Two People From Now On

The next morning.

Sunlight spilled down, causing the surface of Sea God Lake to shimmer with ripples.

Yun Jingheng was eating breakfast by the lake—steamed buns made by Ya Li herself, piping hot and oozing with savory juices with every bite.

Then, he glanced to the side and saw someone.

Golden hair, blue eyes, a delicate face, and a cold expression.

Ye Xinglan.

She stood ten meters away, gripping that Star God Sword, staring right at him.

Her gaze was complex.

There was reluctance, stubbornness, and... a hint of indescribable anticipation.

Yun Jingheng swallowed the bun in his mouth.

"Have you... eaten?"

He asked.

Ye Xinglan's expression stiffened for a moment.

"You—"

She took a deep breath, steadying her emotions.

"I want to fight you again."

Yun Jingheng looked at the bun in his hand, then back at her.

"Can you wait until I finish eating?"

Ye Xinglan gritted her teeth.

"Fine, I'll wait."

Yun Jingheng nodded and continued eating.

One bite, two bites, three bites.

He was unhurried, his manners refined, yet his pace was steady.

Ye Xinglan stood nearby, staring at him as if she were staring at an enemy.

Yet, her gaze kept drifting, landing involuntarily on the crescent moon mark between his brows.

She had spent a long time thinking about that sword strike after returning.

It wasn't about how she had lost.

It was about how that strike had come to be.

Flash? No, it wasn't Flash; it was teleportation.

It had bypassed space entirely.

She had never seen such movement techniques, nor such a method of attack.

So, she had gone back and trained intensely for a long time.

She practiced until dawn, exhausted, slept for two hours, and then practiced again upon waking.

When she truly couldn't train anymore, she came here.

It wasn't because she thought she could win.

It was because she wanted to experience it once more.

To feel the gap between herself and him.

Yun Jingheng finished the last bun, wiped his hands, and stood up.

"Come on then."

He said.

The Moonlight Sword coalesced in his hand, its blade pale silver, ethereal and faint.

Ye Xinglan took a deep breath and tightened her grip on the Star God Sword.

She did not rush to attack, but instead watched him, her gaze more serious than ever before.

"I thought about it for a long time," she said.

Yun Jingheng remained silent.

"I realized one thing."

She continued, "I didn't lose because of my soul power, nor because of my martial soul; I lost because of... my mindset."

She paused.

"I thought I was strong, so I looked down on you. But in reality, I couldn't even block a casual strike from you."

Yun Jingheng looked at her, saying nothing.

"I have come again today, not to defeat you."

Ye Xinglan gripped her sword tightly, "I want to show you what I look like when I am serious."

As the words fell, she moved.

Faster than before.

The sword light was fierce, the sword intent surged, and every strike carried a sense of absolute resolve.

A flicker of surprise flashed in the eyes of Yun Jingheng.

Indeed, she was stronger than before.

It was not that her soul power had increased, but rather... her focus.

She was no longer thinking, "I must win," but instead, "I must strike."

Thus, every sword stroke was purer and sharper than the last.

Yun Jingheng parried with his sword and dodged, in no rush to counterattack.

He felt the weight of Ye Xinglan's sword.

This girl was truly a genius.

To be able to realize so much after losing just once.

Given time, she would become very strong.

Thirty seconds later, a thought stirred in his mind.

His second soul ring lit up.

A silvery-white radiance spread from beneath his feet, instantly enveloping the surrounding ten meters.

Ye Xinglan felt her body lighten, and then she slid uncontrollably toward Yun Jingheng.

She instinctively tried to break free, but that force was supple yet firm, impossible to resist.

Three meters.

Two meters.

One meter.

She arrived before Yun Jingheng, the Star God Sword raised, yet she could not thrust it forward.

Because Yun Jingheng's sword was already pressed against her throat.

But this time, she did not freeze.

She looked at the sword tip resting against her throat, fell silent for a second, and then smiled.

It was not a bitter smile, but a genuine one.

"Still lost."

She said, her tone devoid of resentment, filled only with relief.

Yun Jingheng withdrew his sword.

"You are stronger than before," he said.

Ye Xinglan looked at him: "Really?"

Yun Jingheng nodded.

Ye Xinglan smiled again.

This time, she laughed even more happily.

"Then I will come again next time."

She turned to leave, but after two steps, she looked back.

"What is the name of that soul skill of yours?"

Yun Jingheng thought for a moment: "Moonlight Protection."

Ye Xinglan nodded, silently repeated it once, and then strode away.

In the distance, Lan Muzi stood under a tree, watching this scene.

Beside him stood Yun Ming.

"This child," Lan Muzi said, "to be able to adjust like this after losing once. She is a fine talent."

Yun Ming nodded.

Lan Muzi looked at Yun Jingheng, "He knows how to measure his strikes and his words do not wound. He is also a fine talent."

Yun Ming nodded again.

Lan Muzi turned to look at him.

"Pavilion Master, are you not going to say anything?"

