From the beginning of Swordsman, he created a legend in the martial arts world.

"Hahaha……"

Despite his severe internal injuries, Ren Woxing burst into laughter, breaking the tense atmosphere that had been created by Linghu Chong's victory.

"Excellent! Mr. Yue has taught a fine apprentice; the student has truly surpassed the master! Hahaha!"

"you……"

To Yue Buqun, the laughter was nothing short of the most vicious mockery. His face turned pale instantly, but he couldn't retaliate. He could only clench his fists tightly and glare at the other party.

Ren Woxing didn't even glance at Yue Buqun's extremely ugly face. Instead, he stopped laughing and suddenly turned his gaze to Meng Fei, who was standing quietly to the side.

"Young brother, just now you said that in the world today, only the Dugu Nine Swords can meet your standards."

"I find your swordsmanship to be superb, and your temperament suits my taste perfectly. Now that I intend to regain control of the Divine Sect, I need capable men. Why not come down the mountain with me? In the future, you and Brother Linghu can spar frequently. Wouldn't that be wonderful?"

Upon hearing this, both Abbot Fangzheng of Shaolin and Daoist Chongxu of Wudang tensed up at the same time. After exchanging a glance, they both saw deep worry in each other's eyes.

Ren Woxing was already a peerless martial artist with great ambitions. Now, with the help of a swordsmanship prodigy like Linghu Chong, and if he were to gain the allegiance of the "Evil Swordsman" Meng Fei... the power of the Demonic Cult would surely expand to an unimaginable extent, and the martial world would probably never have a peaceful day!

However, Meng Fei's reaction to Ren Woxing's seemingly generous offer was rather indifferent. He simply cupped his hands slightly, his tone detached yet firm: "I am honored by Master Ren's kindness, but I am used to a leisurely life and have no intention of being bound by anyone. I appreciate Master's good intentions."

Upon hearing this, Ren Woxing raised a thick eyebrow, a hint of surprise and displeasure flashing in his eyes, but it quickly turned into a deeper appreciation. He chuckled and didn't seem offended at all.

"Young man, you are indeed arrogant! Very well, everyone has their own ambitions, and I will not force you. However..."

He abruptly changed the subject, his gaze sweeping over the various expressions of the righteous sects around him, and said meaningfully, "Today you defeated Chongxu with your sword and cut off Yu Canghai's ear. You have already created animosity with these so-called righteous people."

"They may not attack you all at once now because they care about their reputation, but there's no guarantee they won't come after you in the future. Although you are highly skilled in martial arts, you are ultimately alone and outnumbered. If you change your mind one day, the doors of my Divine Sect will always be open to you, little brother."

Having said that, he said no more, exchanged a glance with Xiang Wentian, then looked at Linghu Chong, laughed loudly, and, with Ren Yingying in tow, turned and headed down the mountain.

Seeing that Ren Woxing had left, and that he had achieved his goal of demonstrating his strength and deterring the villains, Meng Fei saw no need to remain in this troublesome place any longer.

He then sheathed his sword and gave a slight bow to Fang Zheng, Chong Xu, and the others: "Having disturbed your temple today, Meng Fei takes his leave!"

Without waiting for a response, he took Aya and Alu and turned to follow another path down the mountain.

After descending Mount Song, Meng Fei, Aya, and Alu walked side by side on the official road, their minds filled with the thoughts of Ren Woxing's last words.

"Outnumbered and outmatched..."

Meng Fei silently recited these four words, his gaze sweeping over Aya and Alu, who looked slightly tired from days of travel but had been silently following him.

If one is all alone, one will naturally have no fear of any challenge, and wherever the sword points, one can carve a bloody path.

But now... he has someone to protect. The world is dangerous; it's easy to dodge a spear in the open, but hard to guard against a hidden arrow.

No matter how high one's martial arts skills are, it is difficult to guarantee complete safety. Today, I can protect them at Shaolin, but what if they encounter more dangerous schemes or attacks in the future?

Perhaps... I really need some help. I don't necessarily have to submit to orders, but at least I can support each other when the storm comes.

