Situ Qin's Shock

Xie Yuan did not return to the Servant Courtyard and lie down in the common sleeping quarters before those eyes filled his mind.

It was as though a river of stars had fallen into them—or as though they themselves were the river of stars.

"Can't sleep..."

Xie Yuan's heart stirred. Unable to rest for a long while, he simply sat up and prepared to go out to practice.

Normally, he would rest for two hours first at night, but it seemed there was no need today.

Moonlight crept through the window, leaving the room dim and hazy.

Among the row of servant disciples lying in the common sleeping quarters, Xie Yuan sat up, got out of bed, threw on his clothes and shoes, then silently slipped out the door.

Further inside the sleeping quarters, Tian Zhuang was uneasy. He suddenly opened his eyes and sat up, making the neighbors beside him grunt twice.

He looked around, but there was no movement in the room. He could not have noticed Xie Yuan's movements.

Yet Tian Zhuang simply could not settle down. He had woken for no reason, so he narrowed his eyes and looked carefully. It felt as if someone was missing from the beds... Xie Yuan was missing!

His eyes flew wide open. He instinctively glanced at the moonlight beyond the window and gritted his teeth.

"He only just lay down... surely not, right? He must have gone to relieve himself. Yes, he must have!"

Tian Zhuang lay back down again, his eyes open as he stared at the beams overhead and waited for a long while.

There was no movement at the door, and his heart gradually sank.

"He actually isn't sleeping... If he goes now, can the steward even see him... Forget it. I lost."

Tian Zhuang let out a profound sigh and closed his eyes.

Xie Yuan knew nothing of these petty competitive thoughts among the servants. He reached a secluded spot by the cliff, raised his sword, and slowly recalled the sword formula Situ Qin had taught him before practicing each move and stance.

When he compared the subtle mistakes from before—the inadequate postures, the imprecise exertion of force—he understood their causes. Following the sword art formula truly worked much better.

"As expected of an inheritance from a great family. This simple basic sword art formula is packed with pearls in every word, without a single wasted sentence; every word strikes at the crux. Even the outer sect Instructors never explained things this well!"

After practicing several times, Xie Yuan felt that he had improved considerably and could not help sighing.

It was not that the Yunshan Sword Sect taught sword arts poorly. The outer sect Instructors taught servant disciples in broad strokes to begin with, and with so many servants, they could not correct every one of them individually. Once they had led them through the door, cultivation depended entirely on themselves, so omissions in the details were inevitable.

Moreover, an instructor's understanding of sword arts naturally could not compare to a Grandmaster's. The two Grandmasters at Situ Qin's side were both masters of the sword. A few casual remarks from them could naturally save a beginner like Xie Yuan many detours.

As reflected on the panel, his progress was shooting upward.

Xie Yuan stood at the cliff's edge, dancing his sword without pause beneath the night wind and moonlight. His gray servant's robes snapped loudly in the wind.

Not only was his swordsmanship growing more proficient, the residual medicinal power of the Blood Dragon Pill was still advancing his cultivation. Repeating the sword forms also refined his Blood Qi and replenished his body.

Feeling his own rapid improvement, Xie Yuan felt that cultivation was addictive and nearly did not want to stop.

At dawn.

Tian Zhuang opened his eyes groggily. He had barely slept at all that night and was utterly exhausted.

Yet the moment he managed to open his eyes, he instinctively looked to the side.

Many servants had already begun getting up one after another. Tian Zhuang counted them, then suddenly froze and could not help rubbing his eyes.

Xie Yuan was actually lying there perfectly well. He had not gone to the Main Peak ahead of time!

Tian Zhuang blinked, and his mood inexplicably lightened considerably.

So he really had only gotten up in the night... He sure took a long time.

For several days in a row, Xie Yuan went to the Main Peak Rear Hall each morning to comprehend the Sword Peak's Sword Qi. At noon, he brought food to the Mid-Mountain Courtyard and lunched with Situ Qin. In the afternoon, they either chatted and listened to music, practiced and discussed cultivation, or sought out secluded sights and toured Yunshan Mountain.

At night, Xie Yuan would quietly find a secluded place by the cliff, summarize the Grandmasters' sword art experience as relayed by Situ Qin, review and become proficient in it, and practice without pause. Every day was packed to the brim.

