Lin Xi calmly and steadily fired the three sacks of arrows, and then began to descend the mountain.

He didn’t know that a secret agent like Zuo Qingqiu was observing his archery, nor did he know that the powerful archer from Three Reeds Peak was currently waiting for him in an alley.

However, after his discussion with the academy’s black-robed lecturer Guo Fangying that night, he already understood that there were still many mistakes in the way he handled his own matters.

After his battle with Thunder Academy, the emperor and imperial princess both already believed that he was a cultivator with Windstalker potential. However, in the massive Yunqin Empire, there were still many powers that restricted the emperor, and they didn’t necessarily always agree with the emperor. Meanwhile, among these powers, some of them were Lin Xi’s enemies.

Ever since that night, Lin Xi knew that his name might formally appear in the files of many influential officials. If he wanted to hide his greatest secrets, he had to listen to Vice Principal Xia’s instructions that day, to reveal some secrets others already felt was proof enough, causing them to make incorrect judgments.

That was why normally, even if Zuo Qingqiu’s tracking abilities were even greater, even if the sensitivity of the powerful archer who tried to stop Lin Xi was sharper, he might still not have a chance to see Lin Xi’s archery cultivation.

The weeks of cultivation without any sunlight in Dragon Light Quarry not only allowed Lin Xi to make a great cultivation breakthrough, it also brought Lin Xi some insights.

He gained insights regarding Glorious King Destroys Restraints, gained insights towards the world’s vital energy and runes, gained insights towards his own deepest secrets and cultivation speed.

Previously, Lin Xi didn’t know that Vice Principal Xia and Xiao Mingxuan in Ailao Rear Mountain already judged that his cultivation speed was extremely fast. This fast speed of cultivation wasn’t only in terms of his grasp over martial skill, it also included his speed of soul force cultivation. It was precisely because his soul force cultivation was fast, together with his ‘two bowl of water’ potential noticed by Xiao Mingxuan, that Vice Principal Xia and Xiao Mingxuan judged him to be the same ‘Divine General’ as Principal Zhang.

Previously, Lin Xi always felt like he was just ‘two bowls of water’, so his cultivation speed wasn’t that fast.

Since the clash between Green Luan Academy and Thunder Academy consisted of only Yunqin Empire’s greatest geniuses, that was why the cultivation levels of the opponents Lin Xi encountered all far surpassed his own. Helan Yuexi, Gao Yanan and the others’ cultivation speeds gave him a type of misconception.

However, after cultivating in Dragon Light Quarry for two weeks, he instead understood that his cultivation speed was really… really fast.

When facing terrifying situations of life and death… when the true threat of death approached, the human heart would pump out blood much more powerfully than normal, their internal organs would secrete hormones that normally wouldn’t be secreted, soul force would erupt with even greater force in the body. One’s perception will become even sharper, capturing energies they normally couldn’t sense. Even cultivators who haven’t reached late stage Soul Expert level, when the true threat of death arrived, even their hairs would stand on end.

Under these types of conditions, these things, together with the tempering of the mind, would allow a cultivator to obtain far more benefits when cultivating than normal.

Meanwhile, when one was pushed past their limit, pumping out several times the amount of blood as normal, hormones released from one’s internal organs, soul force surging within the body… all of these things had some repercussions. It was like burning one’s life force and potential ahead of time, so a cultivator’s mind and body would inevitably become weak for a long time afterwards.

If this continued for a long time, regardless of whether it was body or spirit, they would directly collapse.

That was why very few people dared cultivate with the true threat of death. Even if it was Helan Yuexi who was previously cultivating above the snow line, there was no way he could always do this. That was why Helan Yuexi who felt like he was the most ambitious and ruthless figure of a generation like Respected Cangyue, the moment he saw Lin Xi cultivate just like him, he immediately set his resolution to kill.

However, Lin Xi wasn’t a normal cultivator, he had the ten halts rewind ability, able to restore his body’s condition to before he used this type of method to cultivate. Moreover, in his head, he remembered his experiences during that period, able to reach a state one couldn’t reach through normal cultivation.

Green Luan Academy’s cultivation methods focused on soul force to begin with, using soul force to then slowly modify the body. This was completely different from Great Mang’s Thousand Devil Nest and Purgatory Mountain’s cultivators who first refined the body, then used soul force to support the body, a path that prioritized body refinement.

The faster spirit and willpower increased, the faster one’s cultivation increased when cultivating with Green Luan Academy’s methods.

That was why when he walked out from the mountains with a cluster of orchids in hand, Lin Xi even felt like that middle-aged uncle who left Central Continent Imperial City, the reason why he entered Heaven Ascension Mountain Range, the reason why he chose Green Luan Academy, this might be one of the core reasons.

He came from the same place as Principal Zhang… two bowls of water… cultivation speed extremely fast… these were his deepest secrets. Compared to his Windstalker identity and even the Glorious King Destroys Restraints, they couldn’t even really be considered mysteries.

…

In reality, during these past few days, what Lin Xi trained wasn’t only archery, but rather soul force cultivation and sword skills.

