Chixiao, the Daoist Name

Spell: Carefree Steps (Mastery)

Spell: Eight Steps to Catch Cicadas (Mastery)

Carefree Steps was graceful in form and better suited for long-distance dashes.

Eight Steps to Catch Cicadas was simple and direct, capable of explosive speed over short distances.

With two movement techniques at mastery, Zhou Yi did not dare claim to be unmatched under heaven, but among postnatal martial artists, he was certainly among the very best.

Chen Jinyu bit her lip, holding back her tears as she muttered, "Do you think I'm stupid? Can't I tell you're making arrangements for after you die...?"

Zhou Yi left in dashing fashion, with no intention of returning.

Great Jing had Thirty-Six Prefectures. If he remained trapped in Jiangzhe alone, would he not have come here for nothing?

Since he had come to this world, naturally he had to see heaven and earth, see all living beings.

Wandering swordsmen, outlaws of the greenwood, fine horses, priceless furs—none could be missed.

He could not find the path to breaking through the Innate Realm's shackles. Perhaps by traveling onward and witnessing the experts of the world, he could find that path.

Before traveling the world, Zhou Yi first wanted to meet Yan Chixia.

The blazing sun hung high overhead, and Demonic Monsters and Ghosts did not dare appear. Carrying two jars of Immortal's Brew, Zhou Yi raced straight toward Black Mountain, swift as a galloping horse.

Lanruo Temple.

From the outside, it appeared utterly ruined. Only upon entering did one discover its Buddhist pagoda and main hall, orderly and grand. It had clearly once enjoyed flourishing incense offerings.

No one had come for a long time. Wild grass and shrubs had grown over half a man tall, while the gilding on the Buddha statues in the main hall had been scraped clean, leaving them with a rather terrifying appearance.

He searched all the way to the courtyard behind the main hall. Monk's Quarters stood on the east and west sides, and the yard was free of weeds, neat and tidy.

The lotus flowers in the pond were in full bloom, and a small bamboo grove beside it was tranquil and secluded.

Zhou Yi opened a wine jar and drank deeply, gulp after gulp.

A rich aroma of wine spread through the air and drifted into one of the Monk's Quarters.

"Wah! Who's drinking? The smell woke this Daoist master up! If you don't compensate me with a jar of Immortal's Brew, this won't be settled!"

The door to the Monk's Quarters opened without wind, and a black figure flew out from within.

Zhou Yi saw clearly that he hovered three feet above the ground, crossing the air as though walking on empty space. This was definitely not something lightness skills could achieve.

Seeing Yan Chixia reach for the wine jar, Zhou Yi struck out with his palm. Purple Sun Sword Qi wrapped around his hand, turning his bare palms capable of slicing through iron like mud.

"Good fellow, if you want this Daoist master's life, at least ten jars of Immortal's Brew will be needed!"

Yan Chixia flicked a finger, breaking through the Purple Sun Sword Qi. With a curl of his finger, the wine jar flew into his hand.

Gulp, gulp!

Only after draining half the jar in one breath did Yan Chixia reluctantly stop.

"Ah! Satisfying!"

"If Daoist Yan wants a drink, just give my name at the Immortal Brew House and drink as much as you like."

"Such a big mouth. You think the Immortal Brew House belongs to your family?"

"Daoist Yan's divine calculations are spot on. It does belong to my family."

"..."

Yan Chixia's skin was dark, so no flush could be seen. Embarrassed, he said, "Take this Daoist master's advice: men should not come to Lanruo Temple. There are ghosts here."

Zhou Yi smiled faintly. "Female ghosts, at that. They specialize in seducing men, then offer their yang energy to the Thousand-Year Tree Demon."

Yan Chixia's beard and hair stirred without wind. The Xuanyuan Sword on his back let out an ancient cry and flew forth, hovering before Zhou Yi.

"Who are you? What are you doing at Lanruo Temple?"

Zhou Yi performed a standard Daoist salute and said, "This junior is Zhou Yi, a late learner of humble ability. I came especially to visit Daoist Yan."

"This poor Daoist is alone and possesses nothing of value. What is there to visit?"

"This junior obtained a Daoist scripture containing the sword qi method passed down by True Person Ziyang. There are many difficult passages I do not understand, so I wished to seek your guidance."

As he spoke, Zhou Yi took a copied version of the Purple Sun Sword Qi Scripture from his robes.

Among Daoists, True Person Ziyang was the founding ancestor of the Southern School. His status was lofty, and his Daoist arts could be called heaven-reaching and earth-piercing.

