The Spiritual Pivot of Mortal Cultivation

The backyard has been very quiet these past few days under Su Li's tutelage.

The only sounds were the soft rustling of footsteps on the fine sand, the occasional wisp of steam rising from the surface of the medicinal pool, and the increasingly heavy and subtle energy within Bai Xuanxin's body, grinding away bit by bit in the gaps between his muscles and bones.

But the quieter he was, the clearer the picture in his mind became.

The explosion at Shenshou Valley won't happen immediately.

It's not a gamble out of thin air.

Rather, it was something he gradually figured out over time.

Although Han Li's "Eternal Spring Skill" is approaching the critical point, it has not yet reached the narrowest point where they will have to risk their lives to hold on that night; the medicine fire in the valley has been burning day and night, which means that Mo Juren is still "enduring" and it is not time to completely close the net yet; even that bird, although it has been patrolling more frequently recently, still changes its patrol points during the day and makes up for it at dusk, and has not changed to guarding the front and back of the house all night.

in other words--

Mo Juren is still waiting.

Wait until Han Li is more skilled, until Qu Hun is more stable, until his most experienced hand can land with less effort.

Bai Xuanxin was aware of this rhythm.

It won't be accurate to a specific day or hour.

But it's probably still a little bit too hot.

This short period of adjustment was just enough for him to gain a little more ground for himself.

Therefore, when the messenger came from the side hall, Bai Xuanxin did not hesitate at all.

The messenger was a seasoned disciple of Deacon Liang, and he only said one sentence:

"The front hall and side hall are poorly managed."

Bai Xuanxin finished his practice, changed his clothes, and went to the front hall.

Several people were already standing in the side hall.

Deacon Liang was present, as was Instructor Li. On the table lay a rough map of the mountain path. The map only had ink lines outlining the slopes, post roads, ferry crossings, and a few mountain passes. Next to it were three vermilion dots, all of very fresh color, clearly indicating that they had been added recently.

Deacon Liang raised his hand and pointed to a narrow, throat-like ravine on the map.

"Xiling Eagle's Beak Slope".

"It broke down here again last night."

Instructor Li continued:

"It wasn't a large cart, nor was it a whole batch of medicine. It was a small medicine box that was being delivered from a side clinic to the north road, and someone tried to bite into it. Not everything was lost, and not everyone was killed, but if this line isn't pushed back immediately, the surrounding roads will all become loose."

Bai Xuanxin stood at the lower end and did not speak immediately.

He knew this wasn't a discussion with him.

Sure enough, Deacon Liang uttered his next sentence:

"You go with them."

Bai Xuanxin cupped his hands in greeting: "This disciple obeys."

Instructor Li glanced at him, her tone indifferent:

"This trip isn't for you to show off. What the sect is looking at now isn't just whether you can fight, but also whether you can handle things, whether you can stabilize the situation, and whether you can protect lives and medicine on the real road."

Bai Xuanxin lowered her head and replied "Yes," but her heart gradually calmed down.

This business trip has come at just the right time.

It's all empty talk if you're valued within the sect but don't actually get the job done.

Medicine pool, root method, and status as a disciple all require solid, bloody rewards to solidify your position before the sect will truly continue to reward you.

And that's exactly what he lacks most right now.

It wasn't a win that looked good.

It was a "stable" affair that was tough enough, dirty enough, and enough to make the real leaders of the Seven Mysteries Sect nod in approval.

Because that night at Shenshou Valley, it wasn't because of anyone's reputation that they relied on it.

But who actually has something in their possession?

Half an hour later, the group had left the mountain gate.

There weren't many people on this trip.

Bringing up the procession was Deacon Ge, an elderly man from the side hall, around forty years old. He walked the most upright and solid path in the sect, with broad shoulders, heavy arms, and a mountain-like aura in his palms. Behind him were six people, all skilled fighters handpicked by the side hall and inner sect. Bai Xuanxin blended in among them, not showing off, except that the wooden plaque at his waist seemed heavier than before, and his steps were more steady.

