Was Yi Tang a strong practitioner?

As the true successor of Renxin Hall and the most promising young physician of his generation, he was undoubtedly a powerful figure. In terms of his five-senses cultivation within the same realm, it would be difficult to find an equal.

However, Jiang Wang, despite losing the initiative, leveraged the situation, employed dazzling techniques, and brought the fight to a swift and decisive end. The outcome was almost a complete rout.

Those with peak inheritances, the gifted cultivators personally tutored by powerful figures, would immediately ascend to the rank of true successors upon entering the Outer Building realm, then rise to the pinnacle through sheer talent. How many under the heavens could stand against the likes of Dou Zhao or the followers of Chong Xuan Zun?

Yet, Jiang Wang, who had escaped Fenglin City at the age of seventeen, had to begin his ascent from the very bottom. For him, every step forward led to a new, unfamiliar world. He had slain practitioners of the Outer Building realm while still in the Inner Mansion, but of the Outer Building realm itself, he could not claim to have a deep understanding.

Chong Xuan Zun could casually remark on the Guanhe Platform, “The Outer Building seems not so difficult to comprehend.”

He could not.

His journey was one of walking, observing, contemplating, and fighting. He accumulated reserves in the Huiguo Duke’s manor, enriched his experience in the Shanhai Realm and Bu Shu City. He witnessed the truth of creation and destruction, heard secrets from nine hundred years past, and felt the complexities of countless lives. He stopped and isolated himself in the Wunian Mountain Range, sitting in solitude for nearly half a year.

It was there that he finally digested all he had gained in the Outer Building realm, advancing toward the strongest position within it.

He was calm,

And also tranquil.

The fight was over.

Yi Tang watched Jiang Wang withdraw his hand,

For a moment, he was lost in thought.

Had he lost just like that?

He hadn’t displayed his full capabilities;

He still possessed many secret techniques from Renxin Hall that he hadn’t utilized…

Yes,

He had lost just like that.

In a battle, what was learned or not learned held no importance. Only what was manifested in the fight mattered.

“I accept the concession,” Jiang Wang said promptly, bowing his hands. His voice was gentle, devoid of any aggression.

Yi Tang returned to his senses and the courtesy, saying, “The name Jiang Qingyang is well-deserved. I, Yi, have lost.

I have lost convincingly.”

Jiang Wang unclasped his hands, opening his palm,

Which held a crystal-clear Cloud-Wood Vase.

Within it swam five small, colorful fish.

He presented the Cloud-Wood Vase: “Thanks to Brother Yi for completing this.

This spar allowed me to gain much. Please accept this small token as a gesture of my sincerity, and by all means, do not refuse.”

Yi Tang waved his hand, saying, “I have already lost. How can I shamelessly accept your five-colored fish?”

Jiang Wang held up his hand again, his expression sincere: “These fish possess a strange poison, rare under the heavens. Only in the hands of a master like Brother Yi

Can they truly serve a purpose. They have been idle since I acquired them, which is a waste. To be frank with Brother Yi, I came specifically to find a suitable place for these fish. The spar was secondary.”

“This is a five-colored fish,

Yet it is also a magical tool,”

Yi Tang looked at him and said, “You make me uneasy. May I know how I can be of assistance?”

“Indeed, there is one matter!” Jiang Wang laughed.

Yi Tang seemed somewhat relieved, as if he had expected this. He said with a normal expression, “Feel free to speak. If it is within my power,

I will not refuse.”

The implication being… if it was beyond his power,

Jiang Wang shouldn’t blame him.

“Might Brother Yi be able to help me write a letter of recommendation, so I might privately visit Cui Yigeng?” Jiang Wang asked with a laugh. “Qinku Academy, after all, is not like Renxin Hall, which is so benevolent and skilled.

They are not easy to simply wander into.”

Qinku Academy was the foremost among the four great academies under heaven, and Cui Yigeng was the foremost among their Outer Building disciples. His standing within Qinku Academy was similar to Yi Tang’s in Renxin Hall. The two great sects were not far apart,

And in Jiang Wang’s view, there should be some connection between these two individuals.

Yi Tang said in surprise, “Are you going to challenge again?”

Jiang Wang simply replied, “I have been in seclusion for a long time,

And have finally emerged. I wish to connect with the mountains beyond the mountains, and verify some things.”

“Brother Jiang, you are that mountain beyond the mountain,” Yi Tang shook his head with a sigh, then laughed. “This letter I should write. The principle of people beyond people shouldn’t be known only to me, Yi Tang!”

Evidently, in his view, Cui Yigeng of Qinku Academy would also not be Jiang Wang’s opponent.

Jiang Wang laughed, “If Brother Yi doesn’t mind the trouble, perhaps you could write a few more.”

Yi Tang raised his eyes: “Where else does Brother Jiang intend to go?”

Jiang Wang said, “As I travel this path: Qinku Academy, Qingya Academy, Dongwang Valley, Xuan Kong Temple, and San Xing Palace.”

Yi Tang’s expression suddenly shifted: “It seems Brother Jiang is testing his sword against the world, intent on proving himself the foremost!”

