The cave was deep and mysterious, with streams gurgling softly.
Tao Fengnian paddled the bamboo raft upstream, while Jiang Yuebai carried a lantern to illuminate the way ahead.
The eerie wind was bone-chilling, and the cold was piercing.
Achoo!
The echoes reverberated, startling bats from the cave ceiling.
Jiang Yuebai dodged the bats flying chaotically and rubbed her nose, asking, "Grandfather, where are we going in the middle of the night?"
Tao Fengnian looked at the spot of light up ahead in the cave and said slowly, "I discovered this waterway behind Huaxi Valley by accident, and once we pass through, we'll arrive at the south side of Ten Miles Slope, where the Sect punishes disciples for their mistakes at Yinfeng Creek."
"You mastered the Metal Element Skill at entry level in just half a month, learned the Sharpness Technique, and you've shown initial results in Chasing Star Step and Wood Cutting Blade Method. Grandpa is surprised and delighted."
Jiang Yuebai squinted with a silly smile and sneakily glanced at her Immortal Cultivation Panel.
[Name] Jiang Yuebai
[Spirit Root] Five Elements Spirit Root (Metal 9, Wood 9, Water 9, Fire 9, Earth 9)
[Realm] Qi Cultivation First Layer
[Cultivation Technique]
Metal Element Skill (First Layer: 9/100)
[Spell]
Sharpness Technique (First Layer: 3/100)
[Martial Arts]
Chasing Star Step (Entry Level: 15/100)
Wood Cutting Blade Method (Entry Level: 15/100)
The cultivation technique had successfully broken through to the first layer three days ago, slower than expected, because her Qi Circulation was still clumsy and needed diligent practice.
The Sharpness Technique was practiced for three days, and she learned it just today, only successfully activating the hair-thin Metal Sharpness three out of ten times. Each time she formed the spell, it took about five breaths, requiring more power and speed improvement.
The progress in step method and martial arts was smooth, and through daily accumulation, she could advance from entry level to small success, and then to great success.
Tao Fengnian pushed the bamboo pole to speed up the raft and continued, "Tonight, we start real combat."
"Real combat?" Jiang Yuebai was filled with apprehension.
She thought that once she learned the Sharpness Technique, she could help with chores, and wasn't the Sharpness Technique a spell used to remove pests anyway?
Tao Fengnian glanced at her and asked with a smile, "Are you scared?"
Jiang Yuebai nervously pinched the corners of her clothes, trembling slightly, feeling sure that she was scared, as Yinfeng Creek's Ten Miles Slope sounded like a haunted graveyard.
But besides fear, she was also trembling with excitement.
Tao Fengnian said, "I've told you, to compete you must first survive, so I taught you the powerful Gold Element Cultivation Technique and Sharpness Technique, as well as step method martial arts. With the month's deadline up, you have to visit different places in the Sect, attend lectures at the Dharma Hall, and interact with others."
Jiang Yuebai nodded; she also worried about these matters beforehand, not expecting her grandfather to have already planned it out for her.
"Grandpa, you're so good, just like my parents."
Tao Fengnian felt warm inside and suddenly thought of the flowing water, "You mentioned before there's always a clumsy feeling when circulating fingers for Sharpness Technique. You can submerge your hands in the water to practice."
Jiang Yuebai tilted her head, eyes filled with curiosity.
"The Sharpness Technique is the finger technique-heavy spell among the five Daoist Techniques of the Spiritual Cultivation Master, also the hardest one. Mastering Sharpness Technique makes learning other spells much easier."
"The key to Sharpness Technique is to stir spiritual energy with fingers, divide the energy, then condense and solidify it. Spiritual energy is ethereal, making it hard to sense the stirring, rhythm, and pace, but water flow can replace spiritual energy, try it."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Yuebai hurriedly put down the lantern, knelt on the bamboo raft, and submerged her hands in the rushing water.
The ice-cold water made Jiang Yuebai shiver, but as she slowly stirred her fingers, the water flow traversed between them, slowing her movements but erasing the previous clumsy feeling, becoming smooth and seamless.
The water flow resisted the finger movements, and her fingers contended with the water resistance, this interaction slowly began to let Jiang Yuebai understand the rhythm and pace Tao Fengnian spoke of.
[You received guidance, discovered finger technique secrets, spiritual light erupted, Sharpness Technique skill level +1]
Unconsciously, Jiang Yuebai became immersed, her hands soaking in the water, fingertips occasionally emitting golden glimmers.
"Enough, the cold water is not good for health. Practice in the water tank after returning. Still water is better than running water. We have arrived."
Jiang Yuebai reluctantly pulled her hands out, her ten little fingers reddened by the cold, she quickly breathed warmth onto them and rubbed her hands.
The raft exited the cave and docked at the shore for rest.
The moonlight was hazy, with wild grass flourishing on Ten Mile Slope, dead trees everywhere, crows cawing among them, sending shivers down one's spine.
Several mice scurried swiftly, white bones scattered across the field, distant ghost-like lights drifting mysteriously on and off.
Jiang Yuebai tightly grabbed Tao Fengnian's sleeve, recalling her childhood where she was frightened into obedience by ghost stories from her mother, thus fearing ghosts more than the wolves and tigers of Ninefold Mountain.
Tao Fengnian withdrew his sleeve from Jiang Yuebai's grip and handed her a Wood Cutting Blade.