Wandering Swordsman |

Situ Dengfeng stared at him for a moment, his gaze piercing through the bones and veins beneath his black robes. Suddenly, he strode forward and, in full view of everyone, placed both hands on Shen Mo's shoulders!

"Shen Mo!" His voice, loud and clear as a bell, resounded throughout the hall, "You have completed this task very well!"

He surveyed the surrounding high-ranking members of the Martial Arts Alliance, produced a token he had prepared beforehand, and declared in a booming voice: "Effective immediately, you are promoted to—Captain of the Martial Arts Alliance's Green Vanguard Team!"

Shen Mo, however, remained calm.

He stepped forward, knelt on one knee, and accepted the bronze token with both hands. The two characters "Qingfeng" were engraved in ancient seal script, with sharp edges. On the back was engraved a broken sword with the tip pointing downwards, symbolizing "unyielding rather than broken".

"Your subordinate obeys." His voice was low, but every word was firm and resolute.

Situ Dengfeng helped him up, his gaze deep, and whispered, "Although the Qingfeng Team is small, it was established by me when the Martial Alliance was re-established. It has been carrying out important missions outside ever since, and no captain has been appointed. I believe in you, that you can lead this team well and contribute to the Martial Alliance."

Shen Mo looked up and met the eyes of the Alliance Leader.

In that instant, he understood the expectation and the test in the other person's eyes—this was not a reward, but a test. A test of his leadership skills, of whether he could shoulder the heavy responsibility of the Martial Alliance.

......

In the afternoon, at the Elite Academy, in the director's study.

The curator looked at the 'Azure Netherworld Herb' in Shen Mo's hand with great surprise.

"Shen Mo." He spoke slowly, his voice gentle yet authoritative, "This is a thousand-year-old spiritual herb with potent medicinal power. Ordinary people who take it must endure three days and three nights of painful refining. If they are not careful, their meridians will be severed. I will personally circulate my energy for you to help you absorb the medicinal power, so as not to harm your body."

Shen Mo's heart suddenly tightened.

He had already absorbed the Great Rejuvenation Pill at the Heavenly Demon Sect, and his meridians had been tempered to their limit by the medicinal power, making his internal strength as profound as an abyss. If the headmaster were to intervene, and discover that he had absorbed the Shaolin Temple's secret medicine, the Great Rejuvenation Pill, it would be difficult to explain.

He bowed his head respectfully and said, "I appreciate the Master's kindness. However, as a Heavenly Martial Body, I have my own unique characteristics. If external forces intervene, it will easily cause conflict. I am willing to absorb it on my own. I ask the Master to protect me and prevent external interference."

The curator paused slightly, then stroked his beard and chuckled, "It was my oversight. The Heavenly Martial Body is extremely profound and must indeed be followed. Very well, I will protect you from harm. If anything goes wrong, I will intervene immediately."

Shen Mo said no more, sat cross-legged, and placed his palms together over his dantian.

He picked up the Qingmingzhi, took a deep breath, tilted his head back, and swallowed the lingzhi.

In an instant—

A surge of icy, ancient medicinal power, as cold as ten-thousand-year-old ice, rushed down from my throat and instantly entered my meridians.

If it were an ordinary person, they would have been in excruciating pain, with their meridians feeling as if they were being torn apart.

However, the wide meridians in Shen Mo's body, which had already been opened up by the Great Rejuvenation Pill and the medicinal power of ginseng, flowed like rivers without any stagnation.

The icy medicinal power flowed like a stream into the sea, rapidly circulating throughout his body along his already opened meridians. At each acupoint, a wisp of emerald light seeped from his skin, like morning dew condensing on the tip of a leaf.

The curator narrowed his eyes, a look of surprise and disbelief on his face: "How could it be... so smooth? Even someone with the Heavenly Martial Body shouldn't absorb spiritual herbs so easily..."

He observed closely and saw that Shen Mo's expression was normal, his breathing was steady, and he showed no sign of pain. The medicinal power of the Azure Nether Ganoderma had been completely absorbed into his body within the short time it takes for an incense stick to burn, transforming into pure internal energy that flowed into his dantian.

