Han Li grabbed the rope of the wooden bucket, threw it into the pond, then pulled and lifted it back. A full bucket of spring water rose up. With effortless motion, he raised the bucket above his head and gave a firm twist of his wrist—water cascaded from the bucket, pouring over his head and splashing down to his feet. "Wow, how refreshing!" "Absolutely comfortable!" Han Li and the other young man exclaimed simultaneously. It was no surprise, for it was the height of summer, scorching and oppressive. With only their upper bodies exposed, the sudden, cool spray of mountain spring water from above left them completely refreshed, every part of their bodies feeling at ease. "Hey! Han, you really know how to pick good spots—this hidden little pond, I didn't expect you'd find it." The younger boy, who had previously seemed cold and reserved, suddenly spoke up. "It's nothing special. In fact, I've discovered quite a few places even harder to reach than this, though none of them have the refreshing quality of this water." The other young man accepted the praise without hesitation, taking all the compliments wholeheartedly. The young man was Han Li, and the other one was Li Feiyu, who had come to collect medicine. Since Li Feiyu first received the pain-relieving powder from Han Li and tried it out, he found it truly effective—the suffering caused by the "Drain the Marrow Pill" had significantly eased. From that point on, Li Feiyu became increasingly dependent; each time he didn’t use Han Li’s powder, he could no longer bear the pain from the pill. As a result, the original supply meant to last a year was completely consumed within just a few months. Driven to the brink by relentless, almost unbearable pain, Li Feiyu had no choice but to face his discomfort head-on and proactively seek out Han Li for more medicine. At that time, Han Li was eager to strengthen his own capabilities. Upon learning that Li Feiyu had entered the Seventh Absolute Hall for further training, he directly proposed a reciprocal arrangement: to teach Li Feiyu the Seventh Absolute Hall’s master teachings. The once nearly lifeless Li Feiyu readily agreed, expressing enthusiastic acceptance of the offer. Han Li, in order not to be discovered by outsiders, selected several secluded spots along the colorful mist mountains, stretching over ten li, to carry out transactions with his counterpart. Every certain period of time, the two would secretly meet. Han Li would deliver the medicines to the other, while the other would teach him some martial arts learned from the Seven-Extremes Hall. Over the course of half a year, both parties found this exchange satisfactory, and the arrangement continued steadily. During this half-year period of interaction, Li Feiyu and Han Li gradually grew fond of each other, eventually becoming close friends who could talk freely about anything. Li Feiyu was particularly pleased with the locations Han Li had chosen, especially one featuring a small pond, surrounded on all sides by sheer cliffs and steep slopes. At its heart lay a modest basin, with the only access route being a narrow, concealed mountain cave. The cave was so narrow that they had to crawl through on their hands and knees, and even more astonishingly, the cave's exit was found within the hollow of an ancient locust tree growing tightly against the cliff face. Most importantly, during these sweltering days, having such a cool, refreshing little pond here is truly a blessing. After warming up your muscles, splashing a few buckets of cold water over yourself is an absolutely invigorating experience. After pouring the cool water, Han Li glanced at the sun and asked, "The Qi-Long Power you taught me last time was quite vigorous—I feel it's not quite suited to my style. Do you have any more refined, delicate, and gentle techniques?" "Han brother, really do you think the Seventh Absolute Hall is entirely mine? That I can pick any martial art I desire? I myself can only select a small portion of what's available. My training tends to emphasize yang energy—naturally, I gravitate toward powerful, robust classics." Li Feiyu gave Han Li a withering look and replied with some impatience. "How can someone like Li Feiyu, the outstanding star among all our disciples, be compared to an ordinary member of the Seventh Absolute Hall?" Han Li blushed slightly, embarrassed, and quickly stepped forward to offer a few polite remarks to ease the tension. "It's truly admirable that you're able to receive even a few compliments from our Han prodigy." Lì Fēiyǔ gave Han Li a teasing smile. "What's so special about you, then? Haven't I been defeated by you in just a few moves every time?" "Hmph! That was because I used my true qi, relying on raw strength to overcome your finesse—nothing remarkable about that. If I didn't use true qi, I'd probably be completely at a loss even after a hundred moves." "Who in the world would fight without true qi? Lì Shījiā, you're truly modest." "Modest? I'm not at all. You've never learned any martial arts before, nor have you ever engaged in actual combat. The only thing you've ever studied was that useless technique—'Breaking the Heart Method.' How could you grasp the essence of the techniques so thoroughly in such a short time? You're not a prodigy, what are you?" "By the way, that incantation has no real power at all. I wonder why you still bother practicing it every day." Han Li silently chuckled to himself, thinking: "Do you really think I wanted to learn it? Right now, I'm stuck—there's no way out. I have to learn it, or "Frater Han, I'm not being tedious—given your talent in martial arts over the past six months, why don't you simply discard that broken technique and learn some genuine skills from me? I'm certain within two years you'll rise to prominence, shine among your peers, and then, together, we'll dominate the Seven Xuan Sect—what a splendid achievement!" Li Feiyu spoke earnestly, once again urging him. He lowered his head and thought carefully for a moment, then looked up and said, "Indeed, there is a rather unusual sword technique that doesn't require qi flow—though..." "What's the matter?" Hearing that there was a martial art suitable for himself, Han Li was delighted and immediately asked for more details. "Only that this sword technique has been preserved in the Seventh Absolute Hall for over a century, yet no one has ever successfully practiced it. It's said that even the senior monk who originally established it never managed to master it before passing away. The technique's name is also strange—'Eye Blink Sword Technique.' Isn't that remarkable?" Li Feiyu spoke of the technique with growing wonder, marveling at it as he went on.