Chapter 1154

"Master? My foot!"

Yue Qinghong sneered, her foot resting on the Wolf Slave's shoulder. The Wolf Slave strode towards Qin Mu, gripping two demonic blades that danced up and down. Yue Qinghong’s body trembled, and dozens of swords flew out simultaneously from the sword scabbard on her back. She sneered, "In a narrow path, the brave win. In this confined space, the Wolf Slave and I are invincible when we work together! Junior Brother Qin, your weakness has been exposed; you should just honestly go back to the Great Ruins!"

With one above and one below, the Wolf Slave's two demonic blades swept towards them like a black whirlwind. Behind Yue Qinghong, thirty-one swords pointed outwards: one in front, two behind that, then four, then eight, and finally sixteen, forming a massive drilling sword formation!

The swords spun, thrusting towards Qin Mu.

"Senior Sister Yue's sword art is quite good!" Qin Mu exclaimed in admiration, then smiled, "However, I have already mastered Qi Becoming Silk; you are no match for me!"

"Qi Becoming Silk?" Yue Qinghong was furious. "Are you trying to humiliate me?"

Qin Mu pointed a finger, and threads of vital qi burst from its tip. Hundreds of vital qi threads formed sharp, continuously linked swords, also a drilling sword formation, but much thicker—like a sword pillar the size of a water vat, with a sharp tip in front and growing thicker behind. It thrust directly towards the Wolf Slave!

The Wolf Slave's demonic blades, like black light and black lightning, weaved and clashed with Qin Mu's drilling sword formation. Instantly, sparks flew everywhere in the alley. Though the Wolf Slave possessed immense strength, his arms went numb from the impact. He lost control of the two demonic blades, leaving himself vulnerable.

Yue Qinghong was startled. Her drilling sword formation pierced towards Qin Mu's shoulder, an attack designed to force a defense, thus relieving the Wolf Slave's predicament.

Qin Mu chuckled softly. With a light flick of his finger, he transformed his technique into a sweeping sword style. The drilling sword formation that had been aimed at the Wolf Slave suddenly changed, countless sword lights from the drilling formation directly becoming a coiling sword style. Yet, he was still performing the sweeping sword style. He had perfectly merged the two sword techniques without any hindrance.

His countless threads of vital qi entwined with Yue Qinghong's drilling sword formation. A continuous barrage of clinking sounds erupted, and the drilling sword formation, composed of flying swords, was instantly shattered. In an instant, thirty-one sharp swords were pierced through by countless vital qi swords, turning them into riddled sieves, covered in small holes.

Yue Qinghong let out a sharp cry. The Wolf Slave beneath her immediately dropped his blades and launched a flying kick towards Qin Mu. Qin Mu met the kick with his own. With a deafening boom, the Wolf Slave's tall body was sent flying backward. Yue Qinghong, still on the Wolf Slave's back, seized the opportunity to leap up. Using her finger as a sword, she pointed it at Qin Mu's shoulder.

Vital qi burst from her fingertip, transforming into a sword qi, about to pierce Qin Mu's shoulder. Suddenly, a demonic sound rang out: "Mayasa!" Yue Qinghong's mind was greatly shaken, and then she lost control. Music filled the air, causing her sword qi to dissipate. She started giggling and began to sing and dance in front of Qin Mu.

Yue Qinghong, with her profound cultivation, quickly came to her senses. She immediately stabilized her mind and retreated. Then she felt a warmth on her back and inwardly thought, "Oh no!"

Boom!

Qin Mu, back to back with her, suddenly pushed backward with force, sending her crashing into the adjacent wall.

Behind that wall was Monk Yun Que's residence. Suddenly, the wall collapsed. Monk Yun Que's body radiated a brilliant Buddhist light, sending Yue Qinghong, who was embedded in the wall, flying. He laughed heartily, "Senior Sister Yue, let me handle this!"

Yue Qinghong, flying in mid-air, said angrily, "Monk, you can't do it. You'll just get beaten!"

