Senior Brother Seems to Care a Great Deal About Ji Shu

Yue Buqun's regard for Ji Shu was plain for anyone to see.

Other than envy, however, Lu Dayou and the others felt little jealousy. They had witnessed firsthand just how prodigious Ji Shu was and how formidable his strength had become. In Mount Hua's time of crisis, the emergence of such a master left them with nothing but excitement and exhilaration!

Every one of them felt that, with Ji Shu around, Mount Hua's future was full of promise!

After dinner.

Ji Shu and Yue Lingshan walked side by side, chatting and laughing as they returned to the courtyard.

Ji Shu still lay in the reclining chair beneath the Old Sophora Tree, allowing the Jade Breaking Sword Art to automatically draw in Qi Mechanism and strengthen his inner qi.

Meanwhile, Yue Lingshan practiced her swordsmanship.

She had been diligent and hardworking lately. Although every time she saw Ji Shu, he was either eating or sleeping, and never seemed to cultivate diligently, Ji Shu's Cultivation Power still soared at breakneck speed. It made her green with envy!

If only she had such a gift—the ability to grow stronger just by eating, drinking, lying down, and sleeping!

She, Yue Lingshan, would surely defy the heavens! Alas, she was mediocre!

Having realized this, as Master Yue, she naturally had to work twice as hard. She could not let anyone look down on her. As the dignified Vice Sect Leader and Master Yue of the peerless genius Ji Shu, how could she be utterly useless? How could she have no strengths at all?!

No~

She, Yue Lingshan, was going to rise!

She cultivated earnestly and asked for guidance diligently.

"Ji Shu, Ji Shu, take a look. How is my Jade Maiden Swordplay in this move?"

Meanwhile.

In the rear courtyard.

"Why didn't you tell me about Ji Shu before?"

Yue Buqun had held it in for several days, but today, he finally could not restrain himself and asked Ning Zhongze.

There was a hint of reproach in his voice.

"As the Sect Leader of the Mount Hua Sect, I did not even know there was such a peerless genius in the sect! Yet you and Shan'er both knew! Where does that leave me?"

"..."

Ning Zhongze told the truth.

"I wanted to tell you too. I was holding it in so painfully!"

"Then why didn't you say anything?"

"I was afraid you would oppose Ji Shu practicing the sword."

"..."

"You have always adhered wholeheartedly to the principles of the Qi Sect. If you discovered a genius like Ji Shu, you would definitely make him focus on cultivating qi. But Ji Shu is a peerless genius in the Dao of the sword. It would be far too great a pity if he did not practice swordsmanship, so I chose to keep it from you for the time being."

"..."

Yue Buqun was rendered speechless. After a moment of hesitation, he asked, "What does Ji Shu think?"

"Ji Shu believes the Dao of the sword and the path of inner cultivation should advance side by side."

"Mm."

Yue Buqun stroked his beard and sighed. "Ji Shu is a genius, so naturally he can do that. But ordinary people are limited by their talent. To reach the utmost limits on even one path is already exceedingly difficult. If they divide their attention, I fear they will achieve little in either path. When they finally enter the martial world, they may well end up with their corpses severed from their heads—a tragic end!"

"What Senior Brother says is true."

"What impression does Ji Shu have of me?"

"Probably a good one."

Ning Zhongze smiled. "Senior Brother seems to care a great deal about Ji Shu."

"Ji Shu is like a single ray of light in the darkness, illuminating the entire Mount Hua region. How could I possibly not care?"

Yue Buqun's emotions surged and churned. He did not hide anything from Ning Zhongze as he said, "Originally, after that wretch Chong'er left, I thought my Mount Hua Sect no longer had an heir who could be trusted or relied upon. But Ji Shu's appearance has allowed me to see hope once more!

"After interacting with him these past few days, I have found Ji Shu to be exceptionally steady and dependable. He has none of the flamboyant restlessness of young people. His strength is so high, yet he does not possess the slightest hint of recklessness, arrogance, or complacent self-satisfaction! That is truly rare!"

"Yes."

Ning Zhongze deeply agreed.

