Snowflakes like goose down drifted from the sky. It was the first heavy snow of the winter, and for days on end, it showed no sign of stopping.
Luoyang City was a vision of jade trees and silver flowers, draped in a magnificent coat of white.
The world was frozen solid, a bleak landscape where all life had withered.
In such frigid weather, ordinary small animals had long since hidden away to hibernate, only to slowly awaken when spring returned the following year.
But to a Martial Artist, this was nothing. Martial Artists trained in Martial Arts to strengthen their bodies. With even minor achievements, they could become impervious to heat and cold.
It was a path of constant ascent, eventually leading to the power to overturn mountains and seas, to shatter heaven and earth.
Ning Jiang, in his fluttering white robes, stood atop the mountain peak. His gaze swept out, taking in a view that dwarfed all other mountains.
The mountain was named Funiu Mountain, for it resembled a reclining ox. Strange peaks jutted out, and such mountain ranges were not uncommon around Luoyang City.
Funiu Mountain was a thousand feet tall, its range rising and falling unpredictably.
The day of his arranged duel with Zhou Wenhao was the fifteenth of the eleventh month. It was now the twentieth.
For the past five days, Ning Jiang had come here daily to cultivate the Heaven-Devouring Demon Skill.
When he cultivated the Heaven-Devouring Demon Skill, he frantically devoured Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi, causing too great a commotion. That was why he had specifically sought out a quiet place.
CLANG.
The longsword left its sheath, its cold glint radiating in all directions.
"Sword Cultivator."
Ning Jiang uttered two words. Becoming a Sword Cultivator—this was the ambition of the body's original owner. All the Martial Techniques the original owner had learned were related to the sword.
As for the Ning Jiang of his previous life, he had cultivated the Myriad Stars Flying Immortal Technique, wielded the Myriad Stars Power, and followed a path of breaking all techniques with a single force.
'No matter your thousands of Divine Techniques, I will shatter them all with force alone. One technique to break the Myriad Techniques.'
'What is a Sword Cultivator? To press ever forward is to be a Sword Cultivator. To be tenacious and unyielding is to be a Sword Cultivator. To kill decisively is to be a Sword Cultivator. To repay kindness and take revenge with pleasure is to be a Sword Cultivator. To follow one's heart in prosperity and adversity is to be a Sword Cultivator. To attempt the impossible, knowing full well it is impossible, is to be a Sword Cultivator.'
'To use the sword in my hand to express the will of my heart—that is a Sword Cultivator.'
'To kill a man in ten steps and travel a thousand miles without a trace; to look down on Princes and laugh at ministers—that, too, is a Sword Cultivator.'
'You dedicated your heart to the sword, only to die an unexpected death. Since I was reborn in your body, I will fulfill your ambition for you.'
'From this day forward, I will use this sword to express my will and roam freely between heaven and earth.'
'With a sword in hand, I will sweep away all injustice in the world!'
'My sword will strike the Nine Heavens above and suppress the Nine Netherworlds below.'
'My sword—if a god blocks my path, I'll kill the god. If a buddha blocks my path, I'll kill the buddha.'
'My sword is invincible!'
Within Ning Jiang's calm eyes, an unprecedented sharpness suddenly bloomed—the look of one who would conquer the heavens, no matter how high, and the seas, no matter how deep.
'The heavens may be high, but my heart is higher.'
'Not even the vast, starry sky can halt my steps.'
'With a sword in hand, not even ghosts or gods will be spared!'
His fingers gently brushed across the longsword before flicking it sharply. The blade instantly let out a clear, sonorous ring that soared into the sky.
The sword's cry lingered for a long time, as if resonating with Ning Jiang's will.
Sheathing his sword, Ning Jiang started down the mountain.
The heavy snow had sealed the mountain, making the path difficult to travel.
The snow had already accumulated to over a foot deep. A single misstep would plunge one's foot deep into the powder, and before long, one's legs would be soaked.
Yet Ning Jiang walked as if on flat ground. Like a phantom, his body seemed to have no weight, leaving not a single footprint on the snow.
Leaving no trace upon the snow!
This was a Lightweight Skill from the Ning Family called the Cloud Traveling Step. However, only one who had reached the Perfection Realm could leave no trace upon the snow.
