Ye Wen’s efforts were not in vain; as time wore on, he gradually adapted to practicing while shouldering the heavy sword. However, wielding the Quanzhen Sword Style fluidly with such a weapon remained no easy feat. With his current proficiency, he often exhausted his internal energy halfway through a form and had to halt to recuperate.

At such times, Ye Wen would resort to that street-vendor set of Tai Chi to recover some stamina. Of course, the heavy sword would remain strapped to his back. Since Tai Chi is performed slowly, carrying the greatsword caused no significant hindrance; it served well enough to relax the body and alleviate muscle fatigue.

Furthermore, after more than a year of consistent practice, he had grown accustomed to using Tai Chi as a method to restore his inner power. Thus, by the time he finished his forms, his depleted neili would be replenished to its peak.

At this juncture, he would resume the sword practice he had interrupted, continuing to hone the Quanzhen Sword Style using that massive hunk of iron. Surprisingly, because of the heavy sword, stances within the Quanzhen Sword Style that he had previously struggled to grasp now offered him new insights.

The Quanzhen Sword Style was inherently grand and steadfast. Ye Wen had always believed that swordplay should rely on speed to overcome an opponent, causing him to execute many moves with excessive haste, entirely lacking the profound weight required by the style.

Now, burdened by the greatsword, speed was simply impossible. Instead, he finally understood the awkward nuances that had always eluded him, and his mastery of the sword technique ascended to a new level.

Once he grasped this, he felt a surge of relief that when teaching his disciples swordplay, he hadn't carelessly voiced his flawed previous notions, which would have truly misled them.

After finishing his practice, Ye Wen carefully wrapped the heavy sword and slung it over his back. To any casual observer, it appeared merely as a rectangular bundle, and what lay inside would be anyone’s guess.

In recent days, both Xu Xian and Ning Ruxue had noticed Ye Wen walking around with something strapped to him, though neither of them had inquired about it.

It was his youngest disciple, Zhou Zhiruo, who finally voiced her curiosity about her master always carrying something. Ye Wen merely smiled and replied, "Master is cultivating," and the little one pressed no further.

However, Yue Ning, overhearing the exchange, specifically asked, "Master, must I also train like this?"

This question momentarily stumped Ye Wen, who finally replied, "You do not need such training for now." He reasoned that since Yue Ning was still growing, training with a heavy load would offer no benefit and might even injure his developing body.

Yue Ning simply responded with an "Oh," and the matter ended there.

Having managed his two disciples, Ye Wen returned to his impeccably regular lifestyle: practicing martial arts and teaching his disciples, occasionally taking time to instruct the remaining outer disciples at the front.

Though these outer disciples had learned the introductory routines of the Shu Mountain Sect, they had merely acquired the forms; true comprehension was still far off. Keeping them on the mountain was not without purpose.

However, Ye Wen felt that significant progress would be difficult if they remained confined there. More importantly, they had not spent much more time cultivating than the outer disciples did. Daily instruction would quickly deplete his own reserves. Therefore, he decided to send them down the mountain to gain experience; any breakthrough they achieved would be a positive outcome.

As for betrayal, Ye Wen was unconcerned. Firstly, the current martial world valued the tenets of respecting one's master more highly than he had imagined. Secondly, he was confident that anyone who dared to turn against him would pay a bloody price. If a person tried to hide? Although the Yue Shan Escort Agency held only a third-rate reputation and modest strength, years of operation had given it an impressive network of contacts and intelligence; finding someone would not be difficult.

Moreover, these outer disciples would struggle to find a superior place to learn martial arts than the Shu Mountain Sect. Only a fool would willingly leave.

Seasons turned. Absorbed in his rigorous training, Ye Wen barely noticed the heat of summer before realizing autumn was drawing near. During a moment of leisure, after summoning forth another set of sword techniques—Taiyue Sanqing Peak—he discovered that his internal cultivation had progressed significantly compared to months prior; his arm strength and palm force were incomparable to what they once were.

Yet, the ring seemed unwilling to acknowledge him as having reached the next tier. Consequently, he stopped wasting energy summoning more techniques he wouldn't yet use, focusing instead on mastering the martial arts he currently possessed. He felt these skills were sufficient for his current needs, so he only used the ring when he happened to recall it.

When idle, Ye Wen would also practice with an ordinary longsword, ensuring he didn't forget the feel of a true blade from constantly using the heavy sword. He noticed significant improvements in his wrist strength, agility, and the accuracy of his strikes. He could even tentatively execute the One Sword Manifests Three Purity maneuver from the Quanzhen Sword Style.

Currently, he could only manifest two purities, managing only a tenuous grasp of the third. Even so, this accomplishment thrilled him, as months ago he could barely manage One Sword Manifests Two Purity.

This confirmed his training methodology was correct—a viable path to rapid, substantial improvement in his strength.

In his excitement, Ye Wen forgot the heavy sword entirely and strode out of his courtyard.

The courtyard was currently empty. Ning Ruxue spent her days chasing sparrows. Initially, she was clumsy, often ending up exhausted without catching many. Later, with advances in her Qinggong and heightened sensory perception from increased internal cultivation, she no longer struggled so badly.

