I began to understand the myriad things by chopping wood

Chapter 219 Li Xingtuo's Shock
The latest Hidden Dragon List had just been released, and Xie Yuan was aroused and determined to fight, while other discussions were also intensifying.

Originally, the release of each list would cause heated discussions among warriors, and the disciples on Yunshan were no exception.

This time is even more so.

There was no change in the eldest brother who was loved and respected by everyone, but this 72nd place really made the disciples excited for a while.

Perhaps most warriors in other states heard of this name for the first time—except for the masters who participated in the battle for the ruins of the pagoda and the high-ranking officials behind them, who were a minority;
But many of the disciples of Yunshan Sword Sect have some understanding of Xie Yuan.

After all, he was a wanted criminal who committed a heinous crime of killing an official in the street in Yunzhou, and even the Chunyu Tower's master detective Su Xing could not catch him. It was rumored that he could injure the master, and he had long attracted the attention of the Sword Sect's disciples.

There were disciples who went down the mountain to chase after this famous wanted criminal, but of course they couldn't catch him, after all, even Su Xing couldn't catch him.

Besides...going down the mountain to look for it is really going in the wrong direction.

Originally, after a period of time, this villain dubbed as the "unparalleled villain" disappeared, and the Sword Sect disciples no longer paid attention to him;

As a result, not long ago, Xie Yuan appeared again in Wuhe River, and the county magistrate was directly beheaded in the county government office, while Xie Yuan was still missing and his whereabouts were unknown.

This triggered an earthquake in the Yunzhou officialdom, the inside story of which was unknown to the public. Even the disciples on Yunshan Mountain could feel it slightly, but that was fine.

As soon as this new issue of the Hidden Dragon List was released, the disciples were excited.

It was said that Xie Yuan, who was still practicing outside when he became famous last year, is now directly on the Hidden Dragon List this year?

Even if you really ride a dragon and fly into the sky, it would only be this speed, right?

Even Ning Zi, the leader of the second level of transformation of Yunshan Sword Sect, has not made it onto this list.

So Xie Yuan practiced in the inner sect these days. No matter where he went, on the big platform on the top of the mountain, in the disciples' dining hall, or even on the mountain paths and courtyards, he could hear the discussions of the disciples next to him.

The content of people's greetings also changed from "Have you eaten?" and "Have you made a breakthrough?" to "Hey, do you know the Hidden Dragon List?"...

"Everyone has a gossipy heart. No matter if they are ordinary people or disciples of the immortal mountain."

Xie Yuan curled his lips:
"Su Xing's trick is useful. Even in the Sword Sect, I have heard countless times that there are brothers who want to challenge this unworthy 'Xie Yuan'..."

Even a warrior who has been making steady progress, first becoming famous in the region and then making it onto the Hidden Dragon List, will be subject to many doubts and challenges, not to mention Xie Yuan who suddenly made it onto the list.

Besides, there are some unspoken rules in the Hidden Dragon List.

The list generally does not list the masters of evil ways or the genius villains. Otherwise, firstly, seventy-two names might not be enough to rank them, and secondly, it might be suspected of encouraging the arrogance of the evildoers, which is not in line with the purpose of Chunyu Tower.

But occasionally there are criminals on the list, most of them are because their strength is truly indisputable, or they shine in well-known occasions and cannot be concealed.

However, such vicious people often don't end up well after staying on the list for a while, after all, they are too conspicuous.

This time, Xie Yuan, as a wanted criminal, was ranked at the bottom of the list, which naturally made the self-proclaimed upright warriors eager to take action.

If you can punish evil and get rid of evil, and also make a name for yourself, why not do it?
Defeating Xie Yuan would be a win-win situation—the righteous disciples would win twice.

However, in addition to this unspoken rule, there is another one, that is, royal masters are generally not on the list, unless they are too conspicuous - such as Xue Minghe who won the East China Sea Sword Contest.

The reason given by Chunyu Tower was naturally to keep the name secret for the respected one. In fact, it was naturally to hide the power of the royal family in order to check and balance the aristocratic families.

The masters of the major families are basically recorded in the list, but no one can tell exactly how many masters and experts the royal family has. Even though there are people from the major families in Chunyu Tower, who can see the real list and real information, they only have a vague understanding.

But it is certain that the royal family does not have a grandmaster nowadays.

When a grandmaster is born, most of the martial arts masters in the world will feel something.

Although not every family in the eight great families has a grand master, there are still two.

In recent decades, the person in the royal family who is closest to the level of grandmaster is Xue Minghe.

It’s a pity that his brilliance is too dazzling. Even though he is dormant in the capital, he is still being watched by the eight great families.

