"Sword Saint predecessor, this is the child of Tiangang, Li Hao."
As the maid went to summon Bian Ruxue, He Jianlan introduced the white-haired old man beside her, "The name Hao Er was actually bestowed by Emperor Yu. What do you think of the child?"
Mentioning Emperor Yu, the white-haired elder glanced at the woman and immediately knew her ulterior motives, feeling slightly displeased in his heart, but he didn't say anything and began to assess the youngster before him.
Li Hao too was looking up, sizing up the other party.
When he heard what the aunt called the old man, he was somewhat surprised and understood why Fu had such a big reaction.
Earlier, while flipping through chess manuals at Listening Rain Tower, he had also come across some interesting stories and deeds of prominent figures in Jianghu.
And among the characters from Jianghu recorded in the past hundred years, there were only three known as Sword Saints.
One resided in the Southern Sword Hut, one was retired in the green lakes over the yellow sands of the North Desert, and another, like a dragon seen in head but not the tail.
All three were masters of the sword, astonishing the world with their swordsmanship and honored with the title of Sword Saint.
Which of the three Sword Saints was stronger or weaker had been an endless topic of debate among those fond of such discussions for nearly a hundred years.
His own Third Uncle, with extremely high sword dao talent, split half the Jianghu and Demon Forest of Jingzhou with a single stroke, yet did not earn the title of Sword Saint. This demonstrated how terrifying the true strength of the old man before him must be.
He wondered, which one of the three was this elder?
As the gazes of the old and the young collided, Li Hao immediately saw the deeply concealed, ocean-like profound Sword Intent within the elder's eyes.
But this Sword Intent was buried beneath the tranquil darkness of the elder's pupils, and he would not have been able to glimpse it if not for his second-stage comprehension of the Sword Dao.
"I've heard that the child of Tiangang was unable to succeed at Foundation Establishment and Blood Melting, and has no martial arts talent?"
Jian Wudao looked indifferently at the child at his feet. The Qilin children of the Divine General Mansion were seen as extremely noble existences in the eyes of the world, second only to the imperial heirs, but in his eyes, they were nothing special, and he felt no need to show deference to a child.
He Jianlan's expression tightened slightly as she nodded.
"That's right, so I wanted to ask the Sword Saint predecessor to see if the child has any talent for sword training. If he can practice Body Cultivation and swordsmanship in the future, he could still serve the country and guard a region for Dayu."
At the mention of guarding, Jian Wudao's gaze shifted slightly, becoming somewhat softer.
With his status, as long as the older generation of the Li Family did not get involved, he did not need to care about the thoughts of these second-generation members and juniors.
But the commendable achievements of the Li Family over thousands of years truly commanded respect, especially in these last decades when occasional turmoil struck the Frontier Pass, six of the Li Family's Nine Sons had died in battle, a fact alone that evoked solemn respect!
"We will see together in a bit," Jian Wudao calmly stated.
He Jianlan was overjoyed and nodded.
Soon, Bian Ruxue was brought to the crowd by Xuejian, and the little girl, facing the throng of adults, was obviously nervous.
She instinctively stood behind Li Hao, using him to shield half of her body.
She had seen this scenario before. It was when Li Hao underwent Foundation Establishment and bone measurement, yet afterward, the looks from these adults made her feel sad.
"Sword Saint predecessor, this is the sword dao prodigy I had Bai Jing mention to you," said an old military man stepping forward respectfully.
Jian Wudao nodded slightly. His reason for coming was mainly the persistent requests from his third disciple, who had praised the Divine General Mansion's young lady to the skies. Owing to his penchant for talent, he left the Sword Cottage to take a stroll through this prosperous world.
"Power Passage Realm Tenfold, perfection, bones abundant, not bad," Jian Wudao recognized the young girl's Cultivation Realm at a glance, revealing a satisfied look. Knowing she had a Ninth-grade Battle Physique, a top-notch talent, he realized she wouldn't need much consideration from him in her future cultivation endeavors.
"Little girl, demonstrate your best sword technique for me," Jian Wudao instructed.
Bian Ruxue, looking at the strange yet imposing old man, was a bit nervous and unconsciously glanced at Li Hao.
Li Hao knew this was Xue'er's chance and promptly smiled, pushing her forward, saying, "Don't be afraid, don't be nervous, I'm right here beside you."
