After hesitating for quite some time, Ning Ruxue finally decided that asking wouldn't be a big deal: "He is my Senior Brother, after all; he has an obligation to teach his Junior Sister."

Having convinced herself with that justification, Ning Ruxue walked up to Ye Wen, leaned in slightly, and asked in a low voice, "Senior Brother, I want to create my own martial art. Do you have any suggestions?"

"Create your own martial art?" Ye Wen was momentarily stunned by the suggestion. He hadn't expected Ning Ruxue to have such an idea. But a moment’s thought clarified the core of the matter, and he finally understood what she had been busy with all these days. Still, he maintained a facade of confusion and asked, "Why the sudden desire to create your own technique?"

Ning Ruxue's complexion shifted rapidly—flushing red, then dark, then pale. Ye Wen watched with awe, sighing inwardly, "This is more interesting than any Sichuan opera face-changing act, and the expressions are incredibly vivid..."

Forcing down the familiar urge to simply turn and walk away, Ning Ruxue tried to adopt an air of nonchalance. "It’s just that right now, I only know the 'Jade Maiden Sword Technique.' When facing enemies, it feels too monotonous."

Hearing this reason, Ye Wen had to suppress a laugh so hard his stomach ached. Although the Jade Maiden Sword Technique wasn't the absolute pinnacle in the original texts, the sheer complexity of its moves was hardly inferior to many exquisite martial arts, far surpassing the Shushan Swordplay they both initially knew. If studied diligently, it could potentially cultivate strength rivaling that of Lin Chaoying against Wang Chongyang. Thus, while the excuse seemed plausible on the surface, digging deeper revealed many holes.

Furthermore, Ning Ruxue had only practiced the Jade Maiden Sword Technique for less than a year; she likely hadn't even fully mastered it, making her claim of insufficient skill improbable. As soon as the words left her mouth, she felt the excuse was flimsy, but retreat was impossible now.

Her cheeks faintly reddened, as if she had taken wine, compounded by guilt, lending her a rare, delicate femininity that only enhanced her already striking beauty. Ye Wen’s heart skipped a beat, and he thought, This Junior Sister is truly stunning, perhaps even more so than those so-called superstars in my former world. After all, Ning Ruxue used no cosmetics and required no Photoshop. It wasn't that such things didn't exist in this world or that the Shushan Sect couldn't afford them; it was simply that Ning Ruxue seemed accustomed to her natural state and lacked the awareness.

However, Ye Wen, having survived the varied 'trials' of his past life, recovered his composure in an instant. Smiling, he said, "It is certainly commendable that Junior Sister wishes to create her own art. But tell me, what kind of technique are you aiming to create?"

Even that brief moment felt like an ordeal for Ning Ruxue. She sensed a fleeting strangeness in her Senior Brother’s gaze, but her mind leaped to another conclusion: Could my actions have led him to believe I am trying to surpass him? If Ye Wen hadn't spoken up so quickly, she might have erupted in embarrassed fury right there.

Seeing Ye Wen finally steer the conversation toward martial arts, the desire to prove herself surged to the forefront. Ignoring everything else, Ning Ruxue asked a bit urgently, "Do you have any good advice, Senior Brother?"

Ye Wen considered this, finally offering his counsel: "If you are to create a new art, you must first consider your own foundational state. Junior Sister has not yet fully grasped the Jade Maiden Sword Technique. Attempting a new sword art now might not only fail to surpass the existing one but could actively interfere with the cultivation of your current skill."

Ning Ruxue silently reflected on his words and conceded that her Senior Brother was correct. She had initially thought that her current swordsmanship was respectable enough to make creating a new style easy. Yet, when she actually tried, no matter how she wielded her blade, she kept finding echoes of the Jade Maiden Sword Technique.

In the end, she failed to create anything new, but instead found herself increasingly confused by the original sword art. Areas she thought she had thoroughly understood now seemed obscure due to her chaotic attempts.

What she didn't realize was that this turbulent process was actually leading her toward a new perspective on swordsmanship. If she could break through this current bottleneck, not only would the power of the Jade Maiden Sword Technique ascend, but her understanding of swordplay would reach a new realm. However, being stuck at a barrier was an unpleasant feeling, breeding impatience that even affected her cultivation; when performing, she could muster at most seventy percent of her full capability.

It was precisely because she grew more restless with constant practice that she finally thought of consulting her Senior Brother today. Under normal circumstances, Ning Ruxue would never have approached him to discuss martial arts cultivation.

For instance, after Ye Wen gifted her the Carefree Cultivation Method and the Jade Maiden Sword Technique, this Junior Sister had never once sought him out for guidance. Although even if she had, he likely wouldn't have had profound pointers to offer, Ning Ruxue didn't know that Ye Wen—the creator of these supposed 'masterpieces'—himself lacked understanding in many areas and would normally seek instruction. Such inquiries would inevitably lead Ye Wen into further trouble.

