In the blink of an eye, half a month had passed since the Seven Great Factions attacked the mountain.
According to Erdan, the Seven Great Factions were now completely subdued and did not dare to act presumptuously again.
Each faction unhesitatingly transported cart after cart of supplies to curry favor with Daoist Dragon Profound.
Within ten-odd days, the Dragon Profound Sect’s mountain gate was completely refurbished, its luxurious pavilions surpassing anything seen before. Although the Seven Great Factions complained incessantly, in order to preserve their lives, they could only grit their teeth and bear it.
During these fourteen days, Erdan also broke through to the second layer of Qi Condensation, becoming the fastest-rising star in the history of the Dragon Profound Sect.
Shu Han’s cultivation, however, stagnated because he remained entirely consumed by the refinement of Clear Spirit Powder.
After fourteen days of grueling practice and countless failures, a complete batch of Clear Spirit Powder was finally refined.
It was fortunate that it was only Clear Spirit Powder; had it been the complex Yellow Dragon Pill, Shu Han would likely still be stranded halfway.
During these days, Mu Wan’er’s condition had worsened significantly.
Shu Han hurried to pour the Clear Spirit Powder into her mouth. Soon, the medicinal efficacy took hold; Mu Wan’er’s complexion improved considerably, and the black threads at her wound receded noticeably, yet she remained unconscious.
Inspecting the wound at her waist once more, he saw that those black threads still lingered stubbornly.
“What a terrifying wound! A single dose of Clear Spirit Powder cannot even dispel it!”
Another sixteen days passed. Shu Han had grown progressively proficient in producing Clear Spirit Powder. After administering nearly ten doses, along with numerous nourishing and restorative spiritual herbs, Mu Wan’er’s condition finally began to mend under his meticulous care.
Since Mu Wan’er was unable to care for herself while unconscious, Shu Han, young though he was, understood the proper boundary between men and women.
Consequently, he managed to procure a large water barrel, immersed Mu Wan’er within it, changed the clean water daily, and added the Cleansing Powder regularly stocked in the Medicine Refining Pavilion to maintain her bodily cleanliness.
Early one morning, as Shu Han arrived at the cave to change the water, Mu Wan’er suddenly opened her eyes.
Scanning her surroundings with terrified eyes, she asked weakly, “Who are you? Where is this?”
Overjoyed to see the sister he had treated for so many days finally awake, Shu Han leaned excitedly over the edge of the barrel and recounted everything that had transpired over the past month.
Upon hearing of Daoist Dragon Profound’s emergence and the defeat of the Seven Great Factions, Mu Wan’er closed her eyes in despair and asked, “You belong to the Dragon Profound Sect-why did you save me? You should have just let me die.
“It is because Sister saved me twice before. My parents taught me since childhood that one must repay kindness.”
Hearing this childish reply, Mu Wan’er’s attitude softened slightly.
“Help me up. I must return down the mountain to the Chaotian Sect!”
Shu Han quickly pressed her down. “No! You are still severely injured and can barely move. If you blindly go down the mountain now, the Dragon Profound Sect will surely capture you, and your life will be forfeit, Sister!”
Sighing, Mu Wan’er felt the profound weakness in her limbs, lacking even the strength to stand, and asked, “Little divine doctor, tell me, how much longer until I recover?”
“The wound is exceptionally stubborn. A full recovery will take at least half a year…”
Looking upward, Mu Wan’er lamented, “Ah, this entire expedition was a mistake from the beginning. Countless Chaotian Sect disciples perished because of me; I have no face left to return…” The source of this chapter is novelping . com.
Torn with hesitation, Shu Han could not help asking, “Sister, you are a good person. Why did you associate with those wild bandits who prey upon the common people?”
Surprised, Mu Wan’er asked, “Who told you we are bandits?”
“Everyone says so!”
“That is because they belong to the Dragon Profound Sect… If we speak of true bandits, the Dragon Profound Sect stands above all others! Yet now they reverse the blame!”
Unconvinced, Shu Han retorted, “Sister, you are talking nonsense! Our village thrives precisely because of the Dragon Profound Sect! In the past, people starved constantly, but after the Dragon Profound Sect arrived, no one went hungry. How can you call them bandits? You are the ones!”
“That is because your village produced a disciple of the Dragon Profound Sect!”
Agitated by the thought, a sharp pain flared across Mu Wan’er’s abdomen.
She smiled bitterly at her own folly, wondering why she was losing her temper with a child.
“Little brother, think for yourself. The Dragon Profound Sect produces not a single grain of grain, yet every recruited disciple consumes boundless wealth, besides the upkeep given to their home village. Where do you think these resources come from? For your single village to eat its fill, more than a dozen other villages must sell their sons and daughters!”
This question left Shu Han struck dumb.