She could now catch forty-nine sparrows within the Grand Training Hall. At this pace, it seemed likely that by winter, Ning Ruxue would complete this stage of training and begin the final phase: practicing the technique outdoors.

Ye Wen was astonished by Ning Ruxue’s rapid progress, but upon reflection, it was not entirely surprising. When Yang Guo practiced, although he had Little Dragon Maiden guiding him, and possessed extraordinary innate talent, the Divine Condor Hero had a less solid foundation than Ning Ruxue did then.

At that time, Yang Guo had only learned rudimentary Toad Skill formulas, a slightly reversed Nine Yin Manual, and the basic Quanzhen incantations taught by Zhao Zhijing (lacking specific forms and techniques).

When he entered the Ancient Tomb, he possessed very little martial foundation; his Qinggong, striking skills, and grappling were all learned concurrently with the Heaven and Earth Net Stance.

Ning Ruxue, while her current martial arts were not high, had a far more robust foundation than Yang Guo did at that stage. Moreover, she possessed the foundation of Xiaoyao internal energy. Since the Jade Maiden Sword Art of the Ancient Tomb School also laid some groundwork for her movement, and now with the aid of Tiyun Zong, such progress was not unexpected.

Speaking of Tiyun Zong, Ye Wen found himself drawn to the cliff face he used for practicing his Qinggong. Since discovering its effectiveness for light-foot skill training, he frequented the spot. Later, Ning Ruxue and Xu Xian found it, and they occasionally joined him.

This practice quickly highlighted the disparity in their Qinggong levels.

Due to her training in the Heaven and Earth Net Stance, Ning Ruxue was currently superb at evasion and maneuvering. She ascended quite high in her initial leaps, but lacking sustained internal energy for endurance and running out of suitable leverage points, she was ultimately forced to abandon the climb and glide down slowly.

Xu Xian was more direct, charging straight up. Relying on the subtlety of Tiyun Zong and his already decent Qinggong, each leap was higher than Ning Ruxue's. However, having exerted maximum effort, his landing was somewhat unsteady, requiring Ye Wen’s timely assistance from behind.

As for Ye Wen? He was never known for exceptional Qinggong, especially now while carrying the massive weight. He consequently forewent showing off. He continued to visit the cliff for practice, but he always kept the heavy sword on his back, so he had no idea what level he could truly reach.

In a fit of momentary excitement today, he forgot to strap on the greatsword. Unconsciously, he found himself at the base of the cliff. He suddenly felt compelled to test his actual capability.

Glancing around and seeing no one nearby, Ye Wen immediately gathered his breath and sprang upward, channeling his full internal strength. He soared nearly twice as high as his usual jumps.

Without pausing for exhilaration, Ye Wen executed the exquisite maneuver of Tiyun Zong, twisting his body mid-air. Without taking a breath, he miraculously bent his trajectory in the air, aiming toward a protruding rock.

He stamped off this outcropping, gaining momentary respite and a small breath, and continued his ascent. In just these two moves, Ye Wen had already surpassed the highest point he had ever reached before.

Although his second leap was not as high as the first due to insufficient breath, this achievement was gratifying enough. Moreover, he felt his breath had not entirely given out, meaning he could continue challenging higher elevations.

He looked up; he had climbed past the halfway mark. He could vaguely make out what appeared to be another small platform near the top of the cliff. He hadn't noticed it while climbing from below, but now that he saw it, an urge to reach it and investigate arose.

Despite the significant boost to his Qinggong, Ye Wen's breath was finite. By the time he reached three-quarters of the way up, he felt his reserves nearly exhausted. The remaining distance, though not vast, was a chasm he could no longer bridge with his current stamina.

When using Qinggong to ascend vertically, the height of each subsequent leap generally decreases. Without a suitable foothold, when the breath finally runs out, the only result is a fall.

Ye Wen had no desire to plummet to his death. He prepared to abort the attempt, planning to use his last vestiges of energy to find a suitable footing and descend safely to the area below. After all, this location was right behind the Shu Mountain Sect; it wasn't going anywhere. It would be fine to return later when his Qinggong improved.

Just as he was about to turn back, he spotted a thick vine right within reach. Ye Wen’s mind raced, and he thought, "Could fate be aiding me?"

Without hesitation, he seized the vine, hanging suspended to snatch a breath. Using both hands and feet together, he scrambled up the platform like an agile monkey.

Reaching the platform, Ye Wen let out a long sigh of relief. He turned back to look: the cliff face was an intimidating, dizzying sheer drop. Without the assistance of that vine, Ye Wen would never have made it up.

Sighing inwardly at his good fortune, Ye Wen began examining the platform’s scenery. The surface was bare, utterly devoid of anything, not even a few weeds—truly barren and dull.

"All that effort for this miserable spot?"

As he muttered his complaint, he suddenly noticed a winding, narrow path in a corner ahead of the platform. If Ye Wen hadn't happened to look in that direction when he grumbled, he would certainly have missed it.

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