In Emei, start by obtaining golden attributes.

Chapter 331 The Second Realm of Swordsmanship

As soon as he stepped out of the sedan chair, Wan Sanqian noticed the lingering gloom between Zhu Wushi's brows. His smile widened, and he bowed slightly to Zhu Wushi's retreating figure, his voice gentle and pleasant:
"It's been a long time. How have you been, Divine Marquis?"

As Wan Sanqian spoke, the gloom between Zhu Wushi's brows completely disappeared, revealing a gentle smile.

"Brother Wan, you still have the same charm as before."

Wan Sanqian laughed and said, "I usually just travel around, resell things from the east to the west, collect debts, count money, and live a carefree life. Of course, I can't compare to the busy life of the Divine Marquis."

Zhu ignored the smile on his lips, saying, "However, this sudden visit is different from Brother Wan's usual style of doing things."

Upon hearing this, Wan Sanqian sighed and said, "To be honest, I didn't want to come to the capital, especially since my destination is your place, Divine Marquis."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Wushi's smile faded slightly.

"So, Brother Wan, you've come here today on orders?"

Wan Sanqian nodded and replied, "I am acting on the orders of the Great Dragon Head to pass on a message to you."

Before Zhu Wushi could ask, Wan Sanqian said, "The Thirty-Six Heavenly Generals and Yagyu Tajima-no-Kami serve as a warning. We cannot touch Gu Shaoan or the Emei Sect! If they disobey us again, it won't just be the Thirty-Six Heavenly Generals who die."

Zhu Wushi's mind raced, his eyes narrowed slightly, and his tone became even more sinister.

"So, it was the Great Dragon Head who deliberately had Gu Shaoan lured to Wuzheng Manor?"

Wan Sanqian nodded slightly in acknowledgment.

The moment the voice reached his ears, Zhu Wushi's face darkened once more.

Seemingly having guessed Zhu Wushi's thoughts, Wan Sanqian suddenly sighed.

"The Emei Sect is a prestigious and righteous sect with a good reputation in the martial arts world. Shenhou has no prior grudges with the Emei Sect, so why is he so fixated on that Young Master Gu?"

In response to Wan Sanqian's question, Zhu Wushi said in a deep voice, "Brother Wan, why do you think the Great Dragon Head is so concerned about this boy?"

A sudden inspiration struck Wan Sanqian.

"Does the Marquis think that this Gu Shaoan is also a member of the Azure Dragon Society?"

Zhu Wushi said in a deep voice, "I have seen too many outstanding martial artists in my life, but I have never seen anyone like him. He is only in his early twenties and yet he has such terrifying strength."

“A month ago, I personally went to Mount Emei and found a reason to fight this boy.”

"It turned out that this boy's strength was definitely no less than mine."

Wan Sanqian's expression changed.

"The Divine Marquis is incredibly powerful, arguably the strongest person below the Celestial Realm. Has Gu Shaoan really reached this level of strength?"

Zhu Wushi nodded and said, "Not bad!"

"Of the seven leaders of the Azure Dragon Society, apart from you and me, we still don't know the identities of the other five leaders."

"If this young man is indeed a newly recruited leader of the Azure Dragon Society, with his strength and talent, it is a certainty that he will step into the Celestial Realm."

"Once the Azure Dragon Society has a master of the Celestial Realm, our plans will become too unpredictable."

After pondering for a moment, Wan Sanqian nodded and said, "With such talent and strength, it's no wonder that the Divine Marquis is so concerned and wary of this person."

But after thinking for a moment, Wan Sanqian changed his tone and said, "A small act of impatience can ruin a great plan. When the Divine Marquis persuaded me to join the Azure Dragon Society, he was after a grand cause, not trivial matters. Although this boy is a variable, the Great Dragon Leader has already given the order that he cannot be moved for the time being."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Wushi closed his eyes slightly, seemingly trying to compose himself.

After a long while, Zhu Wushi opened his eyes again and asked, "Brother Wan is right. Although this boy is exceptionally talented, as long as the plan goes smoothly, once I reach the Celestial Realm, I will naturally be able to deal with him. It is indeed not advisable for him to affect our plan. How is Brother Wan's investigation into Bat Island going?"

Wan Sanqian replied, "We've made some progress."

"After confirming with you, Divine Marquis, that Bat Island was located in the East China Sea, I secretly arranged for over a thousand people to infiltrate coastal villages along the way. We discovered that some large ships regularly sail from the coast into the East China Sea every March. Last month, the people I had infiltrated on the ships returned and reported that their destination was confirmed to be Bat Island."

"However, we still need to secretly follow a few ships to determine the route to Bat Island."

Zhu Wushi pressed further, "Are you sure Su Xin is on Bat Island?"

Wan Sanqian shook his head and said, "Bat Island is extremely large, and the caves on the island are interconnected. My men dared not act too recklessly on their first visit to the island, and they have not yet been able to find any information about Miss Suxin."