With Li Hao's encouragement, Bian Ruxue's timidity dissipated a good deal. She nodded, then stepped aside. Without needing He Jianlan's cue, everyone respectfully cleared a space for the young girl.
Soon, Bian Ruxue's swordsmanship flowed forth like snow cascading down a waterfall, her posture as graceful as a startled swan and her moves skilled and agile, containing hints of returning to the basics and embracing simplicity.
This essence was immediately captured by Jian Wudao, who had been immersed in the Sword Dao for nearly a hundred years. The elder's sharp, sword-like eyes suddenly widened, revealing an undeniable excitement that he could not conceal.
This was more than just a talent for Sword Dao; it was the rarity of a sword prodigy that appeared once in a hundred years!
At her age, to have cultivated a superior sword technique to the level of perfection was already comparable to his most outstanding disciple, not to mention that she now possessed fragments of ultimate agility.
An exceptional sword training prodigy indeed!
"Hahaha..." Jian Wudao couldn't help but burst into laughter, his hearty voice shaking the dead leaves off the trees nearby.
Worthwhile, exceedingly worthwhile!
His trip to the Mortal World had not been in vain.
The people around who heard the Sword Saint's loud laughter immediately knew that the young girl's fate had soared from this moment on.
Although she was already highly esteemed within the Divine General Mansion, and people envied her, encountering a master like the Sword Saint truly meant ascending to the peak, and her future held the promise of becoming a household name, leaving her mark for ten lifetimes!
In an instant, the numerous complex gazes in the courtyard all converged on the young girl holding a sword.
Bian Ruxue stopped her swordplay, felt the gathering gazes upon her, and nervously looked towards Li Hao.
Li Hao, however, smiled at her, showing his teeth, and gave her a thumbs-up.
Bian Ruxue knew what this gesture meant—it was praise for doing a great job.
She too relaxed and smiled broadly.
"Your recommendation is good, very good indeed!"
Jian Wudao, who had previously maintained a serious expression and an aura of authority, was now laughing heartily as he clapped the shoulder of the older soldier beside him. If it weren't for this soldier's old acquaintance with his third disciple and his strong recommendation, he wouldn't have stumbled upon such an exceptional sword embryo.
"The honor is mine, elder. It is Xue'er's good fortune to be able to apprentice under a Sword Saint," said the older soldier, surprised and appreciative.
The two appeared similar in age, both resembling septuagenarians, but their actual age and status gaps were in fact extremely wide.
Jian Wudao smiled, feeling extremely pleased. He walked over to the young girl, bent down, and asked with a kind and pleasant face, "Little girl, you like the sword, right? How about I take you on a cultivation journey?"
Bian Ruxue was a bit stunned and asked, "To where?"
"Sword Cottage."
Jian Wudao smiled as he spoke of this Holy Land that all swordsmen yearned for, saying, "I will teach you sword-fighting there and give you the best sword techniques."
Bian Ruxue, not understanding fully, only asked, "Is it far?"
"It's about nine thousand li to the south, which for you, would be considered far," Jian Wudao replied with a smile.
Bian Ruxue immediately looked towards Li Hao who wasn't far away and asked him, "Brother Hao, are you going too?"
It was then that Jian Wudao realized he had forgotten about another child.
He Jianlan came over at the right time, smiling serenely and said, "Honorable Sword Saint, you've yet to see Hao Er's talent in swordsmanship. I hear he also possesses quite a bit of natural affinity for Sword Dao."
"Indeed, elder," interjected Li Fu, excitedly seizing the opportunity, "When Xue'er practices sword-fighting, the young master often watches from the side and even offers her some quite good advice. Although he has never trained formally, it seems he has his own understanding and talent for Sword Dao."
Jian Wudao was somewhat surprised and glanced at Li Hao, his brows slightly furrowed, but out of respect for He Jianlan, he quickly said, "Alright, give him a sword to show us a performance, any sword moves will do."
"Thank you, honorable Sword Saint!"
Li Fu, overjoyed, expressed his gratitude and immediately turned to Bian Ruxue, saying, "Miss Xue'er, please lend your sword to the young master for a moment."
Bian Ruxue nodded obediently and handed her sword to Li Hao.