Lu Fan ambled to the back mountain and encountered his second senior sister on the slope. She immediately ran over. Lu Fan rode on her back as they dashed into the mountains.
Before long, the second senior sister stopped before the stone tablet of the Luoyan Sect. Lu Fan dismounted and slowly approached the tablet. He took a deep breath and suddenly walked forward. *Whoosh...* He fell into a cave.
The cave was winding and dim, but Lu Fan paid it no mind. He walked a hundred meters forward, and a spacious cavern appeared. On the ground within the cavern was a diagram of the Nine Palaces and Eight Trigrams.
With a thought, Lu Fan's finger produced an ancient, pale green ring. *Whoosh...* Lu Fan let out a long sigh. In the span of one night, he seemed to have recalled many things.
"Sloppy Old Daoist! Hongyun Ancestor! Thank you both. So you had already calculated that I would become an ordinary person. To recover, I needed a place that could shield heavenly secrets. This cave was specially built for me by you," Lu Fan suddenly said, cupping his fists.
A heavenly secret, a sliver of life, it wasn't just for others, but for myself as well!
Lu Fan sat cross-legged in the center of the Nine Palaces and Eight Trigrams formation. The nine palaces and eight trigrams, with one position hidden, perfectly concealed Lu Fan's aura.
He took out the Spirit Gathering Bottle, which contained the purple spiritual liquid from the Primordial World. Lu Fan took a small sip. *Bang...* His entire body felt as if it would shatter from a surge of power, and Lu Fan's face instantly turned red.
*Buzz buzz buzz...* Suddenly, a sound echoed, and a small, purple-gold insect flew over, biting Lu Fan instantly. *Whoosh...* The energy within Lu Fan vanished.
*Whoosh...* Lu Fan exhaled a long breath. He had truly become an ordinary person. He had almost been blown apart by himself. It seemed rushing things was not the way! He would diligently cultivate!
Lu Fan closed his eyes slightly and began practicing the Shen Nong Health Cultivation Art and the Breath Concealment Art.
As the sun rose, Lu Fan rode the second senior sister back to the villa. Duanmu Xiu was already waiting in the courtyard for him to practice.
"Little Master! You must have been waiting long!" Lu Fan quickly jumped off the second senior sister and said.
"Master! You... why are you riding a wild boar?" Duanmu Xiu asked in surprise.
"I went for a walk, and this fellow followed me. I don't know why. Later, they told me this wild boar is called the Second Senior Sister, and I've raised her for a few years. She's very intelligent," Lu Fan explained.
"Then... shall we practice?" Duanmu Xiu said calmly.
"Little Master, if you keep accompanying me to practice like this, will it affect your own progress? Perhaps I can practice on my own each day, and you can do something else," Lu Fan said after some thought.
"Then will you persist in practicing every day?" Duanmu Xiu suddenly asked.
"Of course! I must!" Lu Fan replied quickly.
"Alright! You practice here. I'll practice nearby." Duanmu Xiu picked up the sword in her hand and went to the side, beginning her practice. Her swordplay was fluid and graceful...
Lu Fan watched from the side, a glint in his eyes. Duanmu Xiu's sword techniques were pure, utilizing her sword to its utmost. Her sword intent surged, and her killing intent was wild. It was as if this was not just swordplay, but a sharp sword unleashing unbridled slaughter. One person after another fell, yet the blade remained unstained by blood...
It was evident that in a confrontation, she would be invincible against opponents of the same realm. This child was indeed a prodigy, reaching such a level with this sword technique in such a short time. He had initially thought it would be good if she could master three to five stances within a year or two.
"Don't just watch me, you practice too." Duanmu Xiu noticed Lu Fan watching her and called out.
"If I watch you practice a few more times, it will deepen my impression. Perhaps I can learn it too," Lu Fan made an excuse for himself and then picked up the wooden sword from the ground.
*Swish... swish....* The wooden sword easily executed the two stances he had learned. However, Lu Fan kept practicing these two stances.
"Master, you've already learned those two stances, yet you keep practicing them. Why not practice the third stance?" Duanmu Xiu pouted and asked indignantly.
"Didn't Little Master say that one must master it before they can kill at will? I'll first practice these two stances to mastery, and perhaps once I understand one, I'll quickly learn the others," Lu Fan said with a grin.
"Then... as you wish!" Duanmu Xiu seemed to realize she couldn't win an argument with this fellow. Sigh! Who told him to be the Master!
Duanmu Xiu practiced nearby, while Lu Fan continued to practice those two stances.
For several consecutive days, Lu Fan practiced those two sword stances. However, Lu Chenglong had already managed to practice half of the set. Moreover, this little fellow seemed to enjoy practicing, practicing with his father for an hour every day after school.
One day, a monk appeared in Twelve Ditch Village. The monk walked through the entire village, from front to back, from the mountains to the village. He seemed like a tourist, yet not quite like one.
Finally, the monk arrived at the entrance of Lu Fan's house.
"Benefactor! This humble monk is Du Hui. Passing through this place, may I request lodging for a night?" the monk called out to Lu Fan, who was practicing in the courtyard.
"There are many inns in the village, Master. You can stay at an inn. It's inconvenient to lodge here," Lu Fan replied calmly without looking up, still practicing.
Beside him, Duanmu Xiu glanced at the monk calmly, her brow suddenly furrowing. She could sense a trace of killing intent.
"This humble monk has no money for lodging," Du Hui said again.
"You can ask for alms," Lu Fan replied indifferently.
"They are all worldly people, blinded by greed. How would they offer charity!" Du Hui said again.
"I am also a worldly person. Why should I offer charity to you?" Perhaps disturbed and unable to concentrate, the wooden sword in Lu Fan's hand slowed, becoming heavier.
"Then I shall help you ascend to immortality!" Du Hui said calmly. As he spoke, a figure suddenly floated into the courtyard, moving so fast that it was impossible to see clearly, only a blur of afterimages. He lunged towards Lu Fan.
"How dare you..."
"You presume..."
In an instant, two voices, two figures, and two swords appeared before Lu Fan, shielding him.
However, the two women were instantly stunned because their swords, before they could pierce the opponent, were caught by two fingers. No matter how hard they tried, they could not move their swords forward even half an inch.
At this moment, the monk's face suddenly contorted, appearing to be in great pain.
The two women looked down and saw a wooden sword piercing the monk's heart.