This Yishui River runs through the entire county; it is the river of life within the county, able to change the wind and rain here, thus holding the lifeblood. Therefore, even though the river god is debauched and lawless, no one has ever thought of slaying this god—only of restraining him.

At the foot of the mountain, the Yishui River looked like a white ribbon. Edward Clark once again digested his memories, calculating in his mind.

Fate is not fixed. The reason his own divinations had almost no hope was because his strength was too weak. The plan now was to rapidly increase his own power.

Although this body’s perception and knowledge were lacking, its foundation was solid. As long as he could break through this barrier, he could make great progress in a short time and advance to a higher level. Thinking of this, he felt a bit more at ease.

There was also the master’s transmission and Charles Bennett Jr.’s magic sword, which would surely have some effect and could be used when the time came.

According to his memories, here gods and demons danced together, immortals and monsters ran rampant, and the masses of living beings rose and fell among them—this was an age of chaos!

The more chaotic the times, the less human life is worth; only strength is the sole reliance.

However, other factors could not be underestimated either.

At this moment, the sun was about to rise. Edward Clark stopped thinking and began to inhale and exhale threads of purple energy.

Every day, just before the sun rises, purple energy appears on the horizon; it is one of the few spiritual energies that cultivators can absorb.

The sun was about to rise, and the morning glow was already faintly visible. The daily morning practice could not be neglected because of other matters—one’s own strength is the foundation.

Seeing that the time had come, Edward Clark found an open space, lightly spread his feet, brought his hands together in front of his chest, and let go of all distracting thoughts.

With each breath, he connected with heaven and earth, grasping yin and yang at the beginning of movement and stillness, slowly inhaling and exhaling the purple energy. After ten breaths, he began his first cultivation.

He performed the movements of bear, monkey, tiger, and leopard, making certain sounds with his mouth, as if reciting obscure and profound words. Each word contained a very peculiar rhythm, making it difficult to clearly understand their meaning.

He chanted very slowly, each word lasting several minutes. The sound was sometimes slow, sometimes urgent, sometimes loud, sometimes soft, sometimes as thin as a thread, yet never interrupted, always coordinated with the movements.

When the final movement and the last lingering sound ended, Edward Clark suddenly felt a movement in the true script within his mind, a tingling sensation like an electric current running through his whole body—something he had never experienced on Earth.

The feeling of cultivation was so different... Is this the way of Daoist practice?

Moreover, this time, both the movements and the incantations were precise, far surpassing the original Edward Clark.

Edward Clark had read countless Daoist scriptures. At this moment, comparing them with the key points of internal cultivation methods, a faint understanding arose in his heart. As he had thought, the original Edward Clark’s poor physical condition was secondary; the main issue was that, as a country Daoist child, he lacked knowledge and could not grasp the fundamentals. Thus, after bitter cultivation until now, he had only reached the entry level, still far inferior to martial artists.

Now, with two true scripts condensed, he had mastered all the essentials of the second chapter. But to fully achieve the second level, would a month be enough?

As for the martial arts and sword techniques taught, though they were martial skills and not top-tier, being collected by an immortal sect meant they were first-class methods. With more practice, his strength would surely increase.

After finishing his morning practice, he was in no hurry to return. He simply stood on the cliff, quietly watching.

At this time in the morning, the air was cold and the wind clear, the secluded valley vast and shrouded in a deep, solemn atmosphere. Fifty li to the east lay the city of Ancheng County.

His junior sister’s plans, Uncle Lu’s helplessness—all flowed through his mind.

Edward Clark knew deeply that the root of everything was still the lack of strength. Without strength, in chaotic times, it was a kind of sin—not being able to protect loved ones, not being able to defend oneself.

“Senior brother, have you finished your morning practice?” The voice was gentle. Edward Clark recognized who it was without turning his head.

This voice had accompanied this body through more than ten years, from childhood to adulthood. She had always been like this.

“Junior sister, why did you come out? It’s very cold here; don’t stay long, go back quickly,” Edward Clark said hurriedly.

Alice Bennett smiled slightly, standing not far away, and said, “You’re telling me, but haven’t you been standing here for so long yourself?”

After standing for a while, Alice Bennett tightly gripped her collar and said, “Senior brother, you must not go to Wei Houli. My father still has some connections in Wei Hou City. I’ll go down the mountain and see if I can move around a bit—maybe we can avoid this disaster.”

After speaking, Alice Bennett looked steadily at Edward Clark and continued, “Senior brother, you’ve been diligently cultivating these days and have made rapid progress—I’ve seen it all. But the Yishui River God is a true deity of this region; it’s extremely dangerous to go there. You’ve always listened to me—just this once, listen to me again.”

Hearing this, Edward Clark was about to say something when he saw the clear, autumn-water-like eyes of Alice Bennett, filled with affection and stubbornness.

In name, this body was the senior brother, but in reality, he had always been cared for by the gentle girl before him.

Edward Clark suppressed his feelings and did not refute her, only saying, “Junior sister, when a person leaves, the tea cools. Now that Master is gone, I’m afraid no one is willing to take risks to help us. I know Master had a few exceptionally close friends, but as people part, so do relationships. They might help with small, risk-free favors, but this is no small matter—I fear no one will be willing to take the risk for us.”

As he spoke, he placed his hands on Alice Bennett’s shoulders. “Don’t go. The chances are slim. Trust me, I’ll find a way.”