Why do I have so many masters?

Inside Shaolin Temple.

The Ancient Taoist sitting on the bamboo chair slightly moved his eyes. The expression that had been slightly stiff and lethargic came alive again as he unfolded his arms, stood up, and stretched languidly.

The Scholar in the blue robe looked up at the Taoist and said indifferently,

"Awakened, have you?"

The Ancient Taoist lowered his arms and looked at Mr. Ying with a smile,

"Awakened indeed..."

"I merely dozed off for a short while, why fuss over it? By the way, did you peek at this while I was asleep?"

He pointed to the mole at the corner of his eye.

The Scholar in the blue robe scoffed disdainfully, unwilling to engage.

The Ancient Taoist laughed off the matter and didn't bring it up again. His gaze shifted to the outside world as shown by the Illusion Array, locking onto the distant mountainous scenery of Qingfeng Edge; he steadied his mind and reflected on his recent perceptions, remarking leisurely,

"Truly formidable..."

Mr. Ying continued to casually flip through the seemingly endless book in his hands and said nonchalantly,

"Stronger than you and me?"

"Well..."

The Ancient Taoist suddenly sat back in the bamboo chair, causing it to wobble slightly, but he paid it no mind. He seriously considered for a while with his right hand propping up his chin and his elbow on the table, first shaking his head, then nodding again, he sighed with a smile,

"I do not know, it's hard to tell from the inside."

"I thought going outside might give me a clearer view, but it is still elusive."

"Life-and-death battles are unpredictable."

"But if we are talking purely about realm, this senior indeed stands above us. If it were not a fight to the death, and neither of us resorted to using our trump cards, several of us together should be able to escape from her sword."

He paused, then turned to the Scholar in the blue robe with a smile,

"However, what this senior excels in are intent and momentum, which are above techniques and skills. Presumably, she's still below you and me in those aspects. If you can draw her into this world and suppress her with the vast forces of heaven and earth, at worst, you should be able to fight her to a draw."

The Scholar turned a page of the book, and the text transformed; it took a few moments to settle into an article on Qi nurturing. Mr. Ying's gaze swept over the book and he said mildly,

"Bring a seventy-year-old grandmaster at the peak of his vitality here?"

"If you're seeking death, I can have Wu Changqing concoct some extraordinary poisons for you."

His voice paused, and he looked up at the Ancient Taoist with a taunting tone,

"Rest assured, it will be sufficient."

The expression on the Taoist's face stiffened momentarily.

"You, you..."

The Scholar withdrew his gaze and said carelessly,

"You? Indeed..."

"You managing to live to an old age is quite an achievement."

"Your sister must have gone through a lot of trouble."

The Ancient Taoist opened his mouth but was momentarily lost for words.

Meanwhile, Hong Luoyu was sniggering on the side. He looked at the relaxed, yet sharp-eyed Scholar, then at the dumbstruck white-haired Taoist, and tried to hold back his laughter.

Eventually, he couldn't help but burst out laughing.

Heh...was Mr. Ying really someone to suffer losses?

Within the Sword Array of Qingfeng Edge.

The soaring sword momentum had disappeared in the blink of an eye, allowing the Illusion Array, previously disrupted by the sword momentum and intent, to restart its operation.

Gong Yu's gaze fell on the heart of the Sword Array.

This was something left by the founding master of Qingfeng Edge when the sect was established, marked with eight phrases of swordsmanship. Every disciple, before ascending the mountain, passed through here and experienced the sword intent at least once. Throughout, this Green Rock Giant Sword had been a sacred object in the hearts of all disciples of Qingfeng Edge.

But now, on this sacred object, there appeared a fine new sword mark.

Her hand was gripping the sword.

Unconsciously clenched tightly.

The elder behind her had already fallen to the ground.

Seven breaths passed, Gong Yu exhaled slightly, raised her eyes, and her gaze just shifted from the Green Rock Giant Sword to Wang Anfeng.

At that moment, he was holding the wooden sword.

The original sword scabbard had been obliterated, and now Wang Anfeng had no choice but to carry the sword on his back using the strap that had originally secured the scabbard.

This wooden sword could now truly be called a Divine Weapon.

But its current appearance was far less imposing than when it first broke free of its bindings; the color of the sword's body was somewhat darkened, resembling a sword left in the yard for decades, weather-beaten and swollen from the rain.

It looked nothing more than a battered and worn wooden sword.

A wooden sword that even a fake Taoist on the street using for fortune-telling wouldn't care to keep. If placed on a small stall, it's worth no more than six copper coins, and if you buy some other items, this sword might even be given away for free.

Yet, only Wang Anfeng himself knew the terrifying power that the palm holding the sword possessed.

