The mountain forest under the dark night appeared even more gloomy and terrifying.

In the pitch-black darkness where one couldn’t see their hand before their face, faint sounds of wind being broken could vaguely be heard.

That was Lynx and four gold-rank assassins. They fully displayed the essence of being dark ghosts.

At this time, even Xiao Zuiji stationed outside the cave couldn’t capture them through the scope, because under the night, visibility was greatly obstructed.

The Rain Drizzle Tower assassins walking in the darkness were absolutely very professional. This was also their advantage, but at the start, because they couldn’t tolerate someone assassinating them, they hadn’t been able to display it well.

“Rustle rustle rustle.”

Lynx and the four gold-rank assassins dispersed, very purposefully searching area by area.

At this pace, finding the mountain cave where Jun Changxiao was stationed would only take about an hour.

“Coo coo—”

In the dark night, occasional bird calls came.

In such a gloomy environment, it sounded somewhat spine-chilling.

Jun Changxiao, sitting cross-legged in the mountain cave, cultivated the Muscle-Tendon Transformation Classic while thinking about how to destroy Rain Drizzle Tower.

“Are there items like grenades in the shop?” he inquired.

The system said, “There are, but they need to be refreshed.”

Jun Changxiao murmured, “If this thing refreshed, I could directly buy it and toss it into the rat hole—wouldn’t that be wonderful?”

In his view, since the shop had grenades, their power would definitely be stronger than normal grenades. Forget blasting a cave—blasting apart a large mountain should be no problem, right?

Last refresh, only the Dazzling Light Dark Realm glasses had value; the others didn’t have much use. Refreshing was indispensable.

He opened the attribute panel and scrolled down hard.

“Ding! Sect contribution points: 300/500.”

Brand new items appeared. Jun Changxiao carefully looked through them all and didn’t discover grenades, but unexpectedly refreshed a sword technique manual called ‘Soaring Sword Divine Art.’

He clicked on the detailed introduction—

Item: Soaring Sword Divine Art.

Introduction: A sword art created by a generation’s Sword Emperor from a certain plane. Contains three forms: First Form Quick Art, Second Form Momentum Art, Third Form Qi Transformation Art.

Effect: The first form, when comprehended to the extreme, can form cold and swift sword qi. The second form, when comprehended to the extreme, can form sword momentum. The third form, when comprehended to the extreme, can form rainbow-piercing-sun sword qi, taking a person’s head from a thousand miles away.

Advantages: Can be cultivated at the Wutu stage. As martial dao and sword dao cultivation improves, power will increase accordingly. Can serve as a primary sword technique to comprehend.

Disadvantages: Although easy to learn, it’s difficult to master.

Price: 100 contribution points.

Grade: Divine Rank High-tier sword art.

“Holy crap!”

Seeing the grade introduction, Jun Changxiao couldn’t care about cultivation. He stood up with a whoosh and exclaimed, “A Divine Rank High-tier sword art!!”

The system said, “Dog. Shit. Luck.”

Going in with the idea of refreshing grenades, he refreshed a Divine Rank High-tier sword art—this luck really was unmatched.

Jun Changxiao calmed down, cupping his chin. “A bit expensive.”

The system said, “Divine Rank High-tier martial techniques refresh at a probability even smaller than sniper rifles. If you think it’s expensive, you don’t have to buy it.”

Jun Changxiao said, confused, “Both are 100 contribution points—why would Divine Rank martial techniques refresh at a lower probability than sniper rifles?”

The system said, “Sniper rifles are ultimately just modified items. They’re effective at low-level tiers, but once you encounter Wuwang-level or higher powerhouses, they have almost no effect.”

“Why no effect?” Jun Changxiao asked to the very end.

The system explained, “Powerhouses at the Wuwang tier have already formed spiritual sense and can detect within a certain range even minuscule grains of sand. If you fire a gun, they can definitely capture it in advance.”

“I have auto-aim—so what if they capture it?” Jun Changxiao said unconcernedly.

The system said, “Wuwang not only have spiritual sense, they can also materialize spiritual power to form a defensive qi wall. Relying solely on a sniper rifle’s damage output, it’s very difficult to break through.”

“Can’t I use high-quality crystal cores as bullets?”

“Firearms are just modified items. Do you still expect to use them as rocket launchers?”

“I understand. What you mean is, sniper rifles have less effect at high realms, but rocket launchers can take over!”

System: “…”

The host’s thought process wasn’t on the same track as its own.

“Let me put it this way: the shop’s guns and cannons are just modified items. To continuously grow stronger in a high-martial world, you must rely on various martial techniques, because their formidability far exceeds hot weapons.”

“I see.”

Jun Changxiao complained, “If you’d explained it this way earlier, wouldn’t I have understood?”

The system said, “Blame me?”

“If I don’t blame you, should I blame myself?” Jun Changxiao said.

The system couldn’t help saying, “Your grandpa’s.”

“Holy crap!”

