Emei Sect Had Produced a Heavenly Prodigy

Miejue had put it bluntly, but upon thinking it over, Gu Shaoan realized she was right.

Persistence had never been easy.

Even Gu Shaoan, without the Proficiency Panel making his cultivation progress visible, would not have been able to train with such single-minded devotion for the past month and more.

A restless mind was human nature. Those who could restrain the monkey of the mind and tame the horse of intent were few indeed.

"If one were truly exceptionally gifted, that would be one thing. But among the countless Martial Artists in this world, most possess only ordinary talent."

"Even if they occasionally gain something, it is merely a stroke of luck. Persistence is the Righteous Path."

"In the short term, one might not notice anything. One might even make greater progress because skipping the steps of nourishing one's inner force prevents its foundation from being depleted."

"But they do not know that today's cause will become tomorrow's consequence."

"After enough time has accumulated, at best, the Meridians will harden and the speed of inner cultivation will plummet. At worst, the Meridians will be damaged, and one's martial path will come to an end."

"In the martial world, many who have passed fifty yet remain stuck at the Third-Rate Realm suffer because they were greedy for quick progress and lax in their youth."

At this point, Miejue seemed to recall something. Shaking her head, she said, "Even I was the same back then. I cast my master's instructions from my mind, greedily pursued rapid advancement, and neglected the nourishment of my Meridians."

"Otherwise, my cultivation would not have stagnated for the past ten-odd years."

After a pause, Miejue suddenly looked at Zhou Zhiruo.

"Zhiruo, your temperament is gentle outwardly but strong inwardly. You have also handled everything I have instructed you to do very well."

"In cultivation, you must also learn from your junior brother. Never allow yourself to grow lax. Otherwise, you will end up like your second and third senior sisters. Even by the age of thirty, you may still be unable to return to the Innate Realm and transform your inner force into True Qi."

Miejue was proud by nature. The fact that she now used herself as a negative example before Gu Shaoan, openly admitting the mistakes of her youth, was enough to show just how highly she regarded Gu Shaoan and Zhou Zhiruo.

Zhou Zhiruo nodded, her face solemn. "Zhiruo understands. Please rest assured, Master."

Gu Shaoan also responded with a grave expression.

Looking at the two disciples before her, Miejue felt a surge of gratification.

Perhaps because she was in the mood, Miejue suddenly asked whether either of them had any difficulties in cultivation.

After Miejue finished guiding Zhou Zhiruo, Gu Shaoan also spoke up and asked about some of the problems he had encountered in his cultivation.

The Proficiency Panel and the [Anointing] trait merely allowed Gu Shaoan to clearly see his cultivation progress. They did not mean he could learn everything without a master.

Quite the opposite.

Since the several martial arts Gu Shaoan cultivated were all the three finest martial arts currently within Emei Sect, he still encountered certain questions and theories in his training that needed verification from Miejue.

And the result did not disappoint Gu Shaoan.

Whenever Gu Shaoan raised a question or theory, Miejue only needed a brief moment of thought before providing him with an answer.

Moreover, she explained everything with great clarity, leaving him suddenly enlightened.

Noon.

Beside a dense forest.

While the horses rested, some disciples cut fresh grass from the field to feed them.

At the elders' instruction, the disciples chose only the healthiest grass and were forbidden from damaging the roots, lest they affect later growth.

This alone showed the quality of Emei Sect's conduct.

After simply eating some dried provisions, Gu Shaoan went to one side, drew the sword at his waist, and began practicing swordplay.

Watching Gu Shaoan wield his sword in the distance, the wind from his blade humming as the beginnings of sword momentum emerged, Master Juechen and several other Emei Sect elders showed astonishment.

On Miejue's side, Master Juechen gazed at the distant Gu Shaoan and could not help saying in surprise, "Who would have thought that in just a month, Shaoan would attain such skill in the Sunset Swordplay?"

Hearing Master Juechen's words, Miejue replied, "Though Shaoan's natural physique is merely excellent, his comprehension is the finest I have ever seen. He is enough to rival those Heavenly Prodigies of the martial world."

"What is rarest is his temperament. He is steady and diligent. He will surely achieve greatness in the future."

Master Juechen smiled. "Then congratulations, Senior Sister. Our Emei Sect has unexpectedly produced a Heavenly Prodigy as well."

Miejue replied, "I should be thanking you, Junior Sister, for bringing me such an exceptional disciple."

The two spoke pleasantly, and whenever their eyes fell upon Gu Shaoan, their hearts brimmed with anticipation.

With a disciple like this, Emei Sect's future was promising.

Everyone had originally assumed that Gu Shaoan would only practice briefly during the break. Unexpectedly, once he began, he continued for a full half hour.

This diligence gradually changed the looks in the eyes of the Emei disciples who had initially only been watching for amusement.

Especially after learning from several elders that Gu Shaoan, as Miejue's Personal Disciple, cultivated bitterly in the back mountain every day, the Emei disciples could not help feeling greater admiration for this junior brother.

Since they were within Emei Sect's sphere of influence, Yushan City of Jiading Prefecture was naturally not far from Emei Sect.

In just five days, the group reached Huai Mountain County, less than fifty li from Yushan City.

At the eastern gate, Zhou Zhiruo and Gu Shaoan followed behind Miejue.

Glancing at Miejue ahead of her, Zhou Zhiruo lowered her voice and asked, "Junior Brother, it is still early. Why are we entering Huai Mountain County instead of heading directly to Yushan City?"

Though Zhou Zhiruo had spoken very softly, to Miejue, it was no different from speaking beside her ear.

Yet Miejue did not stop Zhou Zhiruo's question. Instead, she also waited for Gu Shaoan's answer.

Hearing this, Gu Shaoan said, "Mountain Bandits have the best intelligence."

"If we head directly to Yushan City, we may alert them. Should those Mountain Bandits flee and hide, finding them afterward will be troublesome."

"I believe Master intends for us to first establish ourselves in Huai Mountain County, gather information, and only head to Yushan City after confirming the situation."

Zhou Zhiruo asked again, "Then why did Master have everyone split up and disguise themselves before entering the city?"

After thinking for a moment, Gu Shaoan said, "Although there are only a hundred of us on this trip, aside from me, everyone is a woman. If we entered together, we would be far too conspicuous."

"And Mountain Bandits are cunning. If the Mountain Bandits of Yushan City have informants in Huai Mountain County as well, they may learn of our whereabouts in advance."

Listening to Gu Shaoan's response, the smile on Miejue's face as she walked ahead deepened.

She turned around and looked at Gu Shaoan with satisfaction. "Shaoan's analysis is correct! Zhiruo, remember this: when traveling the martial world, you cannot rely on hot blood alone. Otherwise, no matter how strong you are, you will merely be brave without strategy. In this regard, learn more from Shaoan."

Zhou Zhiruo nodded. "This disciple understands."

Yunlai Inn, second floor.

After the waiter who had delivered the tea and pastries left, Gu Shaoan poured a cup of hot tea, but did not immediately offer it to Miejue.

Instead, he took out a packet of powder from his robes, pinched out a small amount, added it to the tea, and quietly observed.

Seeing Gu Shaoan suddenly add medicinal powder to the teacup, both Miejue and Zhou Zhiruo looked puzzled.