"Can I do it?" Ning Jiang suddenly burst out laughing, his voice full of heroic confidence. "Give me the Qi Locking Pill."
He took a Qi Locking Pill from Liu Xianyu and swallowed it without hesitation.
The Elixir slid down his throat and into his stomach. Instantly, the True Qi in his body solidified as if bound by an invisible shackle. When he tried to forcibly circulate his True Qi, his Dantian immediately flared with a sharp, needle-like pain.
CLANG.
His sword emerged like a dragon, its ring echoing across the mountaintop.
Ning Jiang stood at the edge of the cliff, a three-foot blade in hand. The wind howled around him. Beneath his feet, the accumulated snow had long been compressed into treacherous, slippery ice.
Let alone practicing the sword on such a surface, even just trying to stand still was enough to get blown off the cliff and smashed into a pulp.
But Ning Jiang was calm and composed. The longsword in his hand danced like a dragon, its tip a celestial shuttle weaving through the air, creating a constellation of glittering points.
His feet moved and spun on the ice-covered cliff's edge. When the wind blew, he swayed like a willow catkin, looking as if he might be carried away at any moment and fall to his death.
The situation was perilous beyond belief, a hair's breadth from death. He was constantly on the razor's edge between life and death. Just watching from the side, Liu Xianyu's palms broke out in a cold sweat, her heart pounding with fear.
But looking at Ning Jiang's face, his eyes, where was there even a trace of hesitation or fear?
Ning Jiang's clothes fluttered like an iron flag in the wind, his ink-black hair whipping about. He was like a white crane, moving with the wind, treading the treacherous ice as if it were solid ground.
"Incredible... incredible... incredible."
Liu Yuanlong uttered the word three times in a row, his tone filled with amazement.
"This is truly the realm of Heart-Sword Control. To think that besides Wenhua City, the second person in Luoyang City to achieve Heart-Sword Control would be a young man. If Wenhua City himself saw this, he would be shocked, wouldn't he?"
"I truly underestimated him. 'To learn the Way in the morning and die in the evening content'—I thought he was just saying it."
"In my long life, I have met countless people, but I have never seen eyes like his. Even I, who have faced life-and-death situations many times, can only suppress my fear of death. My will is merely firmer than that of an ordinary person. But if I were truly on the brink of death, fear would still linger in my heart."
"I have met Wenhua City. His eyes show an utmost, unwavering devotion to the Sword Dao, but even he cannot transcend life and death."
"Between life and death, there is great terror."
"But this young man... he has already transcended life and death!"
"His heart knows no fear!"
Liu Yuanlong's body was trembling. He simply could not comprehend how Ning Jiang could possess such a state of mind.
Without truly experiencing death once, how could one see through the great terror that lies between life and death?
Martial Artists defy the heavens, cultivating the Martial Arts. For what purpose?
It is for Immortality, to live for eternity. The greater the desire for life, the deeper the dread of death.
"Transcend life and death"—four words that are simple to say, but Liu Yuanlong had only ever met one person who had truly achieved it.
And that person was Ning Jiang, standing right before him!
"Xianyu, this young man is destined for limitless achievements in the future. It is your good fortune to be acquainted with him," Liu Yuanlong said, letting out a long breath.
A person like Ning Jiang was daunting. With someone like that, you either befriend them or stay far away.
At that moment, Ning Jiang's spirits soared. He let out a long cry, and the three-foot blade in his hand seemed to resonate with his will, emitting a clear, sonorous ring that shot to the heavens and shook the surrounding mountains.
Sheathing his sword, Ning Jiang's breathing was steady. His face was not flushed, and he wasn't gasping for air.
Compared to Liu Xianyu's earlier performance, the difference was like that between heaven and earth.
"I am Liu Yuanlong. Little friend, you are truly a remarkable person. Please don't take to heart what this old man said earlier." Liu Yuanlong took the initiative to introduce himself, his tone indicating that he was treating Ning Jiang as an equal.
Liu Xianyu wasn't surprised. Ning Jiang had earned that right.