Jun Changxiao said, “The system even curses—what conscienceless designer made this product!”

Not only did the system curse, it had a temper too. It said three times for emphasis: “Your grandpa’s, your grandpa’s, your grandpa’s!”

“Damn, if you were a person, this old master would definitely beat you up.”

“Come on then. I’m in your sea of consciousness—if you have the guts, punch yourself in the head!”

“You really think I don’t dare?”

Xiao Zuiji outside heard the commotion. He tilted his head to look over and vaguely saw that inside the cave, the sect leader was backhanding himself on the forehead. Confused, he thought, “Is this cultivation?”

…

“Phew!”

Jun Changxiao sat down cross-legged, shook his head, then clicked on purchase.

“Ding! Host has consumed 100 contribution points, obtained Soaring Sword Divine Art ×1, has been transmitted to spatial ring.”

“Ding! Sect contribution points: 200/500.”

He knew the system was telling him that in a high-martial world, martial techniques were most important. Forget 100 points—even spending all his contribution points, he would buy it.

Moreover, the sword art’s third form could take a person’s head from a thousand miles away.

If he truly comprehended this, it would absolutely be comparable to an intercontinental missile!

Fusing with the spatial ring, Jun Changxiao took the sword art manual, which only had a few sparse pages, into his hand.

Opening the first page, it read: “Comprehending the sword for six thousand years, at the moment of shattering the void, looking back on this life’s path with mixed feelings, I created this sword art to leave as a gift for future generations, hoping they will carry it forward and spread the name of this Solitary Sword Emperor.”

Solitary Sword Emperor?

The first person Jun Changxiao thought of was Dugu Qiubai!

The system said, “Look clearly. His name is Solitary, not Dugu.”

“Oh, right.”

Jun Changxiao rubbed his chin. “This predecessor great power must have been very lonely and isolated, right?”

Never mind, cultivate first!

Opening the second page, the incantation and sword moves appeared.

Jun Changxiao squatted in the ring, sometimes cupping his chin and frowning, sometimes lowering his head in contemplation—looking just like he was constipated.

“Ahhh!”

After a moment, he held his head. “A bit profound!”

The system poured cold water: “This type of Divine Rank High-tier sword art—without Divine Rank spiritual roots, without aptitude in sword dao, the host’s chance of comprehending it is zero.”

“I don’t believe it!”

Jun Changxiao opened the system panel, clicked on purchased items, and bought the Insight Talisman that had reached its refresh time.

“Ding! Host has consumed 10 contribution points, obtained Elementary Insight Talisman ×1, has been transmitted to spatial ring.”

“Ding! Sect contribution points: 190/500.”

System: “…”

“Snap.”

Jun Changxiao crushed the Insight Talisman. His entire person immediately entered a comprehension state, then he opened the sword art’s second page again and began comprehending.

But actually, no success!

The system gloated, “Insight Talismans cannot be used to comprehend martial techniques purchased from the shop.”

“Holy crap!”

Only then did Jun Changxiao remember. He broke down: “When I bought it, when I used it, why didn’t you say anything!”

“I was too angry to remember.” The system said.

Jun Changxiao’s little heart immediately ached—after all, that was 10 contribution points.

If he’d bought it, fine. If it was no big deal, fine. But to specifically be unable to comprehend it and still use it up—this was absolutely a huge waste!

Thinking he could rely on the Insight Talisman to comprehend the sword art, Jun Changxiao had truly lost both his wife and his soldiers.

“Sigh.”

No helping it—he could only continue comprehending.

Strangely enough, the sword forms that originally made no sense, after just staring at them for over ten minutes, he gradually understood a bit. The more he looked, the more enlightened he became.

“Swish!”

He took out the Cold Edge Sword. Following the memorized incantation, he circulated spiritual power and infused it into the sword body, then gently swung it. Immediately, a sword light formed.

“This… succeeded just like that?” Jun Changxiao said, astonished.

The system said, “Soaring Sword Divine Art is easy to learn but difficult to master. The host is still one hundred and eight thousand miles from true mastery.”

Jun Changxiao couldn’t be bothered with it and turned to the third page.

“Sect Leader.”

Just then, Xiao Zuiji rushed in, voice suppressed. “I keep feeling like there are people outside!”

“Oh?”

Jun Changxiao walked out and found the surroundings pitch-black without any abnormalities.

He extended his hand. “Hand me the gun.”

“Swish!” Xiao Zuiji passed over the Type 88 sniper rifle.

Jun Changxiao set up the gun, leaned toward the eight-times scope, consumed 5 contribution points, and activated the auto-aim and perspective functions.

After scanning just a small half-circle of the surroundings, he captured five assassins two thousand meters away.

There really were people.

Putting on the Dazzling Light Dark Realm glasses, using the eight-times scope’s perspective function, he detected that one of them had the strength of peak Wutu.

Jun Changxiao smiled coldly. “Another big fish has come out.”