Xuwang Mountain, within a secluded courtyard.
Sword light coiled like a dragon, whistling as it tore through the air.
Wu Anren darted and shifted, the longsword in his hand sometimes like an endless spring rain—fine, unbroken, slipping through every gap—and sometimes like thunder from the nine heavens, swift and explosive.
He wielded two utterly different High-grade Sword Arts with effortless mastery, transitioning between them seamlessly. Sharp Sword Qi Barriers sliced through the air with soft hissing sounds, leaving sword marks of varying depths across the ground while deftly avoiding the flowers and grass in the courtyard, revealing control refined down to the smallest detail.
Not far away, a beautiful maid in a pale green dress stood quietly waiting, holding a tray with a warm towel and a cup of throat-soothing tea.
Her name was Mei Niang. She was Wu Anren's personal maid, brought from home, and had grown up alongside him since childhood. Their bond was far from ordinary.
Her lovely eyes remained fixed on the agile figure in the courtyard, filled with admiration and undisguised heartache.
Young Master was good at everything, except he was far too harsh on himself.
After a long while, Wu Anren withdrew his sword. The sky full of sword shadows abruptly converged into its sheath, and the surging True Gang in the courtyard slowly settled.
Sweat beaded at his temples, but his breathing remained deep and steady.
"You've worked hard, Young Master."
Mei Niang hurried over and offered him the warm towel, her voice gentle.
Wu Anren took the towel and wiped away his sweat.
He was now at Gang Strength Late-stage. His true qi was abundant, and only gradual tempering remained before he reached perfection. There was no use rushing it.
Swordsmanship was his forte. Both of his High-grade Sword Arts had reached