Under one person: I, Zhang Zhiwei, the arrogant Zhang.

Feng Ping walked up to Zhang Zhiwei and said, "Senior Brother Zhang, I still remember when we first met, you said that my methods were all show and no substance."

"Then you used the most primal Qi to shatter my Flaming Blade and gave me guidance."

Feng Ping's eyes gleamed with excitement, and his voice was filled with burning pride:
"Senior Brother Zhang, were the methods I used earlier to your liking?"

Recalling the fireball that had pounded like a heart earlier, Zhang Zhiwei nodded and exclaimed in admiration:
"Very good, you've made great progress!"

Upon receiving Zhang Zhiwei's praise, Feng Ping straightened his back a bit and smiled:

"Senior Brother Zhang, is there anything you'd like to offer some guidance?"

Upon hearing this, everyone at the table glanced at Master Chu discreetly. Wasn't this a bit inappropriate in front of their master?

But Master Chu remained calm and composed, showing no anger whatsoever. Instead, he smiled and thanked Zhang Zhiwei for his guidance to his disciple.

He lamented that his apprentice was unruly and would not listen to him no matter how many times he tried to teach him, but he would listen to Zhang Zhiwei's words.

If Zhang Zhiwei could offer some further guidance, the entire Huode Sect would be eternally grateful.

Although this statement may seem overly modest, none of the senior figures present felt there was anything wrong with it, as if it were the proper thing to do.

What they were curious about was what kind of guidance Zhang Zhiwei would give.
They had all witnessed Feng Ping's earlier display of power and were equally astonished by its strength.

However, if asked to offer any crucial guidance, they couldn't really think of anything in a hurry, since everyone has their own expertise, and they weren't good at fire magic either.

Zhang Zhiwei had just survived one of the three calamities, the fire, and had witnessed a calamity fire even more explosive than the sacred fire of the Fire Virtue Sect. He could offer some guidance.

But that was too difficult for Toyohira; it was like asking a toddler to run the Olympic 100-meter dash – it was like pulling up seedlings to help them grow.

It would be more appropriate for him to give pointers to Master Chu, but Master Chu is not related to him and he has not consulted him. He would rather have a couple of bowls of peanuts than give pointers after he has finished eating.

As for Toyohira, just keep moving forward at the current pace.

He closed his eyes slightly and said calmly, "There are not so many instructions on the path of cultivation. I will protect the sharpness in your heart and the clarity in your mind, so that you can temper your body and life to the point of self-sufficiency."

Upon hearing this, Feng Ping nodded his head vigorously, like a chicken pecking at rice. He quickly clasped his hands in a salute to Zhang Zhiwei, then bent over and came to his master, Master Chu, with a sincere and ingratiating smile on his face.

"Master, your disciple has come to pay his respects!"

He wasn't stupid; he knew perfectly well that his previous actions had angered his master, so he quickly came to apologize.

In front of his fellow practitioners, Master Chu couldn't scold them too much. He glared at them and said, "Stop with the nonsense! Look at the mess you've made! Go eat your meal and stop making things worse!"

Fengping felt as if he had been granted a pardon and quickly ran back to the table to sit down.

On the table, Lü Ci glanced at Feng Ping with some surprise:
"You're pretty good, kid. You've got this trick up your sleeve? When shall we have a match?"

As he spoke, he couldn't help but recall his first encounter with Fengping, when he could easily dominate his opponent back then, but now...

Lu Ci grinned, still believing he could easily control the situation. No matter how powerful the fireball was, it couldn't escape the grasp of Master Lu!
Feng Ping raised an eyebrow and readily agreed, "Sure, let's set a time! But this time it's off. I was quite exhausted just now, and fighting you would just be asking for a beating. You should find a chance to fight Brother Lu instead."

Lu Ci looked at Lu Jin mischievously: "You hypocrite, go and deal with that little dwarf up there, and we'll play with you."

Lu Jin's ancestral red face hadn't faded yet; he suppressed his previous anger and said:

"If you want to go, then go. In the martial arts world, people often compare your Lü family's Ruyi Jin to Tai Chi Jin."

"That Taoist priest Zhou Meng on the stage right now happens to be a master of Tai Chi. Why don't you go up and test your skills against him?!"

"What? You're not some chicken, are you!?"

"A provocation?" Lu Ci's lips curled into a sneer as he crossed his arms and said, "Save your breath. You can't provoke me. Today, I'm not going to mess with anyone else, I'm going to mess with you. If you step in, I'll take your place!"

Lu Jin and Lü Ci were on the verge of exchanging blows, the air thick with tension. Li Muxuan, standing next to Lu Jin, remained silent, either engrossed in eating or intently watching the fight, seemingly oblivious to the argument around him.

If it were anyone else who provoked Lu Jin, as his fellow disciple, he would definitely step in to help.

But since the person he was arguing with was Lü Ci, he decided to let it go; he didn't want to provoke this person.

Lu Jin had no objection to Li Muxuan's indifferent observation. In his eyes, his feud with Lü Ci was none of the business of outsiders.

