Two weeks passed without much trouble.
The journey toward Anping County had been surprisingly peaceful. Apart from encountering a few foolish robbers who thought a large caravan carrying valuable goods would be easy prey, there had only been several encounters with fierce beasts.
None of them posed much of a threat.
The escort team dealt with them efficiently, and the caravan continued along its route without suffering any real losses.
Now, however, the situation was beginning to change.
The enormous trees ahead gradually became denser, their branches intertwining overhead until sunlight could barely penetrate the forest canopy.
The caravan had finally passed through the entrance of the outer layer of the Ten Thousand Mountain Range.
"Everyone, stay alert."
Tu Bing's voice carried through the caravan.
"We'll be following the established route through the outer layer."
"Don't wander away from the group."
The escorts nodded.
Although they were still technically within the outer region, the danger here was considerably greater than on the roads they had travelled during the previous two weeks.
Fierce beasts appeared more frequently.
Some were even capable of matching Innate martial artists.
The caravan continued forward carefully.
The wheels of the carriages rolled over the uneven ground while the escorts maintained their positions around the convoy.
Su Yang walked near the rear of the caravan.
His expression remained calm.
Compared with the others, however, his attention was considerably more focused on his surroundings.
He occasionally glanced toward the forest.
The deeper they went...
The more intense the Qi-Blood fluctuations of the surrounding beasts became.
Suddenly—
A rustling sound erupted from the bushes and a massive black wild boar charged out.
Its body was nearly twice the size of an ordinary boar, while its two curved tusks gleamed beneath the sunlight.
Several ordinary people cried out in alarm.
The escorts immediately reached for their weapons.
But before anyone could move—
Swish!
A sword flashed and Su Yang stepped forward. He quickly thrusted his sword directly through the wild boar's skull.
The enormous beast's momentum carried it forward several more steps before its body crashed heavily onto the ground.
Silence briefly descended.
Tu Bing looked at the corpse, then at Su Yang.
Finally, he laughed.
"Good."
"We have dinner."
Several escorts immediately chuckled.
One of them walked over and examined the boar.
"This one's flesh is quite good."
"We should clear the blood and smell before setting up camp."
Another escort nodded.
"Agreed."
"We've travelled for most of the day."
"Continuing into the forest after sunset isn't worth the risk."
The others quickly agreed.
The caravan soon stopped.
The escorts began arranging the camp according to their usual procedures.
The carriages were positioned together while several men cleared the surrounding vegetation.
Others prepared the bonfire.
A few escorts established simple defensive measures around the camp, while the stronger martial artists took responsibility for the night watch.
It was obvious that this wasn't their first journey through dangerous territory.
Everyone knew what needed to be done.
Soon...
The smell of roasting meat spread through the forest.
The ordinary travellers gathered around the fire while discussing the day's journey.
Su Yang, however, sat some distance away beneath an enormous tree.
His back rested lightly against the trunk.
His eyes slowly closed.
Then...
His body entered the Quiet Stance.
His legs bent slightly, his spine straightened and his shoulders relaxed.
His breathing gradually settled into a specific rhythm.
Inhale.
Exhale.
Inhale.
Exhale.
With every breath, his Qi-Blood circulated through his body.
The Quiet Stance was fundamentally different from the Dragon Stance.
The Dragon Stance emphasized movement, explosive force and the imitation of the ferocity of a dragon.
The Quiet Stance emphasized stillness.
A martial artist couldn't always find a safe place to perform a complicated pile stance.
They couldn't always have enough space. They couldn't always spend hours practicing movements.
Therefore...
The highest level of a Quiet Stance wasn't merely being able to stand still.
It was making the circulation of Qi-Blood become instinctive.
Even while resting, while walking and even while sleeping.
The body itself would continue regulating its Qi-Blood.
Su Yang had gradually begun understanding this principle. His breathing became increasingly natural.
The Qi-Blood within his body slowly grew full.
As his Qi-Blood increased, his senses became sharper.
The rustling of leaves, the movement of insects and he breathing of nearby people.
Even the subtle changes in the surrounding wind. Everything became clear.
A moment later, someone handed him a large piece of roasted beast meat.
Su Yang opened his eyes.
"Eat."
Tu Bing grinned.
"You've been training all day."
"You'll need food."
Su Yang nodded.
"Thank you."
He accepted the meat.
Then he began eating. Large amounts of meat quickly entered his stomach.
For ordinary people, eating this much would have been difficult.
For an External Martial Artist, it was merely cultivation.
Qi-Blood required nourishment and the most fundamental nourishment came from food.
The flesh of fierce beasts contained considerably more essence than ordinary animals.
As Su Yang chewed, his stomach rapidly digested the meat.
Warm currents slowly spread throughout his body. His Qi-Blood became increasingly vigorous.
