Treasure Found

Following Miejue, Gu Shao'an stepped onto the ascending stone steps. His pace was steady, but his gaze, between his composed strides, meticulously swept over every inch of the surrounding mountain scenery.

On both sides of the stone steps were forests that had endured wind and rain, yet appeared even more vigorous. The thick tree trunks resembled coiled dragons, and the mountain wind, no longer as stingy as it was at the foot of the mountain, carried the fragrance of grass and trees as it blew.

Compared to the precipitousness of Emei, Wudang's Heavenly Pillar Peak appeared much gentler, yet it exuded a grandeur and magnificence.

Occasionally, Wudang disciples descended the steps from the summit. Upon seeing Song Yuanqiao and the others, they quickly moved aside and bowed.

The atmosphere was also more lively.

Although the disciples coming and going were not necessarily outstanding in martial arts, they were full of spirit and vigor, giving people a sense of upward momentum.

This vigor did not stem from themselves, but rather from the Wudang Sect standing behind them.

This was one of the reasons why all factions in the martial world sought to climb higher and higher.

If the sect one belonged to was powerful enough, its disciples could also feel a sense of honor.

Looking around, the scenery on Wudang Mountain was entirely different from what he had seen at Emei.

However, the sense of prosperity emanating from the sect was something Emei lacked.

Of course, if it weren't for Song Qingshu's occasional glances, Gu Shao'an might have found the scenery on Wudang Mountain even better.

Upon entering the True Martial Grand Hall, among the Wudang Seven Heroes, Yu Lianzhou, ranked second, Zhang Songxi, ranked fourth, and Mo Shenggu, ranked seventh, were already present in the hall.

After scanning the few people, Miejue's gaze unconsciously drifted towards the statue of the True Martial Emperor in the hall.

On the wall behind the statue's left ear, a precious sword was conspicuously placed.

The hilt and scabbard were both in gold and silver colors, densely patterned, exuding wealth and distinction.

The sword, still in its scabbard, was inserted into the wall, with one foot and three inches of the scabbard embedded.

It was evident that someone with extremely profound inner force had forcefully driven the sword into the wall.

Noticing Miejue's gaze, Gu Shao'an also shifted his attention to the Heavenly Sword after a quick glance, his eyes flashing.

Initially, the reason Gu Shao'an joined Emei was not solely because of his golden perk, "Nun's Favor."

Across the entire Great Wei, while there weren't many experts who were both highly skilled and held the status of a master, there were some.

The most famous was undoubtedly Cihang Jingzhai, where, like Emei, the prerequisite for becoming the Sect Leader was to enter the monastic life.

Or perhaps the Mount Heng Sect of the Five Mountains Sword Sect, where almost all the disciples, from top to bottom, were nuns, which was also very suitable for Gu Shao'an.

However, after much consideration, Gu Shao'an decided to go to Emei.

The reason, besides the easier entry into Emei, was that Emei Sect also possessed profound martial arts.

These martial arts were hidden within the treasure map contained within the Heavenly Sword.

By following the treasure map, one could find the map to Peach Blossom Island, as well as the complete Nine Yin Manual and the Dragon Subduing Palm Technique buried by Huang Rong and Guo Jing on Peach Blossom Island.

If he could obtain these two skills, even without the ability to unlock achievement points through a lottery, Gu Shao'an believed that with diligent practice, he could secure a place in the martial world upon achieving success in the future.

Now, seeing the Heavenly Sword, Gu Shao'an naturally felt as if he were seeing a treasure before him.

However, in an instant, Gu Shao'an concealed his gaze and quietly stood behind Miejue.

A short while later, after both sides had exchanged greetings, and Miejue had taken her seat as a guest, Gu Shao'an stood behind her along with Zhou Zhiruo.

Quiet and well-behaved.

On the other hand, Song Qingshu, who had been unable to find an opportunity to speak with Zhou Zhiruo, appeared somewhat impatient.

This caused Song Yuanqiao to sigh inwardly, regretting his negligence in his guidance.

After Miejue had tasted the tea served by the Wudang disciples.