"This..." The curator was shocked and almost lost his voice. "So easily? Could it be that the Heavenly Martial Body can truly ignore the conflicting effects of the medicine? Or... has he already tempered his body to the extreme?"

Unbeknownst to him, Shen Mo's body was no longer that of an ordinary martial artist. Leaving aside the effects of the Great Rejuvenation Pill and the two ginseng roots, the Heavenly Demon Qi he obtained within the Demon Refining Mountain alone had already propelled him to an unprecedented level of martial arts.

As the effects of the medicine wore off, Shen Mo slowly opened his eyes, a fleeting glint of light flashing in them like a hawk soaring through the sky.

"Thank you for your protection, Master." He stood up, his tone calm, as if he had just taken a nap.

The curator suppressed his shock and smiled, "Your talent is exceptional; you are truly extraordinary. This absorption of the Azure Netherworld Herb will surely greatly enhance your abilities. If you encounter any difficulties in the future, feel free to come to me."

Shen Mo nodded and took his leave, but inwardly he sighed, "The Azure Netherworld Herb truly lives up to its reputation as a spiritual medicine. This time, I feel the flow of energy in my meridians is much smoother. Even without the enhancement of the Heavenly Demon Qi, my senses are heightened to the extreme..."

......

As dusk settled, the sky was dyed by the sunset into a tapestry of interwoven orange and deep purple hues.

On the bamboo-lined path of the Elite Academy, the wind rustles through the bamboo leaves, like whispers or sighs.

Shen Mo stood before the bluestone steps, his palms slightly sweaty, his fingertips unconsciously rubbing the "Azure Edge Token" he had just received. The bronze token was cold and hard, but it was far less heavy than the weight in his heart.

Because at this moment, he needs to face another storm.

He walked slowly forward, through the corridor, toward Murong Qing's residence.

Shen Mo stood outside the door, a slender figure reflected in the window paper, head bowed, playing the zither. The music was soft and gentle, like a babbling brook, but it paused slightly as Shen Mo approached.

"Is that Shen Mo?" A clear voice came from inside the curtain, like pearls falling onto a plate. "Come in."

Shen Mo pushed open the curtain and entered.

Murong Qing was dressed in white, her hair adorned only with a single white magnolia blossom. Her features were exquisite, her eyes clear and bright. Upon seeing Shen Mo, a smile immediately bloomed on her lips, as gentle as a spring breeze: "You're back? I was wondering why you hadn't come to find me yet; I was about to go looking for you."

She rose to greet him, personally pouring him a cup of tea with gentle movements, her eyes full of concern and joy.

But Shen Mo dared not look directly at him.

He took the teacup, his fingertips trembling slightly. The rising steam blurred his vision. Gazing at the wisps of steam, he seemed to see the moonlight of that night on Qingcheng Mountain, to see Situ Meng's profile draped in his coat, and to hear her whisper, "Let this night drift away with the wind, shall we?"

But he didn't let that night fade away with the wind.

He said, "I will take full responsibility."

Now, facing the woman before him who had shown him deep affection and loyalty and pledged her life to him, he felt as if he were carrying a thousand pounds on his shoulders.

"Shen Mo?" Murong Qing noticed something was wrong and called him softly, "What's wrong? You look so serious. Did something go wrong with the mission? Or did the curator reprimand you?"

She took a step closer and reached out to touch his brow, but he unconsciously turned his head slightly to avoid it.

In that instant, Murong Qing's hand froze in mid-air, her smile frozen.

Shen Mo's heart trembled violently, and he hurriedly looked up: "No...no. The mission went very smoothly, and the curator is...very good."

The voice was dry and almost out of tune.

Murong Qing withdrew her hand, gazing at him silently, her eyes deepening with worry: "Then why are you like this? You've always been composed, you'd never lose your composure like this. Is... something you're hiding from me?"

Her tone was gentle, yet every word was like a needle, piercing Shen Mo's heart.