On the arena.

"Good kid, you've been at Yihetang Manor for only a few months, and without Pang Long's care, no matter your great abilities, how could you have reached your current status?"

"You don't know the heights of the sky and the depths of the earth, and you're already so arrogant. Want to challenge my authority, fine, today I'll let you taste my prowess."

Hua Hanying frowned, cursing inwardly. He decided not only to win but to win impressively. He knew Li Xian excelled at the "Four Directions Fist," only by using his weaknesses against the enemy's strengths could he achieve a beautiful victory.

Immediately, he launched a move "East Goes West."

This move struck with both fists like two dragons exploring the sea, seamlessly alternating between real and feigned attacks, grabbing left and seizing right, attacking right and capturing left, allowing the two hands and fists to perform the wondrous function of four hands and fists.

Li Xian chuckled, seeing Hua Hanying's fists as crude and unsightly, though they danced vigorously like the wind, they were mostly impractical.

He deeply understood the Four Directions Fist, knowing its strengths and weaknesses, advantages, and flaws of each move.

The move "East Goes West" specifically targeted the left and right paths, appearing to be a simultaneous attack and defense, when fighting and dismantling an opponent head-on, if the enemy strikes, it could also defend the front gate promptly.

But in reality, the central gate was wide open.

Li Xian took a step back, skillfully avoiding the edge of the fists, then his right hand slapped the scabbard, and the narrow blade shot out of its sheath, with the handle aiming straight at Hua Hanying's central gate.

Hua Hanying, indifferent, was about to reach for the handle. After seizing the blade, he planned to unleash the "Continuous Chaotic Wind Saber" to secure victory in one go.

Unexpectedly, just as he was about to move, he felt his hands disobeying his commands. In a dilemma, scrambling around, unable to avoid the central gate...

With a "thud," the blade handle struck Hua Hanying's chest. It knocked him down off the stage, landing miserably.

By this time, winter had passed, and there was no longer a blanket of snow on the ground. Most of the manor's ground was paved with blue bricks, but some places were muddy land.

Hua Hanying happened to fall on the mud ground. Although it didn't hurt, it was extremely humiliating, and his uniform was instantly soiled.

The narrow blade recoiled, and Li Xian sheathed the blade again, clasped his hands, and said, "Fourth Class Nursing Home Li Xian, thanks for letting me win." Winning with no sense of accomplishment, he turned to leave.

Hua Hanying quickly got up, his face covered in muddy embarrassment and anger. He swiftly scanned the other nursing home attendants, seeing their initial disbelief and subsequent expressions of schadenfreude, hesitating to speak.

He had intended to create a momentum, but the most crucial point was a tragic defeat. Although no one dared to speak, they would surely laugh inwardly.

Thinking of this, Hua Hanying, proud yet insecure, couldn't tolerate it, just feeling a rush of blood to his head, and had to regain his standing immediately.

"Again!"

Hua Hanying jumped onto the arena, leaping two stories high like a mighty eagle. Instantly, he employed the "Fire Eagle Claw," executing the ferocious "Hunting Eagle Pouncing Tiger."

Li Xian turned to dodge, smiling as he asked, "Commander Hua, didn't you already lose?"

"Lose, my ass, it doesn't count! First, defeat my Fire Eagle Claw, then talk about victory or defeat!" Hua Hanying's claw strike was fierce; he disregarded everything, exerting full force with each claw; a tearing sound was audible when striking.

"What about keeping your word then?" Li Xian taunted as he nimbly sidestepped.

Hua Hanying, greatly shamed, simply did not reply, aiming both claws at Li Xian's skull. This move, known as "Mad Eagle Shattering Skull," was truly a deadly attack.

Instead of retreating, Li Xian moved closer, his body like a gentle breeze, smoothly passing through the claw strike to enter Hua Hanying's inner circle and hit with his shoulder.

A "thud" sounded, and Hua Hanying trembled, feeling he was about to vomit blood. This collision revealed the enormous disparity in their Inner Qi.

The vast difference in their abilities was one reason; driven by anger, Hua Hanying focused only on attacking madly, unaware of defense, was the second; even a three-year-old could see the certainty of his defeat by this point.

Li Xian kicked Hua Hanying away, seamlessly drawing his blade from its sheath. The Daluo Saber maneuvered grandly like a howling wind.

In an instant, twenty-one strikes were unleashed, each hitting a vital point.

But only penetrating three points deep.

Three breaths later, Li Xian sheathed the blade and exited the courtyard.

