A powerful and profound internal energy suddenly surged from the hundreds of acupoints in Windcloud Wujie's body, flowing through his meridians. Within a few breaths, it had healed his injuries to a significant degree.
"You're good to go now. This person might be a practitioner of the demonic path—his behavior is so unruly. How did you get entangled with someone like him?" The familiar voice of the cave's master echoed in his mind.
Despite the severity of his injuries, Windcloud Wujie did not lose consciousness. He opened his eyes wide, and as he did, he noticed that no one was standing behind him to heal him. Zhao Wuji, who was still distracted with his own matters, obviously couldn't help him. The powerful internal energy, invisible and formless, could only have come from the cave's master.
"Thank you, senior, for your help," Windcloud Wujie expressed his gratitude, wondering in his heart how unfathomable the Master of Demon-Slaying's cultivation truly was. The ability to transmit energy across space was something Windcloud Wujie could hardly imagine.
"It should be almost done," Zhao Wuji muttered to himself.
Windcloud Wujie was still puzzled, not understanding what Zhao Wuji meant by that. Just as he was about to ask, he suddenly felt two immense, ocean-like auras approaching rapidly, appearing just outside the cave in the blink of an eye.
A booming voice rang out from the air: "The Hidden Valley is a sacred ground, not to be disturbed! You, You Wuxie, how dare you violate the valley's rules!"
"Master!" Another voice, one of a cultivator from a different cave, cried out in alarm.
"Master what... Ah, I see, it's the two elders. I am Han Chi, the Celestial Demon You Wuxie... well, just now..." The previously arrogant You Wuxie now spoke with a strange hesitation, as though he had encountered his nemesis.
"Hidden Valley is a sacred place! How dare you cause such a ruckus!" A voice boomed again, and with a loud crash, You Wuxie let out a pitiful scream that gradually faded as he was sent farther and farther away, out of the valley. Windcloud Wujie couldn't help but think, could it be that You Wuxie was thrown out of the valley by one of its elders? Could this arrogant figure actually be so obedient?
"You don't need to worry now. You Wuxie is a lawless person, and his actions have taken him down a demonic path. Though the Hidden Valley is renowned, he doesn't come often. The elders here have been cultivating for millions of years. Except for the top masters within three hundred meters of the valley, there is no one who can rival them. You Wuxie was reckless; he will definitely suffer here." Zhao Wuji's voice rang in Windcloud Wujie's ears, tinged with a hint of excitement. Although Zhao Wuji had not been to the Hidden Valley often, he had stayed long enough to learn some secrets that couldn't be hidden from him. Indeed, an old voice echoed from beyond the valley, confirming his thoughts: "You Wuxie, as punishment for your behavior, you will be confined in the wall-facing cave of the Hidden Valley for ten days..." The elder's voice gradually faded, and the sound of him walking away reached Windcloud Wujie's ears.
"Silence!" The Master of Demon-Slaying suddenly opened his eyes and cast a displeased glance at Zhao Wuji, who immediately shuddered and lowered his head in apology.
"Sorry, senior. I was wrong," Zhao Wuji quickly apologized.
The Master of Demon-Slaying nodded in satisfaction and closed his eyes again.
Windcloud Wujie shot a surprised glance at the Master of Demon-Slaying, feeling somewhat unconvinced in his heart.
"Brother Wujie, let's go out," Zhao Wuji's voice reached his ears. He had used a secret sound technique to communicate with Windcloud Wujie, likely to avoid disturbing the Master of Demon-Slaying.
"Brother Zhao, this Master of Demon-Slaying seems a bit unapproachable," Windcloud Wujie said, frowning. He replied via the sound technique. This technique wasn't anything extraordinary—just a method of concentrating internal energy to send a voice, something Windcloud Wujie had mastered long before ascending. It was no trouble to use it now.
