Entering the Four Great Passes, Seeking Zhao Zheng

Emerald Forest Mountain, Inner Court.

To the north, inside the Bamboo Cottage.

Fang Jiming, his complexion a sickly pale, stood with his hands behind his back and whispered, "To turn down contribution points delivered right to his doorstep—he is certainly cautious."

Song Yue, a young disciple standing to the side, remarked, "Hard to say. This Yu Xiu's aptitude might even be better than Liu Qingchuan and Zhao Hong's group of four. Even without guidance, he has consistently made progress."

Yuan Shu, another young disciple, asked in confusion, "What makes you say that?"

Song Yue replied, "If his cultivation were difficult and stagnant, he would have likely lost patience by now, just like Zhao Hong and the others. But from what I know, this Yu Xiu has been in closed-door cultivation the entire time. Clearly, he has achieved something."

Yuan Shu laughed, "It's only been a month; what could he possibly achieve? According to the news from Zhao Hong and the others, this Yu Xiu is still stuck at the first level of the Qi Sea. As for reaching the second level, I fear that is a distant dream."

"He can manage closed-door cultivation for now, but once Zhao Hong and the others—who entered at the same time—keep easily completing tasks, earning contributions, and hiring seniors for guidance to accelerate their cultivation, Yu Xiu will see and hear of it. Sooner or later, he won't be able to resist following them out."

"He cannot escape the palm of our hands!"

As he finished speaking, Yuan Shu slowly clenched his fist, as if he were gripping someone's lifeline.

Two days later.

Zhao Hong, Xu Rou, Liu Qingchuan, and Shan Yu returned in high spirits and spoke to Yu Xiu about their mission to suppress demons.

"Brother Yu, it was truly a loss that you didn't join us this time."

"Following Senior Brother Du and the others, we didn't even need to make a move. Even if we did, it was only against some demonic creatures infected by Shadow Demons. Once those senior brothers dealt with the Shadow Demons, we could easily complete the mission and earn contribution points. Plus, we could follow those seniors and learn so much experience in subduing Shadow Demons."

"Senior brothers at the Life Spring realm are truly formidable. Their True Qi transforms into Sword Qi; even Shadow Demons are decapitated in an instant. We are all striving to perfect our Qi Sea within five years and break into the Life Spring realm."

"Enough talk, we have our contribution points and must go ask the senior brothers for cultivation guidance."

The group came and went quickly. As they left, they urged, "If there is such a task next time, Brother Yu, you must not decline."

Watching the four depart, Yu Xiu whispered, "Life Spring?"

I am already at the perfection of the Life Spring realm, ready to enter the first of the Four Great Passes, the Five Viscera, at any moment.

Why would I need anyone's guidance?

Six or seven days later, Zhao Hong arrived again, his expression full of fighting spirit.

"Thanks to the senior brother's guidance, my first cultivation technique, the Sword Manual, has reached Great Completion. I have covered quite a distance on the first level of the Qi Sea."

Seeming afraid of discouraging Yu Xiu, Zhao Hong hurriedly changed the subject, "Look at my memory."

"This time, Senior Brother Du and the others snatched another mission in this county to slay a Qi Sea realm Shadow Demon. A Life Spring realm senior brother is leading the team. Brother Yu, would you like to join?"

Yu Xiu thought for a moment and declined again, "I cannot leave for the time being. Let's wait a while longer."

Zhao Hong felt quite regretful, "With you in closed-door cultivation like this, Brother Yu, I fear your progress will be slow. Very well, I won't disturb your sword practice."

Once Zhao Hong left, Yu Xiu looked at his panel.

[Insight: 1429 (909+520)]

[Lifespan: 16/1504 (984+520)]

[Sword Heart: Hidden Edge (10/500)]

[Wind Movement: Riding the Wind (4/500)]

Ten Life Spring realm sword techniques, ten light-body techniques, and ten movement techniques had all reached perfection.

Everything he had read in the Library Pavilion for a day had been digested.

His insight had directly broken through a thousand, nearing fifteen hundred. He could master a Life Spring realm sword or movement technique to perfection in half a day.

If he were to re-practice twenty volumes of Life Spring realm cultivation techniques, he could master them all in less than ten days. In the eyes of a normal disciple, how terrifying would such speed be?

I fear no one would believe it even if he told them.

