Page 103

After a long silence, Master Jian Wang finally spoke.

*"Not bad. Your foundation in swordsmanship is quite solid."*

Receiving praise from a Sword Sect elder, Qin Shu was excited. She looked up at him with eager anticipation and asked,

*"Master, can I officially join the Sword Sect?"*

Master Jian Wang neither said yes nor no.

His hands, clasped behind his back, were already **pinching themselves red**, but his face remained **calm and composed**.

Around them, the thousands of disciples who had gathered had also fallen into **an eerie silence**.

Everyone held their breath, seemingly even **more nervous** than Qin Shu herself.

Finally, Master Jian Wang slowly spoke,

*"Follow me."*

With that, his sword unsheathed itself, and he stepped onto it, flying towards his mountain.

The moment he turned his back to her, his lips **curved into an uncontrollable smirk**.

*"Lingxu Zhenren, forgive me, but this disciple... I must have her!"*

Seeing this, Qin Shu dared not hesitate.

Fearing she might **lose him**, she immediately **activated** *Shrinking the Ground Into an Inch* and **raced after him**.

Even though Master Jian Wang had **deliberately slowed down**, the speed was still **overwhelming** for Qin Shu.

She felt like the legendary **Kuafu chasing the sun**, struggling desperately to keep up.

However, from the perspective of the disciples watching—

Qin Shu **effortlessly** crossed **ten miles in just a few strides**.

The entire **Sword Sect was stunned.**

*"What kind of movement technique is Junior Sister using? I've never seen it before!"*

*"The world is vast, there are many techniques you haven't seen!"*

*"If I had this movement skill, I'd definitely challenge the Blazing Green Flame Fox again. Even if I couldn't win, I could at least escape unscathed!"*

*"Forget it. This technique seems extremely difficult. You're better off exchanging for a few Windwalking Pills instead."*

...

Qin Shu was unaware of the **chaos** she had left behind at the Trial Sword Stone formation.

She followed Master Jian Wang for **a long time** before finally arriving at his mountain.

Stopping at the entrance of the cave, she saw the **sect's protective barrier** automatically open.

*"Come in."*

Master Jian Wang's voice echoed from inside.

Qin Shu stepped in and was **immediately struck by the simplicity** of the cave.

Compared to her own master's cave, **this was even more barren**.

Inside, there was **only a table and two meditation cushions**—

Not even a **stone bed**.

Qin Shu **took mental notes**.

It seemed that in **the entire Heaven's Profound Sect, she wasn't the only one who never slept and only focused on cultivation**.

She shouldn't assume she was ahead of others—she had to **keep working hard**.

Master Jian Wang sat cross-legged on a cushion, a cup of tea placed on the stone table in front of him.

As soon as Qin Shu entered, he **spoke directly**—

*"Swear your discipleship."*

Qin Shu froze.

*"Master, you mean... you want me to be your disciple?"*

Master Jian Wang's eyes **narrowed** as he asked in a gruff voice,

*"What? Am I not qualified to be your master?"*

Qin Shu **immediately shook her head.**

*"Of course you are!"*

She **stepped forward**, picked up the tea, and **respectfully knelt** before him.

*"Disciple Qin Shu greets Master!"*

Master Jian Wang took the tea, drank it, and **finally relaxed**.

Thankfully, **nothing unexpected happened.**

*"Qin Shu, have you comprehended the Sword Dao?"*

Master Jian Wang was curious.

He had seen her **earlier strike clearly**—

Though her cultivation was still **low**, her thrust **borrowed the momentum of the world**.

Qin Shu scratched her head, **uncertain**.

*"Back in Tai Lai City, I entered a state of enlightenment for six months. I seem to have understood something, but it doesn't seem very useful."*

*"Pfft—"*

Master Jian Wang, who had just taken a sip of his tea, **spat it all out**.

*"You... You... What did you just say? Six months of enlightenment?!"*

Qin Shu **nodded calmly**.

*"Yes."*

Master Jian Wang fell into **deep thought**.

She had **only been in the sect for a little over a year**...

And she had already **spent half a year in enlightenment?**

It was **common knowledge** that the **longer the enlightenment, the better the comprehension**.

Most young disciples, **lacking life experience**, would only enter enlightenment for a few **days**.

If someone could remain in that state for a **month**, they were already considered **a genius**.

But **half a year?**

More importantly—

**After spending six months in enlightenment, she still reached the fifth level of Qi Refinement?!**

**This was highly unusual.**

Chi Yu was a **Heavenly Spiritual Root genius**, yet she had **only just broken through to the fourth level** recently.

There was **definitely something special** about this girl.

Master Jian Wang pondered for a moment.

Then, he pulled off a jade pendant from his waist and handed it to her.

*"Today's apprenticeship was a bit sudden. We sword cultivators don't have much to give, but this pendant was a gift from my own master long ago. It can conceal your cultivation, preventing anyone below the Nascent Soul stage from seeing through your strength."*

His gaze landed on the **jade necklace** around Qin Shu's neck.

*"You can stop wearing that adornment now."*

Qin Shu took the jade pendant and **quickly** pulled out two bottles of top-grade Qi Recovery Pills.

*"Please accept these as my disciple's gift to Master."*

Master Jian Wang picked up the bottles and **chuckled**.

*"This is quite a new experience. This is the first time I've accepted an alchemist as a disciple."*

All of his **other disciples were dirt poor**, constantly **eyeing the few treasures he had left**.

Qin Shu smiled, looking **shy but pleased**.

She had to **build a good relationship** with her master so he would teach her his **greatest sword techniques**.

Even if **Qin Mian mastered martial arts**, she would still have **a way to counter him**.

Master Jian Wang was **by no means poor**, but he still **felt touched**—

For the **first time**, he was **receiving wealth instead of being robbed**.

*"Your basic swordsmanship is quite solid. How long have you been practicing?"*

*"A little over six months."*

Master Jian Wang was a **sword fanatic** himself and knew that **polishing the basics to this level took extreme dedication**.

She had only been in the sect **for a year**...

Meaning **most of her time was spent training swordsmanship**.

But wasn't she supposed to be an **Alchemy Sect disciple**?

Shouldn't Master Lingxu have **kicked her out** a long time ago?

Master Jian Wang **felt regretful** but reassured himself that **it wasn't too late**.

He patted his storage jade and pulled out a **sword manual**.

*"I noticed your swordsmanship borrows from the forces of nature. Take this 'Piercing Clouds, Breaking Rain' technique and see if you gain any insights."*

Qin Shu accepted the manual, **barely suppressing her excitement**.

Finally, she **had a proper sword technique!**

Seeing the **unconcealed joy** on her face, Master Jian Wang felt **satisfied**, but he still **maintained a stern expression**.

*"Sword cultivation is harsher than any other path. You must practice at least one thousand strikes per day. Can you do it?"*

Qin Shu: **"...?"**

She blinked **rapidly**, momentarily **at a loss for words**.

Master Jian Wang assumed she was hesitating and **his face darkened**.

*"What? Can't handle it? If you're afraid of hardship, you might as well leave now. Sword cultivation is not for you!"*