Zhu Wushi continued, "To find out if Miss Suxin is on the island, we need more people to secretly infiltrate Bat Island. To do this, we first need to determine the route to Bat Island."

"From determining the route to landing on the island and receiving the news, it will take at least six months."

Faced with the timeframe given by Wan Sanqian, Zhu Wushi frowned, clearly feeling that it was too long.

Thinking of the situation on Bat Island, Zhu Wushi could only suppress his frustration and dissatisfaction: "Suxin is the woman I love most in my life. For her, I can give up everything. After the incident at Wuzheng Manor, the Azure Dragon Society will probably keep a closer eye on me. I can only ask Brother Wan to take care of Suxin."

Wan Sanqian waved his hand, "There's no need for such formalities between us."

After saying this, Wan Sanqian clasped his hands in a fist salute to Zhu Wushi, then turned and returned to the sedan chair.

The four ghosts of Xiangxi then lifted the sedan chair again and, like phantoms, quickly drove away with it.

Looking in the direction the group had left, Zhu Wushi's eyes were unfathomable.

September, the 23rd.

Da'e Back Mountain.

Gu Shaoan stood alone on the edge of the cliff.

His long robe, in gold and white, was being blown by the mountain wind until it clung to his body, fluttering backward as if it were about to sweep him into the vast sea of ​​clouds.

But his feet seemed rooted to the ground, firmly planted on the rock, his figure as upright as a lone pine on the cliff, unmoved by the howling wind.

If a martial arts master were here at this moment, he would surely be terrified.

Within three feet of Gu Shaoan, the biting mountain wind seemed to encounter an invisible barrier, becoming docile, sluggish, and even slightly swirling.

A faint, almost inaudible humming vibration could be heard in the air; it was not the sound of the wind, but rather the flow of some more solid and refined force.

Just as a yellowed, withered leaf swirled and rushed toward Gu Shaoan in the mountain wind, the Yitian Sword, which Gu Shaoan held in his left hand, suddenly sprang from its sheath and landed perfectly in Gu Shaoan's right hand.

The moment the sword hilt touched his hand, Gu Shaoan's entire demeanor changed abruptly.

If just a second ago, Gu Shaoan was like a sturdy pine tree rooted in the cliff, proudly facing the wind.

Now, Gu Shaoan exuded an aura of ethereal purity, as if untouched by worldly concerns, a "humming" sound.

As the aura shifted, the already cold and aloof aura of the Yitian Sword in Gu Shaoan's hand suddenly solidified and deepened, the sword body trembled slightly, and emitted a low murmur that seemed to cleanse the soul.

The moment the sword's cry echoed, Gu Shaoan's previously tightly closed eyes suddenly opened, and his figure rose as if riding the wind, appearing leisurely three zhang in the air in the blink of an eye, his body like a swimming dragon, his arrogance beyond words.

As his figure soared through the air, Gu Shaoan's arm seemed to bend slightly forward, and his wrist moved forward with an incredibly gentle and casual motion, as if plucking a zither string.

His movements were graceful and gentle, like an immortal extending his finger, as if to stroke the head of mortal objects.

As Gu Shaoan unleashed the vital energy he had concentrated in the sword, the fierce mountain wind that had just been blowing in from the cliff momentarily subsided.

After his feet touched the ground, Gu Shaoan frowned slightly as he felt the sensation of his sword strike.

Half a year ago, Sun Baifa said that if Gu Shaoan wanted to advance his swordsmanship to the second level, "having a sword in hand but no sword in mind," the best way was to integrate his martial arts of "using intention to transform the domain" into his sword moves and use them ten thousand times.

Currently, the only martial art that Gu Shaoan can use to transform his mind into the domain is the "Immortal Touching the Top" move from the "Golden Top Cotton Palm".

In the past six months, Gu Shaoan has used the "Immortal Touching the Top" technique nearly a thousand times, transforming it into a sword technique through the Yitian Sword.

However, when the same martial art is used through the Heaven Sword, the circulation of internal energy, as well as the flow of momentum and domain, always feels somewhat sluggish.

This means that the "Immortal Touching the Head" move, when used with the Heaven Sword, only has 50% of its power remaining.

Even now, Gu Shaoan still hasn't figured out where this feeling of stagnation comes from.

"Where exactly does the problem lie? Is it that the sword itself is incompatible with the Cotton Palm martial arts? Or is it that my understanding of the 'sword' is still stuck at the level of the 'weapon,' and I have failed to truly regard the sword as an unhindered extension of my own will and cultivation?"

With the tip of the Heaven-Slaying Sword in his right hand pointing diagonally at the ground, Gu Shaoan's mind was filled with thoughts that were constantly being born and then vanished.

At this point in his thoughts, he felt as if he were lost in a fog, and a sense of confusion gradually deepened in his eyes.

