Heavenly Sword Saint
The moment Jian Chen stepped beneath the trees...
The atmosphere changed.
The sounds of Moonriver City gradually disappeared behind him.
Only the rustling of leaves and the distant cries of birds remained.
A cool breeze passed through the forest.
Jian Chen slowed his footsteps and carefully observed his surroundings.
The Azure Wind Mountains were much larger than they appeared from the city.
Trees stood everywhere, their branches spreading across the sky and blocking portions of the sunlight.
Wild grass covered the ground.
Vines wrapped around some of the trunks.
Occasionally, Jian Chen could sense faint traces of spiritual energy coming from deeper within the mountains.
He didn't rush.
His current body was still recovering.
More importantly, he had come here with a purpose.
He needed medicinal herbs.
Opening a new meridian was an extremely painful process.
Even with the first level of the Heavenly Sword Scripture strengthening his body, Jian Chen knew he couldn't recklessly force his body through the process.
The stronger and healthier his body was...
The greater his chances of successfully opening another meridian.
Therefore, before attempting to open more meridians, he needed resources that could strengthen his body and improve his recovery.
Fortunately...
He possessed the knowledge of his previous life.
That alone gave him a huge advantage.
After walking for nearly half an hour...
Jian Chen suddenly stopped.
His gaze fell upon a small patch of grass beside a tree.
A small green plant grew between two stones.
Three narrow leaves.
A faint spiritual fluctuation surrounded it.
Jian Chen crouched down.
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"Moonlight Grass."
It wasn't particularly rare.
But it possessed useful medicinal properties.
It could help stabilize the blood and accelerate recovery from minor injuries.
Jian Chen carefully dug it from the soil and placed it inside his cloth bag.
"Not bad."
He continued forward.
Soon...
He found another herb.
Then another.
Most were ordinary medicinal plants.
However, Jian Chen recognized several that could be combined together to produce much better medicinal effects.
His knowledge from his previous life was proving extremely useful.
An herb that others might overlook could possess considerable value in his hands.
Several hours passed.
The cloth bag gradually became heavier.
Jian Chen didn't harvest everything.
He only collected mature herbs.
The younger plants were left untouched.
There was no reason to destroy the mountain's future supply.
As he continued deeper...
His footsteps suddenly stopped.
The forest became strangely quiet.
The birds that had been calling moments earlier disappeared.
Jian Chen's hand slowly moved toward the wooden sword at his waist.
Something was nearby.
He remained still.
His eyes swept across the trees.
Nothing.
Then...
Rustle!
A bush several meters away shook.
Jian Chen's eyes narrowed.
A gray shadow suddenly burst from it.
Woosh!
Sharp claws tore through the air.
Jian Chen stepped sideways.
The claws passed within inches of his chest.
The beast landed several meters away.
Jian Chen finally saw it clearly.
A gray-furred wolf.
Its body was larger than an ordinary wolf.
Its muscles were tightly packed.
Its eyes glowed with a faint green light.
A low growl came from its throat.
Jian Chen immediately recognized it.
"Wind Fang Wolf."
A First-Rank Spirit Beast.
Spirit beasts followed a cultivation system completely separate from humans.
Each major rank was divided into three stages:
Early Stage.
Middle Stage.
Late Stage.
The Wind Fang Wolf before him was at the Early Stage of the First Rank.
Even though it was only an Early First-Rank Spirit Beast, its physical strength was already far beyond that of an ordinary beast.
Its claws were sharp enough to injure an unprepared cultivator.
Its speed was also considerably greater than an ordinary wolf.
Jian Chen calmly studied it.
"So this is the strength of an Early First-Rank Spirit Beast."
The wolf lowered its body.
Then...
It attacked again.
Woosh!
Its speed was surprisingly fast.
Jian Chen didn't retreat.
His hand grasped the wooden sword.
Clang!
The sword left its sheath.
He stepped forward and swung.
Bang!
The wooden sword struck the wolf's front leg.
The beast was forced sideways.
But it didn't fall.
Instead...
It twisted in midair and opened its jaws.
The wolf bit toward Jian Chen's throat.
Jian Chen tilted his head.
Its teeth passed beside his face.
At the same time...
His left foot stepped forward.
His body turned.
The wooden sword swept toward the wolf's ribs.
Bang!
The beast crashed onto the ground.
It immediately struggled to rise.
Jian Chen raised his sword.
