In Emei, start by obtaining golden attributes.

Chapter 420 A Special Request to Your Esteemed Sect – Questioning the Sword (Third Update)

From a distance, the mountain range of Dita Peak appears as just a line of bluish-green, but upon closer inspection, one can see that its ridges are like swords and its sea of ​​clouds is like waves.

A mountain breeze swept up from the valley floor, carrying a damp chill, rustling the leaves in the forest. The fog was torn apart and then closed again, like layers of gauze that refused to dissipate.

When Gu Shaoan descended from the clouds, he lightly touched a protruding rock with his toes and stood firmly.

His robes were not disheveled, his breathing was not hurried, and only a faint golden glow rose and fell with his breath, like the sunlight receding.

The gate of Cihang Jingzhai is located in this deep valley.

The cliffs on both sides are sheer, and stone steps wind their way up from the foot of the mountain, with ancient pines and cypresses growing everywhere.
The stone steps wind upwards, passing through the forest and into the mist.

A stone plaque stands in the mist, with deeply engraved characters on both sides, written in an ancient and unadorned style.

"My home is in this mountain, but the clouds are so deep that I don't know where it is."

The words convey a sense of tranquility and detachment, as if they were truly a secluded retreat from the world.

But in Gu Shaoan's eyes, the two lines of words on the stone plaque were laughable when placed in front of the Cihang Jingzhai mountain gate.

With a slight lift of his eyes, he saw an elder of Cihang Jingzhai standing guard in front of the mountain gate, accompanied by eight disciples of Cihang Jingzhai.

As Gu Shaoan looked at the group, the elders and disciples also noticed him emerging from the clouds.

However, his gaze carried a hint of condescending scrutiny.

Gu Shaoan gently withdrew his gaze and did not step forward.

At this moment, the internal energy within his body surged violently.

Then, Gu Shaoan raised his right hand slightly and casually swept his arm from top to bottom in front of him.

The surrounding clouds and mountain winds surged in, then mingled with Gu Shaoan's inner energy to condense into a nearly five-zhang-long condensed sword aura, which slashed down fiercely from above.

Unlike ordinary sword energy, which is elusive, that sword energy was solid and golden.

As it fell, it even created a visible shockwave that swept across the pine branches, bending the pine needles in unison. The mist that originally filled the valley was also forcibly compressed into a straight, empty passage.

As the sword energy descended, the wooden plaque in front of the mountain gate, along with the signboard bearing the four characters "Cihang Jingzhai," shattered instantly beneath the sword energy.

Splinters of wood and lacquer flew everywhere, like a sudden burst of black rain. The escaping energy sent Elder Cihang Jingzhai and his eight disciples, who were standing under the plaque, flying backward and crashing into the mountain walls on both sides, spitting out blood.

In contrast, the sword energy, after ruthlessly shattering the plaque, did not stop immediately, but continued to press down with its remaining force, going straight up the continuous mountain steps.

In an instant, pebbles flew everywhere, dust billowed into the sky, and the ground in front of the mountain gate trembled as if the entire Emperor's Peak had been lightly tapped with a finger, producing a dull echo.

"Crack—Boom!"

When the dust settled, the stone steps leading up the mountain were found to have been chiseled open by a giant axe, with a ravine ten feet long and about five inches deep.

The dust and mist had not yet settled.

Gu Shaoan had already withdrawn his palm.

He stood at the end of the cleaved misty path, his robes still intact, his breathing not even slightly heavier, as if the earth-shaking blow just now was merely a casual dusting off the corner of his clothes.

And his voice, at that moment, rang out indifferently, clearly overpowering the noise of the falling pebbles, passing through the mountain gate, and reaching deep into the quiet study:
"Gu Shaoan of the Emei Sect."

"Today I have come to Cihang Jingzhai to inquire about the sword of your esteemed sect."

As soon as the words left his mouth, they resonated throughout the entire Cihang Jingzhai under the blessing of the Gang Yuan.

The almost silent tranquility deep within the Cihang Jingzhai was shattered by a series of whooshing sounds as figures used their lightness skills to rush out of the Cihang Jingzhai and gather in front of the mountain gate.

In just a quarter of an hour, over a hundred disciples of Cihang Jingzhai filed out and gathered in front of the mountain gate, their eyes all fixed on Gu Shaoan.

However, among these people, apart from some female disciples of Cihang Jingzhai dressed in plain clothes, there were actually more than a dozen men.

Some wore short jackets with swords at their waists, while others wore brocade robes and had an elegant demeanor.

Compared to the disciplined and orderly nature of the Jingzhai disciples, these people stood casually and breathed incoherently, yet they all rushed out.

They are not from Cihang Jingzhai.

Instead, he was a wandering swordsman who had met a female disciple of Cihang Jingzhai and took the initiative to visit her.

Looking at the dozen or so men, for some reason, Gu Shaoan suddenly thought of the eight words: "A sacred Buddhist site, a haven for filth and defilement."

As soon as these people rushed to the mountain gate, their steps almost simultaneously faltered.

My gaze first fell on the ditch on the steps.

A strange stillness briefly filled the air.

It wasn't that no one spoke, but rather that no one dared to speak first.

Some of the martial arts men swallowed subconsciously, their eyes twitching. When their gaze shifted from the ravine to Gu Shaoan, surprise and fear were intertwined in their eyes.

"Why would Gu Shaoan from the Emei Sect come to Cihang Jingzhai?"

"I've never heard of any conflict between the Emei Sect and Cihang Jingzhai. Why would Gu Shaoan come to Cihang Jingzhai to ask about swordsmanship?"

