Great Bamboo Peak.
In front of Shou Jing Hall.
"Boom!"
A thin but unmistakable bolt of lightning crashed down from the clouds.
It struck the Chang Qing Sword squarely!
Ye Xuan swayed slightly, clearly struggling to bear the force of the thunder.
But he quickly steadied himself, forcibly drawing the bolt of lightning into the sword. Then he swung it forward with all his might!
Crackle!
A streak of sword qi wreathed in lightning and fire shot out with a roar, striking a boulder not far ahead.
Bang!
The boulder exploded, sending chunks of stone flying.
Though he had only just barely begun to master it, this was undeniably the Divine Sword Thunder Control True Art!
Ye Xuan lowered his sword and stood still.
His face was a little pale, but his eyes shone with startling brightness.
He looked at Tian Buyi, who had gone completely stiff.
Ye Xuan grinned, flashing a row of pearly white teeth.
"Master, I've learned it."
"Um... when are you going to teach me Slay Ghosts and Gods?"
Silence.
There was complete silence in front of Shou Jing Hall.
Only the rustle of leaves in the wind could be heard.
Tian Buyi's head was buzzing.
Looking at his disciple, whose face was brimming with curiosity, he felt his throat go dry.
His heart, meanwhile, felt like a jar of five flavors had been overturned, all the sweet, sour, bitter, spicy, and salty tastes mixing together.
Was he happy?
Of course he was!
Having taken in an unparalleled genius as a disciple was a blessing worthy of one's ancestors' graves smoking with good fortune!
But...
Wasn't this just too damn discouraging?
His signature technique, honed over many years, and this kid had learned it after seeing it just once?
And now the kid was pestering him to learn the next move!
Slay Ghosts and Gods!
Was that something he could teach just because he wanted to?
He didn't even know how!
Tian Buyi's chubby face twitched twice.
He tried to maintain the dignity of a master, but the hand clasped behind his back trembled slightly.
This had gotten out of hand.
He'd already promised that once Ye Xuan learned the technique, he could teach him whatever he wanted.
How was he supposed to get out of this now?
Should he just tell Ye Xuan outright:
"Actually, your master doesn't know Slay Ghosts and Gods either. I made that up"?
If he did that...
Would he ever be able to show his face again?
"Cough, cough, cough!"
Tian Buyi broke into a fit of violent coughing, his face and neck turning red.
"Um... well..."
His eyes darted about. He didn't dare meet Ye Xuan's sincere gaze.
"Mm, not bad. You've definitely got some talent."
"The power was a little weak, but you've just barely reached the threshold."
Tian Buyi forced himself to offer an assessment, trying to take control of the conversation again.
"However!"
He abruptly changed tack, his expression turning extremely stern.
Seventh.
"You have to understand that biting off more than you can chew won't do you any good."
"The Divine Sword Thunder Control True Art is profound and extensive."
"That sword strike of yours just now may have looked the part, but it was still far from capturing its essence!"
"You haven't fully refined the power of the thunder. Look, your hand was shaking just now!"
"That's dangerous! Extremely dangerous!"
The more Tian Buyi spoke, the more reasonable he sounded to himself, and his voice rose along with his confidence.
"If you force yourself to learn Slay Ghosts and Gods now,"
"the two overpowering sword intents could clash inside you and cause you to go berserk!"
"So there's no need to rush."
"Go back and master the Divine Sword Thunder Control True Art first. Then we can talk about the next move."
With that,
Tian Buyi didn't wait for Ye Xuan to respond.
He swept his sleeve and turned, heading straight into Shou Jing Hall.
His steps were so quick he looked almost as if he were fleeing.
"All right."
"Don't just stand there. Go back and consolidate your cultivation!"
"Don't bother me for the next few days. I need to... um, enter seclusion and comprehend the Heavenly Dao!"
Bang!
The doors of Shou Jing Hall slammed shut.
Ye Xuan stood where he was, gazing at the closed doors, a flicker of amusement in his eyes.
Master was panicking.
Looks like there was hope of learning Slay Ghosts and Gods after all.
Once Master panicked, he'd have to come up with a solution.
