In Emei, start by obtaining golden attributes.

Chapter 168 Facing the Number One Martial Artist

Although the group did not know what Gu Shaoan was using.

A medicine that can reshape meridians in the short time it takes for an incense stick to burn—you can imagine how precious it is.

It was by no means as understated as Gu Shaoan made it out to be.

For a moment, Song Yuanqiao and the others looked at each other, feeling both touched and troubled.

During the siege of Bright Peak by the six major sects, the Wudang sect already owed the Emei sect a favor.

Afterwards, Gu Shaoan treated Zhang Wuji's injuries, thus incurring another debt.

Now, Gu Shaoan is even using precious medicines to treat Yu Daiyan.

Human relationships are equally important.

The series of favors he had to do made Song Yuanqiao's head ache just thinking about them.

I have absolutely no idea how to pay it back.

After a bitter smile, Song Yuanqiao said to Gu Shaoan, "I thank you very much, Junior Nephew Gu. I have no way to repay your kindness. In the future, if Junior Nephew Gu has any needs, I and the entire Wudang sect will respond."

"What if this humble nun wishes to ask Master Zhang to make a trip to the Great Yuan Kingdom's Demon Master Palace? Would that be acceptable?"

Just then, Abbess Miejue, who was standing to the side, suddenly spoke up.

Upon hearing this, Song Yuanqiao and the others were taken aback and looked at Zhang Sanfeng with some embarrassment.

In response, Zhang Sanfeng sighed and said, "Others may not know, but don't you know why I stay on Wudang Mountain all day long? If I dare to go to the Yuan Dynasty today, Shaolin will gather a bunch of people to come to Wudang Sect to demand an explanation tomorrow."

"Moreover, if the old Taoist priest makes a move, things will not be so simple. At that time, even the Great Yuan Dynasty court will not be able to sit still."

Abbess Miejue sneered, "Afraid of this, afraid of that, it's fortunate that you have such strength, Master Zhang. If I had your strength, who would dare to force me? They would first ask if the sword in my hand is sharp enough."

Hearing what Abbess Miejue said, Zhang Sanfeng shook his head and did not respond.

Seeing this, Abbess Miejue said nothing more.

Different positions lead to different situations and perspectives.

Previously, Abbess Miejue could not have imagined this, but with the change in her mindset today, she also understands that the Wudang Sect and the Emei Sect are different.

Since Guo Xiang's death, the Emei Sect has not produced any exceptionally talented individuals, but its disciples are not exactly mediocre either.

Even though the previous incidents had caused a significant drop in the strength of the Emei Sect, Abbess Miejue was still able to barely intimidate the surrounding villains with her ruthlessness.

Because of Zhang Sanfeng, the Wudang Sect was elevated to a position that was inconsistent with the overall strength of the Wudang Sect.

When Zhang Sanfeng was still alive, the Wudang School was a towering figure comparable to Shaolin in status.

However, once Zhang Sanfeng is gone, apart from having many disciples, the Wudang Sect will only be a second-rate force in the martial arts world.

At that time, the fate of the Wudang Sect is predictable.

It was because of this concern that the elderly Zhang Sanfeng had to suppress his temper and confine himself to Mount Wudang.

In recent years, due to Zhang Sanfeng's self-imposed constraints, people in the martial arts world, regardless of whether they are from the righteous or the evil faction, have been reluctant to provoke the Wudang Sect.

This can be said to be a tacit understanding between Zhang Sanfeng and other top forces in the martial arts world of the Great Wei Kingdom.

However, if Zhang Sanfeng were to descend the mountain and take the initiative to attack, none of the various factions within the Great Wei would let the matter rest.

The first to bear the brunt was Shaolin, which had been keeping a close eye on the Wudang Sect.

Not to mention sending Zhang Sanfeng to the Demon Master's Palace, thousands of miles away.

Abbess Miejue's words just now were merely because she still harbored resentment towards Zhang Sanfeng for keeping the Heaven Sword from her.

Zhang Sanfeng's gaze fell on Gu Shaoan. After a moment's hesitation, he spoke: "You want to fight this old Taoist?"

Gu Shaoan shook his head and said, "This junior dares not, but I happen to have some doubts about cultivation and would like to ask the senior for some guidance."

Zhang Sanfeng nodded and said, "We can't use our skills here, let's go to the back mountain!"

Seeing that Zhang Sanfeng agreed, Gu Shaoan bowed and said, "Thank you, senior."

