Back Mountain

Ever since he had grasped the first three forms of the Azure Mountain Sword Art that day, Chen Fan could be considered initiated into swordsmanship. Over the next ten-odd days, he practiced without cease and became quite proficient at linking the moves together. So, while the iron was hot, he took out the sword-art manual the sect had issued when he first joined and studied it as well. This technique was called the Clear Wind Art. The sword formulas recorded within could also be cultivated to the third level of power, yet they were not as easy to learn as the Azure Mountain Sword Art taught by Fairy Ye. This sword art contained a full twenty-four forms, all with extremely similar attacking motions. However, the Clear Wind Art emphasized the changes in technique after a move was unleashed, as well as the speed of one's strikes. If one could thoroughly master all twenty-four forms, one's attacks would be like a breeze brushing across the face, yet conceal killing intent within. Although the power released by each move was inferior to the Azure Mountain Sword Art, its strength lay in its sword speed and angles, leaving opponents unable to guard against it.

After Chen Fan had comprehended the first eight forms of the Clear Wind Art, he gained a certain understanding of its routines. This technique placed greater emphasis on controlling the strength in one's fingers and wrists. It also required deeper Internal Qi to drive it, concentrating power at a single point before erupting, then releasing the might of Origin Qi from point to surface. At that thought, inspiration suddenly struck him, and he wanted to fuse the two sword arts. Fairy Ye had previously mentioned that for External Force techniques of the same type, such as sword arts, one could cultivate several techniques at once. If one possessed high aptitude and comprehension, one could merge the strengths of different sword arts, learn from each other's strong points to make up for their weaknesses, and display even greater power. But if one were dull-witted, it was better not to attempt it, lest one easily fall into cultivation chaos. It would be better to focus on just one or two techniques.

If he could fuse these two sword arts, he could reduce the difficulty of using the Clear Wind Art while making up for the Azure Mountain Sword Art's limited moves. Even if his sword speed was not especially fast, he could still balance strength and technique. Thinking it, he did it. Chen Fan did not hesitate and began attempting to merge the two sword arts.

Several more days passed, and his fused sword art finally bore results. When Chen Fan unleashed the sword moves he had comprehended and fused, he clearly felt that both their speed and power had increased considerably. Combined with his Internal Qi at the peak of the second level, he was no longer a good-for-nothing who possessed only internal cultivation. Looks like my aptitude for External Force isn't that bad either. Chen Fan thought to himself.

In truth, as the saying went, there were ten thousand great paths, yet they would ultimately converge. External Force techniques could especially be understood by analogy. He had practiced the Golden Wheel Staff Technique before, after all. Though he had never specifically verified his realm, he should have reached the first or second level. Now that he had switched to swordsmanship, there were similarities in bodily strength, agility, explosive power, and the speed at which he redirected Origin Qi. The differences merely lay in the moves and movement techniques.

Thus, Chen Fan was not truly starting from zero. Added to that, he was diligent and hardworking, and his efforts over this period had produced considerable results. He could not help gaining several more degrees of confidence in the inner court selection.

On the other hand, Chen Fan had not relaxed his study of the Poisoncraft Manual while practicing swordsmanship. At present, he had committed to memory the identification, uses, and methods of application for the several hundred plants recorded within. Of course, that was merely the tip of the iceberg compared to the contents recorded in the manual.

His cultivation of the Golden Wheel Scripture had completely reached a bottleneck. Still unwilling to give up, Chen Fan took out the Qi Condensation Art and cultivated it, attempting to find some means of merging the two techniques to see whether he could break through the bottleneck. But reality proved that he had been too naive. No matter what method he used to draw Qi into his body, the Origin Qi in his dantian was already completely saturated. In other words, the amount of Qi it could contain had reached its limit. If that limit could not be raised, then the amount of Origin Qi he could release would not increase, and his Internal Qi realm could not advance.

The two techniques differed at most in their methods and effects of circulating through the heavenly cycle, as well as the parts of the meridians into which they infused Origin Qi. No matter how he reconciled and absorbed them together, those were the only differences. They were useless for breaking through the bottleneck. Not to mention that after fusing the Qi Condensation Art, the circulation speed of his Origin Qi had instead decreased somewhat. This only showed that he was suited to cultivating the Golden Wheel Scripture.

