Tiger Leaping Gorge

"Whew, whew..."

Xie Jinghan let out several deep breaths. This time, he had truly taken too great a risk.

Using both the killing move of the Sword-Drawing Technique and the seventh formation of the Seven-Star Sword Formation at once had been far too dangerous.

It had nearly drained all the true qi from his body.

This battle had been the most perilous fight of his life. Throughout it all, his mind had been stretched taut.

So close. He had come so close to failure.

Even recalling it now left lingering fear in his heart.

He suppressed his surging blood and qi, raised a hand to form a sword seal, and the seven suspended Moonlit Night Swords flew back into their sword case one after another.

Xie Jinghan swiftly bent down and searched Wei Dong's body, taking every item on him.

Afterward, he did not linger. With a tap of his toes against the ground, his figure became a blur as he rapidly withdrew, vanishing from the area in an instant.

The battle here had caused an enormous commotion, with lightning flashing and sword qi roaring.

Not long after Xie Jinghan left, many Jianghu warriors and independent cultivators arrived at the scene.

Yet all they could see was devastation strewn across the ground, along with lingering sword qi and palm force.

The residual aura refused to dissipate for a long time, filling those who arrived with astonishment and dread.

Tiger Leaping Gorge howled with wind and roared with waves, its cliffs rising sheer for thousands of feet.

At the summit of the gorge stood a level azure-stone terrace, isolated amid a sea of clouds and river surges.

Xie Jinghan sat cross-legged in the center of the terrace, his eyes lightly closed as he cultivated in deep concentration.

After a long while, he slowly exhaled a breath of turbid air and opened his eyes.

His gaze was clear and bright.

By now, three months had passed since that great battle.

In that battle, he had seized the initiative and unleashed every method at his disposal. With the cultivation of the Second Stage of the Innate Realm, he had fought Wei Dong, who was at the Seventh Stage of the Innate Realm, as well as the black-clad assassin whose aura flickered uncertainly.

After a difficult contest, he had finally slain the gray-robed elder Wei Dong and removed a major threat. Only the black-clad assassin had fled at the final moment. Though he had escaped by luck, he should have been seriously wounded as well.

He would not dare show himself again anytime soon.

Xie Jinghan had also suffered significant injuries in the battle. His true qi had been severely depleted, and after enduring the impact of lightning power for so long, his meridians were riddled with hidden injuries.

Over the past three months, he had continuously nourished his body and repaired his meridians. His injuries had long since fully recovered.

Tiger Leaping Gorge was truly rich in the lightning spiritual qi drifting between heaven and earth, far beyond the cultivation environment of the Xie Residence in Heaven-Bearing Prefecture.

His progress over these three months had been rapid.

After the refinement brought by that battle, coupled with the medicinal power of the Sword Condensation Pill, his sword intent advanced at a tremendous pace.

Now, the Lightning Intent Realm of his Sword-Drawing Technique had broken through to twenty percent.

Xie Jinghan looked toward the panel.

[Name: Xie Jinghan]

[Martial Cultivation: Second Stage of the Innate Realm]

[Techniques and Martial Skills:]

...

[Innate Breathing Method: 327'238/2'000'000 (Comprehending)]

[Draw Sword Art Intent: 410'329/2'000'000 (Comprehending)]

[Single-Character Lightning Sword: Thunder Induction: 10'086/2'000'000 (Comprehending)]

[Ten-Thousand-Mile Tracking Art: 190'212/1'000'000 (Comprehending)]

[Leaping Art: Treading the Void: 143'623/1'000'000 (Comprehending)]

...

At this rate of cultivation, he would probably need seven years before he could comprehend Sword Force!

Xie Jinghan raised a hand and took out a pair of lustrous white, supple gloves from his robes, gently stroking them with his fingertips as he slowly played with them.

They were precisely the Heavenly Silkworm Gloves he had obtained from Wei Dong.

This item was a High-Grade Treasure Weapon, impervious to blades and swords.

When weapons slashed at it or force struck it, the silken patterns would disperse the impact layer by layer, neutralizing more than half its power.

It was extraordinarily impressive.

Moreover, it could block most of the impact of lightning power.

After Xie Jinghan put them on, they could greatly reduce the damage lightning power inflicted on his meridians. They were of immense use to him.

The gloves were thin and light. Once worn, his fingers remained as nimble as before, without affecting his sword drawing or sword swinging in the slightest.

Xie Jinghan liked them greatly.

After playing with them for a moment, a trace of regret rose in Xie Jinghan's heart.

What he regretted was that he had failed to find the manual for the Great Netherworld Palm.

Seeing how Wei Dong's palm force had been tyrannical and vast, fierce and invincible,

he was quite interested in it.