On the contrary, Lü Ren, who was standing to the side, couldn't stand it any longer. He grabbed Lü Ci by the neck and pressed down on Lu Jin's shoulders, saying:

"I say, you two, that's enough. Don't make our four great families a laughing stock in the martial arts world."

With Lü Ci, the orders of the Lü family head might not be effective, but Lü Ren's words would definitely carry weight; he was the second person Lü Ci admired most.

Lu Ci snorted coldly and immediately fell silent.

Lu Ren and Lu Jin's eyes met, and the former nodded with a smile.

Lu Jin was angry, but she didn't take it out on Lü Ren. She suppressed her anger, nodded in response, and then said nothing more.

The table finally quieted down.

While Lu Jin and Lü Ci were exchanging sharp words, the atmosphere on the stage remained lively.

Following Fengping, another disciple of the Huode Sect stepped forward.

Master Chu brought two disciples with him this time: one was Feng Ping, and the other was Feng Ping's senior brother.

This time, Fengping got into trouble, and his senior brother stepped in to clean up his mess.

Before the two could even finish their banter, the winner on the field had already been decided.

But then Fengping staggered off the field, defeated by Zhou Meng.

Seeing this, the red-faced old Taoist priest of Wudang shook his head and said to Master Chu:

"Brother Chu, there's no need for that. It's just a competition among the younger generation. It's normal for there to be winners and losers. Wudang isn't someone who can't afford to lose."

This match was far less intense than the previous one. It was clear to everyone that both sides were holding back, truly living up to the saying "stop when you've hit the mark".

Master Chu shook his head: "Sect Leader Li, you are mistaken. Although he is Senior Brother Fengping, his seniority can suppress his title, but not his skills. Senior Brother is Senior Brother, and skill is skill."

"In terms of real skill, Feng Ping is far superior to him. Even if he had gone all out against Zhou Meng just now, it would have been in vain. 'Stop when you've made a point' is not a sign of magnanimity, but rather a testament to his keen insight!"

The red-faced old Taoist smiled without saying a word; he naturally knew that Fengping's senior brother was no match for Zhou Meng.

However, although he could see it clearly, the group of fellow martial artists in the audience might not be able to see it.

To outsiders, this seemingly innocuous approach appeared as if Huo Dezong was deliberately giving way to his Wudang master out of respect.

After Senior Brother Fengping's defeat, several other rising stars of the martial arts world took to the stage one after another, attempting to test the depth of Zhou Meng's Tai Chi strength, but all of them were defeated in succession. Thus, Wudang's previously lost face had been restored.

Zhou Meng's mastery of Tai Chi energy is so refined that it is obvious to all discerning people. Among the younger generation present, there are very few who can even rival him, let alone be sure to defeat him!
After this contest, Zhou Meng's true strength has been revealed to everyone.

The young experts present had their own assessments. Those who felt inferior would not go on stage; those who dared to take the challenge must have believed they had a good chance of winning.

Zhang Dong, a young talent from the Liuyun Sword Sect, stepped onto the stage. A few years ago, when China was hit by floods, he responded to Zhang Zhiwei's call to help with disaster relief.

During that operation, he received personal guidance from Zhang Zhiwei, which led to a rapid improvement in his strength. Now he is almost on par with his junior brother Lin Zifeng.

This is precisely the source of his confidence to step onto the stage. Like Feng Ping, he also wanted to take the opportunity to challenge Zhou Meng and test his progress over the years.

After several battles, Zhou Meng was also a bit tired, but now that Xiao Song had been defeated and his senior brothers had run off to who knows where, if he were to step in, who would uphold the reputation of Wudang?

"Flowing Cloud Sword, Zhang Dong, I'd like to learn from Master Zhou's superior skills," Zhang Dong said, clasping his hands in greeting.

Zhou Meng clasped his hands and replied, "Please!"

Zhang Dong drew his long sword from his back. He knew very well that this challenge would not be easy, so he used all his strength from the very beginning.

A dazzling white light surged around Zhang Dong, and as he swung his long sword, streaks of black sword energy exploded, grazing Zhou Meng's nose, thigh, and ribs several times, but he blocked them all with his Tai Chi energy.

The red-faced old Taoist priest watched the competition in the arena and exclaimed in admiration:

"Dark clouds roll like ink but fail to obscure the mountains; white rain leaps like pearls and splashes wildly into the boat."

"Slender peaks rise amidst verdant hills, their light piercing the abyss!"

"Master Yang, your disciple is quite skilled!"

In these two lines of poetry, "ink covering the mountain" refers to the ink-colored sword energy that Zhang Dong wielded, while "delicate and emerald green" refers to his white protective true energy.

It can be said that the Flowing Cloud Sword Sect is a sect full of poetic and picturesque charm.

After meeting several disciples of the Flowing Cloud Sword Sect, even Zhang Zhiwei muttered to himself that, like the Sanyi Sect, this was a sect that was secretive and opaque.

