Decaying World

Yun Xiazi looked around, spotting the traces of terrain changes at a glance.

"Someone suddenly ran over to ask me if I had accepted a disciple in the Outer City. It was strange—actually, a very strange question. Because there are far too many geniuses with high aptitude in the Inner City, no one would run to the Outer City to take a disciple. If it were anyone else, it would be absolutely impossible. But if it were me, then it is indeed possible. Because I am precisely that kind of willful person."

"May I ask Your Excellency's identity...?" Lin Hui's tone became slightly more cautious.

"What use is identity?" Yun Xiazi asked in return. "When strength is sufficient, identity naturally follows. So... can you tell me how you perfected and created those sword techniques?"

An ordinary martial artist might look at the Seven-Section Swift Sword and Nine-Section Swift Sword and think they were simply stronger versions after perfection, with limited power.

But Yun Xiazi was different. As a figure at the pinnacle of the martial arts field in Tuyue City, he saw at a glance the complexity and difficulty involved in these two martial arts. Or rather, the terror of them.

To perfect and optimize two ordinary External Martial Arts to this degree—Yun Xiazi asked himself and knew he could not do it.

The amount of engineering required was simply too vast.

That was why he had been willing to wait so long, just to meet Lin Hui, the founder, in person.

"I just felt that some parts were uncoordinated, and then I relied on my feelings to slowly adjust them," Lin Hui answered calmly. Naturally, he could not mention the existence of the Blood Seal. So, to the outside world, he could only answer in this way. "Feeling? That isn't bad. Back in the day, I also felt things were wrong before I took action to create my own martial arts." Unexpectedly, Yun Xiazi actually accepted this explanation.

Then, he looked at the Ruyi sword in Lin Hui's hand.

That sword was indeed as the Benevolent Heart Sect had said—very wrong and very sharp. He had never seen such material in any district.

"Can you teach me the Clear Wind Temple's sword technique?" He suddenly smiled again. "I can allow you to use my name and be my disciple."

"...Aren't Your Excellency's feelings about yourself a bit too grand?" Lin Hui showed a trace of displeasure. He still didn’t know who this person was, but speaking so arrogantly at their very first meeting was inevitably off-putting.

"Do you want to fight?" Yun Xiazi chuckled. "Draw your sword and attack me. I’ll stand right here and won’t dodge."

"..."

Lin Hui had only just managed to suppress his Purgatory aura. The Internal Force in his body churned like boiling lava; if he relaxed his focus for even a moment, the polluted aura would leak out. How could he dare to attack so recklessly?

At this point, even he no longer knew how much stronger he had become. His strength and physique had always been boosted by special effects and sword techniques; his Body Tempering merely increased the efficiency with which he drew upon unknown external powers.

In terms of his raw physical quality, the improvement was actually not that great. Only from the Clear Wind Sword Technique onward had his body seen any noticeable amplification.

In essence, what truly accelerated his speed was the Wild Wind Sword Technique. But that art mainly provided auxiliary enhancement to other aspects; by itself, it did not add much.

Now, however, the devouring slaughter brought by Purgatory-ization had caused his strength and recovery to soar in just a few short days.

Although he had not formally tested it, he roughly estimated that his strength had increased at least fivefold.

On top of that, he also carried a weapon of destruction: the Nine Eyes. He had already tested the Spirit-Sealing Array’s power. It was terrifying. A Mist monster like the Howling Giant—something that even a High Divine Officer could only barely withstand—had been firmly sealed at the array’s previous intensity.

And now, the spirit he had sealed inside for the second time was significantly stronger than the first. To charge the Nine Eyes, he had specifically gone to capture only High-Threat, peak-level Purgatory-transformed spirits.

Among them, he had even superimposed the former Howling Giant’s spirit…

"You’re hesitating?" Yun Xiazi raised an eyebrow. "Afraid you’ll hurt me? Or afraid you’ll reveal something?" He had accurately guessed what was on Lin Hui’s mind.

"My current state is a bit… special," Lin Hui admitted without denial.

"Interesting… You’re far more interesting than I imagined before I came here." Yun Xiazi laughed softly. "I’m very curious about your martial arts. How about this: you and I make a fair exchange. You teach me one martial art, and I’ll teach you one in return. How does that sound?"

"My martial arts are sufficient for cultivation. I do not need yours. As for teaching you martial arts—enter my Clear Wind Temple sect, and you will naturally be taught," Lin Hui said calmly.

"You want me to join your sect?" Yun Xiazi froze, as if he had just heard something unbelievable.

"Your Excellency can have one of your juniors enter my Clear Wind Temple," Lin Hui suggested.

"I’ve never married, and I have no children—no juniors at all," Yun Xiazi said with a laugh. "Interesting. I can see your confidence is immense, but it doesn’t matter. I, Yun Xia, have never cared about the trash opinions of the outside world. Just you wait."

Shua!

In the next instant, he disappeared from where he stood, leaving not even a ripple of movement behind.

Lin Hui only caught a vague blur shooting off into the distance at an astonishing speed; he couldn’t make out the figure at all.

A jolt ran through him. This man was most likely an old monster from the Inner City.

When did I attract the attention of a monster of this level? Could it be the other force observing me that the Benevolent Heart Sect mentioned?

Standing in place, he composed himself. He didn't wait for Yun Xia to return, so he breathed a sigh of relief and turned to return to the Clear Wind Temple.

But after taking only a few steps, he stopped.

Now that my strength has greatly increased, the Nine Eyes are fully charged, and I have Purgatory-ization in hand, why must I still be so passive, waiting for others to make a move before I counter?