"It was precisely because I saw that Ji Shu was rather upright, steady, cautious, and knowledgeable of propriety that I thought so highly of him!"

At this point, she looked at Yue Buqun and asked, "Senior Brother, when do you intend to teach Ji Shu the Purple Cloud Divine Skill?"

"The Purple Cloud Divine Skill is the foundation of our sect, a cultivation method that only the Sect Leader may practice. I need to observe him for a while longer before deciding. This matter must be treated with the utmost caution."

The next day.

At daybreak.

Ji Shu woke to the whistling of a sword. Looking in the direction of the sound, he indeed saw Yue Lingshan practicing her swordsmanship.

He turned over and rose.

Hearing the movement, Yue Lingshan glanced sideways at him and smiled. "Ji Shu, I brought you something delicious."

She pointed at a food box. "Go taste it quickly. My mother made it herself. It's really delicious."

Ji Shu smiled and nodded. He walked over, picked up the food box, and opened it. Inside were several pastries. He took one and tasted it; it was indeed very delicious.

"How is it?"

"Very good."

"Right? My mother is so good at making food. Since you like it, I'll have my mother make more for you in the future."

Ji Shu smiled. Yue Lingshan meant well, so he did not refuse her outright.

While eating the pastries, he guided Yue Lingshan in her sword practice.

He was still standing beneath the Old Sophora Tree at that moment.

But he no longer sensed Qi Mechanism being drawn into his Dantian.

He was startled.

He carefully sensed within himself, even beginning to examine his Dantian inwardly.

Sure enough, no Qi Mechanism was entering his Dantian.

It seems the Jade Breaking Sword Art has reached complete perfection. It can advance no further.

Drawing in Qi Mechanism yesterday had already been difficult, and he had been infinitely close to perfection.

This morning, he discovered that it had reached complete perfection.

"I'll go take a look at Cliff of Reflection later."

In the blink of an eye.

He had already been at Mount Hua for over half a month.

During that time, he had had several chances to visit Cliff of Reflection, but he had held himself back each time.

The main reason was that the Jade Breaking Sword Art had not yet reached perfection. Now that it had fully perfected itself—

The inner qi within him surged like rolling waves, and his strength was extraordinarily formidable!

Having reached this stage, he wondered whether he would be able to encounter Feng Qingyang.

The secondary reason he had endured until now was that he wanted to see if he could find Feng Qingyang and learn the Nine Swords of Dugu from him.

After breakfast.

Yue Lingshan led Ji Shu toward Cliff of Reflection.

Other than sleeping and taking care of private matters, she had spent almost all her time by Ji Shu's side lately.

The moment she heard Ji Shu wanted to go to Cliff of Reflection, she immediately volunteered to lead the way.

Cliff of Reflection was located halfway up South Peak outside the South Heaven Gate of Mount Hua, at the end of Mount Hua's perilous Long Sky Plank Road!

The cliff top covered over a hundred square meters, with sheer cliffs on three sides and a mountain wall on the fourth.

There was a cave in the mountain wall, called Hezu Cave.

The place was far too perilous and rarely visited.

When Ji Shu reached the cliff top and looked in all directions, the empty valley was tranquil and secluded, carrying the feeling of standing alone beneath heaven.

He did not waste any time. Instead, he headed straight into the cave. Then, under the pretext of practicing swordsmanship, he carved words into the cave's stone walls. Before long, Ji Shu heard a hollow, unusual sound coming from one section of the wall.

He exerted a little force, and with a muffled pop, that section of stone wall was pierced through.

With two more strikes of his sword—screech!

The stone wall was completely pierced through. Amid a clattering crash, chunks of stone and dirt tumbled down, revealing a pitch-black opening.

"This is?!"

Yue Lingshan was astonished.

"Let's go in and take a look."

Ji Shu took the lead into the passage. After taking two steps, he spotted a torch. He reached out and took it, then asked Yue Lingshan for a tinderbox and lit the torch.

In an instant, the surroundings became brightly illuminated.

"Ah~"

Yue Lingshan cried out in shock. Not far in front of her lay a stark white skeleton.