Even with Xie Yuan cultivating both internally and externally, with his extraordinary physique and abundant energy, he still felt physically tired. Yet although his body was weary, seeing the numbers constantly rising before his eyes, then enjoying the scenery, music, and beauty in the afternoon, left his spirit utterly fulfilled and his condition excellent. He would have had no problem continuing to cultivate like this forever.

Inside the small courtyard.

"Not bad, not bad. Your swordsmanship has improved greatly lately. You're starting to look like an old Sword Sect disciple."

Situ Qin gently clapped her hands and praised him with a smile.

Holding the sword by its hilt upside down, Xie Yuan cupped his hands modestly.

"It is thanks to Miss Qin's excellent guidance."

Situ Qin clasped her hands behind her back and nodded slightly, looking every bit the air of a great master. Only her darting eyes exposed a trace of her cunning.

"It's good that you know! Mm, your Blood Qi is vigorous, your Inner Breath is clear, and you possess both internal and external cultivation. Your cultivation art is sharp and fierce; you are no worse than any great sect disciple in the same realm! Once you break through to the Qi and Blood Transformation Realm, you'll be quite formidable!"

Xie Yuan was also full of anticipation. Yesterday, he had taken the second Blood Dragon Pill, and his Blood Qi had surged by another measure. He was not far from perfection now. Once he finished digesting it and took the third pill, he would certainly reach the limit of the External Training Realm. Then he could take the opportunity to break through!

Breaking through a cultivation barrier was a great problem for anyone, especially a leap across such a major realm. It required thorough preparation.

But Xie Yuan was naturally an exception. So long as his Blood Qi reached its limit, he could temper his entire body, use quantity to shatter quality, complete the transformation, and let everything fall into place like water flowing into a channel.

As Xie Yuan was lost in his imaginings, he heard Situ Qin say meaningfully again.

"Chief Escort Leader Xie's cultivation foundation is extremely solid, with almost no shortcomings. But in one aspect, you still fall somewhat short of true sect disciples. Do you know what it is?"

"Hm? This... Miss Qin, please enlighten me."

Xie Yuan was somewhat surprised. He considered himself no weaker than anyone in the same realm in terms of possessing all four methods of "nurturing, training, combat, and killing," inheritance, and rank, as well as combat experience, adaptability, and strength of will. He even had the fledgling weapon force and Sweep Through a Thousand Armies to make up for ranged attacks. When he had sparred with Huang Zifeng of the Yunshan Sword Sect before, he had held the upper hand. Now, he should be even less inferior to others.

"You are good at everything, but you lack one thing."

Situ Qin smiled faintly.

"Do you remember when we climbed over Peng Yue's wall?"

Hearing this, Xie Yuan suddenly understood.

"You mean I don't have a light-body movement art?"

That day, Situ Qin's figure had been light and graceful. With a gentle turn, she had drifted over the high wall. Xie Yuan himself had relied on brute force, scrambling up like a dog climbing a wall. While it had not taken much effort, he had ultimately fallen somewhat short.

Situ Qin nodded.

"That's right. Although footwork is overlooked by many people, it is still very important. In fact, some great clans teach their children footwork first, because they want those little troublemakers to run fast when trouble comes, escape with their lives, then go home and bring back their uncles and elders as reinforcements."

After speaking a few words that sounded half teasing and half mocking, though it was unclear which family she meant, she turned back to the matter at hand.

"There is some sense in it. So long as the green hills remain, there will be no shortage of firewood. It is like your hard-body art: you can endure and fight, and remaining standing means victory. Footwork is a level higher still. It lets people fail to hit you, lets you run quickly, and keeps you forever undefeated.

"However, good qinggong footwork is hard to find, and most of it requires Inner Strength to accompany it. It is usually unseen among ordinary folk, so they make do with the footwork paired with their stance training and combat methods. But since Chief Escort Leader Xie's foundation is already so solid, you can consider more. In the next realm, others will dodge, weave, and shift about; if you have no footwork, you will suffer a great disadvantage."

Xie Yuan listened thoughtfully and said repeatedly, "Thank you for the reminder, Miss Qin. It seems I need to find a movement art within the sect..."