Yun Ming thought for a moment.

"The bun is quite fragrant."

Lan Muzi: "..."

By the shores of Sea God Lake, the sunlight spilled down.

Yun Jingheng stood where he was, watching Ye Xinglan's receding figure.

Inside his Sea of Consciousness, Xiao Jiu rolled over.

"This girl is a bit interesting," it said.

Yun Jingheng nodded.

"Next time she comes, how do you plan to fight?"

Yun Jingheng thought about it.

"I don't know."

He said, "We'll see when the time comes."

Xiao Jiu let out a "tch" and went back to sleep.

From then on, Ye Xinglan came often.

She came every few days, sometimes every single day.

She didn't say much when she arrived; she would just stand there, point her sword, and the meaning was clear—fight.

Yun Jingheng wasn't annoyed; if she came, he fought, and when they finished, they parted ways, occasionally exchanging a few extra words.

"Your sword strike today was slow."

"Mm."

"The starting motion was too large, making it easy to predict."

"Hm?"

"Don't just 'hm' me, did you listen?"

"I listened."

And the next day, that strike was faster.

Yun Jingheng sometimes felt that this girl wasn't here to practice swordsmanship, but to attend an advanced course.

She learned faster than anyone and corrected herself more ruthlessly than anyone.

After a month, her progress was visible to the naked eye.

Her strikes were faster, her footwork more agile, and her understanding of the rhythm of battle had deepened.

But every time they finished, she still lost.

She would leave after losing, and come back after leaving.

She never complained, never made excuses, and never asked, "How can I beat you?"

She simply came, fought, lost, and left.

Then she would return the next day.

Once, Yun Jingheng couldn't help but ask: "You come every day, aren't you annoyed?"

Ye Xinglan was stunned for a moment, as if she had never considered this question.

"Annoyed by what?"

Yun Jingheng thought about it: "Always losing."

Ye Xinglan was silent for a few seconds.

"So what if I lose?"

She said, "I'll be able to win one day anyway."

Her tone was very calm when she said this.

Yun Jingheng looked at her and suddenly understood what kind of person this girl was.

She wasn't the type of genius who couldn't handle losing.

She was the type of genius who could handle losing, and who grew stronger the more she lost.

"Fine then."

He said, "Keep coming, then."

Ye Xinglan nodded, turned, and walked away.

She took two steps, then turned back.

"That bun of yours smells quite good."

Yun Jingheng: "..."

"Could you bring me one next time?"

Yun Jingheng thought for a moment: "Fine."

The next day, Ye Xinglan ate a bun made by Ya Li herself.

She took a bite, and her eyes lit up.

"Delicious."

Then she sat by the lake, side by side with Yun Jingheng, and finished three buns bite by bite.

After finishing, she wiped her hands and stood up.

"Let's fight."

Yun Jingheng nodded.

After the fight that day, Ye Xinglan was in no rush to leave.

She sat by the lake, looking at the water, and suddenly asked, "What do you usually do?"

Yun Jingheng thought for a moment: "Cultivate, read books, and take apart Soul Tools."

"Take apart Soul Tools?"

"Mm."

"Why take those things apart?"

"To see what they look like inside."

Ye Xinglan was silent for a moment.

"You're quite strange."

Yun Jingheng did not refute this.

"However," she paused, "I'm not normal either."

Yun Jingheng looked at her.

Ye Xinglan stared at the lake surface, her tone indifferent: "My mother doesn't like me practicing the sword."

"Why?"

"Because my grandfather was still practicing the sword when he died."

Yun Jingheng did not speak.

Ye Xinglan continued, "But I am going to practice the sword."

She turned her head to look at him.

"So I can understand you."

Yun Jingheng was stunned for a moment: "Understand what about me?"

"Understand why you are always alone."

She said, "To do things differently from others, one must be alone."

Yun Jingheng looked at her, silent for a few seconds.

Then he smiled.

"Fine."

He said, "Then from now on, there will be two."

Ye Xinglan was stunned for a moment, then she smiled too.

"Mm-hmm."

Days passed one by one.

Ye Xinglan still came often; she would fight upon arrival, eat a bun after the fight, and sit and chat after eating.

They chatted about more and more things.

They talked about swords, Soul Skills, those annoying matters at home, and what they wanted to do in the future.

Yun Jingheng listened more than he spoke, but occasionally he would say a few words.

And whenever he spoke, it was the kind of thing that would leave one stunned.

Once, Ye Xinglan asked him: "How far do you think I can go in the future?"

Yun Jingheng thought for a moment: "At least a Title Douluo."

Ye Xinglan's eyes brightened: "Really?"

"Mm."

Yun Jingheng said, "With your personality—unbreakable by defeat, unkillable by blows—you'll make it sooner or later."

Ye Xinglan stared at him for a long time.

"Can't you even offer a proper compliment?"

Yun Jingheng: "...Was I not just complimenting you?"

Ye Xinglan let out a "tch," but the corners of her mouth were curled upward.