Qin Tiexin stayed in cave abode for two days.
On the first day, he reorganized the things he brought back.
A dozen Storage Bag were placed on the stone table - his own, Cao Mu's, and the rest belonged to the monks who were hunted by Cao Mu in the ruins. He poured everything out and sorted it into categories.
The elixirs were put aside: two Foundation Establishment Pill were individually packed in jade boxes with spirit sealing talismans attached; Antidote Pill, Healing Pill, and Qi Recovery Pill were packaged in different bottles, with simple markings on the bottles with charcoal pens.
Spirit Stone was piled in a small pile, with more than 2,100 pieces of low-grade items and not a single piece of medium-grade items.
Law Artifact was placed in another place: Green Wood Bow, Mysterious Earth Sword, and several low-grade flying swords and shields dug out from other Storage Bag, all of average quality. Qin Tiexin thought about it and left Green Wood Bow and Mysterious Earth Sword, and planned to find time to dispose of the others.
The materials were the most miscellaneous. Those obtained from the five-domain assessment, the five top spiritual materials in the equipment room, and Five Spirit Dao Stone, he kept separately. The poisonous weeds, poisonous insect specimens and poisonous scriptures in Cao Mu Storage Bag, he packed in an empty Storage Bag and prepared to hand them over to Senior Brother Chen Xi.
The rest is debris: a few pieces of Jade Slip, some Demon Beast materials, scattered talismans, etc.
After finishing, he folded the empty Storage Bag and put it in his arms. Although these were not big in space, they were worth some Spirit Stone.
The next day, Qin Tiexin reviewed the details of the trip to the secret realm.
He sat cross-legged on the stone bed, closed his eyes, and replayed those battles over and over in his mind.
Metal Domain The subtle control of spiritual power when carving the formation; Wood Domain The perception of the vitality of vegetation when grafting; Water Domain The rhythm of the tide beating the body; Fire Domain Flame Demon The heat wave coming over; Earth Domain Gravity The suffocating feeling of pressing against the body.
And Cao Mu.
The square filled with poisonous fog, the gray-green mist, the sweet smell of corruption. Liu Qing's reminder, the shield held up by Li Yun and Duan Xuan, and the cold eyes of Cao Mu.
The fight in Gravity Corridor. The bitterness in the entrance of Spirit-Eroding Pill, the feeling of blood slowing down when Turtle Breath Pill takes effect, the scream of wolf teeth tearing the air in Wind Blade, the long wait before Sword Gang Talisman is activated.
Every detail.
He thought about it over and over again, thinking about what could have been done better, where it was luck, and where it was a mistake.
In the evening, he opened his eyes and let out a long breath.
The status has been restored.
Not only did his injuries heal, but more importantly, his mentality - the tension after returning from the secret realm and the trance of the rest of his life have all settled down. Now, he has returned to the rhythm of daily practice.
It is better to practice in the sect.
In the early morning of the third day, Qin Tiexin arrived at the Heart-Forging Hall on time.
Luo Ling is smelting a metal blank that Qin Tiexin does not recognize.
When she heard the footsteps, she didn't stop and just asked, "Are you ready?"
"Okay." Qin Tiexin said.
Luo Ling After finishing smelting the metal, she turned to look at him. She looked up and down and nodded. "The breath is stable."
She walked to the stone table, took out a jade talisman for communication from her arms, and injected her spiritual power into it. The jade talisman shimmered and extinguished after three breaths.
"Wait a moment." Luo Ling said, "Let your senior sister come."
The two of them were waiting in the hall. Luo Ling poured a cup of tea and drank it slowly. Qin Tiexin stood aside and looked at the morning light falling on the square outside the hall.
About half the time it took to burn the incense, footsteps were heard outside.
A green shadow flashed in from the door. Nangong Yao was wearing a light blue corset dress today, with a silver belt tied around her waist, and her hair was simply pulled up with a wooden hairpin, looking fresh and neat.
When she entered the door, she first looked at Luo Ling: "Master, are you looking for me?"
Then she saw Qin Tiexin standing aside. Her eyes stopped on him and she was obviously relieved.
"Junior Brother Qin," Nangong Yao walked up to him and looked carefully, "Are you okay? I heard that something happened to you in the secret realm, and many people are missing."
"It's okay." Qin Tiexin said.
"That's good." Nangong Yao smiled and turned to look at Luo Ling, "Master, what's the matter?"
Luo Ling put down the teacup and pointed at Qin Tiexin: "In the next period of time, you will practice his moves with him."
Nangong Yao blinked. "Practice moves?"
"Yes." Luo Ling stood up and walked between the two of them, "This kid really showed his strength in the secret realm this time. Although he won, the problem was clearly exposed."
She looked at Qin Tiexin: "You can only play at your own pace - charge forward, hit hard, and crush with strength. If you encounter someone who is as tough as you, you can fight. If you encounter someone who is different from you, you will be blind."
