The Long Journey to Immortality

When Han Lu landed, only one water bullet remained intact and fell freely.

The other water bullets were dispersed by Han Lu using a mortise and tenon sword, just as Wen Xiaonan had done earlier.

Han Lu put the steel sword back into her storage bag, turned her head to look at the only puddle of water beside her, and muttered to herself.

"Could it be because I am proficient in the Word Mantra that I can more easily discover the flaws in the spiritual energy that makes up a spell, which is why I have made some progress in the Word Mantra in such a short time?"

Suddenly, a startling thought popped into Han Lu's mind.

"If I use the 'Insight' technique and then the 'Transformation' technique, can I take this move to the next level?"

Chapter 577 Fur

Han Lu's ingenious ideas are not difficult to realize.

On her second attempt, she decided to use her ability to see through things and try to attack the water bullet's weaknesses to neutralize it.

He then switched from holding the steel sword in his hand to controlling it using the technique of weapon manipulation.

In this way, Han Lu, who had never been a swordsman even for half a day, could control the steel sword in a more familiar way.

At the same time, when wielding a weapon, the control over the sword is more swift and precise, allowing Han Lu to express the sword intent she comprehended after Wen Xiaonan demonstrated the "Transformation Technique" in a more accurate way.

The idea sounded wonderful, but when Han Lu actually put it into practice, she found that it wasn't what she expected at all.

Using her ability to see through things, she could indeed see many weaknesses on the water bullets and use her steel sword to break them one by one.

However, the sword intent techniques used when wielding the steel sword are not the same as the transformation techniques.

The steel sword she wielded seemed to cleverly break the spell using the "pointing technique," rather than using the "transformation technique" to cut and transform the spiritual energy that made up the spell into other "mysterious substances" to break the spell.

Han Lu was slightly disappointed that her attempt to take shortcuts had failed.

"It seems I was too naive," Han Lu muttered to herself, toying with the steel sword that had just flown back into her hand. Standing on the training ground, she tilted her head slightly and looked at the bright moon in the sky. "There should be a connection between the word techniques, but it's still too difficult for me to deduce one word technique directly from one understanding of swordsmanship right now."

"Perhaps one day I will be able to understand everything, but definitely not now."

"It is already quite remarkable to have reached this level of understanding in just two hours."

"I only hope that Wen Xiaonan can give me a few more pointers so that I can make another breakthrough and truly reach the level of minor mastery of the Transformation Technique."

After calming herself down a bit, Han Lu felt good about herself.

He glanced sideways and noticed that the side room where Wen Xiaonan was resting was still dark, so he simply continued practicing on the training ground by himself.

He summoned a water bullet and then tried to use his understanding of the Transformation Technique to control the spirit sword and neutralize the spell.

After repeating this process a thousand times, Han Lu finally chose to stop when the first ray of sunlight appeared over this city in the Central Plains, where the sunrise is the earliest.

After a night of intensive study, Han Lu felt she had made significant progress.

Just as when she uses the Point Word Technique, she can keenly perceive the weaknesses in the opponent's defensive spells and magical artifacts.

Han Lu now possesses a new sense: she can perceive the weak points between the spiritual energies that make up a spell, and use her sword to break them.

However, for the time being, since no one could cooperate with Han Lu, she could only make use of the "water bullet" technique, which was only at the level of a novice Taoist.

If the attack were to be layered upon layer, and she were to use the Transformation Technique against more advanced spells or magical artifacts, she did not believe that she could defend against and neutralize the spells with just a spirit sword in a way that was beyond the comprehension of ordinary cultivators.

As Han Lu stared blankly at the rising sun, immersed in the feeling of breaking through the spell with her sword more than a thousand times, Wen Xiaonan finally finished resting, yawning and stretching as he walked out of the side room.

"Oh? It's already morning," Wen Xiaonan said apologetically, adjusting her hair. "Fairy Han, I'm so tired. I was planning to discuss the Transformation Technique with you in detail last night, but I overslept. I'm so sorry."

The world hasn't invented alarm clocks yet, so it's perfectly normal for Wen Xiaonan to oversleep after working hard for several days.

