From the beginning of Swordsman, he created a legend in the martial arts world.

"The Nine Yin Manual?"

Looking at the secret manual gleaming with purple light on the roulette wheel, Meng Fei's heart trembled.

As the cultivation methods and essentials of the "Yi Jin Duan Gu Pian" slowly entered his mind, Meng Fei's tense mind finally relaxed.

Although it is only a part of the Nine Yin Manual, this "Tendon Changing and Bone Breaking Chapter" is what I need most right now, as it is a technique that can repair meridians and restore one's foundation.

From then on, Meng Fei began his long cultivation in this mysterious valley.

The mental techniques of "Yi Jin Duan Gu Pian" are profound and mysterious. The path of Qi circulation is completely different from what he had learned before. It requires extremely subtle internal energy, like a silkworm spinning silk, to gradually moisten and straighten the damaged meridians.

The process was so slow it was almost agonizing; every breath was accompanied by a tingling, numb pain that felt like being scraped through the bone marrow.

Broken meridians are like parched and cracked earth; they need to be slowly nourished with unparalleled patience and pure internal energy to regain their vitality.

For this reason, he would often sit for several hours at a time, until night fell, and the cold sweat on his forehead would often soak his temples. But the confusion and anxiety in the depths of his eyes had gradually subsided, replaced by an almost devout calmness.

Time in the valley quietly slips away amidst the rising and setting of the sun and the ceaseless practice.

The three of them settled down temporarily in this idyllic valley, spending their days gathering wild fruits, catching stream fish, and drying herbs, and thus enjoyed a period of peaceful seclusion from the world.

And some feelings, like vines, quietly grow in this daily dependence.

Aya's gaze always unconsciously followed the figure sitting quietly on the bluestone.

She remembered the warmth of his body when he carried her out of the poison cave, the pale face of him when he forced the poison out of her, and the reason why he lost all his martial arts skills—it was to protect her and A'Luo.

This gratitude for protecting each other with one's life gradually transformed into a more complex emotion as they spent time together day after day.

It was a dependence that she herself had never explicitly expressed—with him by her side, it seemed that no matter how dangerous the situation, she would eventually see the clouds part and the moon shine through.

She took extra care when preparing his medicine, and always found the sweetest wild fruits. Many unspoken concerns were silently transformed into meticulous and thoughtful care.

The younger A-Luo is more innocent and straightforward.

She always loved to rest her chin on her hand and be the first to run over to Meng Fei after he finished practicing, her eyes sparkling as she asked, "Brother Meng, are you feeling better today?"

Or he might pick a handful of unknown wildflowers and quietly place them beside the bluestone where he meditates.

Over such a long period of time, this silent but reliable Brother Meng has become a more reassuring support for her than even her own family.

Meng Fei was not entirely unaware of this. Occasionally, when he finished practicing, he would meet Aya's gaze, which was filled with worry and tenderness, and he would also hear A Luo's deliberately light but still lively footsteps.

However, he could only suppress these feelings in his heart and devote every bit of his energy to repairing his meridians, hoping to leave this place as soon as possible.

Time flowed by like a gentle stream, and in the blink of an eye, the three of them had stayed in this secluded valley for more than three months.

That day, while Aya and Alu were fishing by the stream, Meng Fei's aura suddenly trembled slightly on the blue stone not far away, and an uncontrollable joy flashed across his face.

After several months of continuous nourishment with the "Yi Jin Duan Gu Pian" (a traditional Chinese medicine formula), the meridians, which were originally riddled with holes, were finally fully restored at this moment, and were even more resilient than before.

Immediately, Meng Fei composed himself. Although his meridians had recovered, his internal energy had been completely depleted.

With a thought, the "Qi Gathering Pill" he had obtained from the lottery appeared in his palm. Now it would come in handy. Without the slightest hesitation, Meng Fei immediately swallowed a "Qi Gathering Pill".

The pill melted upon entering the abdomen, and a surge of warm, gentle current rushed out, instantly filling the meridians.