Feeling that this peerless commander must also obtain peerless military power, the eight great families were on pins and needles. Finally, they decided to join forces, using the whole world as a threat, in order to strangle the King of Pingxi on the eve of his invincibility.

No matter how corrupt, dark, and bloated the aristocratic families are, they will always show their true strength and determination that have lasted for thousands of years before a real crisis.

In this gamble with chaos in the world and the overthrow of the Central Plains as bargaining chips, the aristocratic families finally won - although the result was also tragic. Nearly twenty years have passed, and the Jinling money has not yet recovered, while many other families have also suffered losses and will have to recuperate.

Since its inception, the martial arts rankings were naturally a means for the imperial court to control martial artists. But now, it has become more and more recognized, and even Chunyu Tower, apart from some minor moves, dare not arbitrarily rank them. At least the order above was absolutely correct when it was published.

As long as you are on the list, you are strong.

Xie Yuan was honored to be the last seat holder, and he had to suppress countless fists that wanted to reach up. Looking up, they were all his targets.

Maybe one day, Chunyu Tower will feel that putting Xie Yuan on the top was a wrong decision.

But at least for now...

"Thank you, Escort Captain! You are so awesome!"

In Xie Yuan's courtyard, Lin Cheng praised a lot, took a big sip of tea, and concluded.

"As expected of you, Chief Xie... The Magistrate of Wuhe County must be a corrupt official like Yu Chunsheng. Chief Xie must have made a mistake in killing him."

Lin Zhen’s voice was soft and his tone was fierce.

"This Xie Yuan is really amazing. He has improved since the last time I saw him in the Western Desert. He killed a Heavenly Rank Assassin... Damn! I really want to get to know him better!"

Pei Yu rarely came to Xie Yuan's courtyard with him, and even Huang Zifeng came with him.

The latter nodded solemnly and sighed slightly:

"The gap between him and me has widened again..."

The companions who had an adventure in the Western Desert got together to drink tea and discuss swords.

After all, the four of them rose from the outer sect together, and Huang Zifeng led them through trials and entered the ruins together, so they could be said to have lived and died together, and their friendship was deep.

It’s just that he was busy with his cultivation, and Lin Zhen even went to Yaoyue Peak, so they had less time to meet.

Xie Yuan listened silently to the others praising him in person, coughed, and changed the subject:
"My fellow brothers and sisters, why are you gathering in my courtyard today?"

"My place with Junior Sister Lin is not easy to get to. Junior Brother Pei and Junior Brother Lin's courtyards are not as grand as yours. It makes me feel broad-minded, as if I am embracing the world."

Huang Zifeng pointed outside. Through the open gate, they could see the scenery outside the cliff. Thousands of mountains lay low, and under Yunfei's feet, only the main peak on the opposite side protruded, pointing directly to Tianmen, as if pointing to the way ahead.

"It's really good."

Lin Cheng also echoed.

Lin Zhen turned his gaze over, looking at Xie Yuan with his watery eyes, moving up and down.

Xie Yuan wisely felt that he had to change the subject, and then he heard Lin Zhen say:
"Junior Brother Zhang, you've also taken a look at the Hidden Dragon List, right? Why do you seem so uninterested in the ranking of Chief Xie?"

"Ah? No, I still admire him a lot... I mainly listen to what my senior brothers and sisters say."

Xie Yuan gave an awkward but polite smile.

In order to avoid being too silent, he naturally agreed on similar occasions. However, the topic of the Hidden Dragon List was too hot and too frequent. Xie Yuan agreed with a few words and couldn't bear to brag any more.

Xie Yuan considered himself to be a shallow person, but it was a bit difficult for him to say that when others praised him crazily in front of him.

Moreover, he couldn't be Zhang Shan forever. Sooner or later, he would be exposed. When that happened, his former fellow disciples would remember how he talked endlessly with someone else's face, and how he was his own number one supporter. If that got out, his reputation would be ruined... In this era, it was easier to die socially.

Lin Zhenmiao's eyes moved around him for a few times and didn't say anything more.

Seeing this, Xie Yuan quickly changed the subject and returned to the sword discussion. When everyone heard about the sword, they became very enthusiastic and started discussing it one after another.

Two of them were taught by the elders themselves, and the other three were inner disciples. Among the three inner disciples, one had perfected the Yunshan sword style and practiced the Yunlong nine styles. Only two were real inner disciples. When they talked, although they were disciples, they also had many brilliant ideas and witty remarks, and each of them had their own interpretation of the swordsmanship of the grandmaster and elders.

