The Spiritual Pivot of Mortal Cultivation

After leaving the side hall, Bai Xuanxin's path became clearer than before.

During this period, he made a name for himself in the outer sect's ten-day examination, tested his skills in front of Instructor Li, and solidified his reputation for "being able to diagnose injuries and prescribe medicine" by using Deacon Zhou's old wrist. It seemed that he was climbing the ranks step by step within the sect, but in reality, his root cause was always the same—

Using the power of the Seven Mysteries Sect to nourish himself.

His most pressing enemy right now has never been the Wild Wolf Gang, nor the disciples in the outer sect who are fighting each other.

It was Mo Juren.

That old devil is cunning, ruthless, and has too many underhanded tricks hidden in his body that may not be fully described in the original work. If I were still an unknown outer disciple, I would not be able to get access to better techniques in the sect, nor would I be able to obtain more medicinal materials, nor would I be able to mobilize manpower, let alone set up a trap in advance on the Divine Hand Valley line and kill Doctor Mo together with Han Li.

Therefore, he had to arch upwards.

It's not for becoming a celebrity in the Seven Mysteries Sect.

It wasn't for the sake of gaining temporary prestige among ordinary sects.

Rather, it was to acquire resources faster, to elevate the mortal martial arts path more quickly, and to secure a position where, when Mo Juren truly turned against them, they could intervene, take action, and share the spoils of war.

As for what comes after that—

If we can truly use these bloody battles to gradually seize control of some of the Seven Mysteries Sect's usable people, paths, and influence, that would be even better. Han Li will eventually go to the world of cultivation, and even if I eventually reach the threshold of the immortal realm, I will never complain about having an extra trump card in the mortal world.

The forces of the underworld are usually insignificant.

But if used correctly, they are your own eyes, ears, hands, and feet.

These thoughts had always been deeply buried in Bai Xuanxin's heart, and outsiders naturally had no way of knowing them.

However, the significance of today's medicine delivery and patrol is different from that of the previous days.

This wasn't a ten-day trial, a side hall test, or a casual massage for someone's old injuries in the back mountains. This was the main branch actually using him to do something. The task wasn't big, but it was enough to show that he was no longer just a "somewhat interesting" disciple in the outer sect, but was being put on the periphery of the sect's actual operations to be tested.

This step was exactly what he wanted.

In the afternoon, the group turned back from the Xiling patrol post.

Deacon Liang walked at the front, a long sword hanging at his waist, his steps unhurried. Two disciples in blue robes accompanied him, one carrying an empty basket, the other carrying medicinal wine and medicine. A thin, small servant followed at the rear, carrying several rolls of spare cloth. Bai Xuanxin lagged half a step behind, still carrying his medicine box, his expression calm, but his eyes never idle.

On his way back up the mountain, he continued to memorize the terrain.

The Xiling route is gentle at first, then becomes treacherous. In the middle section, there is a slope with very dense shrubs at the bottom, perfect for lying prone. Half a mile further on, there is a section of stone path that can only accommodate two people side by side, with a steep slope on the right and an old forest on the left. If someone really wants to test the edge of the Seven Mysteries Sect, this is the easiest place to start.

Such a position is not only visible to the Wild Wolf Gang, but Bai Xuanxin also needs to keep it in mind.

If we truly want to use the Seven Mysteries Sect as our foundation in the future, then all these roads, all these entrances, all these places in the martial world that can be used to bury people or escape—they must all be our own.

When they reached the narrowest part of the mountain path, Bai Xuanxin's heart suddenly sank slightly.

The wind is still the same wind.

The trees are still the same trees.

It's so quiet.

It had rained a few days ago, making the mountains damp, so the insect sounds were already quiet, but even if they weren't, they shouldn't be this dead. Especially in this section of the old forest, which is extremely dense, there are usually a few bird calls and rustling leaves. But now it's as if someone has smoothed it all out beforehand, leaving it completely silent.