The instant Yan Chixia saw the sword scripture, his eyes lit up. He wished he could flip through it at once, but his Daoist heart would not allow him to seize it by force. He could only shamelessly say, "Recite it once. Wherever you do not understand, this poor Daoist will certainly explain it for you."

Zhou Yi chuckled. "I am very interested in your Sword Control Technique, Daoist Yan. Could I borrow it for a look?"

How could Yan Chixia still fail to understand? Zhou Yi had not come seeking instruction at all—he had laid out bait.

Yet Yan Chixia could not bring himself to refuse True Person Ziyang's inheritance.

"No, no. Sword Control Technique is a sect secret. How can it be revealed to you? Choose something else. I have a Buddhist Sect mantra that is extremely formidable for Demon Slaying and Exorcism. Shall we exchange?"

Zhou Yi decisively shook his head. Sword Control Technique was the dream of countless men.

"I already swore before the Three Pure Ancestors that once I entered the Daoist path in this life, I would never change my allegiance. Otherwise, may heaven strike me with five bolts of lightning!"

Zhou Yi silently added another condition in his heart: this oath applied only in this world. Three Pure Ancestors, please do not strike the wrong person.

Yan Chixia paced anxiously in circles. He desperately desired True Person Ziyang's inheritance, yet he could not privately pass down his sect's arts.

A gentleman could be manipulated through propriety!

Zhou Yi had counted on Yan Chixia not forcibly snatching it. With another Daoist expert, he would not have dared test the limits of human nature.

"I have it!"

Yan Chixia suddenly had an idea. "If you join my sect, then we will be fellow disciples, and it will not count as passing it outside the sect. Are you willing to join the Kunlun Sect?"

Zhou Yi was overjoyed. He had not expected such an unexpected gain. Yan Chixia was already so powerful—would the Kunlun Sect not be an immortal cultivation sect?

Kunlun was the ancestral court of Daoism. Its gates surely housed countless immortals and boundless immortal arts.

"Good, good, good! From today onward, you are the twenty-fourth generation successor of the Kunlun Sect. My Daoist name is Chixia. You belong to the Chixiao generation as well... hm, then you shall be called Chixiao."

After saying this, Yan Chixia led the bewildered Zhou Yi into the Monk's Quarters and rummaged through his bundle for a scroll.

"This is the Kunlun Sword Control Technique. Quickly give me the Purple Sun Sword Qi Scripture."

Zhou Yi handed over the sword scripture and asked doubtfully, "Senior Brother, doesn't joining Kunlun require some sort of ceremony? Shouldn't there be a disciple-acceptance rite? At the very least, I should meet the sect elders!"

Yan Chixia asked in return, "What ceremony? What sect elders? The Kunlun Sect has only me. I am the twenty-fourth generation sect master. By accepting you into the sect, you become the Kunlun Sect's deputy sect master from this day onward."

Deputy sect master?

Why did it feel like he had joined a sales company?

Everyone he met was a general manager, and every greeting was addressed to some President or Director!

Zhou Yi lowered his head to read the Sword Control Technique, and his mood improved greatly.

Deputy sect master it was. At least he had learned Sword Control Technique.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk! As expected of True Person Ziyang. In the path of sword qi, none can compare!"

As Yan Chixia spoke, he formed a sword gesture with two fingers. A crystalline, translucent flying sword three inches long appeared out of thin air.

The flying sword circled Yan Chixia within a radius of one zhang, moving at incredible speed like a streak of light.

Zhou Yi stared in astonishment. His sword qi would collapse after leaving his body by three feet, yet Yan Chixia could easily send it one zhang away.

Moreover, what was that transparent flying sword? Zhou Yi had already raised the Purple Sun Sword Qi Scripture to mastery, yet he still did not understand how Yan Chixia had summoned it.

"Senior Brother, why can't I condense a flying sword?"

Zhou Yi was a good child who was never ashamed to ask. If he did not understand, he asked. Otherwise, what was the point of recognizing him as senior brother?

Yan Chixia glanced at Zhou Yi. "Do not aim too high. False Qi Condensation is a method only available in the Innate Realm. You are still far from it."

Innate Realm!

False Qi Condensation!

Zhou Yi instantly became a bundle of questions.

"Senior Brother, why have I already opened my Eight Extraordinary Meridians, yet still been unable to break through to the Innate Realm?"

"Senior Brother, is the cultivation technique you practice an inheritance of Kunlun?"

"Senior Brother, can I cultivate it too?"

"Senior Brother..."

"Senior Brother, why have you fallen asleep?"