In Emei, start by obtaining golden attributes.

Chapter 240 Walking with Beauty
The next day, early morning.

While Gu Shaoan was washing up, Huang Xuemei stood quietly at the door.

She stood tall and straight like a lone pine tree, her right hand firmly resting on the top of the violin case standing to the side, while her left hand was behind her back.

Even with his eyes lightly closed, his domineering aura, which came from his very bones and looked down upon all directions, not only did not diminish, but became even more prominent in his stillness.

The dim lighting made Huang Xuemei's ethereal beauty appear even colder.

It added a touch of chilling intimidation and oppressive power that made people afraid to look directly at it.

Even before the guests approached, they could feel a heavy pressure coming from them.

As these guests walked past Huang Xuemei, they subconsciously hunched their backs and walked with light and slow steps.

Seeing this situation, Gu Shaoan was speechless.

As early as ten years ago, Gu Shaoan could sense an innate arrogance and domineering aura emanating from Huang Xuemei.

Over the past decade, Gu Shaoan was unsure what Huang Xuemei had gone through that made her inherent arrogance and domineering nature even stronger.

In terms of temperament alone, Huang Xuemei and Dongfang Bai are somewhat similar.

However, compared to Dongfang Bai, Huang Xuemei's domineering aura was more pure.

Such a dignified demeanor is enough to show what kind of person Huang Xuemei is at heart.

But he deliberately adopted a guard-like posture.

There's something off about it no matter how you look at it.

However, Gu Shaoan did not really regard Huang Xuemei as a servant he could use at will. Although he found it somewhat amusing, he did not say anything more.

They walked down to the first floor together. After the waiter brought up the breakfast, Huang Xuemei reached into her bosom and pulled out a thin bamboo tube about two inches long.

She opened the bamboo tube and picked out a silver needle with two fingers.

The needle was as thin as a hair, except for the tip, which was a striking dark brown, clearly having been soaked in a special secret medicinal liquid. With a slight movement of her wrist, she lightly touched, paused, and withdrew the needle tip on the surface of several foods, her movements swift and precise.

It's as if the same thing has been done a thousand times.

As the scent entered his nose, Gu Shaoan immediately discerned the medicinal ingredients soaked in the silver needles from the aroma.

These were all drugs that would produce special reactions when they came into contact with poison.

Gu Shaoan was well aware of the purpose of the silver needles in Huang Xuemei's bamboo tube.

Huang Xuemei glanced down at the silver needles and said, "They're not poisonous, you can eat them."

As she spoke, Huang Xuemei put the silver needles back into the bamboo tube.

Gu Shaoan casually picked up a pie, took a bite, and remarked, "Miss Huang's method of testing poison is quite unusual."

"A special method of testing poison within the Tianlong Sect."

Huang Xuemei responded simply, her tone calm and even, as if stating a perfectly natural fact.

Then, her phoenix eyes fell on Gu Shaoan's face again.

"If Young Master Gu wishes to learn, I can teach you the refining method."

Gu Shaoan smiled and said, "No need, my Emei Sect also has its own method of testing poison."

Huang Xuemei nodded, then lowered her head and ate her food.

After finishing their breakfast, the two moved a little further from the post station and then used their lightness skills to head towards the capital.

Gu Shaoan moved like the wind, his clothes fluttering as if in a gentle breeze, his figure graceful and agile.

When Huang Xuemei displayed her lightness skill, she exuded a completely different charm.

Huang Xuemei lightly touched the ground with her toes like a dragonfly skimming the water, and her body moved four or five zhang like a white rainbow flying close to the ground before using the force again.

It was breathtakingly fast, yet so light it was untouched by the world.

When moving quickly, the violin case on Huang Xuemei's back remained as steady as a rock, without any violent jolts, which is enough to show her mastery of light-body skills.

Even compared to Abbess Miejue, who mastered the "Nine Shadows of the Spiral," she was no less impressive.

The two were incredibly fast; to an ordinary person, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to describe them as "riding the wind."

However, as time went on, half an hour later, the situation for the two became somewhat different.

Gu Shaoan's internal energy cultivation has reached the level of condensing primordial energy into a powerful force.

His own true essence was so pure that it would shock other martial artists who had condensed their essence into qi.

Furthermore, he possesses eighty-five years of accumulated skill.

Maintaining this speed, after two hours, the internal energy in his body not only did not decrease, but actually increased slightly compared to before.

It was clear that he was maintaining his cultivation while traveling.

However, for Huang Xuemei standing beside her, Gu Shaoan's current movement speed was something she could barely keep up with, even if she used all her lightness skills.

In addition, Huang Xuemei had previously taken Tianlong Dan, so her internal energy was weak.

The two hours of exertion had completely depleted Huang Xuemei's true energy.

At this moment, beads of sweat were already visible on her forehead and were sliding down her cheeks.