"This is troublesome."

Quiet whispers leaked out from the crowd.

The phrase "asking about the sword" is merely a respectable way of speaking among various factions in the martial arts world.

To put it bluntly, the so-called "sword challenge" is not much different from a challenge to a martial arts school. Before the whispers had subsided, a man in the crowd, who looked to be about twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, with a fair complexion, no beard, and clean-shaven boots, and of above-average appearance, looked at Gu Shaoan, then glanced at the pretty female disciple of Cihang Jingzhai beside him.

Noticing the anxiety and worry in the female disciple's eyes, the man's mind suddenly began to work.

A few breaths later, the man stepped forward and bowed to Gu Shaoan, deliberately softening his voice: "I am Liu Baishan from Jiangnan, greetings to Young Master Gu."

As soon as he finished speaking, many people turned their attention to him.

Gu Shaoan raised his eyes slightly and looked at Liu Baishan, but he did not speak.

The silence was like a stone falling into the crowd, making everyone's hearts sink.

Liu Baishan's smile froze slightly, but he forced himself to continue, saying, "The Emei Sect and Cihang Jingzhai are both renowned and righteous sects of the Great Wei. If there is any misunderstanding, Young Master Gu can sit down and talk it over. Why make such a big fuss?"

His gaze fell on Liu Baishan.

After a moment's hesitation, Gu Shaoan slowly spoke.

"Are you aware of what happened between me and Cihang Jingzhai?"

Liu Baishan was taken aback, seemingly not expecting Gu Shaoan to ask so directly.

His Adam's apple bobbed, but he still shook his head and said dryly:

"I do not know."

Gu Shaoan asked again, "Do I know you, sir?"

Liu Baishan shook his head again: "This is my first time meeting Young Master Gu."

Upon hearing this, Gu Shaoan chuckled lightly, and when he looked at Liu Baishan, his eyes already held a hint of disdain.

"I don't know the reason for this, and I don't know you at all. I'm curious, what gives you the right to step forward and act as a peacemaker?"

"This"

Upon hearing Gu Shaoan's words, Liu Baishan paused for a moment before continuing, "Although I do not know what misunderstanding exists between Young Master Gu and Cihang Jingzhai, both are reputable sects. Young Master Gu's actions today, which destroyed Cihang Jingzhai's mountain gate, are rather excessive."

Feeling the gazes fixed on him, Liu Baishan gritted his teeth, his voice hardening slightly: "Moreover, Cihang Jingzhai is a first-rate force with a high reputation in the martial arts world. If today's matter escalates, it will not benefit Emei. You have already damaged Jingzhai's reputation by destroying the plaque and cracking the steps. If you then injure someone, it will likely bring trouble to the Emei Sect afterward. I hope Young Master Gu will reconsider."

Hearing what Liu Baishan said, Gu Shaoan suddenly chuckled.

Then, in everyone's sight, Gu Shaoan lightly lifted his right foot and then lightly touched the ground with his toes.

At the very moment Gu Shaoan lightly touched the ground with his toes, less than three zhang away from Liu Baishan, a wisp of mist that had been drifting slowly suddenly tightened, as if something had forcibly gathered and compressed the mist into two strands of sword energy.

The moment the sword energy was generated, it shot out like an arrow, skimming along the stone steps and reaching Liu Baishan, piercing through his knee.

laugh!
laugh!
The next moment, two soft sounds appeared almost simultaneously.

Liu Baishan's legs went weak, and he collapsed to his knees on the spot, his screams suddenly shattering the silence.

Those around them stared intently as they saw the blood rapidly staining the ground from Liu Baishan's knee.

In an instant, the Cihang Jingzhai disciples and martial artists who had just been around Liu Baishan all took a few steps back.

The crowd erupted into chaos for a moment.

In contrast, Gu Shaoan remained standing at the end of the foggy path, his clothes not even fluttering.

His gaze swept past Liu Baishan, who was kneeling and screaming in agony, and he said indifferently, "In this world, there are those who make me think twice before acting."

"Unfortunately, you are not among them."

"Furthermore, although I am a disciple of a prestigious and righteous sect, I am not someone that anyone can boss around or say a few words to."

At this point, Gu Shaoan paused slightly before turning his attention to Liu Baishan: "At least you don't have that qualification."

Gu Shaoan is not stupid.

Gu Shaoan understood the other party's intention from the way Liu Baishan kept glancing at the Cihang Jingzhai woman beside him while he was speaking.

They clearly assumed that Gu Shaoan, being a disciple of a prestigious sect, would not harm people indiscriminately.

So they wanted to take the opportunity to show off in front of the beauty and win her heart.

Unfortunately, the other party clearly misunderstood one thing.

Disciples of reputable schools are those who act with reason and evidence, not those who can be taken advantage of.

Don't tell me that it's Gu Shaoan standing here today.

Even if it were Abbess Miejue, being lectured in front of everyone by an unknown junior, it would be a miracle if she didn't give him a good slap on the head. That's because Abbess Miejue's temperament has become more gentle in recent years.

After saying that, Gu Shaoan stopped looking at the clown and glanced up at the steps leading up the mountain.

In Gu Shaoan's line of sight, several figures were rushing down from the mountaintop.

The aura emanating from the two leaders clearly indicated that they were both martial artists who had condensed their inner energy into a powerful force.

After his gaze swept over one of the elderly women who looked to be in their sixties or seventies, Gu Shaoan's eyes settled on the first woman who looked to be in her early thirties, his eyes slightly cold.

　Sorry, I'm feeling a bit unwell due to a cold! That's why I'm writing so slowly!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)