Chapter 70

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Clang!

A bell sounded, its tone lingering and spreading throughout the entire Wudang Mountain.

Inside the Qingyang Palace.

The young Jinggu revealed a look of surprise. It was almost the twelfth month, why did the Zhenwu Bell ring? This indicated that a distinguished guest had arrived at Wudang, and it was not an ordinary visitor. According to his knowledge, even a second-rate sect could not ring the Zhenwu Bell; it had to be at least a first-rate sect or a noble family.

White mist like frost.

Su Qinen had been practicing his martial arts form for nearly an hour. His entire body was boiling with qi and blood, which followed a mysterious path to seep into his internal organs, connecting the heart, lungs, liver, spleen, and kidneys in a cycle. Inside his body, it seemed as if five furnaces were burning, their lids closed, occasionally emitting a mysterious aura. This made Su Qinen's entire body tremble, and for a moment, it felt as if his fists could punch through the heavens and swallow the clouds.

The bell sounded, and Su Qinen finally stopped. The power of the Kaitian Pill was rich and continuous, and although an hour had passed, only a small portion had been consumed.

He looked in the direction of the foot of Wudang Mountain. After being there for over a month, he understood that this was the sound of the Zhenwu Bell, indicating that a distinguished guest had arrived at Wudang.

Suddenly, his mental energy was struck as if by lightning, retreating to his dantian. It felt as if a live volcano had suddenly descended. His mind was shaken, and he abruptly turned around to see a middle-aged Taoist standing at the palace gate, wearing a deep blue Taoist robe, with a few strands of black hair hanging down, his face as smooth as jade, calmly watching him.

"Practicing alone to this level is quite an achievement."

The middle-aged Taoist spoke, and Su Qinen took a deep breath, bowed, and said, "Su Qinen greets the Guardian."

"Brother!"

In front of the Qingyang Hall, the young Jinggu's expression changed. He clenched his fists, gritted his teeth, and showed no sign of friendliness, only resistance.

After evaluating Su Qinen, the middle-aged Taoist's gaze fell on the Qingyang Hall, and he frowned, saying, "Little Brother, you are too presumptuous. Our Wudang values the Way of the Sword. Even if the Qingyang Peak has a tradition of saber techniques, the strongest is only the first-rate superior 'Xiuming Saber.' Little Brother, you have excellent talent and insight. If you focus on practicing the sword, you might one day inherit the 'Daxian Wuding Sword' of the Xian Ding Peak, a nearly supreme sword technique. Is this not enough to satisfy your aspirations?"

The young Jinggu shook his head and said, "I don't care about the Way of the Sword. I love the saber, and Brother, you don't need to persuade me anymore."

"Ridiculous!" The middle-aged Taoist's face darkened. "Little Brother, you are just starting on the path of martial arts. How can you know what to choose? The path of martial arts is about laying a foundation. One wrong step, and you will lag behind. If you practice the Way of the Sword, we have many sword experts at Wudang, and the peak master is a generation of true men, a master of the top-level spirit sword, a pillar of the martial world. With their guidance, you will progress rapidly. Of course, this is not to disrespect your choice, but you are too young. How many martial artists in the world have you seen? Many young people are like you now, losing their way, valuing themselves, thinking they can surpass their predecessors and open up a new world, not listening to their elders, and stubbornly going their own way. In the end, almost nine out of ten never even pass the foundation stage. Even if they do, they end up mediocre, living in a small county or town, and aging in obscurity."

The young man's expression changed, but after a few moments, his gaze became firm. He looked at the middle-aged Taoist and said resolutely, "Brother, my mind is made up."

Hmm?

At this point, Su Qinen also vaguely understood some of the reality, but he did not expect that the young man could still have such determination at this moment, unwavering. He immediately looked at him with greater respect.

"Then, Little Brother, by the order of the peak master, I must offend."

The middle-aged Taoist spoke again, and the young man's expression changed. The next moment, Su Qinen's pupils contracted sharply. In front of the Qingyang Palace and the Qingyang Hall, two middle-aged Taoists appeared simultaneously.

Without any warning, even with Su Qinen's keen eyesight, he could not discern any difference. But the young man collapsed softly, supported by the middle-aged Taoist.

Then, the middle-aged Taoist stopped moving. After a moment, the figure at the palace gate faded and disappeared. After another moment, the two figures in front of the Qingyang Hall also faded away like a dream.

"Such fast movement!"

