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Xie Jinghan's fingertips lightly brushed over the yellowed pages as he carefully studied the Seven-Star Sword Art manual.

"Seven-Star Sword Art?!"

"Dubhe, Merak, Phecda, Megrez, Alioth, Mizar, Alkaid?!"

"The Big Dipper?!"

"This sword art emulates the Big Dipper and contains seven times seven, forty-nine forms, with boundless wondrous applications."

"When practiced alone, one sword could transform into seven stars. With a single thrust, it could split into seven streams of star-glow sword qi, balancing offense and defense."

"It could also be wielded by seven people, each holding a sword and standing in the positions of the Big Dipper. When unleashed simultaneously, it could activate a combined-strike sword formation."

"Seven Stars Gather at the Dipper, Seven Swords Unite as One!"

He flipped to the final page of the manual, where it recorded:

"Gather seven Acquired Grade One martial artists to perform the Seven-Star Sword Formation, and they can contend against the Innate Realm?!"

"Gather seven Innate Perfection martial masters to perform the Seven-Star Sword Formation, and they can shake Foundation Establishment?!"

Seeing this annotation, a faint light flickered in Xie Jinghan's eyes as he thought to himself:

If what the manual records is true, then its value is immense.

The night was sparse, and the evening wind bleak.

Xie Jinghan's gaze narrowed slightly. His figure suddenly shot into the air, treading the void as he chased the wind.

Leaping Art · Treading the Void!

Ten Thousand Miles Pursuit!

"Whoosh~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~"

Pushing his Leaping Art to its limit, his body became an afterimage and vanished from the Parasol Tree Courtyard in an instant.

Heaven-Bearing Prefecture, a deserted path south of the city, beneath the deep night.

Miao Cunyi, wearing a bamboo hat, hurried onward. He was fleeing the city at full speed, with an unknown road ahead and panic in his steps.

Suddenly, he stopped.

A tall, upright figure stood quietly before him, blocking his path. Then a faint voice drifted over.

"Leaving in such a hurry? Not even saying goodbye?"

Miao Cunyi's heart jolted. Once he recognized the newcomer, he immediately bowed, his tone respectful. "Y-Young Master?"

Xie Jinghan slowly stepped forward and looked at Miao Cunyi, a trace of surprise flashing through his eyes.

"In just three months, you've already broken through to Acquired Grade One. Your cultivation has advanced rather quickly."

He gave a soft sigh.

"Never mind. I still hope you can return alive."

Before his words had faded, a clear sword cry rang out.

"Ring~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~"

Xie Jinghan suddenly drew his sword and softly instructed him at the same time, "Do not resist. Quiet your mind and comprehend it."

In an instant, Miao Cunyi was sealed within a vast expanse of whiteness. A streak of ultimate lightning flashed past, filling his mind and spirit.

"Ring~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~"

Another sword cry sounded.

Whenever Miao Cunyi was about to regain consciousness, Xie Jinghan would draw his sword again.

"Ring~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~"

The sword cries echoed without cease.

This repeated over and over. An hour later.

The illusion scattered, and the lightning receded.

Miao Cunyi suddenly came back to himself, his eyes bright.

Yet when he looked up, not a soul stood on the road ahead. Xie Jinghan had already quietly departed.

Only a faint lingering voice curled around his ears with the wind.

"You must return alive."

Miao Cunyi raised his head toward the depths of the night, clenched his fists, and answered loudly with a resolute expression.

"Young Master Xie!"

"I, Miao Cunyi, will definitely... return!"

A night passed in the blink of an eye.

The next morning, daylight broke, and the morning glow spread across the entire Xie Residence.

With the matter at Wangjiang Terrace concluded, the Xie Residence regained its former vitality. Everyone in the residence performed their respective duties, and the place gradually became lively and busy again.

After a night of quiet breathing exercises and recuperation, Xie Jinghan rose, straightened his robes, and calmly stepped out of the Parasol Tree Courtyard.

