Early the next morning, the first light of dawn pierced through the thin mist, falling upon the bluestone eaves of the Martial Arts Pavilion.
Yesterday, the family tournament had concluded with Ye Ling taking first place.
According to the clan rules, the champion was permitted to enter the third floor of the Martial Arts Pavilion to choose two Yellow-grade high-tier martial arts. This was an opportunity most disciples could only dream of in their entire lives.
Ye Ling walked over alone. The Second Elder, who guarded the pavilion, was already waiting at the entrance.
After yesterday’s tournament, the elder was filled with admiration for the young girl. Without a word, she deactivated the restrictions on the third floor and signaled with a lift of her hand.
“Choose any two martial arts from the third floor. Whatever you pick will be your own fortune.”
Ye Ling bowed slightly in thanks and stepped onto the third floor.
The third floor was spacious and quiet, completely different from the levels below.
There were very few martial arts here. Only about a dozen manuals were placed on wooden shelves shimmering with spiritual light, each one a part of the Ye family's century-old foundation.
There were three sword techniques, three movement techniques, one saber technique, one whip technique, two fist techniques, and two leg techniques.
Ye Ling looked at the sword techniques first.
The first was the Thunder Sword Technique. It followed a fierce and violent path; every strike came with a thunderous crack. Its momentum was intense and powerful, suitable for overwhelming an opponent directly. Its weakness was that its transition into movement techniques was somewhat clunky and lacked flexibility.
The second was the Falling Shadow Sword Technique. It took a more secretive path; the strikes were silent, and the sword shadows overlapped to dazzle the eye, making it suitable for ambushes and kiting. However, its explosive power was weak, making it disadvantageous in a direct clash.
The third was the Star-Moon Sword Technique. It was the most balanced of the three.
When fast, it was like a meteor chasing the moon; when heavy, it could cleave rocks and split mountains. It could be paired with almost any movement technique. It wasn't as rigid as the Thunder Sword, nor as soft as the Falling Shadow Sword.
After observing for a while, Ye Ling made up her mind. The Thunder Sword was too stiff and didn't match her usual fighting style.
The Falling Shadow Sword was too specialized, and its path was too narrow. Only the Star-Moon Sword Technique was most suitable for her, offering great room for future growth.
With the sword technique decided, she looked at the movement techniques. After a couple of glances, she skipped them entirely.
Her Flowing Cloud Movement Technique had already reached Great Perfection. This technique was notoriously difficult to master, and at Great Perfection, it was no weaker than ordinary high-tier movement techniques.
It was enough. There was no need to start over with a different movement technique. Finally, she chose to look at the leg techniques.
Her reasoning was clear: her swordplay and movement were excellent, but she was still slightly lacking in close-quarters grappling.
If she learned a leg technique, she could add a close-range surprise attack while kiting, allowing her to seal her opponent's positioning and control the rhythm of the battlefield. This would make her more well-rounded.
Between the two leg techniques, she chose Gale Legs.
This set of leg techniques was fast. Driven by her movement technique, the leg shadows would become elusive. Advancing and retreating like the wind, it was specifically designed for sealing an opponent's path and launching close-range strikes.
It paired perfectly with the Flowing Cloud Movement Technique and would cover her weakness in close combat.
With her choices made—the Star-Moon Sword Technique and Gale Legs—she headed downstairs with the two glowing manuals.
The Second Elder looked at her choices and nodded in praise. “Good eyes.”
“A balanced, excellent sword and a nimble leg technique. You didn't get greedy for more movement techniques and instead supplemented what you lacked. You are a sensible person.”
“With these two paired together, your future path will only grow wider.”
Ye Ling stowed the two martial arts manuals away and nodded, her expression remaining calm.
At this point, only one month remained before the Sect Selection.
The tournaments of the four great families of Baiyun City all concluded in November.
These were held every three years to coincide with the triennial Sect Selection.
By now, most families had finished their competitions, and the top five from each had secured their spots for the selection.
In one month, the four great families, dozens of smaller families, and the young geniuses among the rogue cultivators would all gather in the city to compete for the precious slots to enter the sects.
Although one month was tight, it was enough.
She looked down at the two manuals in her hand, her plan already formed.
This month, she would not seek speed, but refinement.
Before the selection began, she simply needed to train these two techniques to Mastery.
