The memories of all humanity are awakening, except for mine.

Mu Chen rushed over and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that Mu Qingling was safe and sound.

He turned to Yu Youwei and bowed with his fists clasped: "Miss Yu, I am very grateful for your help today. I will remember this kindness and will definitely visit you another day to express my gratitude."

Yu Youwei smiled slightly and waved her hand: "No need to be polite, it was just a small favor."

She took an oil-paper umbrella from her bosom and handed it to Mu Qingling: "This umbrella is for you, keep it as a memento." After saying that, she turned around and left the painted boat like a light swallow.

At this moment, Jiang Chuan climbed out of the river, soaking wet and looking utterly disheveled.

As soon as he boarded the ship, he asked anxiously, "Qingling, are you alright?"

Mu Qingling rushed over and helped Jiang Chuan up: "Brother Jiang, I'm fine, thanks to Miss Yu."

Jiang Chuan was relieved. Looking at the ripples in the river, he was filled with curiosity about Yu Youwei's identity: "Who exactly is this Yu Youwei? How can she be so powerful?"

Mu Chen frowned, his face grim: "No matter who she is, we cannot forget the kindness we received today. These assassins from the He family of Weicheng are truly despicable. I will raze Weicheng to the ground and demand an explanation for what happened today!"

Jiang Chuan nodded. His body was covered in wounds, blood was flowing out continuously, and his body was gradually becoming unable to support him.

Seeing this, Mu Chen quickly said, "Brother Jiang, your injuries are too serious. I'll take you to the clinic for treatment first."

That evening, Chen Deng, the deputy commander of Heyang City, was ordered to search the city. He led a troop of soldiers, like a sharp sword, and swiftly wiped out the He family's stronghold in Weicheng.

Those assassins hiding in the shadows were captured or killed one after another under Chen Deng's iron-fisted methods.

The swordsman who had been knocked into the river by Yu Youwei returned to He Zongzheng's side in a sorry state.

He was soaking wet and looked utterly dejected: "Patriarch, this assassination attempt failed. Mu Chen and Jiang Chuan are no pushovers, and they even had a mysterious woman helping them... We..."

He Zongzheng's face turned ashen. He slammed his fist on the table and yelled, "Useless! You can't even handle this little thing!"

He pondered for a moment, and after receiving the message, he coldly said, "Temporarily halt the assassination attempt and await instructions from Handan."

The next day, despite his injuries, Jiang Chuan went to Tao Hongjing's sword-making workshop.

He had many doubts and confusions in his heart and wanted to ask Tao Hongjing for advice.

"Teacher, I'm here." Jiang Chuan walked into the sword-making workshop and saw Tao Hongjing intently watching the flames in the furnace.

Tao Hongjing turned around, looked at the wounds on Jiang Chuan's body, and frowned slightly: "It seems you went through a fierce battle yesterday."

Jiang Chuan nodded and told Tao Hongjing in detail about the assassination attempt on the Qinghe River.

After listening, Tao Hongjing remained silent for a moment, then said, "Your cultivation level is still low, so it's inevitable that you'll suffer losses in battle. The path of cultivation is inherently full of hardships and challenges."

He walked to the forge, picked up a sword, and handed it to Jiang Chuan: "Look at this sword. Although it is made of ordinary iron, it contains the essence of swordsmanship. This is the essence of sword forging. It is not only about forging its form, but also its spirit."

Jiang Chuan took the sword and examined it carefully. He could feel a faint power emanating from the sword.

“Teacher, I understand now. Forging a sword is like cultivating oneself; both require one to understand it with one’s heart.”

Tao Hongjing nodded slightly, feeling quite gratified: "Not bad. However, I have another question for you. If a martial arts prodigy with exceptional talent and a useless person without any potential for advancement do not cultivate, they are both mortals; but if both cultivate, who will prevail?"

Jiang Chuan fell into deep thought, reflecting on his own path of cultivation and on those with extraordinary talent.

After a long pause, he slowly said, "I think talent is important, but determination and perseverance in cultivation are even more crucial. Even a useless person without natural talent can surpass someone with exceptional talent if they have a firm belief and relentless effort."

Tao Hongjing smiled and said, "It's good that you thought of that. Cultivation is like sword forging; there are no shortcuts. Only by taking one step at a time can you reach a higher level."

Jiang Chuan nodded thoughtfully. He knew that Tao Hongjing's words were not only an understanding of cultivation and sword forging, but also a kind of insight into life.

Inside Tao Hongjing's sword-making workshop, blazing flames licked at the forge, crackling and popping, while the leaping firelight illuminated Jiang Chuan and Tao Hongjing's faces.

Jiang Chuan's eyes were filled with a thirst for knowledge. Looking at the master swordsmith in front of him, his doubts about swordsmithing and the way of the sword surged like a tide.

