116: Chapter 116 Sword Technique Shows Its Power

Looking at the Purple Flame Leopard pinned to the rock, its breath already gone, Lin Tian slowly exhaled a breath of turbid air tainted with the smell of blood. His tightly coiled mind finally relaxed.

Although this battle did not last long, it was perilous and intense, truly exhilarating, giving him a clearer and more intuitive understanding of his strength after breaking through to the Fourth-Rank Warrior level.

"The Xiaguang Sword Technique is swift and fierce, and the split sword light serves to confuse the enemy. Combined with the elusive agility of the Cloud Shadow Step, I am no longer inferior to an ordinary Fourth-Rank Warrior in terms of movement and attack speed.

The Five Elements combined fist energy is vigorous and heavy with strong explosive power, which can be used as a surprise move. But the most crucial part is still this Purple Haze Hidden Force..."

Lin Tian raised his left hand and looked at the shallow, slowly bleeding scratch marks on his knuckles. With a slight shift of his mind, a wisp of pale purple Internal Energy, refined like silk, separated from the Purple Haze True Liquid in his Dantian and instantly flowed along the Meridians of his arm to the wound on his fist.

Wherever it passed, the burning, stinging sensation was noticeably reduced, the muscles of the wound twitched slightly, and the bleeding gradually stopped.

The nourishing effect of the Internal Energy on the internal organs and Meridians, as well as the subtle control over his own injuries, were also incomparable to the Bright Energy period.

"However, although Internal Energy is wonderful, it has many limitations." Lin Tian thought to himself, "Currently, my Internal Energy must be transmitted into the enemy's body through physical contact; it cannot injure enemies from a distance.

Moreover, every time the Internal Energy penetrates the body, it consumes the precious Purple Haze True Liquid in my Dantian. With my current cultivation, if I use the Internal Energy penetration attack with full power, I fear I can support it at most three to five times before the True Liquid is exhausted and my combat power is greatly reduced.

It must be used at critical moments, aiming for a one-hit kill or to secure victory." Thinking of this, Lin Tian had a deeper understanding of the fighting style of Internal Energy Martial Artists.

Unlike the hard-hitting, blood-pumping clashes of Bright Energy Martial Artists, the confrontations between Internal Energy Martial Artists are likely more focused on movement, timing, and the exquisite control and application of Internal Energy.

If one is not careful and allows the opponent's Internal Energy to invade the body, the outcome is either death or injury.

In the future, when fighting against Internal Energy Martial Artists of the same rank or even higher levels, one must be extremely careful. Not only must one defend against the opponent's overt attacks, but one must also guard against that insidious and pervasive Internal Energy.

"I still need to Cultivate diligently, strengthen the Dantian True Liquid, and improve the quality and quantity of my Internal Energy. At the same time, I must also find ways to enhance the power of the Internal Energy or expand its methods of application." Lin Tian set his goal in his heart.

He stopped overthinking, gathered his focus, and walked to the edge of the hot spring pool. Carefully using a jade spade, he dug up the three mature Purple Flame Lotuses—with their plump petals, leaping purple flames in the center, and the richest Spiritual Qi—along with the small amount of Spirit Soil wrapped around their roots. He gently placed them into the Cold Jade wooden box he had prepared long ago, closed the lid, and attached a simple talisman paper to prevent the Spiritual Qi from dissipating, only then tucking it into his bosom.

Next, he turned back to the corpse of the Purple Flame Leopard, drew his refined steel longsword, and washed away the bloodstains in the pool water.

Subsequently, he crouched down and, using his sword as a knife, skillfully cut off the Purple Flame Leopard's pair of sharpest foreclaws, and then chopped off its exceptionally tough long tail, whose tip had once been wrapped in purple fire, at the root.

The leopard claws are excellent Artifact Refining Materials and can be crafted into claw gloves or short blades; the leopard tail is even more valuable, especially the tail bone and the residual fire-attribute power, which are excellent main Materials for making soft whips and long cable weapons.

"Keep them for now; if I can't use them myself, I might be able to exchange them for contribution points and silver after returning to the Sect." Lin Tian cleaned the claws and tail, wrapped them in oilcloth, and stuffed them into his pack.

After finishing all this, he did not linger. He identified the direction, unfolded his body, and executed the Cloud Shadow Step, moving like a wisp of light smoke, quickly leaving the valley where the battle had just ended, and speeding along the path he had come from.

