C2 He Is My Master!
Zhu Changling, perched on the cliff's ledge outside the cave, jumped as a loud boom echoed through the air, tumbling into the snow with his hefty frame.
Had it not been for Zhang Wuji's occasional act of kindness, tossing him wild fruits over the years, he would've starved to death long ago.
"Who's there? Who's that?" Zhu Changling scrambled up from the snow, his voice tinged with panic.
He soon laid eyes on Zhang Wuji and another youth emerging from the gaping mouth of the cave.
Zhu Changling breathed a silent sigh of relief. Though he was clueless about the newcomer's origins, he was confident in his ability to handle Zhang Wuji and the boy with ease.
"Wuji, what are you waiting for? Go on, attack," Lin Yuanjian commanded, his expression icy. "Remember my words: being soft-hearted will only lead to your downfall. There's no need for mercy with such malevolent scum from the martial arts world."
Zhang Wuji appeared to hesitate.
Zhu Changling's initial shock quickly gave way to laughter. "You two think you can kill me? Utterly delusional." As a descendant of Master Yideng's disciple Zhu Zi Liu, he wasn't lacking in martial prowess.
Ignoring Zhu Changling's bravado, Lin Yuanjian continued to address Zhang Wuji, "The master won't compel you to kill. If you choose to spare him, so be it."
Feeling dismissed, Zhu Changling's anger flared. "Big talk for someone who can't back it up! I'd like to see you try to kill me!"
Lin Yuanjian scoffed. "The Zhang Wuji of today is not the same as before. If he wishes to kill you, you won't stand a chance."
"You little pest, I'll take you down first!" Zhu Changling bellowed, channeling his energy into a burst of piercing force from his fingertips – the Dali Duan Clan's signature Single Solar Finger!
Lin Yuanjian's face was etched with scorn, and he made no move to evade.
The formidable Single Solar Finger hit Lin Yuanjian squarely in the chest. Zhu Changling's elation surged; the boy looked unremarkable and surely couldn't survive his signature move.
But the expected outcome never materialized. Lin Yuanjian remained unfazed, as if the strike was nothing more than a tickle.
"This can't be!" Zhu Changling's face drained of color. "Just who are you?" He suddenly recalled that this youth had claimed to be Zhang Wuji's master.
Lin Yuanjian asked, "Wuji, have you decided?"
"Master, be at ease. Wuji has reached a decision," Zhang Wuji affirmed, spurred by Zhu Changling's unveiled ferocity.
Though wary of Lin Yuanjian, Zhu Changling didn't fear Zhang Wuji. "Today, we'll see who kills whom."
Five seconds later, Zhu Changling's eyes shut in disbelief, his life force ebbing away.
He fell to Zhang Wuji's palm in a single encounter.
Zhang Wuji was astounded by his own strength; he had only used a fraction of his power.
"If you lack the intent to kill, be gentler when engaging others in combat," Lin Yuanjian advised with a pleased grin, before kicking Zhu Changling's body off the cliff.
The perfected Nine Yang True Scripture was nearly quintuple the strength of the original.
Even a mere fraction of its power could overpower most martial arts experts.
Lin Yuanjian turned to the dazed Zhang Wuji and said, "I had you confront Zhu Changling to teach you a lesson: the world is full of treachery. Just as a tiger does not need to intend harm to be dangerous, you must be decisive and ruthless with your enemies."
Zhang Wuji vowed, "Master, your words will be etched in my heart."
Lin Yuanjian advised, "And remember, don't be too quick to trust women."
Zhang Wuji blushed, recalling his misplaced trust in Zhu Jiuzhen, which had led to his fall from the cliff. He was lucky to have uncovered their plot in time; otherwise, he might have been en route to Ice and Fire Island by now.
"Your mother warned you, the more beautiful the woman, the more deceptive she can be. Don't forget that."
Zhang Wuji was taken aback. How did his master know about that?
Indeed, since he had met Lin Yuanjian, the master seemed omniscient, intimately familiar with Zhang Wuji's past as if he were divine.
