Chapter 1 Going Upstream

It was already quite something to assess for a one-star master teacher, then immediately assess for a two-star.

The key was that Lan Xiaotong was too young. Such a young one-star master teacher was a rare genius even in the empire, but she actually wanted to take advantage of the assessment to become a two-star master teacher!

Not to mention the other master teachers present, even the big figures who had rushed over upon hearing the news were stunned.

But the problem was, Lan Xiaotong really had the qualifications to assess.

After all, Lan Xiaotong’s state of mind had reached a level of ten. As long as her cultivation base kept up, she could theoretically test for a three-star master teacher.

But the minimum cultivation requirement for a three-star master teacher was the ninth level of a martial artist, the Supreme Realm.

Could she reach that at such a young age?

No one wanted to believe it. After all, the Supreme Realm was definitely considered an ancestor-level figure even in the Tianwu Kingdom!

How could they possibly believe it?!

…

While Lan Xiaotong was undergoing the master teacher assessment, Fang Xiu on the other side, in a city within a second-rate empire called Huan Yu, had also initially made a name for himself.

However, if he wanted to become the number one of his generation in the Huan Yu Empire within a year, he still had a long way to go.

"Not bad so far."

Jiang Xuan nodded as he looked at the two of them.

Sending Lan Xiaotong to the Tianwu Kingdom was originally intended to have her challenge Zhang Xuan's record, and the result was acceptable so far.

Sending Fang Xiu to the Huan Yu Empire was to let him break free from the shackles of the Tianxuan Kingdom, see a broader world, and thereby wholeheartedly explore the path he wanted to take.

"Next, I'll go take a walk upstream in time."

Jiang Xuan thought to himself, taking a step forward, and a vast river appeared before him. Each wave was an era, reflecting countless brilliant civilizations from ancient times to the present.

After a long time, Jiang Xuan emerged from the river of time.

"The Dao of this world…" In a single thought, Jiang Xuan had grasped all of the Dao of this realm.

"Limitless Dantian, Three Thousand Great Daos, quite interesting."

Jiang Xuan smiled, sweeping his mind across everything, and then took a step forward.

In the next moment, he appeared in a small city, and then a bookstore quietly appeared, as if it had always been there, but the passersby did not notice it at all.

"Heavenly Book Pavilion? Was there… a bookstore here originally?"

At some point, a young man walked past the bookstore, a trace of confusion flashing across his youthful face, as if he couldn't quite tell whether this was real or an illusion.

Creak…

"Hello, is anyone there?"

The young man's legs were stiff, as if they had hardened.

He didn't know what he was thinking, why he pushed open the door of the bookstore, but the moment he pushed it open, his mind couldn't help but calm down.

"Come in."

A voice came, like a gentle rain moistening things silently.

Nie Tong then saw the appearance of the owner of the voice.

Dressed in a green robe, with an air of scholarly refinement, like a well-read scholar, but also giving him a feeling that could not be described in words.

"If you want to read a book, go look for it yourself, perhaps there's something you'll like." Jiang Xuan smiled and said to Nie Tong.

He naturally recognized the person in front of him, the younger brother of the favored son of this era, whose own background was also extraordinary.

Of course, in Jiang Xuan's eyes, they were all the same.

"Read a book?" Nie Tong was stunned. He was only interested in practicing the sword, but strangely, when he heard Jiang Xuan's words, he unconsciously walked towards the bookshelf.

"《Tian Di Zhuan》 (Biography of the Heavenly Emperor)? 《Zhu Zai Zhuan》 (Biography of the Dominator)? 《Jian Zun Zhuan》 (Biography of the Sword Reverent)?" Looking at the names of the books, the look of confusion in Nie Tong's eyes grew even stronger. "Are these all miscellaneous books?"

They didn't seem like official historical biographies, but rather like novels.

However, when he saw 《Jian Zun Zhuan》, he was somewhat tempted, and then directly picked up the book.

"Sword practice, huh? I guess he can't escape it after all."

Jiang Xuan chuckled, not thinking too much about it.

The books in this bookstore were all evolved by him with the Dao, containing the guidance of the Dao, and even the supernatural powers and secret techniques within had the hope of being comprehended from them.

At this time, Nie Tong was completely immersed in the book, his mind rising and falling with the protagonist in the book.

"Man and sword as one, heaven and man as one, rainwater sword domain… so powerful, is this also the sword dao?"

Nie Tong's eyes were filled with longing, but when he thought of his legs, his eyes couldn't help but dim.

If he could be like the protagonist in the book, cultivating divine demon body refinement, able to achieve limb regeneration, even blood rebirth, then he might also be able to pursue the sword dao in his heart.

However, how could that be possible? This was just a story after all.

