Having studied for a hundred years, why do you call me the Martial Saint?

evening.

Outside the kitchen of the servants' quarters, a group of servants squatted in the corner, discussing the day's events in a noisy manner.

"My goodness! You didn't see the show! When Helian Chuan stomped down, the thick bluestone slabs in front of the hall shattered completely! The shockwave even knocked over the disciples guarding the mountain!"

"I heard from my senior brothers in the outer sect that that person is some kind of old monster at the True Essence Realm, who was already famous throughout the martial world thirty years ago. It's said that he can shatter a city gate with a single palm strike!"

"True Essence Realm, what kind of realm is that?"

"You don't even know that?" An older servant puffed out his chest, showing off. "Beyond internal energy, there's the meridian system, and above that are true qi and true essence!"

"You're wrong. There are different levels between opening the meridians and cultivating true qi!"

"Oh, that's not important. What you really need to know is that the True Essence Realm is the highest level; there are only a handful of people like that in the world!"

"Then, how did Uncle Chu, a mere True Qi Realm cultivator, manage to kill a True Yuan Realm cultivator with a single sword strike?"

"Nonsense! Of course, it's thanks to the supreme swordsmanship of Suishan! What's it called again? Anyway, it's incredibly powerful! Who is Uncle Chu? He's the sect leader's personal disciple. How could his skills be lacking?"

"I've heard about it too. Some people say that Uncle Chu's sword descended from the sky, like a celestial being descending to earth. The sword light flashed, and Helian Chuan was sent flying! It was simply divine!"

"However... I have a fellow villager who works in the outer sect. He said that Uncle Chu was also seriously injured, vomited a lot of blood, and is almost dead..."

"Nonsense! How could Uncle Chu be injured when he killed a True Yuan Realm cultivator with a single sword strike? Who told you that, my friend?"

"Exactly, your fellow villager must not be skilled enough and misjudged. Don't try to diminish our own prestige!"

Gu Shuxian listened from the side without participating in the discussion.

He leaned against an old pine tree, lost in thought.

He wasn't surprised that a lower-level cultivator could defeat a higher-level one.

Realm suppression isn't absolute, and there are many factors to consider in battles between martial artists, so a counter-kill isn't hard to understand.

What he was curious about was what sword technique this Uncle Chu was using, since it sounded so much like the first move.

Didn't Master Feng say that his disciples hadn't even learned the first move?

Gu Shuxian was a little puzzled, and he thought about it repeatedly.

I don't think it was the first move. Uncle Chu's battle sounded like a fight to the death, and it's hard to hold back in a fight to the death.

The first move, when executed with full force, wouldn't be so quiet.

Gu Shuxian shook his head and left the kitchen.

The mountain wind, carrying bits of snow, rushed towards us.

Instead of returning immediately to house number nine, he headed into the secluded woods.

There have been many rumors lately that something has happened to Sword Master Yang Qingfeng, but the disciples of Suishan basically don't believe them.

Gu Shuxian didn't quite believe it either, since he had clearly seen Feng Laolong looking vigorous and energetic before.

But the increasing number of strange things happening these days has forced him to reconsider the matter.

Old Master Feng may really be dead; that day was just a final burst of energy before his death...

Of course, it's also possible that he was simply in seclusion, summarizing what he had learned in his previous life, and that he had gained something new and made further progress...

Or it could be a staged death, luring out potential enemies of Suishan so they can be wiped out in one fell swoop, clearing away any future troubles for the disciples, and leading to a top-level battle of wits...

Gu Shuxian didn't know the truth, but since the sect leader didn't show up, it was clear that the probing from the outside wouldn't stop.

We need to prepare early.

Fortunately, my efforts these past few days haven't been in vain.

After walking for a while, Gu Shuxian passed through the last bush and suddenly the view opened up before her.

This is a secluded mountain valley, surrounded by dense forests that block out the sun, making it difficult to spot even during the day.

Dozens of wooden mannequins stand there, each in a different pose.

Snow fell on their shoulders and heads, accumulating into a thin layer.

Gu Shuxian stopped and scanned the mannequins one by one.

They were quiet and still, without any sign of life.

