Chapter 305: Teaching Swordsmanship

The Undying Physician was an old friend of his. Thus, he immediately recognized the blue-flame silver needles before him. Jiang Fan hadn't expected the old man to be so knowledgeable, discerning the origin of the silver needles. As he took out the needles one by one, he said, "Physician Shangguan gifted them to me."

"Shangguan Sheng?" To think he would give such valuable silver needles to a young man. A wave of sorrow washed over Xu Qingyang. "Old friend, you have no true successor. Your favorite set of silver needles during your lifetime, now squandered by your disciples after your death. You must be heartbroken in the afterlife, aren't you?"

Considering this, he said, "Young man, I am also fond of this set of silver needles. Would you be willing to part with them and sell them to me? Name your price, whatever you desire." He wanted to reclaim the silver needles and pass them on to someone trustworthy. It would be one last act for his old friend.

Sitting quietly beside them, holding her breath, Ling Jinghu was astonished. This was a promise from one of the strongest individuals in the Nine Sects' lands. Trading a set of silver needles for such a promise was like a gift from heaven! Her eyes were practically red with envy.

Jiang Fan paused for a moment, then replied without hesitation, "These were a gift from an old friend; how could I sell them to another? Please lie down, senior. I will begin the treatment."

Xu Qingyang showed a look of regret, sighing undisguisedly, "You may not know how to use these needles." With that, he lay down. He intended to wait until Jiang Fan began the acupuncture before explaining how the needles should be used.

However, Jiang Fan, unhurried, generated flames in his palm and began to heat all the blue-flame silver needles. A moment later, faint blue flames emanated from the tips of the needles. Under Jiang Fan's control, the needles connected end to end, resembling a silver dragon with blue nodes.

This sight made Xu Qingyang's vision blur for a moment. Then his aged eyes widened. "You... how do you know how to use these needles?" The technique was identical to that of the Undying Physician!

Jiang Fan did not respond, focusing intently on manipulating the needles, inserting them simultaneously into the corresponding acupoints! The next moment, dark, ink-like blood instantly erupted from the blood vessels in Xu Qingyang's chest, splattering onto the carriage ceiling. *Sizzle*— The wooden carriage roof was immediately corroded, forming numerous holes. Sunlight streamed through the holes, casting patches of light onto Xu Qingyang's astonished face.

It wasn't until Jiang Fan withdrew the needles and carefully placed them back into the jade box that Xu Qingyang snapped out of his trance. Feeling the potent poison completely gone from his body, his eyes widened in utter shock. "You... you..." His astonishment was beyond words. Someone other than the Undying Physician had actually managed to cure the Sky-Devouring Tiger's potent venom! No wonder Shangguan Sheng had gifted him the blue-flame silver needles; this young man was indeed a gifted physician! His heart swelled with immense satisfaction.

"Old friend, you must be beaming with joy now, aren't you?" Xu Qingyang mused with a nostalgic tone. Then, he looked at Jiang Fan, a warmth in his eyes. "Your medical skills are excellent. What reward would you like?"

Jiang Fan put away the needles and calmly replied, "No need. Elder Ling helped my friend and me, and I only acted out of respect for her. If you wish to thank someone, thank her."

Xu Qingyang's eyes shone with continuous approval. He took no credit and was not arrogant. His character was remarkably good. "Where did that old Shangguan fellow find such a person?"

He nodded slightly, then casually tossed a bottle of pills to Ling Jinghu. "Here, take this." Ling Jinghu took the bottle and trembled with excitement upon seeing its contents. "Core Condensing Pills? And mid-grade Core Condensing Pills at that?" Core Condensing Pills were essential for cultivators in the Core Formation realm to advance their cultivation. The ingredients required for them were extremely rare. Most Core Formation realm cultivators would only consume a few throughout their entire lives. Mid-grade Core Condensing Pills were even rarer. With this pill, Ling Jinghu might be able to break through to the next realm! This filled her with immense gratitude. She had merely said a few words on behalf of Jiang Fan's friend and received such a tremendous reward.

