Trouble

Jiang Lu was horrified. No matter how he changed his moves, no matter whether his swordplay was fast or slow, hard or soft, his opponent always found just the right way to bind his Sword Momentum, slow it down, and dissolve it—then continue that seemingly endless entanglement.

By now, Gu Chengming had completely immersed himself in the swordplay. His eyes shone brightly, his mind fully focused. Every swing of the Wooden Sword in his hand resonated in a wondrous way with the Favorability notifications for the Huiyuan Sword Art, which kept popping up on the panel.

Jiang Lu was driven back step by step, fine beads of sweat beading at his temples. All he could do was struggle to hold on.

He was stifled to the extreme. It was clear that he hadn't lost to his opponent by much in strength or speed. If Gu Chengming had chosen to meet him head-on, Jiang Lu might not have ended up in such a sorry state.

But his opponent simply refused to fight him head-on. He only used endless entangling moves and evasions, steadily wearing down Jiang Lu's edge and patience, leaving him with strength he couldn't put to use and so frustrated he could spit blood.

No, this couldn't go on!

Jiang Lu knew that if he let himself be "played" like this any longer, he was bound to lose.

A look of resolve flashed in his eyes. He made his decision at once and shouted, waiting until Gu Chengming's sword had spent its force and the new had yet to rise. Then he poured all his strength and focus into the tip of his sword. The Wooden Sword in his hand let out a groan under the strain as he thrust at Gu Chengming's chest with an unstoppable, resolute force!

This sword strike gathered the insights from years of arduous cultivation. It was the culmination of his swordsmanship experience, the most stunning strike he could deliver at that moment.

Jiang Lu had struck big! Jiang Lu was here!

Yet the instant he thrust, Gu Chengming seemed to have anticipated it. His formerly entangling swordplay abruptly changed.

He didn't dodge or parry. Instead, he thrust his own Wooden Sword forward, meeting Jiang Lu's desperate strike head-on!

Only when the two swords met did Jiang Lu finally see it.

He saw what lay behind Gu Chengming's seemingly ordinary strike.

It wasn't simple strength, nor was it exquisite technique.

It was an invisible yet immensely weighty "momentum," built up from the countless binds, entanglements, circles, and evasions since the very first move.

This "momentum" was like rivers converging into the sea, like a hundred streams returning to one source.

It contained every sword move of Jiang Lu's that had been neutralized, every bit of his edge that had been worn away, and every rhythm that had been thrown into disarray. Each time Gu Chengming had yielded or tangled with him, it had been like adding a drop of water to this immense force.

And now, that magnificent momentum, formed from countless drops of water, finally came crashing down!

Jiang Lu felt as if his Wooden Sword hadn't struck another sword, but a towering mountain bearing down on him, or a monstrous wave surging without end! The pressure was heavy, boundless, and impossible to resist. It made him feel small and powerless to the depths of his soul.

The dazzling strike he had been so proud of was as fragile as a dead branch before this overwhelming momentum.

"Clang!"

A thunderous crash rang out. Jiang Lu felt a violent shock in his hand, and an irresistible force surged up through his sword. He could no longer keep hold of it. The Wooden Sword flew from his hand, tracing an arc through the air before landing in the grass some distance away.

The cold tip of a sword stopped right before his throat, not a hair's breadth off.

Gu Chengming's calm voice rang out in the courtyard.

"Junior Brother, you've lost."

Spring breeze, if you cherish the flowers, could you let me be young once more?

Well, strictly speaking, in front of Gu Chengming, Jiang Lu was the "youngster."

But Jiang Lu had been mistaken about Senior Brother Gu all along, which was why he'd come to feel this way.

To be honest, after bearing the magnificent momentum of Gu Chengming's sword strike, Jiang Lu had nearly felt as though his life had flashed before his eyes.

He sat slumped on the ground for a long while, his mind replaying those breathtaking sword moves over and over.

At that moment, Jiang Lu didn't know how to express the complex feelings stirring within him.

If he'd simply been worn out by his opponent's "entangling" style and lost passively, it wouldn't have shaken him this deeply. But with that last strike, he'd brought out everything he had, blending all he'd learned in his life together in pursuit of that fleeting, decisive blow.

And yet he had still lost.