He gripped the hilt of Ruyi; the massive, surging energy in his heart was like fire with nowhere to vent.

Threats should be nipped in the bud...

The surging flames of energy caused faint traces of red light to flash deep within Lin Hui's eyes.

But after surging for only a few seconds, he immediately reacted and forcibly suppressed the urge in his heart.

Sure enough, it's starting to affect me... No, I must strengthen my mind-spirit cultivation. The progress of the False Enactment Art is still too slow...

Cultivating the False Enactment Art every day gave him a distinct feeling that his will and mind-spirit were becoming stronger, but this speed of strengthening was far inferior to the speed of his other martial arts.

This method was a cumulative martial art that required build-up over days and months, making it take a long time to show results.

Its prototype came from the preparatory techniques for Call-cultivation; Called Ones were the same, having to be slowly nurtured from a young age. Only after several years could they attempt the Call ceremony.

Suppressing the impulse in his heart, Lin Hui knew it was not yet the time to expose himself. The Clear River Sect was a threat; if he had intelligence on them, he would naturally dare to go to their door and kill them. But right now, he didn't even know where they were located or where to strike. Striking out blindly would only expose himself and be meaningless.

The False Enactment Art and the Typhoon Sword Technique both needed time... He was still young and not in a rush...

Gripping the sword hilt tightly, Lin Hui looked up at the sky, and then, with a shua, he also vanished from his spot.

…

After resolving the Purgatory-transformed cluster, the surrounding Outer City and Mist Zone became much more stable.

Lin Hui also returned to his life of bitter cultivation, day after day.

Time flew by.

In the blink of an eye, a year passed...

Clear Wind Temple was calm and tranquil. New disciples constantly broke through to the Internal Force Realm. Among the top ten, only two were not Internal Force martial artists; the other eight had all broken through without exception.

The power of the Clear Wind Sword Technique's Body Tempering began to show its potential.

And in daily interactions with surrounding forces, the disciples below the top ten consistently displayed combat power far sturdier than the Clear Wind Temple of the past during occasional spars and righteous brawls.

This year allowed Clear Wind Temple's reputation to gradually cross the immediate area and spread toward towns further away.

And after contacting Long Ji, Lin Hui formally received a silver tablet representing his identity, carved with his code name—Four Faces.

After joining, the first three familiarization missions were very simple: either helping settle special personnel from the Outer City or helping collect some relatively difficult-to-find medicinal and pill formulas.

Lin Hui completed them one by one and finally entered the stage of waiting for formal missions.

And it was during this wait that the siblings, Lin Wuhai and Lin Wuyue, proposed the idea of leaving.

In the residence behind Clear Wind Temple, inside the banquet hall.

Lin Hui looked at Lin Wuhai and Lin Wuyue, who were kneeling on one knee with resolute expressions, and frowned slightly.

"You are still young. Why do you have this thought? If you leave now, where will you go? What will you do? If the Clear River Sect finds you again, how will you respond? Have you thought about all of this?"

"Master, we have thought it through," Lin Wuhai answered in a deep voice. "The hatred for the murder of one's parents is irreconcilable. Disciple has now completed Body Tempering with the Clear Wind Sword Technique, and I have successfully finished cultivating the two secret arts. My strength cannot be improved again in a short time. If I continue to stay in the temple, I do not know how many years it will take to reach the next stage. Rather than suffering slowly, it is better to go with my sister to the Mist Zone and give it a try. My family ancestor once left a mark deep in the Mist Zone, upon the Jade Sea. That is a reserve family treasury. This was the confidence my parents had when they dared to lead everyone to migrate away back then. Pity..."

Lin Wuhai confessed with complete candor, disregarding his sister's pulling at his side, and revealed the matter of the family treasury in its entirety.

"In other words, your family treasury has things that can let you become strong quickly, so you plan to risk going there?" Lin Hui understood.

"Exactly." Lin Wuhai nodded.

"Then what about the Wild Wind Sword Technique? You aren't learning it?" Lin Hui asked with a frown.

"Disciple... has dull aptitude..." When Lin Wuhai mentioned this, a look of helplessness immediately appeared on his face.

After finishing the Clear Wind Sword Body Tempering, his movement speed had increased tremendously. Superimposed with Circulation Internal Force, his strength could even be compared to his sister, a High-Tier Called One.

But after he started cultivating the Wild Wind Sword Technique... the pain and tribulations arrived...

The Wild Wind Sword Technique relied on weaving a special Web to attract external power to transform into wild wind.

The problem was that his Web was woven from other martial arts. Even if the Clear Wind Sword Technique Body Tempering was completed, it only improved part of the Web's structure.

Cultivating the Wild Wind Sword Technique on this foundation—the difficulty was simply stacked to the limit.

After trying for more than a month, constantly getting injured during cultivation every few days, Lin Wuhai helplessly decided to give up.

"Since you have made up your mind, I won't stop you." Lin Hui sighed. He took a money pouch from his waist and tossed it over.

"Go buy some things you need for the road. Also, if you encounter any danger in the future and have nowhere to go, remember to return to Clear Wind Temple. As long as I am still here, protecting you for a time will not be a problem."

Lin Wuhai caught the money pouch and knocked his head on the ground three times with a heavy bang bang bang.

"Thank you, Master!"

The sister at his side also kowtowed gently.

"Many thanks to the Temple Master for taking us in for this year and more. If one day my Tao family rises again, we will definitely not forget your grace!"

Lin Hui waved his hand and turned away, not looking back at the two.

He had planned to cultivate Tao Xuehai into a core disciple. But human destiny always holds its share of the unpredictable…

A moment later, he sighed softly and turned around again; the two figures were already gone.

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