The Master of the Martial Lecture Hall

In truth, this was indeed the case. Having sat in seclusion in a cave for over a decade, Gu Han now understood the realms of Blood Tempering and Organ Refining so thoroughly that, among those below the innate realm, if he claimed second, no one dared claim first. Even the First-rate Masters of the Yue Kingdom who had achieved True Qi Manifestation, Gu Han reckoned, could not surpass him—let alone in this world where the highest realm was merely the Internal Qi Realm. Gu Han was confident that his understanding of Blood Tempering and Organ Refining was absolutely unmatched!

With this thought, Gu Han's mind cleared, and he spoke: "Little girl, perform your sword technique for me to see."

"This... yes!"

Hearing Gu Han's instruction, Liu Yiyi's face flickered with hesitation, but she quickly agreed. Ordinarily, casually displaying one's martial arts to another was a great taboo in the martial world. Yet, for some reason, faced with this young blade-wielder's words, Liu Yiyi felt deep down that if she did not obey, she would surely regret it for the rest of her life. So, after less than a breath of hesitation, she drew the three-foot longsword from her waist with a clang and began to perform her family's River Condensing Swordplay.

"Sword Qi Piercing the Sky, Sword Pointing to the Stars, Water and Sky as One..."

On the deck of the large ship, the moves of the River Condensing Swordplay were slowly executed by Liu Yiyi. As she moved, the blood and qi within her body gradually began to boil under the guidance of this exquisite technique.

As Liu Yiyi performed the swordplay, Gu Han's eyes seemed to flash with divine light. With each of her swings, the circulation of her blood and qi appeared before his eyes like tangible threads flowing through the air.

"Qi rushes through the Chongze point; your body has a blockage near the arm. When executing Sword Qi Piercing the Sky, you should focus on driving your blood and qi to break through that spot."

"Qi rushes through the Chengshan point; your body has another blockage near the thigh. When performing Water and Sky as One, your blood and qi should primarily surge toward that area."

On the quiet deck, aside from the whistling wind of Liu Yiyi's sword swings, only Gu Han's words remained, continuously guiding her on how to breach the barriers of Blood Tempering.

Time passed slowly.

One incense stick's time!

Two incense sticks!

Three incense sticks!

A quarter-hour!

Half an hour!

Three-quarters of an hour!

Until a full half-hour had passed, Liu Yiyi had performed the River Condensing Swordplay countless times, breaking through several barriers. Finally, in that ultimate moment, her longsword halted, and a powerful surge of blood and qi erupted from her body.

From then on, Liu Yiyi's strength flowed through her entire body, her blood and qi coursing through her limbs and bones. Her power had greatly increased, breaking through to Blood Tempering and stepping into the realm of a First-rate Master in this world!

"Whoa!"

Seeing Liu Yiyi truly break through, the crowd erupted in astonishment. All faces showed shock and disbelief, their hearts trembling with amazement. Only then did they realize that this young blade-wielder truly had skill. Not only did they dare not speak ill of him, but their gazes toward Gu Han burned with fervent hope, begging for guidance like Liu Yiyi had received.

However, Gu Han had no time for these people. His sole target today was Liu Yiyi before him.

"Hah!"

After breaking through to Blood Tempering, Liu Yiyi closed her eyes for a moment to savor the feeling, then let out a light breath. She sheathed her longsword, her eyes full of gratitude and excitement, and knelt on one knee before Gu Han, saying: "Sir, your talent is immense. Helping Yiyi break through to Blood Tempering has saved me countless years. Your kindness is like a second birth. I beg you to accept me as your disciple today. From now on, I will serve you with the rites of a student."

As Liu Yiyi spoke, her eyes were filled with earnestness. Though she was a woman, she had been obsessed with martial arts since childhood. Otherwise, even with her natural talent, she could never have achieved so much at such a young age. Now, meeting someone like Gu Han, whose casual guidance could help her break through to Blood Tempering, how could she not recognize that she had encountered a true master? How could she let such an opportunity slip? She had to secure him!

"Hmm, taking the princess as a disciple is not impossible. It just so happens that I've traveled far and wide over the years and grown somewhat weary. I've been looking for a place to settle down. Now I hear that Prince Liu is recruiting talents and has established a Martial Lecture Hall, which not only houses thousands of martial manuals but also actively seeks out heroes from all directions. I wonder if I might enter and take up the post of hall master?"

Gu Han smiled warmly, opening his mouth wide with his conditions, then waited quietly for Liu Yiyi's answer.

"Haha! Sir, you jest. For the Martial Lecture Hall to gain a divine figure like you is an honor beyond measure. How could we dare refuse? As long as you join, Yiyi will personally persuade my father to treat you with the rank of hall master!"

Liu Yiyi did not hesitate and agreed directly.

Clearly, this young princess of Prince Liu's estate held a position that exceeded Gu Han's expectations. Even the prestigious role of hall master of the Martial Lecture Hall could be promised so casually.

Of course, this might also be because Prince Liu did not place great importance on the Martial Lecture Hall. After all, Prince Liu himself was immensely powerful, with many elite experts under his command. Moreover, not every martial artist in the martial world was as heaven-defying as Gu Han, possessing an indestructible body that could ignore blades and arrows.

In truth, during battle between armies, even ordinary Minor Accomplishment of Internal Qi or Great Accomplishment of Internal Qi martial artists—or even someone as strong as the Barbarian King A Yanda—could only rely on their internal qi to wreak havoc for a short time, charging through a million troops to slay generals and seize banners. If they were careless and fell into an encirclement until their internal qi ran out, they would face mortal danger. So, although Prince Liu claimed to thirst for talent and valued the martial artists who joined him, their true standing in his heart might not even come close to that of this young princess.

"Haha! Since the princess has agreed, then I, Ran Han, will accept you as my disciple. I hope that in the future, you will cultivate diligently and break through to the Internal Qi Realm soon."

Gu Han's mind raced, quickly grasping the situation. He smiled and gave a false name, accepting the arrangement.

Back when he had fled the Treasure Pearl Temple, his original goals had been twofold. First, to train in martial arts in seclusion and collect the world's secret manuals. Second, to find the family of his junior brother, Jingyuan. But after months of flight, Gu Han had come to realize that one person's strength was ultimately limited. No matter how great his power, when it came to searching for people or things, how could it compare to the combined efforts of millions? Thus, he had long considered joining a faction and using its resources. Now, Prince Liu seemed like a good choice, and things had fallen into place perfectly.

The next day, the weather was clear, and the sun shone brightly.

Under the personal guidance of Prince Liu and Princess Liu Yiyi, the Martial Lecture Hall of Qinghe City's Prince Liu's Estate welcomed a new hall master.

This man's origins were mysterious. Though young, his strength was overwhelming. Not only did he defeat the previous Internal Qi Realm hall master with a single move, but he also gave repeated guidance, speaking true insights that helped several martial artists stuck at Great Accomplishment of Muscle Tendon Strengthening break through to Blood Tempering.

In an instant, he became famous overnight, winning over everyone!

Moreover, after the news spread, countless martial artists in Qinghe City were stirred into action, eagerly seeking his guidance. Even outsiders were drawn to the city, hoping for a glimpse of him.

But after that single display, this new hall master of the Martial Lecture Hall seemed to grow much more low-key. Each day, he devoted himself solely to studying martial arts, refusing to see outsiders, letting the world change as it would, as spring came and went.