The Spiritual Pivot of Mortal Cultivation

"It looks like someone's coming up the road ahead."

As Bai Xuanxin uttered those words, the mountain wind outside the forest swept in again, rustling the pine needles. The wooden wheels of the medicine cart rolled over the gravel, making a low, grinding sound, which seemed even heavier than before.

Deacon Liang paused, turned around and glanced at Bai Xuanxin.

Bai Xuanxin didn't say much, but simply raised her hand and pointed forward.

"The bark has been freshly scraped off; what remains is a record."

"The half-footprint on the ground was pressed too shallowly, it didn't look like someone was rushing, but rather like someone stopped to look back."

"If we go another half a mile, the wind should be blowing back from the mouth of the valley, but right now this earthy smell is rising up the slope, as if the mud had just been turned over and hastily swept away with grass."

Deacon Liang looked in the direction he was pointing for a moment, his expression darkening slightly.

"Get up, all of you."

This time, he didn't even need to explain.

"Keep pushing the medicine cart, don't scatter. Old Zhou, you bring up the back. One in green, one on the left, stay three steps away from the cart. Bai Xuanxin—"

He paused for a moment before continuing:

"Stay close to the side of the car and don't wander off."

Bai Xuanxin responded softly, but her hand had already quietly pressed down on the side of the medicine box.

He understood that since Deacon Liang had neither suggested retreating nor changing course, he meant he intended to proceed by force. The Seven Mysteries Sect was currently locked in a fierce struggle with the Wild Wolf Gang, and if this medicinal route were to retreat back into the mountains at the slightest provocation, they would lose three points of morale even before a real battle could begin.

Moreover, he is unwilling to back down at the moment.

These days, he has been making a name for himself in the outer sect's ten-day examinations, testing his skills in front of Instructor Li, and loosening Zhou's wrists and untying knots in the side hall. On the surface, he is gradually showing his face in the sect, but in reality, he only has one goal in mind—to use the name of the Seven Mysteries Sect to elevate himself as soon as possible.

To what extent should it be raised?

He could elevate himself to obtain better cultivation techniques, better medicinal baths, and a more stable supply of medicinal herbs, thus accelerating the advancement of mortal martial arts. When Mo Juren truly turns against him, he would no longer be merely an observer standing outside the valley, but would be qualified to intervene in the deadly predicament of Divine Hand Valley with genuine skills.

Therefore, if we remain hesitant and secretive today, the temple may not record "this child is usable," but rather "this child will fail in real situations."

It would be futile to try to extract resources, positions, or manpower from the Seven Mysteries Sect after that.

The thought flashed through my mind in an instant.

The group resumed their journey.

The mountain path narrowed as you went on, with a dense old forest on the left and a steep, downhill slope on the right, with thick bushes at the bottom. After another ten steps or so, the path abruptly turned inside a bend, precisely the place where people could easily lose sight of the road ahead and get stuck.

Bai Xuanxin's gaze narrowed slightly, her mind focused to the extreme.

The next moment, something unexpected happened!

With a sharp "bang," a thin, disguised tripwire suddenly snapped up, wedging itself between the wooden wheels and the packhorse's legs. The disciple in blue, pushing the cart, reacted quickly, letting out a low shout and raising both arms to lift half the front of the cart off the ground, narrowly avoiding the tripwire. But as soon as the tripwire rose, a rumble shook the slope, and two fist-sized boulders tumbled down from the bushes, striking the medicine box and the man's feet.

"Bend over!"

With a sharp shout, Deacon Liang drew his sword.

At the same time, a series of sharp "whoosh" sounds came from the old woods on either side, as two short arrows shot out one after the other. One struck the packhorse's neck, while the other, in a very sinister manner, aimed at the back of the porter's knee. The porter screamed in agony, his legs buckled, and he knelt down, scattering the account books and seals from his arms all over the ground. The packhorse, startled, neighed and tried to rear up.

In the midst of the chaos, a figure suddenly emerged from the woods.

This time, it wasn't the crude test of ambush on the mountain path like the one a few days ago.

The tripwire ahead broke,

The rolling stones above blocked the way.

The short arrow first wounds the man's foot; the horse's momentum is astonishing.

Then they pressured people to grab the goods.

This technique is clearly outdated.

