A max-level player in Jade Dynasty: Awakening the Innate Dao at the start.

The fire poker, trailing a crooked, bluish-gold tail of flame, slammed onto the bluestone slab of Dazhufeng Square with a "thud".

The force of the impact was not controlled, and the stone slab cracked open with a "crack," scattering gravel everywhere.

Zhang Xiaofan jumped off the stick, his feet wobbling before he regained his balance.

The hem of his Taoist robe was blown up by the wind, his clothes were in disarray, and his hair was disheveled, with a few wet strands sticking to his forehead.

He turned his head to look in the direction he had come from—the sea of ​​clouds was churning, the sky was empty, and there was no sign of the expected murderous, moon-white sword light.

They didn't chase after us?

He breathed a sigh of relief, but then felt uneasy. Given his aunt Shuiyue's temperament, would she really let it go so easily?

"Xiao Fan?"

A gruff voice came from Shoujing Hall.

Tian Buyi strolled over with his hands behind his back, his round face bearing his usual impatient expression.

He approached, looked Zhang Xiaofan up and down in his disheveled state, and frowned.

"What happened? Where are your master's wife and Ling'er? Why did you come back alone like you were being chased by a dog?"

Zhang Xiaofan swallowed, his throat dry.

"Master, Senior Sister Shuiyue... is going to beat me up."

Tian Buyi was taken aback: "Beat you up? Why?"

"because……"

Before he could finish speaking, a whooshing sound came from the horizon.

The silvery light of the Ink Snow Sword fell first, and Su Ru lightly and gracefully jumped off the sword.

There was a hint of helplessness on her face, but a smile in her eyes.

This was followed by a crimson light from the amber silk.

Tian Ling'er jumped down, her ponytail swinging high, her expression a truly fascinating one—

Three parts anxiety, three parts a desire to laugh, and the remaining four parts just wanting to watch the drama unfold.

Tian Buyi's gaze swept over the three of them, finally landing on Su Ru's face: "What's going on?"

Su Ru sighed, walked to his side, and lowered her voice: "Xiao Fan... has gotten into trouble."

She briefly explained the situation.

From Zhang Xiaofan praising Shuiyue Zhenren in the main hall for her "outstanding appearance and voluptuous figure,"

From secretly running off to find Lu Xueqi, to the two "sitting side by side, chatting happily,"

Finally, he was caught red-handed by Master Shuiyue, and Zhang Xiaofan fled in a sorry state.

With each word she spoke, Tian Buyi's expression grew increasingly strange.

After he finished speaking, Tian Buyi did not get angry.

He stared at Zhang Xiaofan for a few seconds, and then—

"Ha ha ha ha!"

A burst of laughter erupted, causing dust to fall from the eaves.

Tian Buyi laughed so hard he almost fell over, his belly jiggling, and he was almost in tears.

He clutched his stomach with one hand and pointed at Zhang Xiaofan with the other, laughing so hard he could barely speak:

"Good...good lad! You've got guts!"

That old hag Shuiyue... hahaha... her face... must have turned green with anger, right?

"Doesn't it feel like swallowing a fly whole? Hahaha..."

Zhang Xiaofan stared blankly, somewhat bewildered.

Su Ru slapped Tian Buyi's arm in an annoyed tone:

"That's not easy! And you're still laughing! Senior Sister is really angry this time; she said there's not a single good person on Dazhu Peak!"

"When has she ever not said that?"

Tian Buyi wiped away the tears that had welled up from laughing.

"Back when I was pursuing you, didn't she constantly call me a 'short, fat guy' and a 'toad trying to eat swan meat'?"

She even set up three lines of defense at Xiaozhu Peak, treating me like a thief! Now her apprentice is being bullied by my apprentice…”

He paused, looked at Zhang Xiaofan, his eyes full of approval: "Well done!"

Su Ru stomped her foot in anger: "You still teach! You don't teach anything good, you only teach these crooked and evil ways!"

"How is this considered unorthodox or heretical?"

Tian Buyi puffed out his belly.

"That's called strategy! If I hadn't been shameless back then, would I have been able to marry you? Would Dazhu Peak be where it is today?"

As he spoke, he suddenly looked at Su Ru, sensing something was off, and chuckled:

"Madam, where shall I sleep tonight?"

Su Ru rolled her eyes at him: "Guest room!"