Recently, Chen Fan had thought that if he could rise above the fourth level, there was not no way to adapt. He could cultivate a mid-grade technique to increase his Qi capacity limit, then use the Golden Wheel Scripture's circulation method whenever he operated the Origin Qi within his body. However, by then, whether the Golden Wheel Scripture could still retain such miraculous effects remained unknown.

It was time to go out for a walk. Chen Fan thought of taking a stroll through the back mountain first. That place had fewer man-made excavations, so perhaps he could find some wild plants to verify the contents of the Poisoncraft Manual. This was the only practical method he could think of.

He had previously sought out Murong Zhu to ask about it. Given that man's habit of prying into anything and everything, he should know some relevant information. Chen Fan learned that if one wished to gather plants, flowers, and the like, the most complete place was the Hundred Herbs Garden on Swordcry Mountain. It was a medicinal garden developed by human hands, where all the sect's spirit flowers, strange fruits, and herbs over a hundred years old were planted. However, it was a sect forbidden ground, and no one below the inner court disciples could enter. Even inner court disciples could not enter without an elder's permission. Moreover, several experts at the fifth or even sixth level took turns guarding the Hundred Herbs Garden, so ordinary people could not sneak inside.

Helplessly, Chen Fan could only settle for the next best thing. In any case, he did not need especially precious herbs. Perhaps taking a turn through the back mountain would yield some discoveries. So he changed into a set of light clothes. He had specially altered this outfit, hiding the dagger and Venomheart Darts in his sleeves. The three God-Sealing Needles were stored in a specially made small leather pouch attached to his belt, cleverly designed for easy removal of the silver needles. Once he had finished, he picked up that small broken sword, brought some personal belongings, and headed out.

Though fully armed and possessing some ability to protect himself, he had heard that the back mountain was far less safe than the front mountain where the sect's main grounds lay. Although outsiders normally could not reach this place, there were vicious beasts and fierce birds here. Quite a few low-level disciples had suffered injuries and hardship in the back mountain, and a very small number had even lost their lives. A small heart made a ship that sailed for ten thousand years. He should go early and return early.

Humming a little tune and singing a song, Chen Fan walked along the mountain path. It had been a long time since he had relaxed like this. Taking in nature's scenery, easing his nerves, and releasing his stress would greatly benefit cultivation as well. Sure enough, the back mountain had a flavor all its own. The air was fresh, the scenery beautiful, the mountain paths winding and twisting, and the vegetation lush.

Chen Fan moved through patches of forest, closely observing the various plants, flowers, and grasses growing around him. Before long, he truly saw several plants mentioned in the Poisoncraft Manual. These plants were all very common and generally grew in dense forests and mountain wilds. They were not poisonous themselves, but according to the manual, after being crushed, soaked, boiled to mush, and put through a series of other processes before being mixed in certain proportions, they could be made into poisonous liquid, poison pellets, and the like.

After a round of harvesting and digging, Chen Fan had gathered many materials for making poisons and medicine, reaping a plentiful harvest. Though these were merely the lowest-grade materials recorded in the Poisoncraft Manual, he could finally put them into practice. For some reason, the thought that he could do such "evil" things made him rather excited.

However, he was clearly still not satisfied. He continued deeper into the back mountain, leaving no corner unchecked and investigating one place after another. Yet afterward, he found nothing more. He had already scavenged nearly all the plant species that existed in this area.

By then, the sky was growing dark, and it was time to return. Chen Fan decided that while these plants had just been picked and their medicinal properties were at their best, he would show off his skills tonight. So he hurried back. Yet a moment later, he was stunned. Once again, he was lost!

Chen Fan looked around in every direction, unable to determine which way he should go. The sky had become very dark, and he could no longer distinguish his bearings. He was utterly speechless. Was he naturally directionless? Every time he entered the mountains, he got lost. His master had never let him leave the temple gates for fifteen years. Could it be that his master knew he would get lost? Could that old monk have gotten lost while traveling himself, which was why he had yet to return? By that logic, this was an inherited talent. Could he really be the old monk's illegitimate son? Chen Fan privately admired the sheer reach of his own train of thought, then shook his head with a bitter smile.

There was no helping it. Chen Fan could only slow down and wander without purpose, hoping that luck might guide him back. But reality was cruel. Not only did he fail to find the right path, he seemed to have gone farther and farther away, arriving at what appeared to be another mountain peak. The wind here had clearly become sharper and fiercer. Perhaps because night was deepening, he seemed to hear the low growls of wild beasts again, sending a chill down his spine.

