In Emei, start by obtaining golden attributes.

Chapter 264 Since ancient times, deep love cannot be retained, only tricks can win people's hearts

Recalling what had happened in the city, Gu Shaoan narrowed his eyes slightly.

Having confirmed the identities of these people, it was not difficult to guess the identity of the woman in white from before.

Currently, within the Cihang Jingzhai, the only one who, at just over twenty years old, possesses the internal skill of condensing Qi into Yuan and has also advanced to the second level in swordsmanship is the current Holy Maiden of the Cihang Jingzhai in the Great Wei Kingdom.

Qin Mengyao.

So, is today's event just a man-made encounter?

The location was chosen in the east of Yuzhou City, on the only route Gu Shaoan could take on his return to Emei.

A bustling, yet chaotic place, it begins with a pitiful woman who sells herself to bury her father.

Then, the incident is propelled by a notorious scoundrel who is enough to incite public outrage.

As the young leader of the Emei Sect, Gu Shaoan could not possibly turn a blind eye to anything that happened within the sect's sphere of influence.

After Gu Shaoan was drawn over, Qin Mengyao made her appearance.

Everything was just to leave an impression on Gu Shaoan through today's events.

I must say, such a scene, with such a stunningly beautiful woman.

Any young martial arts newcomer would indeed leave a deep impression.

Even seasoned veterans with ample experience will find it deeply memorable.

After all, Qin Mengyao had been doing her own thing the whole time in the city, without even letting Gu Shaoan glance at her.

There was no sign of it being done deliberately.

With this incident, when they meet again, this experience can naturally become a common topic of conversation between Gu Shaoan and Qin Mengyao.

The two were able to naturally grow closer.

If the two of them could have more in common, or even travel the world together in the future and experience more things together.

Many things can become natural and spontaneous, as if the heavens were on their side.

Even Gu Shaoan couldn't help but click his tongue twice when he thought about it.

"Indeed, they know how to have fun!"

Are Cihang Jingzhai's methods clever?
From an outsider's perspective, it's not particularly clever.

It's nothing more than a routine.

But the saying "Deep affection is hard to retain, only tricks win people's hearts" is not just a saying.

Father, like son.

If emotions could be severed decisively, they wouldn't have been one of the most fascinating and perplexing issues in the world for thousands of years.

When a man has already fallen in love with a woman, even if he finds out one day that he has been tricked, what can he do?

The methods of Cihang Jingzhai lie in this.

"Sure enough, people are afraid of becoming famous, just as pigs are afraid of getting fat. Once you have a reputation, some troubles will follow."

If Gu Shaoan is currently just an unknown nobody in the martial arts world, and has absolutely no connection with Cihang Jingzhai...

But Gu Shaoan, at the tender age of twenty, already possesses the strength to defeat the demonic master Pang Ban.

In the eyes of others in the martial arts world, as long as Gu Shaoan doesn't die prematurely, it's practically a certainty that he will reach the Celestial Realm in the future.

Given such potential, it would be strange if Cihang Jingzhai, a sect that believes in "conquering the martial arts world and consolidating its power by controlling men," didn't set its sights on Gu Shaoan.

"Does that mean there will be more uninvited guests at the upcoming banquets?"

After a moment's thought, Gu Shaoan shook his head and said, "Alright! It's good to resolve this once and for all, so we don't have to go through all this trouble later."

It's one thing if you don't know it's a trap.

If you know it's a trap and still jump in, then you really have something wrong with your brain.

While Gu Shaoan had no intention of antagonizing a power like Cihang Jingzhai, he also had no desire to befriend it.

Rather than letting Cihang Jingzhai continue to have ulterior motives and then try to pull a stunt like today's in front of Gu Shaoan, it would be better to make things clear once and for all, so that Cihang Jingzhai would back down and everyone could keep to themselves from now on.

Having made up his mind, Gu Shaoan glanced at the white cloth on the ground one last time before disappearing from the spot in a flash.

There wasn't even a trace left in the fluffy mud where Gu Shaoan had just stood.

Five days later.

Emei.

Sunlight filters through the gaps in the newly green mountains, casting dappled, dazzling golden rays that also add a soft, warm edge to the thin veil of morning mist that shrouds the peaks.

Half a year is enough time for the news of the Demon Master Pang Ban's defeat to spread throughout the entire Great Wei Kingdom.

As Gu Shaoan's name stirred up a storm in the martial arts world, the name "Emei Sect" was also firmly remembered by various martial arts forces across the land.

After the news spread, those who felt the most obvious changes were naturally the Emei disciples and elders stationed in various places or who had recently come down the mountain.

Although the three prefectures of Jiading, Yuzhou, and Xuzhou were within the sphere of influence of the Emei Sect, they were also home to other Jianghu forces and martial arts families.

