She opened the first book, titled "Demonic Sword Technique."
She quickly noticed that it contained illustrations and step-by-step instructions, as if the author feared that whoever obtained the book might not even know how to read.
Lin Wuyue sat cross-legged in front of the skeleton, her small and beautiful face lazily propped up by one hand as she stared at it.
"…"
The more she thought about it, the more Lin Wuyue felt that this person had planned everything from the very beginning. It was clear that he had refused to pass this legacy to his own sect.
"It makes sense," she murmured. "If he didn't want to pass it on to his sect, it must have been because of internal conflicts. All sects—orthodox or unorthodox—have internal strife. In fact, that's the main reason they don't easily attack each other. Dealing with enemies outside and inside your own home isn't easy… is it?"
Lin Wuyue suddenly felt the urge to create a body for this man, revive him, and shake him until he explained all his reasons. She had always been curious by nature. She knew that demonic sects were cruel and ruthless—but wasn't he the same?
With that thought in mind, Lin Wuyue picked up the sword and the books and set them aside. After hesitating for a moment, she finally stripped the corpse. The fabric of the clothes was clearly of excellent quality, and she also didn't want the books to get wet while crossing back through the tunnel.
"I'll come visit you tomorrow," she said, giving the skeleton one last bow.
She strapped the sword to her small back. In truth, the sword was almost the same size as Lin Wuyue herself, so as she walked, it dragged slightly against the ground.
Balancing the manuals and the clothes above her head, she hurried out of the cave. She struggled through the tunnel—between the current and the sword's size, moving forward without slipping was difficult—but eventually, she made it back to the crystal mine.
She placed her newly acquired belongings in a safe spot where nothing could damage them.
Picking up the sword technique manual again, she gave it another look.
"These basic sword techniques are undoubtedly excellent… Well, it's time," Lin Wuyue said, encouraging herself.
She drew the sword—still nearly her own size—and placed the book nearby so she could properly follow the stances.
Taking a deep breath, she used all her strength to lift the sword.
It was so heavy for her small arms that she immediately fell over.
"Ow… that hurt," Lin Wuyue complained, rubbing her sore backside. Still, she stood up again.
A large rock stood before her—she had chosen it deliberately. With her current strength, she wouldn't even be able to scratch it. It felt like an impossible task.
But Lin Wuyue had no intention of giving up.
Clenching her teeth, she performed the first basic stance of the Blood Demon Sword Art.
First Stance: Crimson Mist Wind.
She tightened her grip and swung at the rock.
Naturally, it did nothing to the stone. Instead, after that single movement, Lin Wuyue's body began to tremble, sweat pouring down her face.
She panted heavily, as if that one swing had drained all her strength. Even so, she stood up again.
"Again…"
She swung the sword once more, repeating the movement to strengthen her physical body. She didn't use even a trace of internal energy—everything relied purely on her flesh, tempering her external strength.
She gritted her teeth and did it again.
And again.
Her breathing grew rough and loud. Her body nearly collapsed more than once, but her mind was not weak—only her physical endurance was.
"Do it… don't allow yourself to faint now," she told herself as she executed the same movement for the tenth time.
Her swings grew faster, and the rock began to show the faint outline of the stance.
Twenty… fifty… seventy… one hundred…
By now, her body was utterly exhausted, sweat soaking through her clothes.
Two hundred… two hundred fifty… three hundred…
Her movements grew faster and faster, ignoring pain and fatigue. The sword mark on the rock deepened visibly.
Clenching her teeth, Lin Wuyue muttered:
"Jin Shao—if you dare give up now, you might as well take this sword and kill yourself."
Five hundred… seven hundred… eight hundred fifty… one thousand…
Still, surrender was far from her mind.
One thousand five hundred… one thousand seven hundred… two thousand…
Her body was beginning to give out, but Lin Wuyue ignored it and pressed on.
Three thousand… five thousand… eight thousand… ten thousand…
After ten thousand swings, she finally could not endure any longer.
Her body trembled violently, her breathing unstable. She felt as though she couldn't move even a finger. She had surpassed her limit long ago—yet somehow, she forced herself into a lotus position and began cultivating.
She planned to recover her body while simultaneously raising her cultivation level. There was an entire sword manual she still had to master.
"This is nothing," she told herself as she cultivated. "In the future, you'll be so strong that no one will be able to hurt you. No one will even dare lay a finger on you."
Once her injuries were fully healed, absorbing the surrounding spiritual energy became much easier.
30%… 60%… 80%… 100%.
She reached Level Two of the Spiritual Warrior Realm.
She didn't dare stop there.
Adjusting her breathing once more, she continued. Her mental strength was anything but weak—whether in this life or the last. Pushing her body to its limits was the bare minimum for her.
Her will to live was what kept her moving forward. In truth, it was only when she had possessed everything—and had nothing left to fight for—that she ended her own life, even if she preferred to call it "boredom."
40%… 60%… 90%… 100%.
She had reached Level Three of the Spiritual Warrior Realm.
Lin Wuyue touched the ring on her finger and narrowed her eyes. She glanced over her shoulder at the sword manual and cultivation technique, then looked back at the ring.
"It can wait," she murmured. "There's no rush."