Tian Buyi's face immediately fell: "No, please... I was just praising my apprentice..."

Su Ru ignored him and pulled Tian Ling'er and Wen Min towards the kitchen:

"Let's go cook. Let them reflect on their actions."

Tian Buyi watched their figures disappear before his smile faded, and he turned to Zhang Xiaofan.

He looked Zhang Xiaofan up and down a few more times, then suddenly beckoned, "Come with me."

After saying that, he turned around and walked towards the back hall of Shoujing Hall.

Zhang Xiaofan quickly followed.

Deep inside the rear hall is a secret room, which is usually locked and rarely opened by Tian Buyi.

He took out a brass key from his pocket, inserted it into the lock, and turned it three times.

With a "click," the door opened.

It was dark inside, with no windows, only a lamp burning in the corner.

The lamp oil was made from merman fat and had been burning for decades without going out. The flame was only the size of a bean and emitted a faint blue light.

Tian Buyi walked to the center of the secret room, where there was a stone table with an ancient book in animal skin on it.

The leather had turned black, and the edges were curled up, tied with a red string.

He untied the red string and spread out the ancient book.

Under the dim blue light, you can see densely packed small characters written in cinnabar on the leather, as well as several diagrams of the human body's meridians.

The picture is old, and the lines are a bit blurry, but you can tell that it represents some kind of extremely profound technique.

"Do you recognize him?" Tian Buyi asked.

Zhang Xiaofan took a closer look and shook his head.

"The Divine Sword Thunder Control Technique"

Tian Buyi's voice lowered.

"One of the four great true techniques of Qingyun Sect, it is also the most powerful and has the most deadly backlash."

Over the past thousand years, the number of people who have mastered it can be counted on two hands.

Even fewer can master it and still unleash it without dying.

His fingers traced the vermilion characters on the leather:

"The minimum threshold for this true secret is the Upper Clarity Realm."

Even if a cultivator at the Shangqing Realm were to use this technique, they would still suffer a terrible backlash—at best, their meridians would be completely severed, and at worst, they would die on the spot.

Therefore, the sect rules explicitly state that this technique must never be used unless in a life-or-death situation.

He looked up at Zhang Xiaofan:

"I have examined your magical power."

Its depth far surpasses that of other cultivators of the same level, and it can even rival the early stage of the Upper Clarity Realm.

So today, I'm passing on this secret to you.

Zhang Xiaofan's heart skipped a beat.

"But listen carefully to these words."

Tian Buyi's expression turned serious, and he held up one finger.

"First of all, this secret is a trump card for survival, not a means to show off."

It should not be used unless absolutely necessary.

Extend your second finger.

"Secondly, you are absolutely not allowed to attempt to use it before you reach the Shangqing Realm."

No matter how powerful your magic is, if your physical strength is insufficient, you'll suffer the backlash.

There are only two possible outcomes—severe injury or disability, or death.

The third finger slammed heavily on the stone table.

"Third, and most importantly, even if you manage to break through to the Shangqing Realm one day, you must be prepared to suffer the backlash before using it."

This true technique invokes the divine thunder of the Nine Heavens Mysterious Temple, a power that cannot be fully controlled by a mortal body.

Countless geniuses have perished here over the millennia; remember this well!

He stared at Zhang Xiaofan, his eyes sharp as knives: "Did you understand?"

Zhang Xiaofan bowed: "Disciple understands."

"You really understand?" Tian Buyi narrowed his eyes.

"I understand perfectly."

Tian Buyi stared at him for a long time before nodding and beginning to explain the key points of the true technique.

From how the meridians circulate, to how true energy is condensed, to every syllable of the lightning-summoning incantation, and then to how to protect the body when suffering backlash.

He explained it in great detail, and it took him a full hour.

After finishing his explanation, he closed the ancient book and tied it back with the red string.

"Have you memorized the key points?"

"I've got it."

"Demonstrate it once so I can see."

Zhang Xiaofan closed his eyes and formed a hand seal in front of his chest.

His fingers flew across the paper, his movements clumsy yet precise.

As the printing technique took shape, the air in the sealed chamber began to tremble slightly.

The flame of the ever-burning lamp flickered, casting crooked shadows on the wall.

He spoke, reciting the first incantation:

"Nine Heavens Mystic Temple—"

"Stop," Tian Buyi interrupted him.

