I Can Replicate Martial Arts

Until he picked up a Crystal Stone and prodded it forward.

Only then did things change. The Crystal Stone seemed to melt as its tip vanished into the void.

’Energy?’

An idea struck Zhao Rui. He opened his Acupoints, absorbed some of the Crystal Stone’s Energy, then flicked a stream of True Qi toward the strange space.

Sure enough, just as he suspected, the stream of True Qi vanished into the strange space.

"Damn it!"

Zhao Rui couldn’t help but curse. It was obvious the Female Demon hadn’t died at all.

Whether it was soul transmigration or some kind of energy manifestation, one thing was certain: the Female Demon had escaped through here.

’This won’t do. I have to get serious about my Cultivation!’

Zhao Rui instantly felt an invisible pressure weighing on his mind.

In the days that followed, he made the mountain cave his home.

Each day, he absorbed this power with its unique properties, practicing the Demon Sect Technique, the Charm Immortal Technique, the Thunderbolt Swordsmanship, and other Divine Skills.

Despite their busy schedules, the people from Qingcheng brought him bedding, a table, chairs, a bed, and even ran water and electricity to the cave.

They even had someone install a pair of studded, red copper doors at the entrance, making it look like a reclusive Daoist’s Immortal Cave Mansion from a distance.

Zhao Rui would die before admitting that these tasteless doors were installed at his request.

Sixty years in the mountains, a thousand years in the world!

Heaven and Earth at my leisure; this lone Changsheng Mansion!

Zhao Rui felt it was still missing a poetic couplet, but fortunately, he wasn’t shameless enough to actually hang one up.

And just like that, over a month passed in the blink of an eye.

The strange space showed no fluctuations, remaining as still as a mirror.

He had already used up nearly half of the Crystal Stones in the pool and was planning to continue his Cultivation.

But as it turned out, the old Sect Leader of Qingcheng could no longer hold on and passed away.

So, Zhao Rui had no choice but to come out of seclusion to see him off.

After all, the Qingcheng Sect was one of the Famous Martial Arts Sects, and the old Sect Leader had been a supreme master of the Martial Dao.

His funeral was a rather grand affair.

Officials from the Court in charge of religious affairs, the head of the Provincial Martial Arts Association of Sichuan, representatives from the province’s many university Martial Arts Academies, and the leaders of various Martial Arts Halls and organizations in the region all came to offer their condolences.

The Martial Arts Sects were naturally no exception; all the well-known sects sent representatives.

The Emei Sect, in particular, was the closest, so they naturally had the largest contingent.

The vast procession of Monks interspersed with a group of young, beautiful women was a truly eye-catching sight.

Anyone unfamiliar with the intricacies of Mount Emei might have thought it was some kind of corrupt Buddhist sect.

But in reality, the "Emei Sect" is divided into the Emei Sect proper and the Emei Sword Sect. The latter is more of a pure Martial Arts Sect and doesn’t involve complex religious doctrines.

The Emei Sect proper is the one that truly carries on the Buddhist traditions of Emei Mountain.

This is different from the Qingcheng Sword Sect, which integrates both Daoism and martial arts.

Other preeminent sects similar to Qingcheng, renowned for their long-standing prestige, include Wudang and Shaolin.

Dressed in a Daoist Robe, Zhao Rui followed alongside Zhang Zheng and the others, playing the part of a young Daoist, chanting verses from Taoist Scriptures that spoke of ascending to immortality.

The entire funeral was solemn and followed a strict protocol. Everyone, whether they were from the Court or the various sects, showed the Qingcheng Sect an appropriate level of respect.

Who would dare disrespect a sect capable of slaying a Demon single-handedly?

Outsiders didn’t know the full story, and Qingcheng certainly wasn’t going to elaborate. They would keep up appearances for as long as possible.

Once Uncle Master Yun Hao recovered and his Power advanced another step, they would be able to defend the vast Qingcheng Mountain without any trouble.

Just then, in the main hall, a Kongtong disciple in plain clothes took three steps forward. He brought his left palm over his right fist, raising it to his brow. Then, sweeping aside the front of his Daoist Robe, he knelt on one knee, his voice ringing through the mourning hall:

"The Celestial Spirits weep and the earthly fiends grieve! This junior, Lin Han, disciple of Yue Su of the Kongtong Sect, pays respects on behalf of my master. I kowtow before the lotus throne of Master Xuanqing of the Qingcheng Sword Sect!..."

This man had thick eyebrows, large eyes, and the powerful build of a bear. He was born with a fine physique, yet his speech was refined and his face radiated righteousness, causing the surrounding onlookers to murmur in admiration.

He was only about thirty years old, and to be able to represent his Sect Leader in paying respects, he was clearly no ordinary figure.