Previously, Ning Jiang's Big Splash Wind Sword at the Perfection Realm had greatly shocked Ning Yu'an. But in truth, that was nothing. With his insight, he could bring any Martial Technique to Perfection.
One must understand, he was a Venerable from a hundred thousand years ago who had comprehended the world's origin and cultivated the Myriad Stars Flying Immortal Technique. All the Cultivation and Martial Techniques he had learned were of the highest, Top Level.
With such a background, what did a few Perfect Martial Techniques matter? If he wished, he could create a new Martial Technique with a single thought.
In this world, only Divine Level Martial Techniques were worthy of his time.
As for these current Mortal Level Martial Techniques, they were like steep mountains in the eyes of ordinary people. Reaching the summit and cultivating to the Perfection Realm was no easy feat.
But in his eyes, they were like a wide, flat plain, holding no secrets or difficulties whatsoever.
CRACKLE POP. As he walked, the bones in his body exploded with sound, like popping soybeans, a hundred times in a row.
A hundred bone pops—this was the Qi Cultivation Sixth Layer!
Five days ago, he had just broken through to the Qi Cultivation Fourth Layer. Now, he was at the Qi Cultivation Sixth Layer.
The Heaven-Devouring Demon Skill had a cultivation speed thirty-six times faster than ordinary Cultivation Techniques. His five days of cultivation were equivalent to one hundred and eighty days—half a year for a normal person.
The Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Layers of Qi Cultivation involved training the sinews, skin, and bones, refining True Qi into them.
The Fourth Layer made one's sinews like bowstrings—as tough as iron, yet as soft as cotton. One's Fist Power could reach a thousand pounds.
After the Fifth Layer, the skin all over the body became like copper, capable of withstanding attacks from ordinary swords and sabers—impervious to blades.
The Sixth Layer was bone refinement. After this step, one's bones became as tough as steel. Even a force of a thousand pounds wouldn't easily fracture them. This was the so-called "copper skin and iron bones."
With sinews like bowstrings, skin like copper, and bones like steel, a Daoist Practitioner at the Sixth Layer could fight and kill fierce beasts like tigers and leopards with their bare hands.
As for the Seventh Layer, which came after the Sixth, it involved refining the blood and flesh.
Ning Jiang had been quietly cultivating on Funiu Mountain for five days and wasn't planning to continue. Although absorbing Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi to cultivate was fast, it still wasn't enough time to raise his Realm to the Innate level within two months.
At the foot of Funiu Mountain, by the edge of a deep pool, a slender, graceful woman in green robes was practicing her swordplay relentlessly. She was around twenty years old, with a unique, unforgettable air about her—quiet and elegant, like a lady from a classical painting.
"Hello."
Seeing Ning Jiang, the woman in green robes nodded to him. She was neither cold nor familiar. They were mere nodding acquaintances who didn't even know each other's names.
"Three days ago, I was cultivating by this pool when a wolf pack approached. You happened to be passing by and drove them off for me with a single sword strike. I owe you a favor, and I will repay it now."
Ning Jiang's voice was like the water of the deep pool beside them—slow and calm.
'Back then, I could have stopped cultivating,' he thought. 'With my abilities, it wouldn't have been difficult to kill an ordinary wolf pack. They weren't Demon Beasts, after all.'
'But I was at a critical point in my breakthrough. If I had been interrupted, it would have wasted another day or two to attempt it again.'
'As for this woman, even though she was just passing by and casually helped him fend off the wolves with her sword, she had acted out of goodwill.'
Ning Jiang always repaid his debts, and he wouldn't forget the kindness of that sword strike.
"Your Sword Technique should be a Profound Level Martial Technique," Ning Jiang said. "You've reached the Great Success stage and want to take the next step to the Realm of Perfection, which is why you sought out this quiet place to break through. But your method is wrong."
"Let me give you an analogy. If you practice Tiger Fist but lack the tiger's ferocity and cruelty in your heart, you will never achieve its domineering power. If you practice Snake Fist but lack the snake's insidious and venomous nature, you will never grasp its essence. For any technique, you must immerse yourself in its artistic conception. The sword must merge with the intent, the heart must merge with the intent, and the spirit must merge with the intent. When there is no distinction between them, you can enter Perfection."
