Yellow Dragon

Li Mu sat before the black iron table, pen in hand and mind focused. Every insight he had gained while cultivating Moon-Severing over a Calm Lake flowed forth in fine strands...

Blank pages steadily filled up. Li Mu gained even deeper insights into the flaws and key principles of this sword move.

When he finished the last page, his pen paused.

[Complete expert-level record of Water-Questioning Sword Manual. Sword Dao talent +50.0]

[Sword Dao Talent: 150.0 (Green)]

"150 points." Li Mu sighed inwardly.

Compared to the mere 10 points of talent he had possessed three months ago, it had increased by more than fifteenfold.

If more sword manuals were placed before him, his talent would improve even faster, and so would his cultivation!

But Li Mu had asked Zhao Meng, and Zhao Meng did not possess any other copied first-tier sword techniques. Nor would the other instructors. Hidden Sword Manor had a strict hierarchy and tightly controlled its sword manuals. Only disciples could borrow books from the Sword Canon Tower, while only stewards and above were permitted to copy and retain them. Otherwise, if martial arts spread freely, Hidden Sword Manor's foundations would be weakened. Sects, factions, and great families all operated this way.

Zhao Meng was worried that Li Mu was aiming too high and biting off more than he could chew. He had also warned Li Mu that martial arts valued mastery over quantity. Hidden Sword Manor had stood firm in Azure River for thirty years because it possessed an immensely powerful and comprehensive swordsmanship system.

He told Li Mu that the Water-Questioning Sword Manual alone was enough to cultivate through the second threshold. Once he mastered it and earned the Third Manor Lord's approval, he could receive the higher-level Spirit Peak Sword Manual. Each level built upon the last, connecting what came before with what followed and mutually reinforcing each other.

In truth, Li Mu was not in a hurry to cultivate higher-level techniques. He merely wanted to quickly master low-tier sword arts, accumulate talent, and use it to boost his own cultivation speed.

The Sword Canon Tower contained thousands of books. It would surely satisfy his needs.

Unfortunately, his status was not high enough. He did not even qualify to enter the Sword Canon Tower and borrow books.

For now, this path was blocked within Hidden Sword Manor. He could only wait for a suitable opportunity to visit Azure River City and inquire about purchasing some.

Looking at his talent score of '150.0,' Li Mu mused, "With talent like mine, I've already surpassed the formal disciples, perhaps even most stewards. But how do I compare to the core disciples and the three Manor Lords?"

The talents of stewards like Leng Shuangyu were already far beneath his. Calling him Hidden Sword Manor's budding Sword Dao dragon would not be an exaggeration.

But the core disciples and the three Manor Lords were difficult to compare against. Take the Third Manor Lord, for example—he had comprehended Peerless Silent Sword while trapped in Tyrant Blade Manor's dungeon. His talent was likely terrifyingly high as well.

Leaving the Sword Talisman Space, Li Mu saw that the night was still young and his body was not overly exhausted. He continued training.

At the instant of his breakthrough, Li Mu had comprehended the key principles of a new sword move.

Before his eyes, a figure rushed out with sword in hand, transforming into a gale that swept up the yellow earth into the sky. It formed the force of a tornado, like a yellow dragon roaring as it lunged in for the kill.

A flash of emerald light passed by, and the longsword instantly pierced through the enemy's abdomen.

This was the third move of the Water-Questioning Sword Manual—

Yellow Dragon Spits Emerald!

A fierce, charging sword move that emphasized explosive bursts of power and unstoppable momentum!

Li Mu was deeply shaken. He had never expected a sword move to possess such overwhelming force, as though it could break an army of thousands.

Walking to the doorway, he pushed off with both feet. His body shot forward at once, covering ten paces in a single burst, his sword momentum blazing like a rainbow!

Li Mu's heart trembled. He could feel that once this move was mastered, it could mobilize the blood and vitality throughout his body in a charging strike and unleash tremendous power!

If he gripped the hilt with both hands and charged with all his strength right now, his explosive force would exceed four hundred jin—and that was without counting his forward momentum!

[Water-Questioning Sword Manual: 4/1000 (Expert)]

With his talent raised to 150 points, his cultivation speed had also risen to 3 points per attempt.

"Still, this move is rather strenuous to practice."

Li Mu had already begun consciously directing blood and vitality into his legs, accelerating the opening of the eighty apertures there in hopes of strengthening his movement technique and speed.

Yet when he used Yellow Dragon Spits Emerald just now, he had still found it quite taxing.

Too few of the apertures in his legs had been opened. If his blood and vitality had not already exceeded 12 points, he likely would not have been able to use it at all.

Opening apertures required not only deliberate accumulation, but also guidance and assistance from martial arts techniques.

But before the apertures were opened, cultivating those martial arts techniques was itself extremely difficult.

It was an irreconcilable contradiction that could only be overcome by gritting one's teeth.

Fortunately, with the Great Expansion Sword Register, Li Mu received far stronger cultivation feedback than ordinary people. Opening apertures and raising his blood and vitality were both much easier for him.

"This third move demands so much blood and vitality." After practicing it only once, Li Mu could already feel the increased burden on his body.