Four men rushed out. The leader was a tall, thin man in a short fur coat, his face unharmed, but his eyes were more sinister than those of scarred-faced thugs. He carried not a long knife, but a short-handled iron fork, easy to handle on the mountain path. Another tall, burly man wielded a heavy-backed broadsword, his steps extremely heavy; it was clear he was there for brute force. The remaining two, one wielding a club and the other a short blade, moved swiftly, heading straight for the medicine cart and the porters.

Without a second thought, Deacon Liang charged straight at the tall, muscular man.

The two disciples in blue robes immediately separated, one holding down the frightened packhorse and the other protecting the cart with a sword.

In that instant, Bai Xuanxin understood the opponent's strategy.

The tall, thin man was the leader.

The broadsword-wielding, burly man is a face.

The stick and the short blade are wielded by the hands and feet.

Which one to cut off first will determine how this battle will turn out.

Just as he made his judgment, a flash of cold light suddenly appeared in the woods on the right slope.

The cold light was extremely fine and extremely fast.

It wasn't like a knife being drawn from its sheath, but rather like a bolt of cold lightning suddenly cracking through the branches and leaves. Just as the tall, thin man was about to use the chaos to flank the blind spot on the side of the car, the knife was already pressing down on him from the front.

Li Feiyu.

Bai Xuanxin felt a sense of relief at first, but then her heart sank even further.

Deacon Liang dared to push the medicine cart away, which clearly wasn't just out of sheer courage. There was a hidden knife at play.

Moreover, it was Li Feiyu's swift blade.

He had clearly been secretly kept at the side and rear by the sect, in case something serious happened on the medicine route. He hadn't been seen until now, when he finally encountered the deadly opponent, at which point he emerged from the woods. This arrangement was consistent with the Seven Mysteries Sect's usual approach.

The tall, thin man clearly hadn't expected such a figure to be hiding in the woods. He hastily parried with his short fork, but was forced to take two steps back by Li Feiyu's knife.

Li Feiyu's strike was not intended to kill instantly.

The purpose is to force a direct confrontation.

He forced the other person's face, which had originally intended to take advantage of the chaos to cut off the road to medicine, back into his sight.

That was extremely vicious.

That's absolutely right.

Because once the tall, thin man turns back to face the front, all other paths are blocked.

Bai Xuanxin's feet sank almost simultaneously.

This time, he didn't hold back his true skills like he had in the previous arena matches.

This is not a ten-day trial.

This is not a trial run in front of the hall.

It was not to help Steward Zhou by pressing his wrist and opening the knot.

This is a deadly trap on the mountain path. It's real violence, with members of the sect lying behind the medicine cart, and the path ahead blocking my way.

If at this point you're still only thinking about hiding seven-tenths of your strength, even if you miraculously survive, all the gang will see is "more shady dealings than hard skills."

But what he wanted was never this kind of title.

So at that moment, the thread that had been pressing down on Bai Xuanxin's heart finally loosened by half an inch.

The arch of the foot rolled first, followed by a release in the knee and hip. The whole body did not dodge outwards, but rather cut diagonally into the narrow gap between the medicine cart and the edge of the slope, barely wide enough for one person to pass at an angle. That step was lower and heavier than usual, no longer just a "slippery" movement like smoke, but carrying a fierce force that penetrated to the bone.

The "Luoyan Steps" emerged from his feet, and for the first time truly showed the flavor of "grabbing the center gate".

While the tall, thin man was still dealing with Li Feiyu's knife, he caught a glimpse of Bai Xuanxin's figure out of the corner of his eye, who was already on the outside of his back hand.

He was startled, and his short fork suddenly jerked, as if he wanted to use his elbow to pull back and block the gap behind him.

This time, however, Bai Xuanxin was no longer just looking to "borrow strength".

With two fingers of the right hand together, first press the numbness point on the outside of the elbow;

With a casual flick of his left hand, he didn't just gently pull the opponent away, but instead used the momentum of the opponent's elbow to forcefully press the opponent inward by half an inch.

This pressure revealed the hardness of the second-rate peak.

It's not just about skill.

Rather, it's that he actually has the strength to withstand half a move.

The tall, thin man felt a numbness in his elbow, and his entire arm suddenly went empty. The fork he was trying to use to protect his back failed to flip back completely. Taking advantage of this opening, Li Feiyu's blade slashed down, not aiming for his throat, but instead pressing diagonally towards his shoulder, forcing him to retreat to the left.

But to the left was precisely the dead end that Bai Xuanxin had left for him.