Alongside her gratitude, she secretly chided Jiang Fan for being too foolish. The old man before them was Xu Qingyang, the Sword King! And Jiang Fan had actually refused his offer of a gift! Turning her gaze, she said, "Young man, Senior Xu is a master of the sword. If he were to teach you even a little swordplay, it would benefit you for a lifetime." These words were both a reminder to Jiang Fan and a suggestion to Xu Qingyang. If he truly wanted to thank Jiang Fan, he should offer something he was best at.

How could Xu Qingyang not understand Ling Jinghu's implied meaning? He chuckled wryly. "Of course, I intend to thank this young man handsomely. However, he cannot learn my swordplay."

Ling Jinghu looked awkward. She had hoped to procure some sword techniques for Jiang Fan, but Xu Qingyang was unwilling to pass on his swordplay. "Don't misunderstand, it's not that I'm being selfish," Xu Qingyang sighed softly. "The sword technique I cultivate is no ordinary skill. It requires talent bordering on monstrous to learn. I have tried to teach it to many of the world's top swordsmen, but none have succeeded. Moreover, they became so engrossed in my sword art that they couldn't extricate themselves, wasting half their lives trying to comprehend it."

An undeniable loneliness appeared on his face. As a Grand Elder of the Myriad Swords Sect, he had always hoped that someone within the sect could inherit his Imperial Sword Technique, thereby maintaining the Myriad Swords Sect's status as the foremost sword-wielding sect. Alas, even the current sect master, his former beloved disciple, lacked the sword dao talent to comprehend his ultimate art. Now, he was already over eighty years old. If he couldn't break through to the legendary Nascent Soul realm, he would pass away in a few years, or at most twenty. His unique technique would vanish from the world along with his demise.

With a hint of regret, he looked at Jiang Fan and sighed: "If I were to teach you my sword technique, it would only harm you. Perhaps you should learn something else instead?" The Imperial Sword Technique was too profound. Once one saw it, they would become deeply entangled, unable to free themselves. It was very easy to waste a great deal of time, only to end up with nothing.

Jiang Fan subtly shook his head. The old man's words seemed overly exaggerated. "All the world's sword masters become engrossed and waste their lives? Is the Myriad Swords Sect Master, a sword dao grandmaster of his generation, just for show? Moreover, the Myriad Swords Sect surely had many Grand Elders, just like the Azure Cloud Sect. Could it be that they are incapable too?" Hearing such unreliable claims, Jiang Fan became even less inclined to accept any benefits from him. He calmly stated, "As I said, I will not accept any favors from you, Senior. Your thanks to Elder Ling are sufficient."

Xu Qingyang raised an eyebrow. Did Jiang Fan not believe him? It was normal, he supposed. Without witnessing the Imperial Sword Technique firsthand, anyone would believe their sword dao talent was unique. It was only after attempting to learn the Imperial Sword Technique that one would realize how ordinary they truly were in the path of the sword.

He sighed faintly. "Alright, I'll give you the first volume. Take it and study it. Just look through it; it's normal if you don't understand. Don't be discouraged, alright?" With that, he pulled out half a sword manual and tossed it to Jiang Fan. Jiang Fan caught it with a speechless expression. "Is it really that exaggerated?" The half-volume sword manual looked quite unreliable to him.

With a skeptical attitude, he opened the sword manual. He found that it wasn't a sword manual recorded with text. Instead, it contained flowing sword qi patterns. He was no stranger to similar unique techniques. A quick glance revealed that it wasn't difficult to understand at all. He could comprehend it in an hour.

"Well? I wasn't lying, was I?" Xu Qingyang chuckled. He could already imagine Jiang Fan's utterly deflated mood as he faced a sword manual he couldn't comprehend.