few short days?

"So fast!"

Even Hong Lei and Fang Chang couldn't help but reveal a trace of astonishment in their eyes as they looked at Wang Liang.

Of course, for a martial artist, cultivation base was the foundation; no matter how well one practiced techniques, without sufficient cultivation to support them, it was difficult to unleash their true power.

In other words, this Wang Liang had ordinary aptitude; even if he had talent for blade techniques, he still couldn't threaten them and was not worth worrying about.

"A pity. Although his talent for blade techniques is quite extraordinary, his aptitude is too mediocre. He has no future, otherwise, I would have gained another disciple!"

Master Song only glanced at Wang Liang with a strange look before losing interest.

In his view, aptitude determined everything. If one's aptitude was insufficient, their potential was limited and they had almost no future, making them unworthy of spending effort and resources to cultivate.

He himself was an example; his aptitude was better than the average person's, but it couldn't be considered top-tier.

Although he was fortunate enough to come into contact with the martial path in his youth, he had exhausted his potential before the age of thirty and could no longer improve even a fraction. He feared that in this life, he would never be able to take that final step.

Perhaps in Qinghe County, he could be called a great Hua Jin expert, but once he went outside, in front of ranked martial artists, he was nothing.

As the saying goes, those who are not ranked are ultimately just ants!

It was precisely because of this that he placed all his hopes on his two personal disciples.

Especially Fang Chang, whose aptitude was even better than Hong Lei's—he could even be called a first-class genius. Under his full cultivation, the hope of becoming a ranked martial artist was great, and it would take no more than five years.

As for these outer academy disciples, whether it was Lu Yuan, who reached the entry level of the Five Animals Fist in half a month, or Wang Liang, who reached the entry level of the Wind-Breaking Blade Technique in just a few days, they were all just flashes in the pan. Once their potential was exhausted, they would all fade into the crowd.

"Wang Liang, well done!"

At this moment, many people had already gathered in front of Wang Liang, offering their congratulations.

"To reach the entry level of the Wind-Breaking Blade Technique in less than five days... truly, geniuses in this world are as numerous as crucian carp. I cannot underestimate anyone; I must continue to work hard!"

Lu Yuan also lifted his eyes to look at Wang Liang before continuing to swing his blade in practice.

Wind-Breaking Blade Technique: Minor Success (631/1000)

If things went smoothly, he should be able to reach major success in the Wind-Breaking Blade Technique by tomorrow night.

Reaching perfection within five days and stimulating the blade aura shouldn't be a problem either.

Although Lu Yuan had already reached the minor success stage of the Wind-Breaking Blade Technique, because he was trying to conserve blood-qi, he didn't deliberately pursue blade speed or force. Thus, while he appeared much more fluid than the others, he still didn't look like someone who had reached the entry or minor success stages, so he didn't attract much attention.

After practicing the Wind-Breaking Blade Technique two more times, Lu Yuan put his blade away and began to practice the Five Animals Fist.

After finishing, he devoured three meat buns in a row before finally recovering some of his physical strength.

"Once I cultivate the Wind-Breaking Blade Technique to Great Completion tomorrow, even if the road ahead is turbulent, it should be enough to ensure my self-preservation!"

Leaning against the cargo, Lu Yuan looked up at the sky, whispering to himself in his heart.

Counting the sparse stars in the sky, he slowly closed his eyes with a hint of anticipation.

When he opened his eyes again, it was already the next day.

The caravan continued its journey, though its pace had slowed significantly compared to the previous few days.

This was not only because they had left the Wilderness Plains and entered a mountainous region where the roads were rugged and difficult to traverse, but also because the danger level had risen sharply upon entering the territory of another county.

The reputation of the Wei Yuan Escort Agency could deter all sorts of petty villains in Qinghe County, but it might not be as effective in other counties.

Moreover, the surrounding mountains were high and the forests dense, making it certain that banditry would be rampant.

If they were the type who followed the rules, it would be fine; given the employer's financial resources, they could simply pay the toll.

But if they encountered those who disregarded the rules—those who sought not only wealth but also lives—then they would truly have no choice but to fight their way through.

"We are already in the territory of Anding County; we should be able to enter the city smoothly in a day or two!"

"Although we've been traveling for days and are a bit tired, fortunately, we haven't encountered any danger. As long as we endure for two more days, five taels of silver will be easily earned!"

"Caution is paramount; the closer we get to the end, the more likely an accident is to happen!"

The group looked around while whispering to one another.

"Since we chose to be escorts, we naturally cannot fear danger. If any bandits dare to come and seek death, I will surely cut them down with a single blade and protect the employer's safety!"

Chen Yong's eyes flickered, and he spoke in a loud voice.

"This guy!"

Chen Pi frowned slightly.

Lu Yuan, meanwhile, pondered silently, gently wiping the long blade in his hands.