Martial Dao: I Can Enhance My Talents

Chapter 418: Chapter 415: Celestial Swan City’s Call for Aid

Stretching his stiff and sore muscles, Fang Han pushed open the door to the Quiet Chamber.

Outside, sunlight streamed through the leaves of the bamboo forest, casting dappled shadows on the ground.

The mess in the courtyard had been mostly cleaned up. The broken bamboo stalks were gone, and the cracks in the ground had been largely filled.

Only the deep gashes on the courtyard walls remained, a testament to the eruption of Sword Intent from that morning.

A few servants were busy at work. Seeing Fang Han emerge, they hurriedly bowed in greeting.

Fang Han gave a slight nod, crossed the courtyard, and arrived at the open space where he usually practiced.

The Cloud Splitting Sword hung at his waist. He didn’t draw it, merely standing with his hands clasped behind his back.

’Next, it’s time to practice the *Wind and Cloud Escape*.’

He had already cultivated this top-level Body Technique, the *Wind and Cloud Escape*, to the Great Success Realm. The next and final stage was the Realm of Perfection.

If he could break through to Perfection, then with his current Early Third Grade cultivation, he was confident he could escape even if he encountered an expert like Yin Wugou again.

He closed his eyes, and the Heart Method Mantra for the *Wind and Cloud Escape* surfaced in his mind.

The words, which he had long since memorized, now flowed slowly through his thoughts.

A moment later, he opened his eyes and his figure blurred into motion.

WHOOSH—!

In the courtyard, a cyan shadow flickered like a phantom.

His form was erratic, now left, now right; one moment he was in front, the next he was behind.

He left trails of afterimages in his wake, making it seem as if several figures were moving at the same time.

’Hm?’

A strange sensation arose in Fang Han’s mind.

Unlike his usual practice sessions, the execution of his Body Technique today felt exceptionally smooth.

This smoothness wasn’t just an increase in proficiency; it was a deeper, indescribable sense of fluidity.

It was as if a once-stagnant river channel had suddenly been cleared, allowing the water to rush through freely.

As he continued to execute the Body Technique, that sense of smoothness became more and more pronounced.

He could even feel his understanding of the technique deepening at a much faster rate than before.

Obscure key points that previously required repeated contemplation to grasp now became clear to him naturally.

’How can this be?’

A trace of doubt rose in Fang Han’s heart.

He stopped moving and stood in the courtyard, his brows slightly furrowed.

That feeling just now was definitely not an illusion.

His Body Technique cultivation was indeed far smoother than usual.

’But what’s the reason?’

He closed his eyes, carefully sensing the changes in his body.

After a moment, he opened them again, a thoughtful gleam in his eyes.

’Could it be... because of the Sword Intent?’

Fang Han thought of the Wind Sword Intent he had just comprehended that morning.

The *Wind and Cloud Escape* Body Technique contained Wind Momentum. "Momentum" and "Mental Realm," though two different levels, shared the same origin.

Momentum could only exist within a Martial Technique; it could not exist independently of one.

For this reason, even though he had cultivated the *Nine Swords of Sky Splitting* to Perfection and comprehended the full extent of Wind Momentum, it hadn’t provided any obvious boost to his cultivation of the *Wind and Cloud Escape*, which also contained Wind Momentum.

But Sword Intent was different.

A Mental Realm could already exist, to a certain extent, independently of a Martial Technique.

Although its power would be greatly diminished when used without a Martial Technique, it was, after all, a higher level of power.

Using the Wind Sword Intent—or rather, the Wind Realm, which was a higher level than Wind Momentum—to aid in comprehending the *Wind and Cloud Escape* was like using the truths of profound Martial Arts to understand simpler ones. Naturally, the effect would be doubled with half the effort.

’I see.’

Fang Han muttered to himself, a flash of delight in his eyes.

The fact that comprehending Wind Sword Intent could actually boost his cultivation of *Wind and Cloud Escape* was something he hadn’t expected.