“Teacher,” Jiang Chuan said respectfully, “I always thought that only rare and precious materials could be used to forge a famous sword, but you said yesterday that ordinary iron can also be used to forge a famous sword. I hope you can enlighten me on the mystery behind this.” Jiang Chuan’s eyes were filled with a mixture of confusion and anticipation.

Tao Hongjing nodded slightly, looking intently at Jiang Chuan, and slowly said, "Jiang Chuan, you must know that the key to sword forging lies not in the materials, but in the understanding and mastery of the sword's spirit." His voice was deep and powerful, echoing in the sword-forging workshop.

"Sword Heart?" Jiang Chuan murmured to himself, "But what exactly is Sword Heart?"

Tao Hongjing did not answer directly, but instead asked, "Do you know what a sword spirit is?"

Jiang Chuan pondered for a moment and replied, "I've heard that the sword spirit is the soul of the sword, the core of the sword."

“Indeed,” Tao Hongjing nodded appreciatively. “The sword spirit is the sword heart. Everything in the world has its own heart. Only when people have a heart can they think and have feelings; only when swords have a heart can they achieve their sharpness and reveal their spirit. In the process of forging a sword, the swordsmith communicates with the sword through countless hammerings and refinings, and deeply understands the sword heart in order to forge a truly good sword.”

Jiang Chuan nodded thoughtfully, seemingly understanding something, but feeling it wasn't quite enough. "Teacher, how can a swordsmith gain a deep understanding of the sword's heart?"

Tao Hongjing walked to the forge, picked up an unfinished sword blank, gently stroked it, and said, "Sword forging is a form of cultivation. From selecting materials, smelting, forging, to quenching and polishing, every step requires complete concentration and the ability to feel the changes in the sword. When you can feel the sword's desire in every vibration and every slight change in temperature, you have begun to touch the heart of the sword."

He put down the sword blank and looked intently at Jiang Chuan: "Just like your battle with the assassin yesterday, if you can understand the heart of the sword in your hand, you can better unleash its power, rather than just relying on your own strength. The core of sword control lies in understanding the heart, not simply relying on aura."

Jiang Chuan was startled, as if a ray of light had instantly illuminated the fog in his heart.

He suddenly realized, "Teacher, I understand now! So sword forging and swordsmanship are so closely linked. Only by truly understanding the heart of the sword can one make a breakthrough in swordsmanship."

Tao Hongjing smiled with satisfaction: "That's good. It's truly remarkable that you've grasped this point. In the future, you should try to understand it with your heart during the sword-making process. I believe you will definitely achieve something."

Jiang Chuan nodded heavily. At the same time, in the Qingfeng Villa of the City Lord's Mansion, Mu Suifeng looked at Zhao Dun with a solemn expression, his eyes full of concern.

"Your Excellency, are you... injured?"

Zhao Dun smiled wryly, gently lifting his sleeve to reveal a wound that hadn't fully healed. The skin around the wound was bluish-purple, indicating that the injury was quite serious. "It's nothing, just a minor injury."

Mu Suifeng frowned deeply: "Who on earth is so bold as to dare to attack the Grand Duke?"

Zhao Dun's eyes instantly turned cold. "It's Huang Xiejian from the Blood Shadow Pavilion. That guy is a troublesome character in the martial arts world. He once killed a Heavenly Venerable expert with the strength of the second level of the Supreme Realm."

Mu Suifeng was shocked: "It was him! But, with the Grand Duke's strength, how could he have injured you?"

Zhao Dun snorted coldly: "That guy does have some tricks up his sleeve, but he didn't fare well either, as he was severely injured by my Limitless Blade Qi."

Mu Suifeng pondered for a moment and said, "The Blood Shadow Tower has always only served money and risked their lives. There must be someone behind this assassination attempt on the Grand Duke. In my opinion, this person is probably not from the martial arts world, but from the imperial court."

Zhao Dun nodded slightly: "I think so too. The Yan Dynasty is currently facing serious internal problems. The government is controlled by He Zongtang and Wang Yong. The censor Qi Da was beaten to death for speaking a few truths. No one in the court dares to resist."

Mu Suifeng looked around with some concern and said in a low voice, "Your Excellency, the dragon energy in the north has now dissipated, while the dragon energy in the south is about to rise. I'm afraid Handan will no longer be able to accommodate you. Perhaps you should consider heading south."

Zhao Dun fell silent, his gaze fixed on the distance, lost in thought.

After a long pause, he slowly said, "Let me think about this matter some more."

In another scene, Jiang Chuan is cooking over a fire in the kitchen, the flames licking the bottom of the pot and emitting warmth.

Suddenly, footsteps approached. Jiang Chuan looked up and saw Lu Zheng, the Knight of Jiangyin, standing at the kitchen door.

"Brother Lu, what brings you here?" Jiang Chuan was somewhat surprised and quickly got up to greet him.

