In Emei, start by obtaining golden attributes.

Chapter 135 Even the senior wasn't as fearless as he appeared.
Granny Jin Hua never expected that Zhou Zhiruo, who had a gentle and refined demeanor like a lady from a prominent family, would react so quickly and draw her sword so abruptly.

Seeing the sword blade raised, Granny Jin Hua had no choice but to forcefully pull her right hand back by bending to the side.

But Granny Jin Hua's sudden action made Yang Yan's eyes turn cold.

But Zhou Zhiruo reacted faster than Yang Yan.

Seeing Granny Jin Hua withdraw her hand, Zhou Zhiruo's sword blade brushed against Granny Jin Hua's right shoulder, and at the same time, she twisted her wrist, and the sword blade that had been raised was now thrusting towards Granny Jin Hua's left shoulder again.

The sword tip trembled, conjuring three solid, icy stars that, with a sharp, piercing sound, attacked three vital points of Granny Jin Hua: the "Jianjing" acupoint on her left shoulder, the "Lianquan" acupoint on her throat, and the "Shanzhong" acupoint on her chest.

The sword moves not only take speed, ruthlessness, and accuracy into account, but also have a lingering aftereffect, as if they contain endless variations of follow-up moves.

Faced with this fierce and deadly swordplay, Granny Jin Hua's expression instantly became more serious.

She swung her ebony dragon-head cane rapidly, the shadows of the cane overlapping and transforming into a solid black light that protected her. The dragon head on the cane pointed precisely at the center of the three sword shadows, attempting to forcefully disperse the tricky sword momentum with her powerful internal energy.

After blocking Zhou Zhiruo's three swords that flashed like cold stars, Granny Jin Hua couldn't help but stagger back several steps, feeling her blood and qi churning inside her body.

While circulating her inner energy to calm her blood and qi, Granny Jin Hua stared in astonishment at Zhou Zhiruo opposite her.

"How is this possible? It's actually true qi? This little girl has actually returned to the innate realm?"

Granny Jin Hua could clearly sense that during their earlier exchange, in addition to the gentle energy, Zhou Zhiruo's sword tip also contained a stream of condensed and pure true energy.

In terms of the purity of the true energy alone, it is no less than the quality of the true energy she has cultivated for decades.

Before Granny Jin Hua could think further, Zhou Zhiruo's sword moved swiftly and thrust towards her shoulder again.

The sword strike was swift and cunning, its tip aimed directly at the vital point in her left shoulder socket. It appeared to be a flat, direct thrust, but it contained a sticky, lingering force that seemed to solidify the surrounding air like a silken net.

She dared not be careless in the slightest. The ebony dragon-head cane in her hand was like a poisonous dragon ready to devour its prey. It brought up a heavy black wind and smashed precisely at the incoming sword!
"Clang—!" A deep, piercing sound of metal clashing exploded out, and the energy spread everywhere!
Zhou Zhiruo's longsword clashed head-on with her heavy cane, her arm going slightly numb. The sticky force concentrated on the sword dissipated like a snake encountering a rock, but the sword's momentum did not collapse. Her slender waist bent like a willow in the wind, and her toes lightly touched the ground, using this point to dissipate the remaining force. With her body moving, the sword drew a sharp, cold white light, slashing diagonally upwards, directly slicing through Granny Jin Hua's withered fingers and wrist that were holding the cane.

This perfectly exemplifies the concepts of "receiving force and borrowing strength" and "turning a chop into a slice."

He even countered immediately after deflecting the force.

During these three years, Gu Shaoan was the one who taught Zhou Zhiruo and Yang Yan martial arts.

Gu Shaoan's strength far surpassed that of ordinary people, and his control over his strength reached a level of effortless mastery. Every time the two women fought against Gu Shaoan, it felt like a child fighting an adult.

Over time, both Gu Shaoan and the two women have mastered the skill of "rejecting and borrowing force" to an extremely refined level.

In Zhou Zhiruo's eyes, Granny Jin Hua's attempt to use her strength to act viciously was simply laughable.

Granny Jin Hua felt a horrifying alarm in her heart. She sensed that this sword strike was not as sharp and intimidating as before, but rather extremely subtle and difficult to deal with. The sword's momentum was like mercury flowing across the ground, penetrating everywhere.

She let out a sharp shriek, and with a strange flick of her wrist, the heavy cane spun half a circle as if it were alive, the dragon-headed end of the cane pointing precisely at the side of the tricky, upward-sweeping sword blade.

