Wandering Swordsman |

However, Master Zhang acted as if nothing was amiss. He smiled slightly and quickly stepped forward to greet Shen Mo. "Shen Mo, you've come." His voice was gentle and kind, as if he were welcoming an old friend he hadn't seen for many years.

Shen Mo politely bowed to Master Zhang and quickly apologized: "Master Zhang, due to some reasons, I have been in the northern desert area for the past few years and have not been able to keep the appointment in time. Please forgive me, senior."

Master Zhang nodded after hearing this, his face showing no sign of blame. "It's alright, you've come at just the right time." His words were concise and powerful, yet full of tolerance and understanding, as if everything had been expected. Master Zhang did not press Shen Mo about his experiences abroad over the years, but instead chose trust and respect.

At this moment, Shen Mo felt the sincerity and kindness from Master Zhang, and a warm feeling welled up in his heart.

Master Zhang then turned around and introduced to Shen Mo: "This is Zhang Taixuan, the leader of the Wudang Sect, and this is Elder Zhang Daoxuan."

This scene greatly shocked the true disciples within the Purple Cloud Palace. They had never seen Master Zhang so warmly treat anyone, especially a young man who looked no more than twenty years old. For a moment, the disciples were filled with curiosity and speculation: Who exactly was this young man, not yet twenty? Why did he receive such courtesy from Master Zhang?

However, what happened next greatly shocked the true disciples. Master Zhang turned to Shen Mo, his eyes filled with anticipation and curiosity: "Shen Mo, have you mastered the 'Taiji Xuantian Sword'?"

Shen Mo smiled slightly and calmly replied, "It has already reached its peak."

Upon hearing this answer, the Wudang Sect Leader's face lit up with joy, as if he saw the future hope of the Wudang Sect. The true disciples, however, stared wide-eyed, their faces filled with disbelief. Master Zhang actually passed on Wudang's ultimate techniques to an outsider? And this outsider, at such a young age, had already mastered the Taiji Xuantian Sword—what kind of talent could possibly achieve that?

"How is this possible? We've cultivated for so many years and only just reached the minor success level." The true disciples sighed inwardly, their eyes filled with disbelief.

At this moment, Master Zhang instructed one of his true disciples: "Go and call your senior brother here."

After the disciple left the Zixiao Hall, Master Zhang turned to Shen Mo and said, "Shen Mo, the small favor I asked you to do back then was to have a match with the sect leader's eldest disciple using the Taiji Xuantian Sword. Regardless of the outcome, Wudang will reward you handsomely."

Upon hearing this, Shen Mo couldn't help but feel puzzled. "What does Master Zhang mean by this? Is he testing my strength?" Shen Mo pondered to himself.

Not long after, the true disciple brought back a man in his early thirties. The man was dressed sloppily, had a vacant look in his eyes, and seemed uninterested in anything, showing no concern for his appearance.

Shen Mo looked at the man, his heart filled with questions: Is this the senior disciple of the Wudang Sect's true lineage? You know, he will become the leader of the Wudang Sect in the future, so why is he in this state?

Under everyone's watchful eyes, the eldest disciple, realizing Shen Mo's ordinary aura, immediately brightened his previously unfocused gaze with fighting spirit. He looked directly at Master Zhang and asked, "Uncle-Master, is the Shen Mo you mentioned earlier him?"

Master Zhang nodded, his gaze firm, and said, "Exactly."

The eldest disciple slowly approached Shen Mo, a contemptuous smile playing on his lips, his eyes filled with disdain: "You plan to master the Taiji Xuantian Sword within three years?"

Shen Mo nodded, calmly meeting the other's gaze. He sensed the aura emanating from the true disciple, which reminded him of Xie Xin, who had cultivated on Demon Refining Mountain for five years. With Xie Xin's current strength, he estimated she could easily defeat this true disciple of the Wudang Sect.

Thinking of this, Shen Mo shook his head inwardly. Although the senior disciple in front of him enjoyed a great reputation in the Wudang Sect, in his eyes, his strength was really not worth mentioning.

"It seems you're very confident in your swordsmanship." The eldest disciple's voice carried an air of arrogance, as if victory was already assured. "However, confidence alone is not enough."

Master Zhang turned to Shen Mo, his eyes filled with anticipation and inquiry: "Shen Mo, are you ready? If you are, we can go to the training ground now and begin the competition."

Shen Mo nodded slightly, his face calm and composed, his heart undisturbed. He was already accustomed to this kind of challenge, and facing the true disciple before him, he felt no tension or unease whatsoever. On the contrary, his eyes revealed a calmness and determination, as if everything was under his control.

The eldest disciple seemed eager to try, his eyes gleaming with excitement. It was clear from his eyes that he was confident he would easily win the competition.

Afterwards, when everyone arrived at the training ground, Master Zhang briefly announced the rules of the competition: "In this competition, neither of you may use internal energy; you may only use the moves of the Taiji Xuantian Sword to compete."

Upon hearing this, the eldest disciple felt even more confident. He thought to himself, "In terms of my understanding of the Taiji Xuantian Sword, apart from the elders and the sect leader, no Wudang disciple can compare to me. Although this kid has good talent, he is still young and inexperienced. How could he be my match?" His confident expression became even more pronounced, as if victory was already beckoning to him.

Looking at the confident demeanor of the eldest disciple, Shen Mo couldn't help but sneer inwardly: "This person thinks he's something special just because he has talent. In reality, he's just a frog in a well with a narrow view and no idea how big he is."

Just as the duel was about to officially begin, Master Zhang instructed his eldest disciple to spar with Shen Mo using wooden swords. Shen Mo was about to turn around to grab a wooden sword from the weapon rack when the eldest disciple suddenly spoke up, "Since it's just a duel of moves from the Taiji Xuantian Sword, let's use real swords. After all, moves without internal energy won't cause serious injury."

As soon as he finished speaking, the Wudang Sect Leader's expression changed slightly, as if he wanted to say something. However, Master Zhang gave the Sect Leader a hint, signaling him not to express his opinion. Then Master Zhang turned to Shen Mo and asked, "Shen Mo, what do you think?"

Shen Mo smiled faintly and replied, "I have no objection." With that, he slowly drew the Tai'a sword. The instant the Tai'a sword was unsheathed, a piercing aura burst forth from its scabbard, like a cold glint piercing the hearts of everyone present. Everyone present felt a chill run down their spines, as if an invisible force was pressing down on their nerves.

"What a fine sword!" The eldest disciple couldn't help but exclaim in admiration, but he quickly regained his confident demeanor. "However, even the best sword depends on the skill of its user."

Shen Mo ignored the other party's provocation, simply gripping the Tai'a sword quietly, its tip slightly lowered. He was like an unshakeable mountain, exuding a calm and powerful aura.