Bai Xuanxin shifted her gaze slightly, looking towards a clump of bent grass by the roadside.

The grass was freshly cut.

The broken branches are white, and the muddy surface is renewed.

There was also half a crushed green fruit, the flesh of which was still moist.

He didn't move his feet, but his lips pursed very slightly.

They arrived as expected.

This was not an accident.

Since the Wild Wolf Gang has already begun repeatedly testing the boundaries, this journey of delivering medicine and patrolling the mountains is inherently fraught with danger. Steward Liang may well be aware of this, but the sect also needs to use these tasks to gauge the other side's courage.

Bai Xuanxin did not offer any reminder.

It's not that I don't want to, it's that there's no time.

The next moment, a "whoosh" sound suddenly rang out from the woods on the left, and a short, black arrow shot out from the depths of the bushes, heading straight for the young servant boy at the very end of the group.

"puff!"

A short arrow pierced his leg, and the boy screamed in agony, collapsing to the ground, the roll of cloth in his arms scattering all over the floor.

At the same time, three figures darted out from the woods.

There were no generic names, and no fluff.

The leader had an old scar on his face, running diagonally from the corner of his eye to his mouth. He carried a chipped broadsword, his clothes were tattered, but his steps were extremely fierce. The other two, one wielding a short stick and the other holding a dagger in reverse, didn't even glance at Steward Liang when they pounced out, clearly having already decided who would hold the line, who would kill, and who would destroy the medicine.

This is not about chivalry and honor.

They've come to test the waters, to kill, and to probe the Seven Mysteries Sect's strengths and weaknesses.

Deacon Liang had already drawn his sword, his voice low and metallic.

"Protect the medicine!"

Before he could finish speaking, the other man had already pounced on the scarred man.

The two disciples in blue robes also separated at the same time; one snatched the arrow-struck servant, while the other stepped in front of the medicine basket. The scene instantly descended into chaos; a flash of blade light seemed to slice through the shadows of the trees.

At that moment, Bai Xuanxin was unusually calm.

He knew this was completely different from the ring.

During the ten-day examination, one can see, allow, or hide.

However, these things were not found on the mountain path.

This isn't about who has the most impressive moves, who has the most dignified posture, or who wins the applause. It's about survival, about being dirtier and more ruthless than your opponent.

The man from the Wild Wolf Gang who carried the dagger clearly understood this principle best.

He completely ignored the fight between Deacon Liang and Scarface, and didn't touch the two disciples in blue robes. Instead, he circled around the edge of the mountain path and rushed straight to the medicine pouch rolling on the ground and the wounded servant who had been shot with an arrow. Killing, destroying the medicine, and then retreating—that was the most valuable outcome of this kind of probing.

Bai Xuanxin's eyes suddenly turned cold.

This person cannot be kept.

He didn't draw any real weapon. This trip to deliver medicine wasn't meant to be a killing spree; he only carried a small, thin knife for slicing medicine at his waist. But in a real close-quarters fight, a long sword might not be more effective than this.

Bai Xuanxin reached out with his left hand and pulled out a handful of fine powder from a hidden compartment in the medicine box, then flung it out in front of people.

That was not poison.

The dehumidifying powder he had been carrying with him these past few days contained a small amount of realgar, lime, and pungent powder, originally intended to repel insects and snakes and prevent medicinal herbs from molding. But in front of people, it was still just as ruthless.

The man was rushing forward when he didn't expect a boy carrying a medicine box to do this first, and half of his face was hit squarely.

"ah--!"

The man's eyes suddenly hurt, and the dagger in his hand also veered off course.

It's this one side that's off.

Bai Xuanxin slipped, and the "Luoyan Step" had already been instinctively activated.

But this time, the "smoke step" wasn't the kind used in the ring where you held back three parts and concealed seven. There were no fancy diagonal turns, no room for others to see the "blind spots" or "leverage." There was only one word here—fast.