Although these people would not be enemies of the Emei Sect, they would only exchange simple pleasantries when they met Emei disciples.

But as Gu Shaoan's name spread, these martial arts forces and families that used to only do superficial work became much more enthusiastic when facing the disciples and elders of the Emei Sect.

The disciples stationed around the area found it much easier to handle conflicts between martial artists.

Even when the elders and disciples of the sect were sending out invitations to banquets from all directions, the second-rate forces around them greeted them with smiles and treated the Emei disciples and elders who sent the invitations as honored guests.

It was as if all the martial artists suddenly became friendly towards the Emei Sect.

The way the Emei Sect trains its disciples has also made them quite experienced and intelligent.

Naturally, they knew why these martial artists and forces in the martial arts world would change their attitude towards them. What was the reason?
These changes in prestige and status of the Emei Sect, like a spring breeze, swept through every corner of the sect and deeply permeated the spirit of every disciple.

The biggest change lies in the mental outlook of the disciples.

The Emei disciples, walking on the stone steps and through the palaces and pavilions, still maintained the composure and steadiness of Buddhist disciples, but they also had an invisible but more spirited confidence.

On the Golden Dome Square, the ground that was damaged when Gu Shaoan fought Pang Ban has long been repaired and replaced with new paving stones.

On the training ground, the disciples practicing swordsmanship displayed increasingly decisive and sharp swordplay, with the whistling wind sounding even louder than before.

Even the elders and disciples stationed at the foot of the mountain stood taller and more composed.

Even when faced with inquiring glances from visitors, he remains poised and graceful, exuding an air of authority befitting a grand martial arts sect.

The entire sect was thriving. Even the elders, including Abbess Miejue, Juechen, and Juejue, maintained a solemn and dignified demeanor when facing outsiders.

But when he was in private in the back mountains, the smile on his lips was almost never off.

Sensing the changes in the sect's disciples, Gu Shaoan, upon returning to Emei, couldn't help but feel a sense of accomplishment.

However, just as Gu Shaoan stepped into the back mountain, he seemed to sense something and raised his eyebrows slightly.

Immediately, his toes touched the ground, and his body rose up like a spring breeze. In just a few breaths, he had already swept into the depths of the bamboo forest as swiftly as a passing gust of wind.

It was only when he flashed into the bamboo forest that Gu Shaoan discovered that Abbess Miejue, Juechen, Juejue, and Zhou Zhiruo were all in the bamboo forest.

In the open space where she used to cultivate, Yang Yan closed her eyes and her true essence surged continuously.

Sensing Yang Yan's current state, Gu Shaoan's eyes flashed.

"Is this an epiphany?"

Upon noticing Yang Yan's condition, Gu Shaoan's aura suddenly subsided, becoming almost imperceptible.

As Gu Shaoan landed from the sky, the Abbess Miejue and the others were startled to feel the presence of another person beside them, and subconsciously circulated their inner energy.

"Disciple greets Master and the two senior uncles."

But the next second, as Gu Shaoan's voice, transmitted through his internal energy, resounded in their ears, the vigilance of Abbess Miejue and the others vanished completely.

Turning to look at Gu Shaoan, Miejue and Abbess Juechen all nodded and smiled.

Zhou Zhiruo and Mei Jiangxue, who were standing nearby, also came forward.

After Gu Shaoan raised his hand to pat the two of them on the head, he shifted his gaze slightly to Yang Yan in the room.

He then circulated his inner energy again, filling it around himself and Abbess Miejue before asking, "How long has Junior Sister Yan'er been in this state of enlightenment?"

Abbess Miejue replied, "It's been about a quarter of an hour, and she's in a state of enlightenment. Just now, her 'Emei Nine Yang Manual' reached the fourth level of perfection, and her enlightenment hasn't ended yet. I'm afraid she'll have other breakthroughs in martial arts."

Upon hearing this, Gu Shaoan's gaze became calm as he focused on the pale-faced figure standing in the center of the room with his eyes closed.

After everyone had waited for about a hundred breaths, the vast true essence that had been slowly flowing around Yang Yan suddenly became active, as if it had found a new direction!

The next moment, Yang Yan, who had been standing still like a pine tree, suddenly moved.

The movement wasn't initiated directly, but rather a slight shift in the footsteps unleashed a surge of immense power.

With a "whoosh," Yang Yan's figure tore through the air like lightning, instantly traversing an open space of about ten feet in diameter. The extreme speed brought with it a piercing sound of wind breaking, and her figure seemed to make three fleeting, almost imperceptible turns in an instant! This was the essence of the Emei Sect's ultimate martial art, "Three Manifestations of the Divine Dragon"!

However, this fierce and unparalleled burst of power had just ended. Yang Yan's toes seemed to lightly touch the soil, then twisted and turned, her body spinning, shifting, and folding within a small space. With each step, she left behind several afterimages that were solid yet lingering, and difficult to distinguish between reality and illusion.

