A player on Mount Hua starts by obtaining the Prism color entry.

Back at the Suoyoubuwei Pavilion, Lu Ming mentioned to Yue Buqun that Feng Qingyang had taught him the Dugu Nine Swords and that he would be responsible for his grandmaster uncle's meals in the future.

Although the suggestion was made subtly, Yue Buqun understood his disciple's intentions. He simply wanted the disciple to come to the rescue when the Huashan Sect was in trouble, while he could live in seclusion on the Cliff of Contemplation, not getting involved in the affairs of the Huashan Sect, and not affecting his authority.

The thought that Lu Ming had already mastered the Zixia Divine Skill to perfection made Yue Buqun feel a little displeased. His disciple was stronger than his master; didn't he, the master, have any dignity? "Hmm, Ming'er, you did very well. If you have any questions about cultivating the Zixia Divine Skill, you can ask me. I have cultivated it for twenty years and have quite a few insights."

The Purple Cloud Divine Skill has another drawback: one cannot engage in sexual intercourse before reaching the seventh level of mastery. Otherwise, one's vital energy will leak out, making it difficult to improve for the rest of one's life.

Both Taoist and Buddhist practices have this drawback: the downside is that they require the suppression of desires, but the upside is that they have a higher ceiling and become stronger as one progresses.

Yue Buqun's aptitude wasn't particularly good, and he hadn't achieved much when he married Ning Zhongze, so his cultivation level stagnated.

Lu Ming found it amusing, but still pretended to ask a few questions to satisfy Old Yue's desire to show off and be a know-it-all. He was over fifty years old, yet still so childish; speechless.

Lunar New Year's eve.

Yue Buqun led the remaining disciples of the Huashan Sect to offer sacrifices to the founder of the Huashan Sect before they began to eat their New Year's Eve dinner.

After the meal, there were individual performances: female disciples sang and danced with swords, while male disciples demonstrated their sword skills and took the opportunity to be assessed.

Linghu Chong rarely came down from the Cliff of Contemplation, and as soon as he did, he ate and drank like a starving ghost. Patiently practicing swordsmanship was really not his forte; it was much more interesting to come down and chat and drink with his junior brothers.

Lu Ming also displayed a modified version of the Xi Yi Sword Technique. His speed was as fast as lightning, and his moves were perfectly natural. Just watching him made one's eyes sting. Unlike the other junior brothers' sword moves, which were like monkey shows, this was a true master!

The crowd clapped and cheered, for only by having a reference could they appreciate the exquisite nature of the Huashan School's martial arts, and thus gain the motivation and direction to catch up.

Many of the newly recruited female disciples were already flirting with him. Who could resist a senior brother who was both handsome and highly skilled in martial arts? They didn't ask to be his concubines; they would be willing to have even a brief moment of pleasure with him.

Yue Lingshan proudly raised her head, as if to say, "Come and praise me, this is my fiancé!"

After finishing his demonstration, he gripped his sword in reverse and said, "My fellow disciples, you're laughing too much. Master said that internal energy is fundamental, and techniques are secondary. Any exquisite technique without the support of internal energy is just a show. All my cultivation is taught by Master. If you all cultivate diligently in the future, you will surely become pillars of the Huashan Sect."

Old Yue was greatly pleased; he had taken on a very good disciple. It was worthwhile to pass on the Zixia Divine Skill to him, as it could only be taught to the sect leader, to prevent the martial arts manual from being leaked and becoming commonplace.

A diligent and studious disciple who also knows how to respect his teacher will soon become his son-in-law. Even though he is cunning, he still praised him highly.

"That's right. This is why I always have you practice swordsmanship diligently and cultivate your inner strength. Tomorrow's talent is exceptional, but you don't need to be discouraged. The Huashan Inner Strength Method is balanced and moderate, accumulating strength gradually before unleashing it. The more you progress, the stronger your power becomes. You all must continue to study and practice diligently in the future. Alright, that's enough for tonight. You may all disperse."

Lu Dayou was deeply moved. He glanced at his senior brother, who was engrossed in eating and drinking, and then at his junior brother, who was full of vigor. He thought to himself, "I'm sorry, senior brother, but junior brother is the future of the Huashan Sect. You can't compare to him."