No matter how high his talent was, if his physique could not keep up, he had no way to rapidly convert that talent into strength.

After making a rough estimate, he feared he could only practice it twenty times a day.

"That means my daily proficiency gain will fall back to sixty points. It'll take half a month to max it out. If only my blood and vitality were a little higher..."

The problems before him suppressed the joy in his heart once more.

"I've spent all my silver and exotic beast meat, and I can't accumulate sword qi either."

"To increase my blood and vitality, I have to go hunting..."

Li Mu silently pondered.

Before that, however, he still needed to make some preparations...

In Banyan Garden.

Several figures were sparring.

"Li Mu, watch out." Guan Gu sprang forward in a single stride and slashed out with Thunderous Tide Roar.

Li Mu responded calmly. After exchanging dozens of moves, he did not fall behind.

To avoid suffering too many injuries while hunting in the wilderness, he had invited Guan Gu and the others to hone their skills.

The sounds of metal clashing and Thunderous Tide Roar rose and fell without end.

"Li Mu was this strong?" Guan Gu's heart pounded as he felt increasing pressure.

Suddenly, a streak of black light swept down from above like a crescent moon.

The black light descended before Guan Gu and chopped down twice in rapid succession. The sword edge stirred up the force of rolling thunder and crashing tides, heavy and overpowering!

Guan Gu immediately felt that the sword in his hand was completely beyond his control. A burst of pain shot through the web between his thumb and forefinger. He groaned, and his iron sword was blasted from his hand with a bang, clattering to the ground.

Guan Gu hurriedly shouted, "I surrender!!"

The sword tip stopped abruptly.

The youth in white sheathed his sword and cupped his fists. "Brother Guan, thank you for going easy on me."

"Li Mu, today I've truly witnessed your Sword Dao talent."

When he had seen Tian Zeyi lose during their earlier drinking session, Guan Gu had not felt much. After all, Tian Zeyi had suppressed his strength and had not fought at full power. They had merely competed in their skill with Dripping Water Swordsmanship.

But now that Guan Gu had personally stepped in and still been thoroughly defeated despite going all out, he was genuinely convinced.

"Not bad. I didn't expect that in just half a month, you'd already mastered the first move of the Water-Questioning Sword Manual and could even begin attempting the second." Zhao Meng, who had been watching for some time, walked over and nodded in admiration.

The Water-Questioning Sword Manual was also easy to learn but difficult to master. Back then, it had taken Zhao Meng a full month to master the first move. He had no idea how much effort Li Mu had put in behind the scenes.

Or perhaps, as Li Mu's swordsmanship grew increasingly refined, his talent was gradually revealing itself? There were people like that.

Still, this progress was not particularly outrageous.

It was only when Zhao Meng thought of Li Mu when he had first encountered the Sword Dao and compared him with who he was now that he felt somewhat astonished.

But he had personally discovered and trained such an excellent seedling. Thinking of that filled him with satisfaction and pride.

"Since you're strong enough, I'll submit your name for a sword escort assignment. Recently, the city garrison has joined forces with the great families and martial halls to sweep through the area for the Mountain-Holding Vulture. The roads have become much safer." Zhao Meng smiled.

"The roads are safer? That's great. Thanks, Brother Meng." Li Mu nodded. If he could safely earn silver and see more of the world, he was naturally willing to go.

"Let's go again." Guan Gu refused to accept defeat, and Li Mu gladly accepted the challenge.

This kind of sparring benefited him greatly.

Afterward, Guan Gu constantly changed his fighting style and even caused Li Mu to suffer a few minor setbacks. Still, Li Mu was able to spot openings with his Clear Sword Eyes and win.

During this time, Hui Zhen came over to observe and asked several questions before returning to contemplate them.

Having integrated into the new servant circle, with Li Mu's guidance and his own hard work, the little monk had also achieved minor mastery in Dripping Water Swordsmanship.

But his blood and vitality were insufficient, so he could not cultivate the Water-Questioning Sword Manual. He could only continue tempering and accumulating strength in hopes of breaking through soon.

That was how martial arts worked. Everyone's circumstances differed, and their progress gradually pulled apart.

Several days passed in succession. Li Mu's proficiency rose, and his practical combat skills made great strides. Yet without exotic beast meat, the growth of his blood and vitality was extremely slow, leaving Li Mu rather frustrated.

After calculating the date, he arrived before Zhao Tuo's cottage.

"Brother Tuo should have emerged from seclusion by now."

Zhao Tuo had promised to take Li Mu hunting for exotic beasts after breaking through. At the moment, it was the cheapest way to obtain exotic beasts.

Hunting was not something one could simply decide to do at will. The wilderness had complex terrain and countless beasts. If a novice like Li Mu barged in alone, he would likely encounter many dangers.

Without an experienced and trustworthy guide like Zhao Tuo, all sorts of situations could arise during a hunt, making them difficult to handle.

Li Mu had no intention of showing off over such a matter. So he patiently waited for Zhao Tuo to emerge from seclusion.

"Break!!!" At that moment, an angry roar came from within the house.

