Within the forest of jumbled rocks, in a massive cave ten li northwest of Zhuqi County, the air hung still.

Ye Qin abruptly opened his eyes, then let out a deep, cleansing breath, concluding his practice. A mix of frustration and amusement churned within him; he was now at the third layer of the Qi Refining stage, a development entirely brought about by accident.

Even though he hadn't wished for this accident to occur.

Ye Qin had sat within this rocky expanse for two full days just to stabilize the primordial spirit of Nan Tianba, that old ghost who had unexpectedly barged into his Purple Mansion Floating Island. The old specter had caused him considerable trouble, yet had also unexpectedly boosted his cultivation by a whole layer. If he didn't contain it, that ghost would likely raise hell within his inner domain.

The interior of the large cave felt stuffy. Ye Qin quickly changed out of his dark jacket and bamboo hat, donning the blue robe of an apprentice herb gatherer from the Medicine Gathering Hall. Only then did he emerge from the stone cavity and move to a small stream near the rock formation, washing the soot-black disguise herbs from his face and hands, restoring his true appearance.

The icy stream water instantly cleared his mind, sharpening his thoughts.

He had to remain inconspicuous for now. Until he figured out a method to deal with the old ghost, he dared not completely break ties with it. The ghost, after all, had no idea where its floating island truly was, nor that it was currently trapped within his Purple Mansion.

This required a slow, deliberate approach; haste was impossible. He was certain he would find a way to handle the specter.

Ye Qin recalled the incantations for the Spirit Sight Technique and the Wind Riding Technique that the old ghost had imparted to him.

According to the ghost, the Spirit Sight Technique was the most rudimentary of all spells, the easiest entry-level art to master—merely a small trick in spell application. The key lay in transforming a sliver of spiritual power into an exceedingly thin membrane of energy, covering the entire eyeball. Through this thin film of power, the eye could then observe the external world. If the membrane was too thick, nothing could be seen; if too thin, the effectiveness of the Spirit Sight would be compromised.

Once the eye was covered by this layer of magical film, the vast majority of ordinary objects would become invisible. Only the spiritual energy emanating from spiritual entities or the density of a cultivator's spiritual power could penetrate this film and be perceived by the eye.

Ye Qin began to experiment. Under his control, a faint, cool current of air flowed over his eyes.

Instantly, Ye Qin’s vision plunged into absolute blackness. He could see nothing. A jolt of alarm struck him, but he quickly deduced the cause: he had likely used too much spiritual power, obscuring his eyes completely.

He immediately calmed down, reducing the influx of power. After a considerable pause, he finally perceived a faint glimmer of light. It was indeed an immortal technique. The entire world, through Ye Qin’s eyes, had transformed completely.

Ye Qin looked out. Within a radius of several li centered on him, everything was dim and somber. The forest, the rocks, the soil, the stream—he could only discern their general outlines, devoid of any color.

He then looked at his own body. Within his Dantian and meridians, he noticed thin wisps of white airflow moving slowly. He was inwardly astonished. This must be the so-called spiritual power.

Ye Qin continued to thin the magical power coating his eyes until it vanished entirely. The world gradually grew brighter and clearer, returning to normal. The vibrant green of the trees, the earthen yellow of the ground, the lively clarity of the stream, all brimming with life. Every blade of grass and leaf within several hundred feet came into sharp focus, visible without flaw. It seemed the Spirit Sight Technique indeed possessed some efficacy; at the very least, finding spiritual objects would be significantly easier for him from now on.

Having washed up, Ye Qin did not linger by the stream. He rose and began running along the outskirts of Zhuqi County, deliberately choosing deserted and remote areas, all the while silently circulating the incantation for the Wind Riding Technique.

This Wind Riding Technique was considerably more difficult than the Spirit Sight Technique.

Ye Qin silently recited the incantation, channeling spiritual power into his feet, striving to perceive its essence. After a full half-hour, he found the sensation—it felt as if several wisps of gentle wind were cradling the soles of his feet, granting him the profound feeling of stepping upon 'soft breezes' and gliding with their aid. This sensation, he suspected, held a curious similarity to sliding on a peeled watermelon rind.