It was a good thing, though.

He thought no more of it and moved again.

This time, he focused even more intently on experiencing that sense of smoothness.

He activated his Wind Realm, letting it permeate every minute detail of the Body Technique.

His footsteps became lighter.

His turns became more fluid.

Even his speed was thirty percent faster than before.

At times, he shot across the courtyard diagonally in an instant, swift as the wind.

At others, he drifted like a cloud, leaving a trail of afterimages in a small space.

He would stop and start abruptly, his turns without warning, as if completely unbound by inertia.

The feeling of merging with the wind and blending with the clouds was stronger than ever before.

It was as if he were no longer the one executing the Body Technique, but the technique itself—a wisp of free wind, a shapeless cloud in the vast world.

Time slipped by quietly as he trained.

The sun slanted west, and the sunlight gradually took on a warm, golden hue.

Fang Han never stopped.

He executed the *Wind and Cloud Escape* over and over. With each execution, his understanding and insight into the technique deepened.

The transformations that once required conscious effort now came to him effortlessly, as he pleased.

He was immersed in this unprecedentedly smooth cultivation, oblivious to the passage of time.

He finally stopped moving only when the setting sun had painted the horizon a magnificent orange-red. He stood in the courtyard, panting slightly.

Fine beads of sweat dotted his forehead, and his cyan robe, soaked with perspiration, clung tightly to his body.

But his eyes were astonishingly bright.

"Hooo—"

Standing in the courtyard, he felt the churning of his vital energy from the prolonged use of his Body Technique and slowly exhaled a breath of turbid air.

Using the Wind Realm to aid his cultivation was even more effective than he had anticipated.

That deeper resonance with the power of "wind" in the world made once-difficult key points transparent and once-stiff turns as fluid as water.

He closed his eyes, savoring the insights from his recent practice, and made a rough estimate in his mind.

’One month at most.’

At this rate, his *Wind and Cloud Escape* would reach Perfection in a month at most.

This was, of course, a good thing.

Once his Body Technique broke through to Perfection, his speed and flexibility would rise to another level.

Combined with his Early Third Grade cultivation and his Grandmaster-level Sword Technique, the *Sky-Splitting Sword Technique*, which had reached the Entry Level, his overall strength would take another significant leap.

’However...’

A faint worry surfaced in Fang Han’s mind.

After the *Wind and Cloud Escape* reached Perfection, it could not be improved any further.

If he wanted to continue improving his Body Technique skills then, he would need to exchange for a Grandmaster-level Body Technique.

And exchanging for a Grandmaster-level Body Technique required one major merit, which was equivalent to three minor merits.

But after exchanging for the Grandmaster-Level Inner Power, the *Cyan Profound Technique*, he didn’t have a single minor merit left.

’Three minor merits...’

Fang Han’s brows furrowed slightly. He stood in the courtyard with his hands behind his back, watching as the last trace of sunset was swallowed by the encroaching night.

Merits were hard to come by; that was a consensus among all Sect Disciples.

It was rare enough for ordinary tasks to award Contribution Points. The ones that awarded merits were, without exception, either extremely important or extremely dangerous.

The dangerous expedition to the Cloud Mist Mountain Range had only yielded two minor merits in the end.

Hunting the Black Crow Thieves all the way to Donglu County and killing three Martial Artists at the Late-Stage Fourth Grade Limit had only earned him one minor merit.

Killing You Xin, who was ranked sixth on the Celestial Pride List, had also only been rewarded with one minor merit by the Sect.

You could say that Contribution Points were easy to get, but merits were hard to earn.

’But...’

Fang Han’s gaze shifted as his thoughts turned.

Now that the conflict between the Qingxuan Sect and the Netherworld Pavilion was escalating, the two sides were constantly clashing, both openly and in secret.

Under these circumstances, the Sect would surely issue many tasks related to the Netherworld Pavilion.

