Chapter 199: Chapter 198: Temporary Tranquility
"I understand, and I will be sure to remember."
Fang Han respectfully took the Wooden Box.
Leaving the Library Pavilion, he returned to Room C-7.
Fang Han closed the door tightly behind him, placed the Wooden Box on the table, and gently opened it.
Inside the box, a thin booklet lay quietly on a soft, silver silk lining.
The booklet’s cover was made of a strange material, like a cross between silk and leather, and was a deep cyan color.
On the cover, the four powerful words "Flowing Wind Shadowless Step" were written in ancient seal script.
The calligraphy was fluid and powerful, hinting at an elusive and ethereal quality.
Fang Han held his breath, carefully taking out the booklet and slowly opening it.
The pages inside were not ordinary paper, but an extremely thin, special type of Demon Beast Hide. Both the text and diagrams were drawn with some kind of silver pigment that shimmered faintly in the light.
After the general outline for the Entry Level, there was the detailed Cultivation Method, accompanied by dozens of incredibly fine diagrams of the human body showing Qi circulation.
Beside them, tiny, densely packed fly-speck characters explained the circulation of Inner Qi, the transformations of the step technique, and how to commune with the wind-qi of the world.
The content was profound and complex, far beyond what the Middle Grade Wind Shadow Step could compare to.
Many of the Qi circulation routes involved obscure meridians, and the combinations of steps were even more bizarre and unpredictable. In the past, Fang Han would have considered himself lucky to understand twenty or thirty percent after just one reading.
But now, under the terrifying amplification of his thirty-two-times Stepping Talent, his brain seemed to have transformed into a precision analytical engine.
Wherever he looked, the obscure annotations, strange circulation routes, and intricate Stepping Technique diagrams melted away like snow in the sun, rapidly understood and seared into his mind.
All the difficult points became clear with just a moment of thought.
The connections between the many transformations were understood with a mere flicker of his will.
An unprecedented sense of clarity regarding advanced step techniques washed over him.
In just two hours, he had carefully read, understood, and memorized the entire manual from beginning to end, including the appended notes from predecessors.
Not only was there no longer any confusion, but he had even faintly grasped the essence of this Top Grade Body Technique: "Transforming Solid into Void, Melt into the Wind."
’A Top Grade Body Technique lives up to its name. It truly is profound!’
Fang Han slowly closed the booklet and shut his eyes.
He went over the first level of the Flowing Wind Shadowless Step’s Cultivation Method in his mind one more time, confirming he hadn’t missed anything before opening his eyes.
Eager to begin his cultivation, he carefully put the manual away to prevent it from being stolen.
He pushed the door open and walked toward the familiar forest clearing.
The clearing was deserted. Sunlight streamed through the gaps in the leaves, casting mottled spots of light on the ground.
SWISH!
Fang Han stood in the center, cleared his mind of stray thoughts, and immersed himself in the cultivation of the Flowing Wind Shadowless Step.
Following the first level’s Heart Method, he began to guide his Inner Qi, circulating it along those complex and unfamiliar meridian pathways.
At first, the flow of his Inner Qi was quite sluggish, and his footwork was stiff and uncoordinated.
As he moved, there was none of the "flowing wind, shadowless" grace. Instead, his steps were unsteady, and he stumbled as if he might fall at any moment.
However, with the support of his thirty-two-times Stepping Talent, every mistake was instantly perceived and corrected.
The circulation of his Inner Qi gradually became smoother, and his footwork transitioned from clumsy to nimble.
Coupled with his foundation in the Perfect Wind Shadow Step, his cultivation progressed extremely quickly.
After about several hours, at the precise moment his Inner Qi and footwork achieved a certain subtle harmony—
SWISH!
Fang Han felt his entire body lighten as if an invisible shackle had been removed. A current of air naturally gathered beneath his feet, lifting him up, and his speed suddenly increased severalfold.
As he moved, his figure left behind a very faint, flowing cyan afterimage. He skimmed across the ground, kicking up barely a speck of dust.
’Flowing Wind Shadowless Step, Entry Level!’
Fang Han slowly came to a stop. Feeling the smoother flow of Inner Qi in the meridians of his legs and the lightness and explosive power in his feet, the corners of his mouth curled into a slight, irrepressible smile.
