At midnight, Xue Shilou closed his eyes and focused his mind, treating the rake in his hand as a sword. Suddenly, he opened his eyes and swung it forcefully, every movement following a coherent pattern.

Even the old masters at Muxue City, who excelled in rake techniques, would have found his display impressive. Xue Shilou’s performance was much better than theirs.

But Xue Shilou felt that this was far from enough.

Not fast enough, not fast enough; it needs to be faster, faster!

The rake left a trail of afterimages in its wake. In the end, he panted heavily. He planted the rake in the ground and leaned against it to keep himself upright, doing his best to maintain the elegant bearing of a sword cultivator.

Fellow Daoist Lu telling me to practice rake techniques must carry a deeper meaning. It’s definitely more than just teaching the students.

As Xue Shilou gazed at the rake, which handle bore deep...