198: Chapter 198: Departing for Great Zhou a Day Ahead of Schedule!

Among those who successfully ascended the pavilion today, he was one of them.

Additionally, there were Lu Xiaofeng with eyebrows like painted strokes, the elegant and calm Hua Manlou, Shangguan Haitang dressed as a man, the knowledgeable Ji Ruofeng, Lei Qianhu of the Lei Family, and Song Yanhui, the Lord of Wushuang City; Su Rui did not recognize the others.

After hearing what Ximen Chuixue said, Su Rui's gaze lingered on him for a moment.

"The path of the heartless sword versus the journey of the sentimental sword—how do you see it?"

"Although the heartless sword is sharp and focused, appearing pure, it actually grows narrower as one progresses. The sentimental sword follows the heart; emotion is the heart's movement, and desire is the source. At first, it is subtle, but it contains infinite changes."

Ximen Chuixue slowly voiced his realization.

Su Rui nodded slightly, then shook his head gently.

"Specializing in the sword is a good thing, but if your eyes only see the sword, you will ultimately find it difficult to achieve the Great Dao."

He spoke indifferently.

"Thank you for your guidance, Teacher!"

Ximen Chuixue suddenly knelt and kowtowed, his expression sincere.

"Rise."

"I once said that if you could do it, I would accept you into my sect."

"Oh, Brother Ximen, so you were calling us brothers while having other intentions all along!"

Lu Xiaofeng teased with a grin, his eyes full of mockery.

Su Rui glanced at him—his talent was acceptable, but unfortunately, his mind was too flighty, making it hard for him to specialize in a single Dao.

Turning his gaze to the others, he already had a plan in mind.

"Song Yanhui, you are now the Lord of Wushuang City, aren't you?"

"Indeed, the Pavilion Master is wise."

Song Yanhui replied respectfully.

"Then why do you still come here to seek a Master?"

"I want to be stronger—strong enough to protect everything."

He answered candidly.

Su Rui nodded, not pressing for other reasons.

"And what about you, Shangguan Haitang?"

"My foster father wishes to meet the Pavilion Master... there are some urgent matters."

Shangguan Haitang looked slightly uneasy.

"Tell him to just go look for the Heavenly Fragrance Cardamom."

Su Rui gave a soft sigh.

"The Pavilion Master... already knows what my foster father seeks?"

Shangguan Haitang was stunned.

"Just go back and report your mission."

Before his voice faded, his gaze had already landed on Hua Manlou.

Sensing this, Hua Manlou immediately cupped his hands and bowed.

"This Junior pays respects to the Pavilion Master."

"Mm, not bad."

Su Rui praised softly.

"Since you have passed the Ascending Heaven Pavilion, I will not break my word."

Those who wish to join my sect as a Named Disciple may perform the apprenticeship rites.

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone's expressions varied, but most could not hide their excitement.

[Taught Lu Xiaofeng the God-Shocking Finger, triggering a hundredfold return; Host obtained the Great Desolation Imprisoning Heaven Finger]

[Taught Hua Manlou the Heart-Piercing Incantation, triggering a hundredfold return; Host obtained the Dao Heart]

[Taught Lei Qianhu the Heart Fire Visualization Method, triggering a hundredfold return; Host obtained the Zhurong Dharma Idol Visualization Method]

[Taught Song Yanhui the Evil-Sealing Sword Scripture, triggering a hundredfold return; Host obtained the Heart-Shocking Sword Strike]

...

...

Looking at what he had gained, Su Rui nodded silently.

Today's harvest was bountiful, and his Foundation had thickened by a few more degrees.

And those Disciples who had received the true teachings all had joy written on their faces.

"If you have any confusion in the future, you can come to me at any time to have it resolved."

Su Rui raised a hand, signaling for everyone to withdraw.

The group looked at each other with subtle expressions.

"Forget it, the martial arts hall is a place of peace; it's inconvenient for us men to stay for long."

Lu Xiaofeng suddenly laughed, and the next moment he met Shangguan Haitang's frost-cold face.

"I didn't say you don't look like a woman!"

Before he could finish, a sharp gust of wind swept out from the martial arts hall. Lu Xiaofeng cried out twice as he was blown away like a kite with a broken string, vanishing in an instant.

"Quite bold, aren't you, daring to discuss Master behind his back here?"

