"Gone?" The man in the black robe and white eyebrows surveyed his surroundings. The city wall was smeared with bloodstains and marred by numerous nicks and cuts from blades and spears. Beneath the ramparts lay a mass of corpses; it was clear that Jiangning County City had just endured a catastrophe. He couldn't help but be secretly alarmed. "That blind Sword Saint, Tie Wu—rumored to have long ago reached the Great Perfection of the Void Realm, and a top figure even among those at that level. Yet he returned empty-handed? This Hu He—"

"Sect Master Zhuge, this is a dear friend of mine, who has traveled from afar," Teng Qingshan said, turning to Zhuge Yuanhong with a smile. "I shall take him back to my residence to host him."

"That sounds good," Zhuge Yuanhong nodded with a warm smile. "However, Elder Jing Yi, you absolutely must attend the victory banquet."

Being addressed as 'Elder Jing Yi' by his own master made Teng Qingshan a little awkward, but it was unavoidable.

"Elder Jing Yi, we owe you so much for your help this time." Elder Ni, Elder Yan, and others looked at Teng Qingshan with profound respect and gratitude.

Faced with a powerhouse of the Void Realm, their gratitude was natural.

Teng Qingshan could only offer a smile, and together with the man in the black robe and white eyebrows, he quickly left the city wall.

Guiyuan Sect, Elder Wu's Residence.

Two streaks of light descended upon the residence, solidifying into two figures: Teng Qingshan in white robes, and 'Li Chao,' the Sect Master of the Sword Sect, in black robes.

"Brother Li, please be seated." Teng Qingshan led Li Chao to a nearby pavilion. "I apologize for troubling you to make such a long journey this time."

"Haha," the usually aloof Sect Master of the Sword Sect burst into hearty laughter. "Brother Hu He, please don't mock me. Although Guiyuan Sect managed to drive away Qinghu Island, and though I traveled a great distance to be here, I played no part whatsoever. No wonder you, Brother Hu He, dared to use the alias 'Jing Yi' to provoke the blind Sword Saint 'Tie Wu'—it turns out skill breeds audacity."

Knowing that Teng Qingshan alone had driven away the blind Sword Saint, the Sword Sect Master, 'Li Chao,' began to harbor his own intentions.

"Brother Li," Teng Qingshan replied, "I merely had a chance breakthrough just before the battle... otherwise, why would I have asked Xiao Jun to write to the Palace Master?"

"Mmm," Li Chao nodded.

He, too, noticed that Teng Qingshan's aura was different from the last time they met, though judging strength purely by aura was difficult. For instance, the blind Sword Saint's aura was a patch of chaotic black, while some masters of Great Perfection in the Void Realm might have a multicolored, vibrant aura, depending on their enlightenment of the Dao. Some first comprehend two or three minor Daos, then merge them to grasp a Great Dao, such as the Dao of Life. The aura could only offer a vague estimation of a person's strength.

Li Chao asked with awe, "Brother Hu He, your rate of progress is truly astonishing. As far as I know, you hadn't even entered the Void Realm when you were on the great grassland. Only a few years have passed... you must be close to the Great Perfection of the Void Realm by now."

"Brother Li, you see my present glory, but you didn't see the embarrassment before my breakthrough," Teng Qingshan smiled and shook his head. "Because I had no established lineage, I made a grave error when breaking through to the Void Realm."

"A grave error?" Li Chao paused, surprised.

"Yes," Teng Qingshan nodded. "I didn't focus on drilling into a single Dao; instead, I cultivated several simultaneously, sometimes practicing this, sometimes practicing that."

Li Chao immediately countered, "That was a mistake! Human lifespan is finite, but the Dao is infinite. Spreading one's focus across several 'Daos' means that by the time one reaches the limit of their lifespan, they might have mastered none!"

"I had no master to guide me," Teng Qingshan laughed, shaking his head. "I cultivated blindly alone. During my arduous cultivation journey at sea, I focused entirely on training, unaware of what stage I needed to reach to enter the Void Realm. Heaven rewards diligence; eventually, I achieved Great Perfection in one Dao!"

