134: Chapter 134 A Great Harvest

The Taixuan Mountain Range stretches across the land three hundred li north of Yunzhou Prefecture, its Peaks rolling and undulating like a giant Dragon lying dormant on the earth. In the mountains, ancient trees tower to the sky, their overlapping canopies slicing the sunlight into fragments that scatter across the forest floor.

The air was filled with the scent of rotting leaves and soil. Occasionally, unknown Vicious Beasts would let out deep roars in the depths of the dense forest, causing the leaves to rustle.

When Lin Tian and his group entered the Taixuan Mountain Range, no one expected that they would stay for three whole months.

The information provided by the herb gatherer was indeed reliable. He was an old herb gatherer who had spent most of his life struggling in the Taixuan Mountain Range and knew the terrain and the distribution of Spirit Medicine like the back of his hand.

Where Jade Marrow Ganoderma grew, where Red Sun Ginseng was hidden, and on which cliff face Dendrobium could be harvested—it was all clearly marked on the map he drew.

Following the map, the group saved the time they would have spent searching aimlessly, making their efficiency several times higher than usual.

However, the Taixuan Mountain Range was no garden. Where there was abundant Spirit Medicine, there were also many Vicious Beasts. Those animals treated the Spirit Medicine as their own property, and they would fight to the death against anyone who dared to reach for them.

In the first three days of entering the mountains, they encountered an Iron-Backed Gray Wolf. When the beast pounced from the bushes, it was as fast as a gray lightning bolt.

A new Disciple didn't have time to react and was slapped on the shoulder by a claw, flying sideways and crashing into a tree, blood spilling from the corner of his mouth.

Senior Brother Li reacted the fastest, drawing his sword to meet it. Junior Sister Zheng Xiaoyun provided support from the side, while the siblings Zhao Mingyang and Zhao Mingyue also attacked simultaneously. After fighting the Iron-Backed Gray Wolf for the time it takes to burn an incense stick, they finally managed to slay the beast.

Senior Brother Li's sword technique was steady and seasoned, Junior Sister Zheng Xiaoyun's movement technique was agile and elegant, and the coordination between the Zhao siblings was quite tacit. However, the hide of the Iron-Backed Gray Wolf was too thick, and ordinary blades could only leave white marks on it.

In the end, it was Senior Brother Li who found an opportunity, piercing its eye socket with one sword strike, driving it straight into the brain, and finishing it off.

That was just the beginning.

In those three months, they encountered no less than a hundred Vicious Beasts. Some acted alone, while others moved in packs. Some ran on the ground, while others pounced from the treetops.

The most dangerous time was when they accidentally stumbled into the territory of a pack of Red Flame Tigers. Three adult Red Flame Tigers attacked simultaneously. Junior Sister Zheng Xiaoyun and Senior Brother Li each blocked one, while the Zhao siblings joined forces to block the third.

The other new Disciples provided support on the periphery. The battle lasted for nearly half an hour, and everyone was injured.

But the truly dangerous ones were those elusive, high-level Vicious Beasts. Once, a Peak-stage Fourth-Rank Warrior level Iron-Scaled Python silently slid out from a crevice in the rocks and bit toward Zhao Mingyue, who was gathering herbs.

Zhao Mingyue had no idea at all, and by the time she felt the fishy wind coming from behind her, the poisonous fangs of the Iron-Scaled Python were already close at hand.

And then, that Iron-Scaled Python died.

Its head suddenly tilted to the side, as if it had been struck by something.

Its massive snake body twitched once, slid down from the rock wall, and hit the ground with a muffled thud. When the group gathered to look, they found a tiny puncture wound in its left eye, piercing through the eyeball and exiting the back of its brain.

The wound was clean and precise, as if it had been nailed by an extremely thin and sharp blade through the eye, directly destroying its brain matter.

What killed it? No one knew. Junior Sister Zheng Xiaoyun examined the wound and frowned. Senior Brother Li also stared at it for a long time before shaking his head.

Zhao Mingyang guessed it might have been some kind of fierce avian predator that fed on snakes, swooping down from the sky to peck at it. Zhao Mingyue was still shaken and didn't delve into it further.

The few new Disciples were just relieved to have escaped with their lives.

Such things happened more than once.

Whenever a truly dangerous Vicious Beast appeared, that beast would always inexplicably drop dead.

Sometimes there was an extra hole in its head, sometimes its throat was pierced by something, and sometimes a fist-sized bloody hole exploded in its heart. The locations of the wounds were different, but they all had one thing in common—clean, precise, one-hit kills, with no signs of any struggle.

Everyone felt that there might be a Senior expert hiding in the mountains, protecting them in the shadows.

Some said it might be an Elder of the Qixia Sect protecting them secretly, while others said it might be a Senior living in seclusion in the Taixuan Mountain. They guessed back and forth, but no one could be sure. Every discussion ended without a conclusion.

Lin Tian walked in the group, not saying a word from beginning to end. His right hand always hung low, his sleeve slightly bulging.

Every time that "expert" made a move, his wrist would move slightly. The motion was extremely small, blended into his walking pace, and not even his sleeve fluttered.

