Comprehending Myriad Techniques as Woodcutter

Chapter 207: Chapter 177: Bystanders

At Waterfall Cliff in the Outer Sect of Cloud Mountain.

The moonlight draped the giant rocks in a silver veil, and the verdant grass, as if sprinkled with salt, gleamed white.

A lively stream gurgled through the grassy patch between the rocks. It rushed over the precipice, plunging joyfully into the abyss and transforming into a cloud of mist that twinkled with the starlight.

The figure of a young man appeared out of nowhere, flitting and darting across the grass. One moment he materialized, and the next he had flashed from the south side of the stream to the north. He stood atop a massive boulder, gazing at the moon for a moment, then spun around. Trailing a long shadow, he moved to the open space at the base of the rock, where he continued his ceaseless twisting and turning.

Xie Yuan was practicing the Cloud Dragon Step on the grass, though it looked more like he was simply frolicking. The gentle mountain breeze became a fierce wind that whipped across his face and hair, and the sheer speed was exhilarating.

’I’m so much faster now... This is what it feels like to truly run.’

Xie Yuan thought with a thrill of excitement. Before this, the only way he knew how to speed up was to crudely pour all his Blood Qi and Inner Strength into his legs to quicken his pace. While the basic principle of a Lightweight Skill was essentially the same, the efficiency and results were worlds apart.

For the first time, Xie Yuan felt as if he could fly. His form was a constant blur on the grass. He would even appear abruptly at the cliff’s edge, leap down, scoop up a handful of water from the mountain stream, and then vault back up with a light tap of his foot on the cliff face.

Tilting his head back, Xie Yuan drank the cool spring water down to the last drop. He wiped his mouth and let out a hearty laugh.

"I should have learned a Body Technique first! Zipping around from high to low like this... this is what it feels like to be truly extraordinary."

Like a child with a new toy, Xie Yuan was tireless. His figure could be seen everywhere, from the top of the rocks to the base of the cliff.

And his mastery of the Cloud Dragon Step, this profound movement technique, grew by leaps and bounds.

Only when his Inner Strength was nearly depleted did Xie Yuan finally stop. He plopped down onto the grass, gasping for breath.

’Running at night is pretty exhausting.’

He took another drink of spring water, feeling a pleasant warmth radiate from his body as he let out a sigh.

Even though he had just started and wasn’t even at an initiate level, Xie Yuan’s speed and Body Technique had improved dramatically, a testament to the sublimity of the Cloud Dragon Step.

’For such a brilliant Cultivation Technique, I have Tai Bo to thank, and Miss Qin even more so.’

Xie Yuan mused that Situ Qin was incredibly generous to him. He was losing count of all the times he owed her thanks.

Recalling Situ Qin’s astonished expression from earlier in the day, Xie Yuan couldn’t help but smile.

’She was probably waiting for me to get stuck and come to her for help. A pity I couldn’t grant her that wish.’

Previously, Situ Qin had no idea about Xie Yuan’s true talent, seeing him as just some run-of-the-mill folk prodigy.

But what happened today had utterly shocked her. The way she looked him up and down, as if trying to see right through him, carried a hint of existential doubt. She simply couldn’t comprehend how Xie Yuan had done it; after all, she knew firsthand just how difficult the Cloud Dragon Step was.

She, of course, had no way of knowing that there wasn’t a single Cultivation Technique in the world that Xie Yuan couldn’t ’learn.’ Even the Black Celestial Book could display his progress.

’Just a minor talent, hardly worth mentioning.’

Seeing Situ Qin so astonished, Xie Yuan had a mischievous thought. ’I wonder if *someone* found the Cloud Dragon Step a little difficult when they first learned it?’

Fortunately, he was wise enough not to say it out loud, lest she fly into a rage out of humiliation.

It was no wonder Situ Qin was so stunned. As the daughter of two Grandmasters, she possessed the best talent, had access to top-tier resources, and was even personally tutored by a Flying Dragon List Master. She was basically playing life with cheat codes. However, she had started learning the Cloud Dragon Step a bit early, before her Inner Strength had fully developed, so it was understandable that she’d had a difficult start. But even with all her advantages, Xie Yuan had picked it up even faster than she had. It was something she simply could not comprehend.

That was her line of thought: ’I’m using cheat codes and I still can’t beat you, yet you claim you aren’t using any?’

The way Situ Qin looked at Xie Yuan had subtly changed.

From looking down on him and bestowing gifts when they first met, to traveling together in Yunzhou Prefecture and relying on his Secret Technique for their adventures, to this very day, she suddenly found that there were things to admire about this Young Master Xie.

This was no longer the feigned, cutesy admiration she’d put on for the past few days. The way Situ Qin sized him up as they parted today made Xie Yuan feel good. In fact, it felt great.

So satisfying!

Xie Yuan drank another large handful of spring water, then sprawled on the green grass, gazing up at the moon and letting out a long, contented sigh.

’The view on the path of cultivation is truly wonderful.’

「It was the height of summer.」

Down below Cloud Mountain, days of scorching heat had left the rivers showing signs of drying up, their beds beginning to emerge.

Up on the mountain, however, it remained as cool as spring or autumn. In the mornings and evenings, the dew was so heavy and the air so chilled that one had to wear an extra layer to avoid catching a cold.

Of course, there were few ordinary people on Cloud Mountain, so this wasn’t much of a problem.

"Be careful."

Beneath Xie Yuan’s feet was a jumble of rocks. He tested them with his weight, and only when he was sure his footing was solid did he extend a hand to help Situ Qin up.

Situ Qin placed her small hand in his palm, and with a light push, she leaped up nimbly, landing with perfect stability.

Seeing that Xie Yuan withdrew his hand instead of lingering on hers, Situ Qin smiled faintly. With a twinkle in her eye, she said in a lilting voice:

"Master Xie, you’re such a gentleman! But... did you forget we have Lightweight Skills?"

"No sense in wasting energy."

Xie Yuan chuckled.

’Situ Qin’s hand was so soft and smooth. He’d just been looking for an excuse to hold it and truly couldn’t bear to let go. Still, he knew better than to be too obvious about it.’

The two of them chatted and laughed with ease, as if they were merely out for a leisurely stroll in the mountains.

However, any onlooker would have seen the truth: they were on a nearly vertical cliff face, leaping between crevices as if in flight and treating the precipice as level ground.

Looking down revealed a dizzying, bottomless abyss. Looking up, Sword Peak pierced the heavens, its summit nowhere in sight.

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