Testing!

Gu Shao'an opened his eyes only after his meridians began to feel a slight discomfort, and he let out a long sigh.

"Finally, I've cultivated the first layer to the Perfection realm. It wasn't easy!"

Generally speaking, when a martial artist first begins to cultivate, their inner force is also like mist.

Only as their cultivation gradually deepens will the inner force become more solid, and simultaneously, the quality of the inner force will also change.

To achieve a change, Either, with the passage of time and the deepening of cultivation, one continuously compresses their inner force to make it more solid.

Or, like Gu Shao'an now, one cultivates their internal energy technique to an extremely high level, thereby causing the inner force to undergo a transformation.

Most martial artists in the Jianghu choose the former.

Just like Zhao Jingxuan, Ding Minjun, and Bei Jinyi.

They cultivated the first layer of the Emei Nine Yang Skill, and after reaching Great Accomplishment, they began cultivating the second layer of the Emei Nine Yang Skill.

It wasn't that they didn't want to, but they simply couldn't.

To cultivate an internal energy technique from Great Accomplishment to the Perfection realm, both talent and perseverance are indispensable.

The Jianghu is not short of stubborn individuals with high aspirations and inflated self-importance. If their talent isn't enough, they still want to forcibly cultivate their internal energy technique to the Perfection realm to build a solid foundation.

But the result is that after years of effort, they still fail to bring their cultivated internal energy technique to the Perfection realm, wasting several years for nothing.

Therefore, in this world, apart from those truly outstanding prodigies, ordinary people, after a brief attempt to experience the difficulty, will decisively give up and settle for cultivating their internal energy technique to the Great Accomplishment realm before moving on to the next layer.

But Gu Shao'an's situation was different; he had a cheat.

Naturally, Gu Shao'an's standards for himself were completely different.

If he had a cheat but couldn't become one of the most unique individuals, what would be the point of having it?

Therefore, during this past month, Gu Shao'an's focus, besides cultivating martial arts, was on the practice of the Emei Nine Yang Skill.

Gu Shao'an's mind moved, and he brought up his attribute panel.

[Player: Gu Shao'an]
[Constitution: Superior]
[Cultivation: Acquired Realm]
[Internal Energy Technique: Emei Nine Yang Skill First Layer (Perfection)]
[Martial Skills: Willow Leaf Swordplay (Mastered) - Current Proficiency: 1828, Sunset Swordplay (Beginner) - Current Proficiency: 408/500, Three Manifestations of the Divine Dragon (Beginner) - Current Proficiency: 485/500, Golden Summit Cotton Palm (Beginner) - Current Proficiency: 415/500.]
[Current Perks: Nun's Favor (Gold), Sudden Enlightenment (Gold), Drawing Sword Like a Rainbow (Purple)]
[Achievement Points: 987]

In one month, Gu Shao'an had reached the Beginner realm for the three martial arts that Abbess Miejue had taught him, and he was close to entering the "Proficient" realm.

Also, because the Willow Leaf Swordplay was far less profound and complex than the other three martial arts, he spent roughly the same amount of time cultivating it, yet he gained the most proficiency.

His gaze swept across the system panel, and seeing the results of his month's efforts, even Gu Shao'an couldn't help but nod with satisfaction, a sense of accomplishment rising in his heart.

Finally, glancing at his current Achievement Points, Gu Shao'an's eyes flashed.

After a month of effort, his Achievement Points were finally close to 1000.

However, Gu Shao'an didn't continue cultivating to earn the remaining Achievement Points. Instead, after a short rest, he picked up the wooden sword on the table and stood up.

This was because today was the one-month assessment period that Abbess Miejue had set for Gu Shao'an.

"I wonder if I can earn corresponding Achievement Points after passing my master's assessment."

As he stepped out of the room, this thought suddenly appeared in Gu Shao'an's mind.

Carrying his confidence, he walked all the way to Abbess Miejue's bamboo courtyard.