"I've got it, Master. I've got it all," Zhang Wuji said, his respect for Lin Yuanjian deepening. To have such a seemingly celestial being as his mentor was an incredible stroke of luck.
Lin Yuanjian was pleased with Zhang Wuji's demeanor. He wasn't fond of the overly compassionate Zhang Wuji he had envisioned; while it was a strength, it was also a flaw.
"Let's head up," Lin Yuanjian suggested.
"How do we ascend?" Zhang Wuji asked, puzzled.
They were perched on a tiny ledge jutting out from a cliffside in the Kunlun Mountains, with an unfathomable abyss below and a sheer face above, offering no footholds for even the most skilled practitioners of Lightness Skill.
"I'll take us up," Lin Yuanjian said with a faint smile. Grasping Zhang Wuji's shoulder, they soared effortlessly to the cliff's summit.
Landing atop the mountain, Zhang Wuji was utterly astounded.
To ascend without any leverage, to fly—what level of Lightness Skill was this?
Lin Yuanjian walked the path of cultivation, having reached the pinnacle of the Foundation Stage after unlocking the first Spirit Aperture, which granted him the ability to fly, far surpassing any Lightness Skill.
"Who exactly is my Master?" Zhang Wuji pondered, his curiosity about Lin Yuanjian's origins growing.
His master was as young as he was, yet his martial prowess was immeasurable, dismissing even the formidable Nine Yang True Scripture as trivial and imparting it to Zhang Wuji with ease.
For anyone else, such knowledge might not even be shared with their own offspring.
Now, witnessing such a Lightness Skill that defied the ordinary, Zhang Wuji couldn't help but wonder if his master was an exiled immortal.
Shaking off these musings, Zhang Wuji focused on the journey ahead.
The duo, employing their exceptional Lightness Skill, traveled swiftly, pausing only once and reaching the base of Wudang Mountain in a mere two days—a remarkable feat considering the two-thousand-kilometer distance from Kunlun Mountain, especially outside the conveniences of modern transportation.
If Lin Yuanjian hadn't deliberately slowed his pace for Zhang Wuji, they would have arrived even sooner.
Zhang Wuji recognized this and his admiration for Lin Yuanjian grew.
Meanwhile, Lin Yuanjian was contemplating the upcoming encounter with the legendary Zhang Sanfeng, wondering if his own cultivation would surpass that of the storied master.
"Are you heading to Wudang? If you carry weapons, you must unload them at the Sword Discharge Pool; they are not permitted on the mountain," called out a young Taoist priest, clad in a Taoist robe, emerging from the side.
"I'm curious to know which senior brother is on gate duty today. It's me, Zhang Wuji." The joy was palpable in Zhang Wuji's voice as he returned to the place he knew so well.
The young Taoist priest approached, his face lighting up with recognition. "Wuji, is that really you? We've had no word from you for years, and everyone feared the worst! It's wonderful to see you back. I hardly recognized you!"
Zhang Wuji felt a surge of emotion. "Senior Brother Wang Hao, it's been years. How have you been?"
"Everyone's well," Wang Hao replied. "The Grandmaster and your uncles have all been worried about you. You should head up the mountain without delay."
Zhang Wuji nodded in agreement.
"Huh, and who might this be?" Wang Hao's eyes widened as he took in the sight of Lin Yuanjian, whose attire was both peculiar and tattered.
With a smile, Zhang Wuji responded, "Ah, this is my master."
"What?" Wang Hao gasped in disbelief. The young man before him looked barely of age, yet he was Zhang Wuji's master?
His martial arts skills surely couldn't be fully developed at such a young age. How could he possibly be fit to teach?
Moreover, Zhang Wuji was nominally a disciple of Wudang, yet here he was with another master...
Wang Hao's face was a picture of bewildered curiosity.
"We'll make our way up the mountain now, Senior Brother Wang," Zhang Wuji said, bowing with his fists clasped.
"Oh," Wang Hao managed, still wearing an expression of bemusement.