Zhang Sanfeng waved his hand and said, "Let's finish the fight first. I also want to see what kind of disciple could make your master's state of mind change so much in just a few years."

Abbess Miejue said quietly, "I hope Master Zhang won't be jealous later."

Zhang Sanfeng scoffed, "Envious? What a joke."

Without waiting for Abbess Miejue's reaction, he walked outside.

Song Yuanqiao and Zhang Songxi and the others quickly followed.

A moment later, on the back mountain.

The platform was empty and desolate, with the cold wind carrying snowflakes howling and swirling.

A few simple blue stone courtyards, a few acres of farmland, and an octagonal stone pavilion perched on a solitary cliff constitute the entirety of this landscape.

It is completely different from the streams and bamboo houses on the back of Mount Emei, which are exquisite and elegant.

Zhang Sanfeng stood by the pavilion, his back against the bottomless abyss and the surging sea of ​​clouds.

The wide Taoist robe was blown tight in the wind, outlining the outline of his strong bones, and the pose of one hand behind his back made Zhang Sanfeng's round belly even more prominent.

As Gu Shaoan stood still two zhang away, Zhang Sanfeng raised his right hand and beckoned, saying, "Come, let this old Taoist see your strength."

Zhang Sanfeng's voice was gentle and calm, like the wind rustling through a pavilion.

Facing Zhang Sanfeng, the number one martial artist in the Great Wei Kingdom, Gu Shaoan felt a bit of pressure, and his heart started to beat faster.

But more than anything, there was excitement and curiosity.

After taking a few deep breaths and calming himself down, Gu Shaoan clasped his hands in a respectful greeting.

"I apologize for the offense."

The moment the ceremony ended, Gu Shaoan flicked his left hand with lightning speed.

"boom"

The Heaven-Slaying Sword was like a streak of cold blue lightning; in the next instant, the hilt and scabbard sank more than halfway into the ground.

The moment the true essence circulated, Gu Shaoan's figure did not "disappear," but left behind a lingering, illusory afterimage.

His true form, however, seemed to be drawn by an invisible "path," ignoring the barriers of space, and stepped within three feet of Zhang Sanfeng in one step.

With their full power, not to mention Song Yuanqiao and the others, even Abbess Miejue could only vaguely catch a few afterimages.

Seeing Gu Shaoan's speed and his light-footed movements that spun like a top, a hint of surprise flashed clearly in Zhang Sanfeng's calm eyes.

"interesting!"

As he drew closer, Gu Shaoan raised his right palm, the wind from which seemed to brush against his face like clouds and smoke, silent and unnoticed.

In reality, this palm strike, which seemed like a gentle breeze, had already generated countless strands of condensed, resilient, and subtly powerful force around the palm.

Zhang Sanfeng raised his right hand and casually flicked his wide robe sleeve outwards.

A gentle, harmonious, and ineffable power arose out of nowhere.

Like a spring breeze melting snow, or a great abyss swallowing up a torrent.

Gu Shaoan's palm strike, with its myriad threads of bone-chilling, gentle force, vanished instantly like raindrops falling on a calm lake, dissolving and disappearing without a trace, leaving not even a ripple on the surface.

However, as the energy around his palm dissipated, Gu Shaoan's movements did not stop.

The next moment, Zhang Sanfeng let out a soft exclamation and raised his right hand to meet Gu Shaoan's palm strike.

"boom!"

In an instant, the world behind the mountain seemed to tremble out of thin air.

Immediately afterwards, a terrifying shockwave erupted from the palms of Zhang Sanfeng and Gu Shaoan.

Like a hurricane passing through, the sheer shockwave caused Zhang Songxi, Yang Yan, and the others, who were caught off guard, to retreat uncontrollably.

Only Abbess Miejue and Song Yuanqiao managed to remain unharmed by gathering their true energy in front of them immediately.

At the very moment their palms met, a look of astonishment flashed across Zhang Sanfeng's eyes.

"How can this kid's skill be so profound? This feeling is probably more than sixty years old, right?" With their palms facing each other, seeing that Zhang Sanfeng was not affected at all, Gu Shaoan's palms flew up and down, and he continuously struck Zhang Sanfeng with the "Golden Top Cotton Palm".

Faced with Gu Shaoan's attack, Zhang Sanfeng still kept one hand behind his back and the other hand calmly responding.