Bai Xuanxin's feet were already planted on the outer side of the mountain path. He lowered his shoulder and pressed his body against the opponent's, using the "Great Capturing Hand" technique without any fancy moves in that instant of close combat. He first grabbed the wrist, then flipped his elbow, and finally thrust his elbow directly into the opening of the bone gap below the opponent's shoulder.

It's not about taking him down.

Instead, the goal is to instantly dislocate the person's shoulder and elbow joints.

With a soft "click".

The tall, thin man's entire left arm was severed, cutting off his escape route. Li Feiyu's knife struck at that moment, leaving a shallow gash below his shoulder.

This blow, though not fatal, completely threw the situation into chaos.

For the first time, a hint of something different flashed across Li Feiyu's eyes.

He had originally thought that Bai Xuanxin's greatest skill was merely being able to read joints and sever tendons; when actually getting close to the blade, he would likely hold back a step, giving himself room to retreat. Who knew that this time, instead of retreating, this person actually dared to press in along his blade.

Moreover, once pressure is applied, it's not just about using tricks.

It is supported by solid, unyielding strength.

In other words, this person kept his trump card hidden for the first few times.

On the other side, the burly man with the broadsword had already pushed back Deacon Liang by half a step, actually taking a blow himself. Using the momentum of the blood, he pressed closer to the medicine cart, clearly a reckless fighter. If he had only followed the fighting style he used during the outer sect's preliminary examination, Bai Xuanxin would most likely have yielded, slid, and broken the opponent's lines first; but now, a quick glance told him that he couldn't fight like that.

If that slash had actually hit the medicine box, there would be no need to say anything more.

Bai Xuanxin turned around, leaving the tall, thin man half a step behind, and slashed towards the burly man with the broadsword.

Even Li Feiyu hadn't anticipated any of this.

The broadsword-wielding man was already incredibly powerful; one strike of his blade could even chip a stone slab. Bai Xuanxin didn't dodge, but simply turned halfway to the side, his left arm raised to block the outer edge of the blow!

"clang!"

The blade jolted, and Bai Xuanxin's entire left arm went numb for a moment, while his blood and qi surged violently in his chest.

But he did not step back.

Because this connection wasn't meant to be resisted, but rather to be "eaten".

I'll seize the most ferocious moment of your attack.

Then remove that energy from your back.

Just as a hint of joy flashed in the broadsword-wielding man's eyes, Bai Xuanxin's right hand swiftly probed along the downward curve of the hilt of his sword. Without striking his throat or face, she instead gripped his elbow and twisted it outwards along his shoulder. The movement was so fast that it was almost a mere flick of her gray sleeve, and in the next instant, the strong man's entire right arm, which was holding the sword, was completely dislocated from its shoulder and elbow position.

The momentum of the blade remained, but the energy had already dissipated.

Bai Xuanxin shifted his feet and thrust his knee outward, hitting the very point where Bai Xuanxin's lower body was most firmly planted.

The burly man, tall and strong, was jolted to the side by the impact. The blade that was about to strike the medicine box missed its mark, glancing at the edge of the wooden box and leaving a trail of sparks on the side of the box.

Deacon Liang's eyes narrowed.

This move is no longer a niche skill that only outer disciples would know.

It is a true killer that combines rigidity and strength with devastating force.

Before the burly man could retaliate, he delivered a follow-up blow, the long blade slicing upwards into the man's ribs. Blood gushed out immediately, the burly man let out a muffled roar, staggered backward, and finally collapsed.

Only now has the tide truly turned.

The tall, thin man was stabbed in the shoulder, and his left arm was half dislocated by Bai Xuanxin. Seeing that his strong hand was about to fall, his mind immediately went blank. He gritted his teeth and tried to retreat, but Bai Xuanxin did not give him a chance to catch his breath. With a swift movement, he had already rushed into the blind spot on the outside of the man's body.

This time, it's not a scene where they'll hold back.

Bai Xuanxin's right hand, sharp as a cone, pierced through the man's short fork, first striking his wrist, then pressing down on his elbow, and finally hooking him with a reverse grip, locking half of the man's shoulder and back against the slope. Li Feiyu barely needed to look closely; the moment the blade flashed, it had already cut through the opening created by Bai Xuanxin, pressing against the side of the tall, thin man's neck.

The person is not dead.

But he couldn't move an inch.

Only then did the two remaining fighters wielding sticks and short blades truly fall into disarray.

When they have a leader, they dare to take advantage of the situation to attack the vehicle;

In the chaos, only the instinct to save one's own life remains.