In the early stages, as Linghu Chong's lackey, he harbored considerable hostility towards Lu Ming, repeatedly disrupting his time alone with Yue Lingshan. Looking back now, it was truly childish. Lu Ming helped the Huashan Sect eliminate demons, solidify its reputation, and consequently, his income increased significantly.

The disciples' monthly allowance has also increased from a few coins to one tael of silver. These are real changes, all brought about by Lu Ming. He's not stupid, and given Yue Lingshan's influence, switching allegiances is a natural thing for him.

There's a saying that goes, "When I achieve fame and success, great scholars will naturally come to debate the classics for me!"

Time flew by. He practiced the Dugu Nine Swords with Lu Xiaofeng and the others, and in his spare time, he would forage for wild vegetables with his senior sister Yue Lingshan, sharing sweet kisses. In the evenings, he would drink and chat with Lu Xiaofeng and the others, talking about everything under the sun, broadening his knowledge and understanding of the world.

Besides meeting Ning Zhongze and his wife, there were other considerations behind choosing the Huashan Sect.

The Huashan Sect isn't particularly strong; its disciples are mostly weaklings, with only Linghu Chong being somewhat noteworthy. This also means that he can distinguish himself through his innate talent and quickly acquire resources to improve himself.

Although the disciples are weak, their foundation is not. They possess the Huashan Heart Sutra Sword Technique (Level C), the Hunyuan Qi Gong and Xiyi Sword Technique and Yangwu Sword Technique (Level B), and the Zixia Divine Skill (Level A). Their prospects for advancement are broad, and their achievements are not low.

Not to mention the Dugu Nine Swords sect, which everyone insists on going to, and most importantly, the guaranteed senior sister as a wife. Such a good deal is just wishful thinking at Wudang, but going to the Beggars' Sect to find Kang Min? Are you kidding me?

While being a free spirit is certainly desirable, it comes with the added uncertainty of a nomadic life, making the Huashan Sect a more stable option.

Even if one were to join a sect like Wudang or the Beggars' Sect, which also possess top-tier martial arts, the competition for advanced skills would be fierce, given the large number of disciples.

Keep it simple; there's no need to make things complicated for yourself.

On the eve of their wedding, Yue Lingshan had been forbidden from seeing anyone again. While they could consummate their marriage every day after the wedding, that wasn't allowed now; basic etiquette had to be followed.

Stranded and with no other options, Yue Lingshan volunteered to help again when she heard that Hua Manlou's eye ailment was to be treated today. Her reason to Ning Zhongze was that the Hua family was the wealthiest in the world, and if they could cultivate a good relationship, it would greatly benefit the Huashan Sect. It would also allow her father to spend more time at Huashan instead of working so hard outside.

Ning Zhongze was speechless after hearing this. Considering that her senior brother hadn't been intimate with her for a long time, she thought it would be even better if he could stay on Mount Hua for a while longer. So, she softened and agreed.

After Yue Lingshan left, Yue Buqun came out from the back hall, stroking his beard and saying, "Junior Sister, forget it. Shan'er is grown up, let her have her own ideas. The Hua family is the wealthiest in the world, and having a branch of the family line is very beneficial to the Huashan Sect. The better her relationship with Ming'er, the better the Huashan Sect will have successors, and when we meet the ancestors of the Huashan Sect in the afterlife, we can hold our heads high and have a clear conscience."

Ning Zhongze's tightly furrowed brows gradually relaxed, and she said in a low voice, "Senior brother, it's been so long since we've had marital relations together."

These words caused Yue Buqun to frown deeply, and he rebuked her sternly, "Junior Sister, do you know that one cannot release one's primordial yang energy before mastering the Zixia Divine Skill? Now is a crucial moment, as the Five Mountains Sword Sects are to hold an alliance meeting this year to discuss the selection of the alliance leader. The Five Mountains Alliance Leader was lost from the Huashan Sect back then, and I am determined to reclaim it. How can you slack off at this time?"

After saying that, he turned and left, secretly regretting his impulsive actions back then. If only he had waited until he had achieved mastery of his cultivation before getting married, he wouldn't be stuck in this rut ​​now.

Ning Zhongze felt a pang of sorrow at what she was being told; she had no idea what was going on. Oh well, she, the heroine Ning, didn't necessarily need it. She only hoped that Shan'er would give birth to a child soon so she could help take care of the baby and avoid having any unfounded worries.