Just as the two had traveled another ten miles and arrived at a small river, Gu Shaoan's gentle voice suddenly entered Huang Xuemei's ears, sensing that the true essence fluctuations within Huang Xuemei's body had weakened considerably.

Let's take a break for now!

As the sound reached Huang Xuemei's ears, Gu Shaoan's body fell from the air to the ground.

When he landed, Gu Shaoan's feet touched the ground as softly and silently as white feathers.

When Huang Xuemei stopped, her body unconsciously lurched forward a few steps as a buffer.

"It's already noon, let's rest for a while before continuing our journey!"

Huang Xuemei nodded, then looked at the small river beside her.

After a moment's thought, Huang Xuemei first found some wood, then used her true essence and energy to cut some of the wood into flat planks, and laid two places on the muddy ground where people could sit.

He then started a fire with the remaining wood, and quickly moved to the riverbank, picking up a few pebbles.

After observing intently for a few moments, she suddenly channeled her true essence and energy to send it into the river.

Immediately afterwards, several fish with their white bodies turned white rose to the surface of the river.

Huang Xuemei used her light-footed skill to skim across the river and picked out several fish to bring them to the shore.

A moment later, as several fish skewered on wooden sticks were placed next to the fire, Huang Xuemei said, "We can eat them in about an incense stick's time."

Faced with Huang Xuemei's actions, Gu Shaoan couldn't help but smile and say, "Thank you for your trouble, Miss Huang."

Huang Xuemei nodded gently, then sat cross-legged to recover the true energy she had consumed while traveling using her lightness skill.

Every now and then, Huang Xuemei would stop cultivating, turn the fish roasting in front of the fire over, and then close her eyes again to circulate her true energy.

Taking in all this, Gu Shaoan suddenly thought that traveling with Huang Xuemei wasn't such a bad idea.

As the thought flashed through his mind, Gu Shaoan also gently closed his eyes, his internal energy circulating continuously according to the path of the "Indestructible Vajra Divine Skill." For more than a year, Gu Shaoan had focused almost entirely on cultivating the "Emei Nine Yang True Scripture."

As a result, after returning to Mount Emei, Gu Shaoan did not devote much energy to the "Invincible Vajra Divine Skill".

This also means that even now, Gu Shaoan's mastery of the "Invincible Vajra Divine Skill" is only at the fifth level of perfection.

We haven't reached the sixth floor yet.

The "Indestructible Vajra Divine Skill" is related to dealing with Zhu Wushi's "Absorption Technique".

Now that Pang Ban's crisis has been resolved, and with his internal energy cultivation successfully reaching the level of Condensing Yuan into Gang, Gu Shaoan's next targets, besides Wuzheng Manor a few years from now, are Zhu Wushi, the enemy of the Emei Sect.

Gu Shaoan's focus of cultivation naturally needs to shift to this "Indestructible Vajra Divine Skill".

When Gu Shaoan reached the level of Condensing Yuan into Gang, and his true essence transformed into Gang Yuan, the efficiency of condensing golden essence increased by nearly ten times when he used Gang Yuan to activate the Vajra Indestructible Divine Art.

However, just as Gu Shaoan was cultivating, as if sensing something, the internal energy circulating within his body suddenly stopped.

He opened his eyes and looked at Huang Xuemei opposite him.

In Gu Shaoan's perception, Huang Xuemei's brows were slightly furrowed, and the fluctuations of her true essence were somewhat agitated.

However, Huang Xuemei's breathing was relatively stable.

Seeing this, Gu Shaoan resumed his cultivation.

After a stick of incense had burned, and after eating the grilled fish along with the dry rations prepared by the two of them, Gu Shaoan did not rush to continue his journey. Instead, he said, "I have never encountered any sonic martial arts when fighting enemies before. It just so happens that Miss Huang has mastered the 'Tianlong Eight Sounds,' which is a well-known sonic martial art in the Great Wei Dynasty. I wonder if Miss Huang would allow me to see it?"

Faced with Gu Shaoan's request, Huang Xuemei calmly asked, "Now?"

Gu Shaoan smiled and said, "If it's convenient for Miss Huang..."

Upon hearing this, Huang Xuemei nodded and said, "Okay!"

As she spoke, Huang Xuemei stood up, then walked to the side carrying the case containing the Heavenly Demon Harp.

After standing still in the open area beside the official road, Huang Xuemei opened the zither case, picked up the Heavenly Demon Zither with one hand, and then placed the closed zither case upright on the open ground in front of her.

Immediately afterwards, her right hand moved with lightning speed, pressing down precisely on an inconspicuous protrusion on the side of the violin case.

"Click! Clang!"

A few crisp, clear sounds of springs snapping and metal rubbing together suddenly rang out.

The next second, at the top of the seemingly seamless violin case, two thick, curved, jet-black iron plates rose and unfolded rapidly like dragons turning over, forming a platform nearly four feet long.

At the same time, several sharp and tough metal spikes shot out from the bottom of the violin case that was in contact with the ground.