Jiang Wang said, “My fief is in Qingyang Town. This is merely my way home.”

Yi Tang laughed, “Then this path is a bit of a detour.”

Jiang Wang’s eyes were calm: “To witness the scenery of the world, a slight detour is acceptable.”

“Everything else is fine, but if you go to Dongwang Valley, Brother Jiang, it’s best not to use my recommendation letter…” Yi Tang extended a hand to lead, “Please come into the study and rest for a while.”

It seemed the two great holy lands of medicine held quite a deep-seated resentment…

Jiang Wang thought, his mouth saying, “No matter. If it can stir some anger, I imagine the sparring will be more genuine.”

In truth, to provoke the anger of Dongwang Valley cultivators, he didn’t need Yi Tang’s letter. Given Dongwang Valley’s support for the Shen Country, his mere appearance there was a provocation. Mentioning his past act of beheading the Dongwang Valley cultivator, Mo Zichu… that could simply ignite things directly.

But this did not prevent him from showing Yi Tang some goodwill.

Yi Tang merely smiled.

Upon arriving at the study, several letters with similar content were quickly written and sealed with his personal chop, then handed to Jiang Wang.

Jiang Wang expressed his repeated thanks and did not linger. He put on his hat and departed on his own.

The study remained quiet for quite some time, until the Renxin Hall disciple named Hao Zhen pushed open the door and entered.

“Senior Brother Yi, who was that person just now?”

“An acquaintance,” Yi Tang said. “Why do you ask?”

“No, no reason,” Hao Zhen scratched his head. “Just a little curious.”

Yi Tang, who had been flipping through medical case files at his desk, paused and looked at him deeply: “Curiosity is not a bad thing, but if one cannot control it, it becomes very troublesome.”

“Senior Brother is right,” Hao Zhen lowered his head and said.

Yi Tang raised a finger and pointed at the Cloud-Wood Vase on the corner of the desk: “Take that.”

“Ah, Senior Brother, for me?” Hao Zhen was a little surprised.

Yi Tang’s expression was very flat: “You don’t like it? Take it.”

“Thank you, Senior Brother!”

Hao Zhen happily held the Cloud-Wood Vase in his arms, carefully examining the five small, colorful fish swimming inside.

“But there is one condition,” Yi Tang said. “The person who sent this five-colored fish hopes it can be used to its fullest potential. You must quickly extract the poison, determine how to counteract it, and see if it can be used in medicine.”

“Alright!”

Hao Zhen answered casually, holding the Cloud-Wood Vase as if he couldn’t bear to part with it, and walked out.

“Oh, right,” Yi Tang’s voice came from behind. “Tell Xuanhu Lang to put in more effort during this period. The Jing Mu competition will likely cause some unrest under heaven. We must also quickly ascertain the situation on the Snow Country side. Our research on the desert is reaching a critical point, and we absolutely cannot lack materials this time…”

He emphasized: “The Snow Pith is very important.”

“Understood!” Hao Zhen said.

To be treated as such by Yi Tang, he was naturally not like Jiang Wang, someone good at merely bluffing.

Renxin Hall had a tradition of medical cultivators wandering the world, carrying only a bamboo staff and a gourd, saving lives and healing the injured, and not charging the poor for diagnosis.

Within Renxin Hall itself, they also had the responsibility of gathering intelligence from all corners of the world. This included various difficult illnesses, bizarre and strange occurrences, and the movements of various major powers…

Among these, the most outstanding batch

Were called the “Xuanhu Lang.”

Each of the four great academies under heaven had its own style.

Qinku Academy, renowned for its diligent pursuit of learning, ranked first.

They advocated the spirit of learning akin to “hanging one’s head by a beam, or piercing one’s thigh with an awl,” and based their studies on “reading ten thousand volumes of books.”

Cui Yigeng was a prime example of this diligent spirit. When other children were still running around bare-bottomed, he practiced his sword an extra rep every day.

His valley’s master praised him, thus bestowing upon him the name “One Extra.” Now, within the entire Qinku Academy, below the Shenlin realm, he was considered the foremost.

Hearing that he had a visitor, he initially did not wish to see them. The sea of learning was boundless, the path of the Dao endless; wasting time was akin to killing life. But a letter from Yi Tang of Renxin Hall was not something he could lightly dismiss.

Thus, in his sword practice area, he met the visitor wearing a hat and rain cloak.

The day was ordinary, not particularly auspicious, nor was any grand event taking place; it was no different from the days that had passed.

But the moment this strange visitor arrived, Cui Yigeng heard his sheathed sword cry out.

Thus, he shifted his gaze from the green bamboo in front of him and looked towards this visitor, recommended personally by Yi Tang, with a hat and raincoat.

His sword practice area was a bamboo forest.

Within this bamboo forest, he was the only one.

He had begun transferring to this place to practice his sword ten years prior.

Each time, he faced only one bamboo, and each time, he practiced only one sword strike.

In the ten years, over three thousand days, nearly four thousand, he had swung his sword at almost every single bamboo root here.

Yet, after ten years of sword practice,

The entire bamboo forest bore not a single sword mark.

