I'm already invincible, and you're telling me I just logged in?

Because of the previous forced killing of Cao Zhang, Xu Yan had already been notified of being demoted one rank.

But he didn't care.

On the way, Xu Yan spurred his horse at full speed, swinging the reins in his hand and occasionally reaching into his robes with one hand free.

Inside were a pair of knuckle dusters given to him by Shen Shuangning, which were considered weapons for those who practiced martial arts.

Xu Yan was surprised that Shen Shuangning had brought him a gift, but he was more curious about where it came from.

Xu Yan once considered getting a pair of brass knuckles made, but after asking around at several blacksmith shops, he received almost the same answer.

This thing looks small, but it takes much more effort to make than swords. It needs to be polished, shaped, and fit the knuckles perfectly. If you're not careful, it'll be ruined.

Only blacksmith shops in some big cities were willing to take on this kind of work, but the price they asked for was too high, and Xu Yan couldn't afford it at the time.

Not long ago, Shen Shuangning told Xu Yan that she had taken this item from a clueless thief.

But this thing is obviously new.

And it's also very handy.

Xu Yan flicked the reins and spurred his horse to catch up with Shen Shuangning ahead.

Shen Shuangning has been working non-stop since she returned. Xu Yan has a lot of questions he wants to ask, but he hasn't found an opportunity to ask them yet.

"Uncle-Master!"

Hearing Xu Yan's voice on the wind, Shen Shuangning didn't turn around, but simply called out, "What is it?"

Why are all the signature martial arts techniques of the Jinglong Martial Arts School incomplete?

Xu Yan finally asked the question that had been nagging at him for a month.

Shen Shuangning slowed down her horse and explained, "My master said that decades ago, the martial arts school had not only my grandmaster's lineage, but also another lineage."

"Later, internal conflicts arose, and a fight broke out, so the two factions split up." She paused, then sighed. "All these years, I've been trying to find out where they are."

Shen Shuangning also knew that her current martial arts and internal energy cultivation were incomplete, and she would inevitably encounter a bottleneck when she reached a certain level.

To solve this, you either need to find someone from that lineage or start learning a different martial art from scratch.

But relearning a subject would mean tearing down all the foundation she had built up over the years and starting from scratch, which she was unwilling to do.

Xu Yan fell into thought after listening.

The last balance adjustment also included changes to "Sun and Moon Yin and Yang", but since he only had a fragment of the martial arts manual, the changes did not take effect.

It seems that Shen Shuangning's side story is far from over, and we'll have to work with her to complete her martial arts training later.

Thinking of this, Xu Yan sighed inwardly.

The task is arduous and the road ahead is long.

All high-level martial arts techniques today are incomplete or fragmented.

After a moment of silence, Xu Yan continued loudly, "Uncle-Master, could you lend me two knives?"

He discovered that Shen Shuangning had redeemed the old sword upon her return, but had not yet discarded the new one. He decided to take this opportunity to test the "Yin Yang Dual Arts" in actual combat.

Shen Shuangning reined in her horse, stopped, and glanced at him, somewhat surprised: "You've learned it?"

Xu Yan nodded: "I want to take this opportunity to try it out."

So fast?

Shen Shuangning opened her eyes slightly, but didn't say anything. She simply took off the weapon from her back and threw it at Xu Yan.

Xu Yan caught it and glanced down at it.

The blade has many wear marks, indicating that it is an old item that has been used for many years.

Yet the blade remained sharp, gleaming coldly in the sunlight.

【new moon】

[Quality: Purple]

External attack power +95

Xu Yan recognized the knife in his hand, his expression changed, and he quickly said, "Uncle-Master, I'll just use the old pair."

He had already learned from Shen Hua that the pair of "Crescent Moons" were passed down through generations of the Jinglong Martial Arts School.

Moreover, a pair of handy weapons is a warrior's second life.

Shen Shuangning didn't reply, but flicked the reins and passed him. "You've only been practicing for a short time, so these swords will be more suitable for you."

Seeing this, Xu Yan had no choice but to follow.

A few days later, the two arrived in Blackwater.

Tianlang Mountain is not far from here. The main force of the Supervisory Bureau is gathering here. They will enter the mountain together with the local soldiers when the number of people is about right.