Seeing that the other person's eyes were still somewhat tired, Han Lu did not blame her at all and smiled, "It's alright, Miss Wen. It just so happens that I practiced swordsmanship all night and have gained a little insight."

"If you don't mind the trouble, have breakfast first, then come and give me some pointers and help me correct my mistakes, how about that?"

Wen Xiaonan was slightly surprised. "I really envy you cultivators. You can still be so energetic even after not sleeping all night."

"Since Fairy Han is being so earnest, I certainly can't trouble her."

"Wait a moment, I'll be right back."

There were clerks on duty every night in the garrison, and the kitchen naturally prepared breakfast every day.

Wen Xiaonan ran to the kitchen in two strides, eating a bun in one go. In less than a hundred breaths, he returned to the training ground, still chewing the meat bun in his mouth without any "chivalrous spirit".

"Glug, glug." After taking two gulps of the leftover tea that was placed on the table next to the training ground, Wen Xiaonan finally finished his breakfast.

Han Lu was stunned by Wen Xiaonan's unrefined dining style. She could only sigh inwardly, thinking that even a female knight-errant was still a chivalrous and unrestrained heroine.

After letting out a burp, Wen Xiaonan rubbed his stomach and said with a smile, "The steamed buns tasted pretty good today. If Fairy Han is hungry, don't be shy, just go to the kitchen and get some."

Han Lu said, "No need, no need. I am a Foundation Establishment cultivator, and I only need one meal every seven days. If I were to appear in the government kitchen without permission and be seen by others, it would be detrimental to secrecy."

"Furthermore, eating too much mundane food is not conducive to a cultivator's practice."

Han Lu's excuse for declining was somewhat low-level, but also reasonable.

Wen Xiaonan knew that Han Lu probably looked down on the government's lucrative positions, but he didn't say much. He just smiled and said, "Then I'll stand here and digest my food while I see what results Fairy Han has achieved in her night of cultivation."

Wen Xiaonan was somewhat unclear about Han Lu's role.

She believed that Han Lu was the kind of cultivator who was somewhat talented and ambitious, but was struggling to break through for a long time, which was why he sought inspiration from ordinary heroes.

Despite such talent, Wen Xiaonan felt that he had only barely grasped the basics in just one night.

With this in mind, when Wen Xiaonan saw Han Lu use her understanding of the "Dissolving Word Technique" to neutralize the water bullet, her jaw almost dropped in astonishment.

When Han Lu neutralized nearly a hundred water bullets flying into the air with her steel sword, not a single one of them landed, and not a single drop of water appeared on the ground, Wen Xiaonan felt that he had wasted the past thirty years.

"Fairy Han," Wen Xiaonan stammered in praise, "this is practically a miracle! You've mastered this move so skillfully overnight? That's incredible!"

At this point, Wen Xiaonan suddenly asked a question that seemed unrelated, "I wonder how many years Fairy Han has been cultivating within the Zhengyi Sect?"

"Seventeen years."

Upon hearing this number, Wen Xiaonan, who had some knowledge of cultivation, couldn't help but gasp in shock.

"She reached the late Foundation Establishment stage in just seventeen years? This Fairy Han is a genius who appears only once every thousand years."

"No wonder he was able to thoroughly understand what I had learned from twenty years of practical experience after just one night of practice."

"Hey……"

With a sigh, Wen Xiaonan said, "Fairy Han, your mastery of this move has now surpassed mine."

"I have nothing more to teach you."

Wen Xiaonan's answer was exactly what Han Lu expected. Han Lu nodded slightly and thanked him a few times.

Before leaving, Han Lu posed a question to Wen Xiaonan, hoping that this chivalrous man who was still roaming the martial arts world could provide her with some useful information.

Chapter 578 The Third Hero

"Han Fairy, please feel free to ask any questions you may have." Although Wen Xiaonan knew that after Han Lu left this time, there was a 99% chance that the two of them would never have the chance to meet again in this lifetime, she still tried her best to help Han Lu solve the problem.

Han Lu didn't stand on ceremony and said directly, "To be honest, Miss Wen, I plan to seek out three mortal heroes to learn swordsmanship this time I come down the mountain."

"You are second."

"Next, I plan to seek out the third hero, Helian Renhe, who was already famous in the Jianghu of the Southern Dynasty seventy years ago."