Among them, there were bound to be tasks that offered merits as a reward. It might be possible to accumulate them quickly.

’As for the danger...’

Fang Han pondered for a moment, his expression gradually relaxing.

With his current Early Third Grade cultivation and his Wind Sword Intent, he was confident that an ordinary Third Grade Martial Artist would be no match for him.

And with the escalating conflict against the Qingxuan Sect, most of the Netherworld Pavilion’s Elders were tied down on various fronts. There shouldn’t be many who could be spared to deal with him specifically.

As long as he didn’t risk taking on those highly difficult, near-suicidal missions deep behind enemy lines, the danger should be manageable.

’I’ll go check the Task Hall tomorrow.’

Having made a decision, Fang Han’s expression returned to calm.

He turned and walked toward the lit dining area.

Behind him, the night grew deeper. A new crescent moon climbed above the branches, casting its cold, clear light.

...

「Nightfall.」

Sect Leader’s Hall, at the peak of the Qingxuan Sect’s mountain.

The hall was brightly lit. Chen Tianyuan sat behind a desk, looking through scrolls he hadn’t finished during the day.

A soft knock sounded at the hall’s door.

"Come in."

Chen Tianyuan didn’t lift his head, his voice calm.

A middle-aged man in a Steward’s Robe pushed the door open, strode to the desk, and bowed in greeting.

The man had a proper face, looked to be in his forties, and had a lean, powerful build. His eyes were steady and sharp. It was Zhao Mu, the Steward of the Sect Leader’s Hall, whom Fang Han had met before.

"Sect Leader, an urgent message has arrived from Celestial Swan City."

Zhao Mu held a letter in both hands, presenting it at the desk.

Chen Tianyuan looked up, took the letter, and opened it.

The paper unfolded, revealing familiar handwriting—it was from Elder Wu Zheng, who was stationed to oversee the Sect’s assets in Celestial Swan City.

As his eyes swept over the contents, Chen Tianyuan’s brows furrowed slightly.

The letter’s contents were brief:

"For the Sect Leader’s eyes only: Netherworld Pavilion Elder Yuan Zhan launched a surprise attack on our assets in Celestial Swan City. This subordinate engaged him but was defeated and severely injured."

"Although the assets are safe for now, this subordinate is no longer able to protect them. I fear Yuan Zhan will return. I implore the Sect to send reinforcements quickly to prevent any losses. Respectfully, Wu Zheng."

Chen Tianyuan put down the letter and leaned back in his chair. His gaze drifted to the beams on the hall’s ceiling as he fell into thought.

Yuan Zhan. A Netherworld Pavilion Elder with a Late Stage of Third Grade cultivation. Among Third Grade Martial Artists, he was a difficult character to deal with.

Moreover, his methods were sinister and ruthless; he could be considered a vicious character.

’Who would be the most suitable person to send?’

Among the Elders, the few at the Late Stage of Third Grade mostly had their own duties. They were either guarding important locations or carrying out missions elsewhere, making it difficult for them to leave on short notice.

And if he sent an Elder of ordinary strength, they wouldn’t be able to intimidate Yuan Zhan.

Chen Tianyuan’s fingers tapped lightly on the armrest, making a soft, rhythmic sound.

Suddenly, his gaze paused.

A name surfaced in his mind.

’Fang Han.’

Fang Han’s cultivation was at the Early Third Grade, two Minor Realms below Yuan Zhan. However, he had comprehended Sword Intent, something few even among the Upper Three Grades Martial Artists had achieved.

The power of Sword Intent was enough to bridge the gap in their cultivation. He should be able to contend with Yuan Zhan.

’As for the danger...’

Chen Tianyuan stood up and walked to the window, his hands clasped behind his back.

Outside the window, the night was deep. The lights from the foot of the mountain were scattered like stars.

’Jade untested cannot become a masterpiece.’

’Constant coddling will never produce a true expert.’