My disciples are all villains.

Lu Zhou nodded in satisfaction. According to this pattern, every time he meditated on the Heavenly Writing 100 times, he would obtain one Open Heavenly Writing Scroll.

However, the system seemed stingy this time. He was only rewarded with 'Part One'. The 100 repetitions were not short… Well, to be honest, he could easily reach 100 repetitions now that he thought about it.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

A loud commotion reverberated outside.

Before Lu Zhou could even ask what was going on, a voice rang out. "Pavilion Master, I think Mister Eighth has achieved a breakthrough."

"Alright." Lu Zhou stood up slowly and walked out of the eastern pavilion with his hands on his back. Inwardly, he felt speechless.

Was it possible that his disciples who were able to roam freely outside had an easier time breaking through? Zhao Yue stayed on the mountain most of the time. He had also spent many sessions teaching her after he returned to the Evil Sky Pavilion. He even purged the cold poison from her body. Logically, with the master personally teaching the disciple, she should have had a breakthrough. However, Zhu Honggong, Old Eight, beat her to it.

…

Meanwhile, inside the Cave of Reflection.

Zhu Honggong, Old Eighth, was excited. An ecstatic expression could be seen on his face as he looked at the Hundred Tribulations Insight avatar that he had gone through much trouble to form. Although the avatar had no leaves yet and was shorter than him, it was still a Hundred Tribulations Insight avatar. He found the bald Golden Lotus pleasing to the eye.

"Thank you for the pointers, Second Senior Brother!" Zhu Honggong bowed deeply at Yu Shangrong.

Yu Shangrong sat on the stone bench. His left hand was on his Longevity Sword that was laid on the table. He smiled faintly and said, "You're talented to begin with. Although your previous cultivation method was wrong, it helped you amass much Primal Qi. The zen tunic has helped you a great deal as well."

"You're right, Second Senior Brother… In my heart, you're the strongest!" Zhu Honggong instantly went into his flattery mode.

Yu Shangrong glanced at him and said drily, "Is that so?"

Zhu Honggong hastily said, "I'm not lying. Everything I said comes from my heart… Second Senior Brother, please don't make fun of me. I can't possibly fool you with this brain of mine…"

Zhu Honggong was still flattering Yu Shangrong when a voice rang in the air. "Greetings, Second Senior Brother." It was none other than Duanmu Sheng. He was standing outside the Cave of Reflection with the Overlord Spear in his hands.

At the same time, Leng Luo, Hua Wudao, Hua Yuexing, Pan Litian, and the others appeared near the Cave of Reflection as well. They were curious after hearing the commotion caused by Pan Zhong. They had arrived when Duanmu ShengIt was almost impossible for them not to be curious about the genius swordsman whose talent shocked the world.

As a guest, Duan Xing maintained his distance and watched from the sidelines.

It was nearly impossible for them to not be curious about such a genius swordsman who shocked the world.

"Third Junior Brother… You didn't change at all." Yu Shangrong appeared near the entrance of the Cave of Reflection. He crossed his arms and returned the greetings.

Duanmu Sheng cupped his fists at Yu Shangrong again and said, "I heard from Pan Zhong that you were captured by master and locked up in the Cave of Reflection. As your junior brother, it's only appropriate for me to visit you." His words were loaded with implications. On the surface, he was respectful and polite enough. However, one could not help but feel there was a hint of mockery as well after listening to his words.

Pan Zhong who was standing nearby shuddered slightly when he heard this. 'Why me? I notified everyone out of kindness. Why did Mister Third make it sound like I have some ulterior motive?'

Pan Litian grabbed Pan Zhong's arm. He asked irritably, "What are you afraid of?"

"I'm not… O-old Pan. This… this is Mister Second we're talking about," Pan Zhong said, completely void of confidence.

"I know." Pan Litian turned to look at him.

"Aren't you afraid?"

"Not exactly… However, who isn't respectfully fearful of an expert?" Pan Litian asked.

"…"

'Here's a man who makes being afraid sounds poetic.' Pan Zhong rolled his eyes but did not say anything else. Pan Litian had roamed the lands and had many close calls with death. He even went into Black Forest. It would be believable if Pan Litian said he was not afraid. He had been spending quite some time with Pan Litian so he had heard Pan Litian bragging about his past many times now

Meanwhile, Yu Shangrong wore a faint smile on his face as he said, "You're much stronger than before, Third Junior Brother."

