Emei Has a Worthy Successor

The setting sun, like a drop of molten gold, sank into the depths of the sea of clouds. The layered peaks shed the starkness of daylight, their outlines stained an almost transparent reddish brown by the evening glow.

Before the bamboo courtyard, as Miejue continued her explanation, Gu Shao'an came to understand the foundations of a martial artist's cultivation.

At the end, Miejue also explained the changes that occurred once a martial artist's cultivation reached a certain level.

A martial artist first cultivated by opening their own meridians, allowing inner force to flow through them. The more meridians opened, the faster inner force circulated and the more of it could be accumulated.

Once inner force reached a certain level, it transformed, Returning to Innate, and became true qi, which could be projected outward to injure enemies from afar.

A step further, true qi liquefied and transformed into true essence.

After that, true essence gathered into astral force. So long as one's astral force remained unbroken, external enemies could hardly harm them.

Those capable of transforming true essence into astral force and using it to fend off enemies were already among the foremost experts of the martial world.

Beyond that lay the realm of Unity of Heaven and Man.

Yet for several centuries, no one had been heard of entering that realm.

Miejue herself had only managed to Return to Innate several years ago, transforming her inner force into true qi.

But with Miejue's talent, she likely would not be able in this lifetime to further transform her true qi into liquid.

This was no different from the settings in Gu Shao'an's game.

At that moment, Miejue spoke again.

"The six major realms I just mentioned are merely some obvious markers that appear when a martial artist's internal cultivation reaches a certain level. But there are too many factors that determine a martial artist's strength. The depth of one's cultivation, one's mastery of martial arts, and even one's weapon all determine how strong one is."

"If it is a battle to the death, one's temperament, reactions on the spot, and even the environment at the time may affect the outcome."

"Over the years, I have seen far too many cases where martial artists with deeper cultivation were still killed by those weaker than themselves."

"There are some special martial arts in the martial world, such as the Sword Drawing Art. Cultivating this martial art does not require powerful internal cultivation; what it requires is unwavering practice day after day for ten years. Once cultivated to the depths, the blade flashes as swiftly as lightning when drawn. Even martial artists who have Returned to Innate and condensed true qi may have their throats slit before they have time to react."

"Therefore, unless one's cultivation has reached a profound level, one must never underestimate anyone while traveling abroad. Even an inconspicuous beggar by the roadside must not be underestimated. Only by remaining vigilant at all times can one be safer."

Listening to Miejue's earnest instruction, Gu Shao'an nodded. "This disciple will remember it well."

Gu Shao'an understood all of what Miejue had said.

In the martial world, the truly dangerous things were never the enemies in plain sight, but the dangers hidden in the dark.

Seeing Gu Shao'an's solemn expression and knowing that he had taken her words to heart, Miejue glanced at the sky. "It is getting late. For the next few days, come to this Bamboo Hut after every meal. I will personally teach you how to cultivate."

"Thank you, Master."

Gu Shao'an nodded in reply, then turned and left beneath Miejue's watchful gaze.

Watching Gu Shao'an head toward his own Bamboo Hut, Miejue nodded in satisfaction.

She was becoming increasingly pleased with this disciple of hers.

"My Emei has a worthy successor."

After the servants cleared away the bowls and plates from the meal, Gu Shao'an returned to his Bamboo Hut and once again stirred the inner force within his body.

As his inner force circulated through his meridians once more, the discomfort from his afternoon cultivation was gone.

With that, Gu Shao'an sat cross-legged again and guided his inner force according to the Emei Nine Yang Skill.

Only after One Incense Stick Time did discomfort once again arise from his meridians.

As Gu Shao'an stopped cultivating, a notification appeared before him.

Meditated and cultivated for One Incense Stick Time. Achievement Points +5.

Glancing at the notification before him, Gu Shao'an willed it open.

Emei Nine Yang Skill First Level (Beginner): Proficiency: 58/100.

"I wonder how long it will take for the Emei Nine Yang Skill First Level to reach the perfected level?"

Internal cultivation methods differed from martial techniques.

Based on a cultivator's degree of mastery, martial techniques were divided into five levels: Beginner, Glimpse the Path, Ascend the Hall, Achieve Mastery, and Perfect Ease.

Internal cultivation methods, on the other hand, were divided into four levels: Beginner, Lesser Mastery, Greater Mastery, and Perfection.

The level of an internal cultivation method would not directly raise a martial artist's cultivation, but it could deepen their power and strengthen the might and special effects of their inner force.

For example, once the Emei Nine Yang Skill Gu Shao'an was cultivating reached the Beginner level, the source of his inner force would double, naturally making it far more abundant.

At the same time, abundant inner force could more easily open the acupoints and meridians within the body, allowing one's cultivation to enter higher realms.

A towering building rose from level ground. The deeper and more solid one's inner force, the steadier one's foundation would be.

Thus, for martial artists, the higher their mastery of internal cultivation methods, the greater the benefits.

Unfortunately, although Gu Shao'an's Sudden Enlightenment was also effective on internal cultivation methods, accumulating inner force could not be faked. It could only be gathered bit by bit.

Unless he could draw something good from Achievement Point lotteries later on, even Gu Shao'an could only cultivate step by step.

"What a pity the pay-to-win feature hadn't been added back then. Otherwise, if I'd made a pay-to-win ability, I could have robbed the rich to help the poor a few times and quickly raised my strength."

Thinking of the items in the pay-to-win shop from his design, Gu Shao'an felt so pained that he could barely breathe.

After a while, Gu Shao'an dispelled the frustration in his heart and checked the Achievement Points he had accumulated over the past few days.

Current Achievement Points: 101.

"Looks like I still need to find a way through Achievement Point lotteries."

Since it was a game setting, the methods and amounts for obtaining Achievement Points naturally varied.

The Achievement Points gained through martial arts cultivation were considered relatively few.

That much was clear from the thousand Achievement Points he had received directly for becoming Miejue's disciple.

Gu Shao'an had only just joined Emei, and his strength was insufficient. Naturally, he could not descend the mountain and involve himself in the struggles between those great figures and experts.

Unable to descend the mountain, there were extremely few ways for him to quickly gain a large number of Achievement Points, but that did not mean there were none.

Having made up his mind, Gu Shao'an rose to his feet, took the wooden sword Zhou Zhiruo had given him several days ago, and walked into the courtyard outside.

But Gu Shao'an's bamboo courtyard was not very large. After considering it, he carried the wooden sword to the open ground outside the bamboo courtyard.

The moonlight was bright and clear, draping the entire back mountain in a layer of gauze.

Standing beneath that moonlight, one did not feel the slightest darkness. Instead, it possessed a hazy beauty absent in daylight.

Planting his feet firmly, Gu Shao'an gently closed his eyes. After concentrating and reviewing Willow Leaf Swordplay, he raised the wooden sword in his hand.

As the sword swept through the air, a humming sound like the buzz of bees in flight rang out with the wooden blade's passage.

As the wooden sword danced, Gu Shao'an's inner force slowly emerged from his dantian and began circulating through his body according to the mental method of Willow Leaf Swordplay.

Yet the circulation of his inner force was exceedingly slow.

But as time passed, its circulation gradually became smoother.

As his inner force flowed through specific meridians and acupoints, stimulated by that inner force, the Sword Moves in Gu Shao'an's hand gradually began to change.