Gazing upon the seemingly endless lake, Zong Shou’s thoughts churned into a chaotic torrent of emotion.

In perhaps ten thousand years, a great city would stand here. And he himself was born nearby. He struggled fiercely here as a youth, and after achieving distinction, he retreated here to live in seclusion. He was, in essence, born here, raised here—a place that held countless joys and sorrows, countless memories.

With a sigh, Zong Shou banished the sadness from his heart. He was now an ancient man from ten millennia past; the great city of the future had not even cast a shadow yet.

“This Water Lily Lake is damnably wide! This is the first time I’ve ever seen a lake this immense!”

Hu Zhongyuan, who had stayed close beside Zong Shou since the young master leaped from the carriage, now let out a string of astonished clicks.

“But why has the Young Master come here? While the scenery is superior, the surrounding thousands of li around here are deserted. There are countless ferocious beasts nearby, which we don't fear, but it’s said that within this Water Lily Lake dwells a Black Water Cold Jiao—”

Zong Shou offered a slight smile and offered no reply. He had come to the Water Lily Lake specifically for his bottleneck as a Celestial Being. To resolve this obstruction, following the exact path he had walked before was the most prudent course.

He wondered what the terrain would be like here ten thousand years ago.

As for that Cold Jiao, Zong Shou genuinely paid it little mind. It wasn’t that he wasn’t afraid, but rather that this Jiao should currently be deep in slumber. When it awoke twenty years hence, it would have evolved into a Divine Beast form. It once caused an uproar across the Eastern Lin Cloud Continent. Not only were there extensive records in the annals of the nearby cities, but the Divine Emperor Game also contained numerous related quests.

It served as a mid-to-late-stage dungeon boss, slaughtered many times over.

Therefore, Zong Shou felt no apprehension whatsoever. His only worry was whether the topography of this location would differ from its state ten thousand years later, forcing him to seek an alternate training ground.

When the Cloud-Flipping Carriage halted by the lakeshore, the four of them set to work, choosing a relatively high, dry patch of flat ground near the water to erect several wooden huts as temporary quarters.

All four were Innate Martial Artists, and Zong Shou and Chu Xue were even Spirit Masters, making the carpentry work incredibly simple. With a few swift slashes, they chopped the timber into perfectly uniform pieces. A quick blast from a few Fire Element spiritual arts dried them instantly. Zong Shou possessed a surprising knack for construction; even these hastily built huts possessed an aesthetic appeal.

Next came the assignment of tasks.

“Go into the lake and catch fish? Three thousand of them a day? And no sleeping until you’re done?”

Chu Xue’s brow was already furrowed. She suspected this was the Young Master exacting revenge. It was likely; catching birds wasn't enough, and now he wanted to switch to fish?

“Young Master, can we not go? Or perhaps Xue'er can warm your bed, how about that? Serving you at night is definitely out, both Xue'er and the Young Master are still young—”

Catching the odd looks from Hu Zhongyuan and Zong Yuan, Zong Shou’s face flushed an unprecedented red, his expression briefly awkward. He delivered a sharp rap to Chu Xue’s head: “What are you thinking? You currently have ample agility but lack ferocity. Catching fish in the lake is precisely the prescription! If you try to shirk again, beware I’ll make you copy scriptures again—”

Chu Xue remained crestfallen, thinking that catching so many fish might be worse than death. Just as she was about to haggle, she saw Zong Shou pick up a thick volume of Talisman Scriptures and let out a sinister grin. Her heart gave a jolt, and she obediently leaped into the water.

Zong Shou then turned his gaze toward Zong Yuan, who stood lifelessly in the gloom. Without preamble, he flicked a single sheet of paper toward him.

Zong Yuan caught it casually, glanced over it, and his expression froze.

—Thrust spear forward one hundred times at attention stance daily; execute a left-turning spear one hundred and twenty-five times; execute a right-stepping lunge thrust one hundred times—

These were all foundational spear techniques, but what was this nonsense? Making him, a peak Innate expert, practice these?

He was about to question it, but then he remembered his current state—like a walking corpse, utterly devoid of will to live. He might as well humor the boy; it was all the same now. He tucked the paper into his robes.

If that young lord wanted him to defile himself outside Qian Tian Mountain City for three days and nights, he probably could actually do it.

Zong Shou chuckled and paid him no mind. He met the gaze of Hu Zhongyuan, whose eyes were full of expectation: “Old Brother Hu, you are twice my age and a Martial Ancestor of the Earth Meridian Fifth Vein. Must I instruct you as well?”

Hu Zhongyuan let out a hearty laugh, shaking his head dismissively: “Learning has no seniority; the accomplished leads the way! Though the Young Lord has not yet reached the Innate realm, he has already grasped the essence of Sword Intent, achieving spiritual communion in the Dao of the Sword. In martial cultivation, even my father is no match for you. I, Hu Zhongyuan, have only grasped the rudimentary Martial Momentum, and since entering the Martial Ancestor realm, my progress has been meager, making it difficult to break through. If I could receive guidance from the Young Lord, it would certainly lead to improvement!”

Zong Shou sighed, headache looming. The Hu father and son practiced blade techniques. Though the Dao of the Blade and the Dao of the Sword are two sides of the same coin and fundamentally connected, they were still somewhat different.

After pondering for a moment, Zong Shou concentrated and said, “I am not adept at blade techniques, but if Old Brother Hu merely seeks to advance his Blade Momentum, I might be able to assist! However, this method might be somewhat dangerous. You must not move—”

Just as Hu Zhongyuan was feeling surprised and delighted, Zong Shou suddenly drew his sword, and instantly, blade shadows filled his vision from all directions.