The moyuan flying dagger would fly out from his sleeve, almost completely invisible in the shadows of the dense forest; the blade did not reflect light, and the sound of it breaking through the air was covered by the wind and the rustling of leaves, like a drop of ink dissolving into a deep pool.

With the Flying Knife in the Sleeve at the Minor Achievement Realm, he had already mastered the three key points: concealment, surprise, and timing.

Coupled with the characteristics of the moyuan flying dagger itself—light, thin, black, and non-reflective—in an environment like the Taixuan Mountain Range where the light was dim, it was simply a natural weapon for assassination.

Not to mention those new Disciples, even Junior Sister Zheng Xiaoyun and Senior Brother Li, those two Fourth-Rank Warriors, had absolutely no idea that someone in the team was making a move.

Lin Tian didn't expose it either. Hidden weapons, by their nature, were meant to be kept in the dark. The fewer people who knew, the greater the power.

For three months, it wasn't just Lin Tian who was secretly honing his flying dagger technique.

On the surface, everyone had grown quite a bit through fighting and gathering herbs. Senior Brother Li's sword technique became steadier, and Junior Sister Zheng Xiaoyun's movement technique was a notch faster than when they entered the mountains.

Zhao Mingyang and Zhao Mingyue found the rhythm of their sibling coordination through several life-and-death battles, their two precious swords working in tandem—one attacking, one defending—with perfect tacit understanding.

Even the new Disciples had shed their initial greenness through repeated battles with Vicious Beasts, their strikes becoming much more decisive.

But the one who grew the most was Lin Tian.

The technique of the flying dagger was becoming more proficient with each use in actual combat. When to strike, which position to hit, how much force to use, whether to add Internal Energy—these things that couldn't be practiced against a wooden stake in the courtyard were understood bit by bit through real life-and-death battles.

Besides that, his sword technique and movement technique were also honed in battle. The Xiaguang Sword Technique became smoother as he fought against Vicious Beasts, and the Cloud Shadow Step became more familiar as he navigated the complex terrain of the dense forest.

Three months later, the group walked out of the Taixuan Mountain Range.

Everyone was covered in injuries, their clothes stained with blood and mud, their hair messy, and their faces unshaven.

But everyone's eyes were bright, and the packages at their waists were bulging.

Dozens of Spirit Medicines were neatly arranged in specially made medicine boxes. Jade Marrow Ganoderma, Red Sun Ginseng, Dendrobium, Green Leaf Vine, Purple Pattern Ganoderma... some were of good quality, some poor, some old, some young, but added together, it was a considerable fortune.

They went to the Wanbao Pavilion in Yunzhou Prefecture again. When the Fat Storekeeper saw them enter, his eyes went wide. When dozens of Spirit Medicines were placed on the counter, the fragrance of medicine filled the entire hall of the Wanbao Pavilion.

Appraisal, weighing, valuation, settlement—after the whole process, everyone's pockets were full.

Each of the new Disciples received several thousand taels, and they were so excited their faces turned red. Zhao Mingyang and Zhao Mingyue received more, as they had contributed significantly to the battles, and according to the contribution-based distribution, they took the lion's share. Senior Brother Li and Junior Sister Zheng Xiaoyun naturally received a considerable amount as well.

Lin Tian received twelve thousand taels.

He looked at the thick stack of silver notes in his hand and the corner of his mouth curved up. Three months of sleeping in the open, eating dry rations, drinking stream water, sleeping in tree holes to avoid Vicious Beasts, and adding several scars to his body—in exchange for these twelve thousand taels of silver—it was worth it.

With the two thousand taels he had left, he now had a total of fourteen thousand taels. The cold moon bow was four thousand taels, more than enough. The remaining silver was enough for him to buy Medicinal Pills, buy medicinal herbs, and Cultivate steadily for a long time.

The group left the Wanbao Pavilion and set off on the road back to the Qixia Sect.

After returning to Zixia Peak, everyone parted ways at the mountain gate. Having spent three months together and fighting side by side, their relationships were closer than before.

The new Disciples agreed to go on missions together next time, and Zhao Mingyang even rarely said "See you" to Lin Tian. Zhao Mingyue glanced at Lin Tian, her lips moved, but in the end, she said nothing and followed her brother.

Lin Tian walked back to his courtyard along a secluded path. Having been empty for three months, the stone table in the courtyard was covered in a thick layer of dust, and weeds had grown in the corners.

He pushed the door open, entered, put away the silver notes, fetched water to wash his face, changed into clean clothes, and then sat cross-legged on a prayer mat.

He had been at Zixia Peak for nine months now.

He counted with his fingers. When he first joined, Peak Master Su Hanyan gave him one year; if he mastered the Purple Qi Diagram, he could stay; if not, he would have to leave.

Now that nine months had passed, there were only three months left until the one-year deadline. At that time, Su Hanyan would definitely come to assess him; as for how she would assess him or what she would test, he didn't know.

But no matter what the test was, he wasn't afraid. He had long since entered the gate of the Purple Qi Diagram, and now he had even practiced it to the Proficiency Realm.