Just then, an even stronger whirlwind swept past outside the cliff, and several withered, yellowed leaves with curled and broken edges were suddenly lifted up. One of them, spinning strangely, actually pierced through the protective barrier of his inner energy that had loosened slightly due to his focused mind, and drifted towards his face.

Gu Shaoan subconsciously turned his wrist slightly, and the Yitian Sword, which was pointing diagonally at the ground, naturally flicked upwards.

It wasn't any technique, nor did it involve using any internal energy; it was purely the body's instinctive reaction to a "foreign object" getting close.

However, at that moment, an indescribable feeling of coolness and clarity suddenly poured into his crown chakra without warning, as if his mind and consciousness had been cleansed by a clear spring from the heavens.

The effect of the "enlightenment" stat was triggered again.

Under the influence of the entry's effect, Gu Shaoan's mind instantly sank into a state of clarity.

My thoughts, which had been somewhat stagnant, began to flow freely and lightly.

Almost at the same moment the [enlightenment] stat was triggered, the tip of the Yitian Sword in Gu Shaoan's hand grazed the edge of the withered leaf with an extremely slight touch.

"Chi~"

With a barely audible sound, the withered leaf was not shattered, but rather silently separated along its veins into two pieces that were almost identical in size and shape, which then drifted gently down with the wind.

The moment the sight of the withered leaves parting and falling came into view, it was as if a bolt of lightning, which had been accumulating for a long time but had always been shrouded in mist, suddenly struck Gu Shaoan's mind.

Time, in his perception, was stretched and distorted.

The withered leaf, now split in two, slowly drifted down in his "eyes." Every crack in its texture, every change in its trajectory, was crystal clear, as if it contained the answer he had been desperately seeking.

“It’s sluggish. Palm techniques are palm techniques. I tried to infuse the ‘Immortal Touching the Top’ domain into my sword moves, but I had the idea of ​​‘using this move to transform into a sword move’ in my mind. Therefore, the circulation of my internal energy always carried the deliberate intention of transformation and imitation. How can it be smooth and unimpeded?”

Swordsmanship is swordsmanship; forcibly incorporating palm techniques into swordsmanship will inevitably lead to conflict.

"Since palm techniques are difficult to integrate with sword techniques, then let's take what's useful and incorporate it into sword techniques."

As my thoughts wandered, a sudden realization dawned upon me, like the first rays of dawn piercing the darkness, rising from the deepest recesses of my soul.

"When Senior Sun said 'use it ten thousand times,' the true meaning was not simply repeating the action ten thousand times, but rather, through these ten thousand repetitions, thoroughly 'integrating' the meaning, scope, and essence of 'the immortal touching the head' into my instinctive movements and into every feeling I have when holding the sword."

As thoughts raced through his mind, Gu Shaoan gently closed his eyes, and the sword techniques from the "Emei Sword Manual" began to be practiced in his hands.

When the movement is fast, it's like a flash of thunder.

When the movements are slow, it resembles an old man dancing with a sword.

The internal energy within Gu Shaoan began to circulate within him at varying speeds as he wielded his sword.

Gradually, the solidified protective energy field that had surrounded him as a barrier silently dissipated and merged into every inch of his skin, every bone, and every muscle.

It's not that it disappears, but rather that it transforms from "external manifestation" to "internal essence".

The cold, low hum of the Heaven-Slaying Sword in his hand had fallen completely silent at some point.

The sword was still the same sword, but it seemed to have lost all its "sharpness" and become ordinary, like a natural extension of his arm.

What is sword mind? It is the heart that holds the sword, the thought that uses the sword, and the idea that wields the sword.

The desire to wield a sword is the intention to wield it.

The sword intent flowed like mercury, permeating every part of the body, muscles, bones, and skin.

Gu Shaoan could no longer sense the existence of the "sword intent," not because it was absent, but because the sword intent had completely permeated his body and was omnipresent.

It is no longer a thought that needs to be mobilized or commanded, but has become breathing, heartbeat, and the slightest tremor of muscles.

The moment a thought arises, the body moves with the sword; the intention arrives at the moment of movement, and the thought is formless and intangible, leaving no trace.

He slowly raised his right hand again, and the Heaven-Slaying Sword followed suit. There was no specific starting stance, no condensed energy light, just a simple raising of the sword.

Then, facing the surging sea of ​​clouds ahead, facing the howling mountain wind, facing this vast天地 (heaven and earth), once again, with a slight bend in the wrist, gently push forward.

It still evokes the imagery of "an immortal touching one's head," but it has completely lost the awkwardness and deliberateness that it displayed when wielding the sword before.

The movements remained slow and gentle, like a celestial being extending their fingers.

But this time, the space several feet in front of Gu Shaoan seemed to freeze suddenly as the Heaven-Slaying Sword pointed towards it.

The howling mountain wind abruptly stopped, and the churning sea of ​​clouds came to a standstill.

(End of this chapter)