And if he started looking for a solution, who else in the Qingyun Sect could help him with this besides Daoxuan?
"This disciple will obey your command."
Ye Xuan didn't press the matter. He bowed respectfully toward the doors.
Then he turned and left, his steps light.
Only after Ye Xuan had disappeared completely at the end of the path
did Tian Buyi collapse into a Grand Tutor Chair inside Shou Jing Hall.
He looked like a deflated ball. All his air of lofty authority vanished in an instant.
"This is a disaster..."
"How can this kid be so freakish?"
"Is the Innate Dao Body really that unreasonable?"
"One look and he's got it? How's anyone supposed to live with that?"
Tian Buyi scratched at his hair, his face full of anguish.
"What?"
"Weren't you acting so mighty just now?"
"'The Heavenly Might, wield it through the sword!' You had Seventh completely fooled."
Su Ru came over from behind.
She poured Tian Buyi a cup of tea, laughing so hard she was practically doubled over.
"Don't laugh at me."
"What am I supposed to do now?"
"I already said it, and the kid really did learn it."
"Next he'll want Slay Ghosts and Gods."
"Where am I supposed to conjure that from?"
"If Senior Brother Wan were still here..."
"With this kid's aptitude, Senior Brother Wan would be smiling in his dreams."
"If Slay Ghosts and Gods were passed down to him, the art would have a worthy successor."
Tian Buyi took the teacup and gave his wife an annoyed look.
At that,
Tian Buyi sighed, his expression turning somewhat somber.
"Buyi."
"Though Senior Brother Wan is gone... his masterpiece may not have been lost for good."
Su Ru's laughter faded.
She sat down beside Tian Buyi and gently took his large hand in hers.
"You mean..."
Tian Buyi stared at his wife, taken aback.
"Sect Leader Senior Brother."
"Back then, Senior Brother Wan and Sect Leader Senior Brother were known as the Qingyun Sect's Twin Prodigies. They were close friends."
"Even if Sect Leader Senior Brother never used Senior Brother Wan's Slay Ghosts and Gods, he probably knows the mental cultivation method and incantation."
"Besides, what happened to Senior Brother Wan has always weighed on Sect Leader Senior Brother."
"If he found out that Great Bamboo Peak had produced a peerless genius capable of carrying on Senior Brother Wan's legacy..."
Su Ru calmly explained what she had in mind.
"Go to Daoxuan?"
"I'm not going!"
"Going to him to beg for help teaching my disciple would make me look completely useless..."
Tian Buyi's eyes lit up slightly, but then he frowned again.
"Then will you teach him?"
"Do you know Slay Ghosts and Gods?"
Su Ru looked at him with a teasing smile.
Tian Buyi was speechless.
His face turned beet red.
After a long pause,
he forced the words through his teeth. "I don't!"
"Then there you have it."
"For Seventh's future,"
"and to keep Senior Brother Wan's masterpiece from being lost forever,"
"what does a little embarrassment matter?"
"Besides, with Seventh's talent, Heaven-Piercing Peak is bound to hear about him sooner or later."
"Rather than hide him away, you might as well take him to see Sect Leader Senior Brother openly."
"Let's see if it doesn't knock his socks off!"
Su Ru stood and patted Tian Buyi on the shoulder.
At her last remark,
Tian Buyi's eyes lit up completely.
That was right!
Though he was going there to ask for help, he could also show off!
Just look at the disciple Great Bamboo Peak had taken in!
He'd learned the Divine Sword Thunder Control True Art after seeing it just once!
His aptitude was every bit as remarkable as Senior Brother Wan's had been!
Compared to their Seventh, weren't Daoxuan's disciples—Xiao Yicai and the rest—just a bunch of useless trash?
Thinking about it that way, most of Tian Buyi's misgivings vanished.
He even felt a little excited.
Tian Buyi slapped his thigh and sprang to his feet.
"My wife speaks wisely!"
"Let's go!"
"I'm going to Heaven-Piercing Peak right now!"
"I want to see the look on that old Daoxuan's face when he sees Seventh's talent!"
"..."
Before you continue