Xie Yuan absorbed other people's methods and gained some insights in his heart. While thinking secretly, he looked at the expressions of several people and seemed to have some understanding of today's gathering.

This reunion was initiated by Huang Zifeng. Seeing him glance at Lin Zhen from time to time, one could tell what his real intention was.

In the past, when Lin Zhen was still in the inner sect, Huang Zifeng would often come over under the pretext of visiting his fellow disciples, although they all knew in their hearts that visiting their fellow disciples was just a side job.

But now Lin Zhen went to Yaoyue Peak, practicing hard and seldom showing up. Huang Zifeng couldn't go to Yaoyue Peak which only accepted female disciples, so he had to come up with this solution.

"But Miss Lin doesn't seem to have that intention towards Huang Zifeng... Her attitude isn't as close as before, and she keeps calling him Senior Brother Huang all the time."

Xie Yuan gossiped silently.

Although he often denounced the Sword Sect's disciples in his heart for not doing their jobs properly and for loving gossip from the menial work department to the inner sect.

But he just doesn't like to listen to gossip about himself, but he does like gossip about other people.

I still remember when the Lin brothers and sisters first came to the mountain and were still in the outer sect, Huang Zifeng often took care of Lin Zhen and showed kindness to him. Lin Zhen was gentle and kind, and never resisted. Huang Zifeng was so excited by his constant calling of "senior brother".

Later, after they went through adventures together, their friendship grew stronger. Huang Zifeng probably thought that he and Lin Zhen had taken a step further. However, after Lin Zhen came back, he entered the inner sect and went to Yaoyue Peak, and gradually he saw Huang Zifeng less and less.

Now when they get together occasionally, Lin Zhen is polite to Huang Zifeng. Although they are still senior and junior brothers and sisters, seeing Huang Zifeng's happy and disappointed look when he sees Lin Zhen, it is clear that there is no hope for them.

This Miss Lin probably had no such intention towards Huang Zifeng from the beginning, but because she was his direct disciple and inner sect senior brother, she did not and did not dare to reject him.

But now she is also the direct disciple of the Grand Master, and her status is no lower than Huang Zifeng, so her true attitude is revealed.

Xie Yuan thought secretly.

He had seen before that Lin Zhen was a thoughtful girl. After all, her family had experienced such a big change, even if she was a naive rich girl, she would have some thoughts in her mind.

Although she did not take the initiative to show her kindness to Huang Zifeng, she did not reject him outright and more or less took advantage of his convenience.

Of course, when she first entered the profession, her status was very different, so it was impossible for Lin Zhen to refuse. Taking advantage of the situation was also a typical example of a woman seizing an opportunity.

Xie Yuan didn't have too many opinions. After all, Lin Zhenyi didn't pretend to be nice or take the initiative to cheat for profit. Secondly, after he was able to talk, his attitude was clear. He didn't delay Huang Zifeng and didn't give him other hopes. He was quite straightforward. If he was more scheming and had a lower bottom line, he could have kept Huang Zifeng hanging and taken some of the good things from Zhujian Peak to support himself. He could have monopolized the resources of two direct disciples to practice, and made rapid progress. Wouldn't it be great? This is normal in many places.

People who lick dogs never have a good death.

But Lin Zhen is not such a person. He relies on practicing martial arts to seek revenge. He is very resolute inside, unlike his weak appearance.

"Junior Brother Zhang, I am sorry for bothering you today. I will take my leave now. Please take care of yourself."

"No way, take your time, brothers and sisters. We'll meet again next time."

"Let's discuss the date next time."

After discussing swordplay for half a day, the fellow disciples said goodbye and left one after another. Xie Yuan could see that Huang Zifeng felt somewhat disappointed as he looked at Lin Zhen's determined back.

"Young man."

Xie Yuan shook his head in a mature manner.

Even though he was just an inexperienced keyboard warrior in his previous life, that doesn't stop him from turning into an emotional master when watching from the sidelines. He loves to give people seemingly reasonable bullshit advice.

But the popularity of the Hidden Dragon List is indeed a bit high...

Although Xie Yuan knew about it before and occasionally discussed it with others a few times, it was not until it happened to him that he realized how eye-catching this thing was.

Fortunately, my hiding was probably different from what Su Xing expected.

Many people who have dealt with Xie Yuan know that he is either unparalleled in hiding or can pretend to be someone else, but only those who are closest to him know that his secret techniques are both top-notch.

This storm had been going on for some time, and Xie Yuan was still hearing his name everywhere, but he pretended to be deaf and dumb, and it didn't have any real impact.

One day, he was practicing in his own courtyard when suddenly a disciple from the main peak came and knocked on his door.