Not one bamboo leaf had fallen in ten years due to the force of his sword qi.

This was a quiet bamboo forest.

And Cui Yigeng’s voice was muffled and solid.

“Sword Pavilion?” he asked.

His words were brief to the extreme, clearly indicating someone very unwilling to waste time.

So Jiang Wang directly removed his hat: “Jiang Wang.”

Cui Yigeng stood amidst the bamboo forest, as if he too were a bamboo, in perfect harmony with everything around him.

He was neither tall nor short, neither fat nor thin, with no striking features that would catch the eye, nor anything that would make one feel strange. His entire person appeared very ordinary, very simple.

Even his sword—a sword with a bamboo sheath and a wooden hilt—was simple and neat to the extreme, without a single extra carving.

His expression at this moment was also very normal, as if the name Jiang Wang held no significance for him whatsoever. What Yellow River Chief, what Da Qi Son of Heaven. In his world, these things were fundamentally unimportant.

There was only him, his sword, and his life.

“What is the matter?” he asked.

Jiang Wang bowed his hands in greeting, and in a manner that did not waste the other’s time, similarly spoke concisely: “To seek a sword.”

Cui Yigeng seemed to omit even the process of thinking, simply saying, “You may.”

Jiang Wang held his sword sheath in his left hand, holding Chang Xiang Si horizontally in front of him, facing Cui Yigeng, indicating that he was ready for the fight.

Just like Cui Yigeng, he also felt a tremor in Chang Xiang Si.

This was the dialogue between renowned swords.

It was the desire of those at the world’s sharpest edges to contend for supremacy!

Cui Yigeng then shifted one step.

His toe pointed precisely at Jiang Wang.

Thus, the entire green bamboo forest, all the bamboo leaves stood on end, all the bamboo leaves instantly turned—all the bamboo leaves, their tips pointing towards Jiang Wang. Every single bamboo leaf was like a sword.

Thus, at this moment, Jiang Wang was facing… hundreds of thousands of swords!

At this moment, Cui Yigeng’s sword was still in its sheath, but his sword had already struck out!

The momentum preceded the sword, and the intent preceded the momentum.

Jiang Wang drew his sword without hesitation.

Meeting sword with sword.

As the sword was drawn, starlight suddenly rose from the edge of the sky.

A starry path connected to the distant heavens, and rolling starlight cascaded like a waterfall.

This was an immense amount of star power, almost unimaginable!

At this moment, his single horizontal chop was the posture of a disgraced scholar’s sword.

But this single horizontal pull and chop unleashed roaring, sharp sword qi, specifically transforming into tens of thousands of snowy-colored sword silks!

Sword qi turned into silk!

Zhang Xun of Dan Country had once displayed this sword technique skill in Bu Shu City.

Jiang Wang, in seclusion for half a year, debating swords endlessly with Ning Jianke, had finally replicated this sword technique skill.

Zhang Xun’s sword qi becoming silk was centered on a Shenlin realm cultivator’s spiritual sense control and originated from that supreme sword pill, achieving an extremely high level of sword technique skill.

While Jiang Wang’s replication of sword qi becoming silk at this time originated from the Star Vault Holy Building, using the starry path as a power transmission channel, pouring a massive amount of star power into the sword qi, greatly reducing the difficulty of control, and then completing the final step with immense divine soul power.

At this moment, one sword with ten thousand thousand snow was precisely meeting multitude with multitude, edge cutting edge.

Ten thousand sword silks against a forest full of bamboo leaves.

It was like spring wind arriving in one night, followed by another night of snow.

That kind of extreme sharpness in opposition seemed to tear space itself apart.

The air that brushed past the tip of one’s nose carried a kind of icy, stinging, cutting sensation.

Sword technique had reached the divine realm!

Cui Yigeng retreated.

His sword was unsheathed, his sword intent still surging, he retreated step by step.

His retreat was not rushed; it was a very steady, very calm step back.

His boot stepped on fallen leaves, as if very careful not to make a sound, a soft, gradual process. He did not disturb this forest, nor the confrontation between bamboo leaves and sword silks.

He simply retreated this one step.

His whole person suddenly felt empty.

He was clearly still standing there, clearly within sight.

But he seemed to have already departed.

Far away from this world.

Somehow, the ten thousand sword silks that Jiang Wang had chopped out seemed to instantly lose their target.

The qi machine lock was gone!

With such dense sword silks, it was impossible for Jiang Wang to control the direction of every single silk while condensing them. However strong his divine soul power, it had not yet condensed into spiritual sense. So he had used the method of locking onto the qi machine, and as he drew his sword, he gave the ten thousand sword silks a common target.

Thus, one sword, ten thousand thousand snow.

But now, the “target” was gone.

This howling sword strike in the bamboo sea was effectively an empty chop.

Cui Yigeng evidently had his own unique understanding of qi machine, and a very high, almost limit-reaching cognition of sword technique within this realm.

And he also possessed a very unique divine ability.

Which allowed for such a wondrous step.

And he looked at Jiang Wang, his hand on his sword hilt.

He began to draw his sword.