Starting with Naruto, I'll become stronger through my own efforts.

What angered Yue Buqun even more was that Linghu Chong's originally excellent swordsmanship had also gone wrong. It was not only a mess, but somehow he had gone down a crooked path that even the Sword Sect looked down upon.

It's utterly absurd and extremely willful.

Yue Buqun still loved Linghu Chong, and in his anger, he didn't do anything to him. He just sent him back to the Cliff of Contemplation to continue facing the wall after he recovered from his illness.

But he could not shake off the disappointment and dejection in his heart.

The eldest disciple, whom Yue Buqun had raised since childhood, was clearly a martial arts genius with exceptional talent. However, he acted recklessly because of his father's favoritism, wasting his talent and time, as well as the resources and time of the Huashan Sect. How could Yue Buqun not be disappointed?

Can Linghu Chong's performance truly support the future of the Huashan Sect?

But if we don't consider Linghu Chong, who else can the Huashan Sect rely on?

Yue Buqun is already over 50 years old. Even if Zixia Divine Skill is so amazing that he looks only in his 30s, how many more years can he last?

The fear of not being able to revitalize the Huashan Sect was more tormenting than the disappointment in Linghu Chong.

Hearing that Tian Boguang had committed crimes in Chang'an, northern Shaanxi, and eastern Shaanxi, and even violated the daughter of a scholar, the Huashan Sect Leader, filled with rage, found an outlet for his anger.

Yue Buqun and his wife agreed to go down the mountain today to hunt down Tian Boguang in eastern Shaanxi. They were determined to get rid of this womanizer and vent their frustration.

But his inner turmoil vanished at that moment; it turned out that there were indeed geniuses among his disciples.

Xia Zuo started learning martial arts at the age of 12 and mastered internal skills by the age of 17. He is definitely a genius.

Yue Buqun even began to reflect on himself, believing that he had been blinded by money in the past and had been prejudiced against such a talented and hardworking disciple, never properly teaching him.

Otherwise, Xia Zuo might have become even stronger.

While Yue Buqun was still processing his own thoughts, Xia Zuo had already finished his practice and stood up from the dew-covered ground.

Then he turned around and saw the sect leader, which startled him. He quickly bowed and greeted him, "Master!"

Yue Buqun looked at Xia Zuo and nodded with satisfaction: "I am very pleased that you have made a breakthrough in your internal energy cultivation today."

"Xia Zuo, demonstrate the sword techniques you've been practicing to your master. Let me see how well you've mastered them."

Xia Zuo obediently drew his longsword and practiced all thirteen basic sword techniques of Mount Hua from beginning to end.

Thanks to his previous practice, his swordsmanship had reached a state of simplicity and authenticity, exceeding the level that Yue Buqun could comprehend.

Therefore, the sword technique that Master Yue saw was a basic sword technique that was so standard that it was impeccable.

He even felt that he couldn't do it to such a high standard, and couldn't imagine how much effort Xia Zuo had put into this basic sword technique. He was very satisfied with Xia Zuo.

The Gentleman Sword Yue Buqun preferred disciples who cultivated step by step and made steady progress, and his satisfaction with Xia Zuo reached a new level.

With tears in his eyes, Yue Buqun exclaimed, "Excellent, excellent, excellent! The Huashan Sect has a worthy successor!"

"Xia Zuo, it's my fault for failing to discover your talent and hard work over the past five years."

Xia Zuo felt extremely guilty, thinking: Old Yue, if you had checked my internal strength and swordsmanship yesterday, you would have been furious.

So he responded with exceptional humility, "Master, I only recently realized that I have suddenly become enlightened. I am truly unworthy of your praise in the past."

Yue Buqun laughed heartily: "Haha, good thing you've finally seen the light!"

"But enlightenment also depends on your own efforts and perseverance to reach that day, right?"

Xia Zuo nodded earnestly: "Yes, Master, my success is entirely due to myself."

This answer was exactly what I wanted to hear, and Yue Buqun laughed heartily with satisfaction and pride.

Unconsciously, he used his inner energy, and his laughter pierced through the clouds, echoing throughout the entire Huashan Sect.

Soon after, the sect leader's wife, Ning Zezhong, appeared at the training ground with her daughter. She could hear the pride and ease in her husband's laughter, and her mood became very relaxed as a result.

Ning Zezhong asked with a smile, "What good thing has happened to you, Sect Leader, that you're smiling so happily?"

Yue Buqun nodded to his wife and said with emotion, "Today, Xia Zuo's internal energy cultivation has broken through and has reached a high level. I am naturally very happy."

Yue Lingshan, who was still half asleep, was so surprised to hear that Xia Zuo had broken through his internal energy. She jumped into the training ground and looked Xia Zuo up and down.

The girl said with a charmingly innocent yet defiant tone, "Well, Xiao Qi, you actually secretly worked hard and broke through your cultivation level while I was teaching Xiao Linzi."

"Tell me, how are you going to compensate my senior for losing face?"

Xia Zuo chuckled and said, "Junior Sister Ling Shan, I'm the senior brother, so being surpassed by me is nothing."

Yue Lingshan roared in anger: "Nonsense! I'm the senior sister!"

Yue Buqun was very satisfied with Xia Zuo at this moment, so he couldn't tolerate his daughter causing him trouble. He straightened his face and scolded, "Lingshan, you mustn't be rude to your seventh senior brother."

Ning Zezhong knew her husband very well, so she smiled and went up to pull her daughter back: "Don't waste time. The sect leader needs to hurry up and teach Xiao Qi a new sword technique. Come back with me quickly to prepare breakfast."

Yue Buqun was very satisfied with his wife's reaction. After his wife and daughter had walked away, he said to Xia Zuo, "Xia Zuo, I am very satisfied with your progress. I have decided to reward you with the Xi Yi Sword Technique."

Xia Zuo bowed respectfully again: "Thank you for your reward, Master. Please teach me swordsmanship."

Yue Buqun picked up his longsword, walked to the center of the training ground, and said, "The Xiyi Sword Technique is said to have been created by the Ancestor Xiyi on the summit of Mount Hua after observing the changes in the clouds and the heavens. It is named after the idea that the greatest sound is as faint as the faint and the greatest sound is as vast as the heavens."

"Therefore, this sword technique requires a broad mind as a guide and abundant internal energy as a foundation, so that cultivation can achieve twice the result with half the effort."

"Master, I am old-fashioned and more suited to the Yangwu Sword Technique. Therefore, I have not put enough effort into the Xiyi Sword Technique. I can only teach you the mental techniques and sword moves. You will still need to work hard on your own in the future."

As he spoke, Yue Buqun began to demonstrate his swordsmanship in the morning sun, slowly executing each move of the Xi Yi Sword Technique while verbally explaining the key principles of each move.

Xia Zuo brandished his longsword, the sword light moving slowly and steadily, drawing soft arcs in the morning sun, revealing a faint elephant-like shape.

Like towering trees, like the chill of glaciers, like the swiftness of an antelope, like the fury of a volcano, like the wind of the desert—all sorts of strange phenomena converge and create a myriad of images.

Yue Buqun could no longer maintain his gentlemanly image and stared at his disciple in disbelief.

It's not surprising that Linghu Chong could memorize all twenty-four sword techniques after only watching himself practice once; he could do it even faster and better.

But to be able to master the Xi Yi Sword Technique with such awe-inspiring sword intent after only two practice sessions, surpassing Yue Buqun's 30 years of diligent study and practice, is truly astonishing.

Yue Buqun couldn't help but start to doubt himself: How could he not have noticed a talent even more exaggerated than Linghu Chong's in the past? Was he blind?