As Rain began to follow the captain, he remembered something. "My horse and my bag!" He paused, then leapt down from the ship to where his horse stood. Grabbing his bags, he looked up at the captain waiting by the railing. "What about my horse?"
The captain replied, "We have a storage area in the lower deck for horses."
Rain nodded, then turned to his group. "I'll be staying in my room for the rest of the journey, so I'll see you all in Wutan City."
They all nodded in agreement, and Rain glanced at Zhou An and Lu Jing, the only two who had talked to him openly throughout the journey. Everyone else was careful around him, respectful and somewhat cautious of his strength. He noticed the two were drowsy and didn't want to disturb them further. With a final nod, he leapt back onto the ship, landing beside the captain. "Let's go."
The captain led Rain deeper into the ship. Rain observed the polished wooden interior and admired the ship's craftsmanship, but he wondered how such a large vessel could move so smoothly across the water. Curiosity got the better of him.
"Captain, how does a ship this large move in the water?" Rain asked.
Gou Fan nodded with a respectful glance. "There's a machine built by an immortal cultivator inside the ship, Grandmaster. It powers the ship forward."
Rain raised an eyebrow. "You've met an immortal cultivator? How does this machine work?"
The captain looked thoughtful. "My family is actually an immortal cultivator family, Grandmaster. The machine uses river water, boiling it to create steam, which drives the ship."
As he listened, Rain considered the steam engine concept. Although he saw no chimney for the vapor, he reasoned that immortal cultivators likely had methods to contain or manage it differently. "If you come from an immortal family, why do you work here and show such respect to a martial Grandmaster like me?"
Gou Fan's expression turned humble. "Grandmaster, strength like yours deserves respect. Though I'm from an immortal family, we're not particularly strong. Our highest level is merely in the Refining Energy realm, which aligns with your strength. Those of us without spirit bodies are sent to work in our family's mortal enterprises."
Rain regarded him thoughtfully, sensing that Gou Fan might know more than most about cultivation due to his immortal family background. "Tell me, then—do you believe the Grandmaster realm is truly the limit of a warrior's path?"
Gou Fan looked Rain squarely in the eye. "Yes, Grandmaster, that is the common belief."
Rain tilted his head. "And do you know why?"
Gou Fan nodded. "It's because, without a spirit body, a mortal cannot retain the spiritual energy of the world for long. The human body can only take so much, and reaching beyond the Grandmaster realm requires something more than mortal limits."
Rain absorbed this, falling into a deep, contemplative silence.
Seeing Rain in thought, Gou Fan added hesitantly, "Sir, I once read of rare spiritual fruits that could give a mortal the qualities of a spirit body. Such fruits, they say, could help a mortal break through the barrier."
Rain gave a slight nod, but his attention drifted. He knew such fruits, if they existed, would be rare, well-guarded, and nearly impossible to acquire. For now, his only real option was to create his own path, crafting the next realm when he eventually reached the peak of Grandmaster. He knew it would take years to reach that stage, especially without access to valuable resources like his main body had. But when that time came, his main body could send a fragmented soul to a new world, creating another clone just as he was made, and with the combined knowledge of multiple worlds, he could forge the next level of the warrior's path.
His thoughts were suddenly interrupted by Gou Fan's voice. "Sir, we've arrived at your room."
Rain looked up to see Gou Fan holding a door open, revealing a spacious, luxuriously furnished room with a balcony. Gou Fan pointed to a small rope hanging by the door. "Sir, this is a bell. Pull it to call our staff if you need anything."
Rain nodded and took in his surroundings. The room was indeed grand, a fitting place for the quiet reflection he intended. Gou Fan bowed. "May I take my leave, Grandmaster?"
"Yes, you may," Rain replied.
With a respectful nod, Gou Fan closed the door behind him, leaving Rain alone in the quiet, luxurious room. Rain glanced at his clothes, noticing they were covered in dust and grime from the journey. Deciding it was time to wash up, he entered the bathroom, surprised to find taps offering both hot and cold water—a feature he hadn't expected in a world otherwise steeped in medieval ways. Observing this blend of technology, he suspected it was likely a minor adaptation of the immortal realm's advancements, meant for mortal use.
Rain filled the basin and began washing his clothes, then took a long, refreshing bath. Emerging from the steam, he noticed a rail in the bathroom for hanging his wet clothes, allowing them to dry over time. Once dressed in a fresh robe and pants, Rain felt ready to settle in. He pulled the service rope by the door, and within a minute, there was a soft knock.
Opening the door, he found a woman standing there. She gave a polite bow. "Sir, is there something you need?"
Rain nodded. "Please bring me my dinner."
"Of course, sir," she replied with a small smile, then turned and disappeared down the hallway. Rain closed the door and took out the stack of parchment the Evil Crow had filled with martial arts techniques. He only needed to glance at each parchment for a few seconds—his Soul Chip would retain everything he saw with perfect accuracy. With this gift, Rain could remember every detail he encountered, a skill similar to the rare few who had flawless photographic memory.
