Breaking Through Nine

A corner of the training ground.

Two gray-clad figures clashed fiercely, their sword edges crossing as a ceaseless series of clanging impacts rang out.

One had long hair tied behind his back and a nimble build. The other had a smooth bald head marked with six burn scars.

Bang!

Suddenly, a dull thud rang out. Hui Zhen cried out as his iron sword flew from his grasp.

Li Mu's sword was already hovering three feet before his chest.

"You let me win."

"Woodenhead, how do you always beat me by just a little? I can occasionally beat the others, but against you..."

Hui Zhen picked up his sword, looking utterly helpless.

Li Mu smiled. "That's because many of your sword techniques were taught by me, wasn't it?"

"Not only are you good at teaching, your improvement is steady too. Every day, sparring with you feels different." Hui Zhen looked envious.

"Sparring doesn't mean much. Maybe everyone has only been using eighty percent of their strength. We'll only know when the actual ranking matches begin in a few days."

Li Mu shook his head.

Over this period, everyone had gradually reached proficiency.

Hui Zhen had once again barely made it through, becoming the last to get started.

But by sparring with Li Mu every day and receiving Li Mu's covert guidance, his combat experience had steadily grown, making up for his weaknesses.

Li Mu also sparred with the others from time to time, revealing a little of his strength. He had basically gone through everyone, occasionally arranging narrow victories.

He could tell that some people had begun deliberately concealing their strength.

With the enhancement of Clear Sword Eyes, and given his current mastery of the sword, watching the other sword-wiping servants practice was like watching children practice swordsmanship.

"You need to watch out for Fan Rong. He hasn't been fighting at full strength. Be especially careful on the day of the assessment," Li Mu quietly reminded him.

"Fan Rong." Hui Zhen looked toward the red-haired youth some distance away. The youth was only a little thinner than Cao A-Man and was looking frustrated after losing to Cao A-Man.

Who would have thought that this rough, boorish youth, who looked like he wore every thought on his face, had been hiding his strength?

Yet Li Mu had seen that this person's vitality and blood had risen from '6.6' a month ago to '7.0↑'. His swordsmanship talent was merely '24.0', but he had made such progress. Had he taken some medicine, or was his physique unusual? Could it be that he had cheats too?

In any case, there was something rather strange about him...

"I'll remember."

Hui Zhen nodded, but his feelings were complicated as he looked at Li Mu.

It felt as though he was gradually becoming unable to see through Woodenhead. Li Mu seemed to notice every detail that he himself failed to detect.

Perhaps Li Mu truly was exceptionally talented. He simply had never encountered martial arts before, so he had not adapted at first... That had to be it. Hui Zhen convinced himself.

Li Mu had no idea what Hui Zhen was thinking. He walked to one side and began practicing his sword. They had sparred enough lately.

He had offered guidance and reminders. Whether Hui Zhen could claim third place in the end would depend on Hui Zhen's own efforts.

[Vitality and Blood: 9.0↑]

[Dripping Water Swordsmanship: 1241/2000 (Minor Accomplishment)]

"My vitality and blood has finally broken through 9..." Li Mu smiled.

Even while eating only steamed buns and watery porridge, even without Blood-Nourishing Powder!

Relying on the effect of Clear Sword Eyes, where one confirmation became permanent confirmation, and through his cultivation of Dripping Water Swordsmanship, he had finally pushed his vitality and blood to '9.0'!

He could lift an eighty-jin stone lock with one hand!

The muscles in his arms had become dense and swollen. However, because his nutritional intake was still limited, his overall build had not changed much. He had merely grown much taller.

He was already one meter eighty tall, only a head shorter than Cao A-Man.

Though he was not as large as Cao A-Man, the strength in his arms was enough to rival his!

"Over this period, everyone's vitality and blood has increased through training, but none as quickly as mine.

"In the past half month, Cao A-Man's vitality and blood has only increased by 0.1. It's merely 9.1.

"In terms of strength, I'm no weaker than him."

