Chapter 133: Knowledge Is Never a Burden

As Li Yan walked along the stone path leading back toward his residence, many disciples greeted him respectfully.

Ever since the Annual Competition, his reputation within the Shadow Haven Sect had risen to an entirely new level.

The Azure-Rank Champion. The disciple who had reached the hidden level of the Azure Pagoda. The young swordsman who had awakened Sword Intent before the age of fifteen.

His name had become known throughout the Sect.

Naturally, admiration was accompanied by curiosity.

And curiosity often led to challenges.

The young man appeared to be around twenty years old. His aura was stable and powerful, clearly belonging to the Qi Harmonization Realm.

After stopping several meters away, he respectfully cupped his fists. "Junior Brother Li. My name is Xu Jian. Qi Harmonization Realm (Stage 3). I would like to ask for a friendly spar."

Since the conclusion of the Annual Competition, this was already the third time someone had approached him seeking a friendly spar.

The first two challengers had both been Brown-Rank disciples.

Neither had managed to defeat him.

Li Yan studied him briefly. There was no hostility in the other's eyes. Only the straightforward fighting spirit was common among cultivators.

A faint smile appeared on Li Yan's face. "Very well."

Xu Jian's expression brightened immediately. "Thank you."

News spread quickly.

Within a short time, disciples from all directions began gathering at the central assembly area. The Sect's main platform soon became surrounded by spectators.

Many disciples smiled knowingly.

"It's happening again."

"Another Brown-Rank disciple challenging Senior Brother Li."

"There was no one from the Azure-Rank disciples who challenged him."

"Who would dare challenge their own champion?"

Soft laughter spread through the crowd.

Ever since Li Yan had won the Azure-Rank Championship, no disciple of the Azure Rank had challenged him again.

The difference had already become obvious during the competition.

Only Brown-Rank disciples possessed both the cultivation and confidence to test themselves against him. But still, only the early stages of the Qi Harmonization Realm stepped forward to challenge him.

Moments later, both cultivators stepped onto the platform. An elder volunteered to supervise the friendly match.

After confirming that both sides understood the rules, he raised his hand. "Begin."

Xu Jian immediately attacked.

Unlike many previous opponents, he did not underestimate Li Yan solely because of Li Yan's cultivation.

The moment the battle began, Darkness Qi surged through his body.

A long saber appeared in his hand before sweeping toward Li Yan with tremendous force.

Li Yan calmly drew his own sword.

Clang!

The two weapons collided.

Xu Jian's eyes narrowed slightly. The strength behind Li Yan's sword exceeded his expectations.

Without pausing, Xu Jian launched another series of attacks. His saber continuously pressed forward, each strike flowing naturally into the next.

His saber strikes were powerful, steady, and relentless.

Li Yan did not immediately counterattack.

Instead, he focused entirely upon defense.

His sword moved with remarkable precision, redirecting each incoming strike with the smallest possible movement.

The battle quickly accelerated.

Clang!

Clang!

Clang!

Metallic impacts echoed across the platform.

Several Brown-Rank disciples were gradually surprised.

Although Xu Jian possessed an entire realm's advantage in cultivation, he failed to gain any meaningful advantage.

Li Yan's footwork remained exceptionally calm. Every retreat created the perfect distance. Every step placed him exactly where he needed to be.

Xu Jian gradually increased the intensity of his attacks.

Darkness Qi erupted from his saber.

A Mortal-Tier Mid-Level saber technique descended toward Li Yan.

Instead of avoiding it, Li Yan stepped forward.

Shadow Fang Severance.

Darkness Qi condensed along his sword before a crescent-shaped blade swept outward.

Boom!

The two techniques collided. The impact forced both cultivators backward several steps.

Xu Jian steadied himself immediately before charging once more.

Li Yan smiled faintly. He had already tested enough.

The next exchange ended almost instantly.

Xu Jian's saber swept downward.

Li Yan shifted half a step to the side, and he took advantage of the opening Xu Jian gave him. His sword slipped past the saber before stopping directly at Xu Jian's throat.