Eager to return, and with his strength greatly increased, Lin Tian traveled faster than when he came. One day later, he had penetrated deep into the periphery of the Taixuan Mountain Range, and he was not far from leaving the mountains.

It was noon, so he found a bluestone by a stream, sat down to rest, and took out dry rations and water to replenish his energy.

Just as he had taken two bites of jerky, his keen hearing suddenly captured, from the dense forest about a mile away to the southeast, a burst of rapid weapon clashing sounds, beast roars, and the faint, delicate shouts of a woman, mixed with obvious panic and exhaustion.

"Someone is in danger? To make such a commotion in the periphery of the Taixuan Mountain Range, they must have encountered a troublesome Vicious Beast." Lin Tian frowned slightly, pondered for a moment, and decided to go and check it out.

He was not a soft-hearted person, but since he encountered it, if it was within his power, it would be fine to lend a hand and save a fellow Martial Artist of the Human Race.

More importantly, he had just experienced a great battle, his confidence in his own strength was high, and he was curious to see what the situation was.

Putting away his dry rations, Lin Tian flickered and silently sneaked towards where the sound came from. Executing the Cloud Shadow Step among the trees was like a fish in water; with a few leaps, he had already approached the battlefield.

Pushing aside a dense bush, the scene came into view. In a clearing in the forest, a young woman wearing a goose-yellow martial outfit with a slender figure was being besieged by five Vicious Beasts that were jet black, with only their eyes glowing with a ghostly green light, shaped like jackals but much larger!

These were the "Shadow Wolf" known for their speed, cunning, and group combat!

These five Shadow Wolves surprisingly all had the strength of Third-Rank Vicious Beasts, coordinating tacitly with each other, taking turns to pounce and bite, forcing the yellow-clad woman into a corner, placing her in a precarious situation.

The autumn water longsword in the woman's hand danced tightly, her sword technique quite exquisite, obviously from an extraordinary background, but her cultivation seemed to be only at the Peak of the Third-Rank. Facing the siege of five Vicious Beasts of the same rank, she was already drenched in sweat, her breathing disordered, and she was clearly slightly injured; defeat was only a matter of time.

Seeing one Shadow Wolf silently pounce from the blind spot behind the woman, its sharp claws aimed straight at her back, while the woman was being pinned down by two Shadow Wolves in front and seemed completely unaware!

"Careful!" Lin Tian gave a low shout and hesitated no longer. He exerted force with his feet, pushed the Cloud Shadow Step to the limit, and his figure turned into a blurry afterimage, instantly crossing a distance of more than ten zhang. He arrived after it but reached first, blocking behind the woman before the Shadow Wolf's claws could fall! At the same time, the refined steel longsword in his hand erupted with a biting Xiaguang, and he thrust out with the move "Xiaguang Sudden Appearance"!

"Chih——!" The sword light was like lightning, piercing precisely into the joint of the foreclaw that the sneak-attacking Shadow Wolf had extended! The Shadow Wolf felt pain, let out a miserable howl, and the momentum of its pounce stopped instantly.

Lin Tian flicked his wrist, and the sword blade swept upwards, drawing a graceful arc, easily cutting open the relatively fragile throat of the Shadow Wolf!

"Wuu..." The ghostly light in the Shadow Wolf's eyes dimmed rapidly, its massive body collapsed to the ground with a bang, and after twitching twice, it ceased to breathe.

All this happened in a flash. The yellow-clad woman only felt a fierce wind strike from behind, then a figure flashed by, followed immediately by the Shadow Wolf's miserable howl and the sound of it falling to the ground.

She turned her head in astonishment, only to see a strange young man dressed in a profound black martial outfit, with a calm face, holding a blood-dripping longsword, standing behind her, his gaze sweeping calmly over the remaining four Shadow Wolves that were slightly agitated because their companion had died instantly.

"Saved?!" A look of unbelievable surprise flashed in the woman's beautiful eyes, but it was immediately replaced by even greater shock.

This young man... what fast speed! What fierce sword technique! That Shadow Wolf was a Third-Rank Vicious Beast, yet it was killed in one strike by him?

"Thank you, Young Master, for saving me!" The woman hurriedly thanked him, her voice crisp and pleasant, but carrying the trembling of someone who had just survived a disaster.

Lin Tian nodded slightly, his gaze still locked on the remaining four Shadow Wolves that were growling low and slowly surrounding them, and said indifferently: "Let's deal with these beasts first."