’Just at the Entry Level, my speed and agility have improved so much. It’s already comparable to the Great Success level of the Wind Shadow Step. The power of a Top Grade Body Technique is truly everything it’s said to be!’
He checked the time and saw it was already noon. After heading to the cafeteria for lunch, he returned to the clearing.
With his new body technique cultivation temporarily concluded, Fang Han picked up his Cyan Blade Sword and began practicing the Wind Shadow Annihilation Sword.
Chu Feng had tried to suppress him using a Sect mission, but in the end, the scheme backfired. Not only did Fang Han end up earning Great Merit and a handsome reward, but he also used the opportunity to eradicate the Zhou Family, a force under Chu Feng’s control.
But undeniably, the whole affair had taken nearly ten days, which had indeed slowed his cultivation progress.
For the past ten days, he had been busy with Tracking, capturing the culprit, and escorting the prisoner. He’d had very little time to practice the Wind Shadow Annihilation Sword, which had severely hampered his training speed.
’I need to make up for this lost progress as soon as possible!’
Fang Han cleared his mind. The Cyan Blade Sword leaped into his hand, and the Heart Method for the Wind Shadow Annihilation Sword began to circulate.
The flash of his sword was bizarre and unpredictable, and the "annihilation" intent of the swordsmanship began to permeate the air.
He became completely immersed in his practice, forgetting the passage of time. Only when the sky had clearly darkened did he emerge from his focused cultivation.
In the days that followed, Fang Han’s life returned to a state of calm.
Perhaps it was because he had just earned Great Merit and was receiving more attention from the Sect’s upper echelons, making it inconvenient for anyone to make petty moves against him.
Or perhaps Chu Feng was in hot water over the Zhou Family’s practice of Demon Skills and was busy distancing himself and dealing with the Sect’s investigation, leaving him no time to bother with anything else.
In any case, he encountered no further trouble and was able to devote himself wholeheartedly to his cultivation.
His daily life became extremely routine.
In the morning, he cultivated the Xunfeng Technique to increase his Inner Qi.
In the late morning, he studied and practiced the Flowing Wind Shadowless Step.
In the afternoon, he arduously practiced the Wind Shadow Annihilation Sword.
And at night, he would once again sit in meditation, cultivating his Qi to improve his Cultivation.
Under the terrifying amplification of his thirty-two-times Swordsmanship Talent, his initially slow progress in the Wind Shadow Annihilation Sword began to accelerate at an astonishing rate.
His understanding of its three essences—deception, finality, and speed—deepened by the day. The execution of his Sword Techniques became more and more effortless, and the lethal killing intent contained within his Sword Momentum grew more concentrated.
More than ten days later, he had mastered the third form of the Wind Shadow Annihilation Sword, "Sword Shadow Splitting Light."
As his sword flashed, he could conjure three illusory sword-shadows that were difficult to distinguish from the real blade. At that point, the Wind Shadow Annihilation Sword naturally entered the Minor Achievement Realm.
The power of his swordsmanship skyrocketed, now comparable to the Perfection Level of the Wind-Splitting Swordsmanship. From now on, he could face his enemies using the newly learned Wind Shadow Annihilation Sword!
His progress with the Flowing Wind Shadowless Step was just as rapid. His comprehension of its core principle, "Transforming Solid into Void, Melt into the Wind," improved quickly every day.
Just three days after his Wind Shadow Annihilation Sword reached Minor Achievement.
SWISH!
As he executed the technique with all his might, his speed skyrocketed, becoming too fast for the eye to follow and leaving a string of afterimages in his wake.
This signaled that the Flowing Wind Shadowless Step had reached Minor Achievement!
At the Minor Achievement Level, the Flowing Wind Shadowless Step’s speed and agility were already comparable to the Perfect Wind Shadow Step.
Furthermore, moving was more effortless, and changing directions was more unpredictable and difficult to track.
’My Cultivation is about to break through too...’
And under such high-intensity cultivation, not only did his Wind Shadow Annihilation Sword and Flowing Wind Shadowless Step improve tremendously, but Fang Han’s Cultivation level did not fall behind either.