Silence descended upon the platform.

Xu Jian stared at the sword for several breaths before smiling helplessly. "I lost."

Li Yan withdrew his weapon and cupped his fists. "Senior Brother Xu accepted."

Xu Jian laughed. "I've heard countless people and seen with my own eyes that your combat ability far exceeds your cultivation."

"I wanted to experience it myself." He shook his head. "Now I understand. It wasn't an exaggeration."

The surrounding disciples erupted into discussion.

Although Li Yan's victory surprised no one, seeing it firsthand was a completely different experience each time.

A disciple at the Qi Channeling Realm had once again defeated a Qi Harmonization Realm disciple, a whole realm above him.

As Li Yan stepped down from the platform, many disciples unconsciously looked at him with renewed admiration.

Meanwhile, Li Yan quietly reviewed the battle in his mind.

Compared to his recent fights against Tier-4 Magical Beasts, sparring against a fellow cultivator revealed different shortcomings.

Both experiences were equally valuable.

And both brought him one step closer to completing the impossible task Yao Fuhuo had entrusted to him.

*****

The next morning, Li Yan collected everything he had requested from Ji Hong.

Like every disciple, Li Yan paid the required Shadow Points for the technique, tools, and blueprints. The total came to nearly one hundred and thirty-five thousand Shadow Points. 

Now he had the technique, the artifact blueprints, and all the necessary tools, but he still needed the material to begin practicing, and it would take a week to arrive. So, he decided to make another trip to the Hunting Ground.

Over the following week, Li Yan was busy hunting the Tier-4 Magical Beasts.

One day, while hunting, he encountered something he had not yet experienced.

A pack of Tier-4 Magical Beasts.

Four Shadowfang Panthers occupied a narrow valley together. The moment they noticed Li Yan's presence, they attacked simultaneously.

The four beasts coordinated naturally.

One attacked from the front.

Another circled toward his left.

The remaining two disappeared into the surrounding forest, patiently waiting for an opportunity to strike.

Li Yan's expression remained calm.

His Spiritual Sense immediately expanded to its limit.

Every movement of the four beasts was reflected clearly within his Spiritual Sense.

The first panther lunged. Li Yan sidestepped before countering with Shadow Fang Severance. The beast narrowly avoided the attack.

Almost simultaneously, another claw descended from behind.

Li Yan twisted his body. The claw grazed his robe before crashing into the ground. The battle immediately became chaotic.

Unlike fighting a single opponent, every movement now demanded constant awareness of three additional threats. His Spiritual Sense became the key to survival.

Again and again, attacks arrived from his blind spots. Again and again, Li Yan adjusted his footwork at the final moment, narrowly avoiding fatal injuries.

The burden of the Training Rings made every movement more demanding. Yet that very burden steadily refined his body.

His breathing remained steady. His mind remained calm. Minutes gradually passed. One panther finally exposed an opening while coordinating with its companions.

Li Yan immediately seized the opportunity.

His sword flashed.

The beast collapsed.

The numerical advantage disappeared.

The remaining three Magical Beasts continued attacking without hesitation.

The battle grew even fiercer.

By the time the final panther fell, the surrounding valley had become a battlefield of shattered stone and fallen trees.

Li Yan stood quietly in the center of the destruction.

Several shallow claw marks covered his robes, but none had pierced deeply enough to injure him. As Qi flowed into the robes, they began regenerating into a new set within just a few seconds, leaving no marks behind.

A faint smile appeared on his face.

Fighting several Tier-4 Magical Beasts simultaneously while carrying a three-thousand-jin burden had proven far more beneficial than battling them one by one.

His reactions had improved noticeably.

His control over battlefield awareness had likewise advanced another step. Satisfied with the results, Li Yan continued hunting until the day the materials arranged by Yao Fuhuo arrived.

Only then did he leave the Tier-4 Hunting Ground and return to the Shadow Haven Sect.

