34: Chapter 34 Martial Arts Fourth

Her sword was like frost, faster than you, colder than you, and sharper than you.

You responded with all your might, unleashing all five forms of the Frost Moon Sword Technique, interspersing it with the Mountain-Shattering Palm, and moving with the Snake Step.

But a Grandmaster is, after all, a Grandmaster.

After twelve moves, her sword slashed through your cuff.

After eighteen moves, her Sword Qi grazed your cheek, leaving a shallow bloody scratch.

The twenty-third move.

She pushed her sword out horizontally, and the Sword Qi transformed into a curtain of light, sealing off all your paths of retreat. You took the blow head-on; the web of your hand split open, and you were sent flying backward, crashing heavily onto the edge of the arena.

You propped yourself up with your sword and stood, blood trickling from the corner of your mouth.

Shen Yushuang sheathed her sword and looked down at you from above.

"Do you really think you are worthy of being mentioned in the same breath as me?"

You wiped the blood from your mouth and glanced at her.

Then you turned around and jumped off the arena.

There was no anger, no unwillingness, and you didn't even spare her another glance.

Shen Yushuang's brows furrowed slightly; your indifference was clearly beyond her expectations. She seemed to expect you to be angry, unconvinced, or to say something, but you gave her nothing.

"Hmph." She sneered and walked away with her sword.

The final rankings were announced.

First place, Han Chongyue. Second place, Crown Prince Xiao Chengyuan. Third place, Shen Yushuang. Fourth place, Senior Sister Lin Shuang.

The top three were all Grandmasters, while you, at the Xiantian Peak, ranked fourth, surpassing the other forty-six people.

As the news spread, the entire Martial Arts Peak was shaken.

The day after the competition ended, your residence was blocked once again.

This time, it wasn't ordinary Families or martial arts Schools, but true major Schools.

"Miss Lin, our Cangyun Sect is willing to treat you with the courtesy of a Core Disciple—"

"Miss Lin, our Qingqi Sect Sect Head personally invites you—"

"Miss Lin, the Taiyi Sword Sect—"

You sat in the room, listening to the voices rising and falling outside, your fingers tapping lightly on the table.

Outside the simulation.

The screen suddenly froze.

A light screen popped up:

Major decision node detected. Please make your choice, Host.

Three options appeared:

Option 1: Join a School—Choose one from the many invitations, obtain a Grandmaster Cultivation Technique and School resources, and continue your cultivation as a School Disciple.

Option 2: Lone Wolf Route—Relying on your fourth-place ranking, request a Grandmaster Cultivation Technique from the assembly, then take Xiao Wang back to Daliang Mountain to continue your closed-door cultivation.

Option 3: You are all trash!—Publicly announce the establishment of your own School, recruit followers under the name of the fourth place at Martial Arts Peak, and embark on the path of hegemony as a female Sect Head.

Lin Shuangwan's mouth twitched.

Option 3...

She took a deep breath and decided not to look at it.

Her gaze shifted back and forth between Option 1 and Option 2.

Option 2 was very stable. Taking the Cultivation Technique back to the mountains, with her talent, breaking through to Grandmaster was just a matter of time, and she could stably reach the Grandmaster Peak without any accidents. It was safe, controllable, and free from the trouble of interpersonal relationships.

But...

Lin Shuangwan's gaze fell back to Option 1.

The gap between a Grandmaster and a Grandmaster Peak isn't that big, but a Great Grandmaster and an Earthly Immortal... that is a qualitative leap.

A Great Grandmaster without influence or background is someone almost no one in this world dares to provoke.

And to reach Great Grandmaster, relying solely on a Cultivation Technique and closed-door cultivation is not enough.

She needs more resources, a more systematic Legacy, and higher-level martial arts insights.

These things are only available in major Schools.

"I'll take a gamble," Lin Shuangwan said in a low voice.

She reached out and tapped Option 1.

The image resumed flowing.

The image resumed flowing.

You sat in the room, the invitation voices outside still rising and falling.