"Having mastered one Dao, I finally understood that I had taken a detour previously."

"If I had focused on just one Dao, I could have saved at least several decades," Teng Qingshan stated.

"Mmm," Li Chao agreed, unaware that Teng Qingshan was weaving a grand lie.

Teng Qingshan continued, "But there are gains for every loss. My other Daos were all on the verge of breakthrough. Once the first Dao was achieved, the second followed quickly. This time, just before the battle with that blind Iron Man, by sheer coincidence, I broke through again and gained insight into another Dao. Fortunately, that Iron Man brought 'Gu Yong.' Gu Yong is Qinghu Island's best hope for reaching the Void Realm. Tie Wu has only twenty years left to live; Gu Yong's life is far more important to him than eradicating Guiyuan Sect. That’s why, during our fight, he had to divide his attention to protect Gu Yong."

"Oh, I see." Li Chao suddenly understood.

He had been perplexed; the blind Sword Saint was a renowned master of the Great Perfection of the Void Realm. How could this guest elder, 'Hu He,' have chased him off so quickly? The answer lay with Gu Yong.

The Heavenly God Palace had plans to invade Yangzhou and was well aware of Qinghu Island's dynamics, knowing the significance of 'Gu Yong' to them.

"Since matters are settled, I won't impose further," Li Chao stood up.

"Thank you again for coming this time, Brother Li," Teng Qingshan also rose.

Li Chao laughed heartily, "What trouble? No trouble at all. Once my Heavenly God Palace wipes out 'Hongtian City,' I'll have much more leisure time. Feel free to visit me anytime. You have a wife who is the acting headmistress; she knows exactly where I am residing."

"Furthermore, my master is eager to meet you as well. You and my master can meet then," Li Chao added.

"The Palace Master?" Teng Qingshan was inwardly startled.

This terrifying figure who founded the Heavenly God Palace—though Teng Qingshan had never met him—was someone he deeply respected and feared. In just a few hundred years, he had established a foundation rivaling 'Mani Temple.' Such unparalleled brilliance... in Teng Qingshan's estimation, this Heavenly God Palace Master might rank first across the entire Jiuzhou Continent and the Duanmu Continent today!

"Yes, we must meet then. I greatly admire the Palace Master," Teng Qingshan said with a smile.

"Haha..."

Li Chao chuckled, then bowed slightly and shot away northward in a streak of sword light.

** That day's victory banquet lasted from afternoon until late into the night; clearly, surviving the ordeal had thrilled many. Although Guiyuan Sect had lost a fair number of soldiers and disciples, it was by no means a crippling blow. This was, overall, the best possible outcome.

The next morning.

Zhuge Yuanhong and Teng Qingshan walked together through the streets of Jiangning County City. Teng Qingshan condensed the space around them, ensuring their conversation could not be overheard externally.

"Time to see your parents?" Zhuge Yuanhong chuckled.

"Yes, I'm very eager to see them," Teng Qingshan confirmed.

"Prepared your explanation?" Zhuge Yuanhong inquired. In Zhuge Yuanhong's view, Teng Qingshan could not reveal his true identity yet. In fact, the Sect Master thought the best timing would be when Teng Qingshan reached the Great Perfection of the Void Realm and possessed the Divine Beast Undying Phoenix, only then should he make his identity public.

"Just to settle the old folks' minds," Teng Qingshan replied. "They haven't heard from me for years; they must be anxious and worried."

Last night, Teng Qingshan had secretly observed his parents. He could see their distress over him. How could parents not worry when their son had been away for over four years without a word?

... At the Teng Clan grounds, just as Guiyuan Sect held its victory banquet the previous night, the Teng Clan held one too. Victory meant they no longer needed to hide or flee. During the clan's internal celebration, Teng Yongfan and his wife had returned to stay, as they had quarters within the ancestral grounds.

"Sect Master."

"Sect Master." Upon entering the clan residence, many young men, youths, and women of the Teng Clan nervously greeted Zhuge Yuanhong with respectful salutes.

