The Qinling Mountains stretched for thousands of miles.
After pursuing for hundreds of miles on the wind, Yu Wan Ning finally saw the wisp of fist intent land near a stream and valley, blending with the surrounding landscape. Yu Wan Ning descended gracefully, only to find she wasn't alone. Not far away, smoke curled from a thatched hut. In front of the hut hung a tattered banner with the words "Eighteen Li Sword Shop" emblazoned upon it.
Yu Wan Ning frowned. The maps of the Qinling region bore no mark of any "Eighteen Li Sword Shop," and being a newcomer to Western Shu, Yu Wan Ning was naturally unaware of its existence.
She didn't rush to capture the fist intent, instead walking towards the sword shop.
Indeed, outside the thatched hut was a blacksmith's shop, complete with a furnace, bellows, and an anvil. Inside the hut, a man in a blue short shirt was slurping noodles from a bowl. Outside, on the hut's roof, dried noodles were hanging, clearly indicating the man lived there alone.
"Seeking a sword?"
The man looked up at Yu Wan Ning. She was good-looking, with a delicate face, fair skin, and long legs – a beauty. Unfortunately, he, Li Chun Jun, had no interest in earthly women. He frowned and said, "If you're looking for a sword, there are none. Unless you have the ability to overturn my entire sword shop, be on your way."
"..."
Yu Wan Ning frowned. She hadn't even spoken a word yet.
"I'm not seeking a sword."
Yu Wan Ning said, "I am a martial artist traveling the jianghu. I'm new here and don't know this region, nor who you are."
"Interesting."
The man put down his noodles and walked to the door. "My name is Li Chun Jun. I forge and cast swords. There used to be a town in these mountains, exactly eighteen li from this shop, which is why it was called Eighteen Li Shop. After I arrived, I bought this place and renamed it Eighteen Li Sword Shop. If you're seeking a sword, there are none. But if you're thirsty or hungry and want a bite to eat, I have that."
"No need, thank you."
Yu Wan Ning smiled faintly. "I'm not seeking a sword, nor food. I'm just passing through. Once I gain some insight from my practice, I will leave. I won't disturb you."
She turned to leave, thinking to herself, what a strange man.
Li Chun Jun picked up his noodles again and frowned, thinking, "Truly sick."
...
Yu Wan Ning began to busy herself, cutting down trees in the mountains and building a wooden hut not far from the stream, living a reclusive life once more. A martial artist's body was strong, and Yu Wan Ning had been traveling the jianghu for quite some time, so building a dwelling was second nature to her. Her small hut was completed in half an afternoon. After cooking and eating a hearty meal, she began to practice her fist techniques.
The wisp of fist intent reappeared faintly in the jungle. Yu Wan Ning practiced her techniques until midnight. Deep in the night, drenched in sweat, she suddenly felt as if divinely aided. The next moment, the wisp of fist intent enveloped Yu Wan Ning, seeping into her dantian and becoming hers to command.
"Hoo..."
Yu Wan Ning rejoiced, feeling a sudden clarity. Her "Bing Shen Dan" vibrated. Without hesitation, she performed her fist techniques again. The moment she assumed her stance, she felt her meridians constantly widening. Dense fist intent enveloped her, and wisps of true qi "zizzed" as they tempered her physical body, undergoing a profound transformation.
At dawn, her Bing Shen Dan emitted a soft glow. Yu Wan Ning let out a gentle sigh. The breakthrough had come naturally and smoothly. When she opened her eyes, she was an eleventh-realm martial artist, and one with an exceptionally solid foundation. Countless golden martial destinies gathered above the Qinling Mountains and descended upon her, absorbed and refined.
At this moment, besides Chen Ben, Chen Xi, and Lin Ruo, humanity gained another rare eleventh-realm martial artist. In terms of foundation, Yu Wan Ning's "Tian Yuan Realm" was likely not much inferior to Chen Xi or Lin Ruo. As for the monstrous Chen Ben, he was in a league of his own, undoubtedly the pinnacle among eleventh-realm martial artists.
"Hm?"
At the sword shop, Li Chun Jun, lying in bed and reminiscing about his days of cultivation with his fellow disciples from the Mohist ancestral hall in his youth, narrowed his eyes. He glanced in that direction. Someone had broken through to the eleventh realm. Although that woman was strange, she was talented in martial arts. Her aptitude was probably rare throughout humanity.
...
Deep within the Qinling Mountains.
A giant python, dozens of meters long, coiled itself, nearing the point of cultivating sentience. With a few more years, this python might have become a demon, likely possessing sixth or even seventh-realm power upon its transformation. Currently, the python had just swallowed a young deer from the mountains and was dozing with its eyes closed. However, under the light of the crescent moon, a figure emerged from the depths of the Great Wilderness.
It was a young man in a dark purple robe, carrying a rusty long sword on his back. His eyes held a faint murderous aura. He looked up at the giant python and sneered, "Evil beast, do you think you can spy on me?"
