This is the true immortal of the Taoist sect.

This swordsmanship left everyone present speechless with astonishment.

Even the fourth-level martial arts master who came from the government office was no exception.

He can also capture weapons remotely if he gets close enough.

But to be able to capture a weapon remotely and make it so powerful that it can even turn a corner is something even a fifth-level minor grandmaster probably couldn't do.

He didn't know whether a sixth-realm grandmaster was feasible.

However, Wang Jingshu was clearly not a sixth-realm grandmaster...

Wang Jingshu reached out and grasped the sword that had never been stained with a drop of blood, and her eyes changed completely.

She became calm and stern, losing all trace of girlish softness.

Judging from her complexion and her heavy breathing, the attack she just used had clearly taken a huge toll on her health.

Yiru Sword was a spiritual sword that Li Daoxuan tailored for her using the Taiyi Xuanhuang Cauldron. The sword's blade was engraved with talismans drawn with Wang Jingshu's heart's blood, and it was inherently connected to Wang Jingshu's mind.

With the addition of the Sword Sutra, she was already able to use techniques similar to those of a sword immortal who could control their sword to kill enemies.

However, with her current cultivation level and primordial spirit strength, using such a method would be too taxing, so Wang Jingshu wouldn't dare to use it lightly unless in a critical situation.

After she used this technique, the bandits around her looked at her with fear in their eyes.

Because this sword technique was beyond the comprehension of ordinary people, they no longer had the courage to fight Wang Jingshu.

The situation that followed almost no longer required Wang Jingshu's intervention.

It was tantamount to a massacre.

After the sun had completely set, Ye Tongzhou ordered the execution of all the more than one hundred bandits in the mountain stronghold.

That very night, they dug a huge pit outside the mountain stronghold and buried them all together.

The bandit-suppression army rested in the mountain stronghold and held a small victory celebration banquet using the supplies left by the bandits in the stronghold.

Wang Jingshu was undoubtedly the star of this celebration banquet.

Everyone present had witnessed Wang Jingshu's performance firsthand, and no one would ever treat her as a teenage girl again.

In his words, a sense of respect unconsciously crept in.

After resting overnight in the mountain village, the team continued their journey.

There's more than one gang of bandits in these mountains.

There are at least three bandit groups located near Anyi County. Now that they're here, Ye Tongzhou plans to wipe them all out in one fell swoop.

The next morning, Wang Jingshu, who had been sitting quietly on a large rock inside the mountain stronghold all night, slowly opened her eyes.

There was a hint of surprise in his eyes.

"Am I... in a meditative state?"

Wang Jingshu murmured.

This was the first time she had truly experienced what it meant to enter a state of tranquility since she became Li Daoxuan's disciple three years ago.

That feeling of extreme mental stillness, yet incredibly active spirit, is truly subtle.

It felt as if everything around me was under my control.

She could hear even the smallest mosquito flapping its wings a few meters away.

But this extreme sensitivity does not shake her mind. Even if the outside world is as violent as thunder, she can always remain steadfast and unmoved.

After emerging from her meditative state, Wang Jingshu came to her senses, and even she found it somewhat unbelievable.

After becoming an apprentice, she tried countless times, but never succeeded. For this reason, her master even created the Yiru Sword Sutra, which uses dynamic exercises for cultivation.

Unexpectedly, after a day of fighting and witnessing the most brutal deaths, she succeeded naturally.

Moreover, the sitting meditation and guiding method that her master had taught her long ago naturally merged with her Yiru Sword Sutra.

It truly became a swordsmanship technique that balanced movement and stillness.

This caused Wang Jingshu's magical power to increase dramatically overnight.

Moreover, her magic power also contains a wisp of extremely sharp sword energy.

This characteristic might not enhance her ability to use talismans, but it gives her extremely strong destructive power.

It can make her swordsmanship even more powerful.

After a night of quiet contemplation, Wang Jingshu had gained some insight.

Only after experiencing great setbacks can a person truly embark on the path of spiritual cultivation.

He finally understood why he and his brother had never been included in the master's genealogy and thus could not enter the Daoist path.

After thinking it through, Wang Jingshu felt quite emotional.

For the Taoist sect to truly grow strong, it is extremely difficult.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

After more than ten days of trekking through the mountains, the two mountain villages were completely uprooted.

During this time, Wang Jingshu and Ye Sanniang spent every day together, and their relationship grew closer and closer.

Ye San Niang was experienced in the martial arts world, and under her guidance, Wang Jing Shu avoided a lot of unnecessary trouble.

Wang Jingshu is powerful and has a renowned teacher like Li Daoxuan to guide her. She can also occasionally give Ye Sanniang pointers on her training.

The two of them thus established a rare friendship.

The first two mountain strongholds were not large in number or quality, and did not encounter much hindrance.

But this last stop was quite different.

When the bandits in the mountain stronghold noticed the arrival of the government troops, they did not close their doors to defend themselves, but instead took the initiative to attack.

This band of mountain bandits was quite powerful, and many of the bandits in the stronghold even wore armor.

It should be noted that although the Great Zhao Dynasty did not prohibit civilians from possessing weapons, privately possessing armor was an indisputable capital offense.

Moreover, these bandits possessed dozens of suits of armor, which was not just a capital offense, but a serious crime punishable by the extermination of nine generations of their families.

Without any probing, the two sides clashed directly.

This battle was far more brutal than the previous two.

Among the bandits was a fourth-level Grand Martial Master, whose strength was considered extremely formidable even among fourth-level Grand Martial Masters.

It is even highly likely that they have reached the threshold of the fifth realm.

The fourth-level martial arts master from the government office only exchanged a few blows with the other party before being struck in the chest by a long spear, severely injuring him and causing him to vomit blood. He was no longer able to fight.

Ye Tongzhou was greatly alarmed upon seeing this and immediately mobilized his troops to besiege the enemy.

After the bandit leader severely wounded a government official with a single shot, he set his sights on Ye Tongzhou, who was the commander-in-chief.

Seeing that he was wearing standard armor of the Great Zhao army and riding a fine warhorse, with an extraordinary demeanor and superb martial arts skills, Ye Tongzhou guessed that the other party was very likely a fierce general in the army, and wondered why he had become an outlaw.

So he spoke:

"Chief, stop! Please hear me out..."

Upon hearing this, the bandit leader pointed his longsword directly and shouted sharply:

"What are your last words, corrupt official?"

Ye Tongzhou steadied himself and said loudly:

"I observe that the chieftain is exceptionally brave and skilled in martial arts; he must have once been a formidable general."

"Although I do not know why the chieftain became an outlaw, I would like to advise him not to make another mistake."

"If the chieftain is willing to lay down his weapons and surrender the entire village, I am willing to petition the court to grant him permission to join the Great Zhao border army and serve the nation."

"His future achievements, high rank, and appointment as prime minister are just around the corner..."

Before Ye Tongzhou could finish speaking, the bandit leader burst into wild laughter:

"Hahahaha... Serving the nation? Making meritorious contributions? Being ennobled and appointed prime minister?"

"Bah... This court that eats people alive without spitting out the bones, does it even deserve to be called one?"

Ye Tongzhou's heart skipped a beat, and he knew something was wrong.

The other party's reaction must mean they have been treated extremely unfairly.

He tried to persuade him again, but the bandit leader had already become impatient.

"Enough with the nonsense. Since you dared to come today, be prepared to die..."

"Kill them..."