The amount of money bet wasn't much.

Three iron-cornered medicine boxes, and several urgent letters sealed with sealing wax.

The more it is like this, the more valuable it becomes.

The small size of the box indicates the medicine is genuine; the thin envelope suggests the matter is urgent. If the Wild Wolf Gang truly has someone monitoring this line, they would only target these "small teams, short-term missions, but extremely dangerous" survivors.

Throughout the journey, no one spoke much.

Deacon Ge walked ahead, his eyes fixed on the road. The rest of the group naturally split into two lines: one to protect the box, and the other to patrol the side. Bai Xuanxin was in the middle, neither rushing ahead nor lagging behind, silently observing the mountain terrain, wind direction, slopes, and the color of the soil beneath her feet.

He had traveled this road to Xiling once before.

At that time, I was looking more at the "Tao".

This time, however, I was looking at the "mouth".

Which part of the road is narrow?

Where the wind is favorable,

The slope that looks wide is actually the most suitable place to cut off the top first, then bend down the middle.

And in some places, the grass was too uniform in color, as if someone had deliberately swept it flat with branches last night.

As afternoon approached, the sky gradually darkened.

The clouds weren't thick, but they hung low. The mountain wind blew along the slope, and when it reached the vicinity of Eagle's Beak Slope, it suddenly weakened. Bai Xuanxin's gaze darkened; he had already sensed something was wrong.

The slope ahead, shaped like a bird's beak, slopes downwards on the left and right, with a narrow indentation in the middle. This terrain is ideal for using crossbows, ropes, rolling stones, and hidden knives all at once. But along the way, the grass near the slope only trembled and didn't sway, as if the wind wasn't blocked by the mountain, but rather "eaten" by something.

This suggests that arrangements were likely made on both sides long ago.

Just as Bai Xuanxin was about to speak to remind him, there was a sudden "snap" sound from the slope.

A very thin tripwire suddenly snapped shut, and then several small, carefully angled stones rolled down from above, landing right at the feet of the two people leading the way.

Deacon Ge immediately roared:

"Disperse!"

As soon as the sound was heard, the figures behind the rocks on both sides of the slope were all flipped out at once.

It wasn't a chaotic rush.

Instead, they are three distinct hands.

First, press the crossbow on the left, then cut the waist on the right, and finally let the person on top fall down the slope. The blade flashes slowly, but the point of impact is poisonous. They specifically choose the few inches of space between the medicine box and the person guarding it that is most likely to be disturbed to stab.

Bai Xuanxin's eyes suddenly turned cold.

This is no ordinary trial run.

They came with the intention of cutting off the road, seizing the boxes, and killing people.

Moreover, the men who carried out the attack were clearly more experienced than the Wild Wolf Gang he had encountered on the medicine road a few days ago. They knew how to read the wind, the slope, and which side of the path people would stumble on first. In such an ambush, if the leader wasn't calm, the entire squad would be torn to shreds if they lost even a little bit of composure.

Deacon Ge clenched his left palm, forcefully deflecting a blade that was lunging at him from the side, and shouted:

"Protect the box! Don't move it!"

Two members of the team immediately retreated to protect the crate, while the other three dispersed to engage the enemy. Bai Xuanxin, however, did not rush to attack; instead, she first glanced at the top of the slope.

Upon seeing that glance, his heart sank at first, but then he became more reassured.

Beside the highest black rock at the top of the slope stood a dark red figure.

Wearing a short cloak over his shoulders, he was not tall, yet possessed a sinister, wolf-like aura. The man stood there with his hands behind his back, neither in a hurry to join the fray nor making any show of force, but simply watching the ambush below, as if judging which blade was the most valuable and which life was most deserving of being taken.

Jia Tianlong.

Bai Xuanxin didn't even need a second glance to make up her mind.

This person won't personally pounce on him right now.

At least they wouldn't personally do the work just for these three medicine boxes.

But the fact that he came here in person shows that this lead is no longer "easy to take" in the eyes of the Wild Wolf Gang, but is worth using to test how much confidence the Seven Mysteries Sect still has.