"I wonder if Lady Wen has met He Haoxia, and if she knows which of the seven characters in the Seven-Character Formula his swordsmanship roughly corresponds to."

"If He Haoxia's sword style is the same as the basic techniques I already know, then I can save a few days of effort and not make a wasted trip."

The hero Helian Renhe, as described by Han Lu, was considered the greatest hero of the Southern Dynasties.

Now over a hundred years old, Helian Ren has not only dominated the martial arts world for nearly fifty years and is regarded as the number one martial arts master in the Central Plains by more than three hundred heroes, but he also frequently cooperates with the Southern Dynasty government and is the "number one swordsman" seriously regarded by the Southern Dynasty government.

Such a person was naturally the first person Han Lu chose to become her apprentice when she was going through the roster at the Ministry of Rites.

Helian Ren was born into a small family of cultivators in the Southern Dynasty. He began to try cultivation at the age of nine with the help of his elder brother.

When he spent half a year opening his first acupoint and advancing to the Dao Child Realm at the age of nine, he was regarded as the best of the new generation by the He family because of his outstanding talent.

But this outstanding individual, because of this insignificant achievement, became convinced that with his talent, he would never be able to reach the Golden Core stage in his lifetime.

So, after being forced to cultivate for two years, Helian Ren, who was about to advance to the first level of Qi Refining, finally persuaded his parents to stop cultivating.

Ultimately, Helian Ren chose to follow the path of mortal swordsmanship, making becoming the greatest hero in the martial world his life's goal.

It was precisely because of this experience of cultivation that Helian Ren was able to advance to the Dao Child Realm and live past one hundred years old.

While his talent was only average among cultivators, Helian Ren was a first-rate genius among martial arts heroes.

At the age of twenty, he was already able to defeat a cultivator at the second level of Qi Refining with his sword, thus joining the ranks of second-grade heroes.

By the time he was thirty and famous throughout the land, at least five cultivators at the third level of Qi Refining had been defeated by him, becoming stepping stones for him to become the number one person in the martial arts world.

He maintained this prestigious reputation from the age of thirty to eighty, until he chose to retire, at which point it was passed on to a talented and heroic young man of the new generation.

Helian Ren, who had retired from public life, decisively chose a majestic, solitary mountain to "build his nest".

The steep mountain walls and the treacherous mountain path that Helian Ren cleanly cut off with his sword represent Helian Ren's determination to no longer be disturbed by worldly affairs.

It is said that Helian Ren lived on the mountaintop by relying on two vegetable gardens. Only the Foundation Establishment stage patriarch of the He family would visit him every now and then by flying up the mountain on his sword, bringing him food and clothing, and taking care of this proud mortal of the He family for ten thousand years.

If it weren't for the fact that the Ministry of Rites' register recorded Helian Ren as having an eccentric personality and never having taken on any disciples in his life...

Han Lu would probably head straight for Helian Ren immediately, hoping to learn some profound swordsmanship from him and enrich herself.

Now, Han Lu is asking Wen Xiaonan for information, just to find out some secrets about Helian Ren in the martial arts world, and see if she can find a breakthrough.

If there's no breakthrough, finding out what sword techniques Helian Ren might be good at is a good way to save time and avoid getting rejected by this eccentric mortal sword master.

Because Helian Ren, like Wen Xiaonan, had close ties with the government, Han Lu's question came to the right person.

"Hero He?" Wen Xiaonan said with a smile. "I have actually met He Haoxia once and know some things about him."

"Really?" Han Lu didn't mention that she had read the Ministry of Rites' roster, but instead instructed Wen Xiaonan, "Tell me everything you know."

Wen Xiaonan nodded, pondered for a moment, and after organizing his thoughts, slowly began to recount everything he knew about Helian Ren.

Most of the stories Wen Xiaonan told were recorded in the Ministry of Rites' register, except for two things that Han Lu was unaware of, yet which were useful and important.

An event occurred fifteen years ago.

At that time, Helian Ren, who was already ninety years old, suddenly had the idea of ​​taking on disciples.

As a rising star who had just joined the imperial court, Wen Xiaonan was given the opportunity to participate in Helian Ren's apprenticeship ceremony.