"Hehe," Zhuge Yuanhong returned their greetings with a smile.

However, the clansmen along the path leading to the main compound did not recognize Teng Qingshan as 'Jing Yi.' This was unsurprising; very few members of the Teng Clan had joined the Guiyuan Sect army, and those who saw Teng Qingshan battle the blind Sword Saint were limited to a handful, like Teng Qinghu.

"Brother Yongfan," Zhuge Yuanhong called out cheerfully while standing outside a dwelling.

Creak, the courtyard gate opened, revealing Yuan Lan.

"Ah, it's the Sect Master! Please come in, come in," Yuan Lan said, smiling as she called back into the house, "Brother Fan, the Sect Master is here."

"Oh, the Sect Master?" Teng Yongfan, manipulating the wheels of his chair, rolled into the courtyard.

When Teng Yongfan and Yuan Lan saw Teng Qingshan standing beside Zhuge Yuanhong, they looked puzzled. Teng Qingshan's appearance was different from the first time he returned to the Yuan Sect; this was the visage of his 'Jing Yi' identity. Neither recognized him. Yet, they sensed a familiar, intimate aura emanating from the mysterious young man before them.

"And who might this be?" Teng Yongfan asked with a smile.

"You must be Brother Qingshan's mother and father," Teng Qingshan said, struggling to suppress his excitement.

"Yes, yes," Yuan Lan immediately grew emotional. Even Teng Yongfan rolled his wheelchair closer, visibly moved.

"You know our Qingshan?"

"How is Qingshan?" Teng Yongfan was relatively composed, but Yuan Lan's eyes were already filling with tears. Having no news of her son for years, as a mother, she had worried and yearned every single night.

Looking at his parents, whose hair was now threaded with silver, Teng Qingshan's emotions wavered. He forcefully controlled his excitement and said, "Elders, yes, I know Qingshan... I have met him."

"Really? How is Qingshan now?" Both Teng Yongfan and Yuan Lan's faces flushed with excitement.

"He is very well," Teng Qingshan affirmed. "He is currently in secluded cultivation on a tranquil island overseas. He asked me to tell you both, when I came to Jiuzhou, that he is well. He hopes you will take good care of your health."

Tears immediately welled up in the eyes of the couple.

"That's wonderful, Heavens, Qingshan is fine, he is fine," Yuan Lan wept uncontrollably.

"Stop crying! The boy is fine, why cry?" Teng Yongfan scolded her.

Suddenly, Teng Yongfan paused, looking at Teng Qingshan with a slight hesitation. "Is he really on an overseas island? You... you are not deceiving us?"

Teng Qingshan nodded. "Qingshan also taught me a set of self-created martial arts. He said that if I practice this set, you will believe me." Saying this, Teng Qingshan stepped back two paces and executed the 'Tiger Fist'—the foundational martial art Teng Qingshan had taught the Teng Clan years ago.

Upon seeing this form, the couple, Teng Yongfan and Yuan Lan, were overwhelmed with emotion and could no longer control themselves.

... Teng Yongfan and Yuan Lan kept Teng Qingshan with them for a full hour. Finally, Teng Qingshan realized he couldn't remain any longer, fearing he would lose control of his emotions, and excused himself from the courtyard.

"Qingshan," Zhuge Yuanhong looked at him.

"I'm fine," Teng Qingshan walked beside his master. "Master, I plan to recruit a batch of disciples."

"Oh?" Zhuge Yuanhong paused, then smiled. "That's excellent. Tell me, what are the requirements? Do they need internal energy? What age range?"

"They don't need internal energy. Boys under ten whose bone structure has no major flaws will suffice," Teng Qingshan stated.

No internal energy required? Zhuge Yuanhong breathed a sigh of relief; there was no shortage of such youths.

"Find me one thousand to start with," Teng Qingshan requested.

Teng Qingshan was confident that even facing the 'Blind Sword Saint,' he could defend himself using the Thirty-Six Forms of Mountain Splitting. Thus, the true proliferation of the Inner Family Martial Arts lineage was about to begin.

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