This is eleven years old?

On the training grounds, watching Gu Shao'an's strike with the sword still in its sheath, many Wudang disciples sensed something was amiss, their expressions suddenly solemn.

When they imagined themselves in Song Qingshu's position opposite Gu Shao'an, some Wudang disciples realized that if they were facing Gu Shao'an's lightning-fast move, they wouldn't know how to respond.

Upon realizing this, the surprise in their eyes as they looked at Gu Shao'an was undeniable.

Where was the slightest trace of their earlier disdain?

But compared to the surrounding Wudang disciples, Song Yuanqiao, Zhang Songxi, and Mo Shenggu were not much better off.

The astonishment on their faces was almost visible to the naked eye.

With their discerning eyes, how could they not see that what Gu Shao'an displayed was far more than just exquisite swordsmanship? It was a mastery of power flow, force conversion, and timing that had reached the pinnacle.

His sword momentum was like an extension of his arm, unimpeded, with his strength and gentleness at his will, perfectly honed.

It was far more powerful than when he used palm techniques against Zhang Yuting previously.

However, if anyone was the most surprised, it was Abbess Miejue.

Watching Gu Shao'an's sword moves, smooth and natural, like the gentle sway of willow catkins, her gaze clearly paused for a moment.

Deep within her calm, unruffled eyes, a wave of unseen turmoil surged.

But in an instant, a hint of joy quickly spread across Miejue's eyes.

"In just over two months, he's cultivated the Willow Leaf Swordplay to a state of perfection. Shao'an's talent is even greater than I imagined."

Compared to Miejue and the others, Song Qingshu's pupils constricted at this moment.

His arrogant and dismissive expression froze on his face as an extremely dangerous aura washed over him!

He had never expected the sword momentum of an eleven-year-old child to be so swift!

In his haste, he could no longer afford to maintain his composure.

He immediately lowered his left arm, drawing his left leg back, and with a twist of his right shoulder, his sword, accompanied by a clear dragon's roar, was drawn from its sheath.

"Clear Sound of Secluded Charm!"

The sword light was cool and clear, like the sound of a secluded spring flowing through a mountain stream.

Song Qingshu rapidly swept his long sword upwards, the blade precisely parrying the end of the sword sheath that was smashing towards him.

"Clang—"

A dull, teeth-grinding clash of metal exploded.

Song Qingshu felt a force even stronger than his own surge along the sword, making his sword-wielding right arm instantly numb, and his blood and energy momentarily stagnated.

He staggered back three steps before he could fully absorb the force.

The moment he stabilized himself, Song Qingshu's eyes widened, and he cursed inwardly.

"This is eleven years old? Is this the strength an eleven-year-old child should possess?"

Gu Shao'an chuckled inwardly as he took in Song Qingshu's horrified reaction.

Before a martial artist achieves the Return to Innate stage, their inner force has not yet transformed into true energy and cannot leave the body.

Even when inner force is circulated to complement martial arts, it merely makes the techniques faster and imbues them with stronger force.

Although Gu Shao'an had not yet used the twenty years of stored power within him, because he had cultivated the second level of the Emei Nine Yang Skill to perfection, his inner force had condensed into threads, reaching extreme purity.

It was in no way inferior to Song Qingshu, who had cultivated for a few more years.

As for raw strength, with the Perk "Drawing Sword Like a Rainbow" and the strengthening of his bones and muscles by the Bodhi Exquisite Pill, Gu Shao'an's physique was far stronger than ordinary people.

In terms of sheer strength, he was not inferior to Eldest Senior Sister Zhao Jingxuan.

How could Song Qingshu possibly compare?

With this disparity, Song Qingshu's so-called advantage was merely a joke in Gu Shao'an's eyes.

Before Song Qingshu could steady himself and recover his breath, Gu Shao'an's second move arrived.

His figure appeared out of nowhere on Song Qingshu's retreating path like a phantom, as if he could predict the future. It was still the unsheathed long sword, but the technique had changed!