Hua Hanying stared blankly, realizing he was unharmed. He said, "Enough with tricks, I haven't lost yet, watch me..." He gathered his Inner Qi.

At that moment, blood rushed out, covering him in an instant in a gore-like state. Upon closer inspection, his body was riddled with knife marks, any deeper, and it would've been fatal.

Yet...

Each strike was perfectly controlled, tickling without harming life.

"Twenty-one times..."

"Could he have killed me twenty-one times?"

Hua Hanying went cold all over, petrified.

The nursing home attendants were terrified, as if they had encountered a ghost. Zhao Han and others were equally dumbfounded.

"This Daluo Saber technique… how did it become divine in his hands?" asked a B-class Nursing Home attendant who also practiced the Daluo Saber, utterly perplexed.

...

...

Outside Yihetang Manor's entrance.

On his way back to Black River Village, Li Xian reflected on the recent battle, summarizing his experiences.

"Hua Hanying's Fire Eagle Claw was indeed formidable, with its mid-air assaults, exceptionally fierce. His claw strikes, as if fueled by a raging fire, were scorching and overwhelmingly swift."

"But his unbalanced mentality and eagerness for victory naturally revealed numerous flaws to me. Just by grabbing onto one of them, even with my mere mastery of the Daluo Saber, it was enough to secure the victory."

Li Xian had been practicing martial arts for several months.

Life-and-death duels, arena battles… he had experienced all. Increasingly, he felt the importance of martial arts application. The Nursing Home attendants at Yihetang Manor applied martial arts rigidly.

The differences stemmed from personal aptitude and the availability of good guidance.

Li Xian exited the manor and reached a mountain midsection, looking back.

The landscape between the heavens and earth was vastly different, the silver replaced by a green blanket, a gentle breeze blowing, water vapors spreading. Rivers were broad, mountains towering.

It was only dawn.

The distant rosy glow was breathtakingly beautiful. Having seen enough of the snowy sights, now witnessing the vibrant life offered a completely different feeling.

Gazing at Black River...

Li Xian inexplicably recalled the "Initial Realm" scene, although curious, he had no intention of exploring it.

"I now possess some martial arts.'"

"Dealing with the likes of Hua Hanying is quite easy. However, those previously seen 'Li Haitang,' 'Fox Fur Girl,' 'Yang Huayu,' among others, around the same age as me, were already 'digesting essence.'"

"Compared to them, the difference in strength is significant."

Li Xian watched the greenery alongside the path. Birds building nests with twigs were unbothered by anyone, freely enjoying their lives, more content than humans.

"The hierarchy within the manor is strict; if I possess the strength, venturing out alone, albeit risky, would still be better."

"But, leaving the manor would make acquiring martial arts difficult. The numerous nuances of martial artists, how shall I understand them?"

"I shall first retreat to the village and meditate quietly. The martial arts in Yihetang Manor are enough for me to practice for a year or more. Then, I'll make my plans."

Li Xian weighed the pros and cons, feeling the road ahead was very narrow. He didn't have many choices left; the Jianghu was a devouring Jianghu, and the manor was also a devouring manor.

Black River Village was located in a remote area, nestled among the mountains. If it weren't for bandit raids, it would be a holy place for quiet cultivation.

Returning to the village.

Li Xian took a deep breath, slaughtered a tiger to make soup, and enjoyed the wild delicacies. Suddenly, he noticed the "Deer Hunting Bow" hanging in the room, which he had been using frequently, causing slight cracks in the bow.

"The Deer Hunting Bow is a hunting bow, gradually becoming unsuitable for me now."

"It just so happens that on my last mountain trip, I saw a Yellow Willow Wood tree. Why not make a new bow and lay my old friend to rest here?"

Li Xian gently caressed the bow.

This friendship is something others could hardly comprehend, but clinging to the past in a changing world is not wise.

That afternoon, he went to cut down the Yellow Willow Wood. Yellow Willow Wood is a rare material, quite valuable. The wood is tough yet light, with excellent elasticity.

It also "absorbs oil" well. By absorbing beast oil, it can enhance the bow's toughness and elasticity. Li Xian often went hunting in the mountains, so he had plenty of beast oil.

He applied it repeatedly, brewing and sun-drying...

Then strung it with "Golden Leopard Tendon".

In this way, after some time, the Deer Hunting Bow transformed into the "Golden Leopard Bow", with its feel and power several times improved.

Li Xian transferred the animal fur and bone ornaments from the Deer Hunting Bow to the Golden Leopard Bow. By imbuing it with his own aura, he formed a mysterious bond with the bow.