Qin Tiexin was silent and listened.
"Yao'er knows a lot of tricks and can defeat you." Luo Ling said to Nangong Yao, "You can practice with him and keep it below Foundation Establishment's level. Let him see what 'other people's rhythm' means."
Nangong Yao's eyes lit up. "Okay."
She turned to look at Qin Tiexin, with a smile on her lips, "Junior Brother Qin, senior sister, I will not show mercy."
Qin Tiexin cupped his fists. "Please give me some advice, senior sister."
"Then try it now." Luo Ling retreated to the side of the hall and gave up the space, "Yao'er, use what you are best at."
Nangong Yao nodded and took three steps back.
She turned her wrist, and a light blue silk handkerchief appeared in her palm. The silk handkerchief was about three feet long and one foot wide. It was as thin as a cicada's wing, with a water-like luster flowing on its surface. As her spiritual power was injected into it, the silk handkerchief automatically floated in the air without wind.
"This is 'Cloud Gauze Handkerchief', Middle-Grade Law Artifact." Nangong Yao introduced, "I usually use Ice Silkworm Silk and Cloud Mist Gauze, which are small gadgets that I figure out when I am refining weapons. They are soft and tough, and can be strong or soft."
She looked at Qin Tiexin: "Junior brother, what are you using?"
Qin Tiexin pulled out the short knife from his waist - Azure Gold. Luo Ling gave it to him when he became a disciple. The knife was two feet and five inches long. The whole knife was dark Azure Gold color, and Spirit Rune loomed.
"Short knife." He said that Qin Tiexin did not choose to use Edgeless. He felt that due to the dexterity of his senior sister, he might not be able to get an advantage by using Edgeless.
"Okay." Nangong Yao nodded, "Then let's get started."
As soon as she finished speaking, she flicked her wrist.
Cloud Gauze Handkerchief seemed to come to life, turning into a stream of cyan light and shining directly at Qin Tiexin's face. The speed was astonishing, and it was almost in front of him at the moment of taking action.
Qin Tiexin reacted slowly and slashed horizontally with his short sword, trying to split the silk handkerchief.
The moment the blade touched the silk handkerchief, his expression changed slightly.
There was no cutting feeling as expected. The moment the silk handkerchief came into contact with the blade, it became as soft as cotton. It rolled along with the blade and wrapped around the blade. Immediately afterwards, a soft force came and the dagger was pulled to the side.
Qin Tiexin immediately lowered his wrist and pulled back, trying to withdraw the knife.
But Nangong Yao moved faster. She hooked her fingers lightly, and the other end of Cloud Gauze Handkerchief poked out like a snake, silently wrapping around Qin Tiexin's wrist holding the knife.
Qin Tiexin hurriedly retreated, and at the same time he made a fist with his left hand and hit the silk handkerchief - he wanted to use his strength to shake it away.
The fist hit the silk handkerchief, but it was like hitting a ball of cotton. The flexible resistance dissolved the force of the fist layer by layer, and the silk handkerchief was only slightly dented, and then returned to its original shape. And in this brief contact, the silk handkerchief had already wrapped around his wrist.
Tighten.
Qin Tiexin felt his wrist tighten, and a soft but firm force came, and the short knife almost fell out of his hand. He let out a low cry, tightened his muscles, and held the knife firmly. At the same time, he raised his right leg, trying to knock the silk handkerchief open with his knee.
Nangong Yao chuckled lightly.
Her wrist flicked again. Cloud Gauze Handkerchief suddenly let go of Qin Tiexin's wrist, drew an arc in the air, and then wrapped it around his ankle.
Qin Tiexin hurriedly retracted his legs, but he was already half a step too late. The silk handkerchief brushed against his calf. Although it was not tightly wrapped, the softness made his center of gravity slightly unbalanced.
He immediately followed the trend, Burst Step moved forward, and at the same time stabbed quickly with the short sword, trying to attack Nangong Yao's body - this is what he learned on the battlefield, the best way when being suppressed is to fight back.
The sword was like lightning, stabbing straight into Nangong Yao's chest.
Nangong Yao calmly raised her other hand. Another Cloud Gauze Handkerchief flew out of her sleeve, this time it was light blue, spread out in the air like a small shield, blocking the blade.
The tip of the knife pierced the silk handkerchief.
Once again, he fell into soft resistance. Qin Tiexin felt like he was stabbing into the quagmire of Heaviness. It took several times more effort to move forward even an inch. But the moment he thrust forward, the cyan Cloud Gauze Handkerchief from before had already come around from the side and wrapped around his wrist again.
Qin Tiexin wanted to draw the knife, but the knife was stuck to the blue silk handkerchief and could not be withdrawn for a while. He wanted to block it with his left hand, but the blue silk handkerchief dexterously wrapped around his hand, avoiding his palm, and accurately wrapped around his right wrist.