Normally, when running at full stride, he could cover half a zhang in a single step. With this supporting cushion of wind beneath his feet, he could 'glide' a full zhang with the lightness of a swallow, doubling his distance.

It was an exquisitely subtle feeling that left Ye Qin marveling at its wonder while simultaneously feeling slightly awkward.

Because the force of these few streams of wind beneath his feet was incredibly yielding and difficult to master. If the force applied beneath his feet was slightly misjudged, he would lose control and slide sideways. His steps became uneven—one deep, one shallow—making him stagger about like a drunken man.

It seemed long-term practice would be necessary to master the delicate balance involved. However, Ye Qin was not in a rush to master the Wind Riding Technique immediately; he proceeded slowly, concentrating on controlling the tension of the soft winds beneath his feet.

He tried applying the Wind Riding incantation by channeling spiritual power into his palms and body, discovering that the same effect of being buoyed up by 'wind' occurred. He was able to execute movements that would appear utterly inconceivable to an observer.

After running continuously for one or two hours, Ye Qin gradually began to grasp the four most fundamental uses of this 'soft wind': one, letting the wind support him from beneath for an upward lift; two, having the wind push from behind for acceleration; three, positioning the wind in front to create deceleration; and four, using the wind on the sides to force a sharp change in direction.

Harnessing the power of these few streams of soft wind, Ye Qin could achieve a state of being "as still as a maiden, as swift as a startled hare, suddenly fast then slow, ephemeral and unpredictable," able to maneuver to any surrounding direction at will.

Entering the third layer of Qi Refining had once again massively increased the speed of his punches and kicks, allowing him to deliver more than ten strikes in the span of a breath.

When coupled with the acceleration effect of the Wind Riding Technique, this speed became almost terrifying, reaching a level capable of breaking the sound barrier. After delivering over ten lightning-fast strikes, only then would the sharp whoosh of air displaced by his fists be heard—this velocity was already shocking enough to astound the world.

Ye Qin was nearly certain that the Wind Riding Technique was vastly superior to any Qinggong (light-foot skill). At least, Feng Xiao's Tiyun Zong could never offer such flexible variation. Feng Xiao's Qinggong could currently propel him three zhang further in a leap, but it lacked sufficient maneuverability; the trajectory of his movement was too obvious, making it easy for an opponent to predict his next move well in advance. The trajectory generated by the Wind Riding Technique, however, was incredibly difficult to track.

Moreover, this was only his initial comprehension of the Wind Riding Technique. If he were to practice it until it was utterly flawless, the effects on speed and adaptive maneuvering would surely become even more outstanding and apparent.

Dusk was approaching; it was getting late. Ye Qin mused that he had been outside the county town for an entire day and should return.

He oriented himself and sprinted along the outskirts, leaving the uneven, rugged mountain terrain of the rocky forest behind until he reached the wider postal road, where he naturally slowed his pace.

The postal route leading into Zhuqi County had been quite busy lately. Occasionally, martial heroes and heroines would gallop past on horseback, kicking up clouds of dust. Furthermore, merchants traveling by carriage from other counties in Pingzhou to conduct business in Zhuqi County had noticeably increased in number.

It had only been about the time it takes to sip half a cup of tea after Ye Qin reached the postal road when he saw over ten luxurious carriages speeding past him. Having just grasped the Spirit Sight Technique and the Wind Riding Technique, and currently running continuous tests, Ye Qin was in an excellent mood.

He walked along the road, periodically sweeping his Spirit Sight over the martial travelers on horseback and the bustling carriages, taking pleasure in observing whether they carried any spiritual objects. If they did, he wouldn't mind temporarily playing the role of a highway robber to seize the artifact. Alas, spiritual objects were rare, perhaps even unattainable by the most elite figures in the jianghu. Ye Qin observed dozens of people along the way, but discovered no delightful surprises.

Suddenly, Ye Qin’s ears twitched. About a li to the east, in a secluded patch of woods, came the intermittent sounds of clashing blades and swords, punctuated by shouts of combat and cries of encouragement—it seemed a large group of martial artists were engaged in a fierce brawl within the trees.

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