Tenderness

They are called the "Star Peak Guards."

A group of experts who all cultivate the Taiji Yin Yang Art, they have trained for nearly ten years. Only a few are still undergoing basic training at the manor; the rest are already working for it.

Half of their members have reached the Innate Realm. Their only drawback is their small numbers. They cannot compare to the forces of the Four Great Families, with their tens of thousands of private soldiers; the gap is truly immense. And who knows how many Innate Realm experts the Four Great Families have. Officially, over half of the Innate Realm experts in the entire Ming Dynasty belong to the Four Great Families, and only they have the strength to support them.

Furthermore, who knows how many hidden forces the Four Great Families possess. Would anyone believe that a super clan, centuries or even millennia old, wouldn't have some secret weapons? The shadowy figures behind the attempt to steal Dragon Soaring that day alone were beyond my capabilities to contend with. After all, what do two Second-Rank Experts represent! The entire Ming Dynasty only has four First-Rank Experts, and a mere eight Second-Rank Experts. It's important to note that the gap between the Third Rank and Second Rank is significant; it's a dividing line. However, the difference between Second-Rank Experts and First-Rank Experts isn't as vast.

From this, one can see what two Second-Rank Experts truly represent.

However, I can sense, and am certain, that this Azure Dragon Continent cannot possibly have only this many experts. These are merely the officially recorded numbers. What about those reclusive experts who don't appear in public? How would anyone know about them!

Not to mention far away, Demon Lord Shi Yi is a First-Rank Expert, as everyone in the world knows. Yet, he is merely the sect master of the Illusion Demon Gate, one of the Demonic Sect's three gates. What about the Yin Demon Gate and the most powerful Heaven Demon Gate? Who knows how high their sect masters' cultivation levels are? Do you dare say their martial arts are definitely inferior to Demon Lord Shi Yi's? And what about the Demonic Sect's Sect Master? Would the Demonic Sect Master's cultivation be lower than that of his subordinates?

Even if others believe it, the entire Demonic Sect will not. Remember, the Demonic Sect is a place where strength is revered; whoever has higher martial arts becomes the Sect Master! If the Demonic Sect Master's cultivation is higher than Shi Yi's, even higher than a First-Rank Expert, what realm has he reached?

What about the Demonic Sect's Elders? These old fogeys were the former sect masters of the three gates and the former Sect Master. Would their cultivation be inferior?

Who doesn't know this, but does the court dare to interfere? The Demonic Sect has been passed down for thousands of years. Ever since the martial arts world came into being, the Demonic Sect has existed. Their influence is pervasive; it's likely that a large number of Demonic Sect experts are among the palace guards. If they were to interfere, and the Demonic Sect turned hostile, the entire imperial palace would likely be bathed in blood for a thousand miles.

The Demonic Sect does not oppose the court, and the court does not wish to oppose the Demonic Sect, which is teeming with experts. This has resulted in the current peaceful atmosphere.

The "Horizon Sea Pavilion," the leading organization of the righteous path that opposes the Demonic Sect, and "Shaolin," the birthplace of martial arts, also have histories spanning thousands of years. They have been able to contend with the Demonic Sect for thousands of years and have consistently suppressed them. Would their strength be low?

Just thinking about it makes me tremble; these are all super organizations with thousands of years of history! I truly don't know how many First-Rank Experts they have! It's likely some have reached the Golden Core stage, as I have cultivated my sword path to the Golden Core stage. There must be some geniuses! Why aren't they famous? Because they don't publicize their martial arts.

The Four Great Families have managed to completely control the economy of the entire Ming Dynasty without being robbed by the Demonic Sect. You must know that the Demonic Sect members love to rob others.

Would they be weak? On the surface, they have tens of thousands of private soldiers. What about their hidden forces? How many First-Rank Experts do they have?

I know some of the Zhang Family's strength. On the surface, my father's two bodyguards are Second-Rank Experts, and the two guarding the family's ancestral shrine are also Second-Rank Experts. The enforcement group of the Elder Council that carries out family laws has ten members, all of whom are Second-Rank Experts, and their leader is a First-Rank Expert.

Most importantly, my father has reached the First-Rank realm. It's estimated that only those above the First-Rank Expert level can discern my father's cultivation. And as for what lies within the family's underground secret chamber, I have no idea.

The reason I don't dare to use any force against Li Tianxiang is because I know that if the Li Family has managed to remain the foremost family, they must possess terrifying strength, at least not inferior to the Zhang Family!

