A Mortal's Journey to Immortality

"Zhou Datongzi, think about it again and see if there's anything you've overlooked."

Seeing that Zhou Ping remained silent, Duan Yu instantly lost his composure. Although he was rather straightforward, he had sensed something unusual from the conversation.

As a formal disciple of the Flying Shadow Hall and a self-proclaimed expert in intelligence, he naturally had some understanding of the Dragon Spring Sword Sect.

It is said that the Longquan Sword Sect was founded more than a hundred years earlier than the Qingzhu Sect, and was founded by the Mo family, a family of sword masters in Longquan Town.

For many years, the two sects have drawn a line between themselves, refraining from interfering with each other. They have always kept a low profile and are neither the kind of radical, bloodthirsty, or belligerent sects.

The fourth ancestor of the Jin family back then was drawn to the family's unassuming and incorruptible character, which is why he chose the Songzhu Mountain Range, not far from it, as the family's place of seclusion.

The two sides had been at peace for over a century, so why did they suddenly start fighting each other like this?

Duan Yu felt completely overwhelmed and paced back and forth next to Zhou Ping.

He was fine when he came out, but after meeting this kid, his status as a formal disciple suddenly became less appealing.

"Stop shaking your head. These are just our guesses. Maybe I'm overthinking it."

Zhou Ping watched him wander around him, which made him somewhat uneasy.

"I think your guess makes a lot of sense; the Longquan Sword Sect has become too abnormal!"

Duan Yu had long lost the high spirits he had when he first arrived and was now seriously considering their current situation.

Zhou Ping stood up and distanced himself from him, stopping his wandering thoughts.

"Senior Brother Duan, does the Flying Shadow Hall have any martial arts that don't require high levels of internal energy to cultivate?"

Seeing Zhou Ping suddenly change the subject and ask about his martial arts, Duan Yu was slightly surprised, but after a moment's thought, he understood the other party's intention.

"Yes, do you want to learn?"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Ping immediately perked up; he hadn't expected there to actually be one!

"Just in case, find something you can learn to protect yourself."

Zhou Ping calmly expressed his thoughts.

"However..."

"But what?"

Seeing Zhou Ping's anxious expression, Duan Yu revealed a sly smile.

"But you don't think much of it!"

"You haven't even learned it yet, how do you know I don't like it? Is this martial art so useless?"

Zhou Ping looked at Duan Yu with a strange expression, puzzled, wondering what the other was up to.

"Useless? This martial art ranks among the top three movement techniques in the Flying Shadow Hall! How could it be useless!"

"If that's the case, why do you say I look down on you?"

Zhou Ping seemed to have a vague idea of ​​what was going on. He squinted and probed.

"That's the Floating Shadow Step I just used! Hahaha!"

Seeing Zhou Ping's discomfitured expression, Duan Yu finally couldn't help but laugh out loud. The frustration he felt from being easily seen through by Zhou Ping vanished instantly, leaving him extremely happy.

really!

Zhou Ping's lips twitched, and he thought to himself.

Unexpectedly, the Floating Shadow Step, which he initially considered not very skillful, was actually the alternative martial art he was currently searching for...

Before Zhou Ping could ask any further questions, Duan Yu, with his big mouth, began to ramble on about this martial arts technique.

The Floating Shadow Step, as one of the top three movement techniques in the Flying Shadow Hall, has its own unique features.

Unlike other martial arts techniques that require a solid foundation in internal strength, the Floating Shadow Step is more of a skill-based martial art.

Once mastered, it allows the user to skillfully blend into their surroundings.

By utilizing complex battle scenes and the chaotic changes in light and shadow, one can confuse the enemy and achieve either a stealthy escape or a desperate counterattack.

This technique places extremely high demands on the practitioner's five senses, requiring keen and meticulous observation to seize fleeting opportunities.

Therefore, effort alone is not enough to achieve success; it requires extremely high talent from the cultivator.

Duan Yu demonstrated exceptional skill in movement techniques from the very beginning, which is why he was able to master this extremely difficult martial arts movement technique not long ago.

Zhou Ping recalled various cultivation information about the Floating Shadow Step in his mind, and the expression on his face kept changing.

After patiently listening to Duan Yu's boasting, he keenly sensed that the Floating Shadow Step, which he had initially underestimated, might be the most suitable cultivation technique for him to practice now.