In just a few breaths, Gu Shaoan had already unleashed more than a dozen palm strikes, yet he couldn't even lift the hem of Zhang Sanfeng's Taoist robe.

Seeing this, Gu Shaoan retreated and spun around, his left index and middle fingers forming a sword. In an instant, the force of his fingers transformed into invisible "willow catkins" that drifted through the air, aiming at Zhang Sanfeng's shoulders, wrists, and elbows, and even included a sharp attack aimed directly at his eyelids.

Each wisp of "willow catkin" may seem as light as a feather, but in reality, they contain a terrifying force accumulated through the skill of "making the light feel heavy".

Zhang Sanfeng remained composed, rolling up his wide sleeves as if they were soft and flowing, like drifting clouds.

However, with this casual touch, Gu Shaoan's finger strength struck the boundless sea of ​​cotton. The sharpness and power that could pierce through metal were instantly wrapped, pulled, and dissipated into nothingness by the ever-flowing sleeve energy.

"Ok?"

Seeing his offensive so easily neutralized, even though Gu Shaoan was mentally prepared, he still couldn't help but look a bit surprised.

But upon realizing the identity of the person in front of him, the astonishment on Gu Shaoan's face vanished instantly, and his expression became even more focused.

Seeing the change in Gu Shaoan's expression, Zhang Sanfeng's eyes flashed, and a hint of admiration appeared in them.

As he pressed down with his left palm, his forward momentum abruptly halted. In that instant, Gu Shaoan's true energy surged like the Yangtze River, and his spine undulated like a great dragon! A vast and powerful force, seemingly originating from the heart of the earth, was instantly drawn into his dantian using his unique breathing technique, and then pushed out with his right palm.

Next!

"hold head high--"

A terrifying dragon's roar echoed from the back mountain.

The Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms – Shocking the entire region.

As Gu Shaoan thrust out his right palm, a torrent of profound true energy and unique palm force poured forth, and a dragon-shaped energy shaped like a ten-foot-long dragon immediately swirled and moved around Gu Shaoan's palm.

This energy was as refined as pure gold, and wherever it passed, the terrifying energy it generated instantly blew away the snowflakes, shattering them into the finest ice crystal powder.

Compared to the "Shocking the Hundred Miles" technique he used on Bright Peak, Gu Shaoan's palm strike incorporated the "Making Light Things Feel Heavy" technique he had just mastered.

This caused Gu Shaoan to compress the palm force, energy, and even the dragon-shaped energy in his palm to the extreme.

But at the same time, it is also more profound and robust to the extreme.

If it were Fang Yeyu, facing Gu Shaoan's palm strike head-on, he would be seriously injured even if he didn't die.

"This is... the Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms?"

Feeling the fierce wind rushing towards him, and seeing Gu Shaoan's current moves, Zhang Sanfeng's face showed a hint of astonishment.

Immediately afterwards, Zhang Sanfeng drew a circle in front of him with his right hand, and as he moved, a strange and indescribable rounded force arose.

This force was neither fierce nor gentle; rather, it was more like a flowing "momentum," a pulling force that followed some ultimate principle of the universe! As soon as Gu Shaoan's fierce and domineering palm touched this rounded force, it was like a raging, roaring river crashing into a calm, deep sea that possessed boundless power to absorb and release energy.

The domineering palm force was silently broken down upon contact, then cleverly dispersed by this harmonious "momentum," and drawn into the surrounding area, transforming into dozens of streams of energy around Zhang Sanfeng before suddenly dissipating.

In contrast, Zhang Sanfeng remained completely still, his sleeves fluttering down, and the energy flowing around him as calm as ever.

However, in Gu Shaoan's perception, Zhang Sanfeng at this moment had a special feeling of being integrated and unified with this world.

Seeing this, Gu Shaoan frowned slightly. As he moved, his palms flew, and the whistling sound of his palms continuously tore through the strong wind and flying snow in the back mountain.

Faced with Gu Shaoan's offensive, Zhang Sanfeng always maintained a one-handed stance.

His movements were sometimes like those of an old man in his twilight years, slow as a snail, and sometimes as fast as thunder, swift as a rabbit, yet they possessed a leisurely air about them.

The two moved with extreme speed.

Yang Yan, standing to the side, said dejectedly, "We can't see Senior Brother and Master Zhang's movements at all; we can only hear the noise."

Hearing Yang Yan's words, Zhou Zhiruo couldn't help but sigh.