Forget it. In my research on the sword path, I have condensed every strike into a single move. I estimate it's the ultimate technique. The highest level those experts reach is the Golden Core stage. But in my eyes, what does that even matter!

Even if they reach the Golden Core stage, do they know how to use True Primordial Energy? Do they know various techniques? Do they know various incantations? Do they know various restrictions?

They don't. How could they? Everything in the Cultivation World is based on the incantations left by immortals, and it took millions of years to develop various cultivation techniques, and that was with the help of immortals. It took countless eons to form the prosperous situation of the current Cultivation World.

Their martial arts world has only been around for a few thousand years, ha. If they could truly create cultivation techniques, then we cultivators might as well die. That's impossible. That's no longer a matter of ability or genius; it's a limitation of realm!

I can't help but feel overjoyed. My martial arts have already reached the Golden Core stage cultivation, and in my cultivation, I have reached the Nascent Soul Stage. Most importantly, I have cultivated the even more formidable Golden Buddha Venerable. How can they fight me? This can no longer be compensated for by numbers; the gap is too vast. I estimate that a single Big Dipper Seven Star Sword Art of mine could kill dozens of Golden Core stage experts, hahaha... I can't help but feel filled with heroic spirit. Looking at the world, who can compete with me! This saying truly fits me!

My mind was constantly contemplating various possible situations and their solutions. Before I knew it, I had arrived at the most famous Bright Moon Osmanthus Bridge in the Capital City. Legend has it that in ancient times, a hero fell in love with a fairy from the Moon Palace here, leading to a moving love story. In the end, they overcame the barriers of the immortal realm and were together.

Whether this story is true or not, many lovers gather here now. This is a reality, and it has also become a major scenic spot in the Capital City.

I stood on the bridge, looking at the clear river flowing beneath. The moon in the sky was very bright, and its faint moonlight cast itself upon every corner of the Capital City, making the entire world seem bathed in a soft silver-white glow.

The osmanthus trees by the bridge swayed gracefully, attracting many lovers. I looked around, and pairs of lovers were together, very intimate. A inexplicable bitterness welled up within me: it seemed I was the only one alone.

"The bright moon shines upon my shadow; drinking alone makes three," I murmured softly. I could feel the mood of Li Bai, the Poet Sword Immortal, at that moment...

"Yun'er, stop right here."

A kind, gentle, and soul-refreshing voice rang out. Suddenly, a ripple stirred within my heart, and it couldn't calm down for a long time.

Could it be her? Wasn't her maid also called Yun'er? My heart leaped with excitement, as if I had broken through the Golden Core stage and reached the Nascent Soul stage. It must be her, it must be her.

I quickly turned around and stared at the sedan chair before me. I was certain that the person who had just spoken was inside this sedan chair. It must be her, I prayed silently in my heart.

The sedan curtain slowly lifted, and a beautiful figure appeared before my eyes. A wave of numbness washed over me from the bottom of my heart, and tears involuntarily streamed down my face.

You are still as gentle as ever, you are still as captivating as ever. This time, I won't let you go again.

"Rou," I called out softly. I didn't want to suppress myself anymore. Why should I suppress myself? If I love her, I should tell her.

Rou's body trembled abruptly. She slowly looked up at me, and her eyes suddenly lit up. I knew she must have recognized me.

"Young Master Zhang, is that you?" Her voice was very low, as if she were talking to herself. If my martial arts weren't so good, I probably wouldn't have heard it, but I heard it clearly. I felt her attachment to me and her deep longing.

I couldn't help but walk down from the bridge, heading towards her beneath the osmanthus tree.

"It's me. It's been a long time. Are you well?" I didn't want to be as cowardly as before; I wanted to tell her my feelings.

Yuwen Rou's body trembled abruptly. Looking at me, her eyes began to water. How long had it been? How long had she missed him? But after that fleeting glimpse in the assessment arena, he had seemed to disappear from the face of the earth. After so many days of deep longing, she had finally waited for this day.

"I am also well, Young Master Zhang. How have you been all these years?" After much thought, Yuwen Rou dared not express the longing in her heart to the person before her.

I looked at her slightly flustered appearance and felt a bit happy. I walked up to her, looked at her, and didn't move at all. I wanted to look at her carefully. It seemed like only yesterday, or perhaps like a lifetime ago, she was so young. Now, she had become radiant and incredibly beautiful.