After leaving the library, Edward Carter did not go out immediately, but first returned to the training room to study the [Wind-Returning Sword Finger].

Such behavior naturally met with strong opposition from Little Girl, but after Edward Carter promised all sorts of delicious food and fun things, Little Girl finally compromised.

In the training room.

After carefully wiping the [Wind-Returning Sword Finger] manual clean and flipping through its pages, Edward Carter closely examined the manual, using all the common methods to detect forgeries, but found nothing unusual.

“The disguise is truly ingenious. No wonder this [Wind-Returning Sword Finger] has been in the library for so many years and no one has discovered its secret,” Edward Carter muttered to himself.

After a brief pause, Edward Carter performed [Swift Shadow Slice], his palm moving swiftly and silently, slicing along the edges of each page of the manual.

Hiss, hiss... Immediately, three pages showed something different, revealing hidden compartments.

Carefully searching through the three compartments, he took out three yellowed sheets of paper, densely covered in tiny characters. Upon closer inspection, Edward Carter couldn’t help but smile—these three sheets contained the secret of the [Wind-Returning Sword Finger].

After the destruction of Burning Town in his previous life, someone excavated these three yellowed sheets from the ruins of the The Carter Family library and only then discovered that the [Wind-Returning Sword Finger] was actually a spirit-level martial art. Unfortunately, by then the manual itself had been burned, and only the content of the three sheets remained, which was useless.

Referring to the content on the three sheets, Edward Carter studied the manual again and was shocked to find that the [Wind-Returning Sword Finger] was divided into three levels, and the manual itself only contained the cultivation formula for the first level.

Of the three sheets, one described a unique breathing technique, while the other two recorded the cultivation methods for the second and third levels of the [Wind-Returning Sword Finger].

With this unique breathing technique, the power of the [Wind-Returning Sword Finger] would greatly increase. Even the first level alone could rival a top-tier mortal martial art. If one could master the third level, it would be a mid-tier spirit-level martial art.

Among the three great families of Burning Town—the Fire, Winter, and The Carter Family families—even the Fire family, with the deepest heritage and a history of 350 years, only possessed three entry-level spirit martial arts. If news of a mid-tier spirit-level martial art got out, it would immediately trigger direct conflict among the three families, sparking a bloody struggle in the town.

“I never expected our The Carter Family to have such a martial art. Whether it’s [Swift Shadow Slice] or the complete [Wind-Returning Sword Finger], both are far more precious than [Breaking Army Fist]!”

After carefully hiding the three sheets on his person, Edward Carter left the training room. With only three days left until the The Carter Family memorial ceremony, he had to make the most of his time to practice the [Wind-Returning Sword Finger] to proficiency.

...

In the Myriad Fathoms Mountain, a secluded little valley.

The valley spanned dozens of zhang, and within it was a hot spring, with steaming mist rising from it. This was a place where Edward Carter and Little Girl often came in the past.

Beside the hot spring, Little Girl had taken off her clothes, wearing only her undergarments. Her exposed arms looked like chubby lotus roots, and her rosy, round face made her look especially adorable.

“Brother Mo, don’t you want to soak in the hot spring with me? Don’t worry, I promise I won’t tell Grandpa when we get back,” Little Girl said shyly, her voice crisp and sweet.

In response, the boy gave her a light knock on the head. Edward Carter put on a stern face and said with a forced smile, “Girl, if you tell Grandpa about sneaking into the Myriad Fathoms Mountain, we won’t be able to come here to play for at least half a year.”

Hearing this, Little Girl stuck out her tongue and repeatedly promised not to dare again.

Taking out the [Amber Qi-Fixing Pill], Edward Carter cut off one-fifth of it and took it himself. Then he cut off another fifth, placed it in his palm, and used his true qi to dissolve it into a viscous medicinal liquid.

Edward Carter carefully applied this medicinal liquid to Little Girl’s dantian, palms, and soles, then let Little Girl play in the hot spring.

Splash...

Watching the figure swimming in the hot spring, Edward Carter walked to the other side of the valley and began to practice the [Wind-Returning Sword Finger].

Taking a deep breath, true qi surged within him. He stepped forward, lowered his shoulders, and pointed with a finger...

Half a day quickly passed. Edward Carter’s true qi was exhausted, recovered, and exhausted again, repeating the cycle twice. He finally mastered the first level of the [Wind-Returning Sword Finger], and found that with the unique breathing technique, the power of this martial art was indeed taken to a new level.

Even on his first attempt, only grasping the form, its power already surpassed Samuel Price’s [Thunderclap Fist] from that day.

However, Edward Carter also discovered, just as Elder Harris had said, that mastering the [Wind-Returning Sword Finger] was quite difficult. To master the first level, one had to sense the path of the wind.

Wind is formless and elusive, hard to grasp. If one could sense the path of the wind and integrate it into their martial art, any technique would become much more powerful.

Pointing with the wind! This is the mark of mastering the first level of the [Wind-Returning Sword Finger].

In the valley, Edward Carter pointed into the air, and immediately over a dozen finger shadows shot out, piercing through the surrounding wind with a sound like tearing cloth. The force of these finger strikes alone was enough to completely suppress Samuel Price from that day.

Hiss, hiss, hiss, hiss...

The bushes not far away swayed, swept by the finger wind, and leaves fell in a flurry.

“No, this finger force is only form without substance.”