But he didn't strike.
He stepped backward.
The Wind Fang Wolf slowly stood.
Its eyes became even more vicious.
Jian Chen looked at it thoughtfully.
He could kill it.
That much was obvious.
But there was no reason to end the battle so quickly.
He hadn't come here only to gather herbs.
He needed to polish his sword technique.
His cultivation might have only recently returned to the early stages...
But his understanding of the Sword Dao had never disappeared.
His current body, however, was completely different from the one he had possessed in his previous life.
His strength was different.
His speed was different.
His physical endurance was different.
Even his balance had changed.
He needed to adapt.
Jian Chen lowered his wooden sword slightly.
"Come."
The Wind Fang Wolf charged.
This time...
Jian Chen didn't attack immediately.
He watched.
He waited until the last possible moment.
The wolf's claws swept toward his chest.
Jian Chen moved half a step.
The claws passed beside him.
His wooden sword gently tapped the wolf's shoulder.
Bang!
The beast staggered.
Jian Chen didn't pursue.
Instead...
He waited again.
The wolf attacked.
Jian Chen dodged.
His sword moved.
A light strike.
Then another.
He wasn't trying to kill the wolf.
He was refining his movements.
The sword technique he was using was called the Flowing Cloud Sword Art.
It was a sword technique Jian Chen had created and continuously refined during his previous life.
Its principle was simple.
Don't meet force with force.
Move like flowing clouds.
Every movement should connect naturally with the next.
The user would evade an opponent's attack, redirect its momentum, and strike during the opening created by that movement.
It focused on footwork, timing, flexibility, and precision rather than overwhelming power.
At its highest level, the sword movements could become so natural that it would be difficult to determine where one attack ended and the next began.
But Jian Chen couldn't display that level now.
His current body wouldn't allow it.
For now...
He was rebuilding the foundation.
Step.
Turn.
Deflect.
Strike.
Withdraw.
Again.
The Wind Fang Wolf attacked.
Jian Chen shifted his body.
Its claws passed beside his shoulder.
His wooden sword lightly struck the wolf's side.
The beast stumbled.
Jian Chen stepped away.
Again.
The wolf attacked.
Again...
Jian Chen dodged.
His sword moved.
His movements gradually became smoother.
His steps became lighter.
His timing became sharper.
"Too slow."
Jian Chen shifted sideways.
The wolf's claws passed his chest.
"Too much force."
His wooden sword redirected the attack.
"Footwork needs adjustment."
He stepped backward.
The wolf charged again.
This time...
Jian Chen moved before the attack fully developed.
His wooden sword flashed.
Bang!
The sword struck the wolf beneath its jaw.
The Wind Fang Wolf staggered backward.
Jian Chen's eyes brightened.
"Much better."
He continued.
Another exchange.
Then another.
The Wind Fang Wolf gradually became exhausted.
Jian Chen, however...
Was becoming increasingly comfortable.
His movements were no longer stiff.
His wooden sword seemed to flow naturally through the air.
The final exchange came.
The Wind Fang Wolf suddenly leaped.
Its claws descended toward Jian Chen.
Jian Chen's eyes became sharp.
He stepped forward instead of retreating.
His body turned.
The wooden sword followed the movement.
One smooth motion.
Bang!
The sword struck the beast beneath its jaw.
The wolf flew backward.
It crashed onto the ground.
This time...
It didn't rise.
Silence returned to the forest.
Jian Chen lowered his wooden sword.
He stood quietly for several breaths.
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"The Flowing Cloud Sword Art..."
"Much better."
The battle had been valuable.
He had tested his current physical strength.
He had adjusted his footwork.
Most importantly...
He had begun adapting his sword technique to his current body.
The knowledge of the Flowing Cloud Sword Art was already engraved within his mind.
What he needed now was to make his current body capable of displaying it.
Jian Chen walked toward the fallen Wind Fang Wolf.
He carefully collected its useful materials.
Its fur.
Its teeth.
Its blood.
And finally...
Its beast core.
Although it was only the core of an Early First-Rank Spirit Beast, it still contained spiritual energy.
Jian Chen stored it inside his bag.
Then he cleaned his wooden sword and continued deeper into the mountains.
He hadn't gone far when his footsteps suddenly stopped.
His gaze fell upon a rocky cliff.
A faint purple glow could be seen between several rocks.
Jian Chen immediately walked toward it.
