As Wang Anfeng confronted Gongsun Jing,
atop Shaoshi Mountain,
a scholar clad in green robes retracted his gaze from Gongsun Jing. Noticing Wang Anfeng's appearance, the corners of his mouth seemed to twitch upwards but were quickly suppressed, reverting to an indifferent expression. He reluctantly gave a slight nod.
Well, not too foolish.
On the other hand, Yuan Ci was expressionless, holding a small wooden mallet, tapping on a wooden fish.
Having reached his realm in the cultivation of Buddhism martial arts, he had already developed all sorts of inconceivable divine skills. He had been using "Heavenly Vision" to observe the scene unfolding with the youth. The moment he noticed the youth standing with folded hands, he suddenly felt a headache coming on.
Unable to continue watching, he withdrew his martial arts.
His gaze inadvertently drifted towards his companion.
Was it a mistake to have this fellow train Anfeng?
The more he thought about it, the more oppressed he felt; feeling so stifled, he suddenly felt an itch in his palm.
And then he realized, the refined-looking scholar before him was increasingly resembling the wooden fish under his hand.
Wu Changqing sighed, looking at Yuan Ci and then at the seemingly composed but smug-looking scholar in green, feeling helpless and began to wildly speculate:
One is already hard enough to deal with.
In his mind's eye, Wang Anfeng's figure emerged once again; the fourteen-year-old youth gradually growing up, wearing a blue robe, becoming a dashing young hero. As he turned his head, he remarkably resembled Mr. Ying, which made his heart shudder.
No... this is simply a nightmare.
The elder wiped the sweat from his brow, making a firm decision in his heart.
He must find a way for Anfeng to grow up normally, and not stray towards the likes of this fellow.
.....................…
At the same time, under the giant tree of the azure sky,
Wang Anfeng was unaware of his masters from the Shaolin Temple, each employing their divine skills to "peep", nor was he aware of what Gongsun Jing was thinking. But since things had come to this point, he could only brace himself and continue the act, mimicking Mr. Ying's tone of voice as he said, unhurriedly,
Gongsun Jing did not harbor any suspicions and respectfully responded with a fist salutation,
"Reporting to the Hall Master, your subordinate has acquired various martial arts secret manuals as stipulated by the Jade Plaque, a total of one hundred and thirty original copies. Most of them are external body tempering techniques, amounting to forty-seven kinds, encompassing elbows, palms, fists, and full-body movements from various schools. However, due to time constraints, most are common methods and might not catch the Hall Master's discerning eye."
He paused in his speech, reached for the case beside him, and stretched out his right hand forcefully. A strong vigor emerged, smoothly sending the bamboo case over to land next to Wang Anfeng without stirring up any excess wind, demonstrating a highly refined technique of controlling vigor. The young man was inwardly shaken but didn't show any signs of it.
He reached out to take a secret manual from it, flipped through it, and found that it was vastly different from the martial arts path his Master had taught him, without any similarities.
Curiosity surged in his heart, but luckily he remembered his current identity. After a simple glance, he put it down and looked towards Gongsun Jing, who seemed to be waiting for him. Seeing the youth's attention on himself, he took out a gold-stringed wooden box from his bosom and passed it over respectfully.
Wang Anfeng opened it, and saw red silk forming the base, with many jade beads on it that radiated a spiritual charm. One, in particular, was special as it flickered with true luster in the youth's eyes.
The subtle light, unfettered by the wooden box, leaked into the surrounding space, drawing the energy of Heaven and Earth, sketching out various phenomena. Around three feet from Wang Anfeng's body, an aura of lightness began to rise.
Gongsun Jing, having handed over everything, held an awe for the youth's demeanor and kept his gaze low. He hadn't seen the spectacle of the jade bead emitting light but could feel that the surrounding heaven and earth's energy was unusually active. Even as a Lower Third Rank martial artist, he could sense some minute changes.
His expression froze for a moment, and although reason told him not to look up, curiosity inadvertently caused him to raise his head slightly.
Instantly, his expression stiffened, and he saw the phenomenon of the Azure Dragon manifesting between Heaven and Earth. The sky surged with a giant vortex, drawing in clouds and sky light. In that instant, he felt as if he had been transported into the mythological era mentioned in the Shan Hai Jing, a time when Heaven and Earth were vast and humans were like ants and dust.