The python ignored him and lunged.
The young man drew his sword. A flash of sword light passed, and the giant python was decapitated. Its massive body rolled through the forest, crushing grass and trees.
"Tsk tsk!"
At this moment, a cold laugh echoed from an old tree nearby. It was an old man in a gray robe, clinging to the trunk like a cicada's wing. Without careful observation, he was almost indistinguishable. His hair was graying, and he squinted at the young swordsman's sword, saying with a laugh, "Little friend, your sword is so rusty it can barely be drawn. It's truly rare to see a swordsman reduced to this state. Are you perhaps a simpleton who has cultivated in the mountains for years without ever seeing the outside world?"
The young swordsman smiled slightly. "Esteemed senior, your eyesight is excellent. Indeed, that is the case. I grew up in the mountains with my master. This is... my first time leaving the mountains!"
"Very good."
This old man was a reclusive cultivator from the Qinling Mountains in Western Shu, named Song Cheng. He was in the Star River realm and had traveled the Great Wilderness for many years, specializing in relics of sages and other treasures. His Star River realm was achieved through this scavenging method. These past two days, the legendary "Deer Seeking Sword," one of the Ten Swords of the Realm, had appeared, causing a great stir in the jianghu. Consequently, cultivators from Shu Prefecture's jianghu flocked to the Qinling Mountains, mistaking every sword they saw for the Deer Seeking Sword. The entire world had changed.
Song Cheng looked at the sword in the young swordsman's hand. The entire blade was almost rotted with rust, and he couldn't tell how long it had been since it was last drawn. However, after killing the giant python on the verge of becoming a demon, the rust on the sword began to emit a "zizzing" sound, as if melting away on its own. This made Song Cheng suspect something was amiss. Could this sword be the legendary Deer Seeking Sword?
Regardless, he decided to try and seize it. The young man seemed to be only in the seventh or eighth realm, and lacked worldly experience. He, a Star River realm cultivator, could surely handle him with ease.
At this thought, Song Cheng narrowed his eyes and said with a smile, "Little friend, what is the origin of your sword?"
"My master gave it to me. He never mentioned its name, so I don't know if it has any special origin."
"Oh..."
Song Cheng chuckled, "The blade is covered in rust, it doesn't look very usable. How about this... for the sake of our connection, I'll trade you a Qingfu coin for this sword?"
The young swordsman chuckled. "Senior is truly a man of ancient ways. You could openly rob me, yet you offer me a Qingfu coin. I am deeply touched."
"It seems you are looking for death."
Song Cheng flicked his sleeve and stood up, saying with a smile, "I didn't want to kill you, but you are determined to die. You cannot blame others for this. Do you really think this rotten sword in your hand can kill someone?"
"It can!"
The young swordsman gently caressed the rust on the sword, smiling. "It's just a little rusty, but it's okay. My sword has a saying: 'One sword to break tetanus, two swords to meet ancestors.' Senior, you have lived a long life, it's time you met your ancestors."
"It seems you truly wish to die!"
Song Cheng's gaze became more ferocious. He waved a blood-red talisman, no longer speaking, and attacked. But the young swordsman seemed unconcerned. He simply held his sword forward, not dodging. A single sword stroke cut the talisman's spiritual energy in half. Then, the sword light flashed down, striking Song Cheng's shoulder, severing his clavicle and continuing downwards.
In an instant, Song Cheng was horrified, realizing he had underestimated his opponent. This young man was actually a Star River realm swordsman. But it was too late for regret. The young man, enduring the burn on his chest from the talisman, thrust his sword through Song Cheng's heart.
...
Early morning, Eighteen Li Sword Shop.
The sound of horseshoes thundered as countless cavalry appeared outside the Eighteen Li Sword Shop. It was tens of thousands of Western Shu cavalry led by Li Chu Yun, who had already entered the depths of the Qinling Mountains. Looking at the Eighteen Li Sword Shop, Li Chu Yun frowned. That person was truly someone not to be provoked. Although he had been expelled from the Mohist ancestral hall, he was still a twelfth-realm great cultivator and a master sword caster. He was not to be trifled with.
"Senior Li."
Li Chu Yun cupped his fists towards the blacksmith shop and said with a smile, "We are not here for you."
"Scram!"
Li Chun Jun never had a good word for these government officials. Not a single good one among them. Good people would become corrupt soon after entering the bureaucracy.
"Yes!"
Li Chu Yun reined in his horse and led his men towards a nearby spot, surrounding Yu Wan Ning's thatched hut. He said with a faint smile, "I wonder who has such audacity to break through within my Western Shu territory, consuming so much martial destiny. Do you think you don't need to pay a price? Surrender quickly and vomit out all the destiny you've taken from my Shu Prefecture!"
Yu Wan Ning stepped out of her hut, her gaze ice-cold. "To the death!?"
"Yes, to the death!"
Li Chu Yun's mouth was filled with a cold sneer.