A passing traveler through the heavens

In the tranquil woods of Leigu Mountain, a brand-new grave stands solemnly, as if silently telling the story of the deceased. The tombstone is clearly engraved with the words "Tomb of My Respected Teacher, Wuyazi," the characters strong and powerful, conveying a sense of solemnity and respect.

A gentle breeze rustled the leaves, as if they too were mourning the passing of this esteemed master. Standing before the grave, Ji Lin silently performed the three bows and nine kowtows to Wu Yazi, expressing his deep respect for his mentor.

After paying his respects, Ji Lin turned to Su Xinghe beside him and said, "Senior Brother Su, Master has been peacefully laid to rest. I wonder if our Xiaoyao Sect still has any books in its collection? I wish to peruse them first to enhance my understanding of our sect's martial arts."

Su Xinghe nodded, a hint of appreciation flashing in his eyes. He knew Ji Lin was exceptionally talented; after all, the Zhenlong Chess Puzzle was not something just anyone could solve.

But what's even more admirable is his diligence, eagerness to learn, and humble attitude. So, Su Xinghe smiled and replied, "Junior Brother Sect Leader, this way please."

Su Xinghe led Ji Lin through the woods to a seemingly ordinary yet rustic wooden house. Although the house was simple, it was surrounded by lush trees, giving it a tranquil and mysterious feel.

Su Xinghe stopped and said in a deep voice, "Junior brother, this is the library of my Xiaoyao Sect. You may browse through it yourself, but there are almost no more of the Xiaoyao Sect's superior martial arts manuals left. If you need anything, please feel free to ask me." After saying that, he gently pushed open the door and let Ji Lin into the room.

Ji Lin entered the wooden house and looked around. Inside, there were rows of old bookshelves filled with various ancient books and martial arts manuals. A faint scent of books filled the air, making one feel refreshed and relaxed.

He walked to the bookshelf, carefully picked up a yellowed book, and opened the first page. It was densely covered with text and diagrams, recording the essence of various martial arts techniques of the Free and Unfettered Sect. However, they were all just basic stuff and some second-rate martial arts manuals.

"It seems that most of the martial arts manuals of the Free and Unfettered Sect are probably at Mantuo Manor."

Ji Lin planned to return there sometime, and then began reading voraciously. Every book he read was incredibly beneficial, as if opening a door to the pinnacle of martial arts. He was immersed in the ocean of knowledge, forgetting the passage of time…

"One year later..."

In the valley of the Wuliang Sword Sect, there was a blessed land called Langhuan. A young man was running happily in an open space. As he got faster and faster, several afterimages appeared in the open space.

If you look closely at the order in which the young man runs and the directions in which his afterimages appear, you'll find that it seems to be based on the sixty-four hexagrams of the I Ching, and that he is moving forward according to the directions indicated by the hexagrams.

Just then, a man suddenly fell from the sky, and the young man moved over in a flash and rescued the man.

"My name is Duan Yu. Thank you for saving my life, brother!"

"Don't be so polite, my name is Ji Lin. This is where my master is in seclusion. I wonder how you ended up here, Brother Duan?"

In fact, half a year ago, Ji Lin had already read through all the books in Leigu Mountain with his ability to achieve twice the result with half the effort. Although he learned a lot of knowledge, he did not learn any powerful martial arts skills. So, he bid farewell to Mr. Congbian and came to this blessed land of Langhuan.

After all, Wu Yazi only gave him internal energy, but didn't teach him any superior martial arts. And the books in Leigu Mountain's collection, besides miscellaneous books on astronomy, geography, the Five Elements, the Eight Trigrams, and the arts of music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, only contained some low-level fist and foot techniques. Therefore, Ji Lin had no choice but to rely on his own efforts to explore other paths of martial arts.

Listening to Duan Yu's indignant account of the Wuliang Sword Sect's evil deeds and Zhong Ling's naivety...

Looking at the somewhat dazed Duan Yu in front of him, Ji Lin knew in his heart that the plot had begun, and he could also come out of seclusion!

Ji Lin asked Duan Yu to wait a moment, then turned and entered the cave. After storing the fairy sister's jade statue in his spatial storage, he looked around and then left the cave with Duan Yu.

The two walked and talked, and soon arrived at the gate of the Wuliang Sword Sect.

"We're here, this is it," Duan Yu said, pointing to the mountain gate ahead.

Ji Lin looked up and saw the four large characters "Wuliang Sword Sect" engraved on the mountain gate, which was magnificent and awe-inspiring.

At this moment, a group of swordsmen dressed in white filed out of the door. The old man at the head of the group had a gloomy face and scrutinized Ji Lin and Duan Yu.

"Boy, I told you to go get the antidote, why did you come back?" the old man asked coldly.

Duan Yu quickly stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said, "Zuo Zimu, release Zhong Ling immediately, and I will have her give you the antidote, otherwise..."

Upon hearing this, the old man's face grew even more gloomy, and he said, "Otherwise what? Just this kid beside you?"

Ji Lin thought to himself, "It seems that the Wuliang Sword Sect can serve as a touchstone for me to see how strong I really am." With that thought, he smiled slightly and then channeled his inner energy.

Seeing Ji Lin make a move, the disciples of the Wuliang Sword Sect drew their swords and stared at him warily.

Ji Lin flashed forward, his movements as swift as lightning, and in a few moves he had the disciples in a sorry state.

Ji Lin waved his hand, wondering to himself, "Is it because I'm too strong, or is the Wuliang Sword Sect too weak?"

Just then, Duan Yu rushed over and, seeing the Wuliang Sword Sect disciples lying haphazardly on the ground, exclaimed in surprise, "Brother Ji, you are so powerful?"

