Chapter 3

"Luofan." Wang Chuyi called out during the morning class.

"Disciple is here!"

"You have been with us in Quanzhen for several months now. How is your practice going?"

Luofan thought to himself that it seemed he was about to be tested, so he hurriedly replied, "Disciple dares not辜负师父的教导, and has been diligently practicing without pause these past few days."

"Oh, if that's the case, Zhifang."

"Disciple is here!"

"Test your fellow disciple Luofan's skills."

"Yes!"

Cui Zhifang held his sword in one hand, stepped into the arena, and bowed, saying, "Fellow disciple Luofan, please!"

"Please!" Luofan bowed slightly and instantly attacked. Due to his practice of the Exorcism Sword Technique, his use of the Quanzhen Sword Technique also carried the shadow of the Exorcism Sword Technique, making his movements extremely fast. Coupled with his excellent footwork, he quickly put Cui Zhifang on the defensive.

However, Cui Zhifang had been a disciple longer than Luofan. After enduring dozens of moves, he gradually turned the tide. Luofan's initial momentum waned, and as the situation shifted, he began to show signs of defeat. Eventually, Cui Zhifang disarmed him with a single sword strike, and the outcome was decided.

"Fellow disciple Luofan, you have my respect."

"Thank you for your forbearance!"

"Luofan, why does your sword technique seem to get faster with each move?" Wang Chuyi asked, frowning slightly after watching the match.

Luofan thought for a moment. If he answered that the only way to counter all martial arts was speed, it might be too profound. So he stepped forward, bowed, and explained, "Disciple believes that every move in sword techniques has a weakness. If I increase my speed, I can use another move before my opponent finds my weakness, making my sword technique seemingly without flaws."

Wang Chuyi, hearing this, thought that Luofan had a good understanding. He stroked his beard and praised, "Well said, using another move before your opponent finds your weakness. I am pleased that you have thought this through. However... attack me with your sword."

"Yes, Master." Luofan then used the move "Raising the Sail" to attack Wang Chuyi, but Wang Chuyi easily deflected it with a single sword strike. He then used the same move, "Raising the Sail," in a simple and unassuming manner, without much force. However, Luofan felt a strange sensation, as if he could not avoid this seemingly ordinary strike. The tip of the sword stopped at Luofan's forehead, and Wang Chuyi smiled and retracted his sword, saying, "What do you notice?"

"Master is truly skilled, making a simple strike impossible for me to avoid."

Wang Chuyi nodded slightly and said, "This Quanzhen Sword Technique was created by our founder, Wang Chongyang. He practiced Daoism all his life, and his sword technique emphasizes balance and harmony. Your fast sword technique may be effective with other techniques, but it is somewhat missing the point when used with the Quanzhen Sword Technique. Try again with your fellow disciple Cui."

"Yes! Fellow disciple Cui, please."

Luofan then used the Quanzhen Sword Technique calmly to attack Cui Zhifang. Although he did not put Cui Zhifang on the defensive this time, Luofan felt that the Quanzhen Sword Technique was much smoother. He realized that he had been too hasty, applying theories from his past life without fully understanding the context. He also began to doubt the claim that the Seven Masters of Quanzhen did not teach their disciples well. He thought it was more likely that the Seven Masters were too busy with secular affairs and had little time to teach, which was why Wang Chuyi only pointed out his mistake after several months of practice. How could disciples learn well under such circumstances?

Fortunately, Luofan had focused most of his energy on the Exorcism Sword Technique, so the mispractice of the Quanzhen Sword Technique did not significantly hinder him. Seeing Cui Zhifang press him into a dangerous situation, Luofan knew that if he used the Exorcism Sword Technique, he could easily win. However, it was not the right time to reveal this technique.

After the test, Wang Chuyi gave some encouraging words and then let Luofan leave. Since Luofan often went out to practice, the Quanzhen disciples were no longer surprised by his outings. Wang Chuyi, seeing that Luofan had not neglected his practice and was making good progress, was no longer concerned.

From then on, Luofan would practice his sword technique for a while each day and then conduct a thorough search of the foot of Zhongnan Mountain. Months passed...

"More than a year has passed, and there is still no trace. Why is this?" It was July, and the weather was unusually hot, making Luofan even more irritable. He drew his sword, and the sword shadow moved at an incredible speed, each strike precise and deadly, targeting vital points. By now, Luofan had mastered the Exorcism Sword Technique, but his internal energy was still lacking.

Luofan's sword struck a nearby tree, causing the trunk to shake and leaves to scatter.

Luofan used the Exorcism Sword Technique again, and the sword shadow enveloped all the leaves. Wherever the sword light passed, the leaves were split in half, not a single one missed!

As time passed, the lack of any clues about the Nine Yin Manual made Luofan increasingly impatient. His daily practice in the forest was not just for training but also for venting his frustration.

Today, after venting his frustration for a long time in the forest, he unknowingly passed a stone stele while practicing his sword technique, but he did not notice it.