Zhou Ping's exceptionally sharp perception after practicing the Qingyuan Gong was precisely the necessary condition for practicing the Floating Shadow Step.

"Senior Brother Duan, this martial art is so powerful, could you please make a copy for me and bring it out with me?"

Seeing that Duan Yu had stopped talking incessantly, Zhou Ping tentatively asked a question.

"Since you're so eager to learn, I'll reluctantly agree."

Seeing that his cultivation technique had gained his friend's approval, Duan Yu looked extremely pleased and pretended to agree.

Seeing that he didn't hesitate at all, and considering the other person's carelessness, Zhou Ping couldn't help but feel a little worried.

"Be careful when you copy it, don't give me a fake or incomplete copy."

Seeing Zhou Ping's worried expression, Duan Yu smiled mysteriously at him.

"Don't worry! The instructor saw that I've already mastered the Floating Shadow Step and gave me permission to borrow the original manual at will."

"If I could, I wouldn't bother copying it for you; I'd just bring the original out—it'd be so much easier!"

Zhou Ping had intended to stop him from this risky behavior, but seeing that he seemed very confident, he did not refuse.

He was worried that the other party might be careless and copy the wrong or too little text, which would be a waste of his time and energy in his subsequent cultivation.

That's good, as it allows him to bring out the original cultivation method, so he won't have any worries when practicing.

"If there are any other similar techniques, keep an eye out for them for me. Learn as many as you can!"

Zhou Ping thought for a moment and then added.

He then took a small green bottle from his pocket and tossed it to Duan Yu, who was about to leave.

"Use it sparingly. I'm consuming more and more medicine for my cultivation now, so this is all I can give you."

Duan Yu happily caught the small bottle, carefully tucked it into his pocket, and looked satisfied.

"Zhou Datongzi is truly righteous! You know what, after taking your dark-colored pill, my internal energy cultivation has actually progressed much faster!"

Dark, unappealing pills?

If Jin Jingtian heard these words, even though he was a formal disciple of Feiying Hall, he would be hung from a tree and whipped!

The pills stored in the small green bottle were rare medicinal materials provided to Zhou Ping by the Jin Clan. He would collect the remaining parts after each cultivation session.

In his spare time, Zhou Ping would dry these medicinal herbs and then roll them into small, black pills the size of soybeans.

He secretly gave these pills to Duan Yu, partly out of friendship, but also out of his own selfish motives.

Now he is beset by internal and external troubles, and the only person he can trust is Duan Yu. If he can help Duan Yu improve his martial arts skills, it will be a strong guarantee for his own safety.

"Be careful when taking it. If someone finds out, we'll both be in deep trouble!"

Zhou Ping gave a serious warning, genuinely worried that this big mouth might not know his own limitations and would boast about it to others when he got back.

Duan Yu hummed and nodded, then turned and waved to him with a flourish before walking towards the inner gate.

As Zhou Ping watched his friend's figure recede into the distance, the seriousness on his face gradually faded. He sighed softly and calmly returned to Jin Yuan.

Since he started personally brewing the herbal medicine, he always sets aside a little bit each time. Over time, he has accumulated a considerable amount.

These medicines are very beneficial to cultivation, and some special types even have miraculous effects in healing and relieving pain. In the future, if we encounter an emergency, we will have more ways to save our lives.

The small bottle Zhou Ping gave to Duan Yu contained very few pills, a tiny fraction of what he had in his possession.

It wasn't that Zhou Ping was stingy; he made a prudent decision after careful consideration.

If Duan Yu were to accidentally reveal the pills in his hand, it would inevitably implicate him. If there were too many, he would certainly be unable to explain himself to the Jin Clan.

If it's just a very small amount of pills, even if it offends the Jin clan, they probably won't make things too difficult for him.

Just like the cafeteria cooks, it's normal for him to sneak a bite occasionally, and no one will bother him for it.

From the Jin clan's perspective, Zhou Ping's behavior appears somewhat ungrateful.

But he is no longer an eleven or twelve-year-old child. Since practicing the Qingyuan Gong, Zhou Ping's mind has become increasingly intelligent.

Although it is still unknown what the Jin Clan and Jin Jingtian want from him, it is certain that it is related to the Qingyuan Technique.

Since that's the case, what's wrong with being a villain for once? I don't have any psychological burden anyway, so I'll just consider it interest I'm collecting from the Jin Clan in advance.