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If we go to Jiangning this time, we might be able to get the Innate Skill, and if all goes well, we might even be able to bring back the Ancient Tomb Sect's techniques.
Moreover, Jiang Ning's advantage over other martial arts figures lies in his knowledge of the Ancient Tomb Sect and the relationship between its founder Lin Chaoying and Wang Chongyang. Most importantly, if the Ancient Tomb Sect were to disappear, he might be the only person in the world who knows that the Innate Skill is very likely to be in the Ancient Tomb.
Going to the Tomb of the Living Dead to find the Innate Skill is much more reliable than searching all over the country for techniques like the Six Meridians Divine Sword or the Northern Darkness Divine Skill.
Thinking of this, Jiang Ning decided to find an opportunity to tell Yue Buqun the secret of the stone cave in the Cliff of Contemplation on Jade Maiden Peak, and then leave Mount Hua to go to the Tomb of the Living Dead to find the whereabouts of the Innate Skill.
From beginning to end, Jiang Ning never considered finding Feng Qingyang, persuading him to return to Mount Hua, and then passing on his Dugu Nine Swords to Jiang Ning.
Although Feng Qingyang is a member of the Huashan Sect, he belongs to the Sword Sect. The current Huashan Sect is dominated by the Qi Sect. Yue Buqun once said that the Sword and Qi Sects fought over differences in martial arts theories back then, but Feng Qingyang, the top expert of the Sword Sect, was not in Huashan at that time and went to Jiangnan.
The Sword Sect's defeat at the hands of the Qi Sect was ultimately due to the absence of Feng Qingyang, a key figure in their battle.
Yue Buqun did not elaborate on why Feng Qingyang was not at Mount Hua at that time, but deliberately kept it vague, a point that Jiang Ning keenly noticed.
It must have been the Qi Sect who used tricks to lure Feng Qingyang out.
During the time Feng Qingyang was away from Mount Hua, the sword and qi factions within the Mount Hua Sect fought, with the qi faction emerging victorious. After returning once, Feng Qingyang disappeared from the world's sight, leaving no one knowing where he went.
Jiang Ning knew that Feng Qingyang was on Mount Hua, but he had no intention of contacting him.
He didn't think he could persuade Feng Qingyang to return to the Huashan Sect. The reason Feng Qingyang had been able to remain unnoticed by Yue Buqun and any other Huashan disciples for so many years was because he didn't want to see them. He had no goodwill towards the current Huashan Sect, and if Jiang Ning were to approach him, Feng Qingyang would most likely refuse outright.
Even if Feng Qingyang really agrees to come back, his first condition will probably be to abolish the Qi Sect and allow the Sword Sect to regain control of the Huashan Sect.
Not only would Yue Buqun not agree to this, but Jiang Ning would also not allow it.
So Feng Qingyang decided to stay on Mount Hua and live there until he died, never to leave again.
Similarly, he never intended for Feng Qingyang to pass on the Dugu Nine Swords to him. The fact that Feng Qingyang could pass it on to Linghu Chong was due to Linghu Chong's skill, and did not mean that Feng Qingyang could pass it on to others.
Linghu Chong's personality was appreciated by Feng Qingyang, but Jiang Ning didn't think he had anything that Feng Qingyang appreciated.
Instead of fantasizing that the other party will pass on the Dugu Nine Swords to you, you should think about how to go to the Tomb of the Living Dead to find the Innate Skill.
Only what you obtain with your own hands truly belongs to you.
Jiang Ning slowly lay back down on the bed, turned to look out the window, and murmured softly.
"Since I have come into this world, perhaps there are gods. Patriarch Wang Chongyang, Patriarch Hao Datong, and all the ancestors of Mount Hua, if you are truly watching over me from heaven, please bless me to successfully find the Innate Skill, revitalize Mount Hua, and restore the glory of Taoism."
Chapter 13: Internal Examination
early morning.
Jiang Ning was already up when it was just getting light.
Mount Hua is over 2,000 meters above sea level, almost towering into the clouds. Clouds and mist surround the mountainside, and the clouds surge and swirl. The slightly lower peaks in the distance appear and disappear intermittently. When the sun shines down, the clouds seem to be tinged with gold.