The disciples under his tutelage were all exceptionally handsome. In particular, Yang, the head of the Flowing Cloud Sword Sect, had a face with distinct features, sharp eyebrows, deep eyes, and a majestic phoenix gaze. His white hair added to his weathered appearance, and he was like a sword tempered by time, his sharpness concealed but his inner strength profound.

In terms of appearance alone, he is in no way inferior to Zuo Menzhang, but Zuo Menzhang has the air of an immortal, while he is a unique and outstanding person.

Master Yang hurriedly said, "Master Li, you flatter me. Since the Little Celestial Master gave him guidance last time, Zhang Dong has indeed made some progress, but his temperament is limited, and he finds it difficult to truly unleash his full potential. Compared to the young Taoist Master Zhou Meng on the field, he is still a bit lacking!"

Upon hearing this, everyone looked at Zhang Zhiwei on the table: "You were the one who gave you the pointers again? So most of these young talents in the martial arts world have received your guidance?"

At this moment, Zhang Zhiwei was watching the arena while drinking a plate of peanuts, completely ignoring the stares of the crowd.

Zhang Jingqing, sitting next to her, almost wanted to cover her face and leave the table. This was how the atmosphere at Longhu Mountain had deteriorated.

Seeing this, everyone silently turned their heads to look at the arena.

At this moment, Zhang Dong was enveloped in white true energy, and his sword moves were unpredictable. Some of his movements even defied the laws of joint movement, and it was almost as if the sword was carrying him.

However, Zhou Meng maintained his composure and was protected by Tai Chi energy. Although he seemed to be in great danger, as if he were walking on the edge of a knife, he was able to turn danger into safety every time.

Neither of them would give way, and they both used their best skills.

The endless array of magnificent sword techniques of the Flowing Cloud Sword were displayed to their fullest extent in Zhang Dong's hands.

The black sword energy, jagged and surging like ink, obscured the arena, making it impossible for those below to see the two figures; only the guttural whistles could be heard.

During the fierce battle, Zhou Meng kicked Zhang Dong in the arm, causing his hand to go limp. He then used his Tai Chi strength to try to seize the sword.

But Zhang Dong's sword seemed to have a spirit, and Tai Chi force couldn't shake it at all. Instead, it stabbed at Zhou Meng's arm from under his ribs like a venomous snake spitting its tongue, at a tricky angle.

Forced into a corner, Zhou Meng twisted his waist, bending his body like a bow and shooting outwards, his arms bending inwards as if holding a ball. This was the "Hun Yuan Chui" of Tai Chi, which could neutralize a surprise attack and instantly capture the enemy and throw them away. It was a move similar to the Ruyi Jin, a flowing and dynamic technique.

A circular aura emanated from his body, causing the pebbles on the ground to whistle and gather into a Tai Chi pattern between his palms.

"Hey!"

Zhang Dong's longsword, enveloped in dark sword energy, struck precisely at the center of the palms he was embracing.

The airflow suddenly exploded, and Zhang Dong was thrown backward by the shock. His sword flew out of his hand, spun twice in the air, and chased after him.

He did three or four somersaults and fell off the stage, almost crashing onto the banquet table, but luckily his junior brother Lin Zifeng caught him.

On the arena, rubble fell around Zhou Meng as he gasped for breath.

This battle was won rather by a narrow margin. If the opponent hadn't been in such a hurry, had kept their distance, and had used their dark sword energy to wear them down, it would have been hard to say who would have won or lost.

"Brother Zhang, you flatter me!"

With Lin Zifeng's help, Zhang Dong stood up and bowed to Zhou Meng.

"Okay, okay!"

"Well done, Brother Zhang! Well done, Master Zhou too!"

The younger generation in the audience applauded and shouted. In their opinion, this match was even more exciting than the one between Feng Ping and Song Mian.

Zhang Dong had originally wanted to do what Feng Ping did and show off in front of Zhang Zhiwei after winning, but unfortunately he lost. He could only sit back in his seat, close his eyes to regulate his breathing, and reflect on the battle.

"Master Li, Master Zhou has already fought several battles. Shouldn't we switch to someone else?" Master Yang of the Flowing Cloud Sword Sect asked softly.

“A friendly sparring match should end when it’s over. The young people have already put on a few good matches. Why don’t we call it a day?” Celestial Master Zhang Jingqing suggested, noticing the red-faced old Taoist’s predicament.

Just as the red-faced old Taoist was about to back down, he saw Taoist Wang Zhongsheng walking over with Zhou Sheng, who looked dejected and worried.

He was immediately invigorated, but he didn't sense anything wrong from Zhou Sheng's expression, after all, Zhou Sheng naturally had a gloomy face.

He immediately laughed and said, "We old guys don't care, but those kids clearly haven't had enough. How can I spoil their fun? Zhou Meng, you come down and let your senior brother take your place."

Zhou Meng turned his head and saw Zhou Sheng as well, but unlike Zhou Sheng's younger brother, he could tell at a glance that his brother was not in a good state.

He leaped off the field.

But Zhou Sheng didn't take his place; instead, he immediately rushed towards Zhang Zhiwei.

"Senior Brother Zhang, I disregarded your advice and committed a grave mistake!" (End of Chapter)