The sword momentum shifted from fierce to clinging, no longer a heavy smash but like countless drifting willow catkins, transforming into layers of overlapping light and shadow.

Seemingly soft and powerless, it blocked all of Song Qingshu's escape routes!

The ubiquitous afterimages of the sword sheath ceaselessly wrapped around Song Qingshu's vital points!

Song Qingshu was both shocked and enraged, his heart burning, and he shouted.

He immediately unleashed "Turbid Jing, Clear Wei!" from the Wudang Clear Breeze Swordplay.

His blade sliced through the air, his sword spinning rapidly, the sword light splitting, attempting to forcefully push away the surrounding "willow waves," clearing a space.

However, Gu Shao'an's sword momentum was like a persistent scar, the dense afterimages of the sword sheath seeming to cling to Song Qingshu's sword light.

As the blade met the sheath, each contact produced dense, muffled thuds.

Song Qingshu felt an incredibly strong clinging force from the opponent's sword. His "Turbid Jing, Clear Wei" failed to push away the entanglement as expected; instead, it felt like sinking into quicksand.

What shocked him even more was that the force transmitted with each collision was becoming difficult for him to handle.

Song Qingshu forcefully calmed his mind, suppressing the panic that had quietly risen in his heart, and his sword momentum suddenly changed! He shifted from offense to defense!

The sword's momentum abruptly shifted to a pure, balanced, and harmonious style. Its light, like clear water, shielded his body. He no longer paid attention to the entwining "Willow Leaf" swordplay, seeking only smooth, unobstructed movement to ward off all intrusion.

This was the Wudang Sect's Two Forms Swordplay.

A barely perceptible, mocking curve flickered across Gu Shao'an's lips.

On the way to Wudang, Abbess Miejue had also told Gu Shao'an and Zhou Zhiruo about Wudang's many martial arts.

Among them were the Clear Breeze Swordplay that Song Qingshu had just used, and the Two Forms Swordplay he was now employing.

Like the Emei Sect, Wudang's Clear Breeze Swordplay was also a foundational martial art for every Wudang disciple.

According to Abbess Miejue's explanation, if one could reach the "Ascend the Hall" level in Clear Breeze Swordplay, their sword moves would be swift and airy, like a gentle breeze brushing the face, arriving with graceful ease.

However, Song Qingshu's swordplay, though practiced, lacked any hint of the clear breeze's essence.

Clearly, he had not yet reached the "Ascend the Hall" level in this martial art.

If even the foundational martial art was not mastered, let alone the others.

A mess of skills, but none refined – laughable.

The only point where Song Qingshu could surpass Gu Shao'an was in his comprehension of martial arts.

But unfortunately, Song Qingshu's own mastery of martial arts could only be described as mediocre.

As the foremost among Wudang's third-generation disciples, he was truly disappointing.

As the thought flashed through his mind, Gu Shao'an moved again. His inner force circulated according to Three Manifestations of the Divine Dragon, and his body shot upwards, as if aiming to rush directly into the clouds. Song Qingshu's gaze sharpened, his focus tensed to the extreme, and he immediately concentrated, awaiting a thunderous strike from above!

However, Gu Shao'an's figure, having leaped into mid-air, suddenly changed course, transforming from ascent to descent without any warning.

Like a hunting falcon spotting prey on its flank, his trajectory carved a sharp angle in the air. Bringing with it an even fiercer downward momentum, his sheathed longsword turned into a bolt of lightning, striking at an incredibly tricky angle towards Song Qingshu's right shoulder, which was slightly slow to defend.

"Is this... Three Manifestations of the Divine Dragon at the 'Ascend the Hall' level?"

Witnessing Gu Shao'an's sudden change in movement, Abbess Miejue's eyes flashed with sharp light.

She had initially thought that the "Perfected" level of Willow Leaf Swordplay was already remarkable. She hadn't expected Gu Shao'an to have already advanced Three Manifestations of the Divine Dragon to the "Ascend the Hall" level.

"Good, very good! With such talent, why worry about the future of my Emei?"