Tighten.
This time the entanglement was tighter. Qin Tiexin felt his right arm was numb and could hardly hold the dagger. He let out a low roar and burst out with all his strength, trying to break free.
But the silk handkerchief was extremely flexible. He exerted force, and the silk handkerchief stretched accordingly, and the strength was resolved layer by layer. And just as he was struggling with all his strength, Nangong Yao hooked his fingers, and the blue silk handkerchief suddenly let go of the tip of the knife, turned downward, and silently wrapped around his left ankle.
Qin Tiexin noticed it and wanted to raise his feet to avoid it.
It's too late.
The moment the silk handkerchief was attached to his ankle, a soft force came from him. His left leg went weak and he staggered forward half a step.
And Nangong Yao has already taken advantage of the situation and stepped forward.
The blue silk handkerchief was still wrapped around Qin Tiexin's right wrist. She grabbed the other end and pulled gently. Qin Tiexin's center of gravity was already unstable, so he threw himself forward due to this area. He wanted to use his left hand to support the ground, but Nangong Yao's blue silk handkerchief was already waiting there - he tripped lightly.
Qin Tiexin fell solidly to the ground.
The hall was quiet for a moment.
From start to finish, it only takes ten breaths.
Qin Tiexin lay on the ground, took a breath, and slowly got up. He looked down at his right wrist - it was wrapped with a blue silk handkerchief, which had automatically loosened and floated back to Nangong Yao's hand. There was also a lingering feeling of being wrapped around his left ankle.
"Ten moves." Nangong Yao took back two pieces of Cloud Gauze Handkerchief, folded them in his hands, and looked at him with a smile, "I tied your wrist three times and tripped your ankle twice."
She walked up to Qin Tiexin: "Junior brother, how do you feel?"
Qin Tiexin was silent for a moment and told the truth, "I can't figure it out."
He thought back to the battle just now. Every time he made a move, the opponent used softness to overcome force. He tried to confront the opponent head-on, but the opponent softened; he tried to pull away, but the opponent caught him. The rhythm was completely controlled by the opponent, and he had no strength left, but could not use it.
What frightened him the most was that he didn't even have a chance to activate "Mountain-Shaking Steps".
Mountain-Shaking Steps needs to step on the ground to exert force, but every time he wants to adjust his steps, the opponent's silk handkerchief is already waiting there, entangling or tripping him, disrupting his pace. Nangong Yao's grasp of the timing is terrifyingly accurate, always taking action at the point when his old strength has been exhausted and new strength has not yet been generated.
"Your style of play is fine against those who are strong and fierce." Nangong Yao said, "But when you encounter those who are agile, you won't be able to use it."
She paused and added, "And I just used the spiritual power level of Qi Refining Late Stage. If I use the spiritual power of the Foundation Establishment Realm to activate Cloud Gauze Handkerchief, the speed will be faster and the changes will be more. You may not be able to survive even five moves."
Qin Tiexin took a deep breath and cupped his fists. "Please give me some advice, senior sister."
"That's easy to say." Nangong Yao looked at Luo Ling, "Master, how do you practice?"
Luo Ling came over. "Once every three days, come to the Heart-Forging Hall for sparring. There are two rules: first, you are not allowed to use Edgeless; second, you are only allowed to use short knives."
She looked at Qin Tiexin: "You have to learn to fight with light weapons. Heavy swords are your foundation, but you can't just use heavy swords. Short swords are more dexterous and test your adaptability, so they are suitable for this practice."
Qin Tiexin nodded. "Yes."
"Then I'll leave first." Nangong Yao put away Cloud Gauze Handkerchief, saluted Luo Ling, and waved his hand to Qin Tiexin, "Junior brother, I'll see you in three days. You should make some progress then."
She turned around and left Heart-Forging Hall, and Qingying quickly disappeared outside the door.
Qin Tiexin stood there and looked at his right wrist. The feeling of being wrapped in a silk handkerchief still remained on his skin - it didn't hurt, but the feeling of being unable to exert any strength was very oppressive.
"Don't be stunned." Luo Ling's voice came, "Go back and think about where you lost today. Think about how to defeat her tricks."
"Yes." Qin Tiexin bowed and prepared to say goodbye.
At this moment, Luo Ling suddenly remembered something and stopped him. "By the way, I remember you got a Jade Slip from Fire Domain. What is Cultivation Method inside?"
Qin Tiexin paused in his steps.
He took out the crimson Jade Slip from Storage Bag - he picked it up next to the core of Flame Demon, but he never had time to take a closer look.
He held Jade Slip and slowly injected spiritual power into it.
The surface of Jade Slip lit up with red light, and three ancient characters like Flame gradually emerged, beating slightly in the air, exuding a hot breath.
"True Fire Instruction".
Qin Tiexin raised his head and looked at Luo Ling.
Luo Ling stared at those three words and narrowed his eyes.