This is eleven years old?

On the training grounds, the Wudang disciples, merely by watching Gu Shaoan's strike with both sheath and sword, could already discern something amiss. Their expressions suddenly tightened.

Putting themselves in Song Qingshu's position opposite Gu Shaoan, some Wudang disciples realized that if it were them, facing Gu Shaoan's lightning-fast move, they wouldn't know how to respond.

Upon realizing this, the crowd's eyes were filled with surprise as they looked at Gu Shaoan.

Where was the slightest trace of their earlier contempt?

But compared to the surrounding Wudang disciples, Song Yuanqiao, Zhang Songxi, and Mo Shenggu weren't much better off.

The astonishment on their faces was almost visible to the naked eye.

With their discerning eyes, how could they not see that what Gu Shaoan had just displayed was far more than just exquisite swordsmanship? It was a mastery of power circulation, force conversion, and timing that had reached its zenith.

The sword momentum was like an extension of his arm, without any obstruction, blending hardness and softness at will, perfected.

The power was immeasurably greater than when he had used palm techniques against Zhang Yuting before.

However, if there was anyone more surprised than them, it was Master Miejue.

Watching Gu Shaoan's sword moves, which were smooth and natural like willow catkins drifting, she paused for a clear moment.

Deep within her tranquil eyes, a wave of unseen turmoil surged.

But in an instant, a hint of joy quickly spread across Master Miejue's eyes.

"In just over two months, he has cultivated the Willow Catkin Sword Technique to the perfected level. Shaoan's talent is even greater than I imagined."

Compared to Master Miejue and the others, Song Qingshu's pupils contracted sharply at this moment.

His arrogant and dismissive expression froze on his face, and an extremely dangerous aura washed over him!

How could he have imagined that the sword momentum of an eleven-year-old child could be so swift?

In his haste, he could no longer afford to maintain his composure.

He immediately sank his left arm, drawing his left leg back, and exerted force with his right shoulder to twist his body. His sword, with a clear dragon's roar, was fiercely unsheathed.

The sword light was cold, like the sound of a clear spring flowing in a mountain ravine.

Song Qingshu rapidly thrust his long sword upward, the blade precisely parrying the end of the sword sheath that was smashing through the air.

Clang--

A dull, teeth-grinding metallic clash exploded.

Song Qingshu felt a force even stronger than his own surge along the sword body, shaking his right arm holding the sword numb in an instant, and his blood and qi stagnated.

He staggered back three steps with a "deng deng deng" sound before he could fully dissipate the force.

The instant his footing stabilized, Song Qingshu's eyes widened, and he cursed inwardly.

"This damn eleven-year-old? Is this the strength an eleven-year-old child should possess?"

Gu Shaoan chuckled inwardly as he took in Song Qingshu's shocked reaction.

Before a martial artist's internal energy transforms into True Qi after reaching the Xiantian realm, it's difficult for it to leave the body.

Even when circulating internal energy to complement martial arts, it merely makes the techniques faster and imbues them with greater force.

Although Gu Shaoan still hadn't used the twenty years of stored power within him, because he had cultivated the Emei Nine Yangs Technique Second Layer to Perfection, his internal energy had condensed into threads, reaching extreme purity.

It was in no way inferior to Song Qingshu, who had cultivated for a few more years.

As for raw strength, with the [Sword Drawn Like a Rainbow] term and the Bodhi Exquisite Pill's reinforcement of his bones and muscles, Gu Shaoan's physique was far stronger than ordinary people.

In terms of sheer strength, he was not inferior to his senior sister Zhao Jingxuan.

How could Song Qingshu compare?

With the ebb and flow, Song Qingshu's so-called advantage was merely a joke in Gu Shaoan's eyes.

Without waiting for Song Qingshu to stabilize and catch his breath, Gu Shaoan's second move arrived.

His figure appeared out of thin air on Song Qingshu's retreating path like a phantom, as if he could predict the future. It was still the same unsheathed long sword, but the technique had changed!

