Chapter 532 - 528: Wind Jade

Chapter 532: Chapter 528: Wind Jade

"I discovered this person by chance in a small city in Songquan County. He was using fake manuals as bait to lure various factions into fighting and killing each other."

"I sensed something was amiss, so I followed the clues to his hiding place and found these manuals."

Fang Han briefly recounted how he found the forger, emphasizing his suspicions about the force behind him.

"Although he was only a Third Grade Martial Artist, his actions were extremely decisive. After I captured him, he committed suicide by taking poison without any hesitation, just like a Death Warrior."

"I suspect that there must be some faction manipulating him from behind. This faction is deliberately spreading the fake manuals to add fuel to the fire, making the already turbulent situation in Songquan County even more chaotic."

After listening to Fang Han’s account, Chen Tianyuan’s brow, which had relaxed upon obtaining the Grandmaster’s Secret Technique, slowly furrowed once more.

He had long heard about the matter of the Grandmaster’s Tomb in Songquan County.

When the news first broke, he had been tempted to secretly send men to see if they could get a piece of the pie.

However, he was wary that the top-level factions in Songquan County were extremely sensitive to outside forces interfering. The slightest misstep could trigger a conflict between sects, so after weighing the pros and cons, he ultimately chose to forgo the opportunity.

Now, it seemed the matter concealed such a conspiracy.

The forger’s decisiveness and secretive methods were not something an ordinary rogue martial artist could manage. There had to be a faction manipulating things from the shadows.

This faction was deliberately spreading fake manuals to add fuel to the fire, making the already turbulent situation in Songquan County even more chaotic.

As for why this faction would do such a thing and what their deeper objective was, there was too little information to judge at the moment.

But one thing was certain: this was not a mess the Qingxuan Sect should get involved in.

His initial decision not to send anyone to compete for it, in retrospect, had saved them a lot of trouble.

"These six manuals you’ve brought back, especially *Ghost Shadow*, fill a void in the Sect’s collection of Grandmaster Level Secret Techniques. They are of immense value to the Sect."

Chen Tianyuan returned from his thoughts, his gaze falling back on Fang Han.

He paused, his tone growing more solemn.

"I will record two major merits for you."

Fang Han’s heart stirred.

Two major merits. This was not a light reward.

Last year, that Steward who found the Grandmaster Level Cross-training Method, *Xuanwu True Skill*, for the Sect had gone through life and death and was only awarded one major merit in the end.

Although he had turned in six manuals this time, only one was a Grandmaster Level technique. To receive two major merits was already quite a generous reward.

"Thank you for the reward, Sect Leader."

Fang Han stood up and cupped his hands in a solemn salute.

With these two, his total number of major merits would reach five, a hefty sum once again.

Chen Tianyuan waved his hand, about to dismiss Fang Han, but saw that he had no intention of leaving.

"Is there something else?"

Chen Tianyuan’s gaze fell upon Fang Han.

Fang Han took the cyan gemstone from his robes and presented it with both hands.

"During my travels, I happened upon this item, but I don’t know its origin or purpose. I was hoping the Sect Leader could take a look."

Chen Tianyuan took the gemstone.

The teardrop-shaped crystal glowed with a soft cyan light under the hall’s illumination, a faint halo of light swirling on its surface.

It was cool to the touch, and a subtle fluctuation emanated from within, enveloping him.

He held the gemstone in his palm, studying it for a moment, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.

"Your luck is quite good."

Chen Tianyuan looked up, the corners of his mouth lifting in a very faint smile.

"If I’m not mistaken, this should be a piece of Wind Jade, a type of Mid-grade Heavenly Material and Earthly Treasure."

"A Mid-grade Heavenly Material and Earthly Treasure?"

Fang Han’s eyebrows raised slightly.

He hadn’t expected this cyan gemstone, whose purpose he could never figure out, to be a Mid-grade Heavenly Material and Earthly Treasure.

Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures were already precious, and Mid-grade ones were exceptionally so, far rarer than Low-grade Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures.

"Then what exactly is the use of this Wind Jade?"

he asked.

"Wind Jade enhances the wearer’s affinity for the Wind Attribute, providing considerable help when cultivating Wind Attribute Martial Techniques."

"You cultivate Wind Attribute Martial Techniques, so this item is perfect for you."

Chen Tianyuan handed the gemstone back to Fang Han, paused, and added,

"You only need to wear it while cultivating Wind Attribute Martial Techniques to feel its effects."

Fang Han took the Wind Jade, realization dawning on him.

’No wonder I could never figure out its use. It turns out you have to be cultivating a Wind Attribute Martial Technique to feel the effect.’

"Thank you for clearing my confusion, Sect Leader."

Fang Han carefully tucked the Wind Jade into his robes and cupped his hands in thanks.

Chen Tianyuan nodded slightly and said no more.

Fang Han bowed, then turned and left the Sect Leader’s Hall.

After leaving the Sect Leader’s Hall, Fang Han walked down the green stone steps.

The afternoon sun poured down between the ornate eaves and brackets, casting a warm golden layer upon the steps.

In the distance, the faint shouts of disciples practicing their martial arts could be heard, mixed with the long ringing of a few bells, making the mountain seem even more tranquil.

He held the Wind Jade in his hand. It felt cool to his fingertips, and a faint cyan light swirled in his palm.

A strange sensation enveloped him, as if an invisible, light veil had draped itself around him.

The gate to Courtyard No. 35 was ajar.

Fang Han pushed the gate open and walked in. Hearing the sound, Qiu Lan looked up and hurried over to greet him.