Once accomplished, her martial arts repertoire would be complete.
Her movement was flexible enough, her swordplay could both attack and defend, and her leg technique filled the gap in her close combat.
With these three combined, she could fight at both long and short ranges, leaving no blind spots in her offense or defense.
After clarifying her thoughts, she put the manuals away and turned toward the small forest on the back mountain.
For the next month, she intended to fully immerse herself in bitter cultivation, waiting for the city-wide competition.
Time flew by, and the month reached its end.
The soft, clear morning light of winter pierced through the branches, falling into the small forest on the back mountain.
A gentle breeze blew through the trees, lightly lifting fallen leaves, and the air carried a faint scent of vegetation.
For an entire month, Ye Ling had hardly left her home, spending every day in this forest refining her two new martial arts.
During this month, she rose every day before dawn and practiced until dark. Aside from eating and drinking, she never stopped for a moment.
The calluses on her hands had thickened, and the bruises on her legs faded only to reappear, over and over. She didn't care about any of it; she only focused on her training.
At this moment, in a clearing within the forest, Ye Ling stood still.
Dressed in green martial arts attire with her long hair tied back, her face was refined and her expression serene. Her aura was restrained, making it impossible to gauge her depth.
She looked up, exhaled a breath of turbid air, and began to move.
The Flowing Cloud Movement Technique unfolded first. Her figure was like clouds and mist, elusive and flowing, advancing and retreating with weightless grace.
Her feet stepped on the fallen leaves without making a sound, leaving only a faint breeze stirred by her hem. Every shift was smooth and natural, displaying the full extent of her nimbleness.
In the next instant, her long sword left its sheath.
The Star-Moon Sword Technique had completely reached Mastery.
The sword light was neither fierce nor impatient, falling like moonlight and flickering like starlight, shifting between void and reality at her whim.
Her swift strikes were continuous, one after another, sealing off all of her opponent's paths of retreat.
Her heavy strikes were concentrated and steady. As the sword energy swept across the ground, it carved deep gashes into the earth.
There wasn't a single point of stagnation in the entire routine. The transitions between fast and slow were natural and fluid, fully displaying the fire of her Mastery.
Wherever the sword wind passed, fallen leaves were swept up, swirling in the air for a long time without falling.
After several moves, Ye Ling sheathed her sword and spun, naturally lifting her leg.
Gale Legs had also reached Mastery.
Her legs flew, and the wind howled as the leg shadows overlapped. They were as fast as the wind, a mix of false and real strikes that made it impossible to tell which was which.
Supported by the Flowing Cloud Movement Technique, her figure was elusive and her leg strikes were even more cunning.
At times, she used low sweeps to block an opponent's movement, scattering fallen leaves with the wind of her legs. At other times, she leaped into the air for a flying kick, her toes carrying a surge of energy aimed directly at the vital points of a tree trunk.
The wind from her legs scraped past, shaking the branches and sending leaves dancing through the air. Every kick was clean and efficient, with no wasted motion, perfectly supplementing her short-range combat weakness.
Sword, movement, and legs—the three were now completely integrated.
The Flowing Cloud Movement Technique served as the foundation for effortless movement; the Star-Moon Sword Technique acted as the primary offense for all ranges; and Gale Legs filled the gaps for close-range control.
With the three working in harmony, her movements were like flowing water, devoid of flaws. When attacking, sword light covered the head while leg shadows blocked the path; when defending, her figure was elusive, leaving her opponent with nothing to touch.
In just one short month, she had trained two Yellow-grade high-tier martial arts to Mastery.
Ye Ling came to a halt and stood still. Her clothes fluttered in the wind, her breathing was steady, and only a thin layer of sweat coated her forehead.
A flash of light flickered in her eyes.
A month of training had not been in vain.
The Heaven Rewards Diligence Dao imprint ensured she had no bottlenecks in her cultivation, but having no bottlenecks didn't mean she didn't have to practice.
No matter how great the talent, it was hollow without practice.
Currently, she was more than twice as strong as she had been a month ago.
Ye Ling put away her sword and began walking down the mountain.
With this coordinated set of martial skills, she would find it difficult to meet an equal within the Houtian Realm.
Moreover, she still possessed her half-step Sword Force. Below the Xiantian Realm, she was invincible.
Rate on N.U.