Ji Lin smiled slightly and said, "It's nothing but a trivial trick. I've already told you along the way that I'm highly skilled in martial arts, yet you're still so worried."

With Zuo Zimu in custody, Ji Lin and the others found the place where Zhong Ling was being held.

"Brother Duan, I sent you to find my parents, why did you come back so soon?"

“Zhong Ling, this is Ji Lin, a master I met on the way. You were saved thanks to his help.”

Zhong Ling stared at Ji Lin, who was holding a sword, and was momentarily lost in thought. Then her face flushed slightly: "Thank you, Brother Ji, for saving my life."

"Alright, as the saying goes, no fight, no friendship. Zhong Ling, I've taught the Wuliang Sword Sect a lesson, which can be considered as avenging you. Now give him the antidote."

After parting ways with the Wuliang Sword Sect, the three of them traveled leisurely for several days.

One day, Ji Lin and Duan Yu were talking when they suddenly heard sounds of fighting and shouting coming from ahead. Ji Lin and Duan Yu exchanged a glance and then decided to go and investigate.

Upon approaching, they saw a beautiful woman being attacked by two men. The knowledgeable Zhong Ling immediately recognized the woman as Mu Wanqing, and one of her attackers as Ye Erniang, while the other was Yun Zhonghe. These two were two of the four infamous villains in the martial arts world.

Seeing the woman's beautiful appearance, Duan Yu felt pity and wanted to help her. Ji Lin pulled him back and whispered, "Brother Duan Yu, these two are highly skilled in martial arts, and you have no skills. It would be better if I went to help them." After saying that, Ji Lin drew his sword and attacked Ye Erniang.

Seeing this, Ye Erniang brandished her weapon to fight back. Both sides attacked and defended, and for a time it was difficult to determine the winner. Taking advantage of the situation, Yun Zhonghe launched a sneak attack on Mu Wanqing, but Ji Lin quickly used his Lingbo Weibu (a martial arts technique) to protect Mu Wanqing.

Seeing the critical situation, Ji Lin used the Northern Darkness Divine Skill to absorb all of Yun Zhonghe's internal energy. This was also the first time Ji Lin had absorbed someone else's internal energy. Finally, Ji Lin stabbed Yun Zhonghe in the throat with his sword, and Yun Zhonghe screamed and fell to the ground dead. Seeing the situation was bad, Ye Erniang turned and fled.

Seeing that the other party had fled, Ji Lin did not pursue them further.

Having lived two lives, Ji Lin killed someone for the first time. Although he felt a little uncomfortable, he quickly calmed down.

After the battle, Mu Wanqing thanked Ji Lin.

The two people who had been watching the fight also stepped forward. "Sister Mu, why are you being chased by the Four Evils?"

Zhong Ling and Mu Wanqing had known each other for a long time. Upon seeing Zhong Ling there, Mu Wanqing explained the reason for being chased.

It turns out that she initially went to Mantuo Villa to assassinate Madam Wang but failed. Afterwards, Madam Wang hired the Four Evils to hunt her down.

Listening from the side, Ji Lin sighed inwardly, "This is all the fault of those scumbags!"

...the border of Dali, Yunnan.

After rescuing Mu Wanqing that day, Duan Yu left without lingering because he needed to report back to his master. Zhong Ling, missing her parents, also prepared to return to Wanjie Valley, leaving only Duan Yu and Ji Lin.

Duan Yu looked at Ji Lin and said, "Brother Ji, why don't you come with me to Dali City?"

Ji Lin thought for a moment, then nodded and agreed, "That's great, let's go then!"

So the two of them set off together for Dali. Along the way, they enjoyed the beautiful scenery and talked about interesting stories from their travels, feeling exceptionally relaxed and happy.

Just then, four figures appeared ahead—the four great retainers of the Duan family: Ba Tianshi, Fan Hua, Hua Hegen, and Chu Wanli. Upon seeing Duan Yu, the four immediately came forward to greet him.

Ba Tianshi said excitedly, "Young Master, we've finally found you!"

Duan Yu smiled and said, "What brings you all here?"

Ba Tianshi replied, "His Highness was worried about your safety and sent us to search for you. It's wonderful that you're safe and sound!"

Duan Yu turned to Ji Lin and introduced him, "This is Brother Ji Lin, my good friend."

Ji Lin bowed to the four senior retainers and said, "Greetings, esteemed seniors."

The four retainers returned the greetings, expressing their respect to Ji Lin. Then, they embarked together on their journey to Dali City. Along the way, they were filled with laughter and joy, their atmosphere harmonious and congenial.

Upon arriving at the Prince of Zhennan's Mansion in Dali, Ji Lin received a warm and grand welcome. He was ushered into the mansion, passing through a series of magnificent corridors, and finally arriving at the spacious and bright main hall. Here, he met the legendary Dumas, the first Dumas of the Tianlong era—Duan Zhengchun.

Duan Zhengchun was handsome and dashing, with a profound and unique charm in his eyes that was irresistible. Ji Lin secretly admired him, thinking, "No wonder he's the greatest Alexandre Dumas in Tianlong!"

As night fell, moonlight bathed Dali City like water. Ji Lin sat quietly on the bed and began to regulate his breathing.

Since absorbing Yun Zhonghe's internal energy that day, he had used the wonders of the Northern Darkness Divine Art to fuse the absorbed internal energy with his own, thus elevating his skill to a new level. This improvement filled him with immense excitement and satisfaction, and also filled him with anticipation for the future.

As time went by, Ji Lin gradually became immersed in cultivation. He felt the internal energy within his body surging like a tide, flowing through his meridians.

Every breath seemed to carry power, and every movement made his body more solid. In this quiet night, he devoted himself wholeheartedly to cultivation, constantly exploring his potential and limits.