Only when they reached Yuxu Peak did the Kunlun disciples bring their flying swords to a halt and descend, their faces filled with relief and lingering fear at having survived the ordeal.
"As expected of Senior Brother Qiu!" After a moment, someone finally spoke, their voice sincere. "If Senior Brother Qiu hadn't come with us this time, we'd surely have met with disaster!"
Thinking it over, everyone realized that was indeed the case. And since Qiu Changtian really hadn't gained anything worthwhile on this trip, they hurried to praise and flatter him, afraid he might refuse to join their next mission:
"We'll never forget Senior Brother Qiu's lifesaving kindness!"
"Senior Brother Qiu is a paragon of righteousness. We'll remember this always!"
"Senior Brother Qiu's kindness is impossible to repay. I'll give you my hand in marriage!"
"Shoo, shoo!" The female disciples present quickly joined forces to shove the one who'd spoken out of the circle, stopping her from embarrassing herself any further.
With an awkward yet polite smile, Qiu Changtian dealt with the disciples' torrent of praise.
Ignored by everyone, Xu Yinglian stood forlornly on the edge of the crowd, staring blankly at Qiu Changtian surrounded by people. No one could tell what was going through her mind.
After returning to Jinling, Qiu Changtian continued practicing Lightning Magic for several days.
Drawing on the combat experience he'd gained in the leyline ruins, he had confirmed the greatest flaw of Jade Pivot Thunder:
It was too powerful!
This Lightning Magic was quick to unleash, consumed a great deal of True Qi, and had immense destructive power. It was an attack with tremendous burst damage.
But precisely because it was so powerful, there was no way to control its strength and wield it with restraint.
When he'd first blasted the ceiling in the leyline ruins, the flying rubble had nearly smashed into his own face.
The second time, when he'd blown up the passageway, Qiu Changtian had deliberately tried to control the Lightning Magic's power.
Then he discovered it was impossible to control. How delightful.
Even when he shrank that palm-sized ball of lightning down to its smallest size, it was still about as big as a seal, and its power remained utterly absurd.
If it exploded within a single step of him, even the shockwave could hurt him... Don't ask Qiu Changtian how he knew.
That was precisely why he needed to keep information about Jade Pivot Thunder as secret as possible.
If too many people learned about it, it would be easy for them to devise a counter.
For example, just as the lightning shot out, the enemy could send a flying sword toward it.
Since the sword flew much faster than the lightning, all they had to do was make it collide with the lightning the instant it was unleashed, detonating it prematurely and blasting Qiu Changtian himself... That would be a real disaster.
He'd shout, "Jade Pivot Divine Thunder!" then blow himself up on the spot, drenched in blood. If there were any spectators around, the sync value for his Invincible Persona would probably plummet straight through the floor.
In short, Jade Pivot Thunder was suited to be a trump card—and could only be used as one.
That morning, Qiu Changtian was once again in his cave abode, explaining the Nine Heavens Pure Micro Entrance True Words to his junior brothers and sisters.
After the lesson came the question-and-answer session.
"Senior Brother Qiu," Yan Zhitui suddenly asked, "I heard you've recently been practicing a very powerful Daoist Magic. Could you tell us about it?"
"Ahem." Qiu Changtian coughed a few times as his thoughts raced.
First, he should keep Jade Pivot Thunder secret for as long as possible.
Junior Sister Xu was simply too familiar with him for him to keep it from her; the others didn't need to know.
Second, he couldn't refuse outright.
After all, someone with an Invincible Persona couldn't very well deliberately hide a trump card and keep it from everyone.
After thinking it over, Qiu Changtian smiled and asked:
"Junior Brother Yan, let me ask you this first: do you know what 'the two arts and two methods' are?"
"The 'two arts' are the Qi Refining Technique and Daoist Magic; the 'two methods' are the flying sword and the Magic Treasure." Yan Zhitui answered cautiously. "I wonder if I've got that right?"
"Exactly." Qiu Changtian nodded, then began explaining to his junior brothers and sisters:
"Among the two arts, the Qi Refining Technique comes first because it alone determines the most crucial thing: your level of cultivation."
"Without a sufficient level of cultivation, even the most powerful Daoist Magic is nothing but a castle in the air."
"Among the two methods, the flying sword comes first because it has Daoist Magic sealed within it, ready to use once it's refined."
"If you don't rely on a flying sword and instead cultivate Daoist Magic yourself, it will inevitably take time away from your Qi Refining."
"If your Qi Refining slows, your cultivation advances more slowly, which in turn affects how long you live."
"Ordinary people live about a hundred years. Successful Marrow Cleansing can extend that to two hundred, the Golden Core stage to eight hundred, and the Nascent Soul stage to five thousand. After that, one ascends to immortality."
"Compared with the time required to cultivate and advance, that extra lifespan is nowhere near enough. So..."
Before Qiu Changtian could finish, Guan Zhan gave a cold laugh and said:
"So instead of asking about Daoist Magic, we should focus on Qi Refining and improving our cultivation."