The gap between the Middle Third Rank and Upper Third Rank could almost be described as a chasm, but a Fourth Rank master possessing a Divine Weapon could fight a Grandmaster without defeat, support a whole sect without decline, and be listed among the unparalleled masters in the world of Jianghu.

This wooden sword was born for him.

If there was another person in this world who could unleash the full power of this Divine Weapon, it would only be Wang Anfeng alone. As long as he was in this world, even Qingfeng Edge, the Great Elder famed as the world's number one swordsman, wouldn't dream of using it.

At that time, the sword would be just an ordinary wooden sword.

The Divine Weapon chooses its master, just as the phoenix chooses the wutong tree to nest.

Yet at this moment, Wang Anfeng himself couldn't easily use the sword, having just harnessed the spiritual charm that the wooden sword had accumulated on its own over three years. Merely thrusting it once caused a sensation of swelling and piercing pain in the meridians of his right arm.

Even though he had Inner Strength to nurture the injury, the pain still lingered, so he couldn't stow away the wooden sword as easily as before but had to put it away slowly, with deliberate movements.

He hoped it would not be considered impolite...

Gong Yu originally wanted to ask something but then stopped herself.

The person in front of her sheathed the sword slowly, as if he were an old man nearing the end of his days or a child who had just touched the sword hilt for the first time, yet the sharp sword light that had just engulfed the heavens and earth still echoed in front of her.

This gesture, somewhat ridiculous if done by a regular person, now carried an unexplained significance.

So, she merely stood quietly to one side, holding the sword.

Beneath the gate of Qingfeng Solutions in the camp, the Illusion Array had been reactivated. Those who came seeking the sword could only stare blankly at a youth carrying a sword, a woman in white, and farther away, the unapproachable gate of Qingfeng Solutions. Yet, they could only watch helplessly as this scene was obscured by the Illusion Array, unable to take a single step.

The camp was once again abandoned.

After who knows how long, someone laughed bitterly, holding a longsword, turned and staggered away from this place where they had waited for a long time. Others looked at the swords in their hands, threw them on the ground, and walked away with a grim laugh. Moments later, the camp was devoid of people.

Wang Anfeng sheathed the wooden sword.

He looked at the woman before him. Three years had seemingly left no trace on her, as she appeared just as she had before. Raising his hand to his chest in greeting, he said,

"Senior Gong Yu..."

Gong Yu nodded her head and her eyes landed on Wang Anfeng's face. She turned and was the first to step into the formation. Seeing that she was not angry, Wang Anfeng let out a sigh of relief and followed her in, while the old man, not wanting to waste this hard-earned opportunity, supported his body with the sword and followed closely behind them.

He was extremely anxious, afraid that if he fell a step behind, he would lose this chance forever.

But as he entered the formation, he found that Gong Yu and Wang Anfeng had not left; the woman was merely leading the way at the front, not turning back to look at him, but maintaining a steady pace such that he could keep up by using all his strength.

Gong Yu walked three steps ahead of Wang Anfeng and spoke in an even tone,

"Fifth Rank?"

Wang Anfeng shook his head, replying,

"No, junior has just entered Sixth Rank."

Gong Yu nodded, then said lightly,

"There's no need to call me senior anymore."

"You are not a disciple of Qingfeng Solutions. Since you could deliver that sword strike, your cultivation is not far from mine."

"From now on, we should simply consider ourselves peers."

"But..."

Wang Anfeng opened his mouth, but realized that Gong Yu wasn't looking at him, just walking and talking on her own.

After thinking it over, realizing that he indeed had no master-apprentice relationship with Qingfeng Solutions, and considering that the woman in front of him was not much older than him, calling her senior indeed made him sound much older. Gong Yu spoke up to this point, leaving him only to say,

"Then, I shall respectfully comply."

"Lady... Gong."

As he spoke, he felt the title was somewhat improper, but the memory of Gong Yu altering the weather with an unsheathed sword in his youth had left such a profound impression that he found it hard to simply call her "Miss Gong".

However, Gong Yu didn't mind, merely nodding her head before continuing,

"How should I address you?"

Wang Anfeng thought for a moment, then said,

"Previous... no."

"You can simply call me 'Guardian of the Hidden Texts'..."

"Guardian of the Hidden Texts?"

Gong Yu paused, turning to look at Wang Anfeng, her tone carrying a hint of realization, though her expression remained relatively unchanged, simply asking,

"You are Wang Anfeng?"

Wang Anfeng stiffened slightly, then realizing something, his eyes widened as he looked at the austere woman before him, and said,

"Lady Gong, did you not recognize me just now?"

Gong Yu nodded, her voice matter-of-fact, explaining,

"The last time you were here, you wore blue clothes. Now, they are green, and so much time has passed. Naturally, I could not recognize you."

"Let's set aside this matter. We've arrived at the gate of Qingfeng Solutions."

PS: Today's first update presented...