This immortal was clearly ordinary, yet he was unusually confident.

Outside Yongning City, at the Cangyue Army's training ground.

Because it was night, the area around the drill ground was very quiet, with only a few flickering firelight and two figures standing in the center of the drill ground.

"Watch out!"

A middle-aged man brandished his longsword and thrust it forward with lightning speed. Opposite him, another middle-aged man stood with his sword drawn, slashing diagonally forward without flinching. The swords clashed, producing a piercing sound.

The two men had similar features, but their temperaments were very different; one was effeminate, and the other was masculine. They were the brothers Ding Wu and Ding Wen.

Seeing that his longsword was blocked, Ding Wu's hand trembled slightly, and the tip of the longsword suddenly bent, stabbing towards Ding Wen at an incredible angle.

Ding Wen was prepared. He quickly flipped the knife in his hand, instantly wrapping the longsword, which had become a nine-section whip, around the blade. The tip of the longsword was shortened, making it impossible for him to get close.

Ding Wu, seeing an opportunity, suddenly pulled the nine-section whip, trying to make Ding Wen's knife slip from his hand. Ding Wen, of course, wouldn't let him succeed. He gripped the hilt tightly, leaped into the air, spun several times in mid-air, and quickly broke free from the nine-section whip.

Ding Wu smiled slightly, as if he had expected Ding Wen to make such a move. Taking advantage of Ding Wen's inability to gain leverage in mid-air, he straightened his nine-section whip in an instant, transforming it back into a longsword, and flicked it upwards.

Seeing this, Ding Wen held his blade horizontally, blocking the tip of the longsword. Then, seizing the opportunity, he stepped back and landed steadily on the ground.

"Not bad, not bad! It seems you haven't been slacking off these days, you've made great progress." Ding Wu sheathed his longsword and praised with a smile.

Ding Wen sheathed his sword and nodded indifferently, but a hint of smugness in the corner of his eye betrayed his true thoughts.

Ding Wu is two years older than Ding Wen. The two brothers have been very close since childhood, but Ding Wu is more talented. In the past, Ding Wen was completely defeated in their matches. This time, they were able to achieve a draw, which naturally made Ding Wen happy.

Since Ding Wu was castrated and entered the palace, the two had less contact. Ding Wen did not look down on Ding Wu because of his physical disability; on the contrary, he respected Ding Wu even more.

Because of the struggle for the throne back then, some members of the Ding family chose the wrong side. If it weren't for Ding Wu, they would probably have been purged long ago, and they wouldn't have achieved their current glory.

Ding Wu is now not only the commander of the guards, but also a general with military power. Many members of the Ding family also hold important positions, which shows Ye Chuxue's trust in Ding Wu.

Even Ding Wen's position as commander was more or less due to Ding Wu's influence.

Ding Wenyou remembered the words Ding Wu said the day before he entered the palace. At the time, his tone was very firm: "The woman I, Ding Wu, love cannot lose!"

In the end, when everything settled down, Ye Chuxue successfully ascended the throne, and the Ding family also rose to power.

Everyone in the Ding family was grateful to Ding Wu, because all of this was achieved through Ding Wu's forbearance and humiliation.

But Ding Wen knew that his elder brother only wanted to stay by the Empress's side, nothing more...

"You're getting all smug after I just praised you a couple of times, aren't you?" Ding Wu said with a laugh.

Ding Wen could no longer contain himself and burst into laughter. In front of his subordinates, he was a cold and wise commander, but in front of Ding Wu, he seemed to never grow up.

"I've gained some insight into it recently."

"Oh?" Ding Wu became interested and asked, "Did you spar with a master?"

Ding Wen did not answer directly, but asked, "Brother, have you ever heard of Wu Dang?"

"Sword Demon Wu Dang? Have you fought him before? That scoundrel is utterly depraved. If I were to encounter him, I would surely tear him to pieces!" Ding Wu sneered.

Ding Wen said with a strange expression, "Well... with my brother's skills, I doubt he could withstand a single sword strike from Master Wu. Besides, Master Wu has been wronged!"

"Master Wu? You seem to admire him a lot. I know his swordsmanship is excellent, but is he really that good? Tell me more." Ding Wu said somewhat sourly.

Ding Wen sighed: "The Wu family was actually harmed by demons. Although I knew that there were cultivators like the National Preceptor in this world, there were also demons, I only realized how useless my proud martial arts were when I actually encountered them!"

“I have also encountered him, and I was completely powerless against him.”

Ding Wu's mood also suddenly became heavy. He recalled how powerless he felt when he encountered Kikuya Kei. Those strange methods were simply beyond the reach of martial arts.

Ding Wen was slightly taken aback. He could hear the desolation in Ding Wu's tone. It was the first time he had felt this emotion from his proud older brother.

Ding Wen couldn't help but smile, his voice becoming more impassioned: "However, Master Wu gave me hope, gave all martial artists in the world hope. He, a martial artist, slew a demon with a single sword strike, which was truly exhilarating!"

Ding Wu was taken aback: "What! He's not a cultivator, how did he do that?"

Ding Wen laughed and said, "Brother should know that there is a realm above the Grandmaster, which is the legendary 'Innate Realm,' and Hero Wu is an Innate Realm martial artist!"

“Innate, innate… No wonder some people called him ‘the number one swordsman in Cangzhou’ back then!” Ding Wu murmured.

"I have never seen such a dazzling sword strike, such an amazing and brilliant sword strike!" Ding Wen recalled that invincible sword light and couldn't help but feel longing.

"Where is he?" Ding Wu asked.

Ding Wen knew Ding Wu's thoughts; he must want to go and learn from him. He sighed, "The reason I call him a great hero is not only because of his martial arts skills, but also because of his magnanimity. He actually asked me to share his sword techniques and insights with the public!"

"What?" Ding Wu was completely stunned, then exclaimed, "He truly deserves the title of a great hero; I am no match for him."

Ding Wen returned to his tent and carefully took out a wooden box, handing it to Ding Wu.

Ding Wu could naturally guess what was inside the wooden box. He reached out and took the box. The box wasn't heavy, but his hands couldn't help but tremble slightly. For a martial artist, the contents of the box were priceless treasures.

That night, Ding Wu held the Wu Family Sword Manual in his hands and studied it with rapt attention all night long...

On the other side, Chen Chui, seeing Ye Chuxue staring blankly at the food on the table, couldn't help but remind her:

"Your Majesty, the food in the military camp is naturally not as good as in the palace. Why don't you make do with this?"

Ye Chuxue came to her senses and said with a wry smile:

"Uncle Chen, do you not know my character? When have I ever indulged in pleasure? It's just that after eating Mr. Zheng's cooking, these dishes are indeed a bit hard to swallow!"

"Mr. Zheng can cook?" Chen Chui asked in surprise.

"It's not just that he can cook; Mr. Zheng's culinary skills are truly breathtaking. It's a taste I've never experienced before," said Ye Chuxue.

Chen Chui laughed and said, "Mr. Zheng is indeed an extraordinary person. Not only is his cultivation unfathomable, but his poetry is also unparalleled. I never expected him to have such superb cooking skills as well."

Ye Chuxue nodded silently, then unconsciously drifted into a daze again. Suddenly, as if she had thought of something, a blush slowly crept onto her face.

Unbeknownst to her, the gold lock in her arms had quietly developed a crack.