Li Mu had also discovered that once his vitality and blood reached a certain level, its growth would slow without sufficient meat and nutrition, or the aid of potent medicine.

At first, based on the rate of 0.1 vitality and blood for every fifty points of proficiency, he had thought he could break through the first vitality-and-blood bottleneck through training in one go.

Yet after reaching 8.0, the growth had become irregular and slow.

On average, after breaking through to Minor Accomplishment, it took 120 points of proficiency to increase vitality and blood by 0.1.

But he could already vaguely sense that after reaching 9.0, it would be almost impossible to increase his vitality and blood through training alone.

"Fortunately, I'm about to become a household servant. By then, it should be faster..."

At that thought, the anxiety rising in Li Mu's heart eased considerably.

"Li Mu, Hui Zhen, stop practicing in secret and come over here with us." In the distance, Meng Ling waved at them.

Perhaps because they had become familiar with one another, Meng Ling was no longer as gloomy as she had been at first. She occasionally smiled and showed goodwill toward the others.

Though she had short hair and no noticeable curves, her smile still gave people a bright and comfortable feeling.

Li Mu and Hui Zhen could hardly refuse the only girl present. Since they had both sparred enough anyway, they walked over and joined the five-person rotating sparring session.

By chance, Li Mu noticed that Fan Rong's gaze kept drifting toward Meng Ling, while Meng Ling's expression became somewhat stiff and her eyes evasive whenever she came into contact with Fan Rong.

Li Mu did not actually want to involve himself in such trivial matters. He had never paid attention to what had happened between the two before, but his senses were now far sharper than before, and they were standing close together, so he inadvertently picked up on the information.

He merely shook his head with a faint laugh. Another guy held back by a woman.

The day of the assessment arrived in the blink of an eye.

The twenty-third day of the ninth month, Frost's Descent.

On this day, Hidden Sword Manor's training ground was exceptionally lively.

Though the three great manor lords did not appear, all five chief stewards had come.

The sword-wiping servants from the five towers also watched from the outer grounds. Numerous white-clad household servants maintained order nearby, their cold gazes sweeping over the crowd. No one dared step out of line.

The promising servants selected from each of the five towers were divided into five small groups before countless witnesses. Under the supervision of their respective instructors, the public assessments began.

Fierce battles erupted across the field, followed by constant cheers.

At the northwest corner, in the area belonging to Myriad Swords Tower.

Leng Shuangyu sat in a chair while a maid held an umbrella over her.

Instructor Zhao Meng presided in front, with a group of household servants standing on either side.

Everyone watched this ranking assessment.

Clang!

An iron sword was knocked flying. The short-haired girl fell onto the ground, her face ashen, then staggered down from the platform.

A red-haired youth stood in the middle of the platform with his sword in hand. He clasped his fists apologetically, then shouted, "Come again! Next!!"

He brimmed with confidence and high spirits. The blood in his face had risen slightly, his fighting intent fierce. He was completely unlike how he had been during their earlier sparring sessions!

"Fan Rong has taken on three people in a row? Just as you said, Woodenhead, he hid himself deeply!" Hui Zhen exclaimed. That sword just now had left Meng Ling unable to fight back. It was truly astonishing.

No one had expected this.

Cao A-Man had won all six battles and was already watching from the side.

When facing Cao A-Man, Li Mu had gone last according to the order. He had no intention of winning and used only eighty percent of his strength, allowing the brute to knock his iron sword from his hand and leave his hands slightly numb.

Fan Rong, meanwhile, had voluntarily taken the platform. He suddenly erupted, suppressing the entire field and consecutively defeating Li Lanqiao, Qi Zhun, and Meng Ling.

At present, only Hui Zhen and Li Mu had yet to fight.

"Seize the chance. Watch his lower body," Li Mu reminded him quietly.

Hui Zhen nodded with a grave expression. He took an iron sword from the rack and leaped onto the platform.

"Little monk." Fan Rong smiled when he saw Hui Zhen. "You can't do it. Li Mu might still be able to trade a couple moves with me."

