Chapter 74 – She’s a Monster!

  In the courtyard of Mu Yanyu’s private residence in the City Lord’s Mansion, where the spiritual energy was thick and the disturbances of the outside world were blocked by impenetrable restrictions, Jun De stood with a sword in his hand while listening to Elder Mu’s instructions.

  A light breeze stirred the grass around him as the soft morning light filtered through the leaves of the trees that ringed the courtyard. He could see the faint shimmer of the formation array that sealed them off from the rest of the world and prevented any prying eyes from seeing what they were doing.

  Mu Yanyu stood in front of him; her blue robes draped around her like water. He hair was tied back, and she held the Moonfrost Sword in her hand, which she had spent the night refining in order to wield it properly.

  “This technique was created by a practitioner of the sword who believed that nothing should be beyond the reach of their blade. No matter the distance between it and its target, it would cross the heavens between to strike true. At its peak, their sword was said to be able to pierce through a star falling from the firmament.” Mu Yanyu explained, and her voice was as soft as the rustling of the leaves around them.

  Jun De nodded while he gripped the sword Elder Mu had given him. The Cloudvein Jade Edge had been very easy to refine with Elder Mu’s help, and it had accepted him quickly. The weapon hummed in his hands, a subtle sign that it had been bound to him.

  Mu Yanyu raised the Moonfrost Sword, and glowing sword-light ran along its length. She moved slowly and precisely as she demonstrated the first stance.

  “Your body must become like still water, perfectly balanced. You must be like the night sky, boundless and unwavering, no matter what occurs around you. The first form is named ‘Whispering Starlight.’ Its goal is to pierce with intent, not with brute force.”

  Mu Yanyu held her sword horizontally, parallel to the ground, with both hands on the hilt and the tip pointed directly in front of her.

  Jun De mirrored her stance, and his breathing slowed just as she had shown him. The Qi in his Dantian spiralled in response to each breath, and the Dawnheart Flame flickered merrily along with it.

  When he thrust his sword forward, a ripple of force distorted the air in front of him, and the tip of his blade shimmered with spiritual light.

  “Good.” Mu Yanyu murmured. She walked up behind him and reached out to gently correct the tilt of his shoulder and the placement of his hands.

  “You are too rigid. You will snap like a drawn bow. Relax, Jun De.”

  He adjusted himself again, and he felt the energy within him flow more cleanly.

  Their training continued for hours. The sun climbed into the sky and began to set again before they rested.

  Mu Yanyu demonstrated the next two stances for him.

  The second was called ‘Skybreaking Ember,’ and consisted of a thrust of spiralling Qi that could tear through an opponent’s defences. To Jun De, it reminded him of a comet streaking through the sky when Elder Mu used it.

  The third was impressively named ‘Shattering Firmament,’ and it was nearly invisible to Jun De’s eyes. He could only see the shockwave from its passing as Elder Mu struck a nearby tree, shattering it into pieces.

  Each form was more refined and complicated than the last, and unlike other sword arts, it focused on pure, piercing strikes that extended his sword’s reach far beyond its physical length. The art demanded patience and perfect Qi control.

  At one point, Mu Yanyu demonstrated the second realm of the technique. Jun De didn’t even see her sword move, yet a tree on the far end of the courtyard shuddered as a thin line carved itself through its trunk.

  Jun De stared at it, stunned by the casual display of power.

  “That’s incredible.”

  “At the third realm, it is said that one can strike the moon in the sky.” Mu Yanyu said, turning to face him. Her eyes were calm, but he could see that she was proud of her mastery of the sword. Despite not having practiced the Heaven-Piercing Starfall Sword, she was able to demonstrate the first two realms of the Art to him.

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  ‘She’s a monster!’ Jun De thought. He knew that Elder Mu was considered a peerless genius, but he hadn’t truly realized the distance between him and a true prodigy until today.

  Jun De swallowed nervously and bowed deeply in respect.

  “Thank you for teaching me, Elder Mu.”

  Page Break

  When the Flying Ship from the Tranquil Mountain Sect finally arrived at Yunlai City, Jun De had only achieved basic proficiency in the Sword Art. Elder Mu recommended that he avoid using it in combat until he became more skilled in it, and Jun De readily agreed.

  ‘It would be best if I didn’t have to fight at all.’

  Jun De watched from outside the City Gate as the skies above Yunlai City darkened from the immense shadow cast by the approaching vessel. It shimmered with spiritual light from its hull that was inlaid with protective arrays and other formations, all fueled by spirit stones at enormous cost.