But what will actually pounce is the knife beside him.

Just then, a tall, thin figure finally swooped down from the side of the hilltop.

Clad in red with narrow sleeves and a short wolf-skin cloak, he held a long, thin-backed knife in his hand. The knife was not fully drawn, yet he already exuded an extremely cold and oppressive aura as he pressed down on the slope. The weight of that aura far surpassed that of any of the Wild Wolf Gang's tough fighters that Bai Xuanxin had previously encountered.

Mid-to-late stage of first-class development.

Moreover, it's not simply a matter of having deep internal strength.

This person knows how to use the slope, the wind, and the obstruction of sight; he'll use the force of his knife to force you to retreat to the wrong position. Such an opponent is far more terrifying than a reckless brute who only knows how to fight head-on.

After landing, the tall, thin man did not immediately pounce on Deacon Ge. Instead, he turned his blade and fixed his gaze on Bai Xuanxin.

"You're the one who's risen to prominence the fastest in the Seven Mysteries Sect lately, aren't you?"

His voice was dry and hoarse, like the back of a knife scraping against old wood.

Bai Xuanxin's eyes narrowed slightly. This meant that what he had revealed in the side hall, the medicine path, and the backyard a few days ago had been noticed by the Wild Wolf Gang's informants.

He did not answer.

The man didn't need his reply; he simply slowly pushed his long sword out of its sheath.

The blade was only half a foot exposed, yet the chill already pressed down with the wind from the slope.

"Remember my number."

"Crimson Wolf Blade, Slaughtering Cry."

This is not a character from Bai Xuanxin's past life memories.

But that's not important.

More importantly, the opponent's momentum, swordsmanship, and positioning along the way were enough to show that he was probably one of the most ruthless characters among Jia Tianlong's group of red-clad iron guards.

The knife arrived in the next instant.

Instead of beheading him,

It's not aimed directly at the throat.

Instead, it dragged the object diagonally along the slope, first blocking Bai Xuanxin's half-step to the left, then forcing him to crash backwards and disrupt the line of people guarding the box.

Before the blade even arrived, the wind emanating from it already made one's chest feel tight.

Bai Xuanxin's feet rose half an inch with a smoky step, but she forcibly suppressed that half inch in her heart.

We cannot simply withdraw funds.

If he were to retreat completely with this strike, the two men guarding the box behind him would be thrown into disarray by his own impact; moreover, this retreat would also confirm the opponent's sword path.

So he first lowered his shoulders and straightened his back, taking the blow head-on from the half-line blade.

"laugh--"

The cuffs tore first.

Bai Xuanxin's entire left arm was slightly numb from the blade's energy, but in that instant, he shrugged his waist and hips, slightly lowered his shoulders and back, and forcefully supported the blade's momentum by half. Then, with a twist, he managed to deflect the drag by a fraction of an inch.

A hint of coldness finally flashed across Tu Ming's eyes.

Taking advantage of the half-inch gap, Bai Xuanxin shifted the sand beneath his feet and cut in along the lower edge of the blade, not touching the tip or the blade itself, but only taking the most vulnerable pivot point on the opponent's wrist.

Tu Ming reacted extremely quickly, pulling back his elbow and flipping his wrist, the back of his blade striking Bai Xuanxin's chest.

Bai Xuanxin, however, did not back down.

At this moment, all the things that had been pushed out recently by the Medicine Pool, the Root Method, and the Sect's Orthodox Structure have finally come to fruition.

He first took the hit with his left arm, his shoulders and back sinking as he absorbed the force into his upright frame. Then, he pressed down hard with his right hand along the slight gap under Tu Ming's elbow.

This pressure is not intended to cause numbness or pain.

All they wanted was to break people up.

The sound was extremely soft, a "click".

Tu Ming's entire right arm's force line immediately shifted by half an inch, and his sword strike also faltered.

