Chapter 77 Gangrou Sword Hall

Chapter 77: Chapter 77: Gangrou Sword Hall

Feng Yin and the others had barely reached the entrance when Xiao Yu, who had been waiting there early, spotted them.

At her cheerful waving, the three of them felt their spirits lift and walked over with smiles on their faces.

"Xiao Yu, where is Master?" Xie Yanran asked with a hint of impatience once they regrouped.

Xiao Yu stood with her hands behind her back, her face beaming with a smile. "Master is assigning work to Fifth Senior Brother."

A touch of excitement appeared on Xie Yanran’s face. "Fifth Junior Brother... he’s here too?!"

Xiao Yu tilted her head. "Yep!"

Feng Yin asked softly, "Eldest Senior Sister, is this the Fifth Senior Brother you mentioned to me before?"

Xie Yanran nodded. "He should be. Your Fifth Senior Brother, Huo Ming. He was sent away on a business trip back then, so he didn’t come with us to Genroku to hunt down that traitor. Otherwise..."

She revealed an expression of lingering fear. Clearly, if Huo Ming had gone with them, Master would likely have no disciples left alive today.

Disliking the awkward silence, Xiao Yu immediately changed the subject. "Don’t worry, Eldest Senior Sister! Senior Brother Huo is now the deputy head instructor of the Sword Hall. He even got married last year, and Mrs. Huo is quite a beauty."

"Oh?" A smile graced Xie Yanran’s face. "To think this kid actually managed to find a wife. I’ll have to go see for myself."

"Hahaha, I’ll take you there!" Xiao Yu cheerfully linked her arm with Xie Yanran’s.

The group entered the Gangrou Sword Hall, passing through the respectful greetings of the reception desk before arriving at the rear hall.

***

"HA!"

"CLANG!"

"HYAH!"

"BANG!"

Accompanied by intermittent shouts and the crisp sound of weapons clashing, the interior of the rear hall unfolded before Feng Yin’s eyes. It was an exceptionally spacious area. The entire venue was divided into numerous sections, each equipped with wooden dummies, fitness equipment, and other items, clearly designed for various specific training purposes.

On the wall above the hall, a few bold and vigorous characters were inscribed:

"Slash to the End, Pierce to the Core."

These simple eight words unexpectedly sent a Sharp, icy chill through Feng Yin’s heart.

Of course, what attracted his attention the most was the people.

Nearly a hundred individuals were scattered across the vast venue. Most of them wielded identical standard longswords and wore simple, uniform Protective Gear. The majority of these people were sparring in pairs. They shouted as they exerted their strength, sweat flying through the air.

Among them were those with imposing auras, their solid foundation evident in the way they brandished their weapons. They furiously suppressed their opponents, landing multiple strikes in a mere matter of seconds. There were also pairs of beginners. Their strikes were sluggish, their reactions slow, and their footwork unsteady; some could not even grip their weapons firmly.

Yet, regardless of whether they were experts or novices, everyone sparred with the utmost seriousness.

At the same time, Feng Yin noticed that the Swordsmanship Cultivation practiced by the majority in the hall was Jiao Swordsmanship.

Beside him, Xiao Yu, who was still holding onto Xie Yanran’s arm, stole a few glances at Feng Yin, as if guessing his thoughts. She chuckled and asked, "Are you curious about why they are all practicing Jiao Swordsmanship, Eldest Junior Brother?"

Feng Yin nodded. "Senior Sister mentioned that we have two Sects of Swordsmanship, Jiao and Snake. I thought even if the Snake Sword was harder, at least a third of the people would learn it..."

Xie Yanran, however, said softly, "In reality, a Soft Swordsmanship style like the Snake Sword is difficult to practice. Furthermore, before it is fully mastered, its practical combat capability is indeed somewhat lacking. Back when Master raised the six of us Direct Disciples, only I and that traitor used Snake Swordsmanship."

Xiao Yu beamed. "Senior Sister, things are different now. Over the past few years, Master has picked out several promising talents. Among the current Direct Disciples, including Senior Brother Huo and me, there are five who practice Jiao Swordsmanship and Four who practice Snake Swordsmanship. It’s very balanced!"

