Martial Arts to Supremacy

Seeing that Li An's chaotic spiritual energy gradually stabilized and his wounds slowly healed under the medicinal power of the Spirit Nourishing Pill, Su Qingyue finally felt completely relieved.

The worry in her eyes vanished, replaced by undisguised joy. She reached out and gently grasped Li An's wrist, her fingertips warm, her voice seemingly filled with eagerness.

"Let's go, let's quickly tell Master this good news!"

As her soft hand held Li An's wrist, a slight warmth spread through his heart, and the fatigue and soreness from the fierce battle seemed to be dispelled by this warmth.

He didn't break free, letting Su Qingyue pull him along as they walked briskly towards the top of Xiaozhu Peak.

Xiaozhu Peak is shrouded in mist and clouds all year round, with lush bamboo providing shade, and a simple and elegant bamboo house sits on its summit.

The surrounding spiritual energy was far more concentrated than that of the wooden house on the mountainside, which was the cultivation residence of Nangong Wan, the peak master of Xiaozhu Peak.

As she walked to the door of the bamboo house, Su Qingyue continued walking and excitedly called out to the inside.

"Master, Li An has passed the test!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the bamboo house and wooden door, which had been tightly closed, opened slowly inward with a "whoosh" without any wind.

Unaware of anything amiss, Su Qingyue continued to hold Li An's hand tightly as she stepped into the bamboo house. In the center of the house, on a futon, Nangong Wan, dressed in a plain white dress, sat cross-legged with her eyes closed, surrounded by a faint, ethereal aura.

Nangong Wan slowly opened her eyes. Her eyes were clear and gentle, yet they also carried a calm and insightful understanding of the world. Her gaze first fell on Su Qingyue and Li An's clasped hands, and then she smiled faintly.

Su Qingyue then followed her master's gaze and realized that she was still holding Li An's wrist. A blush instantly rose to her cheeks, spreading from her ears all the way to her neck.

She quickly let go, her fingertips slightly curled, and stood there helplessly, her usual aloof and indifferent demeanor completely gone.

Seeing her disciple's flustered appearance, Nangong Wan's smile deepened, and she spoke softly.

"Qingyue, this isn't like you. I'm the one accepting the disciple, why are you more excited than I am?"

"Ah?" Upon hearing this, Su Qingyue's cheeks burned even more. Her fingers, hanging by her sides, gently gripped the hem of her skirt as she whispered her explanation, not daring to meet her master's gaze.

"This...this is for Master's sake! Finding such a promising talent is a blessing for the sect and for Master as well..."

Her voice trailed off as she spoke, her mind racing, desperately trying to find an excuse to escape this awkward situation. Suddenly, an idea struck her.

He said, "I just remembered that there's still spirit rice cooking in the room. It's probably overcooked. I need to go back and check on it. I'll take my leave now."

Before Nangong Wan could speak, Su Qingyue bowed slightly to her master and then quickly ran outside.

Her movements were light and graceful, yet carried a hint of fleeing in panic, and she vanished into the green bamboo in an instant.

Nangong Wan watched Su Qingyue's hurried departure, smiled softly, shook her head helplessly, and muttered to herself.

"Foolish apprentice."

After her initial reflection, Nangong Wan slowly raised her head, her gaze falling on Li An, who stood ramrod straight in front of her. She looked him up and down, her eyes filled with admiration and amazement.

She already knew the whole process of Li An and Lin Feng's fierce battle. Originally, she just thought that this boy had extraordinary physical talent and a tenacious character. But after seeing it with her own eyes and hearing the results of the competition, she was still deeply shocked by his talent and fighting spirit.

At the mid-stage of the Transformation Realm, he withstood Lin Feng, who was at the peak of the Transformation Realm, and fought until his spiritual energy was exhausted without being at a disadvantage. Such heaven-defying combat power and willpower are unparalleled among the younger generation of the entire sect.

Nangong Wan's expression gradually returned to calm, her tone indifferent yet carrying an undeniable solemnity as she slowly spoke.

"Ang Lee, although I had some suspicions, your talent and character still surprise me. You have gone through many competitions and passed many tests. Your character and perseverance are both excellent, which meets my standards for taking on a disciple."

She paused, looked directly at Li An, and asked, word by word, "Very well, I will accept you as my disciple. Are you willing to become my master, join my Little Bamboo Peak sect, and devote yourself to cultivation?"

Li An had been waiting for these words for a long time. From the moment he stepped into the Xuan Tian Sect to the day when he was risking his life to hone his skills, all he had sought was to one day become a disciple of a renowned master, acquire powerful cultivation, and no longer be bullied by others. Now, it seemed that he also had someone he wanted to protect.

Upon hearing Nangong Wan's personal agreement, he was overjoyed. Without hesitation, he immediately knelt down and respectfully kowtowed three times to Nangong Wan, his voice steady yet filled with genuine respect.

"Disciple Li An greets Master!"

"Get up." Nangong Wan nodded slightly, raised her hand and gently waved it. A gentle spiritual energy helped Li An up. "Now that you have entered my Xiaozhu Peak, you will be my personal disciple from now on. Xiaozhu Peak will be your home."

The path of spiritual practice is long and arduous; one must never become arrogant or complacent because of temporary success or failure, and even more so, one must never forget one's original intention.

Li An bowed deeply as he listened to the instruction, firmly keeping his master's words in mind, and replied in a deep voice, "Disciple will remember Master's teachings."

Looking at his humble demeanor, Nangong Wan's satisfaction deepened, and she spoke slowly.

"You fought for too long today. Although you have taken healing pills, your meridians and spiritual energy still need to be properly nourished. Go back and rest for now."

"Come back here early tomorrow morning to find me. I will personally teach you suitable cultivation methods and swordsmanship, as well as many insights and techniques for your cultivation path, to help you solidify your foundation and stabilize your cultivation."

"Yes, Master." Li An bowed again, his expression respectful. "I will definitely come on time tomorrow."

Having finished his explanation, Li An didn't disturb her any further. He bowed deeply to Nangong Wan, then turned and slowly walked out of the bamboo house.

A light mist swirled around the mountaintop, and the bamboo rustled softly. Li An looked up at the sky, his eyes filled with longing and determination for his future path of cultivation.

From this day forward, I, Li An, will be a disciple of Xiaozhu Peak, with my master's meticulous guidance and my senior sister Su Qingyue by my side.

I must cultivate diligently, become stronger as soon as possible, carve out my own place in this Divine Martial Continent, and protect the people I want to protect.

"Where did Senior Sister go?" Li An wondered. He had come to pay respects to their master with Senior Sister, so he knew whether Su Qingyue had cooked spirit rice or not.

When Li An returned to the cabin, he saw Su Qingyue sitting by the door watching him, seemingly waiting for him on purpose.

"Why are you back so soon? What did Master say?" Su Qingyue ran over, looking at Li An with anticipation.

"My master has already accepted me as her disciple and told me to go to the summit tomorrow to seek her out for further instruction," Li An recounted the events truthfully.

"Oh, from now on you're my junior brother, so stop calling me 'Holy Maiden' all the time. Now that you've joined Master's sect, we're family," Su Qingyue said.

"Yes, Senior Sister!"