Zhang Xiaofan opened his eyes.

Tian Buyi looked at him, his eyes filled with complex emotions:

"Your magic flows smoothly, and your pronunciation of the incantation is accurate. It seems you've truly memorized it. But Xiao Fan..."

He paused, then lowered his voice even further:

"Of the three rules I just mentioned, especially the second one—you absolutely cannot attempt them before reaching the Shangqing Realm—can you do that?"

Zhang Xiaofan nodded: "Yes."

Tian Buyi stared at him for a long time, then finally waved his hand: "Go."

Zhang Xiaofan bowed and left the secret room.

The moment the door closed, the serious look on Tian Buyi's face vanished.

He walked to the wall, stood against it, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath.

This kid... he'll definitely try it secretly.

He knows Zhang Xiaofan too well.

That thirst for power, that stubbornness of "I'm going to try," is exactly the same as when he was young.

Yeah.

Tian Buyi opened his eyes, a cold glint flashing in them.

Let him try.

Let him experience firsthand just how terrifying the backlash was at the very last moment.

He would wait until the man vomited blood, collapsed, and his meridians were about to rupture before he would save him.

Only by experiencing losses can one truly learn from them.

For a thousand years, no one below the Shangqing Realm has ever been able to unleash the Divine Sword Thunder Control Technique without taking damage.

not a single one.

Tian Buyi believed that Zhang Xiaofan would be no exception.

The back mountain, the canyon.

When Zhang Xiaofan's staff landed, the scene at the bottom of the valley had already changed.

A month ago, this place was shrouded in black fog, with a menacing aura filling the sky.

The black fog has thinned considerably, now resembling diluted ink, drifting sparsely in the air.

The stench of rust mixed with rotting flesh had faded, replaced by the earthy smell of rain-soaked soil and the faint grassy scent of newly grown moss on the cliff face.

The Black Pool is still there, but the water is no longer pitch black; it has turned dark gray.

Occasionally, a few bubbles would rise to the surface of the water, bursting open with a "glug" and releasing the last bit of remaining malevolent energy.

Zhang Xiaofan walked to the edge of the pool and sat down cross-legged.

He took a fire poker out of his pocket and placed it on his knee.

The stick was jet black, with a dark red bead at the top that gleamed faintly in the dim light.

Touching it, you can feel a warm, pulsating sensation, as if connected to your blood.

Soul-Devouring Staff.

Or rather, it still looks like a fire poker.

Zhang Xiaofan smiled.

Others use immortal swords and divine weapons, but he uses a fire poker.

They're a good match.

He closed his eyes and began to recall.

The key principles and techniques taught by Tian Buyi flashed through his mind word by word.

Every detail of Lu Xueqi's performance—her hand seals, the rhythm of her incantation, the timing of her true energy burst—

And when the final backlash struck, she stubbornly held back her vomiting of blood to maintain her balance.

Half an hour later, he opened his eyes.

Deep within his pupils, lapis lazuli and gold light alternated and flowed.

The blue color in his left eye is the true essence of the "Taiji Xuanqing Dao";

The golden color in his right eye is the power of the Buddha in the "Great Brahma Prajna".

The two forces coexist harmoniously within the body, one external and one internal, one offensive and one defensive.

He stood up.

The fire poker automatically floated up and stopped in front of him.

The stick began to vibrate, emitting a low hum.

A bluish-gold halo seeped from the staff, growing brighter and brighter.

Finally, it resembled a burning flame, illuminating the entire canyon.

Zhang Xiaofan raised his hands and began to form hand seals.

Her movements were much more skillful than in the secret room; her fingers flew across the paper, leaving only afterimages.

As the printing took shape, the surrounding air began to vibrate violently, emitting a low "humming" sound.

Rock fragments fell from the cliff face, crashing into the black pool and splashing up murky water.

He spoke, his voice clear and resonant, echoing through the valley:

"Nine Heavens Mysterious Temple, transform into divine thunder—"

"The mighty power of Heaven, let us unleash it with our swords!"

The moment the incantation was finished, the clouds above the canyon began to churn.

These were not ordinary dark clouds; they were some kind of deeper, heavier, lead-gray cloud formation.

Lightning bolts darted through the clouds, and thunder rumbled faintly, as if thousands of war drums were beating in the heavens.