These afterimages surrounded her, like stars surrounding the moon, or like butterflies fluttering together.

It is clearly the "Nine Spiral Shadows" from the "Nine Yin Manual".

It must be said that Yang Yan's talent in light-body techniques is indeed very strong.

Even now, Zhou Zhiruo's mastery of "Spiral Nine Shadows" and "Divine Dragon Three Appearances" has only reached the level of "comprehension and mastery," but Yang Yan has already mastered these two light-body techniques to the level of "smooth and effortless mastery."

In terms of lightness skill alone, Yang Yan is no less skilled than Gu Shaoan.

In the arena, Yang Yan's movements were constantly switching between "Three Appearances of the Divine Dragon" and "Nine Shadows of the Spiral".

And its speed is getting faster and faster.

Just then, Yang Yan's body taut like a bowstring, and with one step, she charged forward three zhang like a dragon breaking through the sea, her power and ferocity unmatched.

But just as this fierce force propelled her body to its maximum speed, Yang Yan's body suddenly and irrationally underwent a violent half-spin. This half-spin was not for dissipating force or changing direction, but more like a spatial leap. In the instant her body half-spinned at an incredible angle, her original position suddenly became empty, while her true body appeared without any stagnation in the center of another open space a zhang away.

This method of movement is so fast that it exceeds the limits of visual capture, almost like instantaneous teleportation.

"Ok?"

Seeing the strange movement technique that Yang Yan suddenly displayed, let alone Abbess Juechen and Abbess Juejue...

Even Abbess Miejue's gaze changed, and a look of astonishment appeared on her face.

Inside the arena, after completing that astonishing half-spin jump, Yang Yan suddenly showed a look of enlightenment on her face.

As if she had completely broken through some barrier, her figure once again moved with the fluidity of flowing clouds and water. Her steps became sometimes like a dragon soaring through the air, and sometimes like swirling smoke, unpredictable and leaving behind many afterimages in a very small area.

Whenever Yang Yan rotates, her true form can always silently and instantly flash to another location.

Her movements were unpredictable, and even Gu Shaoan could hardly predict Yang Yan's next move.

At this point, the others on the side knew perfectly well that Yang Yan had combined "Three Appearances of the Divine Dragon" and "Nine Shadows of the Spiral" to create a new light-body martial art.

However, as time went on, Yang Yan continued her actions.

As she shifted her body, Yang Yan seemed to encounter something perplexing, her eyebrows furrowing slightly.

Even the body that was moving continuously suddenly slowed down.

However, this process did not last long, and Yang Yan's speed began to increase again.

But as Yang Yan's afterimage once again filled the bamboo forest clearing, her steps suddenly slowed down.

Each time his toes touched the ground or the air, it was as light as a feather falling, without stirring up a speck of dust or generating a gust of wind.

The sharp sound of wind being cut, which was originally caused by the rapid movement, suddenly weakened until it was almost inaudible.

It was at this moment that Gu Shaoan suddenly sensed a slight change in Yang Yan's aura.

Just as these changes occurred, Yang Yan's aura suddenly gained a touch of otherworldly elegance and pride.

With each light touch of her toes, a surge of true energy would ripple out from beneath Yang Yan's feet, making her steps feel as if she were treading on a calm lake rather than on solid ground.

In this light and graceful rhythm, her figure exudes an otherworldly beauty, her movements carrying an indescribable elegance and composure, like a legendary goddess walking on clouds, each step blossoming like a lotus.

Taking in Yang Yan's situation, Gu Shaoan's gaze sharpened.

With Gu Shaoan's current perspective, how could he not see that after Yang Yan created this new lightness skill, she took advantage of the effect of "sudden enlightenment" to transform the new lightness skill from form to meaning, and step into the level of "momentum".

Just as Yang Yan's new lightness skill reached the point of transforming form into intent, at this moment, with each step Yang Yan took, a lotus flower completely condensed from true energy would appear under her feet.

When Yang Yan's toes landed on the lotus flower formed by the condensation of true energy, it was as if a circle of "ripples," invisible to the naked eye but clearly perceptible, spread out slightly, instantly calming the restlessness caused by the high-speed distortion of space, and making her entire movement trajectory smooth and fluid, and her figure more swift and elusive.

Every step seems to teeter on the edge, yet every step seems to blossom into a lotus flower.

Her movements and postures were gentle and ethereal, yet they allowed Yang Yan's speed to suddenly soar to an unbelievable level.

Even Abbess Miejue, Juechen, and Juejue were finding it difficult to detect Yang Yan's movements at this moment.

Even Gu Shaoan couldn't help but marvel at the lightness skill Yang Yan displayed.

(End of this chapter)