Lu Zheng smiled slightly, clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Brother Jiang, I've come to thank you. Thanks to your help in Dushan, I was able to complete the mission successfully."

Jiang Chuan quickly waved his hand: "Brother Lu, you're too kind. It was nothing."

Lu Zheng took out an ancient-looking manual from his pocket and handed it to Jiang Chuan: "This is my family's ancestral sword manual, 'The Great River Sword Intent.' The rolling sword technique inside is a sword move that Mu Chen is good at. I see that you are quite interested in swordsmanship, so I'm giving it to you in the hope that it will be of some help to you."

Jiang Chuan accepted the manual with a delighted expression: "Brother Lu, this is too precious, I..."

Lu Zheng interrupted him, saying, "Brother Jiang, just accept it. With your talent and potential, this manual will definitely be of greater use in your hands."

Jiang Chuan looked at Lu Zheng gratefully: "Brother Lu, I am deeply grateful. If you need anything in the future, please don't hesitate to ask."

Lu Zheng smiled and nodded: "Okay, then I'll be going now. You study this manual carefully."

After saying that, he turned and left.

Jiang Chuan eagerly opened the manual, only to find that the characters were ancient and vigorous, each one seemingly containing endless sword intent.

He became increasingly engrossed in reading it, and couldn't help but sigh, "This manual came at just the right time; it perfectly meets my need to improve my swordsmanship. It seems that my previous cultivation and combat skills were indeed far from sufficient."

"This rolling sword technique is so exquisite," Jiang Chuan murmured to himself, overjoyed.

The sword techniques in the manual are illustrated with pictures and text, and every detail is depicted vividly, as if presenting a series of intense sword duels before his eyes.

He repeatedly studied the analysis of the rolling sword technique, constantly simulating the movements and rhythm of its execution in his mind.

Jiang Chuan knew that while sword heart and sword intent were the highest realms in the path of swordsmanship, his current cultivation was still at the Bitter Sea Realm, and he was a newcomer to the martial world with a shallow foundation. In his encounters with the assassins, he deeply realized that when facing powerful opponents, solid sword techniques were the foundation for survival.

"It seems I need to master the sword techniques in 'Great River Sword Intent' first, especially the rolling sword technique." He made up his mind and gripped the manual tightly.

The moonlight, like water, spilled into the courtyard. Jiang Chuan slowly rose, drew his longsword, and began to attempt the Rolling Sword Technique.
His movements were initially a little clumsy, and each swing of the sword carried a hint of awkwardness, but with continuous practice, his swordplay gradually became smoother.

His figure danced in the moonlight, the blade slicing through the air with a whooshing sound.

"Hmph!" Jiang Chuan snorted, his longsword like a dragon emerging from the sea, piercing the night sky with the fierce momentum of a rolling sword, as if to tear apart the endless darkness.

However, after he stopped moving, a sense of powerlessness welled up inside him. He knew all too well that his current strength was still far from enough to face a true master.

"In order to fight the Sword Immortal Li Muzhi, and to gain a foothold in this martial world, I must improve my strength as soon as possible." Jiang Chuan's gaze was firm as he looked into the distance, a plan already formed in his mind.

He decided to go to Hidden Spirit Mountain to find the Heart of the Mysterious Serpent and break through to the Other Shore Realm through a trial of life and death. "My pure Yang True Qi is already quite abundant, but without reaching the Other Shore Realm, the True Qi cannot be released from my body, which limits my strength. This trip to Hidden Spirit Mountain is definitely one I must make a breakthrough."

While focusing on swordsmanship training, Jiang Chuan never neglected learning sword-making techniques.

That day, he arrived at Tao Hongjing's sword-making workshop. Inside the workshop, the furnace was roaring, and waves of heat hit him.

"Teacher, I've arrived." Jiang Chuan bowed respectfully to Tao Hongjing.

Tao Hongjing turned around, looked at Jiang Chuan, and said with a smile, "It's good that you're here. Today I'll show you the 'ordinary iron' I use to forge swords." As he spoke, he picked up a piece of dark metal from a shelf and handed it to Jiang Chuan.

Jiang Chuan took it and examined it carefully. The metal was heavy in his hand, with strange patterns on its surface, exuding a mysterious aura. "Teacher, this doesn't seem to be ordinary iron."

Tao Hongjing laughed heartily: "You have a good eye. This is a special material I found in the underwater volcano of the South China Sea Abyss. In my opinion, apart from materials that can be used to forge Heavenly Rank Immortal Artifacts, the rest can be called ordinary iron. Materials are important, but the most crucial thing is the swordsmith's skill and understanding of swords."

Jiang Chuan was secretly amazed and deeply admired Tao Hongjing's sword-making skills and unique insights.

He knew full well that Tao Hongjing's sword-making skills had already reached an extremely high level. (End of Chapter)