Chapter 220: The Concept of Sword Control Technique

The downfall of the Lin family caused immense turmoil in the martial arts world, quickly sweeping across the entire Qian Kingdom. In Cangzhou, this upheaval directly triggered numerous conflicts and bloodshed.

During this period, although Gu Mo remained on Shinnan Mountain, his reputation once again spread like wildfire throughout the martial arts world. His standing as the "Great Hero of Yunzhou" further solidified, largely because news of his dual Grandmaster status had circulated.

In truth, there had long been whispers in the martial arts world about Gu Mo's profound martial arts intent, particularly his swordsmanship. He had publicly demonstrated it on multiple occasions, and after the battle at Divine Weapon Manor in Qingzhou City last year, there were even faint rumors that he was a Grandmaster of the Sword.

Nevertheless, Lu Canyang, his opponent in the Divine Weapon Manor battle, had been out of the public eye for decades and lacked significant renown. Moreover, that particular battle involved several Grandmasters ganging up on a single individual.

In reality, the oppressive presence Lu Canyang exuded back then far surpassed that of the Tai Xu Divine Armor in the recent conflict. Even now, Gu Mo wasn't confident he could defeat Lu Canyang in a one-on-one battle.

But the martial arts world was unaware of this; they only acknowledged Gu Mo's feat of shattering the Tai Xu Divine Armor with his blade.

For a time, opinions varied wildly regarding the true extent of Gu Mo's blade mastery. Undeniably, however, everyone conceded he possessed Grandmaster-level combat prowess. Coupled with his existing status as a Grandmaster of Internal Martial Arts, Gu Mo's position on the Qian Kingdom's Heavenly List swiftly superseded True Master Lingxu, elevating him to fifth place. Simultaneously, he leapfrogged over Qi Tianshu of the Canglan Sword Sect, securing the top spot on Yunzhou's Heavenly List.

Of course, this remarkably swift re-ranking was largely propelled by three individuals: Song Danyang, known as Cangzhou's primary "Gu Mo trumpeter," Zhao Congyue, the second, and True Master Lingxu, the third.

In the words of these three, Gu Mo's internal energy was virtually unmatched throughout history. Even True Master Lingxu, also a Grandmaster of internal martial arts, acknowledged that his decades of Pure Yang internal energy fell far short when compared to Gu Mo's. What was most crucial was that this praise didn't just come from Song Danyang and Zhao Congyue; True Master Lingxu himself candidly admitted on several occasions that his discussions with Gu Mo were always from the perspective of seeking guidance.

Consequently, Gu Mo's ranking on the Heavenly List naturally superseded True Master Lingxu's.

As soon as this new ranking was unveiled to the martial arts world, the martial artists of Yunzhou erupted in jubilant celebration.

Among the Qian Kingdom's eight states, Tianzhou held the top position in the martial arts world, followed by Cangzhou, then Yunzhou. Yunzhou had always been generally regarded as weaker than Cangzhou. Now, with Gu Mo replacing True Master Lingxu at fifth place, many eager individuals within Yunzhou's martial arts community began loudly asserting that Yunzhou had finally surpassed Cangzhou.

Naturally, this was all mere speculation; no one would genuinely attempt to compare which state's martial arts community was superior. Nevertheless, it was undeniable that Gu Mo's prestige in Yunzhou was skyrocketing. Although his foundation might have been slightly lacking, leading to a somewhat inflated reputation, at this current stage, his influence in Yunzhou's martial arts world surpassed that of Qi Tianshu.

Yet, no matter the commotions stirring in the martial arts world, Gu Mo remained entirely unaffected.

He resided at the Pure Yang Temple for over half a month, engaging in profound discussions with Song Danyang and True Master Lingxu for more than ten days. During this period, numerous Pure Yang Temple disciples came to listen and receive Gu Mo's personal guidance.

Song Danyang and True Master Lingxu felt their debt of gratitude to Gu Mo growing increasingly profound. Gu Mo's initial assistance to Song Danyang was already a significant favor, and now, by guiding many Pure Yang Temple disciples, he had added kindness upon kindness.

However, Song Danyang and True Master Lingxu deliberated at length but couldn't conceive of a suitable way to reciprocate the favor. Ultimately, Song Danyang presented Gu Chudong with a generous amount of Pure Yang Temple's treasured elixirs and even imparted numerous alchemy techniques and secret manuals to her.

The elixirs of Pure Yang Temple were considered the best in the world. While Gu Chudong wasn't quite luxurious enough to treat the elixirs like candy, she did consume all the Pure Yang pills capable of enhancing cultivation. Finally, just before their departure, True Master Lingxu presented Gu Chudong with a large packet containing various elixirs, each serving a different purpose.

True Master Lingxu and his disciple, Song Danyang, personally escorted Gu Mo and Gu Chudong down Shinnan Mountain. They then arranged for several Pure Yang Temple disciples to accompany the siblings all the way to Cangyuan City.

Gu Chudong's numerous large sacks of Tai Xu Divine Armor scraps weighed no less than two thousand *jin*. The Pure Yang Temple disciples handled the heavy load for the entire journey, not allowing the siblings to touch them, and delivered them all the way to the Cangyuan City pier.

The ship at the pier belonged to Yunzhou's Flying Fish Gang, which regularly conducted shipping business between Yunzhou and Cangzhou. Gu Mo had contacted them in advance, and Fourth Master Chang, the gang leader, personally arranged a passenger vessel specifically to pick them up.

Just as they were about to board, a sudden shout pierced the bustling pier: "Chudong!"

Gu Chudong turned to look, discovering it was Yun Xiu, the eldest young lady of the Yun family.

Gu Chudong was both surprised and delighted. She rushed over, grasped Yun Xiu's hand, and exclaimed joyfully, "Sister Yun, why are you here?"

Yun Xiu chided gently, "You're heading back, and you didn't even tell me? If it weren't for someone from my Yun family spotting you at the pier, I wouldn't have known!"

Gu Chudong explained, "My brother and I made a last-minute decision to leave. I knew you've been incredibly busy, so I didn't want to bother you. Sister Yun, congratulations! I heard you're about to become the Yun family head. You've finally achieved your aspiration."

Holding Gu Chudong's hand, Yun Xiu replied, "Speaking of which, I owe it to your brother. If he hadn't uncovered the true identity of the Green Leaf Hall master, I'd still be vying for the position of junior family head. I certainly wouldn't have secured the family head position so swiftly."

Gu Chudong countered, "It's still thanks to your own capabilities, Sister Yun. After the Lin family's collapse, the entire Cangzhou martial arts world was coveting their assets, and many within the Yun