"Junior Brother Zhang, please go to the main peak. The Sect Master is calling you."

When Xie Yuan heard the disciple say this, he responded, packed up a little, and left with him.

On the way he was still a little puzzled:

"The Sect Master hasn't looked for me recently. I've been doing my job quietly. What's the problem?"

Xie Yuan was slightly curious and asked the main peak disciple:
"Brother, I wonder why the Sect Master wants to see me?"

“Junior Brother Zhang, I don’t know either. Just lead the way.”

The disciple replied.

Xie Yuan hesitated for a moment and asked tentatively:
"How does the Sect Master feel?"

"How is the Sect Master feeling? Well, he seems to be okay. As you know, our Sect Master is always kind and gentle, and never gets angry with anyone. He is truly the most gentle and kind Sect Master in the world!"

After hearing this, Xie Yuan sighed and muttered to himself:
"That's because you haven't been bullied by him. The other elders will definitely not agree with your opinion..."

As they talked, the two men walked around the forest, followed the path along the cliff, stepped on the stone stairs, and climbed up the main peak of Yunshan Mountain step by step.

After entering the familiar hall, they walked to the spacious study in the side hall. The leading disciple bowed and left, while Xie Yuan bowed to Li Xingtuo behind the desk and said:

"Greetings, Sect Master! Um, greetings, Senior Brother Qin!"

Li Xingtuo was still buried in the pile of documents on his desk, which were as piled up as a mountain of rice and flour.

Xie Yuan also sighed inwardly, saying that it was not easy to be the leader of a large sect. In addition to the large number of people and businesses in Yunshan, the Sword Sect also had many businesses in other places to support itself. The leader was the big boss, and he had to review all these things even if there were special people in charge. Today there were some suggestions from the east, and tomorrow there were some unexpected things from the west, and every day was filled up.

I don't know how he managed to achieve such a high level of cultivation while being so busy. Maybe the time and energy of important people are twice that of others?

Better to concentrate on practicing...

However, in addition to Li Xingtuo who always approved the documents, Qin Zhenyang was also helping out. When he saw Xie Yuan calling him, he nodded kindly and continued to help his master sort out the documents.

Li Xingtuo took the pen and quickly wrote down his opinion on the file in front of him. Xie Yuan saw that the pen was even creating an illusion, so he was afraid that he might have used the Floating Light Sword...

Then Li Xingtuo looked up and said:

"coming……"

After saying this, he suddenly paused.

The next moment, Li Xingtuo raised his eyebrows, blinked, and then looked out the window, as if he felt his eyes were blurry from marking papers for too long.

Then he turned back and looked at Xie Yuan carefully again, gradually revealing a strange expression.

Li Xingtuo asked tentatively:

"Zhang Shan...did you achieve a breakthrough in your mental method?"

Xie Yuan was stunned for a moment, then he remembered that he was asking about the Yunshan Sword Intentions Sutra, and nodded, saying very modestly:
“I have a slight understanding.”

Even Lu Liangdong could see some clues, not to mention Li Xingtuo.

Moreover, with his all-seeing eyes, he could definitely tell that it was a breakthrough in internal strength.

As for the internal strength...that was approved by Li Xingtuo himself, so he hasn't forgotten it.

So Li Xingtuo said in disbelief:
"Really? How long has it been?"

"It should have been a while."

Xie Yuan said vaguely.

When Qin Zhenyang heard this conversation, he looked up in surprise and looked at Xie Yuan.

Master seemed to have mentioned before that he wanted Junior Brother Zhang to start practicing the Yunshan Sword Intentions Sutra. Could this breakthrough be referring to this?
Impossible? It's only been a short time!
There was suspicion in Qin Zhenyang's eyes.

It's not that he hasn't practiced the Yunshan Sword Sutra before. It's quite difficult. Even if one has a solid foundation and extraordinary talent, it will take several months or even half a year to break through the first level.

He hadn’t been inside the inner gate for that long…

As a result, Li Xingtuo's next words stunned him even more:

"Which floor is it exactly?"

Xie Yuan hesitated for a moment, thinking that he might not be able to hide anything in front of Li Xingtuo, so he might as well be frank, and said honestly:
"My disciple has now reached the fourth level of cultivation."

Li Xingtuo instantly leaned back, pressing his back firmly against his big chair, and looked at Xie Yuan in disbelief.

The fourth floor! ?

How long has it been since I taught you the Yunshan Sword Sutra?

If I remember correctly, this skill doesn't start from the third level, right? There are first and second levels, right?

Could it be that this kid has already started stealing lessons...