Song Yuanqiao finally spoke, "The letter that the Grandmaster sent previously proposed that Emei would like to spar and exchange with my Wudang disciples. I wonder if this exchange will still follow the usual method?"

Miejue put down her teacup and replied in a calm tone, "Naturally."

Hearing Miejue's response, Song Yuanqiao, without any suspicion, said to Zhang Songxi, "Fourth Martial Brother, go and select ten third-generation disciples to spar with Emei's esteemed disciples."

Zhang Songxi did not waste words. He rose, cupped his hands in a gesture of respect to Miejue, and quickly departed.

Miejue sat patiently on her chair, waiting.

However, her peripheral vision was repeatedly drawn to the Heavenly Sword, still deeply embedded in the wall.

Half an hour later, ten Wudang disciples were brought over by Zhang Songxi.

Song Yuanqiao stood up and gestured, "Grandmaster, please."

Led by Song Yuanqiao, they arrived at the training ground outside the True Martial Grand Hall.

As a top-tier faction, Wudang had thousands of disciples. The training ground, used for internal teaching, was naturally vast.

It had a diameter of a hundred zhang.

Within the training ground, tables and chairs were arranged side by side, and hundreds of Wudang disciples who had come to witness the spar were gathered around.

After Miejue and Song Yuanqiao and the others were seated, Mo Shenggu, ranked seventh among the Seven Heroes, stepped forward to officiate.

As an Emei disciple and a Wudang disciple stood in the center of the field, the atmosphere on the training ground instantly became solemn, with hundreds of gazes focused on the two individuals.

Mo Shenggu stood solemnly to the side and announced loudly, "As fellow righteous individuals of the martial world, we spar to exchange skills. Stop when the point is made."

After the two disciples nodded to each other, Mo Shenggu took two steps back.

As both sides completed their courtesies, the tall female disciple from Emei darted out first. Just as she was about to strike, she flicked her wrist, and her long sword let out a clear, resonant dragon's cry. The sword moved like flowing clouds, aiming straight for her opponent's wrist – it was the Flowing Cloud Swordplay from Emei Swordplay.

The Wudang disciple opposite her remained calm. Facing this swift sword strike, his footwork was unhurried. He shifted his body slightly, and as if a gentle breeze rustling willow branches, he evaded the sword's tip. In return, he unleashed "Child Worshipping Buddha" from Wudang Cotton Palm.

The palm strike was illusory and real, appearing to hit her left shoulder, but secretly containing a grappling follow-up.

The two separated and then closed in again, sword light and palm shadows intertwining. Within three to four moves, the Emei female disciple's sword momentum was deflected, her footing became unstable, and Zhang Songxi's fingertips lightly touched her Jianjing Acupoint.

Mo Shenggu shouted, "Stop! Wudang wins!"

Next, another robust disciple from Wudang stepped forward. Powerful and imposing, he displayed Wudang Long Fist, fighting steadily.

A female disciple from Emei, with agile swordplay, used skill to overcome strength. After thirty moves, she gained the upper hand with her nimble sword.

In the following matches, there were victories and defeats on both sides.

The Emei disciples, with their tricky swordplay and agile footwork, seized the initiative multiple times, often deciding the outcome within a few moves.

However, the Wudang disciples had solid foundations and long-lasting inner force. They were particularly adept at defense and neutralizing power. After stabilizing their footing in the later matches, they managed to turn the tide, relying on their deep heritage and the Taiji principles of using stillness to counter movement.

After watching several sparring matches, Gu Shao'an felt a slight shift in his thoughts.

"Indeed, in terms of heritage, Wudang still falls quite short."

The Wudang Sect had only been established for a few decades.

Its rise to become a top-tier force was entirely due to Zhang Sanfeng, the foremost martial artist of Great Wei.

Therefore, when it came to the strength of Wudang Sect's younger generation of disciples, it was not much different from that of the Emei disciples.

This was also why, after Zhang Sanfeng stopped descending the mountain frequently, the Wudang Sect often had to cooperate with fellow righteous sects like Shaolin and Emei in their various endeavors.

If it were Shaolin, or any other top-tier force in the Jianghu that had been passed down for hundreds of years, even with disciples of the same younger generation, it would be extremely difficult for Emei to win a single match.