Hua Manlou spoke helplessly, but his sightless eyes turned toward Ximen Chuixue.

"And you? Do you plan to leave with us?"

Ximen Chuixue nodded slightly.

There was still someone waiting for him back in the Great Ming; regardless, he had to bring her to his side to feel at ease.

Moreover, the Formless Sword Scripture Su Rui taught him was profound, enough for him to contemplate for a long time.

These past two days, the Ascending Heaven Pavilion had become the hottest topic in Snow Moon City.

Anyone who could clear the fifteenth floor would not only become famous throughout the city but also receive a peerless technique personally taught by Su Rui.

Even young Juniors with shallow cultivation were eager to try.

At first, there weren't many people, but as the news spread, the number of challengers increased day by day.

But while the numbers grew, the overall standard did not seem to improve.

Truly exceptionally talented people with solid Foundations were few and far between.

Especially those Disciples from Loose Cultivators or small Schools; unless they were extraordinary geniuses, let alone stepping into the Vajra Mortal Realm, even breaking through a Bottleneck was as difficult as ascending to heaven.

However, for Snow Moon City, this commotion brought unexpected benefits—relying on Su Rui's golden reputation, many young people who had not yet made a name for themselves flocked here, hoping for a chance to challenge the Ascending Heaven Pavilion again in the future and make a name for themselves.

As for Su Rui himself, he had decided to set off for the Great Zhou Dynasty a day early.

He originally wanted to take a few Disciples along, but after asking around, he found that very few were willing.

Even Zhu Yuyan, who was connected to Empress Wu, gave up the idea of following him because she had been exhausted lately.

Li Hanyi even stated directly that she would stay behind to guide Lei Wujie in martial arts.

To this, Su Rui felt quite speechless—that kid had only just learned to walk steadily, and she was already in a hurry to start his martial arts enlightenment?

In the end, only Sikong Qianluo was excited to go along for the fun, while Yin Luoxia insisted on coming along on the grounds of "taking care of daily life."

Watching Su Rui take the two women and soar away as a Giant Roc, the people staying behind at the martial arts hall could only withdraw their gazes.

"Yue Yao, aren't you setting off back to Heaven Beyond Heaven? Don't forget, you are the Sect Master there!"

Yue Qing stared at her sister in a plain white gauze dress, her tone carrying a hint of displeasure.

Yue Yao reluctantly withdrew her distant gaze and said softly, "The affairs of Heaven Beyond Heaven are now settled; it can be left to Qi Xuan to manage."

She knew her sister had always held a grudge against her and was unwilling to argue.

"Is that so?" Yue Qing sneered. "I think you're just reluctant to leave the Pavilion Master; you clearly want to stay and spend the night with him!"

As soon as these words came out, Xu Zhihu, Xu Weixiong, Wang Yuyan, and Shi Feixuan, who had not yet left, all had subtle expressions.

Yue Yao's face turned slightly red, looking a bit embarrassed.

This sister of hers had always been outspoken and reckless.

She had restrained herself somewhat in front of Su Rui, but now that he was gone, she immediately reverted to her true nature.

"Now that he's gone, you're still not leaving; you're probably waiting for him to come back so you can continue being entangled with him!"

"Ahem!" Yue Yao didn't want to hear any more, coughed twice, turned around, and walked away quickly.

At this time, Zhu Yuyan, who was about to return to her room to rest, also had a somewhat strange expression.

She herself felt an unbearable weariness, so why was there not a hint of fatigue in Yue Yao? This contrast was truly puzzling.

What concerned her more was that in terms of strength, Yue Yao was far inferior to her, yet after the experience, the two's states were completely opposite.

There must be a reason for this.

With that thought, Zhu Yuyan immediately changed direction and headed straight for Yue Yao's residence.

Yue Yao was stung by those words just now, feeling both ashamed and annoyed.

After all, having just tasted the flavor of love, it was inevitable to indulge in it.

Love was never a one-sided affair—Su Rui appreciated her gentle beauty, and how could she not be moved by his bearing and elegance?

Just as she was about to close the door to rest, she suddenly felt the light dim, and a person appeared silently.

Looking closely, it was actually Zhu Yuyan.

"Won't you invite me in for a seat?"

Zhu Yuyan looked at the figure that was even taller and more graceful than herself, and couldn't help but secretly admire her.