Lying in the wooden barrel, Mu Wan’er murmured softly, “When I was even younger than you, I lived in a village as well. I grew close to another girl, whose father eventually sold her just to scrape together silver for the Hungry Wolf Gang. Before the Dragon Profound Sect was established, vicious as the Hungry Wolf Gang was, they never stooped to such acts.
“Our martial factions indeed possess foul reputations and have oppressed the common people-we cannot deny our wrongs. Yet we were driven to it! If we fail to deliver the massive supplies demanded by the Dragon Profound Sect on schedule, they send men to massacre our sects.
“You hear endlessly of our martial factions preying upon the common people, but have you ever considered where the plundered wealth ultimately flows?
“Our Seven Great Factions are the polluted streams of Northern Yan, but streams eventually run dry. The existence of the Dragon Profound Sect, however, directly pollutes the very source. Even if the Seven Great Factions are destroyed, the Dragon Profound Sect will merely prop up an Eighth and Ninth Faction to continue oppressing the common people. So long as the Dragon Profound Sect remains uneradicated, the chaos in Northern Yan will never cease!
“Regrettably, we lack the strength to pull up this malignant tumor.”
Mu Wan’er closed her eyes in agony.
Shu Han sat in mute silence, finding no words to refute her.
He had listened to villagers praise the Dragon Profound Sect since childhood, naturally assuming its members were benevolent bodhisattvas. He had never imagined so many people hated the sect to their bones.
Caught between truth and falsehood, the young boy’s mind fell into profound confusion.
Staring at Shu Han’s thoughtful face, Mu Wan’er said, “Little brother, you belong to the Dragon Profound Sect, and I do not wish to owe you an unrequited debt. Tell me what you desire, and I shall do my utmost to grant it.
“I…”
Shu Han paused for a moment before blurting out:
“I want to learn martial arts!”
Even Mu Wan’er was stunned by the reply. Find the original chapter at g.com.
“Are you not a cultivator? Why study martial arts?”
The memory of Immortal Master Zhang’s death remained fresh in his mind.
Shu Han believed that cultivators relied too heavily on techniques, disdaining physical conditioning, which made their movements rigid and vulnerable in close quarters. If he mastered martial arts as well, he would possess an extra fallback option when facing danger.
Shu Han answered, “I think that whether it is martial arts or techniques, anything useful is a good thing. Would you be willing to teach me, Sister?”
Her expression melted into an amused smile.
“Your reasoning is sound. Cultivators hold themselves above all others and look down on martial artists. Yet in this recent battle, countless immortal masters perished at the hands of martial practitioners. Facts prove that our martial arts are far from worthless. Since you possess such insight, then to repay your life-saving grace, I shall impart the Chaotian Sword Art to you.”
Mu Wan’er passed down two distinct arts.
The first was the Chaotian Sword Art for combat; the second was the movement technique known as Wandering Cloud Steps.
From that day onward, Shu Han carved out two hours daily to visit the valley cave and study martial arts under her guidance.
Martial cultivation placed grueling demands upon the physical body.
Consuming Purple Cloud Zhi daily to temper his physique, Shu Han developed physical strength that far surpassed others of his age.
Coupled with his sharp intelligence, he quickly integrated and thoroughly understood the techniques Mu Wan’er explained, often able to infer three things from one.
In a short span, he mastered every movement she taught.
Pleasantly surprised, Mu Wan’er patted his head and praised, “I never imagined you possessed such natural talent for martial arts!”
Thus the days flowed by, and more than half a year passed in silence.
Taller and sturdier now, Shu Han had successfully comprehended the method for refining Yellow Dragon Pills over the past six months, beginning to brew them in large quantities to advance his cultivation.
After swallowing an untold number of pills over half a year, his cultivation smoothly reached the peak of the second layer of Qi Condensation, matching Erdan.
Yet he dared not reveal his true progress.
For a youth with Five Spirit Roots to match a Dual Spirit Root genius heavily backed by the sect-even a fool would suspect foul play.
During this period, Shu Han thoroughly mastered medicinal principles and presented his progress to his master.
Delighted, the Second Elder immediately rewarded him with several advanced pill formulas-including the Qi-Fusing Pill he had long craved-and permitted him to observe the entire alchemy process while offering occasional guidance on crucial details.
Only then did Shu Han truly understand that ten years of blind practice fell short of a single year under an accomplished master.
With the Second Elder’s pointers and an endless supply of herbs for practice, Shu Han’s pill-refining skill progressed by leaps and bounds, drastically increasing his success rate with the Yellow Dragon Pill.
When the Yellow Dragon Pill no longer challenged his abilities, he began experimenting with the more advanced Qi-Fusing Pill.
As his martial arts advanced step by step and his cultivation rose in tandem, Shu Han found a deep sense of stability in these passing days.