The information regarding Zhao Tuo before Li Mu's eyes instantly refreshed.

"A breakthrough?"

[Zhao Tuo, Blood and Vitality 20.0 (medicinal power still being digested), Spirit 5.0, Sword Dao Talent 33.5 (White)]

"Brother Tuo, congratulations on your breakthrough." Li Mu stood outside and smiled as he offered his congratulations.

Zhao Tuo would be his guide for this hunt. The stronger he was, the better.

For ordinary people without exceptionally high talent, it did not prevent them from accumulating and improving their blood and vitality. Their progress was simply slower, and their upper limits lower.

"I finally broke through. I was about to suffocate in there." Zhao Tuo punched the door apart and walked out bare-chested. His arms and legs were swollen with power, and his aura was far stronger than before. His eyes shone with a fierce, capable light.

Li Mu knew this was because the effects of using a powerful medicine to break through had not yet faded. He would return to normal after some time.

Unlike Li Mu, who used sword qi to temper his body and break through, others were greatly affected by medicinal substances. The sword qi Li Mu used came from the Great Expansion Sword Register. It was extraordinarily mysterious, able to precisely shatter the shackles on the blood and vitality within his body and continuously temper him.

"Hm? You broke through too." Having reached the second threshold, Zhao Tuo had gained many insights. One glance at Li Mu's changed physique told him that the youth had also broken through.

He suddenly threw a punch straight at the youth's face.

Li Mu reacted swiftly, crossing his hands to block and forcibly receiving the punch.

Bang!

With a muffled sound, Li Mu felt both arms go slightly numb as he was driven back one step.

"So this is the strength of a second-threshold martial artist." Li Mu knew Zhao Tuo was intentionally testing him, but he was also letting Li Mu experience the strength of a newly advanced second-threshold martial artist, encouraging and guiding him through it.

"Good! You really did break through! You can come hunt some wild game with me now!" Zhao Tuo burst into laughter and heavily patted Li Mu on the shoulder.

Zhao Tuo's blood and vitality were at their peak right now. His strength was likely even greater than that of an ordinary martial artist who had just broken through the second threshold.

If Li Mu had not broken through, that earlier punch would not have felt good.

"Brother Tuo, that's exactly what I came to discuss today." Li Mu smiled.

"No rush. We'll leave tomorrow. I still need to make some preparations. When the time comes, someone will give you a map." Zhao Tuo smiled. "Tonight, we brothers will have a feast to celebrate."

"A map?" Li Mu's heart stirred. "How much silver will it cost?"

"Not a single coin! You'll find out when the time comes." Zhao Tuo waved a hand, changed into his clothes, and pulled Li Mu away for a hearty meal.

Early the next morning, there was a knock at the door. A detailed hand-drawn map came into view.

The person holding the map startled Li Mu. It was actually Meng Ling.

Meng Ling said with a smile, "I heard from Brother Tuo that you're planning to hunt at Black Camel Ridge. I used to live at the foot of the mountain and went hunting in the mountains with my father, but later... Still, thankfully, I haven't lost my skill at drawing maps. At least I can be of some help."

"This map..." Li Mu accepted it and saw that it was already remarkably detailed. It marked where danger might be found, what prey nests existed, which beasts appeared at night, and which exotic beasts required particular caution...

Li Mu could imagine how much thought the young woman had put into it. This definitely could not have been made in just a day or two.

Though the map did not mark many locations and mainly covered the dangers worth noting around Black Camel Ridge, it was precisely what Li Mu needed right now.

After all, he could not always rely on Zhao Tuo to guide him. With a map, acting on his own would become far more convenient.

"Thank you." Li Mu offered his thanks solemnly. "The sword escort assignment is already being applied for. Once I return, I'll personally deliver your letter to your younger brother."

Meng Ling had never doubted Li Mu. She nodded heavily and revealed a smile. At last, she had contributed something to Li Mu's martial path and repaid a small part of his kindness.

"It's time to leave."

Zhao Tuo approached fully armed, carrying a bow and arrows on his back, an arrow quiver and a sword at his waist, as well as a small bundle containing many necessary hunting supplies.

Traveling light, Li Mu took the map and swiftly left with Zhao Tuo.

"I can finally hunt exotic beasts." Li Mu looked forward to it. The predicament of his blood and vitality growth was about to be solved.

Forging Sword Tower.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

A burly youth nearly two meters tall was hammering iron, strike after strike. Blood and vitality surged throughout his body, with faint red light flickering across him.

He was using the Iron-Forging Aperture-Piercing Method to temper his blood and vitality.

Before him stood a middle-aged man stroking his two wisps of mustache. He occasionally shouted harshly, making the youth immediately adjust himself. He was clearly in a foul mood.

The burly youth gritted his teeth and exerted himself, not daring to defy him in the slightest. After all, this was both his "maternal uncle" and his "instructor."

"Master Liu!"

Suddenly, a gray-clothed servant hurried over and whispered, "Master Liu! You told me earlier to keep watch on Myriad Swords Tower, especially the Zhao brothers. Today, that Zhao Tuo seems to have taken a youth with him to hunt in the mountains! They've already left the manor!"