He had lost so completely, so... inevitably.

He felt both bereft and at a loss, and even began to doubt the Huiyuan Sword Technique he had practiced.

Had his understanding of this sword technique been misguided from the very beginning?

He carefully digested the impact of that sword strike and the "momentum" hidden within Gu Chengming's "entangling" swordplay.

After a long while, he slowly got to his feet and bowed to Gu Chengming again, his voice slightly hoarse.

"Thank you... for your guidance, Senior Brother."

There was no doubt that Gu Chengming's sword strike had opened a new door for him.

It had thoroughly shattered the smug, shallow understanding he'd been immersed in within his own little world for so long.

His thanks for the guidance were entirely sincere.

Gu Chengming stepped forward and helped him up, offering a courteous reply.

"Junior Brother Jiang, you're too kind. I also gained a lot from our spar. Your swordplay has many variations, and I learned quite a bit from its subtleties."

Jiang Lu was at a loss for words. He had come intending to "correct" Gu Chengming's supposedly "misguided" swordsmanship.

But instead, he'd been "taught" by his opponent—and completely crushed in every respect.

The stark reversal left him burning with embarrassment.

At the same time, he realized that Senior Brother Gu was perhaps nowhere near as simple as he'd once thought.

His mind couldn't help wandering.

The Sword Intent and level Gu Chengming had shown in that last strike clearly weren't something a disciple at only First Realm Level Three could wield.

Especially in the Wenjian Sect, where swordsmanship and cultivation level were closely linked, the gap between realms was often an unbridgeable chasm.

Could it be... that Senior Brother had been hiding his true abilities all along?

His mind immediately conjured up storybook tropes like "a hidden dragon in the abyss" and "great wisdom concealed beneath a foolish exterior."

In his eyes, Senior Brother Gu's figure instantly took on an unfathomable, mysterious air.

Daring not to dwell on it any further, Jiang Lu thanked him once more in earnest, then bowed and took his leave.

After all, Gu Chengming's sword strike had truly taught him a great deal. He needed to find somewhere quiet and take his time absorbing what he'd learned.

Meanwhile, as Gu Chengming watched Jiang Lu's pensive figure disappear beyond the courtyard gate, he too felt that he had gained a great deal.

Of course, his "gains" didn't come from any inspiration Jiang Lu's swordsmanship had given him.

They came from this.

The information on the panel had refreshed.

[The Huiyuan Sword Art watched you use the true meaning of your own swordsmanship to defeat Jiang Lu in a way it never expected. For a moment, it felt a tangle of emotions.]

[Among all the disciples of Huiyuan Gate, some had exceptional talent and looked down on it as a mere Basic Sword Art, while others were so untalented that they practiced it in a completely haphazard way.]

[The Huiyuan Sword Art felt a strange sense of comfort, but at the same time, a faint wave of insecurity welled up within it.]

[It felt that, in the end, it was only a basic cultivation method, unable to grant its user immense power directly like those high-level sword techniques.]

[Huiyuan Sword Art Favorability +15]

[Current Favorability: Friendly (45/100)]

Gu Chengming looked at the increased Favorability and felt a weight lift from his heart.

As expected, Resentful Women were most susceptible to being acknowledged and needed.

Gu Chengming rubbed his chin, thinking to himself.

Meanwhile, at Daoning Gate.

A refined cave dwelling stood quietly atop a cloud-wreathed mountain.

Several verdant stalks of Spiritual Bamboo swayed before the entrance, rustling softly in the breeze. A faint fragrance of grass and wood filled the air.

Inside the cave dwelling, a young woman sat cross-legged with her eyes half-closed. She wore a plain white dress, its hem spreading across the smooth stone floor like flowing clouds.

Her brows were like distant mountains brushed with ink, her eyes like rippling autumn waters. Her nose was elegant, her lips pale, and her skin as white as snow, almost translucent.

Her long, black hair fell freely behind her like a waterfall, making her seem all the more aloof and otherworldly, like a celestial maiden from the moon who knew nothing of worldly life.

She was Su Qingmeng, the "Dao Seed" of Daoning Gate.

Light footsteps sounded outside the cave. A young woman in Daoning Gate disciple robes stopped at the entrance and bowed respectfully.