This was indeed the maneuver of an Upper Third Rank Grandmaster.
Gongsun Jing realized it in his heart because of the massive shock, and had not seen the Jade Bead in the youth's hand that emanated streaming light. At this moment, the Heaven and Earth Phenomena suddenly became stagnant, and then the clouds scattered, the violent wind calmed, and everything seemed to reverse in time. Such mighty power shook Gongsun Jing's heart, dispelling all his thoughts, leaving only astonishment and bewilderment.
It was then that he saw the Jade Box in Wang Anfeng's hand silently vanish, along with a basket full of Secret Manuals. Overwhelmed with shock, he assumed it was Wang Anfeng's doing, and couldn't help but admire him even more.
Wang Anfeng realized that this must be Mr. Ying's doing, and at this moment, noticing Gongsun Jing's gaze, he withdrew his right hand and placed it behind his back, maintaining his composure. He cleared his throat softly and spoke indifferently,
"What are you looking at?"
Gongsun Jing was still shaken, but upon hearing these words, he knew he had been caught off guard. However, having experienced many things in the world, he knew that acting timid would only make him more distasteful, so he quickly composed himself, bowed with a fist-in-palm salute, and said neither humbly nor arrogantly,
"Subordinate, subordinate was simply spellbound by the Hall Master's Divine Skills...."
His voice paused slightly, and then he continued with admiration,
"Such mighty power, I fear, is not inferior to that of the Great Elder Qingfeng Edge, who with one sword could cleave through a thousand miles of cloud light. Hall Master's Divine Skills truly broaden one's horizons."
This statement was not mere flattery, but came from the heart. In the path of martial arts, to be strong and forceful is indeed impressive, but the kind of effortless control displayed earlier is even rarer.
With a flip of the hand, dominating the turbulent winds, how could it be any less majestic than a slash that splits the sky?
Wang Anfeng was momentarily startled by these words. Having seen that predecessor himself, he was awkwardly embarrassed by such praise. For a moment, he even forgot that all this was Mr. Ying's handiwork. Unable to change his inherent nature, he instinctively said,
"I'm still far from the Great Elder..."
As soon as the words left his mouth, he realized it was not appropriate—a concession of sorts that did not fit the stature of a 'Hall Master.' His voice trailed off as he planned to divert Gongsun Jing's attention, so he would not dwell on the earlier slip-up.
Immediately, he immersed himself in the mindset of pondering what dishes to prepare for the day. His gaze upon Gongsun Jing became as serene as if he were looking at a large, dark-skinned eggplant. His voice as calm as possible, he said,
"Besides, that predecessor used a Finger Technique that day."
Gongsun Jing's heart trembled upon hearing this.
The entire world was rife with stories that the Great Elder had split a thousand miles of heavenly glow and seas of clouds with his sword, emanating piercing Sword Intent. Yet, the Hall Master before him claimed that it was a Finger Technique and not swordsmanship used that day, with such a nonchalant and casual demeanor. If what he said was true, then the whole world had underestimated the true capabilities of the Great Elder Murong.
But then another thought struck him.
How could this man know that it was a Finger Technique used that day, and not swordsmanship?
Could it be that he was present on the Qingfeng Edge that day, or did he simply infer the martial path hidden beneath the intense Sword Intent from observing the Heaven and Earth Phenomena?
If it was the former, did it mean that this secretive organization had a profound relationship with the Great Elder Murong?
If it was the latter.
Just how accomplished was this man's martial prowess? No, it wasn't necessarily him who discerned it—it could have been someone with the stature of an Azure Dragon—but if he could discern the intricacies of Murong Qingxue's martial path, his own level of Cultivation must not be far behind.
In an instant, Gongsun Jing sorted through the clues he had in his mind.
And his regard for this organization rose even further.
Meanwhile, at Shaolin Temple.
Mr. Ying and two others formed a circle, capturing all the Lost Treasure and Martial Arts Manuals. A Scholar splayed his five fingers, gathering a great deal of spiritual essence, which then morphed into a human shape. A step was taken forward, his right hand raised, pointing directly at the man's forehead as he uttered in a low, stern voice,