Suddenly, a rustling sound came from a dense forest ahead, especially eerie. Chen Fan immediately felt a sense of danger. This should have been the first time in his life that he truly sensed a threat to his life. Back at the temple, he had directly fallen unconscious and had not experienced it. What is in there? Chen Fan stopped where he was, not daring to move forward. Yet if he did not figure it out, he did not dare move carelessly either. If he turned around and something ambushed him from behind, that would be bad.

Chen Fan's body tightened. A faint layer of Origin Qi wrapped around him, while the Golden Wheel Scripture began circulating on its own within his body, ready to enter battle at any moment. He crept toward the dense forest ahead, deliberately directing the Origin Qi within him beneath the soles of his feet. At once, a layer of Origin Qi seemed to ripple beneath his feet, making his steps light and leaving almost no sound at all.

Could this be the so-called lightness skill? Chen Fan was greatly astonished. Though he had not yet formally studied the Soaring Art, at this critical moment he had unexpectedly brushed against a little of the surface of Soaring. It seemed his talent was not quite so terrible after all.

But this was not the time to dwell on such things. When he pushed aside a cluster of shrubs, the scene before him made his hair stand on end. A giant snake, dozens of feet wide, was coiled at the entrance of a cave. The cave entrance was not large, but judging by the snake's width, it should be just large enough for it to pass through. Beneath the moonlight, Chen Fan gradually saw the snake's full appearance. Countless patterns covered its body from head to tail, and its two eyes shone like lanterns in the pitch-black night. Yet that light was green. Chen Fan could not help drawing a sharp breath. This was clearly an extremely venomous snake. Though he could not tell what species it was, according to the Poisoncraft Manual, the more patterns a venomous snake had, the stronger its poison would be. Added to that, judging by its size, it should have lived for over fifty years. If it had discovered him earlier and bitten him, he would undoubtedly have died.

In the vast world, all things coexisted. If birds and beasts lived for long periods in places rich in heaven-and-earth Origin Qi, they would naturally absorb some of that Origin Qi, just as humans cultivated internal arts. Animals also possessed special spaces within their bodies to store heaven-and-earth Origin Qi. Over time, this could lengthen their lives, and some even became incredibly powerful in battle. When attacking enemies, they could use the Origin Qi within their bodies to strengthen their power or possess certain formidable abilities. For example, according to the Poisoncraft Manual, venomous snakes that had undergone such transformations of heaven and earth might spit venom to attack.

At that thought, Chen Fan lay prone amid the grass, not daring to move, intending to wait quietly for the giant snake to leave before withdrawing. Before long, the giant snake burrowed into the cave entrance. Only then did Chen Fan truly see that its entire body was dozens of zhang long. As it crawled, even the ground trembled faintly. It was truly terrifying. Chen Fan could not help feeling some regret. When he had entered the mountain today, he should have left marks along the way. If he was fortunate enough to escape this time, he would definitely learn his lesson next time.

After a while, the giant snake suddenly emerged from the cave again and sped off into the distance. What is going on? It left? Chen Fan's heart relaxed, but he did not immediately stand. He quietly observed his surroundings, and only after confirming that the giant snake had gone far away did he slowly rise. Having escaped disaster, his thoughts became lively again. The giant snake seemed to care greatly about that cave. Could there be some heavenly treasure inside? That was indeed highly possible. Creatures that had undergone some mutation were called demon beasts. Such demon beasts had stronger senses for the heaven-and-earth Origin Qi of nature than humans did, so they often found heavenly treasures that grew in hidden places. If they found a treasure but could not eat it all at once, they would carry it back to their nests.

Chen Fan hesitated for a moment. As the saying went, wealth and honor were sought amid danger. Besides, he now knew what he was facing, and it was not as though he had no strength to fight. After all, a demon beast's intelligence could not compare to a human's. Having made up his mind, he swiftly walked to the cave entrance and crawled inside.

The passage in this small cave was somewhat narrow, but Chen Fan could pass through without obstruction if he bent over. However, the air here was filled with waves of fishy stench that made him want to vomit. This was undoubtedly the giant snake's nest. Chen Fan forced down his nausea and moved onward. Fortunately, the cave was not large, and he quickly reached the deepest part of the nest. There were no heavenly treasures here at all. Aside from some rotting flesh, bloody water, and bloodstains, there was nothing in the cave.