Chapter 13

Yè Mò returned to the mountain cliff cave, the temporary camp.

Mò Líng was sitting cross-legged, cultivating her internal energy to heal her injuries.

Not wanting to disturb Mò Líng who was cultivating to heal, Yè Mò quietly climbed over the spirit wood fence and entered the cave, gently placing the few remaining wild fruits and several healing herbs on the ground.

He didn't plan to tell Mò Líng about the encounter with Young Master Zhèng Yīqìng and his gang of robbers.

During the fight and escape, he had lost quite a few wild fruits, which pained Yè Mò greatly. Although wild fruits were not precious, food on this isolated island was scarce, and every bit counted.

Yè Mò felt that time was very pressing. On one hand, he needed to gather herbs for healing and body tempering, and on the other, he had to continuously strengthen and repair the spirit wood fence to better resist the sea monster tide and even other martial artists on the island.

Most importantly, he needed to improve his cultivation and strength!

Now, he had a good amount of body-tempering herbs, enough to last for several days, and even enough to break through to the late-stage martial artist level. At that time, his physical strength, blood qi, and speed would all significantly increase.

He might even be able to cultivate the advanced third move of the *Zhanlang Jue*—the "Wave Stacking Slash," which would double his killing power.

Martial skills were his greatest reliance for survival on this isolated island.

Of course, all of this required time, and he needed to hurry.

Yè Mò carefully recalled the battle with the two accompanying martial artists. He had rarely fought other martial artists before, and this combat experience was extremely valuable.

"My strength is not much different from theirs; they are both mid-stage martial artists. I could easily defeat them for two reasons. First, although the *Zhanlang Jue* has few sword techniques, I have cultivated the first and second moves to the level of transforming the mundane into the miraculous and reaching the pinnacle. They are far inferior to me. Second, the lean man was too confident in his Eagle Claw technique, daring to grab my green saber directly. If I could use the third move 'Wave Stacking Slash,' the lean man would likely have died far from home!"

Yè Mò's understanding of the essence of the *Zhanlang Jue* deepened.

The three moves of the *Zhanlang Jue* are "Wave Breaking Slash," "Vortex Slash," and "Wave Stacking Slash."

"Wave Breaking Slash" is always a downward strike, extremely fast, making it difficult for opponents to defend their vital head areas.

"Vortex Slash" is a sweeping attack, effective against multiple enemies.

"Wave Stacking Slash" is an upgraded version of "Wave Breaking Slash," allowing for two or even three consecutive strikes in an instant, significantly increasing the cutting power and breaking through the enemy's defense in one move.

This third move is essentially a combination of two or three first moves, so the *Zhanlang Jue* actually has only two moves.

Compared to other martial arts manuals with dozens or even hundreds of techniques, the moves of the *Wave Breaking Slash* are highly condensed and extremely simple.

But simplicity does not mean weakness.

Proficiency is the key to the strength of martial techniques. Any move, after being practiced a million, five million, or ten million times, will undergo incredible changes, reaching the level of perfection, the pinnacle, and even transforming the mundane into the miraculous.

When Yè Mò was young, he once heard a storyteller at a teahouse talk about a great empire on the Nine Provinces Continent. There was a martial general surnamed Chéng who was skilled with an axe and knew only three moves, yet he could match any martial artist in the world, his name resounding throughout the land.

Yè Mò didn't quite believe it back then, thinking how one could fight with only three moves. Now, he gradually understood that even just three moves, once cultivated to the highest level, could make one a world-class expert, far beyond the reach of ordinary martial artists.

"Even a low-tier martial arts manual like the *Zhanlang Jue* can be cultivated to become a world-class martial artist!"

Yè Mò clenched his fists, determined in his heart.

He organized the herbs he had gathered that day.

Taking the Red Blood Vine alone would make the body extremely hot due to its strong yang properties. The Seven-Leaf Lotus, with its mild properties, would help balance this.

Yè Mò remembered that the *Wuguo Herbal* mentioned that the Seven-Leaf Lotus should not be taken raw but should be simmered over a gentle fire with other herbs, such as the Red Blood Vine, to be effective.

"Simmering herbs, I have the fire and herbs, but I lack a container. Where can I find a container for simmering herbs? I guess I'll have to use a stone bowl!"

Yè Mò looked around and found no suitable equipment for simmering herbs. He left the cave and found a rock that resembled a "bowl" on a nearby hill. He then used his green saber to polish and shape it, making it suitable for simmering herbs.

Mò Líng finished her meditation, opened her eyes, and saw Yè Mò placing a stone on the ground to start a fire. She asked with a puzzled look, "What are you doing?"

"This is... a stone bowl, for simmering herbs!"

Yè Mò looked at the crude "stone bowl" he had just polished. Mò Líng's question made him feel a bit embarrassed; the conditions in the cave were too poor.

It was just a rock with a large indentation.

Yè Mò polished the indentation to make it smoother for holding herbs.

"Stone bowl?"

Mò Líng couldn't help but laugh, trying hard to control herself to avoid losing her composure.

Yè Mò, feeling helpless, ignored Mò Líng's mocking expression and went out of the cave to find two square stones and some branches to use as a stand.

Now, all the equipment for simmering herbs was ready.

Yè Mò picked a leaf from the Seven-Leaf Lotus and cut a one-inch piece of Red Blood Vine. One was a mild, yin-natured herb, and the other was a strong, yang-natured herb, both suitable for body tempering.

He placed them in the stone bowl, ground them with a stone pestle, added water, and mixed them. Then he placed the stone bowl between the two square stones and started a fire to simmer the body-tempering herbs.

Steam slowly rose from the stone bowl, and bubbles formed in the thick, blood-red liquid.

Yè Mò took a few healing herbs from the pile, planning to simmer a bowl of soup to heal Mò Líng's internal injuries and help her recover her strength as soon as possible.

As for the cost of the healing herbs, he generously decided not to charge Mò Líng.

Last night, Yè Mò had traded a pack of healing herbs for four inches of Red Blood Vine from Mò Líng because he didn't know that the monthly tidal surge at the end of the month would bring sea monsters to the island.

Now that he knew, he needed to think long-term.

Having another mid-stage martial artist to help would increase their chances of resisting the sea monsters. Facing powerful sea monsters, he didn't think he could defend the temporary camp alone.

After half an hour, a faint herbal fragrance wafted from the stone bowl, spreading through the cave and even outside.

"The herbs are almost ready! No wonder the *Wuguo Herbal* says that combining these two herbs, one a seventh-grade and the other an eighth-grade body-tempering herb, is three to four times more effective than taking the Red Blood Vine alone. Just the fragrance alone makes one feel refreshed and invigorated!"

Yè Mò couldn't help but feel pleased, his spirits lifted by the fragrance.