Zhao Wuji pulled Windcloud Wujie towards the cave exit, continuing to communicate through the sound technique, "Every cave in the Hidden Valley is like a secluded meditation chamber. Though there are no doors, the Hidden Valley is a powerful sacred place. Ordinary people would never dare to provoke trouble here... except for You Wuxie. But enough about him. Each cave is a private sanctuary. If it weren't for my master and the Master of Demon-Slaying being close friends, we wouldn't even be allowed to enter. The Master of Demon-Slaying hasn't driven me away, which is a great favor."
"...Is this how practitioners from ancient times behave?"
"Of course... not. Meditation grounds are supposed to be secluded. Where else, besides the Hidden Valley, would someone practice in such a public place? You'll have to understand these things eventually. Our space is completely different from this one. You need to be careful and not break any taboos here, or you might find yourself being hunted down without understanding why."
"Thanks for the advice, Brother Zhao. By the way, how long do you plan to stay here?" Windcloud Wujie asked.
Zhao Wuji's expression changed suddenly. His nails turned white from clenching them tightly, and he gritted his teeth. "One day as a teacher, a lifetime as a father. My master was incredibly kind to me, but today, he was killed by that scoundrel You Wuxie, using despicable means. I will kill him to avenge my master. I, Zhao Wuji, may be lazy and dislike practicing, but when I say something, I will do it." Zhao Wuji's right hand pressed tightly over his chest, where the scroll of the Xuanming Sutra was hidden. Windcloud Wujie understood that Zhao Wuji had pinned all his hopes on this famous martial technique scroll his master had left him.
"The Hidden Valley is rich in spiritual energy. Training here is far more effective than anywhere else. I've decided to focus on practicing the Xuanming Sutra here. I won't leave the valley until I succeed. Brother Wujie, if you're willing, you can stay as well. The Hidden Valley will arrange new caves for us to reside in, and each one has a small spiritual array—much better than self-cultivation. But once you decide to stay, you won't be able to leave the valley for at least a thousand years."
Windcloud Wujie was taken aback. "Why is that?"
"Well, that's hard to explain. It's one of the Hidden Valley's rules. The original purpose of this rule is unknown, but no one has ever broken it. No one is forced, and it doesn't bind anyone too much."
Windcloud Wujie shook his head. "I fear not. Although cultivation takes time, that's not the only factor. The martial way requires luck, opportunities, and spiritual insight. Sometimes, a sudden epiphany can open the gates of understanding. As the ancient saying goes, 'One morning, enlightenment, and one day ascends to the heavens.' If one simply spends all their time in hard practice, they might not reach great heights."
Zhao Wuji was stunned. He stared at Windcloud Wujie in shock for a long while before sighing deeply, "No wonder you were able to break through the spatial barriers so quickly. Your insight is indeed not something ordinary people can match. The fact that you understand this so deeply is truly remarkable. The idea of cultivation over thousands or even millions of years is common in this ancient world, but your way of thinking... it's the first time I've heard it, and after careful consideration, it seems to make sense."
Windcloud Wujie was lost in thought. His practice of the Mind Sword Body ** was incredibly difficult from the very first stage. Even after practicing for a long time, it seemed hard to make progress, almost like hitting a bottleneck. But before ascending, he was a swordsman expert, and it was his unique insight into the sword path that allowed him to break through to the first stage of the Mind Sword Body ** within three years. This level of advancement was practically unimaginable for anyone who had practiced this martial art.
In this ancient world, martial arts practice spanned thousands or even millions of years. Windcloud Wujie suspected that insight was related to this process. If one could achieve true insight, it might greatly shorten the time needed. However, he also began to realize that the cultivation of ancient martial arts techniques required an immense amount of pure spiritual energy, and although the world's spiritual energy was rich and abundant, it was often too thin or impure. As a result, even massive amounts of spiritual energy could only convert into small quantities of pure inner energy.
The difference between the internal energy he had cultivated before ascending and the true qi cultivated by the ancient martial practitioners was immense, and one of the key reasons for this difference was the purity of the energy itself. The internal energy he had practiced before seemed like crude workmanship, completely incomparable to the refined true qi of ancient martial practitioners.