Although he didn’t know the purpose of Yun Muyao’s visit, Fang Han didn’t dare to be neglectful. He straightened his robes and walked briskly toward the living room.

Inside the living room, Yun Muyao was dressed in a long, water-blue dress, her face veiled in white silk. Her posture was elegant and poised as she sat quietly, sipping tea.

Sunlight streamed through the window lattice, spilling onto her stunning side profile. She was as cool and aloof as an immortal, possessing a noble air that forbade any profanity.

Above the white veil, her bright eyes were as clear as water, yet unfathomably deep.

"I had to step out for a matter and was unaware of Senior Sister Yun’s visit. I hope Senior Sister will forgive me."

Fang Han stepped into the living room, clasping his hands in a salute, his tone carrying the perfect amount of respect.

"Junior Brother Fang, there’s no need for such ceremony. It is I who have taken the liberty of visiting."

Hearing his voice, Yun Muyao looked up, her gaze falling upon Fang Han. She nodded slightly, her voice as clear and crisp as jade pearls falling onto a platter.

"Senior Sister overstates it. Your presence graces my humble home."

Fang Han sat down and had a Maid serve fresh, fragrant tea.

"Junior Brother Fang, I have come today to ask a favor."

After a few simple pleasantries, Yun Muyao got straight to the point.

"Please speak, Senior Sister. As long as it is within my power, I will not refuse."

Fang Han’s expression turned serious.

’It’s always good to have a chance to repay a debt of gratitude.’

"I am in urgent need of Earth Spirit Pills. I heard that among the rare resources you obtained this month, there were Earth Spirit Pills."

Yun Muyao didn’t beat around the bush.

"I would like to barter for them, trading other rare resources of equal value for a bottle of your Earth Spirit Pills. What do you think, Junior Brother?"

’So she came for the Earth Spirit Pills!’

Fang Han thought for a moment and made his decision.

The Earth Spirit Pills were good, but his Cultivation speed was already extremely fast. In fact, his Swordsmanship was struggling to keep up because his Cultivation had progressed so rapidly. He wasn’t in urgent need of Earth Spirit Pills to accelerate his Inner Qi accumulation.

Besides, using this opportunity to repay some of the favor he owed Yun Muyao and get on good terms with the Sect’s second-ranked Senior Sister was definitely not a bad thing.

"Senior Sister has shown me great kindness, so of course it’s not a problem. I received two bottles of Earth Spirit Pills in total this month. If Senior Sister needs them, you can take both."

Fang Han said.

"Thank you, Junior Brother Fang. One bottle is enough."

Yun Muyao said, shaking her head gently.

"I can trade Vajra Pills, Soul Condensing Pills, or Jade Dew Pills for the Earth Spirit Pills. You may choose any one of them."

Fang Han’s heart stirred upon hearing this.

Vajra Pills!

He had just been regretting that he hadn’t obtained any Vajra Pills this month and couldn’t continue strengthening his physique. He hadn’t expected that Yun Muyao’s options would include this very Elixir.

There was no need to even consider what to choose.

"Senior Sister Yun, I choose the Vajra Pills."

Fang Han said.

"Very well. However, I do not have the Vajra Pills with me. I’ll need to send someone back to fetch them. Could I trouble you to give me the Earth Spirit Pills first? I will have my servant deliver the Vajra Pills immediately."

Yun Muyao said with a slight nod.

"Of course."

Fang Han readily took out a Jade Bottle filled with Earth Spirit Pills and handed it over with both hands.

Yun Muyao took the Jade Bottle, then rose and walked to the living room entrance. She gave a few quiet instructions to a personal Maid waiting outside in the courtyard.

The Maid acknowledged the order and immediately hurried away.

"The Elixirs will arrive shortly."

Yun Muyao turned back and said to Fang Han.

"Thank you for your help today, Junior Brother Fang."

"You’re too kind, Senior Sister Yun. It’s a mutually beneficial exchange," Fang Han replied humbly.

With their business concluded, Yun Muyao stood up to leave. Fang Han personally saw her to the courtyard gate.

About the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Yun Muyao’s personal Maid returned. She respectfully handed Fang Han a Jade Bottle of a simple, ancient design, identical to the one he had received last month.