"It's nothing. It was merely a pursuit of the truth. Empty words are no proof; one must see things with their own eyes. If you told me you could achieve feats like Scattering Beans into Soldiers or Touching Stone into Gold, I wouldn't believe it either, not unless I saw it for myself." Ning Jiang waved his hand dismissively, then studied Liu Yuanlong closely. "Interesting. No wonder the Liu Family has fallen to the status of a Second-tier family."
"Your arms must have been severed before. Although they've been reattached, most of the meridians within have been destroyed and are difficult to restore. That's why your fingernails are faintly dark and the skin on your hands is pale and lacks color."
"Furthermore, there's a medicinal scent about you, both on your breath and on your hands. It seems you frequently apply ointments to your arms and take Elixirs in coordination, hoping to heal your injuries."
"Unfortunately, your arms are almost completely necrotic. Their life force has been nearly extinguished. Bringing life back to a withered tree is no easy task."
Ning Jiang's words caused the expressions of both Liu Xianyu and Liu Yuanlong to change drastically.
"This...!" Liu Yuanlong was worldly and experienced; what storm had he not weathered? Yet now, he was profoundly shocked by Ning Jiang's few words. "Little friend, your predictions are divinely accurate! Such Eye Power... you are practically a god, a celestial being!"
Before, he had called Ning Jiang a remarkable person; now, he had elevated him to the level of a god or celestial being. This showed just how much Ning Jiang had astonished him.
"I'm quite curious about how you received such an injury. This seems like a deliberate punishment. Otherwise, if the goal was simply to render your arms useless, they could have just shattered them after severing them. Instead, they only destroyed the meridians within, extinguishing their life force while leaving the arms themselves perfectly intact."
Ning Jiang spoke eloquently. "Of course, if it's inconvenient to say, I won't insist."
"Little friend, you were able to discern so much just by looking at me a few times. I have nothing to hide." Liu Yuanlong took a deep breath. "Little friend, have you heard of the Nine Great Young Masters of the Cyan Cloud Country?"
"The Nine Great Young Masters, the nine most outstanding individuals in the Cyan Cloud Country. I've heard of them. I've also heard that Young Master Soaring Dragon is the leader of the nine. However, he is known to be tyrannical—'those who obey me will prosper, those who defy me will die.' He holds the power of life and death, believing himself to be supreme. Judging by his personality, I would guess your injury was his doing?"
Ning Jiang paused. "But I've heard he never leaves anyone alive. You...?"
"You haven't guessed wrong, little friend. It was indeed Young Master Soaring Dragon."
A flash of grief crossed Liu Yuanlong's face. Beside him, Liu Xianyu clenched her fists, killing intent flaring in her eyes.
"Three years ago, at the Cyan Cloud Country's Genius Convention, I brought some members of the Liu Family to attend. I wanted them to see the geniuses of the entire country and be inspired. As it happened, we had a conflict with Young Master Soaring Dragon's subordinates, the Soaring Dragon Guard."
"At the time, Xianyu's father saw the Soaring Dragon Guard acting arrogantly, even killing someone in public. Unable to stand by, he said a few words. Those few words ended up angering the Soaring Dragon Guard."
"Ordinarily, with me there, the Soaring Dragon Guard would have been nothing to fear. But in the end, Young Master Soaring Dragon himself took action. He killed Xianyu's father and, as a punishment for me, severed my arms and destroyed the life force within them. Now, even though they are reattached, they are nearly impossible to heal."
Recalling the past, Liu Yuanlong's face was filled with agony.
Liu Xianyu's father was also his youngest and most talented son, one whom he had always held in high regard. And yet, he died at the hands of Young Master Soaring Dragon.
"The Nine Great Young Masters are all experts at the Innate Limit. Young Master Soaring Dragon stands at the very top. Just how far does his strength go? Has he reached Innate Invincibility?"
Ning Jiang's tone was without a ripple, as calm as still water. Above the Innate Limit was Innate Invincibility.
Reaching the Innate Limit was a one-in-ten-thousand achievement.
But a state of Innate Invincibility might not appear even once in several hundred years!
"Many people speculate that Young Master Soaring Dragon is at the half-step to invincibility, that he hasn't truly taken that taboo step," Liu Yuanlong said, shaking his head.
"Half-step to invincibility. No wonder you were no match for him. The new generation surpasses the old. Although Young Master Soaring Dragon is of a younger generation, far younger than you, talented people emerge in every era to lead the way." Ning Jiang spoke in a slow, measured tone.