Li Xingtuo's expression kept changing. Even though he was a top master and the leader of a sect, he could rarely control his expression.

Compared with Li Xingtuo, Qin Zhenyang's performance was much more direct.

His mouth slowly opened until it was big enough to fit two eggs.

With a thud, the documents in his hand fell to the ground without him even having time to react.

Is the master lying again?
This was Qin Zhenyang’s first reaction.

Different from many disciples' impression of Li Xingtuo, as the sect master's direct disciple, Qin Zhenyang was somewhat aware of his master's occasional eccentricities.

Although he has grown older and become the sect leader, Li Xingtuo can no longer cause chaos in the sect like he did before, but his nature is still there, and his occasional behavior often leaves Qin Zhenyang, the chief disciple, speechless.

Qin Zhenyang is so conscientious and meticulous in assisting in the management of the sect, which is not something he learns by words and deeds... Often if the previous generation is unreliable, the next generation will be much more reliable.

So when Qin Zhenyang heard Xie Yuan say that he had broken through to the fourth level, his first reaction was not that Xie Yuan was lying, but what was his master doing again?
But when he saw the expression on his master's face and Xie Yuan's innocent expression, Qin Zhenyang slowly came back to his senses.

He knew that his junior fellow apprentice, Zhang Shan, would rather say less than more...

Could he have already reached the fifth level? Wouldn't that be similar to what I had before?
Qin Zhenyang shook his head subconsciously. Although he had already switched to practicing more advanced internal skills and the secret teachings of the sect master, he also knew what level of internal skills the Yunshan Sword Intent Sutra was. No matter how talented Junior Brother Zhang was, he would not be able to cross the realm and practice to the fifth level, which was equivalent to the third level of Qi and Blood Transformation.

But as soon as I got started, I broke through to the fourth level in a short period of time...

Qin Zhenyang's expression was one of uncontrollable shock. He looked Xie Yuan up and down as if he was looking at something incredible.

He couldn't help but ask:

"Junior Brother Zhang, have you gone astray?"

"No, I am sane."

"So what kind of heavenly treasure did you obey?"

"I haven't eaten it for a long time, and there's nothing on the mountain..."

"Then did you fall into a cave and be possessed by the predecessor of the Sword Sect? The kind that is contained in a ring?"

As soon as Qin Zhenyang said this, Xie Yuan and Li Xingtuo couldn't help but look at him.

Qin Zhenyang was stunned for a moment and coughed:
"I haven't read it. I heard about it from others." Xie Yuan looked strange. It turned out that the eldest senior brother who was very busy every day would also read this kind of storybook.

This kind of thing is already out of date, so it’s better to let me recommend a few books to him.

Li Xingtuo also sighed:

"Zhen Yang, didn't I tell you to read less perverted books? Look at you, even your junior brother can't stand it anymore."

Qin Zhenyang's face turned red, and he couldn't help but say:

"Master, you gave me the first copy when I was only twelve years old. It also contained the kind of..."

"Hey, didn't you see the file fell on the ground? Pick it up quickly!"

Li Xingtuo clenched his fist, coughed lightly, then turned back to look at Xie Yuan. His eyes seemed to light up, and he looked at him for a while before returning to normal.

However, his expression was still difficult to calm down:

"You've really reached the fourth level... How did you practice?"

"Just, I suddenly learned it. It's not as difficult as I imagined."

Xie Yuan didn't know how to explain it, so he spoke ambiguously.

Suddenly?

Not as difficult as imagined?
Li Xingtuo and Qin Zhenyang both fell silent.

They have experienced this process from the basic Sword Qi Jue to the intermediate Sword Intent Sutra.

For them, it may not be that difficult, but the impression is still quite deep.

Anyway, nothing is as smooth as Xie Yuan's.

It’s not as difficult as I imagined…

Li Xingtuo was secretly dissatisfied.

He remembered that when he gave the Sword Intent Sutra to Xie Yuan, he told him to come and ask him if he didn't understand.

As a result, after so many days, he didn't come at all! I was still wondering if he was just shy - of course he didn't seem to be shy, but it couldn't be that there was no problem, right?
Not only did it turn out to be no problem, it also gave me a surprise... no, it could be said to be a shock!

Li Xingtuo has practiced for decades and has been the leader of the Yunshan Sword Sect for such a long time, no matter if it was the past hundred years or any longer, he has never heard of anyone who could comprehend the Sword Intent Sutra to such a level in one day.

Looking at the history of the Sword Sect, perhaps only the second-generation patriarch who attained enlightenment overnight was faster than him... But that was also a special case. This guy didn't even enter the Sword Peak?
Jianfeng?