With his Root Bone improved by the Earth Core Stone Milk and the thirty-two-times Root Bone Talent Amplification, his speed of cultivating Inner Qi was unimaginably fast.
The newly opened Fengshi Acupoint was like a bottomless pit, madly devouring the pure Medicinal Power refined from the Peiyuan Pills. His Inner Qi accumulated and filled up at a visible rate.
Performing Introspection, he could clearly sense that the Inner Qi within his Fengshi Acupoint was already over ninety percent full. The feeling of being swollen and replete grew more obvious by the day.
...
In the afternoon, Fang Han had just finished a round of practicing the Wind Shadow Annihilation Sword and was sitting cross-legged in the forest clearing, regulating his breathing to recover his spent Inner Qi.
Suddenly, he heard the sound of slightly hurried footsteps approaching from a distance.
He slowly opened his eyes to see a young servant disciple in servant attire jogging over, his face a mixture of respect and nervousness.
He stopped at the edge of the clearing and bowed from a distance.
"Senior Brother Fang, a message from the senior brother on duty at the mountain gate. Someone is outside looking for you."
’Someone is looking for me?’
Fang Han’s heart stirred. He already had a guess.
He stood up, brushed the grass clippings from his robes, and walked steadily toward the servant disciple.
"Thank you for the message."
As he spoke, he took out an ingot of silver, about ten taels, from his robes and casually handed it over.
Seeing this, the servant disciple was first stunned, then a look of being overwhelmingly flattered appeared on his face. He accepted the silver with both hands and said repeatedly,
"Thank you, Senior Brother! It was my duty, my duty!"
Servant disciples were called disciples, but they were more like servants chosen from among orphans to do menial tasks. Their treatment within the Sect was not very good.
Ten taels of silver was a considerable fortune for him.
SWISH!
Fang Han nodded slightly and said no more. With a movement of his body, the Flowing Wind Shadowless Step activated naturally.
He transformed into a faint, barely perceptible cyan shadow and sped toward the mountain gate.
He was so fast that the servant disciple’s vision blurred for an instant, and then he was gone. The disciple couldn’t help but be secretly astonished.
A few moments later, Fang Han arrived at the foot of the towering mountain gate.
From a distance, he saw a familiar figure standing outside the gate’s archway.
Dressed in a cyan robe with a loose sash, with a gaunt and ascetic face, it was none other than his family’s Instructor Elder, Fang Yuan.
He couldn’t think of anyone else who would visit him besides someone from his family, and just as he had guessed, the visitor was indeed from his family.
"Elder Yuan."
"Fang Han!"
Elder Fang Yuan saw Fang Han as well. An irrepressible, radiant smile bloomed on his face, and he strode forward to greet him.
His voice was loud and clear, filled with heartfelt joy. He looked Fang Han up and down, his eyes full of gratification and pride.
"Just now, I heard from that messenger servant that you’re not only number one in your Sub-Branch but also ranked ninety-fifth on the grand ranking of the Twelve Courtyards!"
"Excellent! That’s wonderful! The Qingxuan Sect is one of the Seven Sects, a gathering place for geniuses. For you to stand out and reach such heights here, the family... the family is truly honored by your achievements!"
He clapped Fang Han firmly on the shoulder, his excitement plain to see.
As an Elder of the Fang Family, he knew all too well the value of this ranking.
It meant that Fang Han had already joined the upper echelon of Qingxuan Sect disciples, and his future was limitless.
"Elder Yuan, you praise me too much. I was just fortunate to have made some progress."
"No need to be so modest."
Elder Fang Yuan waved his hand with a smile, then his expression turned serious. He took out a foot-long Purple Sandalwood Box from his robes, handed it over, and said in a low voice,
"I have come this time on the Patriarch’s orders to deliver this to you."
He gently opened a corner of the box’s lid, revealing a thick stack of brand-new silver notes inside. Each one was for a denomination of "Ten Thousand Taels."
"This is part of the proceeds from selling off the Lin Family’s properties in Celestial Wind City, totaling three hundred thousand taels. The Patriarch said that he hopes you will use it well, cultivate diligently without pause, and ascend to a higher realm soon!"