Xie Yanran also smiled. "It seems that after Master reached the Ultimate Level, talented disciples are now willing to voluntarily join his Sect."

Feng Yin silently digested their words from the sidelines.

Clearly, Xie Yanran had mentioned before that a Fierce-level Powerhouse only emerged once in ten thousand people. In that case, finding students or disciples with Fierce Level aptitude couldn’t possibly rely solely on taking in a massive number of ordinary people and slowly filtering them out. It relied more on those who had already been confirmed to possess Fierce Level talent seeking out a master on their own accord.

And if one wanted others to seek apprenticeship, the master needed to have sufficient fame. Otherwise, back when his master was only at the Instant Level, he wouldn’t have produced only six Direct Disciples over the course of more than a decade.

Later, following the betrayal of Shang Yunjie, only Eldest Senior Sister Xie Yanran and Fifth Senior Brother Huo Ming were left of Master’s six disciples. Years of blood, sweat, and tears nearly went up in smoke.

Yet now that Master had reached the Ultimate Level, he had gained several new Direct Disciples in just a few short years.

In his heart, Feng Yin once again confirmed the true weight of his master’s Ultimate Level. He just wondered how many Absolute Powerhouses like his master existed in this world.

Meanwhile, Xie Yanran asked Xiao Yu, "Speaking of which, what is Huo Ming’s current level?"

Xiao Yu thought for a moment. "I’m not too sure either, but Master said Senior Brother Huo has already hit the bottleneck at the limit of Fierce Upper, and is now exploring and experiencing Combat Essence."

"Combat Essence..." Xie Yanran sighed. "These two words have held me back for many years."

Beside them, Hong Yuan rubbed his bald head and laughed. "It’s not just you. A hundred Fierce Level cultivators only produce one Instant Level. People without talent actually make up the vast majority."

The group chatted as they walked. Along the way, many students immediately bowed and greeted Xiao Yu upon seeing them, their gazes towards Feng Yin and the others also filled with profound respect.

Xiao Yu explained to Feng Yin and the others that these students all came from the Xuan Guang Group’s security guarantee center, meaning they were security personnel.

Simply put, Xie Jingyuan’s collaboration with the Xuan Guang Group went beyond mere personal protection. It also included the Gangrou Sect providing Martial guidance to the group’s security personnel.

Guided by Xiao Yu, the three of them ascended to the fifth floor. On the way, they passed the intermediate levels. The second floor was similarly a teaching and training level for students, except the standard of the people there was noticeably higher.

The third floor was a functional level dedicated to showers and healthy massages. The fourth floor housed the Xuan Guang Group’s security center offices, where a large number of uniformed personnel bustled in and out.

Upon reaching the fifth floor, the layout shifted back to a spacious Martial training ground, complemented by a few small adjoining rooms.

Here, they met Xie Jingyuan.

At this moment, he and an ordinary-looking man with a righteous aura were observing six young people Xiuing their swordsmanship.

The young people consisted of Four men and two women in total. Three of them wielded the longswords corresponding to Jiao Swordsmanship, while the other three used the Soft Swords for Snake Swordsmanship.

Xie Jingyuan had long sensed their arrival and turned his head to offer them a faint smile.

"Master!" Xiao Yu cheerfully waved her hand even before she drew close.

Her shout interrupted the young disciples’ Xiu, causing them all to turn their heads and look over.

Feng Yin noticed that upon seeing Xiao Yu, the eyes of the Four male disciples lit up, and ingratiating expressions naturally surfaced on their faces. The two female disciples were actually the same; however, while they also sought to curry favor, their expressions lacked the "admiration" present in the men’s faces.

He thought to himself that it seemed these disciples who voluntarily joined Master’s Sect, aside from genuinely wanting to learn Martial arts, also harbored the ulterior motive of befriending Xiao Yu, the heiress of the Xuan Guang Group.

At the same time, the righteous-looking man finally got a clear view of the approaching group.

His entire body trembled. Staring intently at Xie Yanran, he murmured, "Eldest Senior Sister... you’re finally back."

Xie Yanran smiled at him. "Huo Ming, it’s been so many years, and you still haven’t changed."