The sky grew darker, and large raindrops began to fall, hitting Luofan's face, the tip of his sword, and his clothes. Luofan was still immersed in his sword technique, unaware of the rain.

The rain poured down, and Luofan's sword movements became faster and more urgent, the sword shadow merging with the rain, like a silver dragon dancing gracefully in the rain, feeling incredibly free.

"Ha...ha... What a relief! What a relief!" Luofan laughed aloud, lost in his practice.

"Who is making such a racket here!" A clear voice called out, and a girl in white, holding a white oiled paper umbrella, flew down from the sky. Her clothes fluttered, and her face was stunningly beautiful, like a fairy descended from heaven. Even Luofan, who had seen many beautiful women online in his past life, was momentarily stunned.

But he quickly snapped out of it because a white ribbon had shot out from the girl's sleeve, heading straight for him.

"Xiaolongnü?" Luofan quickly used the Golden Goose Technique to dodge to the side, recognizing the girl. He did not want to fight her and asked, "Why are you attacking me, young lady?"

"Little Taoist, doesn't your master tell you that this place is a forbidden area of Quanzhen?" She continued her attack, sending another white ribbon towards Luofan.

Luofan, unaware that he was in a forbidden area, used the Golden Goose Technique again to dodge and demanded, "Why are you being so unreasonable? I was just practicing my sword technique in Quanzhen, and now it's a forbidden area?"

"Trying to reason with you, a Taoist, is pointless. Your Quanzhen Sect just wants to bully our Tomb Sect, which is all women. Take this!"

"Fear me not!" Even though Xiaolongnü was a goddess in the hearts of many, she could not bully Luofan. He decided not to hurt her and used the Exorcism Sword Technique to attack her.

The sword technique was bizarre, and Luofan's sword sliced through the rain, instantly reaching Xiaolongnü's face. Although she had never seen such a fast and strange sword technique, she remained calm and used her white, jade-like hand to grab Luofan's sword.

If it were anyone else, they would have thought Xiaolongnü was crazy for grabbing a sword with her hand. But Luofan, who had come from another world, knew that she was wearing a white silk glove that was impervious to blades. If she grabbed the sword, it would be his sword that would suffer, not her hand. So Luofan quickly changed his sword's trajectory, aiming for her heart instead of her eyes.

Xiaolongnü quickly dodged, and her palm technique was also excellent. She immediately used the Heavenly Web Palm Technique to counterattack.

In the midst of their battle, they had exchanged dozens of moves.

"You are not using the Quanzhen Sword Technique."

"Did you notice? This is the family's seventy-two-move Exorcism Sword Technique, incredibly powerful. It's not too late to admit defeat." Mentioning the Exorcism Sword Technique, Luofan's face showed a hint of pride, thinking, "Surprised, aren't you? This is the ultimate sword technique from 'The Smiling, Proud Wanderer'!" But then he remembered the price of the technique and shuddered.

"Hmph! I don't think it's that great!" The current Xiaolongnü was not the one from 'The Return of the Condor Heroes,' who had already mastered her skills. Luofan, due to prolonged practice, was also exhausted, so they fought for a long time without either gaining the upper hand.

"Ha! If it weren't for my exhaustion from prolonged practice, you would have lost long ago! You only managed a draw by taking advantage of my condition!" Luofan panted, knowing that neither could defeat the other, he could only enjoy the verbal victory.

"Then let's have another match later! How about it!" The current Xiaolongnü was still a young girl, not as calm and composed as in 'The Return of the Condor Heroes.' Hearing that the young Taoist was accusing her of taking advantage, she pouted, clearly unhappy.

Luofan was delighted, thinking it was exactly what he wanted. He shouted, "Alright, continuing like this won't lead to a result. I'll count to three, and we'll both stop, okay?"

"Okay!"

"One!"

"Two!"

"Three!"

"Stop!" They both stopped simultaneously, standing face to face in the rain. Xiaolongnü glared at Luofan, while he smiled faintly.

Luofan bowed and said, "In seven days, we'll meet here again! I hope you take care of yourself, Miss Long, or you might catch a cold, and it wouldn't be fair for me to win then!"

With that, he used the Golden Goose Technique to leave...

"How does he know my name?" Xiaolongnü, standing in the rain, was puzzled. Li Mochou had not yet spread the news about her, so it was unlikely that anyone in the martial world knew about her.

At that moment, Sun Po stepped forward with an umbrella and said, "Miss, let's go back, or you might catch a cold."

Xiaolongnü turned and left, and the two figures, one white and one gray, slowly disappeared in the heavy rain...

Not finding the Nine Yin Manual but meeting Xiaolongnü was a pleasant surprise for Luofan. He thought, "Fate, indeed. I must not let Yang Guo get ahead of me!"

Back at his residence, after bathing and changing, Luofan waited for the rain to stop.

The rain lasted for two days and two nights. After the rain, Zhongnan Mountain looked particularly ethereal. The sunlight shone into his bedroom, and Luofan knew it was time to continue his search for the Nine Yin Manual.