Thinking this in his heart, his mind continued to immerse itself in the book, unaware that he was now enveloped in a faint golden light.

Boom!

In the next moment, a memory suddenly poured into Nie Tong's mind. Before his eyes, it was as if an ancient divine demon had appeared, one hand holding the sun, the other the moon, infinite pressure, as if able to submerge the immeasurable universe.

Immediately afterwards, the divine demon seemed to be evolving some kind of Dao and Dharma, mysterious and unpredictable, extraordinary, with incredible power.

"This is… *The Crimsonbright Diagram of the Nine Heavens*?!"

Nie Tong was shocked. *The Crimsonbright Diagram of the Nine Heavens*, wasn't this the divine demon body refinement method cultivated by the protagonist in the book? It was known as the number one divine demon body refinement method in the Three Realms and Six Paths!

Just reaching the fourth level would allow for limb regeneration and blood rebirth!

But now, why did it appear before his eyes? Could it be that he was confused from reading the story?

However, this was not the end. After *The Crimsonbright Diagram of the Nine Heavens* evolved, a figure slowly stepped out, the sword following his will, as if playing a high-spirited sword song.

The sword shadows were layered upon layered, filling all directions, each sword shadow seeming to be able to easily kill him!

"*Ten Thousand Swords Melody*!?"

Also a method from the book, although not the protagonist's main cultivation, it was one of the most powerful sword techniques of the protagonist's tribe, composing music with the sword, which could be brisk, passionate, sad, joyful… infinitely changeable!

Huff~

A breeze blew, and Nie Tong's eyes gradually gained light. The two unimaginable methods were still clear in his mind. How could he not know where these methods came from?

"Senior, I… thank you, senior, for your grace of re-creation."

Bang!

Nie Tong didn't hesitate much, knelt on the ground, and kowtowed towards Jiang Xuan. He had obtained an opportunity in this bookstore, so how could he not know the source of this opportunity?

"Get up." Jiang Xuan waved his hand, and Nie Tong stood up uncontrollably. Although this method was ordinary, it was very anticipated and shocking for Nie Tong, who had never cultivated before.

"Being able to obtain an opportunity is your own good fortune, no need to thank me, go." Jiang Xuan said.

Nie Tong's background was not simple, and his future achievements would be very high. Jiang Xuan wanted to comprehend the Dao of teaching, so teaching geniuses or those favored by destiny was meaningless. Therefore, he did not intend to take him as a disciple for now. This opportunity was only given because he found him pleasing to the eye, so he bestowed it casually.

"Senior, I…"

Nie Tong still wanted to say something, but the scene before his eyes suddenly changed, and when he came back to his senses, he was already on the street. However, the original location of the bookstore was not a bookstore at all, but a weapons shop.

"What kind of method is this? What kind of existence is that senior?" Nie Tong was shocked. He had no memory of anyone being able to perform such extraordinary methods.

"Hiss…"

"It's not a dream!"

Nie Tong pinched himself, and then was suddenly overjoyed.

*The Crimsonbright Diagram of the Nine Heavens* and *Ten Thousand Swords Melody*, these two methods would definitely allow him to become stronger!

"Practice the sword! Go back and practice the sword!"

Nie Tong was excited and quickly ran towards his family's direction.

And at this moment, in the Nie family, in a small courtyard.

"Kill! Kill!"

A roar filled with anger, resentment, and unwillingness suddenly came from inside the house.

A young man, with a ferocious expression, cursing viciously in his mouth, but gradually, he also slowly woke up.

"Yun'er, you're finally awake, don't scare mother like that next time!" As soon as Nie Yun opened his eyes, he heard a slightly sobbing voice.

The owner of the voice was a middle-aged woman, sitting by the bed, her eyes red and bloodshot, as if she hadn't slept for several nights.

"Mother?"

Nie Yun's whole body stiffened, and his mind buzzed, flashing a fragment.

He was originally a peak Dantian Acupoint Realm super powerhouse. When the demon race invaded, he and dozens of sworn brothers entered a mysterious relic in the continent, hoping to take the opportunity to break through and find a glimmer of hope.

After an adventure, he finally discovered the civilization left behind by the ancient times, but just as he obtained it, before he had time to examine it carefully, he was pierced through the chest by a long sword…

"I actually… returned to three hundred years ago? I'm only sixteen years old this year?" Nie Yun felt incredulous in his heart. Reversing time and space, what kind of existence possessed such power?

However, before he had time to think more about it, he heard a reprimand: "If you're okay, don't play dead, get up early and cultivate!"

That was a sloppy middle-aged man, his father, and also the former genius of the Nie family…

The next day, Nie Yun finally adapted to his重生 (reborn) situation, and walked to the courtyard. The plants and trees, the bricks and stones in the courtyard, were completely overlapping with his memories, and the excitement of being reborn filled his heart.

