In the clearing of the woods, Ye Ling opened the manual for the Flowing Cloud Movement Technique and memorized its core principles from beginning to end.
This movement technique was notoriously difficult to practice within the clan.
Not only did the footwork placement have to be precise, but the shifts in posture, the flow of spiritual energy, and the coordination of the limbs also had to be flawless.
A single mistake would throw everything into disarray.
Ordinary disciples could practice for ten days to half a month without even grasping the basics.
During her first attempt, Ye Ling realized just how troublesome it was.
When she took her first step, her body felt incredibly stiff, and her breath couldn't keep up.
As she darted through the woods, she constantly bumped into nearby branches, leaving her movements full of openings.
Heaven Rewards Diligence was indeed incredibly useful. With every repetition, the details of her movements, the trick to exerting force, and the flow of her breath were deeply engraved into her mind. A single repetition for her was worth dozens for anyone else.
However, the Flowing Cloud Movement Technique had a high entry barrier, and its system was complex.
Even if she knew how to practice it, truly becoming proficient and mastering it still required grinding it out over time.
There was no point in rushing.
The sun sank in the west, casting a twilight glow over the woods.
Throughout the entire afternoon, she practiced her movement technique over and over again.
From the simplest footwork and dodging to complex turns and shifts, she tirelessly corrected her mistakes, restarted, and corrected them again.
Seeing that it was getting late and she couldn't make any more progress with her movement technique for the time being, she stopped to adjust her breathing before switching to practice the Tiger Fist.
The Tiger Fist was much easier to practice than the Flowing Cloud Movement Technique. Its style was straightforward and direct.
After completing her first run, Heaven Rewards Diligence took effect.
The structure of the moves, the point of impact, and the fierce force of her punches instantly clicked, as if they were engraved into her bones.
Night fell, and moonlight bathed the woods.
She polished her moves one by one, dissecting the exertion of force, honing her fist intent, and refining the power of the Tiger Fist repeatedly.
Her fist technique became smoother, and the wind from her punches grew fiercer. The Tiger Fist steadily advanced to Initial Mastery.
With a single punch, she carried the momentum of a tiger pouncing through the forest, the wind of her fist howling as the shockwaves dispersed.
Compared to her previous Wild Bull Fist, the explosive power and sheer force were on completely different levels.
After practicing the Flowing Cloud Movement Technique for an entire afternoon, she had barely managed to grasp the basics.
Yet, after practicing the Tiger Fist for just over an hour, she had directly reached Initial Mastery.
Anyone else might have grown frustrated by the slow progress of their movement technique.
But Ye Ling didn't care. After all, whether she mastered it early or late, she would master it eventually. What was the rush?
In the quiet night, she rested for a moment before drawing her longsword and practicing the Shaoshang Sword Technique a few times.
Sword light flowed through the woods; she was already highly familiar with every single move.
Sheathing her sword, she stood in place and pondered.
Now she had a cultivation method, a movement technique, a fist technique, and a sword technique. The only thing she lacked was a body-tempering cultivation method.
Since the clan didn't have one, she would have to wait until the sect selection at the end of the year.
For now, her goal was to master these three martial arts.
She resolved to undergo bitter closed-door cultivation, waiting for the family tournament and the sect selection.
Three months flew by in the blink of an eye.
She was still in the same small grove.
Ye Ling stood with her sword, practicing the Shaoshang Sword Technique over and over.
She had already trained this sword technique to Great Perfection. The sword light was sharp, and her strikes were executed and retracted with ease, without a hint of hesitation.
The Tiger Fist had also reached the Great Perfection stage, allowing her to unleash its fierce, powerful force at will.
Even the most difficult Flowing Cloud Movement Technique had reached Mastery.
With a shift of her body, she was as swift as the wind and as agile as a shadow.
Her cultivation had also steadily advanced to the Houtian Seventh Layer.
Over the past three months, she had risen before dawn every single day. She would practice her swordplay for two hours, her boxing for another two, dedicate her afternoons to grinding her movement technique, and run through both her sword and fist techniques once more in the evening.
Day after day, she never missed a single session.
The meals brought by the servants often went cold before she remembered to eat them.
Sometimes her mother would wake up in the middle of the night, see that the lights in her courtyard were still on, and sigh, choosing not to disturb her.
She knew her daughter's temperament; there was no point in saying anything.