His soul force’s power was already enough to seep into his hairs, reaching late stage Soul Expert level. From the teachings of some Green Luan lecturers and descriptions in ancient records, he already understood clearly that as long as he made a bit more progress in his cultivation, the soul force in his dantian would no longer feel like streams, instead become like droplets of sparkling liquid.

When used, these drops of liquid stored within his dantian would turn into even more powerful, more berserk vital energy.

The soul force at this time, could already pass through the body, enter the runes of the wielded weapons.

This was precisely the Soul Master level, also known as the enhancement level.

The human body was a vessel. Meanwhile, soul weapons were also vessels for soul force.

Before soul force poured in, soul weapons were dead. The runes were like dry vessels. After soul force was poured in, these vessels would swirl with blood, the soul force would thus revive.

Right now, regardless of whether it was the Daybreak Longsword or Divine Pear Longbow, in Lin Xi’s hands, they were dead objects.

Without reaching the enhancement level, soul weapons, in a cultivator’s hands, were merely ordinary weapons that were made of slightly better, not as easy to break materials.

Enhancement level, this was an extremely important dividing line.

Right now, Lin Xi already stood in front of this dividing line.

…

Lin Xi descended the mountain with a wooden chest on his back. He saw the white jade faced, meager looking middle-aged man who was standing on a weed covered alley, this meager middle-aged man also seeing Lin Xi’s real appearance for the first time.

Lin Xi frowned slightly, because after this Martial Sector official’s eyes scanned over his body, they stopped over his ten fingers, as if they saw something from them. Moreover, this meager middle-aged man’s eyes were exceptionally sharp.

Because the other party was looking at his hands, Lin Xi couldn’t help but look at the other party’s hands. Then, he could see his thick calluses and abnormally thick finger joints, as well as several deep gashes accumulated throughout the years.

“I am Ming Qiuchi, the archer who tried to stop you in Three Reeds Peak. At the time, my arrow smashed through the pine tree you were hiding behind, but I didn’t know if it inflicted any injuries upon you.” At this time, this meager middle-aged man’s eyes returned to Lin Xi’s face, calmly speaking. When he saw that Lin Xi’s brows clearly furrowed, he then calmly added, “I know that you won’t admit that it was you… so you can just treat my words like I’m telling a story.”

Lin Xi’s furrowed brows didn’t loosen. He looked at this powerful archer who left him with an extremely deep impression and asked, “Why did you seek me out?”

Ming Qiuchi looked at the hint of enmity and reservation in Lin Xi’s eyes, saying with a smile, “That night, I was only carrying out orders, I didn’t know who you were… this time, I came merely out of orders to bring you your award document.”

Lin Xi’s brows loosened. He curled his lips and said, “They really moved fast this time.”

Ming Qiuchi also chuckled, saying, “It seems like you aren’t too concerned… nor are you that worried.”

Lin Xi looked at him and said, “It seems like you don’t seem to bear much enmity against me.”

It was as if the two were continuously cracking at some type of puzzle. However, Ming Qiuchi’s expression instead became more and more joyful, saying with a smile, “Yunqin’s royal court still has many people who not only don’t bear any malice against Green Luan Academy’s core disciples, but instead carry extremely favorable impressions of them.”

“Green Luan Academy’s core disciples?” Lin Xi said, “What does this mean?”

Ming Qiuchi looked at Lin Xi and said with a profound tone, “They are precisely students who have received powerful inheritances from Green Luan Academy. I believe you understand even more clearly than me that in Green Luan Academy, only those who acknowledge certain beliefs have a chance of receiving some of Green Luan Academy’s powerful inheritances. Sometimes, this has nothing to do with aptitude.”

Lin Xi chuckled. “You seem to understand this even more clearly than me. However, since you aren’t the type to carry enmity against me, why then is it instead you who was sent here to bring me my award document?”

Ming Qiuchi spoke in an even more meaningful and profound manner, “It is because it was convenient… Originally, I was an official under Judicial Sector, but after that night, because we failed to capture you, there isn’t much good that awaits almost all of those who participated in Three Reeds Peak’s encirclement. I am now already a member of the military, I will also need to report to Dragon Snake Border Pass soon after this.”

Lin Xi stared blankly for a moment, and then immediately said apologetically, “Sorry about that… However, the ‘also’ you used really is a bit too much of a coincidence.”

Ming Qiuchi laughed again and said, “It’s good that you’ve already prepared yourself.”

Lin Xi shook his head and said, “Your archery skills are quite good. I’ve always been thinking to myself, at the time, the distance between us should have exceeded four hundred steps. When I was hidden in the forest, according to normal reasoning, you shouldn’t have been able to see me at all. Just how did you shoot so accurately?”

Ming Qiuchi said with a smile, “Are you willing to learn?”

Lin Xi sized up Ming Qiuchi, as if he wanted to see something from his face. “You’re willing to teach?”

Ming Qiuchi nodded decisively. “If you are willing to learn, I am willing to teach.”

Lin Xi also immediately nodded decisively, “Then I’ll naturally first learn and see for myself.”

Ming Qiuchi felt more and more that Lin Xi was interesting, starting to smile in an even happier manner. He produced a small jade case from his sleeves.

Within this half palm-sized ordinary white jade case were five fine silver needles that not even a secret agent could see clearly through a Hawkeye.

Previous Chapter

Next Chapter