Li Xingtuo looked a little confused. Could it be the aftereffect of the last time he entered Jianfeng?

Sometimes the insights gained from entering the Sword Peak are not fully reflected until later, which is normal.

Qin Zhenyang obviously thought so too. He looked at his master and seemed to have found a good excuse for Xie Yuan.

Otherwise, if he said that he relied on himself to comprehend the fourth level of the Sword Intent Sutra in one day...then not to mention Qin Zhenyang, even Li Xingtuo himself would be surpassed!

That's not appropriate.

Li Xingtuo's complexion returned to normal, he waved his hand and said calmly:

"Come here, let me see if you have any hidden dangers."

Xie Yuan knew that there were no hidden dangers. After all, his case was indeed a special one, and it was not some crooked one.

He walked to the desk and let Li Xingtuo hold his wrist. Then he suddenly felt a sharp and peerless sword passing through the meridians in his hand and piercing his body.

Xie Yuan's mind went blank for a moment, but he came to his senses after a moment, and Li Xingtuo also withdrew his hand and pondered for a moment.

So fast? You are worthy of being the master...

Li Xingtuo thought about it and nodded:

"The foundation is solid, and there is no sense of emptiness, just like practicing for many years, very stable, very... rare."

After he made his comments, he paused and continued:

"But I feel like there's still a trace of rich internal energy in your body. Is that the technique you practiced before?"

Xie Yuan nodded:
"It is the Taoist internal energy that I practiced before. It is upright and mellow, and it is of great help to my practice."

Li Xingtuo nodded slowly:
"It seems that your breakthrough this time is related to this Kung Fu."

He frowned and thought for a moment, then said thoughtfully:

"This skill is very good. You can continue to practice it."

Qin Zhenyang raised his eyes, somewhat surprised.

Since the master said it is very good, it must be a top-notch technique.

Junior Brother Zhang was at the foot of the mountain before, how did he get such skills?

Xie Yuan replied yes, but Li Xingtuo did not ask any further questions, just as he expected.

But he should have noticed some of the special features of the health-preserving exercise, although only a trace of it remains now.

Thinking of the kung fu that the mysterious Taoist priest had taught him, Xie Yuan was moved. He felt that it was with this kung fu that he was able to truly embark on the path of rapid cultivation. Even today, although this kung fu has come to an end, he is still benefiting from it.

Li Xingtuo restrained his expression, glanced at Xie Yuan, and said calmly:
"By the way, Zhang Shan, have you seen the recent Hidden Dragon List?"

?

Xie Yuan looked at Li Xingtuo and sighed.

Should I have watched it or not?...

He took a breath and said honestly:
"I have seen it, disciple."

"Oh, there are many names of young talents on it, which is very impressive. For example, Xie Yuan... He is from Yunzhou, right?"

Li Xingtuo smiled faintly and asked Qin Zhenyang beside him:

"Eldest disciple, am I remembering correctly?"

Qin Zhenyang had a strange expression on his face. He grunted twice and said:

"Master, you are right."

"Hey, we have many talented people in Yunzhou, but there are only a few in our sect..."

Li Xingtuo sighed with regret and suddenly raised his voice:
"But we have Zhang Shan now! Take a look, is he a potential candidate for the Hidden Dragon List?"

He looked at Qin Zhenyang again.

Qin Zhenyang pursed his lips tightly and nodded.

"You have reached the fourth level of the Sword Intention Sutra in such a short time! You don't think it's that difficult! Look at it. Zhang Shan, when will you be on the Hidden Dragon Ranking?"

Li Xingtuo looked at Xie Yuan sideways.

Xie Yuan's face flushed red, and he didn't know how to answer for a moment.

I always feel that the master seems a little dissatisfied...

Li Xingtuo teased for a while, and finally felt a little better when he saw Xie Yuan's embarrassed expression.

He thought about it and smiled:
"Zhang Shan, practice hard and make a breakthrough when you need one. I'm waiting for the day when you'll be on the Hidden Dragon Ranking. Yes, surpassing Xie Yuan and ranking above him. I'm looking forward to it."

Li Xingtuo waved his hand with a smile on his face.

When Xie Yuan saw Li Xingtuo signaling him to leave, he was still a little confused for a moment until he turned around and walked out.

Just let me go?
Why did you call me here?

He thought about it and suddenly understood.

You didn't want to see how I practiced the Sword Intentions Sutra, did you? But it seemed like there was nothing to see, and then...

Xie Yuan gritted his teeth, feeling somewhat embarrassed.

However, thinking about how busy Li Xingtuo was, he still remembered his own practice.

