It's late at night.

  The Jiangning Mansion of the Return to the Origin Sect was quiet, almost everyone had fallen asleep. In the study of the sect master 'Zhuge Yuanhong' of the Return to the Origin Sect, the candlelight still shone brightly.

  Zhuge Yuanhong had his long hair loose, wearing a loose white robe, barefoot. He held a brush and was freely splashing ink on the paper on his desk. His face still had a hint of a smile, clearly fully immersed in the artistic conception.

  "Bang!" "Bang!" "Bang!" "Bang!"...

  The doorbell rang.

  Zhuge Yuanhong's hand paused for a moment, and he looked at the painting with satisfaction. Only then did he put down his brush and said with a smile: "Come in."

  The door is open.

  A middle-aged man in a gray robe, responsible for receiving over 300 warriors during the day, walked in with a smile and glanced at the painting on the desk: "Master, your painting is getting more and more vivid. Master, you have an heir to inherit your ultimate skill, but this painting skill still hasn't found a worthy successor."

  "It's just a casual scribble, nothing more." Zhuge Yuanhong didn't care, he looked at the middle-aged man in gray robes, "Brother, I asked you to investigate the background of that Teng Qing Mountain, how is it going?"

  "I've checked." The middle-aged man in gray replied.

  Guiyuan Sect, which is the dominant sect in control of the entire Jiangning Prefecture, has informants at every border and city within the prefecture. If Guiyuan Sect wants to investigate the news about Tongqing Mountain, it can be investigated clearly within a few hours.

  "Speak quickly and let's hear it." said Zhuge Yuanhong repeatedly.

  "Master." The middle-aged man in gray robes had a smile all over his face, "This Teng Qing Shan, he is absolutely a gifted person! He was born in a mountain village 'Teng Family Village' at the foot of Yicheng's Danyang Mountain. It is said that when he was six years old, he could already lift a hundred-jin stone."

  Zhuge Yuanhong's eyebrows twitched.

  "At around ten years old, his marksmanship was already superb, able to kill a wolf king!"

  "At the age of 14, I fought with Wang Jia's second brother 'Wang Tie Feng', and we were evenly matched."

  "At the age of sixteen, this year, he even single-handedly killed Li Yanshan, the head of the Yanshan gang, and was known as the number one master in Yicheng. The Tun family village is also a well-known village in the local area, with a reputation for bravery and martial arts."

  Zhuge Yuanhong smiled and nodded: "Yes, the origin is clear."

  "Master, rest assured, Tan Qing Shan's background is very clean. Our people have collected some information about Tan Qing Shan. His father's name is Tan Yong Fan and his mother's name is Yuan Lan. There is not a single suspicious point!" The middle-aged man in gray robes was extremely certain.

  "Just as I guessed!"

  Zhuge Yuanhong walked barefoot to the window, his hair disheveled. "Teng Qing Shan's gun technique, I've never seen it before! It must be self-created, and the possibility of being taught by a master is very small! Most importantly, his internal energy usage is too rough, the internal energy manual he uses must be the worst kind."

  Various internal strength secret manuals and swordplay secret manuals can make internal strength exert its mighty power.

  Like that of Yue Song, the "Layered Wave Style" in "Cangjiang Sword Manual" has an instantaneous attack power ten times that of a general post-heavenly peak expert. Even Lian Cangqing Mountain, under the premise of hiding his astonishing strength, must rely on the "Mixed Yuan One Qi" gun technique to defend against it.

  The reason why overlapping waves are so powerful.

  Swordsmanship and mental discipline are equally essential.

  Teng Qing Shan's internal energy secret manual... is not the worst. But rather... Teng Qing Shan never had an internal energy secret manual! The reason he has internal energy is because of his practice of internal fist. Internal energy is just a byproduct of practicing internal fist.

  "Only sixteen years old, and yet without any guidance, he's already stronger than Wei's prized disciple 'Yue Song'! And this is despite his internal energy being subpar. This is a true prodigy, an unpolished gem!" Zuo Ci Hong's eyes lit up.

  As a sect master, being able to obtain a good talent is a kind of luck.

  "Master, when are you planning to take this young man as your apprentice?" The middle-aged man in gray robes said without hesitation.

  Among the four leaders, Zang Feng is a disciple of Zhuge Yuanhong! The female leader Guan Tongling is also a disciple of Zhuge Yuanhong! Zhuge Yuanhong not only has extremely strong personal strength but is also extremely formidable in teaching his disciples. None of those he carefully taught are inferior.

  "No, I don't plan on taking him as a disciple for now." Zhuge Yuanhong shook his head.

  "This, Master... Why is this?" The middle-aged man in gray robes was shocked.

  Because the relationship between master and apprentice is very close.

  The status of a master is almost equal to that of parents.

  Take in Qing Shan as a disciple, and let Qing Shan become the master-disciple relationship with Teng Qing Shan, also can better make Teng Qing Shan serve Yuan Zong.

  "This Qingtian Mountain's innate talent is not much different from Yun'er. What's most important isn't his innate talent, but his surname!" Zhuge Yuanhong said, "Yun'er can't bear the loneliness, although her innate talent is extremely high, a true master must be able to bear the loneliness! However, one cannot forcefully suppress their nature, otherwise it will only have the opposite effect. For Yun'er, I can only wait patiently."

  Zhuge Yuanhong had high hopes for his son.

  "But this Teng Qing Shan is different, I see a stability in him that doesn't match his age. A stability like a great mountain. Even when faced with the 6,000 Black Armor Army, he didn't have the slightest mental fluctuation, it's terrifyingly stable! With this kind of heart, combined with his innate talent and that one pure and innocent heart...he doesn't need me to teach him."

