Sudden Change

Seeing the prompt information before him, Gu Shao'an's heart leaped with joy.

The strength of a martial artist was never determined by inner force cultivation and the power of the martial arts they used alone.

It also depended on the martial artist's own application of inner force, the level of mastery over their martial arts, their weapons, combat experience, combat awareness, and so on.

Even when two individuals had the same inner force cultivation and mastery of martial arts, there would still be a difference in their fighting prowess.

What determined the outcome was combat awareness.

A lack of awareness meant that when facing an enemy, although one knew the moves, they didn't know when to use which move for the best effect.

At what timing the moves used would have the greatest impact on the enemy.

This was why, even after Gu Shao'an's several martial arts had reached the "Glimpse the Path" level, Miejue still said he lacked combat experience.

"I didn't expect to unlock combat awareness so early."

Gu Shao'an naturally understood the importance of combat awareness to a martial artist.

However, he had joined Emei too recently. During his more than a month on the mountain, he had been almost entirely devoted to cultivating inner force and martial techniques, barely sparring with Zhou Zhiruo and Zhao Jingxuan and the other Shijie.

His combat experience was practically zero, let alone accumulating enough to unlock combat awareness.

At this moment, one could see the immense benefit of having a dedicated and responsible Shifu.

If Miejue hadn't taken the opportunity tonight to teach and demonstrate on the spot with the three bandit leaders, even Gu Shao'an would have needed a considerable amount of time to unlock combat awareness.

Now, with combat awareness at the Entry Level, although it didn't directly increase Gu Shao'an's inner force or martial skills, it greatly boosted his combat strength.

A few breaths later, Gu Shao'an calmed his emotions and looked up, calling out loudly to Miejue, who was still subduing the three bandit leaders in the distance, "Shifu, your disciple is ready."

"Good."

Hearing Gu Shao'an's words, Miejue's eyes lit up, and she spread her arms.

After raising her arms above her ears, she brought them down with her palms, striking the heads of the First Leader and Second Leader respectively.

A terrifying force entered through their Tianling acupoints, causing both bandit leaders to spit blood and collapse, unable to rise.

Blood quickly seeped from their seven orifices, and they lost all signs of life.

Seeing his two brothers killed, the one-eyed Third Leader's eyes blazed with fury.

But in the next second, Miejue, who had just killed the two bandit leaders, flicked her long sleeve. The one-eyed Third Leader was immediately sent flying like he had been hit by a speeding carriage, soaring two zhang towards Gu Shao'an before crashing to the ground.

Understanding Miejue's intention, Gu Shao'an took a deep breath, circulated his inner force, and darted out like an arrow released from a bow.

For the past half an hour, Miejue had been toying with the three brothers like puppets, injuring but not killing them. The one-eyed Third Leader was already seething with rage.

Now, with his brothers dead and Miejue throwing him towards a child, the one-eyed Third Leader understood Miejue's intentions perfectly.

She clearly intended for him to be a practice dummy for this child.

"Old thief nun, if I can't kill you, I'll kill your disciple."

His ferocity unleashed, the one-eyed Third Leader quickly got up, raising his saber with a ferocious expression.

As the one-eyed Third Leader raised his saber, Gu Shao'an's eyes were like a deep, cold well.

The moment the one-eyed Third Leader's shoulder dipped slightly, Gu Shao'an moved. He leaped up violently, his five fingers gripping the hilt of his sword.

Zheng—

A clear, resonant sword cry rang out.

Gu Shao'an moved like a swimming dragon, his long sword emitting a cold, sharp light.

But this sword strike was no longer about pursuing the perfection or sharpness of the moves, as Gu Shao'an had done before.

Instead, it was launched the moment he caught the opponent raising his saber above his head, before the force had arrived and the saber momentum was formed.

The sword's shadow was like lightning. It transformed into a tricky, cold gleam, precisely stabbing three inches above his wrist, the hand holding the saber.

This was the critical juncture for his saber momentum.

This thrust was perfect in timing, location, and force.

Struck by this sword, the one-eyed Third Leader was startled. His arm instinctively retracted, and his wrist pressed down. The saber's edge hastily changed direction, shifting from a direct chop to an oblique slash.

Facing the incoming oblique slash, Gu Shao'an neither dodged nor evaded. He lightly raised his sword, turned his wrist, and his sword body moved in a smooth arc. Instead of a direct clash, it slid diagonally along the thickest upper spine of the saber's edge.

A continuous, lingering clinging force spread out like the afterglow of sunset, instantly entangling the saber.

"Hmm?" The one-eyed Third Leader felt his saber momentum sink into mud, its forward momentum abruptly slowed.

His heart screamed with alarm. Just as he was about to shout and pull his saber back for a counter-attack, Gu Shao'an, as if he had anticipated it, made his sword tip tremble and pull with utmost skill.

That clinging force guided the heavy saber in a strange, small arc, like the lingering charm of a setting sun.

The one-eyed Third Leader resisted this pull with all his might, and his burly body was uncontrollably pulled to Gu Shao'an's left, throwing him off balance.

It was precisely in this moment of unbalanced posture.

A flash of sword light erupted, like a great river surging forward, a stream of light formed by molten gold at sunset.

No longer clinging, it precisely stabbed at the sinew next to his right shoulder's Jianyu acupoint, which he could no longer defend in time due to his body's deflection.

This stab at the acupoint was not fatal, but it was enough to cripple his saber-wielding hand.

The one-eyed Third Leader's single eye widened in terror. It was too late to block the sword now; the only thing he could do was twist his body and try to evade Gu Shao'an's thrust.

But as fast as the Third Leader reacted, Gu Shao'an was faster.

As his inner force circulated, Gu Shao'an moved as if treading on sand. The sword's momentum followed the twist of his body, slashing diagonally.

The sword tip, with an incredibly precise rotation, exposed the unguarded space beneath his ribs.

The feeling was such that it was as if the Third Leader was actively seeking death, throwing himself towards Gu Shao'an's sword tip.

"H-how is this possible?"

As the blade entered his body, searing pain coursed through him. The Third Leader's eyes bulged, staring in utter astonishment at the little doll before him, who only reached his chest.

"Pfft."

"Ching."

But before he could think further, the blade left his body, trailing a spray of blood, and then, swift as lightning, it sliced across his neck.

[Ding, Congratulations to player for defeating the bandit leader, Achievement Points +50]

"Good."

At the same time, Miejue, who had taken in Gu Shao'an's entire sequence of actions, couldn't help but exclaim loudly.

Her voice carried a rare hint of excitement.

Gu Shao'an's application of Sunset Swordplay just now already possessed a degree of method and flexibility.

It was no longer as rigid as when he faced the mountain bandits at the beginning.

And this was only after Miejue had taught him once.

How could her prized disciple be so outstanding without Miejue feeling excited and pleased?

After killing the Third Leader, Gu Shao'an let out a long breath. While feeling pleased, he bowed deeply towards Miejue from a distance, "Thank you, Shifu, for your guidance."

Miejue nodded with a smile, then her gaze swept over Ding Minjun. Her expression froze for a moment before she spoke, "Minjun."

Hearing Miejue's voice, Ding Minjun immediately darted to a fire source and took out a bamboo tube from her embrace.

After lighting the fuse that ran down the tube, she held it high.

In the next instant, a stream of sparks shot out from the bamboo tube and soared into the sky, transforming into a brilliant firework.

"Whoosh~ Bang~"

However, just as the firework in the sky dissipated and the sky returned to darkness, another brilliant firework exploded in the air.

Seeing this, Miejue's expression changed.