The Silent Path of the Swordsman

Chapter 2 - Lianhua Forest

Luo Yi’s heart pounded violently as the rustling from the bushes drew closer and closer. He prayed that whatever emerged would not be a ferocious beast or some horrifying creature.

But that hope vanished the moment his ears caught the unmistakable hiss of a serpent.

Judging by the bushes in this forest, each as tall as an ordinary tree, he could already tell that the snake about to appear would be enormous.

When the figure hidden behind the bushes finally revealed itself, Luo Yi’s entire body trembled uncontrollably.

His suspicion had been correct. What emerged was indeed a snake—a pitch-black serpent whose body was as thick as the trunk of a giant banyan tree.

'I have to run,' he thought, but his body had gone rigid. His legs felt locked in place, impossible to move under the crushing grip of fear.

As he watched the serpent slither toward him and slowly open its massive jaws, he instinctively squeezed his eyes shut, desperately wishing this were nothing more than a nightmare.

Suddenly, he heard a gentle voice.

“Stop, Long Yanbi!”

Strangely, that voice seemed to erase the fear within him. His trembling, rigid body gradually relaxed. A sense of safety washed over him, and he slowly opened his eyes.

However, the moment he saw the giant snake again, fear instantly surged back. Before panic could overwhelm him, the gentle voice rang out once more.

“Do not be afraid. That snake obeys me.”

Luo Yi turned toward the source of the voice, and the sight before him instantly left him awestruck. His gaze locked onto the figure.

Standing before him was a young woman who appeared to be in her early twenties. She wore a long light-blue dress that swayed softly in the forest breeze. Her black hair was braided neatly and flowed down to her waist.

From a distance of roughly ten zhang, the woman’s eyes rested upon him. Her calm gaze and gentle blue eyes matched the color of her dress, radiating an aura that soothed the soul.

Sensing that this woman was no ordinary person, he immediately cupped his fist before his chest and bowed slightly. “Who are you?” he asked.

The woman walked toward him. “My name is Hua Lianyi. I am the guardian of this forest,” she replied calmly. “Do you possess a crippled dantian?”

Hearing that, Luo Yi’s eyes widened. “How do you know?” he asked as he straightened his posture.

Instead of answering, the woman extended her right hand and calmly said, “Come with me. I will explain everything once we reach another place.”

Luo Yi nodded and accepted her outstretched hand.

Hua Lianyi grasped his hand and channeled energy into his body, causing him to feel incredibly light, as though most of his weight had suddenly disappeared.

Without any warning, Hua Lianyi pushed off the ground and soared into the air, carrying Luo Yi with her. It was not flight, but rather a series of leaps from one branch to another.

Each leap seemed impossible for an ordinary person. Her movements were light, agile, and almost completely silent.

Luo Yi followed her movements. The gigantic trees of Lianhua Forest towered like massive spires, and they shot through the gaps between branches, passing through shafts of sunlight that pierced the dense canopy overhead.

'Is this... a lightness skill?' Luo Yi wondered inwardly, filled with amazement.

In only a few dozen breaths, they arrived at an open clearing in the heart of the forest. There, a crystal-clear lake stretched before them, surrounded by a veil of soft mist.

At the center of the lake floated a gigantic blue lotus, its petals glowing faintly beneath the sunlight.

Hua Lianyi brought Luo Yi down gently onto one of the enormous lotus petals floating atop the lake. Unaccustomed to such footing, Luo Yi nearly slipped, for the petal’s surface was remarkably soft and smooth, like silk.

The moment both feet settled firmly, Luo Yi felt something unusual. The air around him seemed purer, as though every breath he took carried tranquility directly into his chest. The faint fragrance of lotus blossoms mixed with the cool breeze, clearing his mind.

“This place...” Luo Yi murmured.

“Indeed,” Hua Lianyi said calmly. “This lotus absorbs pure energy from nature. This is the best place to cultivate the Nature Breathing Technique.”

“The Nature Breathing Technique?” Luo Yi frowned.

Hua Lianyi nodded. “Yes, a technique that harnesses the limitless energy of nature,” she explained. “I intend to accept you as my disciple and teach this technique to you.”

“Really?” Luo Yi’s eyes sparkled with excitement upon hearing those words. Yet his expression quickly darkened as he remembered something. “But... my dantian has been crippled since birth.”

“It does not matter,” Hua Lianyi replied calmly, her voice filled with certainty. “The Nature Breathing Technique does not rely on the dantian. As long as you can still breathe, as long as your heart can still become one with nature, you can master it.”

Luo Yi stared at her in disbelief. “But... don’t all cultivation techniques require a dantian as a vessel for energy?”

Hua Lianyi smiled faintly. “That is true for ordinary cultivation. But the Nature Breathing Technique follows a different path. You do not store energy within your body. Instead, you become a conduit for nature’s energy. You are not the vessel—you are the bridge.”

“Forgive me, but if I may ask, why are you so willing to teach such a powerful technique to someone you have only just met?” Luo Yi carefully lowered himself into a cross-legged position atop the giant lotus petal, then looked at Hua Lianyi, who still stood there calmly, waiting for her answer.

Hua Lianyi gazed toward the clear waters of the lake, where ornamental fish swam peacefully beneath the surface. “My master once told me, 'If a young person with a crippled dantian ever comes to this forest, accept him as your disciple.' Those were the words my master spoke two hundred and thirty-seven years ago.”

Luo Yi’s eyes widened. “Two hundred and thirty-seven years ago?” he asked, unable to believe what he had just heard.

Hua Lianyi smiled faintly. “That is correct. And there is no need for such surprise. Once someone masters the Nature Breathing Technique, the aging of their body comes to a halt, much like a cultivator who has reached the legendary realm.”

Luo Yi could not help but find it difficult to believe. Cultivators of the legendary realm were exceedingly rare in this world—so rare that encountering one was considered nearly impossible. Yet, seeing how calm and composed Hua Lianyi remained at all times, he could tell that the woman before him was not lying.

'Perhaps this is what the figure in my dream was trying to tell me,' Luo Yi thought inwardly. He then carefully rose to his feet and, while cupping his fist before his chest, said to Hua Lianyi, “I am willing to become your disciple. Please teach me the Nature Breathing Technique, Master!”

Hua Lianyi smiled faintly and calmly looked at the now-enthusiastic Luo Yi. “Very well. Before we begin your training, I would first like to know your name. You have yet to tell me since we met, have you?”

“My name is Luo Yi, Master.” Luo Yi remained in his fist-cupping posture. “Please forgive me for not introducing myself earlier.”

“Very well, Yi’er.” Hua Lianyi stepped closer. “Let us begin your training!”