Sis, How About We Switch to Body Cultivation?

Before long, the body that looked like a tattered rag dissipated, and the gray mist surged, gathering in wisps to re-condense into the form of Zhang Yunlu.

[Enemy: Qi Refining Level 9 Sword Cultivator, Flowing Cloud Sword Technique Perfection]

[Kill to end this trial]

Familiar golden text appeared, along with a medicinal pill.

Zhang Yunlu grabbed the pill and tossed it into her mouth, closing her eyes to regulate her breath. A few minutes later, her exhausted spiritual energy was fully restored, with the total amount increasing by a sliver.

The sword cultivator phantom watched her quietly. By the time Zhang Yunlu stood up with her sword, its own slightly weakened spiritual energy had also returned to its peak, growing stronger by a sliver as well.

"Damn you!"

This was a boss that grew stronger in sync with her and suffered no state degradation.

After cursing, she charged forward.

However, the result was not much better. After only a few exchanges, her heart was pierced by sword light, and then her head was severed by a single strike.

The next time, she resisted for a few more moves before being cut in half at the waist by the phantom, but Zhang Yunlu stubbornly dragged her torso forward to land a strike on the phantom's right arm.

The third time, Zhang Yunlu chose to fight while moving, but she didn't even last two strikes before the phantom pierced her throat.

The fourth, fifth, and sixth times—three times in a row, her performance was even worse than at the start, failing to last even a minute.

The seventh time, Zhang Yunlu gave up on moving and chose to fight the phantom head-on, constantly refining her sword moves during the slaughter. She still didn't last more than a minute, but she managed to wound the phantom again.

In the following sessions, her sword techniques became increasingly proficient. Beyond the agility and elegance of the Flowing Cloud Sword Technique itself, there was now a hint of fearlessness. The duration of their duels grew longer, and the injuries sustained by the phantom became more severe.

The fifteenth time, Zhang Yunlu's left arm was severed, a gaping hole ran through her abdomen, and a wound on her neck was bleeding incessantly.

But the phantom was no better off; its sword-wielding right wrist had been shaved away, forcing it to switch to its left hand, and its chest and abdomen seemed to have been split open, with wisps of gray mist leaking out.

"Huff... huff~"

Zhang Yunlu gasped for air, her vision blacking out in waves—a sign of excessive blood loss. She was reaching her limit...

It was just a trial, why did it have to be so realistic!

Opposite her, the phantom had already struggled to its feet.

Damn it!

It really was a monster!

She loved reading books and wanted to become a sword cultivator like those in the Secret History of Ancient Cultivation, dressed in white, taking heads from thousands of miles away with a flick of a finger.

Yet here she was, holding a sword, slaughtering a monster that felt no pain, having died over a hundred times without breaking down.

"I'm actually impressed with myself!"

She squeezed out the last bit of strength in her body and used her sword to force herself to stand.

Clang!

Zhang Yunlu dropped her longsword; it was too heavy, and she couldn't lift it anymore.

She drew the short sword from her waist—it was only after dying the first time that she realized she had this, too.

Without any warning, the two charged at each other almost simultaneously!

The phantom's sword tip pointed straight at Zhang Yunlu's throat. Long sword against short sword, she would definitely be struck first. Avoiding it early was the best choice, however...

A flash of ruthlessness crossed Zhang Yunlu's eyes. She did not dodge or evade. The longsword pierced her throat without suspense, protruding from the side of her neck.

Yet she did not stop, using her last sliver of spiritual energy to protect her life force.

Pfft!

The short sword in her hand sank into the phantom's blurred facial features—judging by the position, it was the eyes—and she twisted it with all her might!

[Enemy Slain: Qi Refining Level 9 Sword Cultivator, Flowing Cloud Sword Technique Perfection]

[Time Taken: Seven minutes and twenty-five seconds]

[Trial Concluded]

Golden text emerged, but Zhang Yunlu ignored it, instead laughing as she watched the phantom dissipate.

"Not bad. In a desperate situation, she was able to steel her heart and bet everything, trading injury for injury to force a kill."

Inside the villa, an image was projected into mid-air.

Xu Xing praised, while Zhang Xiu's eye twitched uncontrollably as he watched the scene.

That person who had lost an arm, had a sword hanging from her neck, and was still laughing while on the verge of death was his sister?!

"After experiencing one hundred and two deaths, she finally killed a Qi Refining Level 9 sword cultivator who had mastered a perfection-level sword technique through head-on combat."

One hundred and two deaths?

Zhang Xiu looked at the falling figure in the projection, his heart filled with conflict.

He felt heartache for his sister, but he also understood that this was ultimately harmless for her.

"Senior..."

"You also possess a Heaven-Forged Dao Foundation, so you should be well aware of the agony and peril involved in gathering solar essence, condensing lunar radiance, and refining starlight."

"..."

How could he not know? The pain of that process was no exaggeration to call being sliced by a thousand knives.

"However, looking at her current state, that hurdle might not be difficult for her at all."

The image of Zhang Yunlu half-dead yet still smiling resurfaced in Zhang Xiu's mind, overlapping with the usual image of her sitting in the sunlight reading a book.

Could such a ruthless person really be that quiet girl who loved to read?

The residence of the Zhang Siblings.

Inside the bedroom, a small portion of the calming incense had burned away, and Zhang Yunlu's eyes were tightly shut, making her appear to be in a deep sleep.

But the next instant, the curling smoke was suddenly dispersed, and a surge of vigorous spiritual energy billowed the curtains.

She, who had been fast asleep, suddenly snapped her eyes open and sat up, her gaze filled with vigilance.

Everything familiar yet strange reflected in her eyes, and the endless stream of warmth within her served as a reminder that she had returned to reality.

No, if that was just an illusion, then how could she explain her spiritual energy?

After a long silence, she got out of bed, opened the door, walked to the refrigerator, and poured herself a glass of juice.

Feeling the cold, sweet juice, she felt as if she had finally come back to life.

Holding the glass, she walked slowly to the floor-to-ceiling window. The evening breeze blew gently, carrying a hint of chill. In the distance, bright lights flickered, vehicles moved to and fro, and streaks of light from cultivators occasionally flashed across the sky.

It was a scene of prosperity, and the cruelty of life-and-death struggles felt completely out of place with everything before her.

She stood by the window for a long time, and only after finishing the remaining half of the juice did she suddenly smile.

Even the owner of the noodle shop downstairs was at the peak of Foundation Establishment, and she was nowhere near his match; what was she doing acting all melancholic here?

Setting the glass down, she prepared to return to the bedroom to continue sleeping, but she stopped after only a few steps.

Something felt missing...

She looked around, scanned the room, and her gaze finally landed on the long sword leaning against the wall.

That was it!

She stepped forward to grab the scabbard, and the moment her right hand gripped the hilt, her heart became incredibly peaceful.

"Sigh~"

Her current state was probably a bit off.

Clang!

The long sword left its sheath, its blade reflecting her eyes with a cold glint. It was merely a mundane sword, otherwise, she wouldn't have left it leaning against the wall.

Just then, a rustling sound came from outside the door.

Hm?!

The door opened quickly, and upon seeing who it was, Zhang Yunlu finally relaxed her vigilance and revealed a brilliant smile.

"Brother, you're back."

But Zhang Xiu, looking at her smile—especially seeing the sword in her hand—felt a chill run down his spine.

Little sister, how about we give up being a sword cultivator and switch to body cultivation instead!