The sword momentum shifted from fierce to lingering. Instead of heavy blows, it was like thousands of dancing willow catkins, transforming into layers upon layers of light and shadow.

Seemingly soft and powerless, it sealed off all of Song Qingshu's escape routes!

The ubiquitous sword sheath shadows relentlessly wrapped around Song Qingshu's vital points!

Song Qingshu was both shocked and enraged, his heart burning. He let out a loud shout.

He immediately used the Wudang Clear Wind Swordplay's "Turbid Streams Clear Banks!"

The blade cut through the air, the long sword stirred rapidly, and the sword light split, attempting to forcefully sweep away the surrounding "willow waves" and clear a space.

However, Gu Shaoan's sword momentum was like a persistent ulcer. The dense afterimages of the sword sheath seemed to cling to Song Qingshu's sword light.

The blade and sheath collided, causing dense "poof poof" muffled sounds with every contact.

Song Qingshu felt an incredibly strong sticky force on the opponent's sword. His "Turbid Streams Clear Banks" failed to completely sweep away the opponent's entanglement as expected; instead, he felt like he was sinking into quicksand.

What shocked him even more was that the force transmitted with each impact was somewhat difficult for him to resist.

Song Qingshu forcibly calmed his mind, suppressing the panic that had quietly risen in his heart at some unknown time. His sword momentum suddenly changed! He shifted from offense to defense!

The sword momentum abruptly turned to a clear, neutral, and harmonious style. The sword light protected his body like pure water, ignoring the entangled "willow catkins." His only goal was to be seamless and unobstructed, isolating all intrusions.

It was the Two Forms Swordplay from the Wudang sword techniques.

A hint of undetectable mockery flickered across Gu Shaoan's lips.

On the way to Wudang, Miejue had also told Gu Shaoan and Zhou Zhiruo about Wudang's many martial arts.

Among them were the Clear Wind Swordplay that Song Qingshu had just used and the Two Forms Swordplay he was now employing.

Like the Emei Sect, Wudang's Clear Wind Swordplay was also a foundational martial art for every Wudang disciple.

According to Miejue's explanation, if the Clear Wind Swordplay could reach the "Entering the Hall" level, then when the sword moves, it would be like a gentle breeze brushing the face, arriving gracefully.

But Song Qingshu's swordplay, though the moves were skillful, did not carry any hint of the clear wind.

Clearly, he had not yet reached the "Entering the Hall" level in this martial art.

If even the foundational martial art was not mastered, let alone other sword techniques.

Jack of all trades, master of none, laughable.

If there was one point where Song Qingshu could surpass Gu Shaoan, it was in his comprehension of martial arts.

But unfortunately, Song Qingshu's own mastery of martial arts could only be described as mediocre.

Not to mention being the foremost among the third-generation disciples of Wudang, it was clearly somewhat disappointing.

As the thought flashed through his mind, Gu Shaoan moved again. His Internal Energy circulated according to the Three Manifestations of the Divine Dragon, and his figure shot up into the sky, as if to directly pierce the clouds. Song Qingshu's eyes narrowed, his spirit tensed to the extreme, and he immediately focused, waiting for the lightning strike from above!

However, Gu Shaoan's figure, which had risen halfway into the air, suddenly changed course, plummeting downwards without any warning.

Like a hunting falcon spotting prey on its flank, his trajectory drew a sharp angle in the air, carrying an even more ferocious downward momentum. His longsword, still in its sheath, transformed into a bolt of lightning, striking diagonally at Song Qingshu's right shoulder, which was slightly slow to defend, from an incredibly tricky angle.

"This is... Entering the Hall level Three Manifestations of the Divine Dragon?"

Seeing Gu Shaoan's sudden change in movement, Miejue's eyes flashed with sharp light.

She had thought that the Perfected level Willow Catkin Sword Technique was already remarkable, but she never expected Gu Shaoan to have already advanced the Three Manifestations of the Divine Dragon to the Entering the Hall level.

"Good, very good! With such talent, why worry about the future of my Emei Sect?"