Before his voice died away, the four Shadow Wolves seemed to be enraged by the death of their companion, or perhaps they perceived the huge threat brought by Lin Tian, and they actually let out low roars simultaneously, pouncing from four different directions! Claws and fangs were all out, sealing off all of Lin Tian's evasion space.

"Well come!" A cold light flashed in Lin Tian's eyes, and the Cloud Shadow Step was activated again! He saw his figure leave a faint afterimage in place like a ghost, while his true body had already appeared beside the Shadow Wolf pouncing from the left, his longsword sweeping past, bringing up a trail of blood.

Before that Shadow Wolf could react, he shifted his steps, his figure sliding to the right like flowing water, the sword light flashed again, leaving a wound deep enough to see bone under the ribs of another Shadow Wolf.

His figure weaved uncertainly in the gaps of the four Shadow Wolves' pounces, like a butterfly flying through flowers, every time narrowly avoiding fatal bites and claw strikes by a hair's breadth, while the longsword in his hand was like the Grim Reaper's invitation; every time it flashed, it would add a hideous wound to a Shadow Wolf.

The agility of the Cloud Shadow Step and the swiftness of the Xiaguang Sword Technique were perfectly combined at this moment.

Although Shadow Wolves are known for their speed, in front of Lin Tian's exquisite footwork and faster sword light, they appeared clumsy and could only take a beating.

After only a moment, the four Shadow Wolves were already covered in wounds and dripping with blood; although their ferocity remained, their offensive was obviously chaotic and slow.

"Roar!" The most heavily injured Shadow Wolf let out a mournful howl and turned to flee into the depths of the dense forest. Another one, seeing this, turned and fled without hesitation.

"Want to run?" Lin Tian's eyes turned cold, his figure shot out like lightning, instantly catching up to one of them, the sword light flashed, piercing from its back of the neck, ending its life.

By the time he turned to chase the other one, that Shadow Wolf had already disappeared into the dense jungle, nowhere to be seen.

Lin Tian did not chase deep; he understood the principle of not chasing a desperate enemy. In this mountain forest where Vicious Beasts roam, venturing deep rashly was not a wise move.

He flicked his wrist, shook off the blood droplets from the sword tip, and returned the sword to its sheath, his movements clean and neat.

Only then did he turn around and look at the yellow-clad woman who was still somewhat dazed. "Miss, are you okay?" Lin Tian's tone was peaceful.

The woman finally completely recovered from the shock, her pair of bright eyes wide open, staring at Lin Tian without blinking, as if trying to see through him.

This young man, who looked similar in age to her, or perhaps even younger, had such terrifying strength! Five ferocious Third-Rank Shadow Wolves were solved by him as if cutting melons and vegetables, yet he himself was unscathed, his breathing steady!

With this level of strength, I fear even those older brothers in the Family who are hailed as geniuses might not be able to do it, right?

"I-I'm fine! Thank you, Young Master, for saving my life!" The woman hurriedly bowed, her voice filled with sincere gratitude and a trace of imperceptible admiration, "This little woman is Liu Yiyi. May I ask the Young Master's name? Where are you from?"

"Qixia Sect, Lin Tian." Lin Tian answered simply.

"Qixia Sect? So you are a Disciple of the Qixia Sect!" Liu Yiyi suddenly realized, and the brilliance in her beautiful eyes became even more intense.

The Qixia Sect is one of the top Sects in Yunzhou; no wonder it can Cultivate such a young talent!

She hurriedly said: "So it is Young Master Lin! Yiyi will never forget Young Master's great kindness in saving my life, and I will definitely repay you generously!"

Lin Tian waved his hand, not caring: "It was a small effort, Miss Liu, no need to worry about it. Vicious Beasts roam here, so it is not suitable to stay long. Are you going to continue deeper, or leave now?"

Liu Yiyi looked at the few wolf corpses on the ground, still feeling a lingering fear, and hurriedly said: "I won't go in, I won't go in! I will leave with you, Young Master!"

The two traveled together towards the periphery of the mountain range. On the way, through conversation, Lin Tian learned that this Liu Yiyi was not a Loose Cultivator, but came from a medium-sized martial arts Family in the "Yunzhou City" of the Yunzhou Prefecture—the Liu Family.

Her own talent was not weak; at the age of twenty, she had already cultivated to the Peak of the Third-Rank, only one step away from condensing Internal Energy and breaking through to the Fourth-Rank.