Yet, because Ning Ruxue had never sought him out, Ye Wen understood her nature, making her proactive consultation today a genuine surprise.

Surprise aside, having resolved to help his Junior Sister, he intended to do so wholeheartedly. Now that she wished to create her own art, he felt a sense of urgency, his mind racing to recall the circumstances under which famous masters had forged their divine skills.

"It seems... it was all enlightenment..."

This realization was disheartening; enlightenment cannot be taught. But Ye Wen couldn't dismiss his Junior Sister with a few cursory words, especially since he was the celebrated Head of the Shushan Sect, credited with creating multiple 'master techniques.'

Ye Wen remained outwardly composed, thinking furiously about how to solve this dilemma while stalling Ning Ruxue with conversation. "Right now, Junior Sister’s weakness lies in hand-to-hand combat. After all, one cannot guarantee a weapon will always be in hand. If you lost your sword, you might suffer significant disadvantages. Perhaps you could focus your thoughts on unarmed techniques?"

As he said this, Ye Wen felt his suggestion was brilliant. Ning Ruxue’s grappling skills were indeed rudimentary. For the past six months, she had focused exclusively on swordplay and internal arts, making no progress with her footwork or striking. However, as her swordsmanship grew more refined, her standards rose, allowing her to execute basic strikes adequately. But when it came to advanced hand-to-hand combat, Ning Ruxue knew nothing. In a pure unarmed contest, Xu Xian could easily defeat her, despite Xu Xian’s internal cultivation being inferior—and Xu Xian also possessed excellent Qinggong.

Hearing Ye Wen’s words, Ning Ruxue felt a flicker of doubt but admitted the logic held merit. Lacking advanced striking arts meant her thinking wasn't constrained, and her perspective had broadened considerably from months of practicing the Jade Maiden Sword Technique. Creating a set of striking forms from scratch didn't seem entirely impossible.

Even if the resulting technique’s power was uncertain, it offered hope—certainly better than clinging to swordplay while being unable to break free of the Jade Maiden Sword Technique’s limitations.

As she pondered this, she noticed Ye Wen frowning in thought, about to speak when he finally broke the silence. "I do have an idea, though I’ve never put it into practice. If Junior Sister is capable, perhaps you could try it."

Ning Ruxue grew curious, wondering what idea her Senior Brother held. "Senior Brother, please tell me first."

Ye Wen nodded slowly and continued, "Junior Sister’s current movement skills and striking arts are not profound. Why not train them together? I have a method where, if Junior Sister commits her mind to researching it, both movement and striking arts can be mastered. However, this method is quite troublesome and extremely time-consuming. I don't know how long success would take, so I haven't dared to try it lightly."

His words only heightened Ning Ruxue's interest. She considered that if she succeeded where her Senior Brother dared not even try, it would implicitly prove her superiority. She conveniently overlooked Ye Wen's phrasing: dare not try versus cannot.

Beaming with excitement, Ning Ruxue urged Ye Wen to reveal the method immediately. Ye Wen hid nothing. "It’s nothing mysterious, really. My method is this: first, catch three sparrows, then release them in our sect’s small training room. The practitioner must catch all three sparrows."

"That’s it?" Ning Ruxue was initially disappointed. While the method certainly trained movement, it seemed to be the extent of it.

"Of course not. That is only the first step. If you can catch three sparrows, the next stage requires catching five; after five, it's ten, and eventually, you must continue until you catch ninety-nine, or eighty-one sparrows."

Ye Wen spelled out the method step-by-step, and before Ning Ruxue could question him, he added, "If you can catch eighty-one sparrows, this technique will have its rudimentary form."

Ning Ruxue’s scalp tingled when she heard 'ninety-nine times eighty-one,' and hearing that this was only the rudimentary form left her staggered. Just based on Ye Wen's description, she could tell that once perfected, this art would be extraordinary.

Ye Wen ignored her shock and continued, "After managing to catch all eighty-one sparrows in the small training room, you then move to the large training room. If you can capture all eighty-one there as well, the technique is considered minorly accomplished." The large training room was used by the Shushan Sect for mass practice or internal sparring; its space was vastly greater than the small room meant for one or two people. For larger competitions, there was the practice field, which was even more expansive.

"Once you can capture all the sparrows in the large training room, you proceed to train outdoors. The final requirement is to train until you can capture eighty-one sparrows without a single one escaping—even better if you can use your palm force to hold the sparrows within a confined space. Only then is this technique considered fully achieved," Ye Wen concluded, unfazed by Ning Ruxue’s stunned expression. "Upon completion, both movement and striking arts will be mastered. When unfurled, it will resemble a vast net, perfectly suited for Junior Sister’s needs, and it will even benefit the Jade Maiden Sword Technique. If you are willing, Junior Sister, perhaps you might try following this method."