In the clearing, the aftershocks from the first clash had yet to settle when Yun Muyao and Meng Xian moved again.

Yun Muyao’s Body Technique was as elusive as an ice spirit. She unleashed her Swordsmanship, and streams of frigid Sword Qi crisscrossed the air. They cascaded like waterfalls or bloomed like ice lotuses, enveloping all of Meng Xian’s vital points.

Each strike carried an extreme chill. Wherever the wind from her blade passed, the ground frosted over, and the very air seemed to freeze solid.

Though startled, Meng Xian remained composed. The Cultivation Techniques of the Netherworld Pavilion were strange and unpredictable.

At times, he formed his palms into claws, tearing black fissures in the air as he tried to catch the nimble, unpredictable gleam of her sword.

At other times, his Body Technique was like a phantom’s, leaving a trail of afterimages as he dodged the sharpest edge of her assault.

His counterattacks were just as fierce. Shadowy Palm Seals materialized and dissipated, striking at Yun Muyao from cunning angles and forcing her to draw her sword back to defend.

"BOOM, BOOM, BOOM—"

The two fought speed with speed, their figures flickering, colliding, and separating in the ravaged patch of forest.

Every clash of weapon and Palm Force unleashed a deafening roar and an even more violent shockwave, further devastating the already unrecognizable ground.

Within a hundred-meter radius, the area had become a forbidden domain of ice and nether.

In the blink of an eye, the two had exchanged over a hundred blows.

Although Meng Xian’s Nether Palm was treacherous and vicious, Yun Muyao’s Swordsmanship seemed to suppress it. Her pure, icy Sword Qi effectively froze and slowed the corrosive advance of his Nether Qi.

After more than a hundred blows.

Yun Muyao seized upon a nearly imperceptible pause from Meng Xian, her Sword Momentum changing abruptly.

No longer seeking to suppress him over a wide area, she retracted the sky-spanning sword light, condensing it into an extremely focused, razor-thin flash of icy-blue light.

Moving faster than the eye could follow, it shot straight for the gap by Meng Xian’s left shoulder blade!

Horrified, Meng Xian twisted his body with all his might to dodge, hastily striking out with his right palm to block.

"SHRRRIP!"

The flash of icy-blue light grazed his shoulder.

Although he was protected by high-quality Soft Armor and wasn’t pierced directly, the incredibly condensed, icy Sword Qi penetrated it and entered his body.

"Ugh!"

Meng Xian let out a muffled groan. He felt a bone-deep chill instantly spread from his left shoulder, numbing his entire arm and slowing his movements by half a beat.

He looked down and saw a thin layer of ice covering the Soft Armor on his left shoulder. The frigid energy was still trying to seep inward.

Meng Xian’s expression darkened. ’The injury isn’t serious; I can use my Cultivation to drive out the chill.’

But it was an undeniable sign that he had lost the upper hand in their exchange.

Having landed a blow, Yun Muyao raised her Sword Momentum again, preparing to press her advantage—

Suddenly, her body trembled. She whipped her head around to look southeast.

From that direction, a vast, sinister, and oppressive aura was approaching at an astonishing speed!

The aura was so strong it made her heart pound; it was far beyond anything Meng Xian could produce.

The newcomer was clearly a powerhouse of the Upper Three Grades, and not someone who had just reached that realm.

Fang Han and Zhao Jin sensed the terrifying aura at almost the same moment. Their nerves, which had just begun to settle, instantly tightened again.

Zhao Jin’s face, in particular, was a mask of despair. ’An aura this sinister and cold... it has to be an Elder Level figure from the Netherworld Pavilion. We’re doomed.’

However, just as this suffocating pressure descended, another aura—entirely different, yet equally vast and majestic—rushed in from the northwest.

It firmly countered the pressure from the sinister aura.

Yun Muyao, Fang Han, and Zhao Jin looked over and breathed a collective sigh of relief.

The newcomer wore the robes of a Qingxuan Sect Elder. It was one of their own!

