"If indeed the Taiming Sect is manipulating the Heavenly Demon behind the scenes, using the True Demon Sect as a blade to control the situation..."
Harboring such thoughts, An Jing felt something was amiss—if that were truly the case, then his and Mingguang Dust’s appearance undoubtedly disrupted Taiming Sect’s plans.
And his own master, Mingguang Dust, was precisely the person the Taiming Sect most wanted to target!
The crux of these speculations, the majority of which were conjectures, never would have occurred to An Jing if Granny Huai hadn’t passed away and been subjected to soul nourishment by Dragon Jade.
An Jing silently noted to himself, "I’ll have to wait for Master to return and give him a heads up."
As for the Lesser Yang Swordsmanship imparted by Mingguang Dust, its corresponding Divine Abnormality was actually Pupil Fire.
Lesser Yang signifies growth, its numeral is seven, its principle associates with wood, its power gives rise to spring, its position lies in the east, and its nature embodies benevolence.
Lesser Yang Swordsmanship is not, in the traditional sense, a Yang Attribute Swordsmanship, but a method focused on the essence of Life Essence itself—Inner Strength—by refining pure Life Essence and then transforming it, according to need, into different Spirit Qi and Evil Qi attributes, thereby Condensing Pupil Fire.
"Bright Mirror Heart requires an extremely strong ability to micro-manage, and theoretically, it should be the last Divine Abnormality to condense, barring Soul and Spirit Divine Abnormalities."
Mingguang Dust instructed An Jing, "Even with your talent, it’s best to Condense Pupil Fire or another related Divine Abnormality to assist you. If you don’t wish to Cultivate Pupil Fire, Lesser Yang Swordsmanship can also help you maintain Life Essence without hindering your progress, allowing you to switch at any time."
"Moreover, it is also an exceedingly clever combat skill, with strong defenses. And while Lesser Yang Sword Qi might lack in lethality, with your Blood Fiend enhancement... even I, in my youth, would probably find it very troublesome."
Having received a new method, An Jing was naturally delighted.
This was another skill no less ingenious than the Great Self True Form Fist, which An Jing studied day and night. He soon mastered it, instinctively simulating the sword movements even while cutting meat or picking up vegetables.
Even at the funeral, as An Jing arranged Granny Huai’s appearance, he also utilized Lesser Yang Swordsmanship’s growth essence to make the old lady’s face seem more kind-hearted.
[There was really no need, what a hassle] Although he said this, Granny Huai herself was clearly happy—who wouldn’t want their body to appear very peaceful just before passing away?
So, the old lady gratefully thanked him: [Thank you!]
With Granny Huai’s funeral over, An Jing didn’t need to preside over the many subsequent rituals, as the people familiar with Granny during her life took over.
And when An Jing found You Ruhui, she was practicing Quiet Cultivation in the courtyard, according to the training plan he had set for her.
When An Jing arrived, You Ruhui was gently drawing in the surrounding earth Qi. The invisible Qi Force was like a pair of unseen hands, continually stirring the dust around her, forming a hazy vortex of Qi shield around her body, with traces of bright yellow light intertwining, shaping the image of mountainous contours.
This was the Protective Gang Qi that even An Jing was still practicing, containing the power of the Earth’s magnetic field. The talent of Emperor’s Blood was truly horrifying!
Only after You Ruhui had finished her practice did she turn to greet him, smiling and waving, "Finished with your tasks?"
"All taken care of," An Jing waved his hand to indicate You Ruhui should not mind him and continue her training, then sat down to close his eyes and meditate, ready to begin Cultivating with the Son of Heaven Method, "Your progress is quite fast. At this rate, in just ten or fifteen days, you should be able to completely transition your Inner Breath from the Daoist Priest method to that of a Martial Artist."
"Focusing fully on martial training indeed hastens progress." You Ruhui initially felt happy, but soon her unease resurfaced, "I’m really sorry for not being able to share your burdens... An Jing, you’ve just broken through to Inner Strength, you should be dedicated to your Cultivation."
"These are all minor matters."
Completely unconcerned, An Jing admitted, "Truth be told, I am constantly practicing martial arts. Just now, while I was in charge of the affair, I activated my Divine Abnormality, controlling my strength while speaking and interacting with them at the speed of a normal person... This method of concealing my power and controlling my progress, I find it quite effective."
"Not to mention, just by taking a tour around Kanming City, I’ve gotten to know quite a few local merchants. From them, I’ve already figured out what goods Kanming City is lacking."
"Once Mingguang Dust takes you away, I can go to the Tianyuan Realm for trade. I’ll make a hefty profit in Kanming City from the spiritual objects and do all the preparations before heading to the Northern Border."
You Ruhui hesitated to speak further, but An Jing sensed the subtlety and opened his eyes in curiosity, "What’s going on? There shouldn’t be anything we can’t discuss, right?"
Because of the Emperor’s Blood, the level of trust between An Jing and You Ruhui was extremely high. Both were fully aware of each other’s trump cards, ’Great Void Shuttle’ and ’Heaven and Earth Core’. They should be able to discuss everything openly.
"I was thinking..." You Ruhui said softly, "Parting ways , who knows when we will meet again."
"Haha." An Jing didn’t care in the slightest, "Didn’t Master confirm it a while ago? You can also hear ’Endless Heavens’ just like me."
"In the future, both of us might have to venture there. Although I have no idea what the Divine Abnormalities of that Cave Heaven are, I suppose reuniting won’t be difficult."
An Jing was in fact intrigued by You Ruhui’s words, "Are you really going to take Dragon Jade away from Da Chen? I have a good impression of King Jing because of you and Master, but still, this feels a bit like eloping with the nation’s treasure."
"I had such concerns myself." You Ruhui sighed softly, then shared with An Jing Mingguang Dust’s evaluation and the origins of Dragon Jade.
An Jing was quite surprised, "Endless Heavens actually possesses such divine power?"
Even able to obtain Heaven and Earth Core, it seems the power of Endless Heavens is truly extraordinary.
These recent days, the fated weapon’s effects left behind by Granny Huai were gradually discovered by both, named by Granny Huai herself as the "Soul-nurturing Ring."
It works just like the old lady herself: the artifact can accumulate Life Force by helping others or being helped by others. This Life Force can be used in cultivation or healing, making it a purely auxiliary artifact.
This healing ability could even be transmitted directly to An Jing through the Emperor’s Blood!
Even with some loss, this ability to heal from afar was indeed the best way to break a deadlock!
Then, another half-month of peaceful days passed.
As Dust Li’s Bai Bu gradually rebuilt and trade was restored, Kanming City started to buzz with activity once more.
It has to be said, You Ruhui could actually cook, which was totally beyond An Jing’s expectations—he always thought that a royal princess like her would never step foot in a kitchen in her life, but surprisingly, You Ruhui could even make soups and porridges that tasted quite good!
An Jing remarked with emotion, "I thought you were a complete klutz in anything other than martial arts and wouldn’t dirty your ten dainty fingers with spring water!"