Su Qinen drew a sharp breath. The speed was too fast, and he could not even capture the trajectory. To become a peak guardian, one must have the cultivation of a first-rate Hanyuan realm.

"First-rate Hanyuan realm, what terrifying power."

Su Qinen thought to himself. His gaze was serious. Just by descending, the middle-aged Taoist had forced his mental energy back, without any external aura or deliberate release of power. The internal power fluctuations were almost too much for him to bear.

The path is still long.

Su Qinen calmed his mind. What he needed to do now was to use the power of the Kaitian Pill to quickly complete the eighth level of the 'Gui She Gong.'

...

After dinner, Su Qinen went to the outer courtyard of Baiyun Peak and read Daoist classics and various notes in the scripture hall.

With his mental energy, his memory had greatly increased, and he could even use the soul-seizing technique to imprint the text deeply into his mind. This way, he could quickly flip through books, one after another, making some of the outer courtyard disciples in the scripture hall shake their heads. Such a casual approach to the classics, swallowing them whole, how much could they understand or gain insight from?

Lion Peak.

One of the twenty-seven remaining lineages of Wudang, the peak was brightly lit that night, with the eternal lamps illuminating the entire mountain.

Miscellaneous Taoists were constantly going up and down the mountain, delivering various delicacies, fruits, and exquisite vegetarian dishes, as well as newly sewn silk quilts, writing materials, and even polished bronze lamps, all being transported up the mountain.

Tianmen Pavilion.

The main hall of Lion Peak, it is said that thousands of years ago, the First True Man Yin Xi observed the stars here and saw the gate of heaven, and inscribed the characters 'Tianmen' on the peak, hence the name.

Inside the Tianmen Pavilion.

"Seeing Qinggan's inner light restrained and his sharpness contained, it seems the Tianmen Sword has improved. The ranking of 'Qingtian Yijian' on the Dragon Tiger List will likely move up after the annual sacrifice."

Gu Xuantong's eyes were gentle. He stroked his short beard, wearing a scholar's blue robe, sitting in the guest seat at the head of the table.

"Uncle Gu, your praise is too much. Qinggan's meager skills are not worth mentioning. Rather, Uncle Gu's 'Eight Immortal Life-Taking Sword' is said to have slain the demon general Jingyun at the East Sea shore last month, and another demon on the demon extermination list has been eliminated, causing a stir in the martial world and spreading fame far and wide, which is a great achievement for our human race."

In the head seat of the Tianmen Pavilion, it was not the Lion Peak master, nor any other guardian or elder, but a young man in his twenties, wearing a pure white and gold-embroidered Taoist robe. He had a refined and ethereal demeanor, and even while sitting, a four-foot-long sword in its sheath lay across his legs, with a pure white hilt like a cloud, as delicate as white jade.

No one questioned this, even the Lion Peak attendants and guardians who accompanied him smiled. This was the only peak disciple of Lion Peak, the master's personal disciple, with a status equal to an elder, and the only young expert of Wudang to enter the Dragon Tiger List of the Heavenly Dynasty, known as Qinggan of Wudang, with the title 'Qingtian Yijian.'

"Little Brother Qinggan is too modest. It's a pity that your master, the Heavenly Lion True Man, is in seclusion. His profound skills are beyond comprehension, and I would like to learn more from him." Gu Xuantong nodded, a smile on his lips, clearly pleased with the words just spoken.

At the head of the table, Qinggan smiled and said, "Uncle Gu, when the master emerges from seclusion, I will certainly convey your words. The guest rooms on the peak have been arranged, and Uncle Gu and the Hua Mountain disciples can enjoy the scenery of Wudang for the next few days. Although it may not be as spectacular as Hua Mountain, it has its own charm. After the eighth day of the twelfth month, we will invite you to watch the annual competition of the Wudang outer courtyard."

"Thank you for your efforts, Little Brother Qinggan," Gu Xuantong nodded, paused for a moment, and then said, "This time, I have come to Wudang for another matter."

Matter!

In the Tianmen Pavilion, some attendants and guardians frowned, sensing that Gu Xuantong had another purpose.

Qinggan's expression became more serious, and he said, "Uncle Gu, please speak freely. We are of the same Daoist lineage and the righteous path of the martial world. If it involves Wudang, we will be strict with ourselves and maintain fairness."

"Wudang's Taiji is harmonious, and I have always admired it. Since Little Brother Qinggan has grasped the essence of Wudang, I will speak frankly," Gu Xuantong said solemnly