However, when Yun Qingyao walked into the courtyard, she did not see Land Ren practicing martial arts. Instead, she heard snoring coming from the room. Yun Qingyao's face turned pale with anger. It was already afternoon, a normal mealtime for most people, and yet this kid was still sleeping.
"Humph, this ungrateful brat. I have been diligently practicing and trying to create the fifth move of the Celestial Sword Technique, and here you are, snoozing away!"
Angry, Yun Qingyao initially wanted to turn and leave, but considering that Land Ren was about to set off for the Tuoshe Cave soon, she pushed open the door.
Seeing Land Ren sleeping on the bed, she stormed over, pinching his ear. "Ow, that hurts!"
Startled awake from his dream, Land Ren thought he was in danger and instinctively unleashed all his power, striking out with a palm.
Yun Qingyao was shocked. She waved her jade hand, and a powerful golden true energy surged out from her body, weaving into a large net.
Boom!
Land Ren's palm struck the true energy net, shattering it, causing Yun Qingyao to step back several times in succession.
"How is this possible?" Yun Qingyao's face showed disbelief. The true energy net she casually formed was something that even a martial artist who unlocked all eight spiritual gates would find difficult to break.
At that moment, Land Ren opened his eyes and saw his master standing before him, realizing that things were not going well.
Yun Qingyao's face was frosty as she said, "Disciple, what just happened?"
"What do you mean, what happened?" Land Ren asked in confusion.
"You only unlocked seven spiritual gates just now. The strength you exhibited was far beyond someone who has only unlocked seven gates. Could it be my imagination?" Yun Qingyao looked puzzled.
"Why did you come to find me, Master?" Land Ren asked.
Yun Qingyao came back to her senses and said, "I just created the fifth move of the Celestial Sword Technique and wanted to teach it to you."
Land Ren's eyes lit up. "Master, you've finally created the fifth move? Please teach me!"
Yun Qingyao nodded and led Land Ren to the courtyard, demonstrating the fifth move, "Wind Rolling Through Clouds."
The sword technique was swift like the wind, sweeping away all the fallen leaves on the courtyard floor.
Seeing this, Land Ren couldn't help but sigh inwardly. This was the gap in talent. This single sword was enough to reach the level of a low-grade Huang realm practitioner. If he were to practice it himself, he probably wouldn't be able to master it in his lifetime. Yet Yun Qingyao was able to create it effortlessly.
"Disciple, come here. Your bloodline talent is lacking, I can only teach you step by step, and then it's up to your personal comprehension," Yun Qingyao said.
Land Ren nodded and took out the Fire Spirit Sword.
Yun Qingyao stood behind Land Ren again, grabbing his wrist, ready to teach him the "Wind Rolling Through Clouds" technique. However, she felt that Land Ren's skin was as tough as silk and as smooth as satin.
"Disciple, have you tempered your body?" Yun Qingyao looked at Land Ren in shock, finding it increasingly difficult to understand her disciple.
Only by expelling all impurities from the body could one reach the level Land Ren had achieved. Even warriors with strong talent had to reach the Spirit Creek realm and consume various precious materials to completely cleanse their body of impurities.
If it weren't for the true dragon compass detecting Land Ren's bloodline, Yun Qingyao would have thought that Land Ren's bloodline was not defective at all. How could a person with a defective bloodline expel impurities from their body?
No wonder Land Ren's strength just now far exceeded that of an ordinary warrior who had only unlocked seven spiritual gates. He had tempered his body.
"Master, I saw a body-refining martial skill in the martial arts pavilion and practiced it casually," Land Ren replied casually.
Yun Qingyao didn't want to delve deeper. Many things about Land Ren were beyond explanation and surpassed the common sense of martial arts cultivation. She began to teach Land Ren the sword technique, repeating it over and over. When she saw Land Ren's clumsy movements, she once again confirmed that Land Ren was truly a waste.
"Disciple, practice on your own slowly," Yun Qingyao said before preparing to leave.