Someone in the crowd who recognized him whispered, "That’s Lin Zhenren, Lin Han! The Kongtong Sect’s once-in-a-century genius! I never thought he would be the one to come!"

"It seems his Sect Leader intends for him to take over the sect!"

"Hey, don’t speak so carelessly. Lin Zhenren has three senior brothers and five Uncle Masters. It’s not his turn by a long shot!"

"I’m betting on this Lin Zhenren. Let’s just wait and see!"

The hushed whispers were just for show. After all, who among those present wasn’t a master of the Martial Dao?

It was obvious with a single listen that the two were having this conversation deliberately.

Hearing this, a cold glint flashed in the eyes of Lin Han, who was in the middle of paying his respects.

The condolence ceremony was quite elaborate. Some Sect Leaders from the various sects came personally to express their profound sympathies, while others sent representatives to mourn on their behalf.

It took the better part of the day for all the sects to finish offering their condolences one by one.

Zhao Rui had chanted scriptures until his mouth was dry, but he had also learned a great deal.

He had met numerous figures from the Martial Arts world and experienced a side of sect life completely different from his university days.

Every walk of life is its own world; the one you know is only the one you think you know.

Just as the procession finished paying respects and began to file out of the main hall, Zhao Rui keenly sensed someone looking at him.

He turned to look and, to his delight, gave a small wave.

The person looking at him was none other than his high school classmate, Bai Xuening. ’It’s been so long!’

Seeing him wave, Bai Xuening’s face lit up with surprise and joy. She pointed outside, signaling for him to meet her there to chat after the proceedings were over.

Zhao Rui nodded in agreement.

"Who was that?"

A female disciple of the Emei Sword Sect at Bai Xuening’s side asked curiously.

"A high school classmate!"

Bai Xuening replied casually.

"You have some impressive classmates. First, there was that amazing Zhao Rui, and I didn’t expect to see another one here at Qingcheng Mountain."

"I haven’t seen him in a long time, so I wouldn’t know."

Bai Xuening gave a simple reply, then tugged on the other disciple’s sleeve, signaling her not to speak so freely.

About half an hour later, the ceremony finally concluded.

After fulfilling his duties as a "disciple" and giving one last bow to the old Sect Leader, Zhao Rui left the main hall.

Outside, under the eaves of a distant plaza, a young woman sat on the steps, her chin resting in her hand, seemingly lost in thought.

Zhao Rui saw her, walked over, and greeted her with a smile as he drew near.

"Long time no see, old classmate!"

"Long time no see! Why’d you become a Daoist?"

Hearing his voice, the young woman bloomed into a radiant smile and stood up.

"One of us is a Daoist, the other’s a nun. It’s a good match!"

Zhao Rui laughed.

Bai Xuening shot him a look and scoffed, "You’re still as shameless as ever. I didn’t take any vows. We’re a Sword Sect; I’m a lay disciple."

"Ah, why didn’t you say so earlier? I already got my official Daoist registration!"

Zhao Rui said, feigning shock.

"You... how is you becoming a Daoist my fault?"

Seeing him act so serious, Bai Xuening felt a pang of guilt. ’Don’t tell me it’s actually because of me.’

"I heard nuns make a lot of money. I was afraid I wouldn’t be good enough for you!"

"Pfft! You’re so annoying!"

Bai Xuening finally realized he was still teasing her and retorted in annoyance.

"I’ll stop teasing. It wouldn’t be good if someone saw us." Zhao Rui smiled, then his expression turned serious. "I went to Mount Emei twice, but I didn’t get to see you either time."

"Yeah, I was in seclusion. But I’ve certainly heard your name—it’s become quite famous!"

"Oh? Am I that famous?"

"More than famous. We at Mount Emei even issued a... well, anyway, you’re incredible. You’ve already comprehended Sword Intent."

"Is Sword Intent that difficult?"

Zhao Rui said, raising an eyebrow.

"It’d be a miracle if it wasn’t! Only a handful of people in all of Mount Emei have managed it."

"Hold out your hand."

"Why?"

"I’ll let you experience Sword Intent!"

Zhao Rui gently took the slender hand Bai Xuening offered. Inside him, his Sword Intent began to burgeon like a spring sapling.

The Sword Intent traveled up Bai Xuening’s arm, gradually spreading throughout her body and guiding her consciousness to perceive a different kind of Realm.

The experience was completely immersive.

Bai Xuening had never felt Sword Intent surge from within her own body so vividly.

For a moment, she was utterly captivated.

But the feeling came as quickly as it went; Zhao Rui had only given her a fleeting taste of the experience.

"So this is Sword Intent!"

A starlike glint appeared in Bai Xuening’s clear eyes. Then, she simply sat down on the spot, closed her eyes, and fell into deep contemplation.

’This level of comprehension... no way!’

Zhao Rui was stunned for a moment, then he stepped to the side and began to stand guard for her.