One of them was held back by the disciple in green, while the other turned to try and disappear into the bushes down the slope. Li Feiyu's gaze turned cold, and he was about to draw his sword and give chase.

Bai Xuanxin was already half a step ahead of him.

This time, "Luo Yanbu" reveals more than just "dodging" and "slipping".

Instead, it's cut.

It was robbery.

It's about eating in the blind spots.

He plummeted diagonally, almost skimming the slope, and circled ahead of the man. Caught off guard by his speed, the man hastily raised his hand to block. Bai Xuanxin, however, did not engage him in a prolonged struggle. He first blocked the man's footing, then grabbed his wrist with his right hand and pressed down on his shoulder and elbow with his left. The man's arm immediately collapsed in half, and he was forced back down the slope.

Li Feiyu's blade arrived.

A flash of light, and the blade was poised at the man's throat.

In just over ten breaths, the four ambushing men had one dead, one seriously wounded, and two captured.

The mountain path suddenly fell silent.

The wind was still blowing, and the wooden wheels were still trembling slightly, but the murderous aura that had been buried in the forest seemed to have been severed by those few cuts and moves.

Deacon Liang stopped, drawing his sword. He glanced at the bloodstains on the ground, then looked at Bai Xuanxin and Li Feiyu.

This look was completely different from when I saw Bai Xuanxin a few days ago.

In the earlier chapters, Bai Xuanxin was ultimately seen by the hall and instructors as a promising talent with "unconventional methods but excellent medical knowledge." But after this battle, Deacon Liang had already realized—

This kid isn't just good at using tricks.

He was keeping his true abilities hidden.

"Luo Yanbu" is not only good at dodging, but when it comes to a real killing situation, it can seize the center, cut the outer flanks, and take the dead ends, with every step carrying the ruthless intent of cutting off the opponent's retreat.

"The Great Grappling Hand" is not just a sneaky move; when you get close, you can instantly grab a person's shoulder, elbow, or frame.

In addition, there was that last blow from the burly man with the broadsword that he didn't retreat—

This is already the solid foundation of a second-rate peak.

Moreover, it is more dangerous than the peak of a typical second-rate peak.

Because this person not only has strength, but also eyesight, hands, and the courage to plunge into the abyss.

Thinking of this, the restraint and scrutiny that Deacon Liang had previously shown towards the outer sect disciples finally came to fruition.

—This person can be reported to higher authorities.

It's not about saying "That's interesting".

Instead, they reported that he was "worthy of being entrusted with important responsibilities."

After everything was tidied up, two disciples in blue robes went to tie up the prisoners, collect the medicine carts, and help the wounded. Deacon Liang, meanwhile, walked up to Li Feiyu and Bai Xuanxin, sword in hand, and spoke calmly:

"You two have both done a good job on this journey today. We'll talk about it when we get back to the mountain."

This statement is not serious.

But that's enough.

Bai Xuanxin knew very well that this was the starting point for the real allocation of resources. It wasn't about immediately rewarding you with pills or cultivation techniques, but rather that from this battle onward, the sect and instructors would truly elevate you from the level of "worth watching" to the level of "worth using and worth cultivating."

And that's exactly what I need.

A better medicinal bath.

A higher level of skill.

More opportunities to enter the core routes of the gate.

And, as soon as possible, elevate mortal martial arts to a level where they can truly intervene in the Divine Hand Valley.

Without these, the later alliance with Han Li against Mo Juren would ultimately be nothing but empty talk.

The mountain wind blew by, and the stench of blood had not yet dissipated.

Li Feiyu sheathed his sword before turning to look at Bai Xuanxin.

His gaze was calmer than ever before.

Jingli, however, seemed less wary than before, and more genuinely regarded Bai Xuanxin as "one of her own." It wasn't brotherly affection, nor was it overwhelming gratitude; it was simply a heartfelt reassessment among江湖人士 (jianghu figures, people of the martial world).

This person is willing to go into the knife's edge with me.

Moreover, they won't hold me back.

Bai Xuanxin also happened to turn her head to look at him.

The two looked at each other for a moment, but neither of them rushed to speak.

After a moment, Li Feiyu spoke calmly:

"You—"

He paused, seemingly wanting to say something even harsher, but ultimately only managed to utter:

"Hands are steady than mouths."

The sound was neither loud nor hot.

But as soon as those words were spoken, the tension that had been building between the two of them for so long finally eased a little.

It used to be about remembering feelings.

Only now can I truly recognize people.