Xie Yuan exhaled and secretly clenched his fists.

After Xie Yuan left, only the master and his disciple were left in the study.

The two were silent for a while, and Qin Zhenyang said:

"Master, didn't you tell Junior Brother Zhang to attend the Little Hidden Dragon Meeting in Jiangnan in a few months?"

Li Xingtuo put down his pen and looked out the window:

"I had this idea before, to let him hone his skills. The Sword Intentions Sutra places a lot of emphasis on actual combat. But since he's improving so quickly, there's no need for that... Besides, he has a rift with the aristocratic family. If he goes on stage and shows off his strength, especially if he reveals his identity, that wouldn't be appropriate."

Seeing that Li Xingtuo cared so much about Xie Yuan's practice, Qin Zhenyang whispered:

"Master, I think Junior Brother Zhang has a good character. You have seen what you should see. You have also seen him for so long. Why don't you let him join the main peak? Didn't you have this intention before?"

"When did I ever say that?"

Li Xingtuo glanced at Qin Zhenyang:
"So you want more junior brothers to help you with your work? So you can read the storybooks, right?"

Qin Zhenyang looked embarrassed:
"Master, how could I mean that?"

Li Xingtuo shook his head and said calmly:
"There is nothing wrong with his character. He may be a little too decisive and not very conventional, but that's not a big problem.

"But does he really consider himself a disciple of Yunshan Sword Sect? Or is he just a passer-by?"

Qin Zhenyang pondered for a moment and felt that he had no way to answer this question.

Li Xingtuo said calmly:

"This must be confirmed. If he is not from the Sword Sect, I can teach him a few tricks. We can form a good relationship and meet again in the future. It will also be a source of friendship. His talent and character are worth it. But if he is not a Sword Sect, then he cannot be accepted into the main peak lineage. This is one reason."

"Is there any other reason?"

Qin Zhenyang said in surprise.

Li Xingtuo nodded, his face looking somewhat solemn:
"Secondly, his luck is not normal. His past experiences are not like those of ordinary people. I found some clues when I checked today. I don't know how he got involved with that place..."

He looked out the window, his gaze seemed to penetrate the clouds and see into the distance.

Li Xingtuo shook his head and turned his attention back to the documents in front of him:
"Take another look. Your Junior Brother Zhang is destined to be extraordinary."

……

Heavy clouds float around, but never leave the main peak of Yunshan Mountain. The sun rises and the moon sets, but the green mountains stand tall and still.

The new Hidden Dragon List came out, was hotly discussed, and then gradually lost its popularity;

After a while, an updated list was released, and Xie Yuan was still ranked 72nd. There was another discussion, and then nothing happened again.

Xie Yuan didn't care about all this and just became a diligent disciple on Yunshan Mountain. He practiced martial arts on Ruyun Peak without stopping. Except for secretly going down the mountain twice to listen to the little princess playing the piano, he never left Ruyun Peak. Li Xingtuo didn't look for him again.

Three months passed like this. The climate on the mountain was always pleasant and Xie Yuan did not notice it. But when he went down the mountain, he felt a little bit of autumn. Then he realized that midsummer had passed and he had no idea of ​​the season in his practice.

[Chopping wood: (10010/100000)]

[Golden Bell Cover·Fifth Level: (1316/10000)]

[Health-preserving Exercises·Second Level: (819/2000)]

[Bagua Mountain Shaking Fist·Minor Achievement: (1320/3000)]

[Moon-Slashing Axe: Minor Skill: (1188/3000)]

[Heavenly Hidden Technique·Minor Achievement: (3895/5000)]

[Black Book: (459/1000)]

[Cloud Dragon Step·Minor Achievement: (338/3000)]

【Running Wolf Sword Technique·Perfection】

【Yunshan Sword Style·Perfection】

[Cloud Dragon Nine Styles·Minor Achievement: (1356/5000)]

[Yunshan Sword Intentions Sutra·Fourth Level: (2201/4000)]

[Cloud-Entering Sword Technique: Minor Achievement: (19/3000)]

[Sword Heart: Beginner]

After a summer of hard training, Xie Yuan naturally gained a lot, most of which was reflected in the overall growth figures in front of him.

Chopping wood, the most ancient and wonderful skill, has already evolved by one tenth without us noticing. If we were to rely on chopping wood one axe at a time, it would probably take another ten years.

But as long as he keeps moving forward, the road is always under his feet, and the goal is still in front of him, just waiting for him to pick it up.