Bai Xuanxin followed up with another quick step, seizing the opponent's outer rib blind spot. Instead of striking the chest or throat, he delivered a short, ruthless, and heavy blow to the point where the opponent's shoulder and spine were most vulnerable to resistance.

If this happens, an ordinary person would lose half of their arm on the spot.

But Tu Ming was no ordinary person after all.

He grunted, his back muscles tensed, and he managed to withstand the blow, then retaliated with an elbow strike.

This elbow strike, without fancy moves or cleverness, was simply powerful.

Bai Xuanxin didn't have time to dodge completely, so she had to use her left arm to catch it again.

"boom--"

A muffled thud, like two wet logs colliding hard on the slope.

Bai Xuanxin's entire left arm went numb instantly, and the line on his shoulder that had been torn open by the blade's energy burned with pain. Yet, the light in his eyes remained unwavering; in fact, it shone even brighter for a moment after the impact.

Tu Ming's methods were not without flaws.

This man's blade is heavy, his stance is stable, and he knows how to use inclines and wind, making him extremely difficult to counter when he attacks head-on. However, his two elbow strikes and two blade strikes both demonstrate one thing—

He's protecting the right, not the left.

He believed in the knife, not the crotch.

Once someone gets close enough to break down his shoulder and elbow lines, his "stability" in his lower body isn't as solid as it seems on the surface.

This thought flashed by in an instant, and Tu Ming had already raised his sword again.

This time, the knife was no longer dragged, but pressed down.

It came down from above, pressing straight down with the slope, like a piece of cold iron with the smell of blood collapsing, trying to press Bai Xuanxin's whole body into the sand and gravel beneath his feet.

Bai Xuanxin suddenly lunged forward at that moment.

It's not a withdrawal.

It was a collision.

With a swift movement, he became like a gray shadow pressed low by the wind, crashing headlong into the most dangerous inch of the blade. The blade is long, but short at close range; and the "Great Capturing Hand" technique, practiced to this point, is no longer for "capturing people," but for "crippling people."

His hand moved like a hook, first hooking the shoulder, then locking the elbow, and then sinking his knee, directly hooking towards Tu Ming's lower body pivot.

Tu Ming's expression finally changed.

Because Bai Xuanxin wasn't sparring with him.

They are dismantling his joints and points of leverage.

If the shoulder is loosened, the knife will not be round; if the elbow is bent, the return hand will be slow; if the lower body line is broken again, it will not be a matter of whose knife is faster, but who will become a dead log falling on the slope first.

Tu Ming roared angrily, forcefully gathering his inner strength, trying to pull the distorted force line back half an inch. He also swung his right leg fiercely, trying to force Bai Xuanxin to retreat first.

Bai Xuanxin has backed down this time.

It is not a defeat that can be retreated from.

It was Luo Buyan.

As soon as he shifted his body, his right knuckles flicked with an extremely light and delicate touch, and a thin thread of force, almost unlike any other "strength," silently pierced out from under his sleeve.

It's not Gang.

It's still far from being truly powerful.

This wisp of energy was more condensed and sharper than ordinary internal energy. It was the first time he had truly used it in a life-or-death battle after Su Li pointed out that "you have a more refined control of your energy than others."

That force wasn't strong.

It is extremely fine.

The exact spot was on the line where Tu Ming's right wrist was at its weakest after being dismantled and pressed twice.

"laugh."

A very faint, sharp sound, like a fine needle piercing a thin layer of skin.

Tu Ming's right hand momentarily went empty, and his sword aura faltered.

What Bai Xuanxin was waiting for was this empty mouth.

He stepped forward again, his left shoulder pressing hard against the opponent's chest by half an inch, pressing down with his entire skeletal frame. His right hand then flipped over, grabbing Tu Ming's elbow firmly. His waist and hips snapped together, his shoulders and back sinking—

He was like a fully drawn bow that suddenly snapped.

"Click!"

Tu Ming's entire upper body posture was finally tilted to one side by him.

If the knife goes astray, the person has already lost half the battle.