One right after the other, two figures appeared at opposite ends of the ravaged battlefield as if they had teleported.

To the east stood an old man in the robes of a Netherworld Pavilion Elder.

He was tall and thin as a bamboo pole, his face wizened and deeply wrinkled.

His eyes, however, were frighteningly bright. His pupils were a strange grayish-white, and with every blink, a sharp light glinted within them, as if they could steal a person’s very soul.

He wore a wide black robe, its cuffs and lapels embroidered with the pattern of nether flames in dark gold thread.

A sinister, bone-chilling cold emanated from him. This was Sang Mutian, one of the Netherworld Pavilion Elders, known as the Ghost Elder.

To the west stood an old woman dressed in the robes of a Qingxuan Sect Elder.

She appeared to be in her sixties. Her hair was immaculately combed into a simple bun at the back of her head, secured with a Wooden Hairpin.

Her face was lean but her complexion was ruddy, and her kind eyes held an unquestionable authority.

She wore a simple, elegant blue-gray Elder’s robe and stood ramrod straight, exuding an air of profound stillness. This was Liu Ying, an Elder of the Qingxuan Sect known as Granny Liu.

The moment the two Elders appeared, they took one look at the scene and immediately understood the gist of the situation.

Immediately, their auras crashed into each other like two invisible mountains!

"BOOM—"

There was no physical contact, yet a dull, thunderous roar erupted in the air.

The two powerful pressures squeezed and eroded one another, throwing the airflow into chaos and sending sand and stones flying.

Yun Muyao, Fang Han, Zhao Jin, and even Meng Xian felt their breath catch. It was as if they had been plunged into the deep sea, the immense pressure making even the circulation of their Inner Qi sluggish.

This was a pure contest of presence between experts of the Upper Three Grades.

"Sang Mutian, your Netherworld Pavilion is overreaching! How dare you openly hunt a Steward of my Qingxuan Sect to steal a Cultivation Technique? Do you think the Qingxuan Sect has no one to answer for this?"

Liu Ying spoke first. Her voice was not loud, but it carried clearly to everyone’s ears.

It carried an imposing air that diluted some of Sang Mutian’s sinister presence.

"Heh heh, Granny Liu, why the high-and-mighty speech? The treasures of heaven and earth belong to the virtuous."

Sang Mutian’s grayish-white pupils shifted to Liu Ying, and a raspy laugh like grinding sandpaper rumbled in his throat.

"The Xuanwu True Skill was ownerless. When did it become the private property of your Qingxuan Sect? If your disciples can find it, why can’t the Netherworld Pavilion compete for it?"

"Twisted logic!"

Liu Ying’s expression turned cold.

"This Cultivation Technique was found by the Qingxuan Sect, so it naturally belongs to the Qingxuan Sect! With your Netherworld Pavilion acting like common bandits, aren’t you afraid of starting a war between our two Sects?"

"A war?"

Sang Mutian scoffed, his tone laced with sarcasm.

"You’re being alarmist, Granny Liu. Still, since you’ve come yourself, I’ll show you some respect."

’The Cultivation Technique is already in the hands of the Qingxuan Sect; it’s no longer realistic to try and seize it by force.’ His gaze swept over Meng Xian.

"We’re leaving."

With a flick of his sleeve, he snatched Meng Xian to his side like an eagle grabbing a chick.

He grabbed Meng Xian and, in a few flickers, vanished into the dense forest. The immense, oppressive aura receded just as quickly.

Only when the auras of Sang Mutian and Meng Xian had completely vanished did Liu Ying slowly withdraw her own powerful presence.

She turned to look at Yun Muyao, Fang Han, and Zhao Jin, her expression full of approval.

"Disciple Yun Muyao greets Elder Liu."

Yun Muyao sheathed her sword, stepped forward, and bowed respectfully.

"Disciple Fang Han and Steward Zhao Jin greet Elder Liu."