Lowering her sword, Ye Ling gazed at the distant silhouettes of the mountains, a plan forming in her mind.
Having practiced behind closed doors for three months, she had done enough.
Continuing to cultivate in isolation would only yield limited progress.
It was time to go out and travel.
Bordering Baiyun City was a vast and majestic mountain range known as the Baiyun Mountain Range.
Baiyun City derived its name from it.
The mountains were towering, and ancient trees reached for the heavens. Innumerable demon beasts dwelled within the vast forests, making it the best local training ground for real combat experience.
This mountain range was clearly divided into zones. The outermost periphery only contained scattered Tier One demon beasts with low cultivation levels, equivalent only to Houtian Realm martial artists, presenting a low level of danger.
Moving slightly further inward, Tier Two demon beasts would begin to appear.
Tier Two demon beasts possessed combat strength fully equivalent to Xiantian Realm martial artists.
What was even more dangerous was that once a demon beast broke through to Tier Two, there was a very small probability that it would awaken a unique innate ability from its ancient bloodline.
With their naturally thick hides, robust physical bodies, and bizarre bloodline innate abilities, Tier Two demon beasts had a higher chance of winning in a one-on-one life-or-death battle against human martial artists of the same realm.
Because of this, the middle region of the mountain range was a perilous area that many martial artists from Baiyun City dared not lightly venture into.
In the deepest, uninhabited heart of the mountain range, terrifying rumors circulated that rare Tier Three demon beasts resided there.
The strength of a Tier Three demon beast far exceeded the Xiantian Realm. Their power was unpredictable, and they were by no means opponents that ordinary martial artists could contend with.
Ye Ling had no intention of seeking death. She only planned to roam the outer periphery of the mountain range, hunting Tier One demon beasts to test the results of her three months of cultivation.
Upon returning home, she informed her parents of her intention to go to the Baiyun Mountain Range.
The couple was stunned upon hearing this. They were extremely worried, never expecting their daughter to venture into the mountains alone for training.
“You're going alone? Absolutely not.” Ye Qingxuan frowned, his tone resolute.
“Father, I'm already at the Houtian Seventh Layer. The demon beasts in the outer periphery are only Tier One, so there's not much danger.”
Ye Ling patiently explained, “Besides, my Shaoshang Sword Technique and Tiger Fist have both reached Great Perfection, and my Flowing Cloud Movement Technique is at Mastery. Even if I can't win, can't I still run away?”
Ye Qingxuan opened his mouth, wanting to say something more.
Wu Wanmei tugged at his sleeve and looked at her daughter. “Are you truly confident?”
“Yes,” Ye Ling nodded. “I'll only wander around the outer periphery and won't go deep inside. I'll be back in two months at most.”
The couple exchanged a glance and fell silent for a moment.
Ye Qingxuan sighed. “Be careful out there. If you can't win, run. Don't try to be a hero.”
“I know.”
Wu Wanmei rose and went into the inner room to pack a few clothes for her, wrapping some dry rations and stuffing them into a cloth bundle.
“The mountains are not like home, so take care of yourself,” she urged while packing.
“Eat when you're hungry, and put on more clothes when it's cold. Don't just focus on your training and forget to eat.”
“Mhm.”
Ye Qingxuan took a sword out of the cabinet and handed it to her.
The scabbard was deep blue. When she drew it, the blade gleamed with a cold white light, significantly heavier and much sharper than the one she was currently using.
“I originally wanted to give this to you on your birthday.”
Ye Qingxuan said, “But since you'll be gone for a month or two, your birthday will have long passed by the time you return. Take it now.”
Ye Ling took the sword and hefted it in her hand to test its weight.
It was just right.
She sheathed the sword, slung the cloth bundle over her back, and walked to the doorway.
Looking back, her parents were still standing in the room, watching her.
“I'm leaving. I'll be back in a while.”
Stepping outside, she made her way toward the city gates.
It was still early, and the sun had just risen. There was barely anyone on the road, leaving her as the sole traveler.
She walked at a moderate pace. There was no need to rush, as she was in no hurry.
Once out of the city, the outline of the Baiyun Mountain Range could be seen in the distance.
Shadows of peaks overlapped peaks, spreading layer upon layer into the distance. The deepest parts were already obscured, leaving only a hazy, dark expanse.
Standing at the city gates, she took a glance.
Then, adjusting the cloth bundle on her shoulder, she stepped forward and walked toward the Baiyun Mountain Range.
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