With his arches rolling on the ground, his knees and hips loosened first, and his waist and spine sank and thrust forward, he almost cut diagonally into the stone path. The man was still covering his eyes and turning his head away when Bai Xuanxin was already at his side.

Don't aim the knife directly at the chest. The bone there is thick, and it's easy for the knife to get stuck.

It doesn't aim for the lower abdomen. It's enough to hurt, but not fast enough.

Instead, it was inserted diagonally into the ribcage under his armpit that was exposed after he raised his arm.

This strike was short, ruthless, and extremely steady.

All the knowledge about muscles, bones, and internal organs learned in my previous life did not transform into any lengthy treatises at this moment, but remained only as a cold, hard judgment:

The rib gaps are shallow and there is little bone, so insertion is quick.

Go half an inch deeper, and you'll be close to the lungs.

really.

As soon as the blade entered, the man's scream was abruptly cut off, leaving only a short, muffled gasp. His body arched sharply, and the dagger clattered to the ground. Bai Xuanxin, however, did not greedily make a second cut. With a quick pull and a step back, he slid away from the man's side.

Hot blood splattered onto his sleeves and the back of his hands, burning him intensely.

Bai Xuanxin's heart clenched slightly.

But the contraction only spun around in his chest before he forcefully pushed it back in.

Because another man wielding a short stick had already seen his companion fall, he cursed under his breath and turned to pounce on him. This man's methods were even dirtier; as soon as his stick flashed, he struck the head first, then swept the legs. It was clear that he wasn't there to exchange blows, but rather to take advantage of Bai Xuanxin's recent bleeding and unsettled state to kill him on the mountain path.

Bai Xuanxin did not retreat.

If we back down, we'll be suppressed and beaten.

The mountain path was too narrow, and behind them were medicine boxes and wounded soldiers.

To talk about propriety on the ring at this point is tantamount to courting death.

The short stick swept across.

Bai Xuanxin didn't look at the tip of the stick, but only at the line of force exerted by the man's shoulder, elbow, and wrist. A stick may look long, but what truly injures a person is the unified force in their hand. Once that force is broken, the stick is nothing more than a piece of wood.

In a flash, he suddenly ducked, cutting half a step under the shadow of the staff. His left hand swept along the staff, not to snatch it, but to deflect it outwards, precisely at the moment when the force was at its peak. At the same time, his right hand, with two fingers together, stabbed hard at the point where the man's earlobe met his neck.

This poke is completely different from the "pressure point strike" in the ring.

The arena is a place for testing, for deflecting force.

This place, however, is designed to leave people immediately bewildered.

The man groaned, his whole body swayed, and the force of the stick dissipated first.

Bai Xuanxin didn't stop, his right foot thrusting forward, kicking the man's knee precisely where it was most vulnerable to lateral force. The man's leg buckled, and Bai Xuanxin seized the opportunity to pick up the dagger from the ground, pressing it down with his backhand, the blade pressed tightly against the man's throat.

Its movements were as fast as a snake slipping into the bones.

The man felt a chill on his neck and froze, no longer daring to move.

On the other side, Deacon Liang and Scarface had already exchanged blows several times. Scarface had originally planned to "test the waters if he could win, and withdraw immediately if he couldn't," but now that he saw his companions dead and injured, his expression finally changed. He cursed, made a feint with his sword, and turned to flee into the forest.

Deacon Liang took two steps forward, glanced at the blood, wounded, and medicine packs on the ground, but ultimately did not pursue them.

"Stop chasing!"

His voice wasn't loud, but it carried a commanding presence.

"Collect the medicine, tie them up, save the person first!"

As soon as those words were spoken, everyone sprang into action.

Two disciples in blue robes went to collect the scattered medicine packets and cloth strips.

Deacon Liang personally went to see the corpse and the bloodstains on the ground.

