Sword Drawn Like Moonlight

Chen Xiaofan placed the sword manual back into her palm and said, "I can't take something your master passed down to you. What if Abbess Miejue asks you for it someday and you can't produce it? That would be bad. Just demonstrate it for me once. I'll learn as much as I can."

The main thing was that reading it page by page was too troublesome. It was better to have her demonstrate it directly.

And he was telling the truth. What if Abbess Miejue had a screw loose one day, suspected Ning Xuerou had lost it, and asked her to take out the sword manual for inspection? What would she do then?

"This... that works too. It's just that this swordplay is too profound. Your sister has studied it for many years without fully mastering it. If I only demonstrate it, won't you merely grasp the surface and fail to learn it thoroughly?"

Ning Xuerou agreed at first, but then something occurred to her, and she suddenly grew worried.

"No, Sis, have you forgotten? I told you earlier that I'm exceptionally gifted." Chen Xiaofan smiled.

Ning Xuerou said nothing more. Rising from the rock, she said, "Then watch carefully."

She could also see that he was thinking of her.

Then she stepped into an open space and swung her sword.

At once, a fallen leaf far away was cleaved in two, drifting down in a fluttering shower.

Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish!

Ning Xuerou accelerated her sword swings, like fireflies dancing and phoenixes soaring, hardness and softness in perfect balance, sword-light falling like rain.

Her figure was nimble. Clearly a woman, yet she possessed the grandeur of great bells and thunderous drums. Her sword dance surged like a tide; her sword-light was sometimes like lightning, sometimes like thunder, and sometimes returned to softness again, exquisitely subtle.

Emei Sect techniques emphasized overcoming strength with weakness, bringing forth the yielding way of supreme goodness like water. Yet they were not wholly bound by softness; sometimes there was a needle hidden within embroidery, hardness and softness complementing each other.

After demonstrating for a while, she seemed afraid Chen Xiaofan had not understood clearly, so she slowed her movements by several beats.

"Little brother, can you see clearly at this speed? First, raise the sword, then..." she instructed him thoughtfully.

Chen Xiaofan smiled faintly. "Sis, I'm watching. Just use your normal speed."

Ning Xuerou was still afraid he would not learn it thoroughly, and slowed down even more.

But she did not know that her worries were unnecessary.

You watched Ning Xuerou demonstrate Emei Swordplay, captured its essence, then refined its core principles and comprehended the Emei Heaven and Earth Sword!

You watched Emei Swordplay a second time. Combining it with the Emei Heaven and Earth Sword, you created the Emei Celestial Sword!

You watched Emei Swordplay a third time. Combining it with the Emei Celestial Sword, you created the Qinggang Divine Swordplay!

You watched Emei Swordplay a fourth time. Combining it with the Qinggang Divine Swordplay, you created the Emei Heaven-Shaking Divine Sword!

Because your comprehension was heaven-defying, you performed an in-depth analysis of Emei Swordplay and successfully forged a flawless Emei Heaven-Shaking Divine Sword. Its power greatly increased!

A glimmer of wisdom seemed to flash through Chen Xiaofan's eyes, vanishing in an instant.

After a long while, he said faintly, "Sis, no need to demonstrate anymore. That's enough."

"That's enough?" Ning Xuerou froze, unconvinced.

Could he have already learned it?

"Do you really want me to stop?" she asked again.

"Stop. I've already learned it." Chen Xiaofan smiled faintly.

Ning Xuerou stood rooted to the spot.

No way—he had learned it that quickly?

She had watched her master demonstrate it countless times and studied the book alongside it, yet even then she had not learned it all. And he had already mastered it?

"You... then demonstrate it. Let me see." Ning Xuerou bit her lip as she spoke.

Although she knew he was immensely talented, she feared he had only grasped the surface. If he went out like that, he could easily suffer for it.

"Alright."

Chen Xiaofan did not refuse. Without even standing, he simply slashed out with his sword from where he sat.

Swish!

The vast, surging profundities of the Emei Heaven-Shaking Divine Sword erupted. In an instant, a magnificent and immense sword qi, like a brilliant bolt of white lightning, swept horizontally across the land. The colossal sword qi resembled a gigantic sword pressing across the earth, flashing past in an instant.

Boom!

Rumble—!!!

The ground caved in, the earth split apart, thick smoke billowed everywhere, and clouds of dust burst upward.

The violent explosion shook the ground for dozens of miles in every direction until it nearly collapsed and fell apart!

Dust and sand soared into the sky as trees split and earth crumbled, spraying heavenward!

Ning Xuerou froze completely, her entire body going numb!

The ground had actually split open, forming a massive ravine deeper than a moat, with thick smoke rolling from within.

This... this... this can't be real, can it?

She was utterly stunned!

She knew exactly how powerful her Emei Sect swordplay was, but even her master seemed never to have unleashed such a powerful sword strike!

Was what she was seeing... real?

She felt as though she were living in a dream, seeing an illusion.

"Sis, what's wrong?" Chen Xiaofan's voice finally pulled her back from her daze.

Ning Xuerou shuddered and hurriedly said, "This... you really... Heavens, unbelievable, utterly unbelievable!"

That strike was even more powerful than her master's. Her hair stood on end, and cold sweat broke out across her back!

Heavens, what kind of comprehension was this?

Only after a long while did she finally recover from her shock. Taking several deep breaths to calm herself, she said, "Amazing, little brother. You're truly amazing!"

Chen Xiaofan sheathed his sword and stood, calm and composed.

Leading her back to sit on the rock, he waved his hand. "Alright, I'm going to Mount Wudang. Take care of yourself."

"Mount Wudang... are you True Man Zhang's outstanding disciple? No wonder..." Ning Xuerou suddenly understood something.

"Not yet, but I will be soon." Chen Xiaofan smiled slightly.

As soon as he finished speaking, he summoned his longsword, preparing to rise on it.

Seeing that he was determined to leave, Ning Xuerou hurriedly took out a sachet from her person and said softly, "This is something I keep close to me. Take it. When you grow up, remember to come to Emei to find me. I'll wait for you. You see... is that alright?"

She nearly bit through her lip as she spoke that final sentence.

Chen Xiaofan paused slightly.

He was no fool; naturally, he sensed her feelings.

After a moment, he nodded and accepted the sachet. "Sis, take care of yourself. Until we meet again."

"Until we meet again." Ning Xuerou clasped her hands in salute.