However, he knew that as long as he had a thought, they could come back to life in an instant.

The Wood Puppet Technique's spirit-infused ability can be maintained; as long as it doesn't enter combat, the consumption is minimal, allowing it to remain active for a long time.

"From three swords to four swords is quite an improvement, but unfortunately, there probably won't be time for me to continue iterating."

Gu Shuxian shook his head, knowing he always needed to have some supplies on hand to deal with potential crises.

Currently, I am only at the Qi Refining Realm. Using the Six Swords of Qingfeng would be too harmful to me, so I don't want to use them unless absolutely necessary.

However, the accumulation of cultivation is slow, and reading rare books is too unpredictable, making it difficult to improve one's cultivation level in a short period of time.

The only thing I can prepare is to increase the quantity!

Gu Shuxian walked up to a dummy holding a sword and reached out to brush the snow off its shoulder.

Before the storm arrives, he needs to build an army of dummy soldiers.

……

The sixth day of the Grand Examination.

The atmosphere on the mountain remained tense, but finally some good news arrived.

Two wandering swordsmen, having heard of Suishan's predicament, came to offer their assistance.

One of them was Du Hongxiu, the owner of Hongxiu Manor. She was nearly fifty years old and had reached the Gangqi Realm. She had received a favor from the Sword Venerable in the past. Upon hearing some rumors, the old lady brought her manor's best men over without saying a word.

The other is a wandering martial artist named Hu Bugui, who is at the True Qi Realm.

It is said that when he was young and destitute, he collapsed from hunger on the roadside on a snowy night. Yang Qingfeng happened to pass by and treated him to a bowl of rice and a pot of wine. Because of this favor, after hearing about the news in Suishan, he rushed over without stopping.

However, they also brought bad news.

It is said that the Blood Leech Elder and Young Master Yu have appeared in the nearby area. If they hear the news, they are very likely to come.

The former is a master of evil arts, whose lineage was destroyed by the Sword Master. He has been hiding and is very likely to seek revenge.

The latter is the young master of the Netherworld Sect. The actions of the Demonic Sect are unpredictable, and it is said that Gongzi Yu has already reached a realm higher than True Essence.

Qin Zhongyu personally came out to greet them and invited the two into the inner hall.

……

The eleventh day of the Grand Competition.

Gu Shuxian was summoned by Zhou Ji.

"Hey, hey, Junior Brother Gu, slow down your selection! My competition is tomorrow!"

Seeing Gu Shuxian rushing to choose medicine as if she were in a hurry to be reborn, Zhou Ji became a little anxious.

Gu Shuxian sighed and slowed down.

He thought to himself that even if he could find the time to create another dummy, his own internal energy might not be enough, so he might as well go slower.

Seeing his serious expression, Zhou Ji beamed with joy:

"Yes, yes, that's it!"

After dawdling for more than half an hour, Gu Shuxian finally came out of Zhou Ji's house. Just as he was about to leave Mingjian Residence, a figure ran towards him.

"Junior Brother Gu!" Chen Wenyan waved from afar, jogging over. "It's been quite a while since I've seen you."

"Senior Brother Chen, you're on leave?" Gu Shuxian asked in surprise.

"How could I? I'm just taking a short break. I still have a ton of things to hand over, I'm so busy I barely have time to breathe," Chen Wenyan said. "By the way, wait for me a minute."

Chen Wenyan entered the room, and after a while, he handed a book wrapped in cloth to Gu Shuxian.

"Here you go. I copied it too slowly, on and off for several months. I'm so sorry I finally finished copying it."

Gu Shuxian took it and saw that it was the book "The Divine Halberd Couple" that he had lent out before.

He smiled and said, "The sect has been busy lately, so it's more important for you to contribute to the sect, Senior Brother."

"Sigh, putting everything else aside, there's just so much to do, especially with this competition being extended, our workload has doubled..."

After chatting for a while, Chen Wenyan hurriedly took his leave.

Gu Shuxian examined the book "The Divine Halberd Couple" in his hand, lost in thought.

Should I return this book to Liu Mingyuan? It's been months, and I'm starting to feel a little embarrassed.

But I'm so busy making mannequins, I don't have much time.