Chapter 38: Boundless Sword Steps!
Without delay, Ling Feng collected the bodies and meticulously searched through them, eventually uncovering some valuable items.
The first item was the sword Li Changqing held, a low-grade mystical weapon that surpassed Ling Feng's previous Moon Slayer Sword in quality.
Having spent some time within the Wenxian Sect, Ling Feng was no longer the inexperienced newcomer unaware of the sect's dynamics.
Martial practitioners' weapons could be classified into: ordinary weapon, mystical weapon, treasured weapon, spiritual weapon, and celestial weapon.
Naturally, there were legends of divine weapons, but whether they truly existed was beyond the knowledge of ordinary people.
In general, for martial practitioners in the Qi Condensation Realm, having an average top-grade ordinary weapon was already good. Owning a low-grade mystical weapon could be considered extremely extravagant.
Despite being bestowed a low-grade mystical weapon by his esteemed master, Duanmu Qingshan, Ling Feng lost it during the fight. Nonetheless, upon defeating Li Changqing, he swiftly acquired another low-grade mystical sword as a replacement.
In addition to this low-grade mystical weapon, there were also ample materials from demonic beasts.
Among the items were beast fangs, bones, hides, and tendons, alongside a range of demonic cores, spanning from low-grade second-tier to upper-grade second-tier. Notably, there were even five cores from peak second-tier demonic beasts like the cloud-striped tiger!
Undoubtedly, this was an immense fortune.
Apart from that, there were also several bottles of Qi-boosting pills, Qi-gathering Powder, Qi-rejuvenating Pills, and similar elixirs. Of course, most of these were recovered from Li Changqing.
Satisfied with his findings, Ling Feng suddenly noticed a bronze ring on Li Changqing's left hand.
"Could it be... a dimensional ring?"
Ling Feng's eyes twitched as he removed the ring, infused it with a strand of true qi, and, as expected, it revealed a seven-foot square space within. While not sizable, it was sufficient for storing numerous items.
Additionally, the dimensional ring was far more convenient than carrying a dimensional pouch.
What an incredible find!
In excitement, Ling Feng opened the inner space and retrieved the items inside.
Within the expansive space, there were merely two items.
Inside a bulging silk-sewn pouch lay an assortment of colorful crystals, totaling roughly a dozen or so.
Unfortunately, Ling Feng was unsure about the nature of these crystals. However, their presence in Li Changqing's dimensional ring hinted at their extraordinary nature. Once back at the sect, Ling Feng planned to inquire with Duanmu Qingshan about it.
The other item was an ancient booklet, its cover adorned with small characters written in gold: Boundless Sword Steps.
Glancing through it briefly, Ling Feng's eyes lit up with excitement.
This Boundless Sword Steps technique surprisingly merged sword and body positioning techniques into a single martial skill. Strictly speaking, it could be considered a secret technique!
"Master mentioned the extreme difficulty and rarity of practicing secret techniques. It's surprising to discover one within a disciple of the Liuyun Sword Sect."
Ling Feng carried on flipping through a few more pages, feeling a sense of fortune.
Fortunately, Li Changqing didn't learn the Boundless Sword Steps. Otherwise, the corpse lying on the ground today would've been mine!
Ling Feng muttered to himself as he pored over the text, "It's a shame, just a partial piece. Only the first three sword stances are here. But they seem far more powerful than my current Flashing Steps. I wonder what grade of technique this actually is."
Ling Feng, despite his profound curiosity about the Boundless Sword Steps, could clearly discern that this location wasn't ideal to cultivate.
He stowed the bag of unidentified crystals and the Boundless Sword Steps manual back into the dimensional ring. Additionally, he packed away all the materials from the demonic beasts, medicines, and various items like crystal coins, silver coins, and swords. Without a doubt, it was a substantial collection to bring back.
Taking a moment to contemplate, Ling Feng decided against directly donning the dimensional ring. Instead, he secured it into a pendant and kept it close to his body.
A commoner might be innocent, but holding onto a precious item could lead to trouble.
It's wise to refrain from revealing valuable items too early, especially before attaining sufficient strength.
After tidying up the spoils of war, Ling Feng grabbed a finely crafted steel sword and strode toward the Wenxian Sect.
...
As Ling Feng was energetically heading back to the Wenxian Sect, the sect unexpectedly received two guests!
Beyond the mountain gate of the Wenxian Sect, two figures moved through the sky, gently descending to the ground.
Upon closer look, it turned out to be two young and beautiful women.
The first woman, donned in an emerald-green dress, boasted a graceful figure and exquisite features.
The second, clad in a snow-white gown, stood with elegance against the wind, almost floating like a celestial being. Her clear, lively eyes radiated a transcendent charm, epitomizing an ethereal allure.
These two women were unmistakably the master and servant duo Ling Feng had encountered beneath the waterfall on that day.
Yue Yunlan and Qiao Qiao!
After a short while, Qiao Qiao settled onto a rock beside the mountain path, tapping her leg to ease the strain.
As she regained her breath, she inquired, "Miss, considering this is merely the Wenxian Sect, why opt for walking when we could have effortlessly flown here?"
"This is a matter of etiquette. Intruding into others' restricted airspace array is akin to declaring war on the sect." Yue Yunlan extended a slender, jade-white finger and lightly tapped Qiao Qiao's forehead. "You, girl, seem to be getting lazier by the day!"
"Alright, alright, let's stick to etiquette. I need a little break," Qiao Qiao said, playfully sticking out her tongue.
Then, out of the blue, she remarked, "Miss, we've been searching for a while now, and those self-proclaimed divine healers were nothing more than empty names. As for this godlike physician Duanmu or what not, he's been missing for over a decade. I think we might be wasting our efforts."
"No harm in trying," sighed Yue Yunlan, "My father has been plagued by this peculiar illness for three years. As his daughter, how can I not be concerned for him?"
"Miss, it seems you're the only one who's concerned. Those young masters in the sect, I'm afraid they would rather..." Qiao Qiao, realizing she overspoken, spat a few times, and quickly added, "Oh, Miss, I was just talking nonsense, hehe..."
"Making such remarks in front of me is one thing, but if these words reach my eldest and third elder brother, they won't let you go so easily." Yue Yunlan cast a disapproving glance at Qiao Qiao, her eyebrows slightly furrowed, a trace of sorrow seeping into her heart.
When power corrupted the human heart, even the bonds of one's bone and flesh could turn sour. Unfortunately, that's the case with her brothers.
"I've had my rest, Miss. Shall we resume our journey? I truly hope that godlike physician Duanmu is as skilled as they say." Qiao Qiao hugged Yue Yunlan's arm with both hands, a cheerful smile on her face. "With the Miss working so hard for the sect leader, his illness surely will improve."
"The good and the bad, you have said it all, girl."
Yue Yunlan shook her head and smiled. Being within a major force didn't necessarily guarantee that everything goes smoothly or according to one's wishes.
Many around her were sycophantic, but Qiao Qiao was perhaps the only one she could truly share a bond with.
"Hehe, Miss, let's go now. I've got a feeling that this time, we're in for some pleasant surprises!"
As she spoke, Qiao Qiao gripped Yue Yunlan's arm, shedding her previous lethargy. She briskly ascended the green stone steps with agile steps.
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