The two swords clashed, and the force scattered in all directions.

Originally, it was expected to be the same as last time—unable to withstand the force and forced to retreat. Unexpectedly, after the clash, the opponent’s strength wasn’t as overwhelming as imagined; in fact, it felt somewhat weak!

“Could it be because my own strength has improved?”

With a hint of doubt, Emily Green quickly circulated her true energy and thrust her sword again and again, each strike faster than the last.

“This...”

Blocking the attack, James Lee's previously playful expression gradually turned serious.

He had thought that with such rapid improvement, the opponent’s true energy would surely be unstable, but it turned out to be so solid! Especially the sword technique—it was as if she had become a different person, not inferior to him in the slightest!

“Even if her cultivation is the same as mine, it’s impossible for her to surpass me!”

Narrowing his eyes, he snorted coldly in his heart, poured true energy into his longsword, and unleashed the fifth move of the Thirty-Six Styles of Immortal Suppression—“Long Rainbow at Sunset.”

Zizizizi!

Sword energy crisscrossed, and in an instant, it was as if a blazing sun appeared before Emily Green, its heat unbearable. Swept by the sword energy, her body staggered involuntarily.

Even though she had gained insight and made a breakthrough after a night of cultivation, she was still a bit lacking compared to the person before her.

“Damn!” Emily Green's heart turned cold.

The opponent’s sword move was extremely powerful. If she couldn’t dodge it, she would surely be seriously injured. If that delayed her chance to become a disciple, wouldn’t she miss her opportunity for nothing?

“Dodge...”

Clenching her silver teeth, at this critical moment, a sudden clarity arose in Emily Green's mind. Her arms moved as naturally as a bird’s wings, instinctively swinging down.

Buzz!

With a resonant sound, the longsword in James Lee's hand flew out with a “whoosh,” embedding itself in a nearby wall and trembling continuously.

Thud, thud, thud, thud!

James Lee, who had been in control, was struck by the sword energy and forced back seven or eight steps in a row, his face turning deathly pale.

If the opponent hadn’t held back at the last moment, he would have been seriously injured!

“This isn’t the Thirty-Six Styles of Immortal Suppression! How... how are you so strong?”

James Lee was full of disbelief.

This guy had been at the bottom of the class for three years... Just yesterday, he had beaten her so badly she couldn’t fight back. Yet after just one night, not only had she advanced two levels, her swordsmanship had improved by leaps and bounds, to the point where he couldn’t even defend himself...

How was this possible!

“I...”

Not only was James Lee stunned, Emily Green was also frozen in place.

She had been prepared to get hurt just now, and never expected that following the advice of that senior—treating her arms as wings and attacking instinctively—would have such a miraculous effect!

Not only did she break the fifth move, she even won!

“That senior’s understanding of the sword is truly at the pinnacle...”

Very quickly, Emily Green snapped out of it, trembling with excitement.

Just a casual pointer had helped her improve so much. How strong was that senior, really?

Even Elder William Grant, who taught them swordsmanship, was probably far inferior!

So the Immortal Suppression Sect was hiding such a peerless expert...

She absolutely could not miss this opportunity!

In an instant, the desire to become a disciple grew even more urgent in her mind. No longer bothering with the person before her, she hurriedly left the martial arts hall and headed toward that mysterious residence.

“The reason I was able to defeat him just now was because I caught him off guard... Once he reacts, it’ll be much harder to win!”

As she walked, Emily Green reflected on the recent battle.

Being able to defeat James Lee wasn’t because her strength had surpassed his, but because she had comprehended the senior’s words and integrated them into her sword moves, catching him by surprise.

It would be hard to replicate that again.

So, to truly become stronger, she couldn’t rely on luck. She needed to truly comprehend the way of the sword and gain a deeper understanding of swordsmanship.

As she moved forward, suddenly, from the depths of the forest, came the sound of rustling.

“Hm?”

Frowning, Emily Green quietly shifted over and hid behind a large tree.

...

“After so many years, I finally had a good night’s sleep...”

Stretching lazily, Samuel Clark walked out of the room.

For the past ten years, he had slept no more than two hours a day, spending the rest of his time studying. This was the first time he had truly relaxed.

After washing up, he took out some ingredients, intending to make breakfast, but soon shook his head.

The elders who had lived here before all had their meals provided by the sect and rarely cooked, so in this large courtyard, there wasn’t even any firewood.

Yesterday’s fish soup had been cooked with weeds chopped from the yard, which didn’t burn well, so naturally the taste was rather lacking.

“Forget it, I’ll go chop some wood!”

After instructing the donkey and other animals, Samuel Clark stepped out.

Back in the forbidden area, he had also been alone, doing many things himself, so he was long used to it.

As for cultivation...

Yesterday, he had told Ethan Brooks and the others to send over more manuals and techniques for him to study here. He wouldn’t go to crowded places anymore, lest people notice he had no cultivation and make things awkward.

Breathing in the fresh air as he walked, he soon arrived at a place with many dead trees.

Samuel Clark took out a hatchet and walked up.

Of the thirty-six skills he had learned in the forbidden area, one of them was “chopping wood.”

It also required nine rounds of assessment. The wood to be chopped started out as thick as a baby’s arm, and by the end, it was as thin as a strand of hair.