"Junior Brother's strength has far surpassed ours."

Not only Zhou Zhiruo and Yang Yan, but also Zhang Songxi, Mo Shenggu, Yu Lianzhou, and even Song Yuanqiao were in the same boat as Zhou Zhiruo at this moment.

Almost all that could be seen was Zhang Sanfeng, who stood motionless.

However, there was absolutely no trace of the two fighting.

Yu Lianzhou, in particular, was so shocked that her mouth was agape as she witnessed Gu Shaoan's strength for the first time.

"This, this is really a disciple of the Emei Sect?"

The moment he uttered those words, Yu Lianzhou felt a distant gaze fall upon him.

Turning his head to look, he saw Abbess Miejue squinting at him.

"What? Does Second Master Yu think that this humble nun is unworthy, or that Emei is unworthy of such a disciple?"

Faced with Abbess Miejue's question, Yu Lianzhou's eyelids twitched, and then he smiled and said, "I misspoke, please forgive me, Abbess."

"Humph!"

Seeing this, Abbess Miejue turned her head and looked again at the two people fighting in the arena.

After failing to break through for a long time, Gu Shaoan suddenly took a deep breath.

The aura that was originally emanating from his body instantly became extremely restrained.

"Swish, swish, swish"

Three afterimages trailed out like ghostly shadows.

But before the afterimage had faded, Gu Shaoan's figure had already appeared above Zhang Sanfeng.

Like wisps of clouds hanging down from the heavens, or a gentle breeze that has drifted down after sweeping over thousands of mountains and valleys.

It lacks the ferocity of a swift wind or thunder, and the illusion of a fleeting shadow.

Those slender, fair hands had already emerged from the wide, blue-white sleeves of her robe.

It pressed down on Zhang Sanfeng's shoulder with a gentle, graceful, and natural movement, like a butterfly fluttering among flowers.

Her posture was incredibly graceful, like a celestial being descending to earth.

The moment Gu Shaoan pressed down with his palm, Zhang Sanfeng felt the unique aura contained within that palm, and the special scent of his aura being locked in. For the first time, astonishment appeared on his face.

Immediately afterwards, a hint of interest flashed in Zhang Sanfeng's eyes. After a moment's thought, a terrifying wave of energy suddenly erupted from Zhang Sanfeng's body.

At the same time, the surging true essence rose up in an instant, and the thick and viscous true essence, like mercury, condensed into a protective aura above Zhang Sanfeng's head.

As Gu Shaoan's palm, imbued with full power, possessing a unique strength that made light work yet heavy, and with the imposing force of an immortal touching the top of one's head, collided with the protective aura, it was as if a palm had been struck into a wildly spinning vortex. As the palm sank, the power contained within it dissipated at an extremely rapid pace.

However, at that moment, Gu Shaoan suddenly flipped his left hand over.

The Great Shift of Heaven and Earth.

A surge of energy, ready to be unleashed, instantly erupted from Gu Shaoan's body.

In an instant, the protective aura that Zhang Sanfeng had condensed above his head with his own true essence dissipated by more than half. It was then drawn into Gu Shaoan's body and mixed into Gu Shaoan's palm strike.

"boom!"

With the support of this newly influx of true energy, the protective aura that had condensed above Zhang Sanfeng's head dissipated like a water balloon squeezed by gravity.

Gu Shaoan's hand pressed down on Zhang Sanfeng's shoulder with undiminished force.

However, just as Gu Shaoan's hand was about to land on Zhang Sanfeng's shoulder, as Zhang Sanfeng raised his right hand, Gu Shaoan felt as if his hand and the force in his palm were being forcibly pulled aside by dozens of chains, colliding with Zhang Sanfeng's raised hand.

Immediately afterwards, a gentle force emanated from Zhang Sanfeng's palm.

Under this gentle force, Gu Shaoan's body swayed back two zhang like a white feather.

Having understood Zhang Sanfeng's meaning, Gu Shaoan landed, let out a long breath, and then gathered all the surging true energy in his body into his dantian.

Once his true energy had calmed down, he looked up and was met with Zhang Sanfeng's somewhat strange gaze.

A few breaths later, just before Gu Shaoan was about to speak, Zhang Sanfeng spoke first.

"Kid, are you really only eighteen?"

　The battle with Lao Zhang was so difficult to write! I spent ages rewriting and deleting! Sorry!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)