Furthermore, after the ten light-body techniques and ten movement techniques were perfected, the "Light-body" stat surpassed one hundred and disappeared from the panel, replaced by Wind Movement and Riding the Wind.

It was similar to Sword Heart.

What is meant by Riding the Wind?

A person can ride the wind, and a sword can also ride the wind.

It was just that the progress of Riding the Wind was only at 4, which was a bit too low. Yu Xiu could barely ride the wind, but he could not sustain it for long.

This "Riding the Wind" was not a technique or a spell, but something natural—as if he were born this way, as if it were meant to be.

Between heaven and earth, the manifestation of wind is everywhere.

His body was like a clear breeze; with a casual step, the wind would lift him up. He felt weightless, able to go anywhere, and his speed was incredibly fast.

But more importantly, his sword could also ride the wind. The sword moved with the wind, becoming shockingly fast.

With his body following the sword, both man and blade rode the wind, making him and his sword extremely elusive and swift.

He had estimated that, against himself at the same realm and strength, the gap between having Riding the Wind and not having it was shockingly large.

In the state of Riding the Wind, he could steadily suppress his own self without it.

If things went poorly, he could even instantly kill his own self who lacked Riding the Wind.

Do not be fooled by the fact that Riding the Wind did not provide an actual increase in cultivation; its boost to combat strength was immense.

"Now, it is time to break through the Life Spring and enter the Four Great Passes."

As a thought stirred in his mind, the true qi within his body surged violently, breaking past the limitations of his meridians and dispersing throughout his entire body. The primary focal point, comparable to his Qi Sea, was his heart among the Five Viscera.

Rolling true qi poured into it, carrying the immense vitality from the Life Spring, causing the strength of his heart to gradually climb. However, due to the lack of subsequent cultivation techniques, he could currently only rely on true qi to nourish and strengthen it.

Yet, the total volume of his true qi could still continue to grow, effectively granting him a second Qi Sea.

Furthermore, by breaking the limitations of his meridians, his entire body could now store true qi.

Conversely, as true qi nourished his entire body, it also protected it; ordinary blades could no longer harm him, and neither water nor fire could invade.

Especially when combined with the immense Life Spring of Yu Xiu, who was over fifteen hundred years old, his true qi was so refined and of such high quality that it far surpassed other cultivators of the same realm, making the nourishment of his physical body exceptionally effective.

It could be said that a cultivator who reached this stage was no longer human.

He sensed his condition carefully for a long time, also waiting for a Shadow Demon to appear.

Regrettably, no Shadow Demon manifested.

His cultivation speed was so fast that even after breaking through the Qi Circulation, Qi Sea, and Life Spring stages in succession, he had yet to encounter a Shadow Demon.

With everything in order, he pondered for a moment before heading out.

Zhao Hong, Xu Rou, and Liu Qingchuan might be the bait Fang Jiming was using to lure him out of the Inner Court, but the current Yu Xiu also wanted to lure Fang Jiming out.

Originally, he could have left the Inner Court with Zhao Hong and the others to carry out a mission, but he feared they would be implicated by him, so he ultimately chose to decline.

Right now, he wanted to test whether Zhao Zheng of the Flying Smoke Society was also working for Fang Jiming.

Not knowing where Zhao Zheng lived, he went to the Internal Affairs Hall and asked everyone he met, "Where does Senior Brother Zhao Zheng live, and is he still in the Inner Court?"

After asking around, he returned to the Bamboo Cottage.

He now knew where Zhao Zheng lived and that he was still in the Inner Court, but he did not go to find him proactively.

Because, if nothing went wrong, Zhao Zheng would soon come looking for him.

In the Bamboo Cottage on North Mountain in the Inner Court.

Fang Jiming's eyes lit up. "Yu Xiu is looking for Zhao Zheng."

"Indeed. He is a very cautious person. He doesn't even trust Zhao Hong, Liu Qingchuan, and the others who entered the Inner Court with him, yet he ultimately chose to trust Zhao Zheng. He likely wants Zhao Zheng to take him on a mission," Song Yue said, his expression excited.

As long as this Yu Xiu stepped out of the Inner Court, any one of them would be enough to take his life.

Having entered the Inner Court for only two months, no matter how talented Yu Xiu was, what could he have achieved? At most, he could have reached the middle stage of the first level of the Qi Sea.

Even in the worst-case scenario, what if he had reached the late stage of the first level of the Qi Sea?

The first level of the Qi Sea is, after all, still just the first level of the Qi Sea!