I'll teach you

"Very good. Now formally state your name." The middle-aged scholar took out a jade token.

The young woman cheerfully poked Qin Yi from beside him and reminded him in a whisper, "Hurry and take him as your master. My father is the master of Emerald Bamboo Peak and the seventh elder of the Famous Sword Sect. So many people aren't even qualified to dream of becoming his disciple."

Take a master?

Honestly, with a system backing me, did I even need a master?

Still, if I succeeded in stealing another man's love, that middle-aged scholar would be my father-in-law!

Taking my own father-in-law as my master... hmm, that was acceptable.

So he immediately bowed to the middle-aged scholar. "Your disciple, Qin Yi, pays his respects, Master."

As soon as he stated his name, a current of air automatically carved bold, elegant strokes onto the jade token in the middle-aged scholar's hand. Once a line of writing had formed, he handed the token to Qin Yi.

"Very good. From now on, you belong to Emerald Bamboo Peak. I will personally guide your cultivation from this day forward. But there is no rush over these next two days. You can familiarize yourself with Emerald Bamboo Peak first."

"Yes."

Having finished speaking, the middle-aged scholar vanished from the spot, coming without a shadow and leaving without a trace.

Qin Yi suddenly looked at the young woman, Gu Yiyi. "Then should I call you Junior Sister Yiyi now?"

She shook her head with a laugh. "Absolutely not. By order of entry, I'm Emerald Bamboo Peak's eldest senior sister."

"But you clearly look younger than me."

"It isn't based on age."

"By the way, what realm is Senior Brother Hua Yunfeng at now?"

To steal another man's love, he first had to understand his rival.

"Senior Brother Hua Yunfeng is at the Early Golden Core Stage." At the mention of Senior Brother Hua, her face filled with adoration. Even though he was not here, that did nothing to hinder her affection.

Among the major cultivation realms, only the Qi Refining Stage was divided into ten levels. All other realms had four minor stages: early, middle, late, and perfection!

Since Hua Yunfeng had been born with an innate physique at the Ninth Level of Qi Refining, yet was still only at the Early Golden Core Stage after so many years, his progress did not seem particularly fast.

"Since the Famous Sword Sect is named for the sword, why did I see Senior Brother Hua using a silver spear?"

"That's what you don't understand. Senior Brother Hua was born bearing an invincible spear intent, so practicing spear techniques suits him better than sword techniques. My uncle, the sect master, even specially sought out the Blazing Fire Cloud-Piercing Spear for him. And Senior Brother Hua did us proud. In just half a year, he mastered the Blazing Fire Cloud-Piercing Spear until his flames burned pure blue. When we were ambushed outside earlier, it was thanks to Senior Brother Hua cutting his way through the enemies and buying us time that we managed to return alive."

"Ambushed? You mean those two-meter-tall giants?"

"Yes. They're fiends of the demonic path. Somehow, they set their sights on us. Thinking back, it really was a close call."

"Then what realm are you at now, Junior Sister Yiyi?" Qin Yi asked.

She answered, "I'm at the Sixth Level of Qi Refining now, higher than you."

She looked pleased with herself, but quickly caught on, her delicate brows drawing together. "I'm not your junior sister. I'm your senior sister. You should call me Senior Sister."

Qin Yi immediately changed the subject. "So, Junior Sister Yiyi, you practice the sword, right?"

"Yes." She nodded, then shook her head again. "You need to call me Senior Sister."

Qin Yi was already calling out to the system in his mind!

Since the system wanted him to steal another man's love, it could not merely advance him half a level of cultivation. At the very least, it had to provide some matching martial skills and special talents!

The moment he had that thought, the gentle, mature woman's voice in his mind proactively replied:

[Dear host, to help you rise smoothly, the system grants you max-level comprehension, max-level creativity, and max-level imitation. You are guaranteed to master any cultivation method as soon as you learn it.]

As soon as the system's announcement ended, Qin Yi inexplicably felt waves of coolness spreading through his head.

Tsk!

Max-level comprehension, max-level creativity, max-level imitation!

These additional abilities really were good.

Max-level comprehension would let him master any cultivation method as soon as he learned it.

With max-level imitation, he could probably draw a gourd by copying its outline, immediately stealing and learning any martial skill he saw someone else use.

As for max-level creativity, could he create martial skills and cultivation methods himself once his understanding reached a certain point?

[The system's gentle, mature woman's voice: Yes, the host can create martial skills and cultivation methods. As long as they conform to the principles of cultivation methods, any creation can qualify as a superior cultivation method!]

Badass!

As long as they conformed to the principles of cultivation methods, any creation could qualify as a superior cultivation method!

He had to admit, this was the biggest cheat of all.

Conforming to the principles of cultivation methods was easy to understand. It could not be some divine art that shattered heaven and earth with a casual palm strike. A divine art with that kind of power could not exist, either.

If it had to conform to the principles...

Then, dash in a designated direction, deal 350 damage to the enemy, and accumulate one strand of Sword Qi. Once four strands of Sword Qi have accumulated, enter the Gallant's Journey state and unleash Green Lotus Sword Song?

Almost jokingly, Qin Yi thought of Li Bai's skills from Honor of Kings.

Yet the very next second, the system's gentle, mature woman's voice rang out:

[Dear host, congratulations on creating "Green Lotus Sword Song." This cultivation method conforms to the principles of the Heavenly Dao and has become an imprint bestowed upon you.]

Qin Yi froze. Soon, he felt a sword-shaped imprint drifting within his dantian.

Green Lotus Sword Song?

That was all it took?

Unable to believe it, he went to the edge of the training grounds and abruptly took an iron sword from the weapon rack.

The young woman, Gu Yiyi, watched him curiously. "Do you want to learn swordsmanship?"

She pursed her lips and smiled. "If you want to learn swordsmanship, you have to practice the basics first. Without solid basics, you won't even be able to hold a sword steady."

As she spoke, she flicked a finger, sending a burst of force into Qin Yi's iron sword.

The "Green Lotus Sword Song" imprint within Qin Yi awakened, and at that moment, he and the sword became one.

Despite how suddenly that burst of force came, it did not knock the iron sword from his hand. Instead, his grip tightened further.

Gu Yiyi was somewhat surprised that she had failed to knock the iron sword from Qin Yi's hand.

But then, an even more surprising sight appeared-Qin Yi suddenly darted across the empty space ahead, like a streak of snowy-white sword light slicing through the silent sky.

An afterimage actually remained where Qin Yi had just stood.

Qin Yi darted twice across the open grounds, his Sword Qi cutting a wooden post four times. Then he vanished.

The young woman watched, tongue-tied and wide-eyed, as Qin Yi's entire body turned into Sword Qi and delivered five instantaneous slashes at the wooden post.

Five streaks of Sword Qi gouged through the ground. The wooden post, a meter in diameter, split apart in an instant and was smashed to pieces.

"Heavens!"

She covered her mouth, her eyes full of little stars of wonder. "What swordsmanship is that?"

The next instant, Qin Yi inexplicably returned to his original position, merging with the afterimage.

After performing this sequence of "Green Lotus Sword Song," he felt thoroughly exhilarated. Swordsmanship he had created himself really was different. Every move came naturally to him. Although he had only just created it, performing it felt as though he had practiced it diligently for ten years.

"Qin Yi, Qin Yi, just what swordsmanship is that? It's so amazing. I've never seen swordsmanship like it before," Gu Yiyi asked curiously.

Qin Yi smiled faintly and looked into her eyes. "Want to learn? I'll teach you."