Xiaofang and Gong Nanyan had just left the Palace Mistress personal room when Xiaofang asked awkwardly, "Where are we going next?"
Gong Nanyan glanced at him before saying, "Do you want to view the practice chambers?"
"We can really go and take a look?" Xiaofang asked excitingly. He was thinking on how to bring up this subject when Gong Nanyan had suddenly brought it up.
Gong Nanyan nodded slowly, "Since you are an honorable guest, I take you to the inner practice chamber where our elite protégés practice the more superior martial arts. There's no point in visiting the outer practice chamber given your celestial level."
Xiaofang smiled weakly, "Actually I don't mind it too."
Gong Nanyan smiled slowly as she walked off, "There is no need to embarrass ourselves with showing you our inferior martial arts."
Although she was still haughty towards Xiaofang but somehow he felt that she was a lot friendlier now. At least she did not glance at the ceiling or the ground when she was talking to him and even offered to bring him to have a look at the inner practice chambers.
Along the way, there were many elders and senior protégés that were greeting them all of a sudden, "Young Master Fang…Fourth eldest protégé sister…"
Gong Nanyan found it strange because in the past, these people had always ignored her. Similarly, she had also ignored them as well. But today, they were greeting her left and right with great friendliness.
It did not take her long to realize that these were the people that had gone to the Golden Clans Congregation with her protégé mistress.
Gong Nanyan thought, "They are actually greeting him? Usually these elders and seniors look down on the third rate celestial clans and avoid them like a plague. They will actually be so kind to greet him?"
Then she stole a glance at Xiaofang who was looking all over the place at the splendid of the Lofty Snow Palace.
After a while later, they had reached the inner practice chambers. Now the inner practice chambers consisted of many chambers but first they had to enter the outer courtyard first.
There were hundreds of protégés practicing the unique martial arts of the Lofty Snow Palace in the outer courtyard. Usually when Gong Nanyan was here, everyone simply ignored her.
But today there was quite a stir when they saw Xiaofang.
"Why did she bring a stranger here? Did she have any respect for rules of the Lofty Snow Palace?"
"I have heard that this Young Master Fang is staying in her room…"
"She even brought him warm milk this morning…"
"They even eat together in the room. Goodness knows what they are up to…"
Yu Degang who was instructing the protégés in the outer court walked up to Gong Nanyan, "Little protégé sister, even though Young Master Fang is our honorable guest here but it is still ill-fit to bring him here. What if our martial arts get leak out?"
Gong Nanyan looked to the side and said icily, "Third protégé elder brother, this is our Palace Mistress' wishes. Do you want to defy our protégé mistress?"
Yu Degang was startled as he took a step back as his face reddened, "This is really her wishes?"
Gong Nanyan said icily, "Surely you know what the clan punishment for disobeying the Palace Mistress is. The penalty is doubled if you are a direct protégé disciple."
"This…alas…this is too ridiculous!" Yu Degang blurt out as he stole a glance at Xiaofang. But when he saw that Xiaofang was not paying to their conversation and instead he was looking into the courtyard to observe the sword practices and the secret execution of their clan lightless skill the 'Floating Snowfall', he was infuriated.
So he said, "Since Young Master Fang is interested in our martial arts then why don't we have a friendly spar and exchange pointers with each other?"
When Xiaofang heard him, he was excited and replied. "That is a good idea…"
But he was quickly interrupted by Gong Nanyan, "He is an intermediate golden celestial. I am afraid that third protégé elder brother is a stage lower than him and may get injured."
Yu Degang was startled that this Young Master Fang was actually a stage higher than him but he quickly regained his composure with a smile, "We're all golden celestials here. The stages differences are no more important than our martial arts and cultivation foundation. Just because someone manage to cultivate to a higher celestial level doesn't mean he is superior. The celestial clan also plays an important part in grooming a talent."
He was implying loudly that there was nothing much about the cultivation practice of a lowly third rate celestial clan.
Gong Nanyan turned to Xiaofang as she said indifferently, "You don't have to accept his challenge…"
"I accept the challenge!" Xiaofang said immediately. "So how do we spar?"
Gong Nanyan was secretly displeased. Did he know that she was trying to protect his dignity? She stomp her foot lightly and did not wish to say anything more. Up to him to screw himself up!
Yu Degang laughed jovially as he shouted, "Make way for us. I am going to have a friendly spar with the young master of the Sky Sword Pavilion."
The hundreds of protégés were laughing jovially as they cleared the outer courtyard.
"Sky Sword Pavilion? Never heard of this clan before…"
"It must be a third rate celestial clan…"
"It actually is…"
"Hahaha…then I'm afraid that this young master from nowhere is going to get thrashed…"
"He is asking for his own humiliation."
Yu Degang smiled, "Since you are from the Sky Sword Pavilion then you must really be good at your swordplay. Why don't we exchange some pointers with the sword?"
Xiaofang replied, "Alright. But can you lend me a spare sword?"
When he said that, everyone was laughing jovially. "He doesn't even have a sword?!"
Yu Degang laughed, "Can someone lend him a sword?"
A young maiden immediately leapt to Xiaofang and giggled softly, "This is my sword. Don't damage it."
Gong Nanyan was about to lend Xiaofang her sword when she saw that someone else had made a quicker move so she quietly held back. But like the others she was thinking, "He doesn't have a sword in his jade belt or spatial ring?"
Xiaofang inspected the sword that was in his hand. It was light weighed and was a fine sword. This was actually a low grade negative type precious sword. He gasped, "Good sword! Thank you!"
The young maiden giggled softly as she stepped aside, "Remember, don't damage my sword."
