Sanqing Mountain.

The lush green mountain ranges stretch for hundreds of miles, with towering peaks and thousands competing to show their beauty.

Yujing, Yuxu, and Yuhua—three dangerous peaks pierce the sky, their tops enveloped in mist, presenting breathtaking scenery.

The typically secluded Sanqing Sect has become quite lively recently.

Experts from various sects of Daxia have gathered here for the new year's Martial Arts Tournament.

The previous two Martial Arts Tournaments were hosted in Chang'an by the court, but neither matched the grandeur of the first Martial Arts Tournament. Despite having many rules, all sects felt respected and valued.

The following two events lacked that essence.

The court was quite perfunctory in organizing the tournaments, with frequent issues during the events.

Reflecting back, the comfort felt during the first Martial Arts Tournament was due to one person's presence.

He was both a court official and understood the martial world's rules, able to connect with martial artists, and held deep insights into the Martial Path, greatly benefiting every Grandmaster who conversed with him.

He did not appear at the following two tournaments.

After last year's Martial Arts Tournament ended, many sects had some complaints. Several large sects discussed it and decided that future Martial Arts Tournaments should continue to be hosted by Sanqing Sect.

Yuhua Peak.

In a small courtyard behind the main hall, Li Nuo bowed to a middle-aged woman and respectfully said, "Greetings, Master."

The middle-aged woman looked at him, shook her head slightly, and said, "Your talent and insight, if not used in the Martial Path, are indeed a pity..."

Li Nuo felt a bit embarrassed. Although his Confucian and Legalism cultivation had reached the peak of the Fifth Realm, his Martial Path was still at the Second Realm.

There are no shortcuts in the Martial Path; without hard practice, True Qi won't appear out of thin air.

Li Nuo spent his time cultivating other paths and barely practiced Martial Arts in the past year.

The middle-aged woman didn't blame him. As she watered the flowers in the garden, she said, "However, you have your own path, and the Martial Path may not be the most suitable for you..."

She could sense the aura within Li Nuo's body; although he had talent for the Martial Path, it wasn't his only talent.

Several forces within his body had already reached the Fifth Realm, even the peak of the Fifth Realm.

For him, talent and insight in the Martial Path might be the least significant.

It won't be long before he grows to her current level or even surpasses her.

The disciple she impulsively accepted is now benefiting her.

Li Nuo gently placed his hand on a pomegranate tree in the small garden, and its leaves visibly became much greener. Not only that, but the flowers in the garden also became more vibrant in color.

The middle-aged woman asked, "Is this the power of the Agricultural School?"

Li Nuo smiled and said, "Displaying my humble skill before Master."

The middle-aged woman said, "Your first time in the sect, let your senior sister take you around."

Besides his mother-in-law, Li Nuo's two senior sisters in the Shangqing lineage were already sixty years old. Under their leadership, Li Nuo visited the Yujing, Yuxu, and Yuhua Peaks.

On a plaza at the top of Yujing Peak, many figures gathered here.

Li Nuo landed on the plaza and immediately spotted several acquaintances.

"Senior Xu, it's been a long time!"

"Senior Yue, Senior Liu, you are here too. The swordsmanship of the two seniors has advanced compared to two years ago."

"Sect Leader Han, Sect Master Zhang, good to see you!"

Li Nuo came to Sanqing Sect this time to seek assistance, and unexpectedly, the Martial Arts Tournament was taking place, with Grandmasters from various sects gathering here, saving him the trouble of visiting each sect individually.

Grandmasters from the Heavenly Mountain Sword Sect and the Five Mountains Sword Sect saw Li Nuo and, after a brief pause, smiled.

"Lord Li!"

"It's been a long time!"

"We were just talking about you..."

"I have gained new insights into the Sword Dao in the past two years, and I'd like to ask Lord Li for guidance later..."

...

Several people immediately gathered around Li Nuo. After some brief exchanges, they quickly attracted the attention of others on the plaza.

Sect Masters and elders of various Daixia sects might not be familiar with each other, but everyone knew Li Nuo. The first Martial Arts Tournament hosted by the court left them with an extremely deep impression.

And because the next two tournaments were so poorly organized, they often recalled this young man.

It's fair to say that the connection between various sects and the court, the special privileges and status enjoyed by martial artists today, were all driven by his efforts.

Some people who were exchanging pointers also paused their activities to greet Li Nuo.

The purpose of everyone gathering at Sanqing Sect was to exchange in the Martial Path. After greeting each other, naturally, the conversation shifted to Martial Arts.

First, Heavenly Mountain Sect's Law Enforcement Elder Xu Jing showcased a swordsmanship he created over the past two years and asked Li Nuo for advice, as others watched.

Although Li Nuo's cultivation was only at the Second Realm, his Martial Path theory integrated the martial worlds of Daxia and Zhao Country, with insights surpassing those of two years ago. After just one look, he pointed out the shortcomings in Xu Jing's swordsmanship and provided detailed improvement suggestions.

The Grandmasters, with their sharp eyes, immediately noticed the differences before and after the improvement, so the Martial Path exchange soon turned from sparring to demonstrations, with Li Nuo offering improvement suggestions.

It continued until two days later, when Li Nuo had thoroughly discussed Martial Path with all the Grandmasters participating in the Martial Arts Tournament.