****

The following morning, after finishing breakfast, Li Yan made his way toward the Shadow Knowledge Pavilion. Unlike his previous visits, when he had merely compared Craftsmanship and Array Mastery before choosing a second profession, this time he had come with a clear purpose.

He intended to begin studying Craftsmanship in earnest.

The first floor of the pavilion remained as quiet as ever. The warm light of floating lamps illuminated rows upon rows of bookshelves stretching into the distance. A handful of disciples sat at scattered tables, immersed in their own studies, while others moved silently between the shelves.

Li Yan walked directly to the Craftsmanship section and selected several introductory manuals before taking a seat at one of the long wooden tables.

As soon as he opened the first volume, his Spiritual Sense spread quietly across the pages. Every line of text, every illustration, and every diagram was reflected clearly within his Spiritual Consciousness.

Rather than simply memorizing the contents, he continually compared each concept with the knowledge he had already acquired from studying materials, runes, arrays, and alchemy—seemingly unrelated principles that gradually connected in his mind, forming a more complete understanding of the profession.

The introductory books contained only foundational knowledge—basic materials, crafting terminology, and the eight stages of artifact creation. None of it proved particularly difficult.

By the time the afternoon arrived, Li Yan had already finished every introductory Craftsmanship book available on the first floor. The remaining volumes covered concepts he had already understood, leaving little reason to remain there.

He returned the books neatly to their shelves before making his way toward the second floor.

Compared to the first floor, the second floor contained considerably fewer disciples. The atmosphere was even quieter, with only the occasional sound of turning pages breaking the silence.

As Li Yan walked toward the Craftsmanship section, Ji Xin happened to be studying a sword manual several tables away.

She noticed him almost immediately.

Her eyes followed his figure as he walked calmly through the rows of bookshelves before stopping in front of the Craftsmanship section. Without hesitation, he began selecting books one after another. Within only a short time, nearly thirty thick manuals rested in his arms.

Carrying them effortlessly, he walked to a nearby table, arranged them into several orderly stacks, then sat down and opened the first volume.

Ji Xin blinked in surprise. "Craftsmanship?"

She frowned slightly. "I thought he only practiced swordsmanship."

A moment later, she recalled a conversation with her mother. "That's right…"

"Mother mentioned that he also studies alchemy."

Her gaze returned to the young man reading quietly a short distance away. "So now he's learning Craftsmanship as well?"

A trace of curiosity gradually appeared in her eyes. "What exactly is he trying to accomplish?"

After hesitating briefly, Ji Xin closed the sword manual before her.

She stood and walked toward Li Yan's table, her footsteps so light that they produced almost no sound upon the polished wooden floor.

Stopping beside him, she spoke softly. "Junior Brother Li."

Li Yan looked up almost immediately.

Seeing Ji Xin standing beside the table, he closed the book and greeted her politely. "Senior Ji."

A faint smile appeared on Ji Xin's face. "I've been watching you for a while."

Li Yan raised an eyebrow slightly. "Watching me?"

She nodded before glancing toward the stack of books. "I thought you came here to study swordsmanship."

Her gaze lingered on the titles resting upon the table. "I didn't expect to find you buried in Craftsmanship manuals instead."

Li Yan smiled faintly. "I've recently decided to study it."

Ji Xin looked at him for a moment. "You already practice swordsmanship while studying alchemy."

A trace of helpless amusement entered her voice. "And now you're adding Craftsmanship as well?"

Li Yan answered calmly. "Knowledge rarely becomes a burden."

Ji Xin couldn't help laughing softly. "Perhaps only someone like you would say something like that."

She shook her head lightly before taking a small step backward. "I won't disturb your studies any longer."

Li Yan cupped his fists politely. "Thank you, Senior Ji."

After a brief pause, he added, "If possible, I'd appreciate it if you didn't mention the different paths I'm studying to others. I'd rather not become the center of attention any more than I already am."

Ji Xin nodded without hesitation. "Of course."

Then a playful smile gradually appeared on her face. "But only if you promise me something."

Li Yan looked at her with slight curiosity. "What is it?"