"Senior Brother, you’re back."

Fang Han nodded.

"Get me a sturdy piece of thread."

Qiu Lan didn’t ask any questions. She turned and went into the house, emerging a short while later with a small ball of light-cyan thread.

The thread was spun from Celestial Silkworm Silk. It was as fine as a strand of hair yet exceptionally tough, normally used for mending clothes.

Fang Han cut a length, threaded it through the tiny hole at the top of the Wind Jade, tied a dead knot, and hung it around his neck.

The Wind Jade rested against his chest, its cool sensation seeping through his clothes, even clearer than when he held it in his palm.

He straightened his collar, hiding both the thread and the Wind Jade completely beneath his robes, then turned and walked toward the Cultivation Field in the backyard.

The backyard Cultivation Field had been expanded some time ago. Its Obsidian-paved ground shimmered with a deep luster in the afternoon sun.

The crisscrossing sword marks on the field were still clearly visible. They varied in depth, some as fine as hair, others an inch wide, all traces left from his day-after-day practice of the Sky-Splitting Sword Technique.

’I’ll start by testing the swordsmanship!’

Fang Han stood firm in the center of the open space, his right hand resting on the hilt of his Cloud Splitting Sword.

KLANG—

The Cloud Splitting Sword left its sheath, its dark-cyan blade shimmering with a restrained light.

He didn’t rush to strike. Instead, he closed his eyes and focused, slowly going over the Heart Method of the Sky-Splitting Sword Technique in his mind.

The Sword Technique Transformations he knew by heart, the methods for circulating Inner Qi, the fusion of the Wind Realm and Sword Momentum—everything appeared clearly, like a scroll unfurling before his eyes.

Then he opened his eyes and, empowered by the Wind Realm, thrust his sword forward.

The strike was neither fast nor slow, just a simple, straight thrust.

The sword tip cut through the air, creating a faint tearing sound. A barely perceptible, transparent ripple spread out where the blade passed, lingering without dissipating.

Unleashing the Sky-Splitting Sword Technique at the Mastery Realm was certainly powerful, but what Fang Han was paying attention to right now wasn’t power, but something else.

He retracted the sword, then swung it again.

A second strike, a third, a fourth.

His movements grew slower and slower, but his mind became more and more focused, his entire attention poured into perceiving the changes in the Wind Realm.

A feeling different from before emerged!

It was an extremely subtle sensation, as if a thin veil that had been covering his eyes had a corner gently lifted.

The Wind Realm was still the same Wind Realm, and his control over it was still at the same level, but he could "see" it more clearly.

If his previous perception of the Wind Realm within the Sky-Splitting Sword Technique was like viewing flowers in a fog—a thin mist that always shrouded his vision, making the flower’s outline, color, and texture seem hazy and unreal—

then at this moment, that mist seemed to have been partially blown away by a gentle breeze.

The flower’s outline, color, and texture were the same, but they had all become clearer and more distinct.

’It’s not my comprehension that’s enhanced, but my perception!’

Fang Han’s movements paused for a fraction of a second, then became fluid once more.

He continued to practice his swordsmanship. Sword light crisscrossed the Cultivation Field, flashing like sudden thunderclaps, incomparably sharp and chilling to the bone.

He could clearly feel his perception of the Wind Realm becoming sharper.

It wasn’t that his comprehension had improved, but that his perception itself had grown more acute.

Comprehension and perception are two different things.

Comprehension determined how much understanding he could distill from his existing perceptions, while perception determined how much information about the Wind Realm he could receive from the outside world.

The Wind Jade enhanced the latter. It enhanced his natural affinity for Wind Attribute power; it enhanced his perception of Wind Attribute power.

With his perception sharpened, comprehending the Wind Realm naturally became easier.

It was like a person whose Eye Power was originally limited to a hundred zhang suddenly having their eyes polished, allowing them to see the scenery two hundred zhang away.

The scenery itself hadn’t changed, but the amount of information he could receive had doubled, so his observational ability naturally grew stronger.

’The effect on my swordsmanship is remarkable. Next, I’ll check my body technique!’

Fang Han sheathed his sword and stood still, slowly exhaling a breath of turbid air.

He did not continue practicing his swordsmanship. Instead, he returned the Cloud Splitting Sword to its sheath, clasped his hands behind his back in the center of the open space, and closed his eyes to focus for a moment.

Then he opened his eyes and his figure moved.

WHOOSH—

He executed the Wind God Step.

His figure in its green robes transformed into a faint, barely perceptible streak of light, silently darting across the Cultivation Field.

The crisscrossing sword marks on the Obsidian ground flew past under his feet, only to be left far behind him in the next instant.

At times, his figure was as swift as the wind, flashing from the eastern wall to the western corner in an instant, leaving a distorted afterimage in the air.

At other times, it was as ethereal as a cloud, leaving a trail of illusory images that were hard to distinguish from the real him within a tiny area—seeming to be in front, then suddenly behind.

The exact same feeling he had when practicing his swordsmanship resurfaced.

His perception of the Wind Realm had become sharper.

This sharpness did not come from a mental level, but from his body itself.

It came from his skin’s perception of the subtlest changes in airflow, from the delicate resonance between the Inner Qi in his meridians and the external Wind Attribute energy, and from the once-elusive rhythm contained within the rebound force each time his feet touched the ground.

With his perception sharpened, he naturally knew how to more exquisitely integrate the Wind Realm into his Body Technique, how to make every turn better match the flow of the wind, and how to make every leap and landing better align with the wind’s drift.