"Huff huff!"

As he was recalling the various events of his previous life, he heard a series of muffled sword wind whizzing from the depths of the courtyard, as if someone was practicing swordsmanship.

A young and immature face flashed in his mind, and Nie Yun's heart tightened, and he strode towards the direction of the sound.

In an open space in the corner of the courtyard, a young man of only ten years old was holding a long sword, practicing the sword with a determined gaze, but it was somewhat different from what he remembered!

He knew that when this young man was three years old, he was bitten by a poisonous snake on his leg, resulting in the stagnation of meridians and the petrification of his legs, making it difficult to walk, but he had always insisted on practicing the sword, and even created a miracle in the future.

But now, the swordsmanship he was practicing was very different from what he remembered.

"Ah, Brother Nie Yun, I…"

He wanted to apologize, but then he thought that he would soon recover as before, and then Brother Nie Yun would probably no longer stop him from practicing the sword. He didn't have to practice the sword in hiding anymore.

"Brother Nie Yun, my leg…"

"Nie Tong!"

However, Nie Yun at this time couldn't hear anything else. Nie Tong was the person he was most sorry for in his previous life. The various past events seemed to be right before his eyes, and his heart ached. He directly stepped forward, hugged the young man in his arms, and tears flowed down his face.

"You're not trash, it's all my fault!"

Nie Yun apologized, wanting to use his own method to make up for the mistakes he made in his previous life.

"Brother, you're not trash, it's my fault for being possessed! It's my fault for being extremely foolish! It's my fault for not knowing what's good for me!"

"Brother Nie Yun…"

Nie Tong was stunned. In the past, when he saw Nie Yun, he would scold him, but today he suddenly hugged him in his arms and said it was all his fault, which made him unable to adapt and froze in place, unable to react!

"Nie Tong, from today onwards, you can cultivate freely. If there's anything you don't understand, I can personally teach you!" Nie Yun said. After all, he had lived two lives, and he was also a rare expert in his previous life!

"Really?" Nie Tong was overjoyed. Although even if Nie Yun still didn't let him cultivate, he would continue to persist, but with Nie Yun's approval, he didn't have to worry about being scolded by him: "Thank you, brother!"

Nie Yun also smiled when he saw this: "Nie Tong, I have a cultivation technique called *Lingxi Body Refining Art* here. You don't need to open your Qi Sea to cultivate. I'll transcribe it for you recently. As long as you cultivate diligently, your legs will definitely recover again!"

"*Lingxi Body Refining Art*?" Nie Tong was somewhat surprised, and he could see that this brother really wanted to apologize for what he had done in the past.

It's just that he doesn't need any *Lingxi Body Refining Art* now. With *The Crimsonbright Diagram of the Nine Heavens*, how could he look up to ordinary body refining methods?

…

"He does have a pure heart."

In the bookstore, Jiang Xuan watched the scene of Nie Tong and Nie Yun's reunion, and couldn't help but smile.

Nie Tong was originally bullied a lot by Nie Yun, but now that he has obtained a great opportunity and good fortune, he did not have any other thoughts because of this, but was like before, which was rare.

In addition, he has a sword heart, and such a person walking on the path of the sword will not have low achievements.

Creak…

Just as Jiang Xuan was distracted, the door of the bookstore opened again, and a little chubby kid in a brocade robe poked his head in from outside the door: "Is anyone there?"

"Yes."

A smile appeared on Jiang Xuan's face, and then he tapped in the void, saying: "If you want to read a book, come in, maybe you can find a book you like."

The little chubby kid was stunned. He had never seen such a person, as if there was some kind of indescribable power surrounding him, as if he did not exist in the world.

"Can I ask, what… what kind of books do you have?"

The little chubby kid asked, looking at the several rows of bookshelves in the bookstore, not knowing where to go for a while.

"Everything, martial arts, secret techniques, stories, etc., you can go find it yourself, and if you find it, you can read it in the bookstore, and if you want to buy it, you need to pay."

Jiang Xuan said, it doesn't matter if he sells it, leaving him, these books will become ordinary books.

As for martial arts secrets or something, there is definitely none, if you want to get it, it depends on whether you have the opportunity to get it from the book.

Of course, among the methods obtained from books, there are quite a few that are extremely powerful, such as Ji Ning's ultimate sword dao, which he put into the book 《Jian Zun Zhuan》, if he can get this inheritance, he can be invincible in the universe in the future.

As for the others, such as the Emperor Sutra of the Shrouding Heavens world, the Heavenly Art of the Perfect World, and the immortal secrets of the Doupo World, they are all in the book, but there is still that sentence, it depends on fate.