The progress of the Golden Bell Cover was about the same as expected. If the Second Transformation Realm wanted to transform again, the amount of blood and energy required was unknown. The precious medicine in the ancient ruins had long been used up, so he had to practice bit by bit on his own. Fortunately, Xie Yuan had such a talent that even if he practiced on his own, his progress was not slow.

It was just that he felt the long journey of advancing to the third level of transformation - of course, in terms of his own past; he felt more and more how big the gap between each level was, and knew that the third level of Qi and Blood Transformation was not easy to obtain. Although he wanted to settle accounts with Qiufenglou, before he broke through to the third level of transformation, it was better to run as far away as possible if he met a Heavenly Level Assassin alone.

Re-cultivating the health-preserving skills, the first time is new, the second time is familiar, plus the vision and experience have been improved, the progress is like flying. It is only because the previous precious medicines have been used up, and there is no Tianqing fruit that can make the power surge, otherwise Xie Yuan still has the confidence to directly advance to the next level.

After that, his other skills all made great progress. With his focused practice, Yunlong Step even broke through another level and reached the realm of minor success. After all, with more actual combat, Xie Yuan gradually discovered that body skills were like being able to withstand blows, and sometimes they were more important.

The remaining Nine Yunlong Styles and Yunshan Sword Intent Sutra made steady progress, and the combination of the two made him the best among swordsmen of the same level. Although his cultivation level was not high in the Second Transformation Realm, his combat power should not be underestimated.

If he faced an enemy who used swords, such as the Heavenly Rank Assassin, he could even use his moves to deal with him, but a swordsman of the same rank would probably not be able to hold out for long. Facing Xie Yuan, it would be better not to use swordsmanship.

Xie Yuan felt that his strength was growing steadily, which made him feel very satisfied.

Although there is no explosive breakthrough like taking rare treasures, spiritual practice is like a drop of water wearing away a stone, how can there be a waterfall or torrent all the time?
If you get used to the heavy rain from the sky, you may not be able to bear the loneliness of your own practice.

After Xie Yuan summarized his progress, he made some plans for his next practice. After minor adjustments, he entered the next step of practice.

Jiangzhou.

Jinling Prefecture.

On the bank of Qinhuai River, in a brothel of medium size.

A woman wearing a headscarf veil came upstairs.

Although she covered her face and her exposed eyes looked ordinary, her slender figure was still graceful, making the drunkard lead one of them with one hand and want to reach out with the other.

There was a click.

The drunk man's hand suddenly dislocated before he could touch it. He was stunned for a moment, then suddenly screamed and fell to the ground, causing a commotion in most of the brothel.

The woman remained unmoved and continued walking to a hidden room in the corner of the upstairs corridor, knocking rhythmically on the door.

"Please come in."

A soft and charming voice came from inside.

The woman pushed the door open and closed it gently.

There was an old brothel owner sitting in the room. She looked middle-aged, but her charm surpassed all the women in the building, making men's mouths dry just by looking at her.

However, the woman watched the girl close the door, smiled faintly, and asked:

"Why is the customer so irritable? It's affecting our business."

The woman said softly:
"You're not in this business."

The madam covered her mouth and laughed sweetly:

"Why would I open a brothel if I didn't do this?"

The woman looked at her quietly, without saying a word.

The woman laughed for a while, then felt bored and sighed:
"Forget it. Who introduced you here? What do you want to buy?"

The woman's eyes were calm and she said softly:

"No one introduced me, I calculated it myself."

The woman's eyes narrowed, and she quietly put down her hands, still smiling as if nothing had happened:
"Oh? Then what kind of business does the customer want to do?"

"I want all your news..."

The woman said calmly:

"And your life."

The woman giggled when she heard that, and when she opened her mouth to say something, her palm suddenly flipped over, revealing a dark and dull dagger, which she slashed forward silently. At the same time, she kicked over the table, leaned back, and flew out of the window, trying to escape.

The woman just took a slight wrong step and dodged the sword, then watched quietly as the woman hit her head against the window frame and was bounced back.

A dark light flashed on the window frame, and then the entire room was locked in the dim light.

The woman's expression suddenly changed as she looked at the formation that had been formed at some point in time.

She looked at the woman, a fierce look flashed in her eyes, and she turned into a dark shadow and pounced on her.

The woman looked at her quietly without moving. Suddenly, her figure blurred and she disappeared from the spot.

The woman suddenly stopped, and a look of fear appeared on her face.

The door of the room was shaking violently, and looking from the outside, it seemed as if there was a faint sense of terrifying energy flowing inside.

However, the brothel was so noisy and chaotic that no one noticed the unusual behavior in the room in the corner until the noise in the room subsided.

Business as usual.

(End of this chapter)