Assessment!

Only after his meridians began to feel slightly uncomfortable did Gu Shao'an open his eyes and let out a long breath.

"Finally, I've cultivated the First Level to perfection. That wasn't easy!"

Generally speaking, when martial artists first began cultivating, their inner force resembled mist.

Only as their cultivation gradually deepened would their inner force become more solid, while its quality also changed.

There were two ways to bring about such a change.

One was to steadily compress one's inner force as time passed and one's cultivation grew deeper, making it increasingly condensed.

The other was to cultivate one's internal cultivation method to an extremely high level, as Gu Shao'an had done, thereby causing one's inner force to undergo a transformation.

Most martial artists in the martial world chose the former.

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

After cultivating the Emei Nine Yang Skill First Level to Greater Mastery, they began cultivating the Emei Nine Yang Skill Second Level.

It was not that they did not want to continue, but that they truly could not.

To cultivate an internal cultivation method from Greater Mastery to perfection required both talent and perseverance.

There was no shortage in the martial world of stubborn fools with aspirations as lofty as the heavens, who thought highly of themselves. Despite lacking sufficient talent, they still wanted to forcibly cultivate their internal cultivation methods to perfection and forge a solid foundation.

Yet after striving for years, they still failed to bring their internal cultivation methods to perfection.

They simply wasted several years of their lives.

Thus, aside from those truly gifted Heavenly Prides, ordinary people would decisively give up after making a few attempts and experiencing the difficulty for themselves. They would settle for cultivating their internal cultivation methods to Greater Mastery before moving on to the next level.

But Gu Shao'an was different. He had cheats.

Naturally, Gu Shao'an held himself to entirely different standards as well.

If I had cheats and still couldn't become one of that rare, exceptional few, then what would be the point of having them?

Therefore, over the past month, aside from practicing martial techniques, Gu Shao'an had focused primarily on cultivating the Emei Nine Yang Skill.

With a thought, Gu Shao'an brought up his attribute panel.

Player: Gu Shao'an

Bone Structure: Excellent

Cultivation: Acquired Realm

Internal cultivation method: Emei Nine Yang Skill First Level (Perfection)

Martial techniques: Willow Leaf Swordplay (Achieve Mastery)—Current proficiency: 1828; Sunset Swordplay (Glimpse the Path)—Current proficiency: 408/500; Three Manifestations of the Divine Dragon (Glimpse the Path)—Current proficiency: 485/500; Golden Summit Cotton Palm (Glimpse the Path)—Current proficiency: 415/500.

Current traits: Nun's Favor (Gold), Sudden Enlightenment (Gold), Drawing Sword Like a Rainbow (Purple)

Achievement Points: 987

Over the course of a month, Gu Shao'an had brought all three martial arts Miejue had taught him into the Glimpse the Path realm, and they were nearly at the Ascend the Hall realm.

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

His gaze swept across the system panel. Looking at the fruits of his efforts over the past month, even Gu Shao'an could not help nodding in satisfaction as a faint sense of accomplishment rose within him.

Finally, Gu Shao'an's eyes flashed as he looked at his current Achievement Points.

A month of effort had finally brought his Achievement Points close to one thousand.

Yet Gu Shao'an did not continue cultivating to earn the remaining points. After resting briefly, he picked up the wooden sword on the table and rose to his feet.

Today was the day of the one-month assessment Miejue had previously set for him.

I wonder if passing Master's assessment will earn me Achievement Points as well.

This thought suddenly surfaced in Gu Shao'an's mind as he stepped out of his room.

Full of confidence, he made his way to Miejue's bamboo courtyard.

Apparently knowing that today was the day Miejue would assess Gu Shao'an, Zhao Jingxuan, Ding Minjun, Bei Jinyi, and Zhou Zhiruo all stopped what they were doing and gathered over when they saw him heading toward Miejue's bamboo courtyard.

They too wanted to see how much progress Gu Shao'an had made after a month of keeping to himself and cultivating.

The courtyard gates were not closed. Miejue, who usually moved only between her room and the bamboo grove, was now sitting in the courtyard, drinking tea and reading.

How could Gu Shao'an not know that Miejue was waiting for him?

Though the gates were open, courtesy could not be neglected. Gu Shao'an still stood at the entrance and bowed. "This disciple greets Master."

Miejue raised her eyes and glanced at the sheathed wooden sword in Gu Shao'an's left hand, smiling inwardly.

After setting down her book and slowly walking out of the bamboo courtyard,

Zhao Jingxuan and the others also bowed in greeting.

With a casual wave of her hand, Miejue looked at Gu Shao'an. "Are you ready?"

Gu Shao'an nodded. "Please instruct me, Master!"

Abbess Miejue's plain robes stirred without wind. With a light leap, she landed three zhang away, anticipation in her eyes. "Give it your all. Let your master see what you have learned this month!"

"This disciple begs forgiveness for the offense."

Gu Shao'an wasted no words. He thrust the wooden sword, sheath and all, into the soft ground. Inner force surged from his dantian in an instant. His toes tapped the earth, his waist twisted, and he launched himself like a silver dragon piercing through clouds, charging straight at Miejue.

This was the explosive speed of Three Manifestations of the Divine Dragon, and it made Miejue's eyes light up.

Before Miejue could think further, Gu Shao'an had already reached her. His palms overlapped before him in an empty press, suspended over the air as though caressing a breeze or supporting drifting willow fluff.

It was the opening stance of Golden Summit Cotton Palm. The force throughout his body was heavy and contained within; he seemed wide open, but was in truth soft as a curtain of water, quietly waiting for his enemy to strike first.

He had actually used his movement technique to create distance, then assumed a defensive stance with the Cotton Palm, luring Miejue into attacking!

Sensing Gu Shao'an's intentions, Miejue smiled inwardly. Yet she did not spoil his fun. Instead, following his design, she joined two fingers into a sword and thrust out with Sunset Swordplay, aiming straight for Gu Shao'an's left shoulder.

Seeing this, Gu Shao'an's hands turned and shifted. At the instant before Miejue's sword fingers reached him, his empty-pressing palms moved!

Using his left foot as an axis, he turned halfway to the side. His right palm did not meet the attack head-on. Instead, with indescribable suppleness, his wrist twisted inward like a nimble serpent, his palm slightly hollowing as it slid upward with extreme gentleness along the side of those fierce sword fingers!

Though the palm strike seemed casual, it contained a peculiar force. The moment Miejue's fingers touched Gu Shao'an's palm, they seemed to sink into a thick mire, their trajectory strangely shifting downward and outward!

This was the sole force-dispersing move in Golden Summit Cotton Palm, Pine Breeze Sending the Moon.

Gu Shao'an's feet crossed as his inner force circulated, and he simultaneously used Wind Dragon Leaves No Trace from Three Manifestations of the Divine Dragon.

His waist and legs glided lightly. After deflecting the force contained in Miejue's finger strike, he suddenly surged forward, raising his palm to strike at her abdomen again.

Using Golden Summit Cotton Palm and Three Manifestations of the Divine Dragon in seamless coordination, he neutralized the force and attack within her strike, then immediately closed in to attack again.

His advances and retreats were measured, neither hurried nor slow.

Though Miejue's strike had been casual and contained less than one percent of her strength, Gu Shao'an's handling of it—and the mastery he displayed over Three Manifestations of the Divine Dragon and Golden Summit Cotton Palm—far exceeded Miejue's expectations!