Suddenly, Land Ren felt the Tuo She Blood Jade making strange noises and immediately took it out. At that moment, the Tuo She Blood Jade was emitting a blood-red light erratically.
"Master, what's going on?" Land Ren asked in surprise.
"Disciple, we need to hurry to the Wuling Source. The Tuo She Cave has unexpectedly opened early!" Yun Qingyao's face changed color, grabbing Land Ren and leaving the outer gate.
At the same time, in the Jiangyun Kingdom, many warriors holding Tuo She Blood Jade felt the change and showed shocked expressions.
"Why did the Tuo She Cave open early?"
"I've been to the Tuo She Cave four times, and it always opened on time. Something unusual must be happening. Let's go and check!"
"This time, no matter what, I must pass the assessment and obtain the inheritance of the Tuo She Ancient Emperor!"
Many warriors were excited and rushed towards the direction of the Wuling Source.
The Wuling Source was a famous area in the Jiangyun Kingdom, with a mountain range called the Wuling Mountains, renowned for the Tuo She Cave that lay within. It opened once every three years, normally remaining closed.
Over time, the Wuling Source became a must-visit destination for many wandering warriors in the Jiangyun Kingdom, all eager to pay homage to the Tuo She Ancient Emperor, a peerless powerhouse who had become an emperor with a second-grade bloodline.
Following Yun Qingyao, Land Ren arrived at the foot of the mountain gate. There, Yun Qingyao whistled.
Roar!
Soon, a massive cloud sparrow flew over from the distance and landed in front of Yun Qingyao. This cloud sparrow was a third-rank demonic beast, with power comparable to a warrior in the Cloud River Realm, and a body the size of an adult lion, adorned with beautiful green feathers.
Yun Qingyao directly jumped onto the back of the cloud sparrow and said, "Disciple, sit behind me. Let's hurry to the Wuling Source!"
"Alright," Land Ren sat directly behind Yun Qingyao.
"Xiao Li, let's go to the Wuling Source!" Yun Qingyao patted the cloud sparrow's head.
Roar!
The cloud sparrow let out a sharp cry, flapped its wings, and soared into the sky. The cloud sparrow, as a third-rank demonic beast, lived up to its reputation, flying at an extremely fast speed through the clouds, swift as lightning.
The strong wind blew fiercely, hitting Land Ren's face, causing a burning sensation. If he hadn't achieved the stage of nourishing his qi and refining his body, he would not have been able to withstand the high-speed flight.
Soon, the flight stabilized, and seeing that Yun Qingyao was not paying attention to him, Land Ren entered the Nameless Pagoda and diligently practiced the fifth move of the Heavenly Star Sword Technique for twenty years, mastering the Wind Blowing Remnants of Clouds.
"This Wind Blowing Remnants of Clouds technique is extraordinary, comparable to a lower-grade Yellow-rank martial skill!" Land Ren sighed silently and then cast his gaze into the distance.
The Wuling Source was located in the southwest of the Jiangyun Kingdom, at the heart of a vast mountain range known as the Wuling Mountains. It contained a spacious canyon with steep cliffs on either side towering hundreds of feet high.
Soon, Yun Qingyao and Land Ren, riding on the cloud sparrow, entered a deep valley in the Wuling Mountains. Land Ren surveyed the surroundings, and he noticed that the valley was filled with numerous people. There were individuals of similar age to him, middle-aged people, and even elderly individuals in their sixties and seventies, representing a wide range of age groups. Moreover, the older individuals exuded a stronger aura.
As Yun Qingyao and Land Ren descended from the cloud sparrow, all eyes turned towards them, focusing on Land Ren and Yun Qingyao.
"The Saintess has arrived. Could the person beside her be the rumored one with the useless bloodline?" someone whispered.
"It must be him. I heard that he also obtained a piece of Tuo Blood Jade," another person agreed.
The crowd was abuzz with discussions about Land Ren and Yun Qingyao as they made their entrance into the valley.