Suddenly, a nearly forgotten figure jumped into my mind: Fuzhou—the boy I casually bought and then acquired by chance, Li Bin.

At the time, it was just a casual act, and I didn't take it seriously. But now that I think about it, the boy was quite talented and kind-hearted. What's even more remarkable is that he had an almost blind worship and loyalty to me.

Having made up his mind, Meng Fei stopped and looked up towards the southeast.

"We're not going anywhere else."

Meng Fei turned his head and looked at Aya and Alu.

"We're going to Fuzhou."

Although Aya and Alu didn't understand why, seeing his firm expression, they nodded without hesitation, feeling that as long as they followed him, they would go anywhere!

The three left the Songshan area and traveled southeast along a winding path.

As the journey continued, the daily companionship gradually transformed that sense of dependence and gratitude into a more delicate and enduring affection.

It's unclear when it started, but when the three of them walked side by side, Meng Fei would naturally take Aya's slightly cool fingers in his hand, or gently put his arm around A Luo's tender shoulder. When their eyes met, a silent warmth would ripple through their hearts.

This growing affection, like the best medicine, gradually soothed the wounds in Aya and Alu's hearts caused by the destruction of their home and the separation of their loved ones, and their bright smiles returned to their faces.

However, whenever Meng Fei practiced his sword alone, a barely perceptible pause would always cross his brow.

After the sixth sword, "Crescent Moon," the Thirteen Deadly Swords seemed to have encountered an invisible barrier. The moves were still fierce, and the flow of internal energy was unimpeded, but he could feel that the sword intent had reached a certain critical point and could no longer be improved.

It was as if he had climbed to the mountainside, looking up to see the summit, with clouds and mist swirling beneath his feet, yet he could not find a path to continue upwards. This sense of stagnation was nothing short of torture for him, who was single-mindedly pursuing the ultimate in swordsmanship.

At first, he didn't say anything, only suppressing his frustration in his heart. But the two women were with him day and night, and were very observant. How could they not notice anything?

"Brother Meng, are you... something on your mind? You don't seem to be enjoying your sword practice as much these past few days."

When Meng Fei finished practicing his sword by the stream, Aya handed him the water pouch and asked softly.

A'Luo tilted her little face up and came over as well, her eyes full of concern.

"Is your swordsmanship encountering difficulties? Although A'Luo doesn't understand, Grandma once said that everything has its season for growth, and you can't rush it."

Looking into their clear and worried eyes, Meng Fei felt a warmth in his heart. He then stopped hiding his feelings and slowly revealed his troubles with his swordsmanship, which had stagnated and was difficult to improve.

"I believe I have mastered the Thirteen Deadly Swords to the extreme in 'form,' and my sword strikes are always flawless. But... the word 'spirit' remains a barrier, difficult to break through. It's as if there's a path ahead, but it's shrouded in mist and clouds, and I can't find the opportunity to take that step."

Gazing at the setting sun gradually sinking on the horizon, Meng Fei's tone carried a rare hint of bewilderment.

Hearing this, Aya sat down next to Meng Fei and gently comforted him, "Brother Meng, your achievements are already astonishing. The path of martial arts is perhaps like raising Gu poison in Miao territory. Sometimes you can't rush it. You have to wait for the right time. Maybe one day you'll have a flash of inspiration and suddenly understand everything."

"Yes, Brother Meng."

A'Luo pressed herself against Meng Fei's other side, took his arm, and looked up at him, saying, "Look how beautiful the scenery is along the way! Don't always think about practicing your sword! Sister Aya is right, just let things take their course!"

Seeing the two women's concerned eyes, Meng Fei's worries seemed to dissipate somewhat.

Yes, perhaps I was too fixated on breaking through in swordsmanship, which led me to fall short. Martial arts are like life; sometimes you need to be courageous and diligent, and sometimes you need to pause and reflect.

Having figured all this out, Meng Fei immediately gave a relieved smile: "You're right, I was thinking wrong. There's still a long way to go, no need to rush."