The itching sensation within his tendons gradually intensified.
Eighteen jin of tendons stretched throughout his body.
They had already reached the Minor Achievement of Tendon Refining.
With every breath...
The tendons were being tempered. Tiny changes occurred beneath the skin.
The fibers became stronger, denser and more resilient.
Su Yang silently circulated his Qi-Blood. He could feel the barrier approaching.
A breakthrough wasn't far away.
Once they delivered the package to Anping County. He should have enough time to enter seclusion.
At that point...
He would attempt to advance from Minor Achievement to Major Achievement of Tendon Refining.
His original plan had been much slower.
But after the humiliation suffered at the Su Family courtyard...
Everything had changed.
Five years.That was the amount of time he had given himself.
Five years to stand before Liu Ruyan and five years to prove that the person everyone had once called a cripple wasn't worthless.
Su Yang's fists tightened slightly. But he soon relaxed them.
Anger alone couldn't make him stronger.
Only training, resources and battle could.
Most importantly time. He needed to make every day count.
After finishing the meat in his hands, Su Yang stood.
His sword appeared in his palm. The surrounding escorts glanced over but didn't interfere.
They had already become accustomed to seeing him practice.
Su Yang slowly raised his sword.
His expression changed.
The warmth of Spring filled his mind.
Growth, recovery and endless momentum.
The sword moved.
It wasn't fast nor was it particularly powerful.
But every movement carried a strange vitality. The sword seemed to awaken with each stroke.
Su Yang continued practicing.
One movement.
Then another.
His comprehension of the Four Season Swordplay had advanced considerably since obtaining the inheritance.
The four swordplays represented four different concepts.
Spring represented growth and recovery.
Summer represented explosive power.
Autumn represented killing intent and destruction.
Winter represented stillness and suppression.
His master had already warned him that the seasons themselves could influence his comprehension.
Martial Concepts weren't merely techniques.
They were reflections of Heaven and Earth.
The more closely he understood the phenomena represented by a concept...
The easier it became to comprehend it.
Currently his Summer Swordplay had reached Minor Achievement.
His Autumn Swordplay had likewise reached Minor Achievement.
Spring and Winter remained at the Proficient level.
Those two were his weakest.
Yet they were also the ones he needed to focus on most.
Su Yang slowly stopped. He looked toward the forest.
The leaves rustled gently beneath the evening breeze.
Spring is the season of growth.
He closed his eyes.
Then...
He changed his sword.
The next movement became completely different.
The sword slowed.
The surrounding atmosphere seemed to become colder.
Winter is stillness, suppression and absolute cold.
His sword moved slowly through the air.
Su Yang's brows gradually furrowed.
He could feel the concept. But he couldn't completely grasp it.
Something was missing, perhaps more or more battles. Perhaps...
A deeper understanding of the natural world.
His master had told him the same thing.
"Don't force your comprehension."
"Martial Concepts aren't created through stubborn practice alone."
"They must be experienced."
Su Yang slowly lowered his sword.
He understood.
His swordplay had reached a temporary bottleneck.
The best way forward wasn't to sit here and force himself to comprehend.
It was to fight.
Battle would reveal the shortcomings of his techniques.
Danger would sharpen his instincts and the forest had no shortage of opponents.
A faint smile appeared on Su Yang's face.
He sheathed his sword.
Then returned to the fire.
Another large piece of beast meat was placed before him.
He immediately picked it up.
Eat.
That was another important aspect of External Martial Arts.
Eating.
Qi-Blood required nourishment.
The stronger the body became, the more nourishment it required.
Without sufficient food, even the most talented External Martial Artist would struggle to advance.
This was also why External Martial Arts could be expensive.
A cultivator practicing Internal Martial Arts could rely heavily upon Spiritual Qi and medicinal resources.
External Martial Artists needed their physical bodies to constantly consume resources.
Meat, Medicinal herbs, essence-nourishing pills and Fierce beast blood.
All of these could become nourishment for Qi-Blood.
Fortunately...
The Ten Thousand Mountain Range had provided Su Yang with exactly what he needed.
Fierce beasts were everywhere.
The caravan had already encountered several during their journey.
Their flesh alone was enough to sustain his cultivation for some time.
As for the essence-nourishing pills his master had given him...
He had no intention of wasting them unnecessarily.
Those pills were precious.
They should be saved for moments when ordinary food couldn't provide enough nourishment.
Su Yang tore another piece of meat from the roasted beast.
His eyes quietly glanced toward the dark forest.
Soon...
They would reach Anping County. Once the package was delivered...
He would begin his breakthrough.
After that...
He would continue travelling.
The night deepened and the bonfire crackled.
Around him, the escorts gradually settled into their resting positions.
Some spoke quietly and others closed their eyes.
The forest remained silent.