Several sharp spikes pierced deep into the soil below, instantly pinning the entire violin case firmly to the ground, as stable as a rock.

What's even more ingenious is that the two raised and unfolded iron plate supports are just right.
When Huang Xuemei placed the Heavenly Demon Harp on the harp case, the harp case, which had changed shape, immediately transformed into a harp stand.

A hint of undisguised admiration flashed across Gu Shaoan's eyes.

Clearly, no one expected that this zither case would contain such a mechanism. It can not only store the Heavenly Demon Zither, but also transform into a zither stand when needed. It is a multi-purpose item, and the ingenuity of its design is truly extraordinary.

After glancing at the zither case for a few moments, Gu Shaoan took a step forward, his figure swaying slightly as he moved to a distance of three zhang in front of Huang Xuemei, his left hand and the Yitian Sword naturally draped behind his back. He stood there upright, his expression calm, waiting for the legendary sound of battle to erupt.

If anyone else had adopted such a bare-handed stance in front of her, Huang Xuemei would have secretly mocked them for being arrogant and ignorant.

But standing opposite him at this moment was Gu Shaoan, who had defeated the demon master Pang Ban.

In Huang Xuemei's eyes, this posture was not only harmless, but also carried a sense of self-assurance and composure.

There was no unnecessary opening, no warnings.

Huang Xuemei's gaze fell on the cold strings, and her fair hands suddenly touched them.

Immediately, the sound of the zither began to resound from the vibrating strings of the Heavenly Demon Zither Shop.

At first, the sound of the zither was faint, like the melting ice in early spring, with snow dripping onto cold stones.

A few strings of music slowly emerged, ethereal and desolate, echoing beside the deserted official road in winter, creating a sense of tranquility that seemed to wash away the dust of the world.

Huang Xuemei's fingertips moved across the strings with a calm and unhurried demeanor, carrying a cool rhythm.

Those natural movements clearly showed that he had been immersed in the art of playing the zither for many years.

"Zheng——!"

Just then, an extremely clear and melodious zither note, carrying a chilling coldness, suddenly tore through the air.

As soon as the sound rang out, Gu Shaoan felt as if the surrounding environment distorted for a moment.

A faint, almost transparent ring-shaped ripple, visible to the naked eye, spread out instantly like ripples on water, centered on Huang Xuemei and the Heavenly Demon Harp.

Gu Shaoan remained expressionless as his inner energy instantly burst forth, condensing in an instant into a three-foot-thick, semi-transparent protective aura around him, resembling golden glass.

However, even in this "tranquility," Gu Shaoan could clearly feel streams of energy slowly spreading through the music.

As time went by, an indescribable sense of oppression began to silently envelop Gu Shaoan.

It was as if the low, melodious piano music was no longer just a simple tune, but had transformed into countless fine yet incredibly strong silver threads, quietly wrapping around his internal organs, and like a cold wind, seeping into the very marrow of his bones.

Gu Shaoan keenly sensed that his heartbeat had become heavy and sluggish without him realizing it, and the flow of his blood seemed to have taken on a slightly imperceptible sluggishness.

The surrounding air, under the continuous stimulation of the piano music, seemed to turn into an invisible, viscous colloid.

Faced with the changes within his body, Gu Shaoan showed a look of surprise.

Immediately, the internal energy circulated within his body, and the discomfort vanished abruptly.

While protecting himself with his protective energy, Gu Shaoan quietly sensed the changes around him.

"To mix internal energy and vital energy into the sound of the zither, achieving complete silence, and then use the audio as a means of attack?"

Just as Gu Shaoan sensed the changes in the music, he saw Huang Xuemei's aura suddenly change.

"Zheng"

Immediately afterwards, a sharp, metallic sound, filled with a chilling, murderous intent, abruptly shattered the previous tranquility.

As the shattered sound exploded, a semi-transparent, crescent-shaped sonic blade suddenly rushed towards Gu Shaoan.

Strangely, the sound of the sonic blade cutting through the air made no sound at all.

Faced with this scene, Gu Shaoan's internal energy circulated, instantly condensing into a protective aura three feet around him.

The protective aura was about three inches thick, solid as golden glass.

Almost the instant the protective aura was formed, the sonic blade touched the protective aura that Gu Shaoan had formed.

However, the moment this sonic blade, as faint as air, touched the protective aura shield, it seemed to penetrate the water's surface without any obstruction or sound, just like an illusory object.

It was as if that incredibly solid protective aura shield didn't exist at all!

The next instant, a surge of energy rushed into Gu Shaoan's body.

In an instant, an indescribable restlessness exploded from the depths of his body. His heart tightened abruptly and then began to pound wildly and uncontrollably.

Faced with the changes within the body, the surging blood throughout the body seemed to be thrown into a boiling oil pot, instantly churning and roaring, impacting every inch of the meridians and bones from the inside out.

(End of this chapter)