Living in ancient times, although it wasn't as convenient as modern times, and the food and clothing weren't as good, there were still advantages to ancient times, namely the breathtaking scenery.
If Jiang Ning were still in modern times, he would probably be working day after day, with his days stretching out before him, instead of living like he does now.
only……
"No matter how beautiful the scenery is, it can't compare to the beauty of a person."
As Jiang Ning gazed at the distant scenery, these words came to mind.
Although the scenery in ancient times was beautiful, most people in this world could not see it. They could not see the scenery, the sunset glow and the lone wild goose flying together, the autumn water and the sky merging into one color, the sunrise and the river flowers redder than fire, the spring river water greener than blue, or the waterfall plunging three thousand feet, as if the Milky Way were falling from the ninth heaven.
All they could see were two words.
Alive.
After clearing his mind of thoughts, Jiang Ning washed up and headed towards the training ground.
Today is the day Yue Buqun tests his disciples' martial arts skills.
This is a rule of the Huashan Sect: on a fixed day each month, Yue Buqun will regularly check on the disciples' diligence.
Before leaving Mount Hua, Yue Buqun and Ning Zhongze said they would return within a month if all went well. However, they were delayed for more than two months due to some unknown reason. Tomorrow is the day of the sect's assessment for this month. Jiang Ning originally thought that Yue Buqun and Ning Zhongze would not be able to return, but they arrived the day before the assessment.
When Jiang Ning arrived at the training ground, he found that Lu Dayou, Liang Fa, Gao Genming, and Ying Bailuo had already arrived, which surprised Jiang Ning slightly.
Leaving aside Gao Genming and Ying Bailuo, Lu Dayou is always the last to get up and the last to arrive for every assessment.
Why are you here so early today?
As Jiang Ning got closer, she noticed that Lu Dayou had dark circles under his eyes, looked somewhat listless, and had messy hair, but he was full of energy. At this moment, she could clearly feel that he was still very excited.
Not only him, but the others were in the same situation, although not as bad as Lu Dayou, but not much better.
Have none of them slept all night?
At this moment, Jiang Ning could already hear Lu Dayou's excited voice.
"Next time Master takes us to Hengshan Sect, I'm going to show off to that kid Zhao Yujin. Humph, our Huashan Sect used to be the number one sect in the world!"
At this moment, Lu Dayou said to Liang Faying Bai Luo with an excited expression.
Liang Faying, Bai Luo, and the other two had similar expressions.
It seems that Yue Buqun's words yesterday made them feel proud.
That's good too. Although they are weak, at least their sense of belonging to the Huashan Sect is genuine.
There are many talented people, but few are truly loyal to people, things, and their sect.
Jiang Ning thought to himself silently.
"Junior Brother Jiang Ning, you're here so early too."
Lu Dayou had sharp eyes and spotted Jiang Ning at a glance.
"My senior brothers got here earlier than me."
Jiang Ning smiled.
"That's not."
Lu Dayou said smugly, "I didn't sleep a wink all night."
"Don't fall asleep during your martial arts test later, or your master won't let you off easily."
Ying Bailu, standing to the side, wore a gloating smile.
Upon hearing this, Lu Dayou flew into a rage and immediately started fighting with Ying Bailuo.
Liang Fa stood to the side, smiling.
Although Yue Buqun himself was rather serious, apart from Lao Denuo, Shi Daizi, the rather dull Liang Fa, and Jiang Ning himself, the rest of his disciples were all very lively.
It's unclear why Yue Buqun's disciples have personalities that are the complete opposite of his own.
Yue Buqun himself was also confused. After thinking for a long time, he finally blamed the matter on Linghu Chong.
As the senior disciple, Linghu Chong failed to set a good example for his junior disciples, instead behaving improperly himself. As a result, his junior disciples followed suit, and Yue Buqun severely punished Linghu Chong.
While they were playing around, the other Huashan disciples also arrived at the training ground one after another. The female disciples that Ning Zhongze had taken in also came, along with a few young children who had just entered the Huashan Sect.
Before long, all the disciples of the Huashan Sect, except for Linghu Chong and Yue Lingshan who were not on Huashan, arrived.
Yue Buqun walked over from a distance, accompanied by Ning Zhongze.