Spending one year to bring the Purple Qi Diagram from Minor Achievement to Proficiency—on Zixia Peak, probably few people could achieve that.

However, he didn't intend to let anyone know about this. Back then, Su Hanyan taught him for a few days and then washed her hands of him, concluding that he was a piece of trash.

Other Disciples also alienated him because of this. Since that was the case, let them continue to think so. When the day of the assessment came, showing what he had would be more effective than saying anything now.

For the last three months, Lin Tian did not leave Zixia Peak again.

He devoted all his time to Cultivation. Every day, he got up before dawn, first meditating on the Purple Qi Diagram for an hour, then practicing sword techniques, movement techniques, palm techniques, arrow techniques, and flying daggers.

He rested for half an hour at noon, ate something, and then continued practicing until dark.

At night, he lit an oil lamp, went through everything he practiced during the day in his mind, pondered where he could improve and where he could optimize, and then practiced a few more times in the courtyard by the moonlight.

The Sect issued a Qixia Pill every month.

This Medicinal Pill was the standard equipment of the Qixia Sect, which all official Disciples had. Its grade was not high, but it had a good auxiliary effect on the Cultivation of Internal Energy.

Lin Tian took all the Qixia Pills he had saved up for months, and also used the silver he had on hand to buy a few higher-grade Medicinal Pills from the market to take together.

As the medicinal power dissolved, a warm current flowed along his Meridians and was refined bit by bit by the Purple Qi Diagram Mind-Cultivation Technique into his own Internal Energy.

It was a process of grinding. Day by day, accumulation, over and over again, polishing. The benefit of the Proficiency System was right here—as long as he practiced, there was progress; it would not stagnate, and it would not regress.

Every day he woke up, he was a little stronger than the day before.

Three months passed silently in the day-after-day of bitter training.

On the evening of the last day, Lin Tian finished his session and stood still, breathing out a long, turbid breath. That breath rose from his Dantian, passed through his Meridians, and when it was exhaled from his throat, it actually carried a faint trace of purple.

The breath condensed in the air without dispersing, and it took several breaths before it slowly dissipated into the twilight.

He closed his eyes and brought up the proficiency panel.

Name: Lin Tian.

Cultivation: Fourth-Rank Middle Stage.

Martial Arts—

Purple Qi Diagram, Proficiency, 206/3000.

Xiaguang Sword Technique, Proficiency, 168/3000.

Cloud Shadow Step, Proficiency, 105/3000.

Flying Knife in the Sleeve, Minor Achievement, 907/1000.

Meteor Arrow Technique, Minor Achievement, 3/1000.

Great Strength Vajra Palm, Minor Achievement, 795/1000.

Lin Tian opened his eyes, and the corners of his mouth slowly curved upward.

Fourth-Rank Middle Stage.

A year ago, when he first joined the Qixia Sect, he was only a Rank 3 Martial Artist.

At that time, he didn't even know what Internal Energy was, couldn't even touch the entrance to the Purple Qi Diagram, was scolded as a piece of trash by Su Hanyan to his face, and was looked down upon by all his fellow Disciples.

One year later, today, he had not only broken through to the Fourth-Rank, but had also stepped into the Fourth-Rank Middle Stage.

The Internal Energy within his body was more than twice as thick as it was at the Early Stage of the Fourth-Rank, and the energy flowing through his Meridians was like a stream turning into a river, rushing endlessly.

It wasn't just his Cultivation. The Xiaguang Sword Technique went from Skilled to Minor Achievement, and then from Minor Achievement to Proficiency.

With the Xiaguang Sword Technique at the Proficiency Realm, one sword strike would produce sword light like rosy clouds, layer upon layer, making it impossible for people to distinguish between real and fake.

The Cloud Shadow Step had also reached the Proficiency Realm; when the movement technique was unleashed, afterimages were numerous, and his speed was more than a notch faster. The Flying Knife in the Sleeve had been pushed to the Peak of the Minor Achievement Realm, only less than a hundred proficiency points away from Proficiency.

Although the Meteor Arrow Technique and Great Strength Vajra Palm were practiced less, they had both entered the Minor Achievement Realm.

In one year, from Rank 3 to Fourth-Rank Middle Stage, from knowing only one sword technique to having six martial arts.

This speed, in the entire Qixia Sect, probably couldn't be matched by many.

He clenched his fist, feeling the surging power within his body, then released his hand and pushed the door open to walk out.

Zixia Peak in the twilight was quiet and beautiful. The sunset glow at the horizon dyed the entire Peak a golden purple, and the pines and cypresses on both sides of the mountain path swayed gently in the evening breeze.

Lights lit up on the distant main Peak, twinkling like gold dust scattered across the mountains.

Tomorrow was the day of the assessment. Su Hanyan would come. Those who once looked down on him would come. Those who determined he was a piece of trash would also come.

Lin Tian stood at the gate of his courtyard, looking at Zixia Peak in the twilight, his face expressionless.

His hand rested lightly on his sleeve, his fingertips touching the cold blade of the moyuan flying dagger.

Come on.