"Brother Shuo, should we go find Shen Qian again? If you go all out, you can definitely humiliate him and let everyone know who the real national martial arts champion is!"

A young man, sensing the situation, stepped forward and made a suggestion.

A flicker of interest crossed Wang Shuo's eyes, but he quickly suppressed the thought and shook his head, saying, "The time is not right."

Although the crowd was puzzled, since Wang Shuo's strength just now could only be described as terrifying, and even seemed to be crossing the boundary of intermediate martial artists, they didn't press him for an explanation since he didn't seem inclined to.

Suddenly, a plum blossom petal drifted down from the sky. Wang Shuo looked up as if sensing something, and the plum blossom shone brightly. The voice of his fifth senior brother, Nie Han, came from within it.

"Senior Sister has returned, and Teacher is on his way back. Hurry back to Plum Garden, lest you be late!"

Wang Shuo let the faded plum blossoms fall into his palm, a hint of joy appearing in his eyes.

Senior Sister... have you finally returned to Beidu?

It seems that Jiang Huan did not manage to stop her.

"Brother Shuo, is it the thing you mentioned last time?" The short-haired girl seemed to know some inside information and asked enviously.

"Hmm." Wang Shuo took a deep breath. "If nothing unexpected happens, my strength will rise to another level after this."

Even someone as charitable as Wang Shuo couldn't help but utter such boastful words, which speaks volumes about the incredible opportunity this was, making everyone even more envious.

Wang Shuo, who was already getting impatient, stopped lingering and left hastily, no longer caring about Shen Qian.

...

South of the capital, there is a secluded manor covering more than 100 acres.

In the capital city where land is incredibly valuable, a manor of this size is extremely rare. Yet, when martial artists occasionally pass by, they do not feel it is unfair. Instead, they respectfully bow to the manor before leaving.

This is the residence of Duke Yanshan, the Plum Garden.

To the north of Plum Garden, there is another inverted platform a thousand meters high, where three imposing figures have gathered.

Wang Shuo hurriedly arrived at the high platform, greeted his three senior brothers, and then walked to the edge, where he stood quietly.

At a certain moment, the wind and clouds above surged, and then a tall figure in black clothes and a black skirt, whose graceful curves were vaguely visible, descended from the sky and landed directly on the high platform.

The platform trembled slightly, as if it could not support the weight of the woman who clearly had a slender figure.

Wang Shuo's gaze sharpened as he carefully examined the senior sister he was meeting for the first time.

Just as rumored, the senior sister possesses an incredibly stunning beauty.

The form-fitting black dress perfectly showcased the beautiful curves unique to mature women, her fair, jade-like skin, her delicate oval face with its sharp features, her delicate nose and cherry lips, and her almond-shaped eyes that exuded a sharp and aloof air.

Wang Shuo was somewhat captivated by Tantai Qin's beauty, which was out of step with the world, but his fellow students' expressions all changed.

It is true that Tantai Qin is powerful, but she would not reveal it when she landed in the plum garden. At this moment, the high platform is trembling, which is clearly because the other party cannot control the force.

"Senior Sister, are you injured?" Nie Han asked with concern.

Wang Shuo suddenly realized that Tantai Qin's face was still somewhat pale beneath her fair complexion.

"I encountered Jiang Huan on the road and had a brief exchange with him, during which I was slightly injured."

Tantai Qin spoke casually, but Nie Han and the others knew that it was probably not that simple.

"Is it because you were injured in that 'gate', Senior Sister, that..." Guo Zhouyuan, the third disciple of Duke Yanshan, couldn't help but ask.

"No." Tantai Qin paused for a moment, then shook her head.

Upon hearing this, the group felt somewhat disappointed. This proved that, as the rumors suggested, Jiang Huan was indeed far superior to Tantai Qin.

Tantai Qin didn't say much, but with a flick of her wrist, she had a blood-stained cloth bag in her hand.

"The Dao stones are all inside. Take them and put them into the cold spring first. I'm going to rest. Call me when the teacher returns."

Nie Han and the others nodded and solemnly accepted the Dao Stone. After introducing Wang Shuo to Tantai Qin, Tantai Qin did not linger and disappeared from the spot in a flash.

Wang Shuo was somewhat disappointed because this legendary senior sister only glanced at him once when they first met, as if she didn't value him much.

"Kid, don't think too much about it."

Nie Han seemed to see through Wang Shuo's thoughts, patted him on the shoulder and said, "Senior Sister is quite different from us, and her life experiences are completely different. The fact that she's willing to talk to you is already a sign of closeness."

Wang Shuo felt comforted and his mind was much more balanced. He then remembered that Tantai Qin was someone who had destroyed a small world single-handedly with her sword, so being cold and aloof was more in line with her character.

"Fifth Senior Brother, why did you put the Dao Stone into the Cold Spring?"

Wang Shuo asked in confusion.

"Dao Stones are special treasures imbued with traces of the Great Dao, and their preservation naturally requires special methods. The Cold Spring is connected to the water veins of the Northern Capital, and it is also supported by the array set up by the teacher. It is a place with superior water, which is most suitable for nurturing Dao Stones."

Nie Han smiled and offered an explanation.

Wang Shuo nodded, and then went to the Cold Spring with Nie Han, throwing all the pale blue stones into the water.

In a daze, the world before my eyes seemed to change.

The thought that he could use the Heaven-Seizing Array to improve his cultivation and even experience the power of the Great Dao in advance to lay the foundation for the Mountain and Sea Realm when his teacher returned made Wang Shuo's eyes burn with excitement again.