Heavenly Sword Saint
The old courtyard was quiet.
Morning sunlight passed through the branches of the ancient tree, scattering golden light across the stone ground.
Jian Chen sat beneath the tree with his eyes closed.
Spiritual energy circulated slowly through his body.
The Heavenly Sword Scripture moved naturally through his meridians, guiding the spiritual energy into his flesh and bones.
Every circulation brought a faint warmth.
His body was gradually becoming stronger.
After several cycles...
Jian Chen opened his eyes.
His gaze was calm.
But his mind was occupied with another matter.
Opening another meridian.
The thought had remained in his mind since he left the Spirit Gathering Pavilion.
The Heavenly Sword Scripture had already proven that it could accomplish something Jian Chen had once believed impossible.
It could force open meridians that had been permanently sealed since birth.
But that ability came with an enormous burden.
Opening a meridian wasn't ordinary cultivation.
The natural blockage inside the meridian had to be forcibly broken apart by the sword qi produced by the Heavenly Sword Scripture.
The pain was terrifying.
Even Jian Chen's willpower couldn't completely ignore it.
And the stronger the blockage became...
The greater the burden placed upon his body.
Jian Chen lowered his eyes.
"I can't continue recklessly."
He had no fear of pain.
But pain wasn't the problem.
His body was.
If he attempted to open another meridian before his physique was sufficiently prepared...
The damage could affect his foundation.
That was unacceptable.
The Heavenly Sword Scripture already strengthened his body as he cultivated.
He didn't need a separate body-cultivation technique.
What he needed was something else.
Resources.
Medicinal herbs.
Spiritual plants.
Medicinal pills.
Anything capable of strengthening his body, improving recovery, and allowing him to endure the next meridian-opening process.
Jian Chen's fingers lightly tapped against his knee.
"Resources..."
The problem immediately became obvious.
He had almost no wealth.
The Jian Clan provided cultivation resources to its younger generation, including Body Tempering Pills.
But the amount was limited.
And Jian Chen couldn't simply request large quantities of resources whenever he wanted.
He also didn't want to rely completely on the clan.
In his previous life...
He had possessed everything.
Power.
Status.
Resources.
Yet he had still lost his life.
This time...
He wanted to build everything himself.
Jian Chen's gaze slowly shifted toward the distant mountains beyond the clan.
The Azure Wind Mountains.
He had heard enough about the region during his time in the clan.
The mountains stretched far beyond Moonriver City.
The deeper regions were dangerous.
But the outer regions were frequented by cultivators searching for medicinal herbs and hunting spirit beasts.
For Jian Chen...
That was enough.
His eyes gradually brightened.
"Spirit herbs."
A faint smile appeared.
He possessed something ordinary cultivators didn't.
Knowledge.
His memories from the Divine Realm contained countless medicinal formulas.
He knew which herbs could strengthen the blood.
Which could improve the body's recovery.
Which could strengthen the muscles and bones.
And which herbs could be combined together to create medicines far more valuable than their individual worth.
He didn't need rare treasures.
At least...
Not yet.
If he could gather enough suitable spirit herbs...
He could prepare medicines for himself.
And the mountains offered another advantage.
Training.
His cultivation had increased rapidly in recent days.
But cultivation wasn't the same as combat experience.
The battles in the Jian Clan had given him some understanding of the younger generation.
But spirit beasts were different.
They didn't follow rules.
They didn't stop after a single exchange.
They fought with instinct.
They attacked with everything they had.
If Jian Chen wanted to understand the limits of his current strength...
The mountains were the perfect place.
He slowly stood.
His decision was made.
He would enter the Azure Wind Mountains.
Not the deeper regions.
He had no intention of taking unnecessary risks.
He would remain near the outer region and search for medicinal herbs.
If he encountered a suitable spirit beast...
He would use it to test himself.
If he encountered something beyond his current ability...
He would retreat.
There was nothing shameful about retreating from an enemy he couldn't defeat.
Survival came first.
Jian Chen returned to his room.
He began preparing for the journey.
A small cloth bag.
A water container.
Some dry food.
Several basic healing medicines.
A simple dagger.
And his wooden sword.
That was all.
He didn't bring anything valuable.
He didn't need to.
His greatest advantage wasn't what he carried.
It was what he knew.
After preparing everything...
Jian Chen stepped out of his room.
Xiao Yue was arranging things in the courtyard.
She immediately noticed him.
"Youth Master?"
Jian Chen looked at her.
"I'm going out for a few days."
Xiao Yue paused.
Jian Chen continued calmly.
"Inform my mother that I'm leaving the clan to train."
"Tell her not to worry."
Xiao Yue nodded.
"Yes, Young Master."
She didn't ask where he was going.
She simply accepted his instructions.
Jian Chen appreciated that.
He turned toward the courtyard gate.
Just before leaving...
He stopped.
His eyes turned toward the room where Liu Ruyan was resting.
For a brief moment...
His expression softened.
He had already lost his mother once in his previous life.
He wouldn't make the same mistake again.
"I'll return safely."
With those words...
Jian Chen stepped out of the courtyard.
The moment he left the Jian Clan...
His expression gradually became serious.
The peaceful atmosphere of the clan disappeared behind him.
Ahead...
The distant mountains stood beneath the morning sky.
The Azure Wind Mountains.
That would be his destination.
Jian Chen walked steadily toward them.
He didn't rush.
He didn't display his cultivation.
The Heavenly Sword Scripture naturally concealed his aura.
To cultivators within the same realm...
His true cultivation was difficult to perceive.
He preferred it that way.
The less others knew about him...
The safer he would be.
As he walked...
Jian Chen's thoughts returned to his purpose.
He needed resources.
Resources to strengthen his body.
Resources to improve his chances of opening another meridian.
Every additional meridian would increase his ability to absorb spiritual energy.
Every increase in absorption would accelerate his cultivation.
The cycle was simple.
But the foundation had to be strong.
He couldn't afford to fail.
The Azure Wind Mountains gradually grew closer.
The trees became more numerous.
The road became narrower.
The sounds of Moonriver City slowly disappeared behind him.
Jian Chen finally stopped.
He looked toward the vast forest ahead.
A faint breeze passed through the trees.
Leaves rustled.
Somewhere deep within the mountains...
A beast roared.
Jian Chen's eyes narrowed.
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"Let's see what this mountain has to offer."
He stepped into the forest.
One step.
Then another.
Soon...
His figure disappeared beneath the trees.
For Jian Chen...
This was more than a journey to gather herbs.
It was the beginning of another stage of his cultivation.
And he had no idea...
What was waiting for him deep within the mountains.