Inner force was the foundation of a martial artist. Once something went wrong with it, one's strength would suffer at best; at worst, one's path in martial arts would be severed, making further progress in internal cultivation impossible for life.
Therefore, unless the internal cultivation method one practiced was special, a sudden surge in inner force caused by external means was no different from pulling up seedlings to help them grow.
But Cultivation Cards were different.
Even if Gu Shao'an used a Cultivation Card to increase his cultivation by twenty years, that inner force was as though he had painstakingly cultivated it himself, bit by bit. It had no effect whatsoever on his foundation.
Moreover, apart from raising Gu Shao'an's strength, this tremendous increase in cultivation would also greatly benefit his future training.
Once Gu Shao'an obtained the subsequent portions of the Emei Nine Yang Skill, his profound inner force would make his progress in cultivating the internal method feel divinely assisted.
For a moment, Gu Shao'an felt like a poor man who had become rich overnight, repeatedly savoring the sensation of vigorous inner force surging through him like a river.
Only after his body had fully adjusted to the explosively increased inner force did Gu Shao'an finally calm down.
After pondering for a moment, Gu Shao'an circulated his inner force once more according to the first-layer route of the Emei Nine Yang Skill.
As his inner force stirred, he unexpectedly sealed two of the two meridians and two vessels among the Three Meridians and Three Vessels he had just opened.
Most of his inner force also retreated into his dantian, leaving only a thin trickle flowing through his meridians.
This sudden appearance of twenty years' worth of cultivation was far too suspicious. It would not matter when facing outsiders, but before elders of the Emei Sect such as Miejue, Gu Shao'an would have no good way to explain it.
Furthermore, Gu Shao'an had only recently joined Emei. Normally, he remained at Miejue's side or with the people of the Emei Sect, and if danger arose, it would not be his turn to charge in first.
Since that was the case, rather than deceive them with lies now, he might as well conceal it for the time being.
In daily life, he would continue presenting the same inner force as before. In a crisis, he could simply lift the seal when the moment called for it. That would instead become Gu Shao'an's greatest trump card.
After all, when making one's way in the world, it was only natural to be a little underhanded sometimes!
Then Gu Shao'an's thoughts shifted to his Emei Nine Yang Skill.
Not long before descending the mountain, Gu Shao'an had only just received the second layer of the Emei Nine Yang Skill. It would be inappropriate to ask Miejue for the subsequent techniques again so soon.
"Looks like I can only keep cultivating with the second layer to accumulate inner force. Once we return to Emei, I'll ask Master for the subsequent techniques."
Gu Shao'an understood why Miejue only taught the Emei Nine Yang Skill one layer at a time.
As the saying went, teachings were not lightly passed on, much less the Emei Nine Yang Skill, the Emei Sect's most advanced internal cultivation method.
In other sects, there might even be rules stating that the highest-level internal cultivation method could only be passed down to the sect leader.
Miejue was already exceptionally generous to teach this martial art directly to every disciple.
Having considered the situation ahead, Gu Shao'an gathered his thoughts and closed his eyes once more, immersing himself in cultivation.
No one understood better than Gu Shao'an just how treacherous and turbulent the martial world would become ten years from now.
Even Miejue could only be considered second-rate when looking across the entire martial world, much less Gu Shao'an, whose cultivation still fell far short of hers.
His sudden increase in cultivation was certainly worth celebrating, but Gu Shao'an would not suddenly become arrogant because of it.
In Gu Shao'an's heart, he had merely taken another great step along the long road of martial arts. He was still nowhere near reaching the heavens in a single step.
He was far from qualified to be complacent.
The strong remained strong because of their hearts. If one's will was too weak even to persevere or work diligently over the long term, how could one speak of climbing ever higher, standing atop the highest peak, and looking down upon all mountains below?
Lesser Heat.
The sky was as stifling as an overturned steamer, the thick summer heat pressing heavily into every inch of space. The shrill cries of cicadas pierced the stagnant curtain of heat without end, making the air even more irritating.
Thirty li outside Yunyang Prefecture, several dust-covered carriages and a group of Emei disciples on horseback hurried along the official road.
"Sect Leader, Wudang is just ahead."
At that moment, Juechen's voice suddenly reached the carriage.
Miejue kept her eyes closed and gave an indifferent "Mm."
Zhou Zhiruo, however, lifted the carriage curtain with some anticipation and looked outside.
Gu Shao'an tilted his head slightly and looked into the distance, where he too saw Wudang Mountain.
In this scorching heat, the rolling Wudang Mountains resembled a crouching azure dragon, stretching its majestic yet austere frame amid the fierce heat of Lesser Heat in July.
Layer upon layer of peaks rose and fell, while deep valleys and secluded ravines lay hidden amid endless dark-green foliage.
The foremost main peak stood lonely, steep, and extraordinary, like a giant rafter thrusting straight into the blue heavens. Thin, gauzy clouds and mist curled around it, and even beneath the blazing sunlight, it carried a hint of ethereal, otherworldly aura.
Compared to the Emei Mountains, it lacked some of their perilous steepness but possessed a greater sense of grandeur.
It could indeed be called a blessed land of Daoism.
After the Emei party continued several more li along the official road, Gu Shao'an, aided by his greatly enhanced eyesight, spotted a group of Wudang disciples waiting at the foot of Wudang Mountain.
Once the carriages came to a halt, Miejue, who had been resting with her eyes closed all along, finally spoke. "Get out."
At her words, Gu Shao'an and Zhou Zhiruo followed Miejue.
After getting down from the carriage, the two stayed close behind Miejue as she led Juechen and the other elders and disciples of the Emei Sect toward the Wudang disciples at the mountain's foot.
When Miejue drew near, a middle-aged man standing guard among the group at the foot of the mountain stepped forward. His face was resolute, and his gaze upright and firm.
"Shitai."
A smile appeared on Miejue's face as she returned the greeting. "Sect Leader Song."
Gu Shao'an raised his brows slightly. How could he not know this man's identity?
He was none other than Zhang Sanfeng's foremost disciple, the leader of Wudang's second generation of disciples, and Wudang's current acting sect leader, Song Yuanqiao.
"Little Sister Zhiruo."
Just after the two had exchanged greetings, a youth of seventeen or eighteen beside Song Yuanqiao spoke eagerly, drawing Gu Shao'an and everyone else's attention.
Yet before Zhou Zhiruo could respond, Song Yuanqiao, standing before Miejue, darkened.
"Nonsense! How can you be so disrespectful before Shitai?"
The stern rebuke immediately made the youth stop the foot he had been about to step forward with.
But his gaze remained fixed on Zhou Zhiruo, unable to move away.
After rebuking the youth, Song Yuanqiao said apologetically, "My son has been rude. I hope Shitai will not take offense."
Seeing this, Gu Shao'an also guessed the other party's identity.
Song Yuanqiao's only son, Wudang's foremost third-generation disciple, Song Qingshu.
Yet Song Qingshu was already eighteen and would reach adulthood in another two years, while Zhou Zhiruo was only eleven, even a month younger than Gu Shao'an.
But girls matured early and developed faster than boys by nature.
Although Zhou Zhiruo was still young, her delicate features already bore the traces of beauty, her peerless looks beginning to emerge.
Beauty lay not only in the skin, but in the bones.
Most rare of all was the gentle, graceful air of Jiangnan's water towns about Zhou Zhiruo, making her feel even more distinctive.
Noticing Song Qingshu's gaze, Gu Shao'an frowned lightly, then shifted sideways and stepped in front of Zhou Zhiruo.
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