At this moment, Yue Buqun's face was radiant, his steps were light, and there was a faint smile on his lips, showing no trace of the dust and weariness he had shown yesterday.
Ning Zhongze was the same; her complexion was rosy and she looked to be in good health.
"That's strange. Why are Master and Mistress so late today? They usually arrive earlier than us."
Shu Qi, who was next to Jiang Ning, muttered to himself in confusion.
He was about the same age as Jiang Ning, but a little older, so he was also Jiang Ning's senior.
His doubts were echoed by the other disciples, some of whom shared the same expression, while others, like Shi Daizi and Tao Jun, pursed their lips and wore mysterious smiles.
"For the past two months, your master's wife and I have been away from Mount Hua and haven't had time to assess your efforts. Today, we'll see how your work has progressed over the past few months."
Yue Buqun stood before the disciples of Mount Hua, his hands behind his back, and spoke calmly.
Upon hearing this, most of the Huashan disciples couldn't help but feel a tightness in their chests. It wasn't that they hadn't been working hard during this period, but rather the tension students felt before the exam.
Looking at the nearly forty disciples standing in the training ground, Yue Buqun smiled.
We now have nearly forty disciples, and in the future there will be fifty, sixty, eighty, and one hundred.
He will carry forward the Huashan School!
"According to the old rules, you will fight each other in pairs. Your master's wife and I will see how much you have improved. We'll go in pairs. Who wants to go first?"
No one speaks.
Jiang Ning did not respond.
He was the junior disciple, and none of the senior disciples stepped forward. His stepping forward was just a deliberate attempt to show off.
Yue Buqun frowned slightly upon seeing this.
No one volunteered? Then he'll have to call on anyone.
"Dayou, you and Genming are in a group, you two go first."
"what?"
Lu Dayou gave a blank "Ah".
Yue Buqun frowned and scolded, "What are you 'ah' about? Hurry up."
"Yes Yes."
Lu Dayou nodded hurriedly and walked out from among the disciples with Gao Genming, his face showing fear, as did Gao Genming.
It wasn't that they had neglected their training lately and were afraid of being punished, but rather that they were nervous. They were the first group to step forward and were afraid of making a fool of themselves.
The other Huashan disciples made room for them and stood in a circle to watch them.
Being watched by so many people at the same time, including his master and mistress, as well as his junior brother who was stronger than them, Lu Dayou was extremely nervous. He felt his heart pounding, cold sweat began to seep from his forehead, and his hand holding the sword was trembling slightly.
When he looked up at the other side, he found that Gao Genming was not much better off than him, looking like he had kidney deficiency.
Chapter 14: Martial Arts Talent
The sight of the two of them before they even started fighting made Yue Buqun's brows furrow repeatedly, and he couldn't help but rebuke them.
What are you dawdling about for!
Upon being reprimanded by Yue Buqun, Lu Dayou trembled slightly, then drew his sword and thrust it at Gao Genming opposite him.
Gao Genming, seeing the incoming attack, also frantically raised his sword to defend.
The two immediately engaged in battle.
Jiang Ning watched the fight between the two from the edge of the training ground, his face expressionless.
There wasn't much to see. Lu Dayou and Gao Genming were just two weaklings fighting each other. Their initial fight was atrocious, but they improved considerably as they got into the swing of things. It was clear they had practiced seriously, showing progress compared to their previous matches. (I won't go into the details of the fight; it's not a main character's battle, so I'll just skip it briefly. I'm too lazy to pad the word count.)
Although Jiang Ning considered the fight between Lu Dayou and Lu Dayou to be a mere clash of weaklings, it was incredibly impressive to the children who had just started learning. They were all stunned by what they saw.
Watching the two fight, Yue Buqun's expression changed from gloomy to sunny.
"Humph!"
"what!"
At the end of the fight, Lu Dayou and Gao Genming shouted at the same time, then took a step back and stopped.
Their duel was now over.
Lu Dayou and Gao Genming sheathed their swords and bowed to Yue Buqun.
"Master."
"Although the fight was a mess, it's clear that you two practiced diligently."
Yue Buqun commented on their performance.
"Pass."
Upon hearing these two words, Lu Dayou and Gao Genming finally felt relieved.