Chapter 12: Strength Not to Be Underestimated – Swinging

The library had twelve floors in total, but Lian Mu could only access the lower six. It was said that only single-spirit root and Heaven-Spirit Root cultivators could enter the upper six floors. The moment she stepped onto the staircase leading to the seventh floor, she was blocked by an invisible barrier.

No wonder Xu Xianxing said Heaven-Spirit Root jade tokens couldn’t be lent out—it turned out that what they had access to was different.

The upper six floors probably contained the sect’s secret tomes.

Lian Mu browsed the lower six floors. There were too many books, and they weren’t arranged by category. After searching for a long time, she finally found a book in the corner that seemed to be related to spirit roots. She casually flipped through it.

“Spirit roots, a hidden treasure bestowed by the heavens, cannot be changed…”

Spirit roots were a gift from the heavens, predetermined at birth, and couldn’t be altered at will. The fewer the roots, the more superior they were, allowing cultivation in a single path to the highest level.

The book went on to say that for thousands of years, only one person had ever defied fate and successfully reforged a spirit root, leading their family to do the same. This person later founded a great alchemy clan.

Lian Mu had heard of them—Wu Yang Feng Clan in the western White Tiger region. Most of their descendants were alchemists. It was the Feng Clan that established the guardian sect of western White Tiger—Wunian Sect.

However, in the clan’s long history, only three people had successfully reforged their spirit roots. Instead, their descendants were naturally gifted, mostly with dual spirit roots or better.

For centuries, the Feng Clan’s secret method had been archived in all four major sects, but those who could use it to reforge their spirit roots were extremely rare.

This book not only clearly recorded the secret method but also included ways to enhance one’s spiritual energy.

The earlier parts were fine, detailing how to upgrade from a useless spirit root to a four-spirit root or three-spirit root, but starting from the dual-spirit root section, the book was damaged, with words blotted out by ink. Someone had even drawn a turtle on it and written:

“You think you can become a dual-spirit root? Go farm instead!”

Lian Mu: “…”

Without a doubt, some petty disciple had done this. Were they that afraid of someone surpassing them?

She silently cursed before committing the earlier parts to memory.

As she memorized, she realized many terms were unfamiliar—likely specialized alchemy jargon.

Since she was already here, she decided to learn a bit. She couldn’t afford an alchemist to examine her body anyway, so free books were a cost-effective way to improve herself.

Even in the alchemy and artifact cultivators’ library, she remained a steadfast sword cultivator.

After convincing herself, she finished memorizing the book and found several more: Introduction to Alchemy, What It Takes to Be a Good Alchemist, and Ten Things Every Alchemist Must Know…

Lian Mu stacked them beside her, found a clean spot, and read for an entire day.

…

After returning, the instructors at Hanlai Peak resumed their lectures, coming up with all sorts of bizarre lessons that left the new disciples utterly exhausted.

Today’s instructor was not Murong Yi but someone else named Xin Wanbai, who was said to be an old friend of Murong Yi.

As soon as she entered, her eyes were fixed on Lian Mu.

Lian Mu didn’t know why she was staring at her, so she hesitated before staring back. “Instructor, is something wrong with your eyes?”

Xin Wanbai: “…”

She really was bold.

“No, Murong Yi asked me to take good care of you,” Xin Wanbai said, patting her shoulder with a steady, emotionless tone.

Beside them, Guan Shize’s fingertips moved slightly. Lian Mu suddenly felt something stick to her hand. Just as she was about to peel it off, Guan Shize’s voice appeared in her mind.

“Murong Yi still remembers you being late last time. Be careful in this class—Xin Wanbai is much harsher than Murong Yi.”

It was a Voice Transmission Talisman.

Lian Mu: “…Pass on my thanks to Murong Yi.”

Xin Wanbai naturally noticed their small movements but said nothing. Instead, she turned slightly and pointed to the cliffside opposite them. “Your task today is to climb over there from here.”

Beneath them lay the northern cliff of Hanlai Peak. Opposite was Suiqiu Peak, separated by a deep chasm dozens of feet wide. When a stone was kicked down, the echo took a long time to return.

“Instructor, we don’t know how to fly on swords.”

Xin Wanbai: “If you did, why would I be here teaching this class? You have one hour. If you can’t make it across, you’ll hang here for three hours.”

She then pointed to an ancient tree by the cliff, where ropes had already been tied to the branches extending out over the chasm—clearly prepared for any disciples who failed.

Lian Mu was the first to raise her hand and ask, “Instructor, can we use any method we like?”

That was a good question.

Xin Wanbai glanced at her with mild approval and nodded slightly.

Lian Mu: “If we make it across, can we leave class?”

She still had a pile of books to read.

Xin Wanbai: “That’s right. The first ones across can leave immediately.”

As soon as she gave the order, the disciples rushed to the edge of the cliff—but none moved forward.