At the same time, his body spun rapidly like a top, his wide gray robe billowed, and a withered claw shot out from the sleeve of the robe like lightning. The five fingers were curled like hooks, and the nails had a dark bluish-black color. With a chilling and sinister claw wind, it went straight for Zhou Zhiruo's vulnerable ribs.

Zhou Zhiruo's eyes were cold and indifferent, as if she didn't see the threat of the poisonous claws.

The longsword in her hand emitted a clear, resonant "hum" the moment it collided with her cane.

On the blade, the waning, gentle force suddenly transformed into a powerful, explosive sharpness, like a thunderbolt exploding suddenly within cotton wool.

"scoff"

The sword light surged, and the slashing motion instantly transformed into a blazing sun-like downward strike, incredibly powerful and fierce.

The air was torn apart, emitting a short, sharp screech!

This strike contained an unwavering determination, creating a stark contrast to the previous continuous, supple movements.

Granny Jin Hua's staff, which had been aimed precisely at the sword blade, encountered an unprecedented and terrifying impact. She felt a violent force surge along the staff, causing her tiger's mouth to split open, her arm to go numb, and her body to involuntarily take half a step back. Her hand, which was about to grab Zhou Zhiruo's ribs, also ended in failure due to this half step back.

After exchanging dozens of blows, Granny Jin Hua became increasingly surprised as the fight progressed.

Eight years ago, Granny Jin Hua fought against Abbess Miejue.

Although Abbess Miejue's swordsmanship was exquisite, Granny Jin Hua always felt that Abbess Miejue was relying on the power of the Heaven Sword.

But in today's encounter, Granny Jin Hua discovered that this Emei disciple, who looked to be no more than a young girl, was no weaker than Abbess Miejue in both internal strength and swordsmanship.

"When did the Emei Sect produce such a monstrous disciple?"

After a prolonged and fruitless battle, Granny Jin Hua was filled with both shock and horror.

On any other day, Granny Jinhua would have already considered retiring by now.

But when she glanced at the Heaven-Slaying Sword on the table, a burning desire arose in Granny Jin Hua's eyes.

Immediately, just as Zhou Zhiruo's sword strike paused slightly, preparing to press forward again, Granny Jin Hua's hunched body suddenly leaned forward, her wide sleeves fluttering without wind.

In an instant, a series of whooshing sounds, like raindrops pattering on banana leaves, came densely toward Zhou Zhiruo.

Faced with this sudden change, Zhou Zhiruo slightly furrowed her brows, and as she swung her long sword, she created ripples of water-like afterimages, and the dense sword light immediately protected her.

The sounds of clashing metal weapons echoed around Zhou Zhiruo.

It was during this time, when countless golden flowers were being struck at Zhou Zhiruo, that Granny Jin Hua's hunched figure, like a ghost, darted past Zhou Zhiruo along the ground and continued to reach for the Heaven-Slaying Sword on the table.

Taking in Granny Jin Hua's reaction, Yang Yan's lips suddenly curled into a playful smile. She felt that Granny Jin Hua was incredibly brave.

At the same time, facing Granny Jin Hua, whose right hand was reaching out to grab the Heaven-Slaying Sword, Gu Shaoan couldn't help but shake his head.

She was once one of the four great protectors of the Ming Cult, but over the years, Granny Jin Hua, who seemed cautious and prudent, was actually reckless and ignorant when faced with problems.

He has some brains, but not many.

If even Zhou Zhiruo couldn't win, what makes you think you have the ability to snatch the Heaven Sword right in front of him?
He immediately raised his right hand, still holding the teacup in his left hand, and swept the back of his fingers across the hilt of the Heaven-Slaying Sword.

In an instant, the Heaven-Slaying Sword, which had just landed steadily on the table, shot towards Granny Golden Flower like an arrow released from a bow.

Upon seeing Gu Shaoan's actions, Granny Jinhua was first taken aback, then a hint of mockery and disdain flashed in her eyes.

As her wrist moved downwards, Granny Jin Hua's five fingers gripped the hilt of the Heaven-Slaying Sword tightly.

With the Heaven-Slaying Sword in hand, and thinking of Xie Xun, whom she had tricked to Ling Snake Island not long ago, and the Dragon-Slaying Saber in Xie Xun's hand, Granny Jin Hua felt a surge of excitement in her heart, and a smile unconsciously appeared on her lips.

However, before the smile on Granny Jin Hua's face could spread, she suddenly felt a tremendous force coming from the Yitian Sword she was holding.

Under this force, Granny Jin Hua discovered that even with her true energy covering her five fingers, which were strong enough to leave scratches on hard rocks, she was completely unable to grasp the Heaven-Slaying Sword.