"Senior Brother Fang, these are the Vajra Pills my lady asked me to deliver. Please inspect them."

Fang Han took the Jade Bottle. It felt slightly heavy in his hand. He uncorked it, and a familiar, potent medicinal aroma mixed with a faint scent of blood washed over him.

Inside were ten pure gold-colored Elixirs, each the size of a longan fruit.

"There’s no mistake. Thank you for your trouble." Fang Han nodded and put the Elixirs away.

The Maid bowed and retreated.

Holding the bottle of Vajra Pills, Fang Han walked toward his Quiet Chamber.

He had originally planned to study the *Nine Swords of Sky Splitting* manual immediately upon returning to his courtyard, but Yun Muyao’s visit had put that on hold.

Now it was time to see just how difficult and powerful the *Nine Swords of Sky Splitting*, a Top Swordsmanship, truly was.

Inside the Quiet Chamber, sandalwood incense swirled, insulating it from the clamor of the outside world.

Fang Han sat cross-legged on a cushion, his expression calm. He placed the dark cyan metal box on his lap.

As his fingertips touched the cool surface of the box, he could feel the weight of ages emanating from it.

He gently released the mechanical latch. With a soft CLICK, the lid slowly slid open.

The box was lined with soft, dark blue silk. A time-worn book, made of neither silk nor paper, with a dark yellow hue and slightly frayed edges, lay quietly inside.

On the cover, written in ancient seal script, were five large words, sharp and powerful as sword strokes—*Nine Swords of Sky Splitting*!

Merely glancing at these five words, he could faintly feel a sharp Sword Momentum rushing toward him, one that could tear the heavens and sever the Flowing Wind, making his spirit shudder.

"Top Swordsmanship..."

Fang Han took a deep breath, suppressing the slight tremor in his heart, and carefully took out the manual.

The manual felt heavy in his hand. Its pages were tanned from some unknown, durable beast hide, smooth to the touch yet incredibly resilient, clearly capable of withstanding the ravages of time.

He slowly opened the first page.

The beginning was not a diagram of Sword Techniques, but rather a general discourse. The calligraphy was vigorous, the ink deep and heavy, explaining the founding philosophy and core principles of this Swordsmanship.

"Wind has no constant Momentum, water no constant form. The Nine Swords of Sky Splitting draws upon the extreme speed, the ferocity, and the pervasiveness of wind. It turns the formless into form, condensing ten thousand Transformations into Nine Sword Techniques."

"When the nine swords emerge, they are like a heavenly wind splitting the sky. Nothing can escape their cut, nothing can resist their power..."

Fang Han studied it word by word, sentence by sentence, his mind gradually becoming immersed.

As he read deeper, his brow furrowed unconsciously. His gaze grew more focused, even taking on a hint of gravity.

The profundity and complexity of the *Nine Swords of Sky Splitting* far exceeded his expectations!

Compared to the *Wind Shadow Annihilation Sword*, this Top Swordsmanship reached a new, astonishing level in its complexity. This was evident in its intricate Inner Qi circulation paths, the refined control needed to evoke and master Wind Momentum, and the profound universal principles contained within the transformations of its Sword Techniques.

The circulation paths were bizarre and strange, and many of the Luck Manipulation Skills were incomparably complex and intricate. At first glance, it was like reading a heavenly scripture.

If he hadn’t already cultivated the *Wind Shadow Annihilation Sword*, a Top Grade Sword Technique, to the Realm of Perfection, and gained a profound foundation and understanding of Wind Element Swordsmanship, he probably would have found it exceptionally difficult to even comprehend this opening summary.

’No wonder Elder Mo said that one must be a True Disciple to exchange for Top Martial Arts... This isn’t just a resource threshold, but a barrier of Talent and comprehension!’

Fang Han realized.

Without a sufficient foundation in Martial Arts and extraordinary comprehension, even if one obtained this Sword Manual, they likely wouldn’t even be able to reach the Entry Level. Forcing the Cultivation would only lead to qi deviation.

And this was just the beginning.

When he turned to the specific diagrams of the Sword Techniques and the Heart Method Mantra, he felt an unprecedented pressure.

The Nine Sword Techniques seemed simple enough, but each technique contained infinite Transformations. Furthermore, the techniques could be combined at will, giving rise to all sorts of ingenious follow-up moves.