Bai Xuanxin's eyes suddenly turned cold. He thrust his knee down and followed up with a palm strike, heavily slapping the empty space where Tu Ming's collarbone met his shoulder blade.

The flesh beneath his palm made a dull thud, like someone pounding wet leather with a wooden mallet.

Tu Ming finally staggered backward, blood spilling from the corner of his mouth, and his right arm visibly drooping half an inch.

He even wanted to take out his knife.

But Bai Xuanxin didn't give him a second chance to complete the sword technique.

With a swift movement, he cut into the blind spot on the left side of the slope, one hand gripping the shoulder, the other pressing down on the elbow. His figure was like a shadow, and he exerted force from his palm, elbow, and knee at the same time, dispersing the breath that had not yet gathered.

At this point, the outcome is truly decided.

Tu Ming remained fierce.

Still ruthless.

They even have the strength to fight to the death.

But his knife could no longer be rounded.

Bai Xuan felt his blood surging in his chest, his left arm was numb, his shoulder was burning, and even a faint metallic taste rose in his throat. Yet, his expression was more composed than ever before.

Because of this narrow victory, what's valuable is never just the "win" itself.

Rather, it proved one thing—

His skills are now so great that he can earn respect in more than just the backyard.

It can truly land on mountain roads, in medicine boxes, and involve survival and bloodshed.

Just then, the dark red figure on the hilltop finally moved slightly.

Jia Tianlong has not yet left the field.

He simply stood there and glanced at Bai Xuanxin from afar, carried by the mountain breeze.

That glance was extremely faint.

But like a wolf, across the slope and blood, across the knife and the man, he first mentally recognized a piece of meat with the bone just exposed.

The next moment, he raised his hand.

The wolf gang members, including knife-wielders, crossbowmen, and roadblockers, who were lying in ambush on the slope, immediately retreated.

They came like wolves pouncing on a hill.

When retreating, it's more like a wolf closing its jaws.

Never linger in battle.

Deacon Ge watched as the figures disappeared behind the mountain before letting out a heavy sigh and shouting:

"Don't chase! Protect the box, gather the people, and move on!"

Everyone then returned to their respective lines.

No one died on this trip to the Seven Mysteries Sect, but it was still quite a loss.

Two men were wounded; one had been struck in the leg by a crossbow bolt, and Deacon Ge had a deep gash on his shoulder. Bai Xuanxin stood in the middle of the slope, glancing down at his torn sleeve and slightly trembling left hand, his gaze gradually darkening.

He didn't win this match convincingly.

It could even be described as dangerous.

But it is precisely because of its danger that it is truly valuable.

From this day forward, those within the sect will no longer view him merely as someone with "roots," "hands," or "potential."

And there will be an extra, most important layer—

It can be driven on the road.

It can draw blood.

It can stabilize the situation.

In a real job, one can protect both the knife and one's life.

This is the kind of "useful talent" that the Seven Mysteries Sect truly values.

As the group set off again with the medicine chests, the sky was already low, and the mountain wind carried a faint smell of blood and the bitter odor emanating from the medicine chests. Bai Xuanxin walked to the side of the group, not looking back at the top of the slope, but silently replaying the entire scene from beginning to end.

Which step was handled too abruptly?

Which step of dismantling wasn't heavy enough?

When is the best time to unleash that subtle burst of energy?

If the person I faced later wasn't Tu Ming, but someone like Mo Juren, would I still have been able to survive such a close call after that slash, that collision, and that empty mouth?

The more he thought about it, the calmer his mind became.

Because the real game is on the other side of God's Hand Valley.

The more stable the game I play now, the more confident I will be when I truly face the challenge later.

The wind blew in layers from the end of the western ridge, causing the withered grass on both sides of the mountain path to bend low. Bai Xuanxin clenched his numb left hand, and the sharpness that had been floating on the surface in his eyes finally sank into his bones little by little.

Today's event is now over.

But he knew that from this moment on, neither the Seven Mysteries Sect nor the Wild Wolf Gang would treat him as just a "newly emerging young man."