This Book Came from the Senior's Hand

It was said that ten thousand years ago, there had been a Qingshan Mountain behind Pingjiang City.

Qingshan Mountain towered into the clouds, as though holding up the heavens.

Later, an unparalleled master swept a sword across its waist, forcibly shearing the mountain flat and establishing a sect there.

It was named the Qingshan Sect.

Passed down through generation after generation, though each generation had fallen short of the last, the Qingshan Sect had remained a sacred land of cultivation in the hearts of many.

Inside a magnificent great hall.

Luolan Xue hurried over, her face full of anxiety.

"Your disciple requests an audience with Master." Luolan Xue knelt outside the doors and called out respectfully.

"Xue'er, why are you being so rash, disturbing your master's seclusion?" At last, a dignified voice came from within the hall. It carried anger, along with traces of exhaustion.

Luolan Xue's heart clenched at those words.

In three days, her master would duel the ancestor of the Black Tortoise Sect. His strength was already a notch below his opponent's, and the Black Tortoise Ancestor was cruel and vicious. No wonder her master was still in seclusion at such a time.

Yet the thought only made Luolan Xue more impatient. "Master, this disciple has an important matter to report. It may become an opportunity for you to defeat the Black Tortoise Ancestor."

"An opportunity to defeat the Black Tortoise Ancestor?"

Old Ancestor Qingshan was mildly startled at first, then his voice turned angry.

"How have I taught you all this time? How have you also learned to boast so wildly? The battle between Black Tortoise and me is not something juniors like you can influence."

"Go back!"

"Do not disturb me again."

"Master, this disciple would not dare speak such empty boasts." Luolan Xue hurriedly lowered her head and said anxiously, "Please, Master, you must see me."

The hall fell into brief silence before the dignified voice sounded again.

"You have disturbed me so recklessly during my seclusion. If this matter is not as you claim, do not blame your master for showing no mercy!"

As the voice fell, the hall doors burst open.

Luolan Xue let out a relieved breath and respectfully carried the Martial Arts Book in both hands as she entered the hall.

Her wish was granted, and she met Old Ancestor Qingshan.

Old Ancestor Qingshan sat cross-legged on a meditation cushion. The anger on his face had faded somewhat, but as he listened to Luolan Xue's account, suspicion filled his expression.

"You mean, a mortal?" Old Ancestor Qingshan asked.

"Yes, Master. More precisely, an unparalleled master roaming the mortal world while disguised as a mortal," Luolan Xue added.

"Hmph, utter nonsense."

Old Ancestor Qingshan snapped, "If Pingjiang City truly had such a master, how could I, the grand Old Ancestor Qingshan, not know of him? Martial Intent? What a joke."

"Please believe me, Master. This book came directly from that senior's hand. You will know once you look at it," Luolan Xue hurriedly said.

"Hmph!"

Old Ancestor Qingshan gave a cold snort and waved his hand. The Martial Arts Book appeared in his grasp.

After a brief glance, disdain appeared on his face.

The entire book was utterly ordinary, with nothing remarkable about it, nor did it contain the slightest trace of energy.

If Luolan Xue had not been one of his most valued disciples, his anger would have driven him to blast her out with a single palm strike. He certainly would not have wasted time on some tattered book.

"Please open it and take a look, Master," Luolan Xue quickly urged. Seeming to recall something, she added, "Master, please make sure to steady your state of mind. Be careful of suffering a backlash."

At this, impatience showed on Old Ancestor Qingshan's face. Then he casually opened the Martial Arts Book.

In an instant, his previously indifferent and impatient expression changed dramatically.

He abruptly straightened his posture.

Without realizing it, his body began to tremble as well.

Shock, awe, disbelief, utter stupefaction... a whole succession of expressions flickered across his face, yet even they could not convey how he felt at that moment.

It was as though stormy waves had surged through his heart, impossible to calm.

He never could have imagined that Luolan Xue had actually been telling the truth. This unremarkable tattered book, which he had disdained, truly contained boundless Martial Intent once opened.

The instant he opened the book, it felt as though he had been immersed in another world. As a Martial Spirit expert, Old Ancestor Qingshan felt incomparably tiny before the power contained within it.

Just what kind of person could paint such a wondrous book?

Even more unbelievable was that, judging from the ink and the minute details of the brushstrokes, this person had clearly drawn it casually. A painting created on a whim contained such inconceivable Martial Intent—just how profound was that person's cultivation?

Seeing Old Ancestor Qingshan's expression, Luolan Xue could not help revealing a bitter smile.

When she had first seen this book, had she not reacted the same way?

It only further confirmed the thought in her heart: that young man, lying in a recliner and fanning himself with a palm-leaf fan, had to be an unparalleled master who had remained hidden from the world.

Yet the more certain she became, the harder it was for her heart to settle.

On one hand, she was thrilled that the Qingshan Sect had encountered such a stroke of fortune. On the other, her heart grew increasingly uneasy, her eyes tinged with worry and fear...

"Ha ha ha ha..."

At that moment, hearty laughter rang from Old Ancestor Qingshan's mouth. His hair rose wildly, and an overwhelming aura erupted from his body.

He shot up from the meditation cushion like a rocket, smashing straight through the roof and soaring into the air.

At that moment, clouds churned above the Qingshan Sect, and wind and rain threatened to descend.

Soon, a torrential downpour began. Countless streams of spiritual energy gathered toward Old Ancestor Qingshan. Hanging in midair, he resembled a blazing little sun, shining with dazzling light amid the rain.

"What?"

"Master actually broke through?"

Luolan Xue covered her red lips in surprise, staring at the scene with both joy and shock.

The entire Qingshan Sect also erupted into massive commotion.

"Who the hell is stirring up trouble again? The clothes I just hung out haven't even dried yet." Reclining in his chair, Yi Feng looked displeased and grumbled nonstop.

Though he had never eaten pork, he had at least seen pigs run.

Although he had never witnessed such a huge spectacle before, one look told Yi Feng that cultivators had caused it.

"Zhong Qing, how is your horse stance coming along?"

After bringing in the clothes, Yi Feng looked toward Zhong Qing, who had gone straight into training.

At that moment, he was holding a horse stance. Who knew how long he had endured it already? His thin body trembled, beads of sweat dripped from his forehead, yet he continued to hold on.

"What a promising youngster. Too bad this is a cultivation world. If this were my previous life, I'd definitely make you the second Bruce Lee!"

At that thought, Yi Feng could not help cursing under his breath.

Damn it, in a cultivation world, they gave him a martial arts training system. What kind of nonsense was that?

"Zhong Qing, take a break. Go buy two bowls of beef noodles from across the street!" One could not train martial arts to death; one had to balance work and rest. So Yi Feng spoke at the right moment.

"Yes, Master."

Zhong Qing wiped the sweat from his forehead and ran through the heavy rain toward the beef noodle stall across the street.

While waiting for the waiter to cook the noodles, Zhong Qing lifted his head and gazed at the distant sky, lost in thought. Only when the waiter finished the beef noodles and called to him several times did he finally come back to his senses.

"Sigh, this child..."

Yi Feng shook his head.

He could tell that Zhong Qing still harbored a deep obsession with cultivation. He had likely stayed here only to repay Yi Feng for his kindness in meeting him.

Unfortunately, his talent was what it was. With such aptitude, he simply could not enter the Qingshan Sect.

"Sigh, your master has no way to help you either. If your master knew a couple of people from the Qingshan Sect, perhaps I could pull some strings for you!"

"But your master is only a mere mortal!"