"Mr. Ning," Liu Xianyu couldn't help but ask, "since you can see the extent of my grandfather's injuries, does that mean you have a way to treat them?"
"Healing him won't be difficult. One price: one million Primordial Stones." Ning Jiang was blunt, stating his price on the spot.
That was how he spoke; he disliked beating around the bush and always said what was on his mind.
"How certain are you?" Liu Yuanlong asked, his eyes gleaming with excitement.
"As long as you can gather the materials I need, I'm one hundred percent certain." Ning Jiang flicked his fingernail, which made a sharp metallic sound, as if a piece of steel had been struck.
"Good! I believe you, little friend!"
Liu Yuanlong's tone was resolute. If any other young man had said such a thing to him, he wouldn't have believed a single word.
After all, even Luoyang's great Alchemy Master, Du Wanqing, could do nothing about his injury.
But who was Ning Jiang? He possessed Heart-Sword Control, had transcended life and death, and had seen through his injuries at a glance. Any one of these things was enough to prove his extraordinariness. In Liu Yuanlong's eyes, Ning Jiang was a god, a celestial being, far beyond the likes of Du Wanqing.
"As long as I can recover from my injuries, one million Primordial Stones is a small price to pay!"
One million Primordial Stones was more than the entire Ning Family of Baiquan Town possessed. The Liu Family, however, controlled a large Primordial Stone Ore Vein and was fabulously wealthy.
Besides, recovering from his injury was the absolute top priority. Why had the Liu Family fallen to a Second-tier family? It was precisely because Liu Yuanlong was injured. His Innate Gang Qi could no longer flow through his arms. Although he could move them, he couldn't execute any Martial Techniques.
As a result, he couldn't even use half of his power at the Innate Limit of his Cultivation.
If his strength hadn't been compromised, how would the Wang Family, which had only become a First-Class Noble House two years ago, dare to humiliate and suppress the Liu Family at every turn?
Strength was the foundation of everything. Primordial Stones were just external possessions; if they were spent, more could be earned.
As long as his strength was restored, all of the Liu Family's current problems would be solved in an instant.
"Excellent."
Ning Jiang smiled. One million Primordial Stones was already his "friendship price." If they had tried to haggle with him, he would have considered them ungrateful.
Then, taking a brush and paper, Ning Jiang wrote down a list of over twenty ingredients in one go.
"Do your best to gather all of these materials. Of course, if you can't find some of them, you can look for substitutes, but the effect will be somewhat diminished."
Liu Yuanlong took the list and looked it over. "Most of the materials on here, while precious, can be found. Some, like the Thousand-year-old Blood Ginseng, the Tri-Colored Spider Flower, and the Ice Jade Orchid, will be more troublesome. But the biggest problem, the most time-consuming part, will be the Demon Core of an Innate Peak Demon Beast, the Iron-Armed Demon Ape."
"It will take about a month to gather everything!" Liu Yuanlong estimated.
"It doesn't matter when. As long as you can gather them all, I can perform the Alchemy at any time," Ning Jiang said.
After exchanging a few more words, Liu Yuanlong quickly departed to gather the materials.
"Your grandfather has left. Time is precious, so let's begin your sword practice. I've already made everything clear," Ning Jiang said to Liu Xianyu. "Of course, I'm not asking you to transcend life and death. I just need you to suppress your fear of death, overcome it, and stimulate your potential."
"When we mentioned Young Master Soaring Dragon just now, I saw intense killing intent in your eyes. You must be desperate to get revenge on him. But if you lack even this much courage, you'll never have any hope of vengeance in this lifetime."
"I recall the Cyan Cloud Country's Genius Convention is held once every four years. You attended three years ago, which means the next one is on the fifteenth of the eighth month next year. With your current strength, you couldn't even withstand a single blow from Young Master Soaring Dragon. You should be well aware of this."
The Cyan Cloud Country's Genius Convention, held once every four years, was a gathering of the most brilliant prodigies. It was there that the Nine Great Young Masters had made their names.
Compared to this grand event, the annual gathering of Luoyang City's younger generation seemed like mere child's play.