The unsheathed Yitian Sword, carrying an unstoppable momentum, forcefully passed through her hand, and the high-speed friction even caused her hand to feel a burning pain.

The next second, as the scabbard grazed her hand, the tip of the hilt struck her right ribcage.

The terrifying force instantly struck Granny Jin Hua as if she had been struck by lightning.

"Crack!"

As a dull cracking sound rang out, Granny Jin Hua was thrown back two zhang like a kite with a broken string, landing squarely in front of the wooden table where Yin Li and Zhang Wuji had been sitting.

The residual force from her fall caused Granny Jin Hua's back to shatter the wooden table into pieces the moment it hit the table.

With difficulty, she propped herself up, and as she stood up, she vomited a mouthful of blood.

However, Granny Jin Hua had no time to care about her own injuries; instead, she looked at Gu Shaoan with utter shock.

"Impossible! To have such skill and strength at such a young age, you are definitely not disciples of the Emei Sect. Who are you?"

Seeing the utterly astonished Granny Jin Hua, Gu Shaoan ignored her and instead looked towards the stairs.

"With such a commotion, they still haven't come down. Does that mean they're not up there?"

After his thoughts had been racing, Gu Shaoan finally put down his teacup and looked at Granny Jin Hua across from him.

Her lips moved slightly: "Gu Shaoan, a disciple of Abbess Miejue of the Emei Sect, greets senior." Upon hearing Gu Shaoan reveal his identity, Granny Jin Hua's expression changed repeatedly.

Clearly, Granny Jin Hua hadn't expected that the young man who had so easily defeated her was actually a disciple of the Emei Sect.

However, before Granny Jin Hua could think further, Gu Shaoan had already slowly gotten up.

As he stepped forward, Zhou Zhiruo, who had sheathed her sword, and Yang Yan, who was standing beside him, followed suit.

As the three approached her, a flicker of fear crossed Granny Jin Hua's eyes, and she couldn't help but shrink back.

"I am already seriously injured, what else do you want to do? Do you think the disciples of the Emei Sect can bully the weak?"

"Bullying the weak?"

Upon hearing this, Gu Shaoan couldn't help but smile and shake his head.

He then glanced at Granny Jin Hua, his tone slightly mocking.

"It's quite refreshing to hear these words from a senior like you."

Before Granny Jin Hua could respond, Gu Shaoan said in a calm tone, "Senior had already guessed the identities of us Emei disciples, yet you attacked us without any hesitation. Did you ever consider bullying the weak at that time?"

"Now that you've discovered you're weaker than us, you're accusing us of 'bullying the weak' and trying to get things over with hastily. Don't you think that's too easy for you, senior?"

As he spoke, Gu Shaoan stepped forward.

His tone remained gentle.

"Senior first injured me with a hidden weapon, and then tried to seize my weapon. There was a reason for this. Even if I killed you now, it would be your own fault, let alone just injuring you."

When Zhou Zhiruo and Yang Yan looked at Granny Jin Hua behind them, their eyes also held a hint of disdain.

When Gu Shaoan directly exposed her thoughts, Granny Jin Hua's heart sank.

They knew that this tactic of turning the tables and flattering others would be useless against Gu Shaoan and his companions.

At this moment, Gu Shaoan spoke again, "I have something to discuss with you, senior. I would be grateful if you would kindly ask me to move to another place."

Seeing that Gu Shaoan had no intention of letting the matter rest, Granny Jin Hua said forcefully, "If you insist on making things difficult, you might as well just kill me directly. Why go through all this trouble?"

Upon hearing this, Gu Shaoan looked thoughtful, then nodded slightly.

"Then so be it, senior."

As soon as he finished speaking, Gu Shaoan raised his right hand, and the moment his slender fingers emerged from his sleeve, several copper coins shot out like shadows, striking Granny Jin Hua.

A sharp whistling sound reached her ears, and several shadowy figures were already imprinted in Granny Jin Hua's eyes.

Granny Jin Hua was shocked. She hadn't expected Gu Shaoan to be so decisive and act so quickly.

Fear even caused Granny Jin Hua's body to stiffen, as if she were enveloped in a suffocating feeling.

The moment the copper coin struck her, it felt as if all the blood in Granny Jin Hua's body was flowing backward, and her hands and feet turned ice cold.

"bang bang bang"

Several muffled sounds emerged, faint yet clear to Granny Jinhua, like the sound of a morning bell and evening drum.

After being struck by several copper coins, Granny Jin Hua coughed up another mouthful of blood.

But Granny Jin Hua discovered that although the places where the copper coins struck her felt painful, they were not fatal.

Just then, a detached voice quietly rang out from above her.