Bai Xuanxin knelt beside the servant who had been shot by an arrow, first breaking off the arrow tail, then sealing the wound with blood, and then applying medicinal powder to the wound. Her movements were very fast, but her hands were not messy at all.

Deacon Liang stood aside, watching his blood-covered hand kill first and then save someone, and his gaze deepened.

This is not the handsome young man from the martial arts arena.

This person is someone who can truly climb the mountain path and witness life and death.

Once the wounds were sealed, the medicine was collected, and the survivors were bound and killed, the mountain path finally quieted down again.

The wind was still blowing.

The tree is still standing.

But the aura that had been there in the arena and the hall just now had been blown away by the mountain wind.

Bai Xuanxin stood up and looked down at her right hand.

Blood was everywhere – on the back of my hands, between my fingers, and on my cuffs.

When it first spurted out, the blood was hot, with an almost sweet, fishy smell. Now, blown by the wind, it had begun to cool, sticking to the skin like a thin layer of mud. Bai Xuanxin slowly clenched her fingers, feeling her knuckles tighten slightly.

He finally understood why he had always felt a slight, unspoken distance between them.

These days, he practiced his skills in the back mountain, fought in the outer sect arena, and calculated people, situations, and positions in the main hall. He had thought about everything he needed to think about, and understood everything he needed to see. But it was ultimately like standing beside the original story, holding a picture whose ending he already knew, and filling in the blanks bit by bit.

until today--

The knife was truly inserted into the ribs of a living person.

The passion truly spills onto one's own hands.

A living person who was cursing and brandishing a knife just moments ago suddenly bent over and breathed their last right in front of them.

This world had finally broken free from the pages of books and schemes, pressing heavily before his eyes.

It's not part of the plot.

It's not about layout.

It is a living, breathing world of martial arts.

At this moment, Deacon Liang walked over, his gaze lingering on the corpse for a moment before landing on Bai Xuanxin's face.

"First time killing someone?"

Bai Xuanxin remained silent for a moment, then nodded.

Deacon Liang hummed in response, his expression showing little change.

"No vomiting, and no shaking hands, that's pretty good." His voice was flat. "Keep your mind focused on the way back to the mountain. It's the first time you've seen blood, and it's easiest to lose focus later on. Many people who actually die in the martial world don't die the moment they strike, but rather from that momentary hesitation after killing someone."

These words, spoken so casually, resonated more deeply than any words of comfort.

Upon hearing this, Bai Xuanxin didn't say much, only responding softly.

When the group set off again, the sky had completely darkened.

The injured servants were helped up in turn, while the survivors were bound like dogs awaiting slaughter, their mouths gagged, only muffled whimpers escaping their lips. Deacon Liang continued to walk at the front, his sword still sheathed. Bai Xuanxin, carrying his medicine chest, landed in the middle, his steps still steady, though slightly heavier than when he arrived.

He knew that from this moment on, he had finally sunk deeper into this world.

In the past, he would think about how to climb the ranks through the Seven Mysteries Sect, how to acquire resources, how to practice martial arts, how to deal with Mo Juren, and how to pave a more stable path for himself in the mortal world.

From today onward, these things will no longer be just calculations.

Because his hands were truly stained with blood.

Mo Juren wanted to kill him.

Be wary of the Wild Wolf Gang.

The Seven Mysteries Sect needs to borrow it.

In the world of martial arts, one must do what needs to be done, avoid what needs to be avoided, and take what needs to be taken in, one by one.

He can no longer simply be someone watching from the sidelines.

At the mountain pass ahead, dark clouds hung low, and the wind already carried the scent of rain.

Bai Xuanxin glanced up, then slowly looked away, gripping the medicine box tightly in her hand.

From this day forward, he finally understood one thing—

Winning in the ring doesn't guarantee survival.

But if you can't even swallow this mouthful of blood, then there's no point in talking about anything else.

And I have finally stepped from the step of "being able to fight in the arena" to the step of "being able to live in the martial arts world".