The closer he got...
The stronger the medicinal fragrance became.
He crouched down.
Between the rocks grew a small purple plant.
Three leaves.
A dark red stem.
Tiny veins of purple light ran through the leaves.
Jian Chen's eyes brightened.
"Purple Blood Grass."
This was exactly the kind of herb he needed.
Purple Blood Grass could strengthen the blood and improve the body's ability to recover.
When combined with other medicinal ingredients...
It could be used to prepare a medicinal bath capable of strengthening his physique.
Jian Chen carefully removed it from the soil.
He made sure not to damage the roots.
Then he placed it inside his bag.
"With this..."
"I can prepare something useful."
He stood.
But just as he turned...
Roar!
A terrifying roar suddenly echoed through the forest.
The sound shook the surrounding trees.
Leaves fell from several branches.
Birds scattered into the sky.
Jian Chen's expression instantly became serious.
That roar...
Was completely different from the Wind Fang Wolf.
A powerful pressure spread through the forest.
Boom.
A heavy footstep sounded.
Boom.
Another.
The ground trembled faintly.
Something enormous was approaching.
Jian Chen's combat instincts immediately awakened.
A massive figure slowly emerged between the trees.
A black-furred bear.
Its body was nearly twice the height of an ordinary man.
Its muscles were enormous.
Its claws were as sharp as blades.
A dark spiritual aura surrounded its body.
Jian Chen's pupils contracted.
"Black Iron Bear."
A Second-Rank Spirit Beast.
His expression changed.
Unlike the Wind Fang Wolf...
This was an opponent he couldn't fight.
Spirit beast ranks were separate from human cultivation, but their overall levels still represented an enormous difference in strength.
A Second-Rank Spirit Beast was comparable to the strength of cultivators who had entered the second major realm of human cultivation.
And this Black Iron Bear...
Wasn't even at the early stage of the Second Rank.
"Middle Stage..."
Jian Chen's face became solemn.
His current strength was nowhere near enough.
Even his Flowing Cloud Sword Art couldn't bridge such an enormous gap.
If he fought this beast head-on...
He would die.
There was no hesitation in Jian Chen's mind.
He turned around.
Run!
The Black Iron Bear immediately noticed his movement.
Roar!
It charged.
Boom!
The ground shook violently.
Jian Chen pushed his body to its limit.
His figure shot between the trees.
Behind him...
The Black Iron Bear continued its pursuit.
Boom!
A tree was smashed apart.
Jian Chen's expression remained calm.
He didn't look back.
He knew exactly what he was doing.
Running wasn't cowardice.
Knowing when not to fight was part of survival.
In his previous life, he had survived countless dangerous situations because he understood this principle.
A cultivator who fought every battle regardless of the difference in strength...
Wouldn't live long enough to reach the peak.
Jian Chen moved through the forest at full speed.
Branches whipped against his clothes.
Leaves flew behind him.
The roar of the Black Iron Bear continued to echo through the trees.
But Jian Chen didn't panic.
He carefully changed directions repeatedly.
He knew that some spirit beasts relied heavily on their physical strength.
If he could create enough distance...
He could escape.
After several minutes...
The roar behind him gradually became weaker.
Jian Chen didn't slow down immediately.
He continued running.
Only after he was certain the Black Iron Bear was no longer pursuing him did he finally stop.
He leaned against a tree and took several deep breaths.
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"That was close."
He looked toward the direction from which he had come.
The Black Iron Bear was far beyond his current ability to defeat.
But Jian Chen wasn't discouraged.
Instead...
His eyes became even more determined.
"One day..."
"I'll be able to face a beast like that without needing to run."
He touched the cloth bag hanging from his waist.
Inside were several medicinal herbs.
Including the Purple Blood Grass.
This journey hadn't been wasted.
He had gathered herbs.
He had obtained a First-Rank beast core.
And most importantly...
He had polished the foundation of his Flowing Cloud Sword Art.
Jian Chen looked deeper into the mountains.
He had originally planned to stay longer.
But after encountering the Second-Rank Spirit Beast...
He decided to return.
His current strength wasn't enough to explore deeper.
There was no need to take unnecessary risks.
He turned toward Moonriver City.
The sun was already beginning to descend.
Jian Chen's figure slowly disappeared among the trees.
He didn't know that this seemingly ordinary hunt...
Would become the beginning of something much larger.