The intricacy of the Inner Qi circulation was so fine and complex that it required a Martial Artist to achieve a "Microscopic" level of control over their Inner Qi.

Many of the key points required an extremely deep understanding of "Wind Momentum" to grasp the marvels of how to channel power through the sword.

Such an exaggerated difficulty naturally corresponded to an equally exaggerated power.

The *Wind Shadow Annihilation Sword* manual stated that at Minor Achievement, its power was comparable to a Middle Grade Sword Technique at Perfection. The description for the *Nine Swords of Sky Splitting*, however, was even more outrageous—

Merely reaching Entry Level would grant power comparable to a Top Grade Sword Technique at the Realm of Perfection!

And this wasn’t just any Top Grade Sword Technique, but one renowned for its immense power among them, like the *Wind Shadow Annihilation Sword*.

"Entry Level is comparable to a Top Grade Sword Technique at Perfection..."

Fang Han gently brushed his fingers over the incomparably complex Cultivation path diagrams on the page, a trace of shock flashing in his eyes.

This meant that once he cultivated this Swordsmanship to Entry Level, its power alone would be no less than that of the *Wind Shadow Annihilation Sword* at Perfection.

The power gaps between Low Grade, Middle Grade, and Top Grade Martial Arts were progressive, but never this exaggerated.

Between Top Martial Arts and Top Grade Martial Arts, there seemed to exist a massive chasm!

The difficulty of its Cultivation and its increase in power were far beyond what the lower Grades could compare to.

’It seems I underestimated the difficulty of cultivating Top Martial Arts...’

Fang Han slowly closed the manual and shut his eyes, contemplating for a long time. He carefully replayed and analyzed the contents he had just read in his mind.

Even with the Perfection Level *Wind Shadow Annihilation Sword* as his foundation, and the terrifying boost from his 128-fold Swordsmanship Talent that made it seem like he was in a constant state of swordsmanship-related enlightenment, he still found it obscure and quite difficult to comprehend.

Many of its profound principles required repeated contemplation to gain any understanding.

One could imagine that if an ordinary Martial Artist with average Swordsmanship Talent were to face this Sword Manual, they would likely be like a regular person from his previous life trying to learn number theory—able to do nothing but stare in hopeless awe, completely unable to begin.

’As expected, the further one walks the Martial Dao, the higher the requirement for Talent...’

Fang Han let out a slow breath. Far from being discouraged, a powerful fighting spirit ignited in his eyes.

The difficulty was indeed high, but its power was equally extreme. Just reaching Entry Level was comparable to a Top Grade Sword Technique at Perfection.

Such a powerful Swordsmanship was exactly what he was after!

Composing himself, Fang Han opened the manual again and began to study it once more from the first page, word by word, diagram by diagram.

Time slipped by quietly amid his silent reading and contemplation.

Outside the window, the sun sank in the west, and dusk began to fall, dimming the light within the Quiet Chamber.

But Fang Han seemed oblivious, completely immersed in the profound world of the *Nine Swords of Sky Splitting*.

Whenever he encountered a difficult point, he would use his fingers as a sword, tracing patterns in the air. He combined his own understanding of Wind Element Swordsmanship with the extraordinary comprehension granted by his 128-fold Swordsmanship Talent to repeatedly deduce and verify the concepts.

At times his brow was tightly furrowed; at others, it would smooth out in a moment of realization.

It was not until late at night, when all was silent, that Fang Han slowly put down the manual and gently pressed his slightly throbbing temples.

After a full day of intensive reading and memorization, even as a Late-Sixth Grade Martial Artist—who would be like a superman in his previous life—he felt a trace of fatigue.

However, the gains were also immense. The general outline of the *Nine Swords of Sky Splitting*, the diagrams of the Nine Sword Techniques, the Heart Method Mantra, and its many subtle key points were now all understood, memorized, and deeply imprinted in his mind.

’That’s enough for today.’

Fang Han carefully returned the manual to the metal box and stored it safely.

It was already too late tonight. He didn’t rush to begin practicing, deciding instead to get a good night’s sleep and restore his energy. He would begin his formal Cultivation the next morning, when he was in his best condition.