He began methodically scanning each parchment, his eyes gliding over each line as the Soul Chip stored every stroke and detail. After scanning all 27 pages, he paused, then directed his thoughts to the Soul Chip. "How many martial arts techniques did the Evil Crow record?"
The chip responded instantly, "Five: Crow Sword Art, Tiger Boxing, Wind Walk, Crane Boxing, and Wave Palm."
Rain, seeing that only five martial arts were recorded, thought, *The Evil Crow must have noticed my distraction and deliberately kept it brief, giving me just these five techniques before leaving.* He realized the Evil Crow had still included the Crow Sword Art, the very skill from which he had earned his name—a top-rank technique. Rain guessed the Crow intended for him to notice this and focus on it. After all, the Crow Sword Art was distinct, having shown the Artistic Conception of the crow when they fought.
Leaving aside the rest of the techniques, Rain concentrated on the Crow Sword Art. He was about halfway through reading when a knock came at the door. Opening it, he found the same woman holding a tray of food.
"Sir, your food," she said, offering the tray.
Rain took the tray from her, but as she lingered, holding his gaze, she added with a slow emphasis, "The captain told me to ensure you have everything you need. *Anythingggg.*" Her meaning was unmistakable.
"No," Rain replied flatly, shutting the door firmly. He had no intention of losing his virginity on a ship. His past life, his main body, and now this body all remained untouched, and without reliable protection in this world, he was unwilling to take the risk. Though there were medicinal means to prevent pregnancy, he couldn't trust that she would take them after learning he was a grandmaster warrior.
Placing the tray on the table, Rain settled on the bed, continuing his study of the Crow Sword Art. As he read, he reflected on what he'd observed while fighting the Evil Crow. The Crow Sword Art was not only fast but relied on a unique vibration technique. When using it, one infused true energy into the blade, causing it to vibrate at a speed almost invisible to the naked eye. Upon contact, this vibration would transfer to the opponent's weapon, damaging it first, then unsettling the opponent and inflicting internal harm.
Rain recalled the subtle impact of those vibrations during their fight; while his strength had lessened the effect, it had still damaged his sword, which was why he had taken the Evil Crow's weapon for himself. After finishing his study, he moved to the chair in front of the table and began eating, though his mind remained occupied. He pondered which artistic conception he would use to refine his true energy—without this focus, he couldn't advance in strength.
Rain suspected that his own power was somewhat lacking compared to other grandmasters of this world; while their true energy and bodies had undergone transformations similar to his, their true energy incorporated artistic conceptions that granted extra damage or boosted abilities, a refinement his own energy still lacked.
As he considered which artistic conception would benefit him now and in the future—particularly aiding the main body as well—Rain recalled that for the main body to reach the True Body realm, it would need to comprehend an element rooted in the super healing lizard gene. The main body would either choose an existing elemental concept from the super healing lizard gene or discover and merge a new one to achieve the breakthrough. Of all the main body's abilities, the self-healing trait of the super healing lizard, rooted in the life element, was by far the most vital; it allowed him to recover from any injury as long as he still drew breath. This was why he had chosen to merge the super healing lizard gene, specifically for its unmatched self-healing power.
In this world, however, Rain recognized that understanding the life element would be difficult, as the rule of life was woven deeply into existence, mostly concealed by the fabric of the world itself. But he reasoned that major rules like life were often composites of many minor rules. For instance, the rule of fire was formed by the combination of heat, burn, bright, melt, and similar principles. The life rule, being a major rule, was likely composed of many smaller rules, one of which was the rule of vitality.
Reflecting on this, Rain recalled how the Blood Palm technique, with its image of a blood flame, exuded a faint sense of vitality. Similarly, the Spring Rain technique also held traces of vitality within it. And when he meditated, guiding his true energy to sense his own body, he could feel the pulse of vitality within himself. Resolved to begin his journey into understanding the rule of vitality, Rain finished his meal, then stepped out onto the balcony. The night sky stretched vast and clear above him, stars shining brightly in the crisp air. Though the ship was still docked at the harbor, Rain suddenly remembered that he'd forgotten to ask Gou Fan when they would depart. From his vantage on the fourth floor, he looked out, taking in the mountain range and river surrounding him.
According to the map, this mountain range encircled the area like a massive bowl holding water within its ridges. The inner peaks, emerging like islands, dotted the landscape within the outer range, creating a natural fortress of stone and water.
Settling himself cross-legged on the balcony, Rain let the cold night air sharpen his focus as he relaxed his body. He closed his eyes, reaching inward to sense the flow of vitality within himself. Here, beneath the open sky, he took his first step toward unraveling the mysteries of life's rule, starting with the quiet pulse of vitality within.