Yu Degang was amused as he said, "It may be a good sword but it is the wrong attribute for you. When one is using a sword, one has to take into consideration if the sword is even suitable to be used by the wielder in order to unleash the sword and practitioner full potential."
With a cold sneer, he had unsheathed the cold piercing blade of his sword. Instantly, everyone could feel the cold sword energies aura that was suddenly in place and dozens of protégés began to move back on their own accord.
Xiaofang was startled as he saw the superior grade heaven-step pure negative precious sword that was pointed at him, "Good sword!"
Yu Degang smiled, "Of course it is a good sword. Shall we begin?"
Xiaofang bowed with his hands, "Please offer me your guidance."
Gong Nanyan suddenly said, "While the Lofty Snow Palace is renowned for its superior lofty swordplay but you ought to pay special attention to your opponent footing. The Lofty Snow Palace is even more renowned for its lightless skill and vanishing steps skill."
There was a sudden commotion among the hundreds of protégés as they secretly whispered among themselves.
"Isn't she shameless? Fancy helping an outsider…"
"She is actually warning an outside against our protégé brother…"
"Doesn't she hope that we can win?"
"Maybe she thinks that we will win too easily. After all this Sky Sword Pavilion may be weak in their clan martial skills…"
Xiaofang said politely without looking back at Gong Nanyan, "Thank you for your pointers."
Yu Degang and Xiaofang began to encircle each other. Either made the first move as they slowly appraised each other.
Finally Yu Degang made the first move as he flashed three sword arcs, in a continuous display.
"This is the Lofty Forward Arc! To think that protégé brother is able to chain three Lofty Forward Arc into a single formidable sword stroke…"
"This Young Master Fang is doomed…"
Xiaofang immediately raised his sword into a single sword stance as he slammed his opponent sword into the ground, causing the ground beneath them to tremble lightly as their martial forces dissipated at the same time.
Yu Degang was slightly startled that his sword stroke would be broken with just a sword stroke. But he had no time to think further as he immediately unleashed a series of devastating sword bursts at Xiaofang.
Xiaofang gently swung his sword and dissipated the sword energies bursts aside before he flashed forward with a swing of his sword.
Yu Degang was startled by the speed of Xiaofang's sudden movement and as he raised his sword to parry the swing, an overwhelming martial power lifted him and he had flown through the air with startling speed!
There was a stunned silence as hundreds of protégés watched with disbelief…
Even Gong Nanyan had raised her eyebrows…
Xiaofang gasped, "I…I've used too much of my martial strength…"
Yu Degang was moaning on the ground, scarcely believing that his opponent martial power would be so much stronger than him…
Xiaofang had been accustomed to fighting Xiao Shuai recently and he did not think that a golden celestial like Yu Degang would be weak. Moreover, he was also not using his immortal sword.
Yu Degang shook off the dust from his body as he got up slowly. He had a hard fall but he was not injured. After all, his formidable golden aura had protected him. But all of a sudden, his morale had plummet and he did not know if he should continue with the fight. Even though he had the superior swordplay while this Young Master Fang had nothing fanciful, the fact that he was sent flying off spoke of their martial power disparity.
He was thinking, "What kind of a power technique is that…"
Yu Degang was a master swordsman and he knew that this Young Master Fang could channel all his martial power into his sword. Usually a sword could only take in 30% of a practitioner's martial power. If one had a solid profound strength and wishes to unleash their full martial power then it would be better to use unarm stances which could channel 100% of their martial power. But swordplay was different. 70% comes from speed attacks and sword techniques.
This Young Master Fang swordplay was actually ordinary but his speed and sword martial power were actually startling.
At this moment, he was looking dazzling at everyone and he badly needed a face saving measure…
"Protégé Brother Yu actually loses?"
"This is inconceivable…"
"What is going on?"
Xiaofang was also awkward as he smiled weakly, "This is a draw. This is supposed to be a pointer exchange but I have used too much of my martial strength in my panic…"
It was a lame excuse actually…
Yu Degang quickly said with a straight face, "I didn't use all my martial strength. After all, Young Master Fang is an honorable guest of the Lofty Snow Palace. Say, why don't I show you the inner court? That is where our elite protégés practice their martial arts?"
Xiaofang was delighted as he quickly said, "Thank you!"
He quickly returned the sword that was in his hand to the stunned young maiden before he returned to the side of Gong Nanyan.
As Gong Nanyan walked past Yu Degang, she whispered, "Shameless!"
When they had reached the inner court of the practice chambers, they immediately saw Song Feixian and several of the elders that were instructing the protégés.
When they saw Xiaofang, they hastily rushed forward and respectfully greeted. "Young Master Fang, you are here? Do you have any guidance for us?"
Yu Degang and Gong Nanyan stared at them with wide-eyes, "Guidance for you? From him?"
Why are they asking guidance from someone from a lowly third rate celestial clan?
Song Feixian laughed softly, "Did I forget to mention that Young Master Fang here is a super swordsman? His foundation with the sword can even rival Tang Yiren of the Three Saint Sword Elders fame."
Isn't Tang Yiren a celestial saint? A golden celestial will actually rival a celestial saint and master swordsman such as Tang Yiren?
Yu Degang and Gong Nanyan could not believe their ears…
Xiaofang politely said, "I am just taking a look…"
Song Feixian smiled, "Please feel welcome to do so. You are more than welcome to look and give us some improvement pointers."
Xiaofang smiled weakly, "I will not dare. The swordplay of the Lofty Snow Palace is really profound. I'm really impressed by it…"
Yu Degang was thinking, "My foot. You just thrashed me…"