"It seems that the senior is not as fearless as he appears."

After saying that, Gu Shaoan walked directly past Granny Jin Hua and went straight to the counter.

Only then did Granny Jin Hua realize that Gu Shaoan had no intention of killing her at all.

In an instant, a flood of emotions surged into her heart, including the relief of surviving the ordeal and the anger of being tricked. This made Granny Jin Hua rise angrily, ready to channel her inner energy and attack again.

However, as Granny Jin Hua turned around and exerted force, she was unable to mobilize any true energy.

After experiencing it for a while, Granny Jin Hua realized that the few copper coins Gu Shaoan had just used had actually sealed away all of her internal energy.

Granny Jin Hua stood there stunned, but the shopkeeper's heart jumped as he watched Gu Shaoan and his group approach.

"Why are you coming at me?"

When Gu Shaoan walked up to the counter, the shopkeeper forced a smile: "Young master, young hero."

Seeing the shopkeeper's frightened expression, Gu Shaoan reached into his robe, took out a one-tael gold ingot, placed it on the table, and said, "Today's conflict damaged the shopkeeper's property and scared away the customers. Consider this my compensation, and I hope the shopkeeper will not take offense."

As soon as Yin Li made his move, all the guests on the first floor vanished in a flash, leaving no money behind.

Looking at Gu Shaoan's gentle tone and then at the gold ingot on the table, the shopkeeper finally felt relieved and breathed a long sigh of relief.

He immediately bowed and said, "Young hero, you're too kind. It's just a little money, no problem at all."

Gu Shaoan shook his head and said, "The fault lies with us. Shopkeeper, please accept it without worry."

After speaking, Gu Shaoan slowly turned around, put on his bamboo hat, and walked out the door with Zhou Zhiruo and Yang Yan.

Just before Gu Shaoan and his companions were about to leave, Gu Shaoan's voice quietly rang in Granny Jin Hua's ear.

"I suppose you wouldn't want your identity and whereabouts to be known by others or the Persians, would you?"

Upon hearing this, Granny Jin Hua was struck dumb, and her expression completely changed.

Watching Gu Shaoan and the others walk away, Granny Jin Hua gritted her teeth, endured her physical discomfort, stood up, and headed towards the door.

He didn't even bother to pay attention to Yin Li and Zhang Wuji in the main hall.

However, just as Gu Shaoan and his group stepped out of the restaurant, they noticed another group of people approaching from the other end of the street.

The leader was a young man dressed as a gentleman.

She was not tall, about the same height as Zhou Zhiruo and Yang Yan, and wore a royal blue silk brocade outfit with understated yet extremely luxurious silver patterns embroidered on the cuffs and collar.

Although dressed as a man, his jade-like face exuded a refinement rarely seen in ordinary men. His skin was as white as snow, his eyebrows as dark as distant mountains, and especially his pair of bright, intelligent eyes that seemed to speak volumes.

But deep within those eyes lay a sharpness, cunning, and a condescending scrutiny that seemed incongruous with his age and appearance.

She held a closed white jade folding fan in her hand, her posture elegant and composed, exuding an innate air of nobility.

Following closely behind her were two elderly men with unusual appearances.

Both men were dressed in the same style of gray cloth robes, their faces like dried orange peels, with deep wrinkles etched into every inch of their skin and sunken eye sockets.

One of them was rather thin, with a sallow complexion, and held a heavy, dark iron staff over three feet long. The most peculiar and dangerous part of the staff was its top, which was not an ordinary round head or counterweight ball, but was cleverly cast into a forked antler shape.

The other man was as robust as a man in his forties, with a bulbous nose. He held a pen about 1.7 or 1.8 feet long, larger than a regular judge's pen. The pen was entirely a cold, silvery-white color, and the end was not a brush tip or a regular cone, but was cast into a sharp, curved point like the shape of a real crane's beak.

But what is most striking is the chilling aura that naturally emanates from them, and their brows are not as serene as those of ordinary old men, but rather filled with a fierce and malevolent air.

With such weapons, such appearance, and the barely audible breathing of the two as they walked, how could Gu Shaoan not know their identities?

The Xuanming Elders, whose reputation has soared in the martial arts world in recent years and whose internal energy cultivation has reached the level of Qi Condensation Formation, are renowned figures in the martial arts world.

The identity of the young master at the head of the group needs no further explanation.

Zhao Min is the daughter of Ruyang Wang, the Grand Marshal of the Yuan Dynasty's army, and a newly accepted disciple of the Demon Master of the Demon Master Palace.

　The next chapter should be released around 9 o'clock!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)