A Qing

Liang Province, atop an unnamed desolate mountain.

A bright moon hung high overhead.

Mountain winds howled, sweeping shattered stones and wild grass along as they ravaged the slopes.

A slender figure in black sat cross-legged atop a pile of rocks by the cliff's edge, utterly silent, nearly blending into the night of the barren mountain.

Without a careful look, one would struggle to notice him, mistaking him for a chunk of mountain rock or a clump of wild grass.

Clearly, he was there, yet it seemed as though he was not.

The mountain wind swept over his body as if passing straight through him, neither altering its course nor disturbing the flow of air.

Yet he also seemed like wild grass rooted atop the mountain—humble and soundless, yet tough as a boulder, standing firm through countless ages.

Such a state had likely long surpassed ordinary concealment techniques. It was true concealment within heaven and earth.

Merging one's body with the surroundings, hiding within heaven and earth.

In an instant, the ears of the black-clad man sitting in meditation twitched faintly.

The next moment, his figure vanished into thin air.

When he reappeared, he had already landed steadily upon the highest branch of an ancient towering tree, as light as a feather.

Atop another giant tree not far away, a black-clad figure silently appeared, his aura dark and muted, without a sound.

The newcomer was a messenger from Shadow Tower, tasked specifically with delivering the Tower's top-secret missions to assassins across the land.

He moved in secrecy, coming and going without a trace.

"A Qing!"

"A secret order from the Tower."

The messenger's voice was hoarse and cold, carrying not a shred of emotion.

"Assassination target: Xie Jinghan of the Xie Household in Central Province."

"Time limit: half a year."

He lifted his eyes to the youth before him, his tone carrying a few more words of warning.

"This mission is no ordinary one. It is a high-level bounty mission, and many veteran assassins within the Tower are fighting over it."

"The reason they chose a newcomer like you is because the Tower thinks highly of you."

"If you can kill the target, you will become famous throughout Shadow Tower and across the world."

"You will join the ranks of the foremost assassins."

"Lie low and wait for the right chance to strike."

"Do not fail!"

The Xie Household, Parasol Tree Courtyard.

Beneath the parasol tree, upon the bluestone.

These past days, Xie Jinghan's life had been exceptionally full and tightly packed.

Cultivation and teaching went hand in hand, and he did not dare slack off in the slightest.

After his daily guidance, correction of their mistakes one by one, and patient instruction, coupled with the Lineage's allocation of resources, Xie Ku, Xie Que, Xie Po... and the other eight descendants had already undergone a complete transformation.

All of them had drawn qi into their bodies and entered the ninth rank of the Postnatal Realm.

Among them, Xie Ku had progressed the fastest. He had already touched the barrier of the eighth rank of the Postnatal Realm and needed only one more step to break through again. Though the other seven advanced somewhat more slowly, they too improved steadily each day.

Xie Jinghan himself had also advanced steadily in cultivation and had now broken through to the second level of the Innate Realm.

The true qi within his body was now denser and more refined than before.

At this moment, he sat upright upon the bluestone, his eyes closed in thought.

His sword intent had already entered the second stage of cultivation, "Seeing Heaven and Earth."

His Sword-Drawing Technique: Ten Million Volts shared the same source as lightning. To continually strengthen it, he needed to deeply comprehend the power of thunder and lightning between heaven and earth.

But the weather was now calm and sunny, the sky clear and the air fresh, with not a cloud for thousands of miles. Thunder would not come easily.

Lightning and thunder were hard to encounter.

He suddenly recalled the battle at Wangjiang Terrace. Above the Han River, mist had risen from the water while thick clouds pressed heavily down upon the river's surface.

Faint bolts of lightning had roamed among the clouds near and far, while rumbling thunder sounded again and again without end.

If he went to the riverbank, it would surely greatly accelerate his progress in cultivating sword intent.

But that would mean leaving the Xie Residence and facing the hidden dangers directly.

This required careful consideration over the long term.

And now, the Thunderclap Sword could not be used lightly. It needed to continuously accumulate electrical energy to increase its power.

Unless he faced a life-or-death crisis, he absolutely could not use it casually.

Perhaps he could try the Seven-Star Sword Art.

During this time, he had learned of this manual's origins. It was said to be the secret art never passed down outside the Profound Heaven Escort Agency of the Shu Region.

He thought again of Miao Cunyi. Unfortunately, Miao Cunyi had returned to the Shu Region and there had been no news of him for now.

For the moment, he could only first cultivate the Seven-Star Sword Art to perfection.

At the same time, he needed to prepare several more treasured swords for himself, Xie Ku, and the others.

Beyond matters of cultivation, another troublesome matter was currently weighing on his mind.

Ever since he defeated Gong Feiyu in that battle, Xie Jinghan's name had spread completely.

For a time, the Xie Household of Heaven-Bearing Prefecture became the focus of the martial world. Warriors and sword cultivators from every direction came in an unending stream, drawn by his reputation.

Some came to call and make friends, while others, unwilling to accept it, came seeking a sword duel, hoping to make a name for themselves in one stroke by defeating him.

Visitors came in an endless stream.

Though he had never shown himself and had left the matter to his father, Xie Huaijin, it still threw the Xie Household into unrest and gave him a terrible headache.

For now, all he could do was delay things one day at a time.

He only hoped that time would slowly calm this storm.