"Thanks to master's teachings, I managed to improve," Duanmu Sheng replied.

"Your leaf count?"

"I sprouted the third leaf recently."

"Congratulations."

Duanmu Sheng said, "Pan Zhong told me that your cultivation base has been sealed… Although I'm talentless, I'd like to spar with you, Second Senior Brother." Recently, he had strictly followed his master's instructions and trained under the waterfall without using his Primal Qi. The only thing he needed was a training partner. It was hopeless to look for the old men in the Old Age Pavilion. Without their Primal Qi, they would be knocked out with a single punch. No matter how hard he trained, he did not feel satisfied since he did not have an opponent to test his skills against. When he heard that his Second Senior Brother had returned with his cultivation base sealed, he had rushed over immediately. Even if he would likely fail, he still wanted to try.

Hua Wudao said with a sigh, "Duanmu Sheng remains tenacious in challenging people even though he has suffered numerous defeats… I really don't know what to say."

Hua Yuexing mumbled, "It seems like Mister Third hasn't looked for you to spar for quite some time now."

Upon hearing this, Hua Wudao's expression turned stiff as he burst into a coughing fit.

"Are you alright?"

"I'm fine."

Meanwhile, Yu Shangrong sized Duanmu Sheng up and gently said, "Allow me to impart this word of advice; you're still too weak."

"How do you know if you haven't even sparred with me?" Duanmu Sheng raised his Overlord Spear and struck the ground. "I won't take advantage of you. During the sparring session, I won't use any Primal Qi."

At this moment, Zhu Honggong walked to the entrance as well. He waved his hands. "My dear senior brothers, what's happening?"

"Move aside, Old Eighth." Duanmu Sheng did not even look at Zhu Honggong.

Yu Shangrong shook his head and said with a sigh, "As you wish." He raised his Longevity Sword in his hands.

Zing!

Yu Shangrong unsheathed the Longevity Sword. He held it in his left hand and tapped the barrier. The barrier parted immediately. He walked out as though nothing had happened.

Upon seeing this, Pan Litian nodded and offered his praise. "Just as I thought."

"What do you mean?"

"When the affinity between a weapon and its owner is perfect, the owner will have extremely high and precise control over it. If he's knowledgeable about Formations, he can easily find the opening of a barrier and pass through it," Pan Litian explained. He had spoken about this with Little Yuan'er before.

The moment Yu Shangrong walked out of the cave, he made his way to Duanmu Sheng. They were only half a foot apart when he stopped in his tracks.

In terms of height, Yu Shangrong was slightly taller. He had a more slender build while Duanmu Sheng was stockier. Standing so close together, the difference was more pronounced.

Those who were skilled were brave. That was the kind of person Yu Shangrong was. Although he did not have any Primal Qi now, he was still bold enough to stand so close to Duanmu Sheng.

As expected, Duanmu Sheng took a step back. He cupped his fists together. "I humbly ask for your instructions, Second Senior Brother."

"There's no need for such pleasantries in a sparring session between fellow disciples." Yu Shangrong stabbed his sword into the ground as he calmly looked at Duanmu Sheng, looking completely unbothered.

Upon seeing this, Duanmu Sheng was somehow annoyed. Without wasting his breath, he raised his spear and thrust forward.

Spear techniques and sword techniques were similar in nature. The Divine One Technique was a cultivation technique meant for the sword and the spear. Indeed, it was uncommon for a person to unleash such strength with the Overlord Spear using pure muscle alone.

Yu Shangrong did not move.

Whoosh!

The spear's tip gleamed coldly as it headed straight for Yu Shangrong. He turned slightly to the side and raised his hand.

Bam!

Yu Shangrong caught the Overlord Spear with his bare hand!

The others were shocked. 'You can actually do that?'

Then, Yu Shangrong pulled.

Duanmu Sheng lurched forward while Yu Shangrong moved forward with a palm strike.

Bam!

Duanmu Sheng's expression changed as he retreated from the impact.

At the same time, Yu Shangrong spoke slowly, "Your strength is greater than your skills, and you lack experience in actual combat… Junior brother, you still have a long way to go."