Chapter 1949: Lu Yun Elder

"Excellent!" Zhang Xuan nodded in satisfaction.

This disciple, like Lu Chong back then, possessed an incredibly resolute mind. Others, after experiencing such a tragic turn of events, would have surely given up and abandoned themselves completely. Yet, despite knowing he couldn't cultivate, he continued to absorb spiritual energy every day without fail. It was this perseverance that led to his current achievements! One must put in effort to gain; there's no such thing as a free lunch.

"Teacher!" Shan Xiaotian cried out, tears streaming down his face as he knelt. He felt the power surge through his body, his left leg, once as rigid as stone, now completely restored and unconstrained. He was, after all, still just a teenager. He had believed that his fiancée's annulment would bring him only humiliation and death, but this teacher had completely changed his life.

"Good deeds are repaid," Zhang Xuan said with a smile, looking at him again. "You saved me, and this is your just reward. Since your strength has reached the Imperishable realm, I will teach you some martial arts for self-defense!" Having cultivation without martial arts was akin to having no combat ability. It was like Xu Zhu in the past; with two centuries of power, he couldn't use it effectively and wasn't considered a master—even a bandit like Wu Laoda could overwhelm him.

"I see you've been practicing the sword. Coincidentally, I've just created a set of sword techniques. See if you can learn them..." Shan Xiaotian had practiced the sword since he was ten, alongside his cultivation. Although his swordsmanship wasn't outstanding, the sword was deeply ingrained in him, so there was no need to change weapons. Furthermore, teaching him the sword techniques he had just created from the Divine Jade Talisman was a good idea. He quickly explained the intricacies of the sword techniques.

The teacher taught him only one move: after throwing the long sword, precisely control its force to pierce the opponent's weak point and kill them. It seemed simple, but after hearing the explanation, he understood that mastering it would be extremely difficult. First, one needed a thorough understanding of the opponent's sword techniques, strength, and sword intent to anticipate their moves. Second, it demanded very high speed.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!

Despite the difficulty, Shan Xiaotian was inherently a resilient person. He performed each move meticulously, fearing any mistake that might displease his teacher.

"Good!" Zhang Xuan nodded in satisfaction, seeing that his newly accepted disciple, though lacking the talent of Zhao Ya, Yuan Tao, or Wei Ruyan, excelled in diligence. After more than an hour of practice, seeing that he had gained a certain understanding of the sword technique, the two left the quiet room.

"Keep pretending to limp..." Zhang Xuan transmitted via telepathy.

Shan Xiaotian quickly reverted to his previous appearance, limping forward. His cultivation breakthrough had not only healed his leg but also increased his height significantly. Though not as tall as Zhang Xuan, he was now no different from a normal person. Understanding his teacher's intention, he deliberately limped and hunched his body. Someone unfamiliar with him would never notice the qualitative transformation and leap he had undergone in less than half a day, from entering to exiting the merchant guild.

By then, it was completely dark outside. Elder Yi drove the carriage over and was momentarily stunned when he saw his young master's appearance. Just as he was about to speak, the young master shook his head. Understanding his meaning, Elder Yi said nothing more. He immediately knelt and respectfully kowtowed several times to Zhang Xuan before standing up again and inviting them into the carriage.

Initially, Elder Yi had found it troublesome that his young master wanted to save this person, but he never imagined it would bring such a life-altering opportunity to his young master.

"Master, the young master is well..." Elder Yi murmured with reddened eyes, saying no more as he quickly drove the carriage towards the Shan family mansion.

As soon as they left, several figures flashed out from the street corner like wisps of smoke, following them directly.

Starry City.

"Did you hear? A super expert came to the Divine Hall today! They won eight consecutive public challenge matches and only left because there were no more opponents?"

"Eight consecutive matches? Starry City hasn't seen such a powerful expert in centuries! The Cloud Sword Pavilion's experts are here recruiting outer disciples around this time. Could it be one of them?"

"It was them, alright... but they were all easily killed by this person! And each was a one-hit kill..."

"Really? How do you know the Sword Pavilion's experts entered the arena?"

"Of the four experts from the Sword Pavilion, wasn't there one named Yun Feiyang? He didn't change his appearance or use an alias, and he even displayed the Sword Pavilion's techniques. The result... the expert who appeared pierced his head with a single sword stroke, killing him instantly..."

"That strong? What's the expert's name?"

"It's... Tianya!"

"What a great name, you can tell just by hearing it—profound and unfathomable, like the edge of the world!"

"Or 'Edge of a Hair'?"

The news spread rapidly. Less than an hour after Zhang Xuan left the Divine Hall, almost all the experts in Starry City knew about it.

In an instant, the Divine Hall was packed, with countless sword experts waiting by the challenge arena, hoping the super expert named "Tianya" would reappear and allow them to witness true swordsmanship.

Starry City, City Lord's Manor.

The people from Cloud Sword Pavilion were accommodated there.