"Your disciple You Yuyao of Jingshui Pavilion is here on inspection duty. Sorry to disturb your cultivation, Junior Sister Su."

Jingshui Pavilion was the organization within the Wenjian Sect responsible for upholding its rules and inspecting the safety of the disciples' cave dwellings. Its members were mostly careful disciples with a decent level of cultivation.

Su Qingmeng slowly opened her eyes. Her clear gaze was utterly placid.

She looked toward You Yuyao at the entrance, her voice cool as jade striking stone.

"Please, come in, Senior Sister You."

Only after receiving permission did You Yuyao cautiously enter the cave dwelling.

Looking at the legendary Junior Sister known as the "Dao Seed," she couldn't help but speak with a hint of nervousness and unease.

"Ju... Junior Sister Su, I... I'm just here to check whether the cave's protective formations are intact. I won't take up much of your time."

You Yuyao's voice tightened. Admiration and awkwardness mingled on her face.

Su Qingmeng gave a slight nod and said nothing, simply looking at her in silence.

You Yuyao forced herself to stay calm, took out a small compass, and walked around the cave dwelling, carefully checking the flow of Spiritual Power through the various protective formations. She moved lightly, afraid that even the slightest unnecessary noise might disturb her junior sister's cultivation.

Once she had finished, You Yuyao put away the compass and bowed again. "Junior Sister Su, the formations are all in order. I... I'll take my leave now."

"Senior Sister You," Su Qingmeng suddenly said.

"Huh? Yes!" You Yuyao stiffened and hurriedly answered.

"Your Condensing Water Art seems to have reached a bottleneck." Su Qingmeng's gaze fell on You Yuyao's wrist, where a faint fluctuation of Spiritual Power seemed slightly sluggish. "A restless mind is a great taboo in cultivation. Calm yourself; only then can a drop of water pierce through stone."

You Yuyao's face instantly lit up with joy. She hadn't expected Junior Sister Su to see through this minor issue in her cultivation at a glance, much less offer such precious guidance. Overcome with excitement, she could barely get her words out. "Th... thank you for your guidance, Junior Sister Su! I... I understand! I'll calm down and cultivate properly!"

Su Qingmeng merely nodded and closed her eyes once more, as if nothing had happened.

You Yuyao didn't dare disturb her any further and carefully withdrew from the cave dwelling.

After leaving Su Qingmeng's cave dwelling, You Yuyao couldn't calm herself for a long time.

As she walked back to her own cave dwelling, she kept turning Su Qingmeng's words over in her mind. She felt as if a knot had come undone, and the bottleneck that had troubled her for so long seemed to be loosening.

Just as she was immersed in her excitement, a low murmur from up ahead caught her attention.

She looked toward the sound and saw several female Daoning Gate disciples gathered beneath an ancient pine. They were whispering among themselves, their faces touched with schadenfreude.

"Have you heard about Gu Chengming from Huiyuan Gate?"

"The one who went to ask Junior Sister Su to become his Dao Companion a while ago?"

"What? Something like that happened?"

"It is a little... hard to believe."

Every word reached You Yuyao's ears. The joy vanished from her face, replaced by an ugly expression.

In her eyes, Junior Sister Su Qingmeng was an immaculate and exceptionally talented figure, the pride of Daoning Gate and even the entire Wenjian Sect.

You Yuyao had also gone out of her way to ask about that fellow named Gu Chengming.

He'd been in the sect for years, yet his cultivation had remained at First Realm Level Three.

You Yuyao felt that linking someone like him with Junior Sister Su's name was itself a tremendous insult!

She couldn't listen any longer. She strode over and coldly interrupted their gossip.

"Have you all got that much free time? Don't you have cultivation to do?"

The female disciples turned around. When they saw You Yuyao of "Jingshui Pavilion," their faces immediately grew sheepish.

They might gossip behind people's backs, but they didn't want to offend anyone from Jingshui Pavilion.

"Senior Sister You..."

The women mumbled a greeting, then tactfully went their separate ways.

You Yuyao snorted coldly as she watched them leave, but the anger in her heart did not fade in the slightest.

She returned to her cave dwelling and shut the stone door. Yet those jarring remarks continued to echo in her mind.