"Watch closely. This is your sword strike!"
Ning Jiang drew his sword. The blade moved like autumn water—seemingly slow, but deceptively fast.
The woman in green robes looked over, her pupils instantly contracting.
He didn't use any True Qi for this strike; it was just a simple swing of the sword.
But to her, it felt as if that single strike had transformed the air before Ning Jiang into roiling clouds, an endless sea of clouds that was being split apart by his sword.
Profound Level Martial Technique, the Cloud-Piercing Sword!
With his strength at the Qi Cultivation Realm, Ning Jiang couldn't possibly unleash a Profound Level Martial Technique at full power. That's why he hadn't used any True Qi, merely demonstrating its artistic conception!
Besides, he had never even practiced this Martial Technique before. But with his experience as a Venerable, he could master it completely just by watching it a few times.
Sheathing his sword, Ning Jiang turned and left.
The woman in green robes stood stunned, mulling over Ning Jiang's words again and again in her mind. After an unknown amount of time, she drew her sword.
SCHWING!
A line of Sword Qi condensed, and the surrounding air rippled like clouds, visibly roiling to either side.
Cloud-Piercing Sword, Perfection.
"Perfection!"
The woman in green robes was overjoyed. The Cloud-Piercing Sword, which had troubled her for months, had actually reached Perfection after just a few words from Ning Jiang.
'With the Cloud-Piercing Sword at this level, I should be able to climb higher in the Ten Greats rankings this year!'
Confidence shone in her beautiful eyes. Her name was Liu Xianyu, the number one expert of the Liu Family's younger generation and one of Luoyang City's Ten Greats!
'Who in the world is he?'
Only then did Liu Xianyu think of Ning Jiang, but when she looked, he was nowhere to be seen.
'Based on the guidance he just gave me, his understanding of Martial Techniques is far beyond even my grandfather's. And that Cloud-Piercing Sword strike was clearly at the Perfection Realm, perhaps even more profound. Could he have practiced this Sword Technique too? Impossible. This is my family's heirloom Sword Technique; there's no way it could have been leaked.'
'I need to go back and mobilize the family's resources to see if I can find him in Luoyang City.'
'If I can get his guidance, my Shocking Cloud Sword Technique will definitely improve by leaps and bounds. After all, the Cloud-Piercing Sword is just a single move within the Shocking Cloud Sword Technique!'
'If I can perfect the entire Shocking Cloud Sword Technique, the Liu Family's crisis can be averted!'
'I just don't know what his personality is like. Would he be willing to teach me?'
Lost in thought, Liu Xianyu hurried back to the Liu Family. She was going to use the Liu Family's power to find Ning Jiang.
...
'The Primordial Qi between heaven and earth is too thin. Absorbing Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi is still too slow,' Ning Jiang thought after leaving Funiu Mountain.
To use an analogy, if he fully activated the Heaven-Devouring Demon Skill, he could absorb a water tank's worth of Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi in a day. However, because the Primordial Qi in the world was so thin, he could only gather half a tank's worth after a full day.
This was where the benefit of Primordial Stones came in. Primordial Stones contained vast amounts of Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi. If he had Primordial Stones, he could use them to cultivate, and his speed would be even faster.
'Primordial Stones are essential for any Martial Artist. It seems I need to find a way to earn some.'
Primordial Stones were like half a Martial Artist's life. With them, one could buy Elixirs, Weapons, Martial Techniques, and Cultivation Techniques. One could even use Primordial Stones to hire assassins.
Primordial Stones were the currency of Martial Artists. As the saying goes, "money makes the world go round, and with enough of it, one can even command the gods."
'There are many ways to earn Primordial Stones. For example, hunting Demon Beasts. Some parts from a Demon Beast's body can be sold for Primordial Stones, and they also have Demon Cores. However, one needs to be at least in the Postnatal Realm to deal with Demon Beasts.'
'Selling Elixirs would require buying materials to refine them, which is also a hassle.'
'I'll just sell some Cultivation and Martial Techniques!'
In Ning Jiang's memory bank, there were countless Cultivation and Martial Techniques. Moreover, with his level of insight, he could easily create new ones. Selling Cultivation and Martial Techniques was indeed the fastest way to earn Primordial Stones.