  "The path one creates for oneself is the most suitable. I only need to give a slight guidance, and everything, he will create himself." said Zhuge Yuanhong with a faint smile.

  A middle-aged man in grey robes nodded thoughtfully.

  "This is a piece of unpolished jade! In the thousand years since I joined the Yuanzong, it's rare to see such a talented person. In the future, he may still be the pillar of our Yuanzong. Such a piece of unpolished jade must be carefully carved and polished."

  The middle-aged man in grey robes was shocked: "Sect Master, you say that this Teng Qing Shan will become a pillar of our Gui Yuan Sect? Your meaning is, he... can reach the Xian Tian stage?"

  On the vast land of Kyushu, these powerful and ancient sects that have been passed down for thousands of years.

  The truly powerful person is the one who was strong since birth!

  Zhuge Yuanhong's eyes were deep and profound, gazing through the window at the night sky: "Only when the spirit and energy are in harmony can one enter the pre-heavenly realm. It is a chance encounter that cannot be sought... I also dare not say that he will definitely enter the pre-heavenly realm. However, among the young and talented figures of the Return to Origin Sect, if I were to say who has the most hope, it would be this Teng Qingshan!"

  "Alright, brother, you've been busy for so long too, go back and rest early." Zhuge Yuanhong said calmly.

  The middle-aged man in grey also left the study room.

  In the study, the dim candlelight flickered faintly.

  Guo Hong, with his hair disheveled and his hands clasped behind his back, gazed up at the night sky and muttered to himself: "This Teng Qing Shan, his background is very clean, but why do I always feel that he's mysterious? What's wrong with him?" There were very few people who could evade his scrutiny.

  Then, Zhuge Yuanhong walked over to the bamboo mat behind the desk and sat down cross-legged.

  With one wave of his sleeve, the candle went out.

  "Whoa!" The study door automatically closed.

  In the darkness, Zhuge Yuanhong closed his eyes and sat cross-legged in stillness.

  *****

  The sky was overcast, and the entire Black Armor Army camp became lively. The Black Armor Army had more than 6,000 people, and these meals were all provided by the quartermasters. Generally, single soldiers would eat casually at the quartermaster's camp. As for married Black Armor Army soldiers, they would go to the quartermaster's camp to pick up their meals and take them back to eat with their wives and children.

  Right!

  The soldiers of the Black Armor Army can bring women and children into the military camp.

  After all, once you become a soldier of the Black Armor Army, it's a lifelong thing. Master Yuan Zong won't be too heartless either. He allows soldiers to bring their wives and children along.

  The entire Black Armor Army's dining area was four large houses with extremely wide grounds. Each house was over 10 zhang in width and around 30 zhang in length. The four houses were enough to accommodate the 6,000-strong Black Armor Army for meals.

  "Haha, Brother Qing Shan!"

  "Brother Teng, you've arrived."

  "We've all eaten already, and you're just arriving now."

  Teng Qing Shan had just arrived, and many people enthusiastically greeted him. There were fellow centurions as well as some ordinary soldiers. At the celebratory banquet last night, many people already regarded Teng Qing Shan as a good brother.

  "What's for breakfast today?" Teng Qing Shan also walked over with a smile.

  The food in the Black Armor Army is very good.

  Steamed buns, eggs, egg cakes, meat-filled buns, dumplings and so on... were piled up bucket after bucket. After all, the Black Armor Army soldiers could eat a lot, and with so many people eating, it was only natural that there would be a large quantity of food.

  "It's even better than what we have in our village." Teng Qinghu swallowed an egg with one gulp, and a large meat bun with two mouthfuls, eating with relish.

  "Eat a bit more, you'll need energy for your morning exercise later." Teng Qing Shan said with a smile.

  "Green Mountain." Teng Qinghu suddenly frowned and said, "Although I am a Wu Chang, but not in your hundred-man squad. I am a gunner squad, you are also the hundred-man squad's hundred captain. You go ask around to see if it is possible to get me into your hundred-man squad!"

  Heng Qing Shan also felt this was a problem upon hearing it.

  At first, he was assigned under the command of the First Leader and Third General, but his sworn brother, Xiong Qingtiger, who was also under the command of the Third General, was not in his hundred-man squad.

  After all...

  It's just a few positions of Wu Chang, competing for them. There are vacancies, and winning talents can take the position.

  In Teng Qing Shan's hundred-man squad, there was no vacancy for the position of Warrant Officer. Of course, Teng Qing Hu was not assigned to this position.

  "It's just a small matter, I'll go ask later and bring you over here, it should be fine." Teng Qing Shan said.

  "Heh heh, it's still better to follow Qing Shan on this side." Teng Qinghu said with a smile.

  Before long, the two of them finished their breakfast and set off with a large number of Black Armor Army soldiers towards the school grounds.

  ******

  The training began on the playground, with each hundred-man team as a unit.

  "Cheers!"

  "Ah!"

  A hundred soldiers under General Hong Qing's command, all wearing heavy armor and training in spear techniques. In the chaos of battle, complex spear techniques are not necessary; simple thrusts will do. What is needed is strength and speed!

  Heng Qing Shan was watching carefully and supervising.

  Suddenly, Teng Qing glanced at another hundred-man gunner team not far away, and in that team, Teng Qinghu was among them.

  "Tian Dan, brother." Teng Qing Shan smiled as he walked towards the Hundred Man Commander 'Tian Dan' of that particular hundred man squad.

  Under the same commander, several centurions got drunk and knew each other last night.

  "Brother Qing Shan." Tian Dan, holding a long spear, came over with a smile and said: "Brother Tian Dan, I have something to ask for your help."

  "If there's anything, just say it, I can help with no problem at all." Tian Dan was very generous.

  （）