He immediately focused his mind and concentrated all his energy on the Quanzhen Heart Sutra, guiding and refining the pure medicinal power.

Half an hour later, Meng Fei slowly opened his eyes, a glint of light flashing in them, carrying a hint of unbelievable surprise.

The efficacy of this Qi Gathering Pill far exceeded his expectations; the internal energy generated from just one pill was equivalent to a year of his cultivation. And he still had six more in his possession.

In the days that followed, Meng Fei focused intently on refining the remaining pills one by one.

With each pill he refined, the true qi in his dantian became more abundant. When all seven Qi Gathering Pills were transformed into pure internal energy, not only was his power fully restored, but his aura became even more profound and majestic, subtly reaching an unprecedented level.

Meanwhile, Aya and Alu had prepared enough antidote powder for the three of them to leave, and now, that moment had finally arrived.

Seeing that Meng Fei had completed his training and his aura was as solid as a mountain, Aya's last worry vanished.

"We can leave now!"

Looking at their pretty faces, Meng Fei rarely showed a gentle smile.

After tidying up briefly, the three of them followed the path they had taken and once again entered the dark and gloomy Ten Thousand Poison Cave.

With ample detoxifying powder and Meng Fei's protection, the return journey was fraught with danger, but not of great peril.

However, just as they were about to emerge from the cave and see the light of day again, a clear sound of clashing weapons and shouts rang out!

Meng Fei's eyes narrowed, signaling the two to be quiet, and he immediately stepped forward to look quietly.

Outside the cave, on the open ground, a group of disciples dressed in the robes of the Hundred Poisons Sect were engaged in a fierce battle with another group of members who were clearly members of the Five Poisons Sect.

Before Meng Fei could figure out how to avoid it, a sharp-eyed member of the Five Poisons Sect spotted a figure in the shadows at the cave entrance.

"Oh no! The Hundred Poisons Sect members have come out of the Holy Cave! Report to the Sect Leader immediately!" the sect member cried out in alarm.

Before the words were finished, the members of the Five Poisons Sect, who were locked in battle with the Hundred Poisons Sect, suddenly made a feint and headed out of the forest.

Upon hearing this, Meng Fei was immediately taken aback, and a sense of foreboding washed over him.

It seems these Five Poisons Sect members mistook him for a member of the Hundred Poisons Sect. He's clearly been mistaken for an accomplice of the Hundred Poisons Sect!

Before Meng Fei could even appear and explain, the Five Poisons Sect members had already gone far away, while the Hundred Poisons Sect members who heard the shouts had several sharp gazes sweeping over.

"Who are you?"

The middle-aged man with a sinister face, who was in the lead, shouted angrily, his eyes darting suspiciously over Meng Fei and the Miao girl who was vaguely visible behind him.

However, before Meng Fei could answer, someone in the Hundred Poisons Sect crowd suddenly pointed at Meng Fei and shouted.

"I know him! He's Meng Fei from Black Stone Village!"

"Black Stone Village?"

The leader's eyes suddenly turned cold. Black Stone Village was one of the ten Miao villages under the Five Poisons Sect, and this person was coming out from this place...

"kill!"

Without hesitation, he waved his hand and gave the order.

Several disciples of the Hundred Poisons Sect immediately drew their swords and rushed towards Meng Fei, accompanied by a stench of poison and mist.

However, Meng Fei at this time was no longer the same as before.

Faced with the attacking disciples of the Hundred Poisons Sect, he remained calm and composed, taking a step out of the cave and protecting Aya and the other person behind him.

"Clang!"

The longsword was suddenly drawn, its light flashing like lightning, slicing through the sky!

With the enhancement of internal energy, each of the Thirteen Deadly Swords is incomparably sharp and precise, targeting the vital points of each opponent.

Although these disciples of the Hundred Poisons Sect were skilled in using poison, their martial arts skills were far inferior. Under such swift and ruthless swordsmanship, they were no match for them.

Swords flashed and blood blossomed; in a short while, all the Hundred Poisons Sect disciples guarding the cave entrance had fallen to the ground, lifeless.