He was going to discuss the matter of training the Lineage's younger generation with his father, Xie Huaijin.

Inside the front courtyard's council hall, Xie Huaijin was gathering the Xie Household's core members, reorganizing clan affairs and arranging the various matters of the residence.

Hearing footsteps approaching outside, Xie Huaijin lifted his eyes. Seeing Xie Jinghan walk slowly into the hall, he immediately rose and asked in a gentle tone, "Han'er, do you have an important matter to discuss?"

Seeing this, several clan elders fell silent and turned their eyes toward Xie Jinghan, waiting for him to speak.

Xie Jinghan nodded slightly, his gaze calm, and went straight to the point. "Father, Elders, there is indeed an important matter to discuss."

Seeing this, Xie Huaijin composed himself and sat upright, his expression turning solemn. "Speak. We are listening."

Xie Jinghan spoke clearly and seriously.

"If the Xie Household wishes to endure for the long term, it must grow strong and stand on its own."

"No matter how strong I am alone, I am ultimately only one person. I can protect the Lineage's peace for a time, but I cannot guard its tranquility for a hundred generations."

"The Blood Slaughter Sect's foundations tower to the heavens. Though Gong Feiyu was defeated this time, he will inevitably return one day to make a comeback."

"Without core strength of our own, when the next storm rises, the Xie Household will still be at others' mercy, passively waiting for death."

"Therefore, I have decided to begin training a group of elite Lineage disciples and forge a backbone force that belongs to the Xie Household itself."

As his words fell, the council hall instantly went silent. Excitement appeared on every elder's face.

Xie Huaijin was even more shaken. A sharp gleam instantly lit his eyes, and he nodded repeatedly in approval.

"That you possess such foresight and breadth of vision far exceeds anything this father expected!"

"The Xie Household has been weak for many years. Most of the clan's younger generation are mediocre and accomplished nothing, and they lack guidance from powerful experts."

"They should have been properly trained long ago. This father fully supports the matter. All the Lineage's resources may be deployed as you see fit!"

As the family head over these years, he understood the Xie Household's plight better than anyone. Without supreme strength, they could only struggle for survival amid the cracks between the various powers of Central Province, forever forced to live by others' favor and tread carefully at every step.

Now that Xie Jinghan had both the ability and the will to shoulder the Lineage and nurture its younger generation, Xie Huaijin supported him with both hands.

Xie Jinghan nodded slightly and laid out the plan he had long since decided upon.

"I plan to select seven disciples from the younger generation. Their aptitude need not be exceptional, but their hearts must be pure, their foundations solid, and they must be able to endure hardship and possess resilience."

He laid it out with clear order. "From then on, the Lineage will take full responsibility for supplying resources. Cultivation methods, pills, weapons, and training grounds must not be begrudged. Everything will be fully directed toward these seven, paving their cultivation path and removing all future worries."

"As for cultivation guidance..."

"From now on, I will set aside a fixed period every day to personally go to the Lineage training ground and instruct their cultivation."

With his current vision, understanding, and the support of the proficiency panel, he could easily see through flaws in cultivation and precisely guide their paths of practice.

With his personal instruction day after day, these seven would certainly avoid countless detours, and their cultivation speed would far surpass that of ordinary peers.

Xie Huaijin felt greatly reassured as he listened, his heart filled with excitement.

Having led the Xie Household for so many years, never once had he seen such genuine hope for the Lineage's true rise as he did today.

"Good! Excellent!"

Xie Huaijin praised repeatedly.

"Tomorrow morning, I will personally select suitable disciples from the clan, coordinate the allocation of cultivation resources, set aside an exclusive training ground, and prepare all necessary supplies, from pills to weapons."

Seeing his father's decisive manner, Xie Jinghan nodded lightly.

When one person was strong, he was a solitary peak standing alone, vulnerable to wind and rain.

When a clan was strong, it was a forest of ten thousand trees, unbreakable.