Fang Han quickly helped Zhao Jin forward as he said respectfully.

"First, take this Creation Ginseng Pill to stabilize your injuries."

Liu Ying nodded slightly, her gaze first falling on the weakened Zhao Jin.

With a flick of her finger, a longan-sized green elixir radiating potent life force shot into Zhao Jin’s mouth.

"Thank you for the elixir, Elder!"

The elixir dissolved the moment it entered his mouth. A warm current surged through Zhao Jin’s body, and some color returned to his pale face as he spoke his thanks.

Only then did Liu Ying turn to Fang Han, her tone softening.

"So you’re our Sect’s new prodigy, Fang Han?"

Her gaze was scrutinizing; she had clearly heard of him before.

"I am,"

Fang Han replied, neither humble nor arrogant.

He then took the dark-brown, beast-hide booklet from his robes and presented it with both hands.

"Elder Liu, this is the Xuanwu True Skill that Steward Zhao risked his life to bring back. Please take a look."

Liu Ying took the booklet, flipped through a few pages to confirm its authenticity, and then put it away.

A gratified smile appeared on her face.

"All three of you have rendered great service to the Sect. Zhao Jin, for finding a Grandmaster Technique, you are awarded one Great Merit! Fang Han and Yun Muyao, for protecting a fellow sect member and the technique itself, you are each awarded one Small Merit!"

Hearing the rewards, Zhao Jin trembled with excitement, while joy flashed in the eyes of Fang Han and Yun Muyao.

Sect merits were extremely difficult to obtain, especially a Great Merit, which was typically awarded only for completing the most dangerous and important missions.

A Small Merit was also incredibly valuable; a single one could be exchanged for a wealth of precious resources, and three of them combined were enough to trade for a Grandmaster-Level Martial Arts technique.

Liu Ying paused before continuing.

"Furthermore, this Xuanwu True Skill is a Grandmaster-Level technique of great significance to the Sect. Since the three of you had the good fortune to be involved, you will be granted special permission to cultivate it for free."

"Once the technique has been verified, copied, and archived by the Elders of the sect’s archives, you may redeem the right to cultivate it free of charge as part of your reward."

This was, without a doubt, a tremendous reward!

A Grandmaster Technique was considered a sect-defining treasure in all of Qingyang County. Ordinary disciples, and even Stewards, could rarely hope to catch a glimpse of one.

To now be granted the right to cultivate one for free was an immeasurable boon to their future on the Martial Dao, especially for Fang Han and Yun Muyao.

"Thank you, Elder! Thank you, Sect!"

The three of them called out in unison, their voices filled with excitement and gratitude.

Liu Ying nodded with a smile. "Our business here is concluded. Let’s head back to the Sect."

With that, she waved a sleeve, and a gentle yet powerful current of Qi Force lifted Zhao Jin and carried him in the direction of the Qingxuan Sect.

Yun Muyao and Fang Han used their Body Techniques to follow closely behind.

...

At dusk three days later, the mountain gates of the Qingxuan Sect came into view.

With a flick of her sleeve, Elder Liu’s figure glided over the mountain gate like a wild goose, landing steadily in the Sect’s main square.

Fang Han, Yun Muyao, and Zhao Jin followed close behind, each using their Body Technique to land lightly on the bluestone pavers of the square.

Liu Ying turned, her gaze sweeping over the three of them before she gave a slight nod.

"This matter is now concluded. All of you, go and rest."

Her voice was gentle, yet it carried an undeniable authority.

"Zhao Jin, your injuries have not yet healed. Go to the Pill Hall and retrieve a few vials of Green Jade Bone-Mending Paste, and focus on your recovery."

Zhao Jin bowed in acceptance, his face full of gratitude.

"Fang Han, Yun Muyao, the two of you must cultivate diligently. Do not let your Talent go to waste. You may go."

With that said, Liu Ying’s figure blurred, transforming into a green shadow that shot toward the Sect Leader’s Hall at the mountain’s peak.