"I can't?" Monk Yun Que was enraged. His moves were fierce and powerful, like a dragon and elephant charging. He attacked Qin Mu, causing rubble to fly under his feet as his violent strength shattered green bricks. "Senior Sister, don't say the monk can't; the monk can!"

A dull, startling thud came from between the four palms where Qin Mu and Yun Que collided. Monk Yun Que laughed heartily, "Qin, didn't you expect this? I've refined the Imperial Preceptor's sword art into my palm strength. My Great Five-Terrace Seal..." He hadn't finished speaking when he suddenly felt an overwhelming force crush him. The power was incredibly violent, effortlessly shattering his vital qi and his Great Five-Terrace Seal.

Monk Yun Que grunted, staggered backward, and unleashed the Dragon-Elephant Subduing Demon Seal. With a loud boom, Monk Yun Que's clothes flew about, scattered like white butterflies dancing in the sky. He was stark naked, with no clothes to cover him, except for a tattered pair of white shorts.

Monk Yun Que saw Qin Mu's fist coming again. This punch actually broke the air, emitting an earth-shattering thunderous sound. The fist carried electric light, like a thunderbolt. When the punch came, a spherical cloud of white mist burst out around the fist, spreading in all directions.

"Oh no..." Only this thought remained in his mind. He took Qin Mu's punch head-on, and as he expected, his white shorts tore into pieces, fluttering like white butterflies, leaving him completely bare.

Monk Yun Que was sent flying backward by the unmatched force. This monk, after all, still had profound cultivation. In mid-air, he immediately turned to face the wall.

Splat!

He was plastered into the wall, face first, with his backside sticking out. "Good thing I didn't get stuck to the wall with my back..." Monk Yun Que thought with relief, then happily passed out.

Qin Mu shook his clothes, dusting off the dirt. At that moment, a timid, trembling voice came from behind him: "Brother Qin..."

Qin Mu turned around and saw Wei Yong tottering from the end of the alley. His legs were still trembling, and he was carrying a sword scabbard on his back. "Brother Wei, what's wrong?" Qin Mu asked, puzzled.

Wei Yong opened his sword scabbard and, with a trembling, tearful voice, said, "You're going against the natural order, and I must act on behalf of heaven to spar with you, to show you how vast the world is... No, that's too harsh, I can't say that..."

Qin Mu was between laughter and tears. "Brother Wei, you want to spar with me? It's common for fellow disciples to spar, especially since we've been through so much together. How about this: we'll stop when we've made our point."

Wei Yong finally relaxed. He drew his flying swords one by one, composed himself, and said, "Brother Qin, just don't beat me up like that monk."

His swords began to coil, performing the Coiling Sword Art taught by the Imperial Preceptor of Yankang. Since the Imperial Preceptor lectured on swordsmanship, many scholars had been practicing the three basic sword forms he taught, and clearly Wei Yong had gained some insights.

The scholars of the Imperial College were not foolish; they could more or less grasp some profound insights. Although Wei Yong was a bit chubby, his comprehension and aptitude were not low, and his understanding of the three sword forms was quite deep.

His family background in martial arts was profound, and his own strength was considerable, not inferior to Qin Yu. Qin Mu also wanted to see what he was capable of, so he didn't brutally attack him like he did Qin Yu. Instead, he engaged him with the Coiling Sword Art.

Their sword arts intertwined, each changing and displaying their unique, intricate sword techniques. The scholars nearby, seeing this, ignored their own injuries and focused their attention on the swordplay of the two.

Wei Yong's swordsmanship was already exceptional. He hailed from the Wei family of Jiangling, which had a great master: the current First-Rank official, Duke Wei.

Duke Wei was a cult master-level figure, with brilliant military achievements. He once annihilated a nation in a single battle, destroying the Tianyu Kingdom in the Northern Frontier, and bringing the entire Tianyu Kingdom into Yankang's territory, thus earning him the title of Duke.