"Senior Brother Qiu has a Clear Dao Heart, and his cultivation already advances far faster than ordinary people's. When he first opened his qi sea, it took him only half a day! That's why he has time to study Daoist Magic."
"How long did it take you to pass the three trials, Yan Zhitui? A whole half-month! What right do you have to covet Daoist Magic?"
[Invincible Persona, sync value +1.]
Qiu Changtian: ...
Well now, Junior Brother Guan might usually wear a face like an ice-cold slab, and he often spoke far too bluntly, without the slightest tact, but he was actually pretty adorable.
While Qiu Changtian was secretly pleased, Chen Zhen and Zhong Tianhuai looked a little indignant. Yan Zhitui, however, wasn't angry. He simply bowed and said:
"Thank you for your guidance, Senior Brother Guan. I've learned my lesson."
"Junior Brother Guan isn't wrong, but he's being a bit too absolute." Qiu Changtian smiled. "If you plan to stay in the sect for your whole life, then fine."
"But if you intend to travel and gain experience, practicing some Daoist Magic to protect yourself is also very important."
"After all, the Daoist Magic sealed into a flying sword usually matches the sword's own properties. If you meet an enemy whose abilities counter your sword, and you have no other way to turn the tables, you'll be in danger."
"Senior Brother Qiu is right!" Chen Zhen and Zhong Tianhuai called out deliberately.
Guan Zhan's expression shifted—he felt as though he'd been slapped in the face—but he had little experience traveling beyond the sect, while Senior Brother Qiu was already a master at it. So he could only lower his head and say nothing.
"All right." Qiu Changtian clapped his hands. "In short, for now you should all focus on Qi Refining and improving your cultivation. If you want to add to your means of self-defense, you can come with me on trips outside the sect. I'll assess the gaps and weaknesses in your combat skills, then give you advice on how to address them."
Everyone nodded their thanks, then got up and began filing out.
Only Xu Yinglian remained seated on her cushion, still and silent.
Once everyone else had left, Qiu Changtian smiled and asked:
"What is it, Junior Sister?"
"I want to practice a Daoist Magic." Xu Yinglian spoke briefly and to the point.
Qiu Changtian didn't answer at once. He pondered for a moment, then asked:
"Did you see that I'd mastered a Daoist Magic and decide you wanted to follow my example?"
Xu Yinglian sneered.
"If Senior Brother is afraid I'll catch up with you, you can choose not to guide me."
Qiu Changtian laughed, unconcerned.
"Junior Sister Xu, what kind of person do you take your senior brother for? Well, with your aptitude, practicing Daoist Magic shouldn't be a problem. But the kind you choose depends on what you're trying to accomplish..."
"My goal is to surpass your Lightning Magic!" Xu Yinglian blurted out without a moment's hesitation.
"Why are you always fixated on me?" Qiu Changtian asked, torn between laughter and tears. "Can't you set your sights on 'perfecting yourself' instead?"
Xu Yinglian fell silent for a moment, then suddenly smiled.
"Didn't Senior Brother once say that walking alone at the front of the cultivation path was terribly lonely, and that you'd have no regrets if a junior sister accompanied you?"
"If I'm far weaker than you, how can I accompany you?"
"Ahem." Her lovely smile caught Qiu Changtian off guard and pierced straight through his defenses. He quickly turned away to compose himself, then said with a wry smile, "Yinglian, why are you suddenly confessing your feelings to your senior brother? You startled me..."
"I'm not confessing my feelings to you!" Xu Yinglian leaped to her feet and snapped in annoyance. "I'd rather chase after you than let you leave me behind!"
As soon as she said that, she realized it could still be misunderstood, and hurried to clarify:
"Of course, catching up with you is only the first step. The second is to surpass you! Then... you'll be the one left behind, Qiu Changtian!"
"Then I'll be looking forward to it, Junior Sister." Qiu Changtian smiled.
Xu Yinglian gritted her teeth in anger.
The Kunlun Mirror, which had been watching them the whole time, couldn't stand to see him bully his junior sister like this. It quietly opened a corner of Mirror Flower Water Moon.
As it weakened the Invincible Persona, it also let his true nature shine through.
Then it lifted the mental suggestion!
Seeing that her senior brother didn't care about her provocation at all, and even wore a mocking, arrogant smile, Xu Yinglian was so furious she nearly trembled. She felt the blood rushing to her head.
Suddenly, however, she sensed that her senior brother's presence had changed.
He no longer resembled that lofty, arrogant, icy "heavenly god" who always looked down on her.
The gentle smile on his face now made him seem more like the older boy next door she'd grown up with, making a fond promise about their future: You'd better surpass me, okay?
The blood rushing to her head ebbed away, and a strange warmth began to creep through her body.
To hide the faint, inexplicable flutter in her chest, Xu Yinglian turned her head and mumbled in a voice so quiet it was almost impossible to hear:
"Hmph, just you wait and see, Qiu Changtian!"
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