Life in the mountains was monotonous yet fulfilling, with nothing much to say.

His heart was as one, deep in the mountains, cultivating earnestly, believing that heaven rewards diligence, making progress every day.

Meanwhile, changes were unfolding continuously within the manor.

...

...

Time flew like an arrow, the sun and moon spun like a shuttle.

In the blink of an eye, it was mid-May.

Black Water Port, Black River.

The river sparkled in the sunlight, large ships and small boats scattered across its surface.

At the alley entrance, human flesh sails flapped in the wind, and cries and screams occasionally echoed.

"Damn it, this woman couldn't take it, she's dead and rotten now."

A member of the Black Water Gang, stepping on a human face, grabbing hair, climbed to the heights of the "flesh sail". Holding his nose, he detached a messy-haired, lifeless woman.

Pulled out broken-handed, broken-legged black sticks, and tossed the corpse into the river.

The gang member climbed down the sail, passed by a spot, and suddenly grinned, "Yang Banner Bearer, long time no see. I used to work under you, do you still remember me?"

"Hello there, I didn't expect you to get promoted so fast."

The words were full of smugness.

"Kill... kill me..." Yang Cheng, with dark skin, scabbed wounds on his limbs fused to the black sticks, looking terrifying.

"Kill you? Dream on." The gang member slapped twice, "Slapping is more fitting."

Climbed down from the human flesh sail.

The gang member fetched a bucket of yellow water. It was made by boiling fish remnants into a foul concoction.

"Flesh sails, food is coming."

"Open your mouths to catch it."

He splashed it forcefully, pouring it over the human flesh sail. Many of the people had lost the will to live, starving beyond belief, instinctively opening their mouths to receive it. Reluctantly, they survived by relying on the putrid substance.

"Oh, Yang Banner Bearer, don't say I treat you badly, here, open your mouth, I'll give you an extra mouthful." the gang member laughed.

Yang Cheng woodenly opened his mouth, yellow stench splashed onto his face. He consumed it, filled with humiliation and numbness.

He fainted, and only after an unknown period of time, his eyes trembled open, looking toward another large ship...

In his sight, the large ship was filled with the main forces of the gang.

The twelve banner bearers of the gang, and the six sons of Zheng Xuezhang, gathered on the deck.

The fifth son of Zheng Xuezhang, named Zheng Lvxiu, asked, "Third Brother, do you think Father is really coming out today?"

The third son of Zheng Xuezhang, Zheng Ziqi.

After returning from Yihetang Manor, he had been managing gang affairs. Zheng Xuezhang, because of severe injuries, focused on healing and had not appeared for a long time.

He usually only communicated with Zheng Ziqi.

"It should be today," said Zheng Ziqi.

"Third Brother, why does Father not stay in the hall to heal but insists on staying in the ship?" Zheng Lvxiu asked.

"I don't know either." Zheng Ziqi pondered for a moment and said, "I heard Father say that the vile woman's skill is very deep. The palm qi stayed within him and couldn't be resolved. He needs to use the damp river air to feel a bit better."

As they were talking, footsteps suddenly sounded, Zheng Ziqi pressed his right hand gently, and immediately silence descended.

Zheng Xuezhang slowly walked out, sunlight slanting, revealing his true appearance. His cheeks were sunken, eye sockets protruding, skeletal thin.

The once robust appearance was all gone.

"Father, you..." Zheng Lvxiu couldn't believe it.

"I'm fine..." Zheng Xuezhang, thin as a bone, nonetheless spoke with strong vigor, "Let's talk in the hall."

...

...

Zheng Xuezhang, severely injured, emerged with his vitality greatly depleted. Having shed pounds of flesh, he barely survived.

After washing and changing into new clothes, his previously too tight garments now seemed loose.

"Father, how should we avenge the seventh brother?" Zheng Ziqi asked, "I didn't dare to make a decision while you were in seclusion."

"Why don't we call on the gang members to storm the manor? With our numbers, forming a battle formation, sacrificing lives, surely we can take down that woman!"

Zheng Xuezhang pressed his right hand gently.

Zheng Ziqi immediately fell silent. Zheng Xuezhang, with lingering fear, said, "That woman is too formidable, not something we can provoke. We have already compensated for the riotous manor incident, and it has been settled."

"The revenge for the seventh son's death must be sought. This time, we bring gifts and focus on negotiation. We'll use silver to buy that villain's life, and absolutely mustn't resort to violence."

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