Wei Yong's status in the Wei family was not high, but he had worked diligently since childhood. The Wei family's martial arts traditions were profound, and his skills were outstanding among the Wei family's disciples, ranking among the best.

With the same Coiling Sword Art, Qin Mu's sword techniques exhibited more variations. It wasn't just pure swordsmanship; it also incorporated the profundities of fist arts.

Qin Mu's engagement with him was more like a senior brother teaching a junior brother, guiding Wei Yong to comprehend the intricacies of the sword art. Once Wei Yong had understood enough, Qin Mu would transition to the next move.

Soon after, after three exchanges, Wei Yong breathed a sigh of relief, his confidence greatly boosted. He smiled, "Brother Qin, you can go all out now. I want to see how big the gap between us still is!"

Qin Mu smiled faintly, then suddenly changed his move. As his sword thrust out, he unleashed "Sun-Illuminated Yang Soul Refinement in the Air," instantly shaking Wei Yong's soul and causing him to quickly stabilize his mind. Qin Mu then backhanded with "Heavenly Demon's Self-Possessed Seal," causing Wei Yong's soul to immediately lose control. Wei Yong was knocked to the ground by Qin Mu's sword.

Qin Mu dissipated his vital qi, helped him up, and smiled, "Brother Wei, I apologize."

Wei Yong got up and looked around. Half of the scholars at the Scholars' Dwelling had been defeated, and the other half dared not come forward. He smiled, "Compared to the others, my situation is quite good. By the way, I just heard someone say you have a weakness in your shoulder. Why is it that even knowing your weakness, no one can harm you?"

"Knowing a weakness is one thing; being able to exploit it is another," Qin Mu said. "If it were a confrontation within the same cultivation realm, only two or three people in the entire Imperial College, including the Directorate of Education, would be able to find an opportunity to hit my weakness."

Wei Yong gasped.

Qin Mu looked around and saw that the Scholars' Dwelling was once again in ruins. The few attendants glared at him angrily. He quickly apologized to the attendants, saying, "Brother Wei, I still need to go to the Heavenly Records Tower. Senior Brothers and Senior Sisters, I cannot continue with you all. Farewell." With that, he walked out.

Inside the Scholars' Dwelling, no one dared to stop him again.

Yue Qinghong rose from the rubble, watched Qin Mu walk out of the Scholars' Dwelling, and sighed softly, "He is truly our Grand Senior Brother of the Scholars' Dwelling..."

Crash!

A wall suddenly collapsed, filling the air with dust. In the dust, Monk Yun Que ran off, one hand covering his front, the other covering his backside. He sprinted back to his courtyard, rushed into the main hall, and slammed the door shut.

Many scholars wanted to laugh but dared not. After a moment, Monk Yun Que's voice came from inside: "Um, Senior Brothers outside, this poor monk has no spare clothes left. The only set I had was taken by a fox and won't be returned. Does anyone have any spare clothes to send this poor monk? I'd be endlessly grateful."

Wei Yong smiled, "Senior Brother Yun, wait a moment. I have a few spare sets of clothes, though they might be a bit loose."

Yun Que said, "It's no matter. For a monastic, clothes are external possessions."

Ba Shan Jijiu walked out of Wei Yong's room, secretly calculating in his mind: "Wan Yun is one, Junior Brother Qin is another, and Qin Yu from the Qin family, the chubby one is also quite good. Yue Qinghong and Yun Que are also skilled practitioners. That makes six people as potential Imperial College Scholars. Guiding their cultivation should be no problem. However, besides the Scholars' Dwelling, there are also scholars in the Five Luminaries realm in the Princes' Garden. I shouldn't show favoritism; I must also select a few scholars from the Princes' Garden, lest the emperor make things difficult for me." He chose to teach only those scholars who had not yet reached the Six Directions realm. If they had reached the Six Directions realm, they would be divine abilities practitioners, and their paths would largely be fixed, making it impossible to tailor instruction to individual needs.

***

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