  The white sails billowed in the wind, and Jun De could see the characters for Tranquil Mountain Sect written in elegant calligraphy above the symbol for the solitary mountain.

  The people of the city gathered on rooftops and in the streets, gazing up at the sky in awe as the ship descended slowly through the clouds, its approach filling the air with a thrum of power. The spiritual energy around Yunlai City seemed to grow purer in its presence.

  Jun De stood slightly behind Elder Mu and City Lord Han, while Shen Ruolan and her parents were next to him. They were all surrounded by a formal honour guard, and their robes rippling in the wind stirred by the descending ship.

  The ship settled just outside the city, floating gracefully a few feet above the ground. A massive jade gangplank extended from its side, touching the ground as if it were a bridge between mortals and immortals.

  More than a dozen Inner Sect Elders descended from the ship, each one cloaked in the blue robes of the Tranquil Mountain Sect trimmed in gold to signify their rank. They were all in the mid to late Core Formation stage, and several of them even exuded the terrifying pressure of the Peak of Core Formation.

  Although the Sect Master hadn’t come, and the Tranquil Mountain Sect had no other formally recognized Nascent Soul Cultivators, the presence of so many formidable Elders showed the importance of the coming campaign against the demonic cultivators.

  Jun De bowed deeply as they approached, while Elder Mu stepped forward and formally greeted her fellow Elders, exchanging compliments and words with City Lord Han. His standing as the only Nascent Soul cultivator meant that the Tranquil Mountain Sect Elders treated him with the utmost respect.

  As the final words of welcome were spoken and everyone turned to re-enter the City for the final preparations, City Lord Han turned toward Jun De.

  “Disciple Jun De, I have a task for you.” Han Zhengwu commanded, and Jun De felt a shiver in his spine as he bowed. Elder Mu watched curiously beside him, and a small frown appeared on her face.

  “This Disciple listens.”

  “You are to accompany my granddaughter, Shen Ruolan, during the coming expedition. You will be responsible for her safety. Her life is not to be risked, and you are to remain by her side throughout the journey. That is my command.”

  Jun De’s eyes widened in surprise, and his calm expression shifted ever so slightly as he listened to the City Lord’s orders.

  ‘Damn it all! I was hoping Elder Mu would be my shield against Shen Ruolan!’ Jun De screamed, and he snuck a glance at Elder Mu. She was staring at him expressionlessly, but said nothing.

  Without any other choice, Jun De bowed deeply.

  “As you command, City Lord.”

  Which is how Jun De found himself standing at the prow of City Lord Han’s flying ship, which was even more luxurious than the Tranquil Mountain Sect’s vessel. It was carved from white wood inlaid with green jade, which reflected the sunlight.

  He hadn’t been given a choice. As he was now responsible for Shen Ruolan’s safety, Jun De had been told that he would need to stay on the City Lord’s ship as, in their words, ‘it would be better accommodations for Shen Ruolan.’

  To make things even worse, it had been said in front of his own Sect Elders, who had already been nodding their approval at the arrangement. They were eager for Jun De to form a better relationship with the powerful City Lord. Elder Mu, who was supposed to be his shield, had remained silent during the entire exchange.

  Now that he was standing on the ship, Jun De kept his expression calm while Shen Ruolan looked radiantly beautiful and utterly pleased with herself beside him. She was wearing a flowing, light pink travelling robe that was embroidered with cherry blossoms and silver cranes.

  Her blue-black hair had been styled immaculately, and a peach blossom hairpin had been tucked behind one ear. She smiled at him brightly, but her eyes reminded Jun De of a cat that had finally caught its prey after days of lying in wait.

  “This is incredibly exciting. I’m very happy that we will be travelling together.” Shen Ruolan said, and Jun De gave a polite nod.

  “This ship is indeed spectacular.”

  Shen Ruolan pouted playfully and stepped closer to him, while Jun De let out a small sigh.

  Before she could say anything else, the ship began to hum and, with a surge of spiritual power, the flying vessel lifted into the sky and left Yunlai City far below. The Tranquil Mountain Sect’s own ship rose in tandem.

  Yunlai City was soon out of sight as they drifted through the clouds.

  ‘Now all I have to do is survive this voyage.’ Jun De thought as he looked at the beautiful young woman next to him, who was watching the landscape pass swiftly below. He was aware that her parents were staring at the pair from further back, and that City Lord Han could sense everything that happened on board with his spiritual sense.

  Jun De let out another deep sigh.