Upon arriving in Blackwater City, only about twenty members of the Supervisory Bureau were present; they would not set off until they had gathered around a hundred people.

After Xu Yan and Shen Shuangning settled in the inn, he went to the city gate alone.

Xu Yan had been so busy lately that he almost forgot about the season rewards for the Battle of Heaven and Man. Now he finally had some time to grind for points.

Upon entering the registration area, Xu Yan paused.

"Qin Feng?"

Even if this guy were reduced to ashes, Xu Yan would still recognize him.

No guards with you?

Don't give me the chance, or I'll transform into your cousin and beat you up, I'll disgust you to death.

Xu Yan didn't go up to greet them; he just glanced at them and then walked straight toward the city wall.

Qin Feng noticed the gaze behind him, glanced back, then turned back to continue his conversation with the official in front of him.

The process of racking up points in the battle between gods and men is extremely tedious.

Xu Yan waited anxiously for several hours before finally accumulating one hundred points.

In reality, almost no time has changed.

[The Celestial Ranking]

[NO.1 Xu Yan, Celestial-Human Points: 100]

【...】

Xu Yan glanced at the rankings, then closed the panel and turned back to the inn.

Shen Shuangning did not rest in her room, but sat at a table in the corner of the inn’s first floor, with a half-cold cup of tea beside her and a neatly folded piece of paper in her hand, looking down at it carefully.

Xu Yan walked over and, without any hesitation, peered into the object in Shen Shuangning's hand.

"Uncle-Master, you like watching these kinds of things too?"

The pages are filled with interesting anecdotes and gossip from various countries.

Shen Shuangning said calmly, "When traveling the martial world, it's never a bad thing to learn more about strange and unusual things."

Seeing that Xu Yan's gaze was fixed on the paper, Shen Shuangning simply handed the paper over.

"I've already finished reading it, you can take a look."

After Xu Yan took the paper, he sat down next to Shen Shuangning.

He turned a page and raised an eyebrow slightly.

Ok?

Does this world also have a list of celestial beings?

Xu Yan looked down from the top.

Number one on the list of celestial beings.

Ji Changge.

His identity is that of the Crown Prince of Longquan Kingdom.

Realm, Blood Transformation Realm, Level 5.

His record: He defeated General Zhenyuan of Jingguo, Yue Ya, in ten moves.

Yue Ya is the second on the Celestial Ranking.

After the fall of the Longquan Kingdom, Ji Changge disappeared without a trace.

Xu Yan glanced at the bottom of the list and noticed something was wrong.

The list of celestial beings records martial artists under the age of 40.

But why is there no Eastern Ocean?

Although this guy is unkempt, he looks to be at most forty.

Everyone who was on the list ten years ago is still here, so why isn't he?

This is incredibly disrespectful to the number one expert in Qing Shi Town!

Xu Yan didn't delve into it further; perhaps the Celestial Ranking only records the experts who are publicly known.

Just like myself, because there were no other "players", I could only reach the top of the Heavenly Ranking.

Seeing that Xu Yan was engrossed in watching, Shen Shuangning felt bored and was about to go upstairs to rest.

At this moment, a figure wearing a straw hat and a veil slowly entered the inn's lobby.

After booking the room, she glanced around the inn.

After noticing that a certain face looked somewhat familiar, Ye Yuntang slowly walked towards Xu Yan.

"Young master, have we met before?"

In order to avoid being recognized and harassed by Qin Feng, Ye Yuntang deliberately wore a veil.

She walked up to Xu Yan, raised her hand and lifted a corner of her face so that he could see her face clearly.

Shen Shuangning glanced at Xu Yan, then squinted at Ye Yuntang.

After recognizing her, Xu Yan decided not to provoke her and said in a calm tone, "Miss, you've probably mistaken me for someone else."

Ye Yuntang was slightly taken aback, a hint of doubt flashing in her eyes. Seeing his words, she didn't ask any more questions and turned to walk upstairs.

A few days ago, her cousin gave her a jade pendant.

Although Qin Feng was bought by her, Ye Yuntang knew immediately that her cousin had probably stolen it.

This matter concerns my mother's past in the sect. If Qin Feng finds out, given his narrow-mindedness, he will certainly not let her off the hook.

Therefore, Ye Yuntang could only accept the jade pendant for now and try to find someone herself.