It seemed they also knew that today was the day Abbess Miejue would test Gu Shao'an. Zhao Jingxuan, Ding Minjun, Bei Jinyi, and Zhou Zhiruo all stopped what they were doing and gathered when they saw Gu Shao'an heading towards Abbess Miejue's bamboo courtyard.

They also wanted to see how much progress Gu Shao'an had made in his cultivation over the past month of staying secluded.

The courtyard gate was not closed. Abbess Miejue, who should normally be within the house or in the bamboo forest, was now in the courtyard, enjoying tea and reading.

Gu Shao'an knew that Abbess Miejue was waiting for him.

Although the gate was not closed, propriety could not be neglected. Gu Shao'an still stood at the entrance and bowed, saying, "Disciple greets Master."

Abbess Miejue raised her eyes, her gaze sweeping over the wooden sword in a scabbard on Gu Shao'an's left hand, and she chuckled inwardly.

Putting down her book, she slowly walked out of the bamboo courtyard. Zhao Jingxuan and the others also bowed in succession.

After casually waving her hand to signal them, Abbess Miejue looked at Gu Shao'an and asked, "Are you ready?"

Gu Shao'an nodded and said, "Please impart your teachings, Master!"

Abbess Miejue's plain robe fluttered without wind as she lightly leaped three zhang away, her eyes filled with anticipation. "Do your best, and let me see what you have learned in this month!"

"Disciple offends you."

Gu Shao'an wasted no words. He inserted the wooden sword, sheath and all, into the soft ground. Instantly, his inner force surged from his dantian. His toes touched the ground, his waist twisted, and with a burst of power, his entire body shot towards Miejue like a silver dragon breaking through the clouds.

This was from Three Manifestations of the Divine Dragon. The sudden burst of speed made Miejue's eyes light up.

Before Miejue could think further, Gu Shao'an had already reached her. His palms overlapped and pressed forward, suspended in the air. His palms seemed to caress a gentle breeze, or cradle willow catkins.

This was the opening stance of the Golden Summit Cotton Palm. His entire body's strength was condensed and stored within. It appeared as though his guard was wide open, but in reality, it was as soft as a water curtain, patiently waiting for the enemy to make the first move.

He was using his Qinggong to create distance, then employing the Cotton Palm in a defensive posture to lure Miejue into attacking!

Sensing Gu Shao'an's intention, Miejue chuckled inwardly but was not discouraged. Instead, she played along with Gu Shao'an's plan. She brought her fingers together like a sword and thrust out with Sunset Swordplay, aiming directly for Gu Shao'an's left shoulder.

Seeing this, Gu Shao'an's palms moved swiftly. Just as Miejue's sword-fingers were about to hit him, Gu Shao'an's pressing palms moved!

With his left foot as the pivot, he turned sideways. His right palm, which had been pressing forward, did not block directly. Instead, with indescribable flexibility, his wrist twisted inward like a nimble snake. His palm slightly concave, from bottom to top, it "slid" gently against the side of the fierce sword-finger!

This seemingly casual palm strike contained a special palm force. The moment Miejue's fingers touched Gu Shao'an's palm, they felt as if they had sunk into thick mud. The trajectory of her advance was bizarrely shifted downwards and outwards!

This was "Pine Breeze Sending the Moon," the only move in the Golden Summit Cotton Palm designed to deflect force.

Gu Shao'an's feet crossed, and as his inner force circulated, he simultaneously executed "Wind Dragon Without Traces" from Three Manifestations of the Divine Dragon.

His waist and legs slid smoothly, deflecting the force contained in Miejue's finger strike. Then, he suddenly moved forward, raising his palm to continue striking towards Miejue's abdomen.

By seamlessly combining the Golden Summit Cotton Palm and the Three Manifestations of the Divine Dragon, he had neutralized the force and offensive momentum of her finger strike, and immediately closed the distance to attack again.

His advances and retreats were well-timed, neither rushed nor slow.

Although Miejue's finger strike was merely a casual movement, using less than one-tenth of her strength, Gu Shao'an's application of the Three Manifestations of the Divine Dragon and the Golden Summit Cotton Palm in his defense far exceeded Miejue's expectations!