Though it was a sword, in his eyes, it manifested as rows upon rows of gleaming saber light.

And the half-demon youth opposite him seemed to transform into a massive, mottled tiger, opening its monstrous jaws and tearing toward him.

This sudden attack was not only without any warning but so swift that he couldn't react.

As Hu Zhongyuan instinctively prepared to channel the True Essence throughout his body, he suddenly recalled Zong Shou’s previous warning and hurriedly suppressed the urge.

However, as the torrent of blade shadows swept over him, a chill still prickled his skin. He almost believed Zong Shou intended to take his life!

When the saber light completely vanished, he saw more than a dozen rents torn in his clothing. A bloody gash bloomed across his brow.

The other tears in his garments were caused by sword Qi. Only this one bloodstain had actually been pierced by the sword’s edge.

In Hu Zhongyuan’s eyes flashed an expression of doubt and astonishment: “This strike, was that Tiger Roar Shakes the Eight Directions?”

“—It is precisely the Tiger Roar Shakes the Eight Directions that Uncle Hu used that day! Zong Shou’s impression of that battle was profound, and he managed to learn it through sheer effort.”

Zong Shou nodded, his expression serious: “If Old Brother Hu can completely decipher the Blade Momentum I have instilled in your consciousness within three days, your martial path can advance further! If you cannot, you may never progress beyond this realm in your lifetime. I only hope, Brother, that you will not hold it against me then!”

Hu Zhongyuan suddenly realized something was amiss. He felt Zong Shou before him transform once more into a roaring tiger, charging furiously.

Though he knew it was an illusion, his spirit could not help but tremble. Instinctively, he prepared to draw his blade. Cold sweat instantly drenched his forehead.

His heart filled with both shock and fear—this Young Lord’s talent in the Martial Dao was terrifyingly supreme. He had learned the Tiger Roar Shakes the Eight Directions, a technique his father had only used once, after just a single glance.

He was even more worried that if he couldn't break this blade momentum within three days, his entire life would be stuck at this current realm?

Then he rallied himself again. Since he cultivated the Martial Dao, he should understand the martial practitioner’s principle of ‘fearlessness.’ How could he lack even this measure of confidence? No matter how difficult, he had to attempt it first.

It was true that in recent years, living in comfort and wielding great power in Qian Tian Mountain City, his sharp edge had indeed dulled—

Seeing Hu Zhongyuan lost in deep thought, Zong Shou nodded approvingly. Suddenly, he let out a piercing cry that echoed across the wilderness. Moments later, a black lion burst forth from the mountain forest.

Zong Shou casually tossed a pill, making it swallow the offering. Then he drew out the Black Wave Sword and began to perform a set of sword techniques before the lion. Seemingly illusory, yet not quite; like mist, like a hazy shadow.

He practiced patiently, repeatedly, without showing any boredom. Only when the Haze Shadow Lion’s eyes gradually cleared did it let out a grateful roar and bound back toward the distant woods, allowing Zong Shou to stop.

A faint smile touched Zong Shou’s face. He had only performed the sequence seven times from beginning to end. This lion was indeed one of the more intelligent types.

Everything here was settled. Next, it was time to address his own matters.

Taking some pills he had brought, Zong Shou packed some dry rations into his pouch. Then he retrieved over a dozen moderately sized wooden planks, fashioned them into a raft, and stepped aboard, gliding across the water’s surface.

He had only traveled about a hundred zhang when Chu Xue surfaced, dripping wet, shouting anxiously, “Young Master, there is a Cold Jiao in Water Lily Lake! Young Master, you must return quickly!”

Zong Shou glanced back but did not stop. He waved his sleeve casually, signaling no need for worry, and his figure abruptly accelerated. The raft beneath his feet left a sharp wake as he sped toward the deeper parts of the lake.

In the blink of an eye, he left Chu Xue far behind.

He mused that if the other two knew where he was heading—near the vicinity where the Cold Jiao slumbered—they would surely be stamping their feet in anxiety right now.

The Water Lily Lake spanned a vast area, fully two thousand li from north to south, containing thousands of lake islands and hidden reefs of varying sizes, densely scattered throughout. The large ones spanned dozens of li, while the smallest were barely a few dozen zhang across.

Zong Shou navigated the raft using his True Force, guided by his memories from the past.

However, the Water Lily Lake of ten thousand years ago was undeniably different from its later iteration. Some islands that existed in later eras had vanished, while some sandbars had not yet fully formed at this time.

Zong Shou searched in the lake for a good half-day before his eyes suddenly lit up. Afterward, he deliberately put on a show, scouting dozens of other larger lake islands, before finally stepping off the raft onto one of them—a lush green island shaped remarkably like a giant axe.

The island spanned about seven li in circumference, dense with bamboo forests. Zong Shou had no interest in appreciating the scenery; his figure shot into the bamboo like a lightning bolt. The next instant, a substantial pool of water appeared before him. The water in the pool was pitch black, like ink, but if one approached the edge and scooped some up for a closer look, they would find the pool utterly clear. If drunk, it tasted sweet and palatable—everything was much as it was in his memory. The only difference was that the spring water at this moment felt slightly cold.

Zong Shou found nothing unusual. At this time, the Cold Jiao had not yet transformed into a dragon and departed. The large island dozens of li away was likely still locked in ice.