Soon, someone noticed a rock below that connected Hanlai Peak’s cliff to Suiqiu Peak. However, it was narrow, allowing only one person to pass at a time, and they would have to jump down to reach it.

Someone took the lead, jumping down toward the rock. Seeing this, others quickly followed, scrambling for a spot to impress the instructor.

Xin Wanbai watched them compete for the rock path. None were afraid of falling, which made her feel this batch of disciples wasn’t bad after all. Even though they were the lowest-ranked group, they weren’t as terrible as she had expected.

This lesson was meant to help them adapt to walking at high altitudes early on. After all, sword cultivators would need to master sword flight in the future, which required disregarding any fear of heights.

Satisfied, Xin Wanbai shifted her gaze—only to suddenly notice something hanging from the ancient tree. She looked closer.

It was a person.

The new disciple who had asked her the question earlier was now hanging from the tree.

Xin Wanbai: “?”

She frowned, walked over, and reprimanded, “Giving up already?”

Lian Mu had just finished tying the rope around her waist. Then, with a sudden leap, she jumped off the cliff, swinging in mid-air.

She was literally using the rope like a swing.

Xin Wanbai: “…?”

“Get down!” Xin Wanbai was slightly angry. “This isn’t a playground!”

Lian Mu’s voice floated through the wind. “Instructor, don’t distract me!”

Xin Wanbai felt like she had completely misjudged her. She was about to fly over and cut the rope when Lian Mu reached the highest point of her swing. Before Xin Wanbai could act, Lian Mu unfastened the rope herself and flung herself forward.

Xin Wanbai was momentarily bewildered: “…”

Lian Mu flipped mid-air like a carp before landing precisely on the opposite cliffside.

The disciples struggling along the rock path below only saw a shadow fly over their heads. When they looked up, Lian Mu was already lying on the cliff edge of Suiqiu Peak.

The other disciples: “???”

What just happened?

Xin Wanbai was also stunned. In all her years of teaching disciples, she had never seen anyone cross a chasm like that.

She had assumed the girl had given up—but it turned out the real show was yet to come.

But this didn’t achieve the purpose of the lesson. Xin Wanbai noticed that Lian Mu had kept her eyes closed the entire time.

“What’s wrong with you? Come back and do it properly!” Xin Wanbai shouted toward Lian Mu.

Lian Mu patted the dust off her clothes and stood up. The wind was too strong; she couldn’t hear what Xin Wanbai was saying.

But did she even need to think about it? The instructor was obviously praising her for her cleverness.

Lian Mu smiled and waved. “Thank you, Instructor!”

But she had books to read at the library and no time to waste.

So, she turned and left.

Leaving behind a group of stunned disciples and an utterly speechless Xin Wanbai on the other side of the chasm: “…”

Guan Shize glanced up at Instructor Xin’s expression, then fell silent: “…”

He had underestimated Lian Mu. Within just a day, she had already offended two instructors. Her strength could not be ignored.

…

“Have you heard? A disciple from Hanlai Peak made Instructor Xin so angry today that her face turned pale.”

“Hahaha, I was right there! I laughed so hard my stomach hurt. Why didn’t I think of swinging across with the rope? She’s a master of improvisation!”

“Seems like Instructor Xin tied the ropes too early. She should’ve waited until after class.”

“The instructor told her to come back, but instead of listening, she just left!”

In the dining hall, a few disciples chatted and laughed.

Sitting behind them, Murong Yi: “…”

After they left, he immediately used his Fish-and-Goose Stone to contact Xin Wanbai. “Which disciple was it today?”

Xin Wanbai knew exactly what he was asking and replied blankly, “The one who was late.”

Murong Yi: “…I can’t believe she’s causing trouble already.”

“Not exactly trouble,” Xin Wanbai said. “She didn’t break any rules, but she’s just…”

Xin Wanbai struggled to describe it. After class, when she thought back on the event, she had a vague feeling that this new disciple wasn’t easy to handle.

She couldn’t say Lian Mu was unruly—everything she did was within the rules. But at the same time, her approach was entirely different from everyone else’s.

“…Forget it. It’s not her fault. No matter what, she was the first to complete the challenge,” Xin Wanbai admitted.

Murong Yi put away his Fish-and-Goose Stone and pulled out the name roster he carried with him. Flipping through the list, he found the disciple’s name.

—Lian Mu.

He remembered it.

“Instructor, were you looking for me?”

A female disciple in Pill Cultivation robes sat down across from Murong Yi.

Murong Yi put away the roster and smiled warmly. “How have you been? Are you settling in well?”

“Gui Xian Sect is quite nice,” she replied.

Murong Yi nodded. “That’s good. Among this year’s new Pill Cultivators, your aptitude is the best. Have you chosen a master yet?”

She thought for a moment and said, “Hmm… not yet. I’ll look around a bit more.”

“I’ll take you to meet the Peak Master of Yinxing Peak. He’s been wanting to see you.” Murong Yi got up and led the way.