In a spacious courtyard, an old man slowly wielded a long sword. His movements were deliberate and seemingly without power, yet each downward sweep of the sword gave the impression of tearing through heaven and earth. The air currents in the courtyard were stirred by the long sword, spinning continuously to form a whirlwind. After the whirlwind passed, the flowers and plants in the courtyard were completely unharmed, but the water droplets on them seemed to have evaporated. To remove water droplets without harming the flowers—this level of control was truly astonishing.

Stopping, the old man sheathed his long sword and exhaled a stream of turbid air that stretched for more than ten zhang, resembling a white ribbon, before vanishing into the night sky.

"Come in!" the old man said after washing his hands. While practicing, he had noticed that the several young disciples he had brought with him had all gathered outside, but he hadn't paid them much mind due to his cultivation.

Creak!

Yun Feiyang, Huang Tao, Zhugan (Bamboo Pole), Guozilian (Square Face), and others entered, bowing in unison. "Greetings, Elder Lu!" This old man was precisely Elder Lu Yun, responsible for recruiting new disciples for the Cloud Sword Pavilion this time.

"Hmm!" Elder Lu Yun sat down at the stone table in the courtyard. "Why have you come to see me? Is there something you need?" Away from the sect, these fellows were like birds released from a cage, usually too busy avoiding him. For them to all appear outside his courtyard, he wouldn't believe it if they said there was nothing.

"Elder, Yun Feiyang and Huang Tao went to... the Divine Hall in Starry City earlier to participate in public challenge matches..." Guozilian hesitated before stepping forward and explaining.

"I understand your intentions," Elder Lu Yun said, his expression darkening. "You've studied for many years and wish to show off. However... as disciples of the Sword Pavilion, the purpose of learning swordsmanship is to enhance your strength, propagate the mysteries of the sword art, earn honor for the sect, and enter the inner sect early, not to attract attention and admiration from others..." Professional experts in an ordinary club would naturally want to display their skills and capture attention, but doing so was truly too childish. Yun Feiyang and Huang Tao's faces flushed.

"Let this be an exception; it's fine this time!" Elder Lu Yun waved his hand, then suddenly realized. "When I've brought disciples out in the past, this kind of situation has happened before, and it's not a violation of sect rules. So what happened? Did you cause some trouble?"

Yun Feiyang replied awkwardly, "Elder, when I entered the Divine Hall earlier to compete... I used the Flowing Water Without Trace sword technique!"

"Flowing Water Without Trace? You needed to use that against cultivators from Starry City? It seems you encountered an expert!" Elder Lu Yun was taken aback. He picked up a teapot and filled the teacup in front of him. "This technique was one I created unintentionally while observing flowing water. Although simple, it contains profound principles and is quite difficult to master. It's commendable that you could use it... Of course, for you to be forced to use this move, your opponent must have some skill! Once this move was used, the opponent must have been completely helpless and surrendered, right?"

Elder Lu Yun took a sip from his teacup, a smile on his face. He had absolute confidence in the techniques he created. Cultivators from Starry City were nothing; using this move would surely scare them into submission, leaving them speechless.

Seeing the Elder's self-confidence, Yun Feiyang grew even more embarrassed. "When I used that move, he... pierced my head with a single sword stroke..."

"Pfft!" A mouthful of tea splattered all over Guozilian's face, making his face appear even larger. Elder Lu Yun's eyes widened. "What did you say?"

"When I... engaged him, I immediately used that move, and then... my head was pierced on the spot, and I died!" Yun Feiyang explained.

"Th-this... How is that possible?" Elder Lu Yun was on the verge of going mad. Such a formidable defensive ultimate technique, broken in a single move, and his head pierced? Was this real?

"That person excels at offense?" Seeing that Yun Feiyang didn't seem to be lying, Elder Lu Yun quickly asked.

"Yes, their offensive capabilities are exceptionally strong!" Huang Tao nodded, still feeling a lingering fear.

"Since their offensive capabilities are exceptionally strong, you must have used the wrong sword technique. Flowing Water Without Trace is good for defense, but against an absolute offense, merely defending will also create openings. It's like trying to cut water with a knife; although the water splashes the blade, the latter is still severed..." Hearing about the extremely strong offense, Elder Lu Yun slowly recovered. "Against such a person, you should launch an active attack. Using my Meteor Step combined with Bamboo-Breaking Sword Art should allow you to easily counter them and break out of a passive situation!"

"Uh... Elder, I also fought him. I immediately used the Meteor Step and Bamboo-Breaking Sword Art when I engaged him..." Zhugan's face reddened. When he fought Tianya, he attacked instantly, using precisely those two techniques, also created by this Elder.

"How was it? Did you break through their defenses and defeat them in one go?" Elder Lu Yun took another sip of water.

Zhugan scratched his head. "I hadn't even reached him yet... and I also got my head burst..." Guozilian's body was now wet, full of resentment, and his face appeared even larger.

"Both offense and defense were instantly defeated by a single sword?" The teacup dropped to the ground. Unable to control himself any longer, Elder Lu Yun abruptly stood up.