Fan Rong had concealed his strength until this moment. After winning several matches in a row, his confidence was at its peak!

In his eyes, aside from Cao A-Man, no one else was a match for him.

"The Buddha said: a high mountain easily crumbles, and an arrogant heart easily falls," Hui Zhen said.

"You sure talk a lot!" Fan Rong pushed off with the tip of his foot, his longsword suddenly cleaving down.

Hui Zhen's expression changed as he hurriedly raised his sword to block.

The two exchanged dozens of blows in quick succession. Sword momentum intertwined between them, and the fight was even fiercer than the earlier matches, appearing evenly matched.

Once Hui Zhen entered the fight, Fan Rong's attacks threw him into a panic. Though he recalled Li Mu's reminder, the gap between himself and Fan Rong in strength was too great, and his hands had begun to go numb.

"Break!"

Suddenly, Fan Rong caught a fleeting opening and roared as he chopped down with his sword.

Caught off guard, Hui Zhen's face changed drastically!

If he took this sword head-on, even his fingers would be cut off!

He could only allow the sudden brute force of the descending blow to knock the iron sword from his grip, sending it flying to the ground.

"Reciting a Zen phrase doesn't make you a master," Fan Rong sneered. "Your turn."

The tip of his sword pointed at Li Mu.

Hui Zhen's face was pale. Without a word, he retreated.

When he reached Li Mu's side, he said shamefully, "Woodenhead, I let down your guidance. Now, I can only fight again next year..."

He had never expected that after putting in so much effort, and after Li Mu had helped him so much, it would still end in regret.

Hui Zhen was truly miserable.

This time, he really would have to wait until next year.

Li Mu said nothing more and patted Hui Zhen on the shoulder.

He drew his sword and leaped onto the platform.

"You didn't understand what Hui Zhen said just now. I'll help you understand it."

"What brazen boasting! Do you want to be a Zen master too?"

Fan Rong sneered. Before his words had even faded, twelve whistling bursts cut through the air, and sword shadows were already upon him!

The proficient-level Fine Rain Flying sword momentum was unleashed without hesitation!

It was a sword strike with every ounce of his strength driven to its peak.

"This move will be my most brilliant sword today, the one that wins me second place.

"I bestow it upon you!"

Fan Rong was extremely confident. He believed no one at the same level could possibly block this sword.

He had been concealing his strength all along. Knowing he was no match for Cao A-Man, he had only not fought seriously in that match. Now, intending to finish with five victories, he finally erupted completely.

"With my strength, don't try to take it head-on. Be careful not to break your muscles and bones."

Fan Rong laughed loudly, clearly convinced that victory was in his grasp.

Seeing this, everyone present could not help but worry for Li Mu. Fan Rong's consecutive victories had all been overwhelming, and he had knocked the swords from all three opponents' hands. It was clear how much he had tempered both his swordsmanship and his vitality and blood.

"Woodenhead, be careful!"

Hui Zhen understood better than anyone how terrifying Fan Rong's strength was. It was likely no weaker than Cao A-Man's. If Li Mu took it head-on...

Pair after pair of eyes stared intently at the platform. At that critical moment—

Twelve whistling bursts suddenly rang out.

Before Li Mu,

The same Fine Rain Flying sword momentum exploded forth. It precisely blocked Fan Rong's sword momentum and neutralized every strike!

"What?" Fan Rong's smile froze. "Impossible! Where did you get such strength?"

Then he gritted his teeth and cried out in shock:

"You hid your strength too!!"

What answered Fan Rong was a sword thrust from an oblique angle.

It lightly slipped past Fan Rong's opening and came to rest before his throat.

A thin line of blood trickled down.

"A high mountain easily crumbles, and an arrogant heart easily falls."

"Do you understand now?"

Every onlooker was stunned.

Fan Rong froze on the spot. The hand gripping his iron sword could not stop trembling slightly.

Looking at Li Mu before him, he could not understand at all how he had lost.

Only a surge of terror crept belatedly from his spine to the top of his head, raising goosebumps all over his body...