My Emei Sect Also Produces a Heavenly Prodigy

Miejue's words were blunt, and Gu Shao'an thought about it; it was indeed so.

Perseverance was never an easy thing.

Even for Gu Shao'an, if he didn't have the proficiency panel to visualize his cultivation progress, he wouldn't have been able to cultivate so engrossed for over a month.

A restless mind was human nature; those who could guard against a wandering heart and tame a wild spirit were few and far between.

"If one truly had extraordinary talent, that would be one thing, but there are thousands of martial artists in the world, most of whom are just ordinary."

"Even if one occasionally gains something, it's merely luck at that moment; perseverance is the true path."

"Thus, in the short term, one might not see any issues. In fact, by reducing the steps for nurturing inner force, the inner force origin won't be depleted, and cultivation progress might even improve."

"But they wouldn't know that today's cause leads to tomorrow's effect."

"Once the accumulation builds up over time, at best, the meridians will solidify, and the speed of inner force cultivation will plummet. At worst, the meridians will be damaged, and the Martial Path will come to an end."

"In the Jianghu, many who are over fifty years old and whose cultivation and strength are still only at the third-rate level are often burdened by their youthful eagerness for quick success and laziness."

Speaking of this, Miejue seemed to recall something and shook her head, saying, "Even I, in the past, was like this. I cast aside my Shifu's requirements, was eager for quick success, and became lax in nurturing my meridians."

"Otherwise, my cultivation wouldn't have stagnated for the past decade or so."

After a pause, Miejue suddenly looked at Zhou Zhiruo.

"Zhiruo, you are outwardly gentle but inwardly strong, and you've done very well with the tasks I've assigned."

"In cultivation, you also need to learn from your junior disciple. Never be complacent, or you will be like your Second Senior Sister and Third Senior Sister. Even when you reach thirty, it will be difficult to achieve Return to Innate and transform your inner force into true energy."

Miejue's disposition was proud. Now, by using herself as a negative example and revealing the mistakes she made in her youth in front of Gu Shao'an, it was evident how much Miejue valued Gu Shao'an and Zhou Zhiruo.

Zhou Zhiruo nodded, her face full of seriousness, and replied, "Zhiruo understands. Please don't worry, Shifu."

Gu Shao'an also responded with a solemn expression.

Looking at the two disciples before her, Miejue felt a surge of gratification.

Perhaps feeling inspired, Miejue suddenly asked if they had any confusion regarding their cultivation.

After Miejue finished instructing Zhou Zhiruo, Gu Shao'an also spoke up, asking about some issues he had encountered during his cultivation.

The proficiency panel and the Perk of Sudden Enlightenment only allowed Gu Shao'an to clearly see his cultivation progress; they didn't mean he could achieve enlightenment without a teacher.

Quite the opposite.

Furthermore, because the martial arts Gu Shao'an was cultivating were the three most advanced martial arts in the Emei Sect, he still encountered some problems or hypotheses in his cultivation that required verification from Miejue.

And the results did not disappoint Gu Shao'an.

As Gu Shao'an presented his doubts and hypotheses, Miejue would provide him with answers after a moment of thought.

Moreover, her explanations were extremely thorough, making one feel enlightened.

Noon.

Beside a dense forest.

While the horses rested, some disciples cut fresh grass from the ground to feed them.

As per the Elders' instructions, these disciples cut only the grass that was growing well and were forbidden from damaging the roots to avoid affecting subsequent growth.

This point alone demonstrated the caliber of the Emei Sect's disciples.

After Gu Shao'an ate some dry rations, he moved aside, drew his long sword, and began practicing his swordplay.

As Gu Shao'an gazed at his sword, which hummed with sword wind and began to show its momentum, Juechen and several other Emei Elders looked on with surprise.

Beside Miejue, Abbot Juechen looked at Gu Shao'an in the distance and couldn't help but exclaim in surprise, "I didn't expect that in just a month, Shao'an would have achieved such mastery in Sunset Swordplay."

Hearing Abbot Juechen's words, Miejue replied, "Although Shao'an's bone structure is only superior, his comprehension is something I've never seen before, comparable to the prodigies in the Jianghu."

"What's most commendable is Shao'an's disposition—calm and diligent. He will surely achieve great things in the future."

Juechen chuckled, "In that case, congratulations, Senior Sister. Our Emei has also produced a prodigy."

Miejue responded, "I must thank you, Junior Sister, for bringing me such an excellent disciple."

The two conversed happily, their gazes falling on Gu Shao'an, their hearts filled with hope.

With such a disciple, the future of the Emei Sect was promising.

Everyone initially thought Gu Shao'an was just practicing a little during the break, but they didn't expect him to continue for a full half hour.

This diligence caused the expressions of the Emei disciples, who were merely watching, to change gradually.

Especially after learning from several Elders about Gu Shao'an's daily arduous training in the back mountains as Miejue's personal disciple, the Emei disciples couldn't help but feel a sense of admiration for this junior disciple.

Since it was within the Emei Sect's jurisdiction, Jiading Prefecture's Jade Mountain City was not too far from the Emei Sect.

In just five days, everyone had arrived at Huai Mountain County, which was less than fifty miles away from Jade Mountain City.

At the East Gate, Zhou Zhiruo and Gu Shao'an followed behind Miejue.

Glancing at Miejue in front of her, Zhou Zhiruo lowered her voice and asked, "Junior Disciple, the sky is still early. Why aren't we heading directly to Jade Mountain City, but instead entering Huai Mountain County?"

Although Zhou Zhiruo's voice was very low, to Miejue, it was no different from speaking right next to her ear.

However, Miejue did not stop Zhou Zhiruo from asking and instead waited for Gu Shao'an's response.

"Mountain bandits have the most up-to-date information," Gu Shao'an said upon hearing this.

"If we go directly to Jade Mountain City, it will inevitably alert the bandits. If they manage to escape and hide, it will be troublesome to find them."

"I believe Shifu's original intention was for us to first set up camp here in Huai Mountain County, gather information, and only then proceed to Jade Mountain City once the situation is confirmed."

Zhou Zhiruo asked again, "Then why did Shifu instruct everyone to split up and disguise themselves before entering the city?"

Gu Shao'an thought for a moment. "Although we have a hundred people on this trip, apart from myself, everyone else is a woman. If we entered together, it would be too conspicuous."

"And bandits are cunning. If the bandits in Jade Mountain City also have informants here in Huai Mountain County, they would know our whereabouts in advance."

Listening to Gu Shao'an's response, Miejue, who was walking ahead, smiled even more.

She turned her head and looked at Gu Shao'an with satisfaction. "Shao'an's analysis is excellent! Zhiruo, remember, when venturing into the martial world, you cannot rely solely on passion. Otherwise, no matter how strong you are, you'll just be brave but foolish. You should learn more from Shao'an in this regard."

Zhou Zhiruo nodded. "Disciple understands."

Cloud Arrive Inn, second floor.

After the shop assistant who brought tea and snacks left, Gu Shao'an poured a cup of hot tea but didn't hand it to Miejue immediately.

Instead, he took out a packet of powder from his bosom, pinched a small amount, and put it into the tea, observing quietly.

Seeing Gu Shao'an suddenly add powder to the tea, both Miejue and Zhou Zhiruo looked puzzled.