Of course, servant disciples did not need to think about it. Once he became an official disciple, he could receive a basic footwork art.

But if he wanted something profound, he would need to exchange contribution points for it.

"Why make things so troublesome?"

Situ Qin said with a smile. Her hand flashed, and a booklet appeared in it. She tossed it to Xie Yuan.

"Since we are talking about it, I naturally prepared it for you!

"Flying General's Cloud Dragon Step, with his personal annotations. There is only one copy."

Xie Yuan caught the booklet and looked at it. Three large characters, written with dragons flying and phoenixes dancing, adorned its blue cover: "Cloud Dragon Step." Situ Qin's explanation sounded beside his ear.

"When Tai Bo earned the title of Flying General, he relied on this movement art. He made long raids and fought across a thousand miles without ever failing. But others only know that this movement art excels at traveling a thousand miles; they do not know that Tai Bo's close-range turns and shifts also leave others unable to touch even the hem of his clothes."

Xie Yuan was somewhat astonished. The movement art upon which a Grandmaster of the Soaring Dragon Ranking had built his fame was naturally a top-tier cultivation art. She was simply giving it to him?

"Stop right there! Enough nonsense. Tai Bo agreed to it. He summarized and comprehended it himself on the battlefield, so there are no sect rules involved. So long as you can learn it, learn it to your heart's content. But even with his annotations, I fear it will not be easy to understand."

Situ Qin seemed to know what he intended to say and waved her hand to stop him in advance.

Xie Yuan laughed and shook his head, a faint warmth rising in his heart. He carefully put away the cultivation art.

"Since that is the case, I will not stand on ceremony. Once I learn it, I'll teach you."

Situ Qin rolled her eyes at him.

"Keep bragging! I learned it long ago. My realm may not be all that high, but it is far higher than yours, who hasn't even entered the gate! Come, come, read it now. If you can't learn it, I'll teach you!"

Situ Qin eagerly pressed him down beside the desk, forcibly making him study it at once.

Xie Yuan had originally intended to return and study such a profound movement art carefully, but now he obediently opened it.

He silently read through the cultivation art. After about one incense stick, Xie Yuan closed the booklet, looking thoughtful.

Cloud Dragon Step: (1/100)

"How is it? Are you lost among clouds and mist? Ask if there's anything you don't understand."

Situ Qin's eyes curved into crescents as she smiled, her face practically declaring, "Quick, beg me to teach you."

Xie Yuan pondered for a moment.

"It seems all right. I just need to familiarize myself with it."

He stood up, his body swaying as he quickly circled the chair once. A faint afterimage seemed to trail behind him, like a tail within the clouds.

Situ Qin's expression froze. Her cherry lips slowly opened into a circle as she stared blankly.

Though Xie Yuan's footwork was exceedingly ugly, like a drunken crab scuttling sideways, crooked and lurching.

That rhythm and speed were unmistakably the Cloud Dragon Step just after getting started!

How could this be?

Tai Bo's Cloud Dragon Step stood unrivaled beneath heaven, and its difficulty was also among the very highest. Even its theoretical principles required reading ten or a hundred times before one could understand their meaning.

Even she had needed some time back then... Mm, though she had gotten the hang of it before long.

Yet this fellow had read it once and could already twist and stagger through it?

Xie Yuan swayed around another circle. Situ Qin's little head followed his steps through a full turn as well, her expression utterly dazed.

That was right. He truly had performed it!

And this round was clearly much better than the last!

Hiss...

Situ Qin was torn between shock and doubt. Her mouth hung wide open before she finally closed it after a moment, disbelief still filling her large eyes.

"Chief Escort Leader Xie, no way... are you actually doing it?"

"Hm? Could it be that Cloud Dragon Step is meant to be faked? Mm, Cloud Dragon, Cloud Dragon—it sounds quite similar to the Sword Sect's famous sword art, Cloud Dragon Nine Forms. Does it also emphasize combining truth and falsehood, seeming real yet illusory? Hmm..."

Situ Qin saw that Xie Yuan had misunderstood, yet somehow struck the mark by accident and said nothing wrong. She fell silent.

After a long while, she finally said with a complicated expression.

"Yes. That's exactly what I meant."