This time, she had secretly hidden it from the Family elders, confident that her strength had greatly increased, and wanted to come to the periphery of the Taixuan Mountain Range for "training" and by the way, search for several auxiliary Spirit Medicines needed by the Family. However, she didn't expect her luck to be bad; shortly after entering the mountain, she ran into this group of troublesome Shadow Wolves. If it hadn't been for Lin Tian's timely appearance, the consequences would have been unimaginable.

"The Liu Family... a twenty-year-old at the Peak of the Third-Rank..." Lin Tian's heart stirred slightly.

Liu Yiyi's cultivation, if placed in Heishan City, would be enough to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the former Hall Master Lie Fentian, Hall Master Chen Qingfeng, and other hall masters, and even because she was young, her potential was greater.

And in the Liu Family, she did not seem to be the top Genius. From this, it can be seen that the strength of the cultivation families in Yunzhou City is far from comparable to that of a border town like Heishan City. The prefecture land, indeed, hides dragons and crouching tigers.

Liu Yiyi was full of curiosity and admiration for Lin Tian, constantly asking about the Qixia Sect and Lin Tian's cultivation insights. Lin Tian mostly glossed over them, only picking insignificant things to say. Liu Yiyi did not mind, only assuming that Disciples of large Sects have their own pride and rules.

After another day of travel, the two finally walked out of the range of the Taixuan Mountain Range, and before them was the official road leading to different directions. It was time to part ways.

Liu Yiyi stood at the intersection, looking at Lin Tian, her eyes full of reluctance. She bit her lip and suddenly said: "Young Master Lin, this life-saving grace, Yiyi will keep it in my heart. If you come to Yunzhou City in the future, you must come to the Liu Family as a guest, so that Yiyi can fulfill the duties of a host and thank you properly!"

She paused, as if having made up her mind, and said again: "In addition, after you return to the Sect, if you see tasks issued by the 'Yunzhou Liu Family' in the Service Hall, especially the task of escorting a batch of important Spirit Medicines back to the prefecture, please pay close attention, Young Master.

This batch of Spirit Medicines is quite important to the Family, so the reward is extremely generous. In addition to a considerable amount of silver, three stalks of 'Qingxin Jade Marrow Grass', which is quite beneficial for the cultivation of Internal Energy Martial Artists, will be gifted additionally.

This grass has the effect of concentrating the mind and calming the spirit, and purifying Internal Energy. Although it is not as good as the 'seven-colored inner essence pill' which can directly strengthen Internal Energy, it excels in consolidating the Foundation, reducing the risk of Qi Deviation, and should be helpful for your current cultivation, Young Master."

She looked up, her beautiful eyes clear, carrying a trace of earnestness and expectation: "If it is convenient for you, Young Master, I hope you can take on this task. When you come to the Liu Family, Yiyi... will definitely sweep the bed to welcome you and thank you personally."

The Liu Family's escort task? Generous reward, and three stalks of 'Qingxin Jade Marrow Grass'? Lin Tian's heart stirred. He was currently short of cultivation resources, and this 'Qingxin Jade Marrow Grass' sounded exactly like what he needed right now.

Moreover, as the prefecture, Yunzhou City must be more prosperous, with resources gathered. Going there to take a look might lead to more opportunities. Taking on such escort tasks issued by families is also a common way for Inner Sect Disciples to earn extra money and train themselves.

"The Liu Family's task?" Lin Tian pondered slightly and nodded, "Okay, after I return to the Sect, I will pay attention to the news in the Service Hall. If there really is such a task, and time permits, I will consider taking it."

"Great!" Hearing this, Liu Yiyi's face immediately bloomed with a bright smile, like spring flowers just blooming, "Then Yiyi will wait in Yunzhou City for your good news, Young Master!"

The two bade each other farewell again and then parted ways. Lin Tian turned around and headed in the direction of the Qixia Sect, his figure disappearing at the end of the mountain road after a few leaps.

Liu Yiyi watched the direction he left in, standing for a long time, before turning around, hiring a passing carriage, and heading towards Yunzhou City.

On the way back to the Sect, Lin Tian calculated in his heart. This trip to the Taixuan Mountain Range not only completed the task, harvested Purple Flame Lotuses and Purple Flame Leopard Materials, greatly increased his combat experience, and gave him a clear understanding of his own strength, but he also unexpectedly met Liu Yiyi and learned about the news of the Liu Family's escort task. It can be said that the harvest was quite rich.

"First return to the Sect to hand in the task and exchange for rewards. Then, go to the Service Hall to see what the Liu Family's task... is really like." A trace of expectation flashed in Lin Tian's eyes.