Blade Technique Novice! Arrogant Daughter! Joyful Play!

Moonlight like water spilled into this silent mountain forest.

Jiang Ye sat cross-legged on a bluestone, carefully opening the two manuals that still held the warmth of a human body under the cold, clear moonlight.

He first scanned through them roughly, the look of surprise in his aged eyes growing more intense.

"These are both graded martial arts manuals!"

Martial arts under heaven are as numerous as the hairs on an ox, but the vast majority are ungraded.

For instance, the fist techniques learned and taught by the Transformation Strength martial artists who run martial arts halls in Anxi County, including Liu Qingshi, are all ungraded.

It is not that they do not wish to learn better ones, but that they lack the connections.

Graded martial arts have always been firmly controlled by the imperial family and the great sects and clans, kept secret and never shown to outsiders.

The law is not easily passed on; that is simply how it is.

"These practitioners of demonic paths certainly have their ways!"

Jiang Ye flipped through the manuals in his hands, his eyes growing brighter the more he read.

It is no wonder so many martial artists willingly degenerate and join the Demonic Sect; the temptation of these graded martial arts is likely one of the reasons.

He casually opened the Blood Moon Saber and studied it in detail.

The saber technique was exquisite and peerless; every move and every stance was a method of killing, incomparable to any saber technique he had seen before.

As he read, he silently deduced the moves in his mind, as if the blade's light had already flashed through his thoughts a thousand times.

A moment later, he closed the manual and instinctively drew the cold, gleaming curved saber from the waist of the ugly man's corpse.

The blade was curved like the moon, and the edge was as thin as a cicada's wing. Holding it in his hand, he felt a strange sense of "familiarity," as if he had practiced with the saber for many years and was already an old acquaintance with this weapon.

He stood up, took a deep breath, and flicked his wrist.

Swish!

A strike slashed out! The blade's light was like a ribbon of silk, tearing through the night!

"Blood Moon Saber proficiency +3!"

The system panel appeared.

Host: Jiang Ye

Lifespan: 70/95

Strength: Transformation Strength (Early Stage)

Fate: Ascension Stairway [Effect 1: Superb Comprehension!]

Mastered Martial Arts: Five Animal Fist [Perfected], Blood Moon Saber [Entry, 3/500]

Mastered True Intent: Tiger Walk Like Sickness, Spirit Ape Thousand Changes, Startled Deer Leaves No Trace

Jiang Ye was stunned for a moment.

He had once heard Liu Qingshi say that graded martial arts are exceptionally profound, and ordinary martial artists might struggle for a year without even reaching the entry level.

Yet, he had reached the entry level after reading for only a short while.

Hiss!!!

So this is what "Superb Comprehension" is like.

Jiang Ye became interested and immediately began to swing the saber to practice.

Hack! Chop! Lift! Hook!

These most basic saber moves, in the hands of a beginner like him, were executed with flowing grace and ease, as if he had been immersed in this path for decades.

About the time it takes to brew a cup of tea later.

Whoosh!

Accompanied by an extremely sharp whistling sound, Jiang Ye's wrist suddenly turned!

The curved saber in his hand poured down like real moonlight, carrying an irresistible sharpness as it slashed across the waist of the headless corpse that had long since died on the ground.

Puchi.

With a soft sound.

Where the blade light passed, the corpse was cleanly severed into two halves!

Only then did blood slowly seep from the cut, staining the withered leaves red.

"What a fine saber technique!"

Jiang Ye stood with his saber sheathed, looking at the curved blade that still gleamed with cold light, and could not help but sigh in admiration.

One inch longer, one inch stronger.

Although his Five Animal Fist was exceptionally ingenious, it was ultimately a technique for unarmed combat.

Learning an extra saber technique meant one more means of dealing with enemies in the future.

In this chaotic world, nothing is more reassuring than having an extra trump card.

He slowly exhaled a breath of stale air, sheathed his curved blade, and tucked it securely against his body.

Immediately, he began to flip through the other manual, the Diamond Body Refining Technique, to see if he could master this martial art as well.

Very quickly, Jiang Ye's brows furrowed.

This Diamond Body Refining Technique was an incredibly profound form of hard qigong, and its requirements for the practitioner were shockingly harsh—if one's physical constitution was insufficient, one could not even begin to master it.

Furthermore, every time one practiced, a specially concocted secret medicine had to be applied to the entire body to temper the muscles, bones, and skin; otherwise, it would be nothing more than self-mutilation.

Jiang Ye continued to flip through the pages, his brows knitting even tighter.

The manual contained a detailed record of how to concoct that secret medicine.

However, the required main ingredients—Snow Sun Flower, Heavenly Sunflower Grass, and Green Water Luo—were all rare items that could not be found on the open market; they could only be purchased from large pharmacies or the black market.

And each ingredient would easily cost over a thousand taels of silver.

In short, this was a hard qigong manual with an extremely high barrier to entry.

"I can only find a way to practice it once I reach the prefectural city."

Jiang Ye shook his head slightly and tucked the Diamond Body Refining Technique into his robes as well.

The future is long; there is no need to rush.

He bent down once more and began to search the corpse, which had been severed into two pieces, with great care.

This time, he pulled out a thick stack of silver banknotes, the smallest denomination of which was one thousand taels.

"So much?!"

Although he knew this person must have accumulated a significant amount of ill-gotten gains, a flash of shock still crossed Jiang Ye's eyes as he looked at the thick stack of banknotes in his hand.

He counted them up; these banknotes totaled a full two hundred thousand taels.

One could only imagine how many people this beast had killed.

Jiang Ye was silent for a moment, then tucked the heavy stack of banknotes into his robes.

He stood up, took one last look at the unrecognizable corpse on the ground, turned around, and strode off in the direction the Su Family caravan had traveled.

His figure soon merged into the vast night, as if he had never appeared at all.

"Hm?! There is movement over there."

Not long after Jiang Ye left the small grove, his keen senses picked up the faint sounds of fighting coming from the direction behind him to the right.

He had no interest in the disputes of others and had no intention of turning back, preparing to leave.

Suddenly—

"Black Old Five! You beast, surrender at once!"

A crisp, heroic-sounding shout rang out.

"Hahahaha!!! Little girl, I advise you to stop meddling in other people's business. If you continue to pester me, don't blame me for capturing you, a true disciple of the Azure Sky Sect, and playing with you for three days and three nights!"

A sinister, chilling voice replied.

Jiang Ye, who had been planning to leave, paused slightly, a cold glint flashing in his aged eyes.

Black Old Five?

He had heard the ugly man from the Seven Kill Cult mention this name while muttering to himself earlier.

This person must also be a deviant of the Seven Kill Cult.

If this man discovered the disappearance of the ugly man, it would pose a significant threat to Liu Qingshi and the others.

Jiang Ye pondered for a moment, then quietly and soundlessly moved closer.

He would see if there was a suitable opportunity to send this Black Old Five to reunite with his brother in hell.