"Senior Yim Chixia is far too humble. I've long held the Mount Shu Sword Sect in high esteem, and meeting you is a stroke of incredible fortune. Might I have the honor of joining the Sect?" Chen Guo inquired.
"Young friend, with your sharp mind and noble heart, you are exactly the kind of talent our Mountain Shu Sect is seeking," Yim Chixia replied. "We'll discuss your joining after we've dealt with this Demon Commander."
"Agreed!"
Thanks to the support of Chen Guo and his companions, Yim Chixia's group slowly but surely began to turn the tide. The Demon Commander, however, proved to be a formidable opponent, resilient in the face of adversity and matching their every move.
"If you hadn't turned on each other earlier, the Demon Commander would have been vanquished by now," Kelly said, her voice tinged with disappointment. "We've gained the upper hand, yet we're still just shy of the strength we need."
Wuther chimed in, "With such a formidable enemy before us, I can't fathom why you would fight amongst yourselves."
The mentors couldn't help but express their criticism upon realizing the trial challengers' infighting had weakened their collective strength.
It was frustrating to think that just a bit more power could have allowed them to completely overpower, perhaps even slay, the Demon Commander. Instead, that crucial bit of strength had been squandered in senseless conflict.
Wang Mingze offered a wry smile. "We had our differences with those individuals. They were set on harming us, leaving us no choice but to defend ourselves. The world is rife with conflict. I wish for harmony as much as anyone, but what's done is done, and regretting it now serves no purpose."
Yim Chixia declared, "The passionate pursuit of justice and vengeance among Jianghu is not inherently wrong. If we're lacking in strength, then let's impart our skills to these brave warriors right here and now. They're all exceptionally gifted and I'm confident they can quickly bolster their power to help us defeat the Demon Commander!"
"But we're in the thick of battle. How can we possibly find time to teach them?" Mei Lin questioned.
Yim Chixia produced a yellow talisman, explaining, "This is a charm inscribed by the Long-browed Taoist, our sect's revered ancestor. It can temporarily seal the enemy. As long as we refrain from attacking, the seal will hold for an hour. Once I've sealed the Demon Commander, everyone must cease their assault. We'll then focus on enhancing the warriors' abilities before we resume our confrontation with the Demon Commander."
Xiao Han urged, "If you've got something that good, use it now. End this battle quickly—I've got a date waiting for me back in my world! I can't afford to delay my life's big moments!"
"Immediately!" Yim Chixia responded, biting his finger and smearing his blood over the rune on the seal, then bellowed, "By the decree of the Long-browed Taoist, seal!"
The seal instantly adhered to the Demon Commander, who was immediately immobilized.
As the founding patriarch of the Mountain Shu Sect and a true immortal, the Long-browed Taoist's power could easily subdue such legendary beings.
Everyone ceased their attacks, knowing that any further assault would shatter the seal in an instant, rendering their efforts futile.
"You've all witnessed the valor of these warriors," Yim Chixia announced. "Now, choose the disciples you favor and impart to them your special techniques! Make haste, for we only have an hour. They will learn as much as time permits!"
The mentors then selected their disciples.
Having observed the combatants' performances during the recent battle, they knew who was fit to be their disciple and who was not.
The mentors quickly took on disciples, with some choosing more and others fewer. Wang Chao accepted the most, since martial arts is the most universally powerful discipline, accessible to anyone in good health.
"Embrace the formless as form, the boundless as boundary; this is the pinnacle of martial arts..." Wang Chao instructed his disciples in a quiet corner.
The other mentors found their respective corners and began teaching their new disciples.
Yim Chixia and Wuther took on fewer disciples, but Chen Guo managed to become a pupil of Yim Chixia, while Wang Mingze unsurprisingly became Wuther's disciple.
"Difficult, difficult, difficult; do not regard the Golden Core as trivial..." Yim Chixia taught the dozen or so disciples of the Mountain Shu Sect various techniques.
Chen Guo's progress compared to the others was unknown, but with his photographic memory and quick learning ability, he was advancing rapidly.
"You have mastered the Mountain Shu Sect's Celestial Spell. Detecting that the grade of the Celestial Spell is inferior to the Great Grade Celestial Spell, the Celestial Spell has been converted into a passive heart sutra!"
"You've mastered the Sword Control Skill!"
"Sword Control Skill: Soar on the breeze, vanquish demons between heaven and earth. With your flying sword, you can glide freely and strike down foes!"
"You've mastered the Myriad Swords Spell!"
"Myriad Swords Spell: Unleash countless sword energies to assail the enemy, a foundational technique of the Mountain Shu Sect!"
"You've mastered the Heavenly Sword!"
"Heavenly Sword: Merge with your blade to attack the enemy, an advanced technique of the Mountain Shu Sect!"
"You've mastered the Sword God technique!"
"Sword God: Channel the full force of your Sword Intent to attack the enemy. Its might is beyond imagination, a high-level technique of the Mountain Shu Sect!"
"You've mastered the Immortal Wind Cloud Body Technique!"
"Immortal Wind Cloud Body Technique: Significantly boosts your agility, enhancing your ability to wield the sword with finesse!"
"You've mastered the Drunken Immortal Moon Gazing Step!"
"Drunken Immortal Moon Gazing Step: Once activated, your Mountain Shu Sword Arts have a chance to strike twice in a single attack!"
"You've mastered the Heavenly Astral Battle Qi!"
"Heavenly Astral Battle Qi: When used, it substantially amplifies the power of your swordsmanship!"
"Your proficiency in the Mountain Shu Sword Arts has reached 70%!"
Chen Guo had acquired a slew of skills, boosting his fighting capacity yet again.
"These are all the skills I possess from the Mountain Shu Sect. How many have you learned?" Yim Chixia inquired.
"I've only grasped the Myriad Swords Spell!"
"I've mastered the Sword Control Skill!"
"I've learned the Heavenly Astral Battle Qi!"
Out of the dozen or so individuals, each had learned at most one Mountain Shu Sect skill. As for the high-level Sword God technique, not a single person had managed to master it.
"To have learned even one or two techniques in such a short time is a mark of true genius," Yim Chixia remarked, not in criticism but with genuine astonishment. Such a rate of learning would be considered prodigious even within the Mountain Shu Sect.
After a moment, Yim Chixia seemed to recall something and turned to Chen Guo, asking, "Lee Xiaoyao, how many techniques have you picked up?"
Chen Guo replied confidently, "I've mastered them all!"
"You're not lying, are you?" Yim Chixia questioned with a hint of skepticism. "In the history of our Mountain Shu Sect, no one has ever learned as quickly as you have."
"There's no reason for me to lie. Perhaps I'm just particularly attuned to the Mountain Shu Sect's ways..." Chen Guo replied with a casual shrug.
"Alright, then demonstrate the Sword God technique for me to see!" Yim Chixia demanded earnestly.
Despite his words, he remained doubtful that Chen Guo had fully mastered it.