Mount Hua Sect Has Hope

Forget the Nurturing My Sword Style—even with Mount Hua Swordplay, she and her senior brother had been unable to reach the realm of Sword Qi Self-Generation!

That realm belonged entirely to legend!

Yet she had actually lived to see it with her own eyes!

And this person was a newly initiated disciple of her Mount Hua Sect!

"Mount Hua Sect has hope!"

A blazing fire rose in Ning Zhongze's heart!

After enduring all these bitter years, they had carefully selected talented disciples for the Inner Sect, hoping they would amount to something and bring glory to the sect.

But sadly, after all these years, only one had shown even a little promise. Yet that promising one had an unstable temperament and had even mixed with people of the Demonic Path, leaving Ning Zhongze tossing and turning sleeplessly every night lately, worrying over Mount Hua Sect's future!

Mount Hua Sect was already woefully short of talent.

There had only been her and her senior brother in their generation. And the next generation?

Not a single one had risen to prominence!

How could Ning Zhongze not be disappointed and saddened? They had poured time and effort into raising disciples, yet not one could be presented with pride! And the one who could was off fooling around!

How could she not be heartbroken?

But now...

Ning Zhongze stared intensely at Ji Shu. Suppressing the turbulent waves in her heart, she asked calmly, "Ji Shu, you are a player. Once you have mastered your studies, will you spread the sect's martial arts to other players?"

"Please rest assured, Martial Mother."

Ji Shu answered solemnly:

"I was an orphan in the Blue Star world. I have no one to rely on and no attachments. I will absolutely not casually spread the sect's martial arts among players."

"Not casually?"

"Who can say for certain what the future holds? Martial Mother, I will not lie to you. But I can guarantee that even if I teach martial arts to someone in the future, that person will certainly be highly trustworthy and able to support Mount Hua Sect!"

"You have a point."

Ning Zhongze paused, then nodded. "Indeed. Since ancient times, who knows how many sects have vanished into the long river of history? Even a great sect like the Quanzhen Sect perished. It is hard to say what sort of fate awaits our Mount Hua Sect in the future."

Looking at Ji Shu, she felt deeply gratified.

"You did not casually make promises just to put my mind at ease. I can see that you are a dependable and steady person. Very good!"

She nodded. "I do not like people who are too flamboyant and flighty. Though you are still young, you seem mature and composed. That suits me very well. From now on, I will personally teach you martial arts!"

Ji Shu was delighted, and he did not pretend otherwise as he quickly thanked her. Since Ning Zhongze had acknowledged and accepted him, things would be much easier. She was far more capable than Master Yue, Yue Lingshan. With her guidance, he would surely make another tremendous leap forward in a short time.

"Wonderful!"

Yue Lingshan was also happy for Ji Shu.

"Mother, I was worrying yesterday about how I would teach Ji Shu in the future. Now that you're taking over, I'm free!"

Patting her chest, she grinned as if a burden weighing a thousand pounds had been lifted from her shoulders. Clearly, while being the master of a peerless genius like Ji Shu gave her satisfaction, accomplishment, and vanity, the pressure was still overwhelming! It felt suffocating, as though her disciple were crushing her beneath his heel!

"You, honestly."

Ning Zhongze said with amusement:

"You were Master Yue for only one day, and you were already scared out of continuing. Have you properly reflected on whether you are simply too inadequate? Whether you have learned too little?"

"I have, Mother."

Yue Lingshan blinked and said:

"Ji Shu learns things far too quickly. After just a few hours yesterday, I felt like he had drained me dry. With today's Xiyi Swordplay lesson, I understood even less. If Ji Shu were not such a genius and had not figured it out himself, I could only have stood by and stared helplessly!"

"It's good that you know!"

Ning Zhongze said sternly:

"When I teach Ji Shu in the future, you will watch carefully from the side and learn along with him."

She looked at Ji Shu.

"Ji Shu, I will also have to trouble you to keep an eye on Shan'er in the future. She is far too flighty. She has studied martial arts for years and is still only at a third-rate level. I am truly worried about her future."

"..."

Ji Shu could only nod in agreement.

Yue Lingshan grinned and winked at Ji Shu.

"Ji Shu, let me examine you properly."

Ning Zhongze said.

Ji Shu stepped forward.

After carefully examining him, Ning Zhongze was stunned. "You have already cultivated the Huashan Heart Method?!"

"Yes."

"I only gave Ji Shu the Secret Manual for the Huashan Heart Method today, and he already learned it?!"

Yue Lingshan was also astonished. "Ji Shu, don't you have trouble understanding a lot of common knowledge? How did you learn it?"

"I asked Sixth Senior Brother for guidance in the kitchen."

"I see."

As Ning Zhongze relaxed, she was also deeply moved.

"Ji Shu, your talent is shockingly extraordinary! You cannot be treated casually! I need to discuss with my senior brother how we should teach you."

Thinking of how she had doubted Ji Shu repeatedly before, even personally declaring that he was unlikely to achieve anything, Ning Zhongze felt her face burn with shame. Compared to Ji Shu, she, Ning Zhongze, was merely mediocre!

"...Martial Mother."

Ji Shu said:

"May I make a request of you?"

"Go ahead."

"I want to live here with Master Yue. For now, I do not want to move anywhere else."

"...Can you tell me why?"

"Because of this tree."

Ji Shu pointed at the Old Sophora Tree and said bluntly, "Standing beneath this tree makes me feel very comfortable. It helps with cultivating internal energy."

"...Is that true?"

"Every word is true!"

"I believe you."

Though it sounded absurd, Ji Shu was a genius. What he could sense was surely different from what an ordinary person like her could sense. Perhaps when he had lain in that recliner before, he had actually been cultivating internal energy?

Could one really cultivate internal energy while lying down?!

Ning Zhongze asked uncertainly. After receiving a definite answer, she was even more shocked, looking at Ji Shu as if he were some monstrous prodigy.

"I will go back and discuss it with my senior brother at once."

"Martial Mother."

Seeing Ning Zhongze about to leave, Ji Shu hurriedly said:

"Could you give me a few more swordplay Secret Manuals? I want to learn more sword arts."

While Ning Zhongze has a favorable impression of me, I should learn as much as I can! Otherwise, if Yue Buqun becomes wary of me and refuses to teach me, that will be troublesome.

Though that possibility was unlikely, it was still necessary to prepare for a rainy day.

"Of course."

Ning Zhongze nodded and said decisively:

"You do not need any Secret Manuals. I know quite a few of Mount Hua Sect's sword arts. I will teach you right now!"

She drew her sword, considered for a moment, and said:

"You have already learned Mount Hua Swordplay, the Nurturing My Sword Style, and Xiyi Swordplay. Then I will teach you Jade Maiden Swordplay."

As she spoke, she began to demonstrate the swordplay.

"This swordplay has nineteen moves. Unlike sword arts such as the Nurturing My Sword Style, which use qi to control the sword, this swordplay is more intricate and ever-changing. It relies on finesse, using cleverness to overcome clumsiness..."

Jade Maiden Swordplay.

As the name suggested,

it was a sword art for women.

Yet Ning Zhongze still passed it on to Ji Shu. Naturally, she felt that his swordsmanship was grand and upright enough, but lacked finesse.

With Jade Maiden Swordplay added to it, those shortcomings would surely be made up for.