Cangyun Sect, Qingqi Sect, Taiyi Sword Sect, Bixia Palace... Six of the top ten Schools had sent people.

The conditions each had their own merits, but you only cared about three things: the level of the Cultivation Technique, the depth of resources, and the degree of restrictions on Disciples.

Cangyun Sect, ranked seventh among the top ten Schools.

The conditions offered were—choose any one Grandmaster Cultivation Technique, become a True Disciple upon entry, and no need to sign a loyalty covenant that acts like a slave contract.

You chose it.

Not because the conditions were the most generous, but because the restrictions were the fewest.

The person who came to pick you up was Cangyun Sect Elder Zhou Shouzheng, an old man with white hair and beard but a vigorous spirit, whose eyes narrowed into slits when he smiled.

"Good, good, good!" He said the word "good" three times in a row, slapped his thigh, and stood up, "I knew you would choose Cangyun!"

You looked at him expressionlessly.

"...Alright, actually I wasn't sure either," Zhou Shouzheng smiled sheepishly, "Let's go, let's go, pack your things, we're heading back to the mountain."

"I observe that your martial arts Foundation is solid, and your sword technique forms a School of its own; you are a good seedling," Zhou Shouzheng stroked his beard, "Although Cangyun Sect is ranked seventh, we have no fewer Grandmaster Cultivation Techniques than the top five, it's just that not many of our members are promising."

He paused and added, "If you come, you will receive True Disciple treatment and can choose any one Grandmaster Cultivation Technique."

You nodded.

"I will go to the Cangyun Sect."

Zhou Shouzheng's eyes lit up, and he slapped his thigh: "Good! Splendid!"

He stood up and shouted outside the door: "Prepare the horses! No wait—what about that white tiger?"

You said indifferently: "It is coming with me."

Zhou Shouzheng glanced at Xiao Wang, who was lying in the courtyard sunning itself, and his mouth twitched.

"...Alright, anyway, the Cangyun Sect's mountain is big, we can afford to feed it."

Three days later, you set off with Zhou Shouzheng.

The Cangyun Sect is located on Cangyun Peak at the western foot of the Kunlun Mountains, which takes over a month to reach from Martial Arts Peak. On the way, Zhou Shouzheng talked a lot, from the history of the School to the characteristics of each Peak, from the Sect Head's temper to the canteen food.

You mostly just listened, nodding occasionally.

Zhou Shouzheng didn't mind your silence; on the contrary, he became more and more enthusiastic as he spoke.

"You have a good temperament," he suddenly said, "I have seen too many talented female Disciples who, within two years of entering the School, get tangled up with Senior Brothers or Junior Brothers, tossing their Cultivation Techniques aside and crying all day long."

You didn't reply.

Zhou Shouzheng sighed to himself: "On the path of martial arts, willpower is more important than talent. Talent determines how fast you can go, while willpower determines how far you can go."

You glanced at him.

You understood this better than anyone.

On the seventh day, you arrived at Cangyun Peak.

The mountain was towering, shrouded in clouds and mist, and everything above the mountainside was covered in white snow. The two characters "Cangyun" were carved at the mountain gate, the brushwork vigorous, with True Qi faintly flowing through them.

Zhou Shouzheng led you into the mountain gate. Along the way, many Disciples looked sideways, looking at you, and also at the white tiger beside you.

"Elder Zhou, this is..." a young Disciple asked, emboldened.

"A newly arrived True Disciple," Zhou Shouzheng waved his hand, "and her mount."

Xiao Wang yawned, revealing two rows of white, sharp fangs.

The Disciple's face turned pale, and he took three steps back.

You patted Xiao Wang's head, and it retracted its fangs, but its tail wagged arrogantly.

Zhou Shouzheng arranged for you to stay at the West Peak where he resided, allocating an independent small courtyard. The courtyard was not big but quiet, and there was a bamboo forest behind it, suitable for practicing sword techniques.

"Get settled first, I will take you to the Scripture Pavilion tomorrow," Zhou Shouzheng said and left.

You didn't wait until tomorrow.