An Accidental Encounter with Lu Xueqi Under the Moon

The night deepened.

Moonlight, like water, spilled across the entire Green Cloud Mountain Range, draping the seven continuous peaks in a thin, silver veil.

Inside Li Xiaoyu's wooden hut on Morning Sun Peak.

He finished his day's meditation and slowly opened his eyes.

After these few days of consolidation, his cultivation at the fourth level of the Jade Purity Realm had completely stabilized.

Under the nourishment of that pure golden mist, there were even signs of further progress.

Yet, he felt a sense of dissatisfaction in his heart.

The Immortal-Slaying Gourd, that bottomless pit of a glutton, was simply too "hungry."

Relying solely on the spiritual energy of heaven and earth he absorbed himself, the essence he refined was merely a drop in the bucket for nourishing that strand of Innate Geng Metal Sword Qi.

I must find a way to get it some "food."

Li Xiaoyu rubbed his chin, his eyes flickering.

He recalled a place he had stumbled upon six years ago, shortly after he first arrived on the mountain.

It was a secluded valley located between Morning Sun Peak and Small Bamboo Peak.

The valley was filled with jagged rocks and sparse vegetation, but it contained a small vein of gold and iron ore.

Because the ore was of low quality and the spiritual energy was impure, it held no value for ordinary disciples to mine, so it was rarely visited.

But for him, possessing the Immortal-Slaying Gourd, that place was a veritable treasure trove.

Even a mosquito's leg is meat; it's better than nothing.

Having made up his mind, Li Xiaoyu did not hesitate.

He quietly pushed open the door, his figure flickering like a ghost as he merged into the night.

With his current cultivation, as long as he didn't deliberately probe, ordinary disciples would never detect his movements.

Li Xiaoyu avoided the patrolling disciples and followed the path in his memory, heading toward the valley.

The mountain wind was cold, fluttering against his robes.

Soon, he arrived at the secluded valley.

The valley was silent, with only the moonlight shining on the exposed ore, reflecting tiny metallic glints.

The air was permeated with the scent of metal and stone.

"This is the place."

Li Xiaoyu felt a surge of joy. He found a spot where the ore was most concentrated, scanned his surroundings vigilantly to ensure no one was there, and then took the Immortal-Slaying Gourd from his robes.

He pointed the mouth of the gourd at the pile of ore and silently recited the incantation.

"Hum..."

A faint humming sound resonated, and a thin layer of golden light shimmered across the surface of the dusty gourd.

An invisible suction force emanated from the gourd's mouth.

The next moment, a miraculous scene unfolded.

Threads of metallic light, resembling starlight, began to precipitate from the surface of the hard ore.

These light points converged into tiny ribbons of radiance, rushing into the mouth of the Immortal-Slaying Gourd like swallows returning to their nest.

Li Xiaoyu could clearly feel the golden mist inside the gourd growing at a speed visible to the naked eye.

That strand of Innate Geng Metal Sword Qi seemed to be nourished as well, radiating a sense of joy.

"It really works!"

Li Xiaoyu was overjoyed and poured more effort into channeling the gourd.

He was completely immersed in the joy of letting the gourd "eat its fill," never noticing that on a high point of the valley not far away, a figure was sitting quietly atop a massive blue boulder.

It was a woman.

She wore white, appearing like a fairy untouched by the dust of the world under the cold moonlight.

Her beauty was peerless, her temperament cold and aloof, like a block of ice.

She was none other than the pride of Small Bamboo Peak, Lu Xueqi.

Lu Xueqi possessed peerless talent and practiced diligently, having already reached the seventh level of the Jade Purity Realm.

She had come here in the dead of night because the method she practiced was different from others.

Beyond cultivating Daoist arts, she focused on tempering her sword heart and sword intent.

This valley, filled with the aura of metal and iron, was brimming with sharp intent—perfect for her to hone the edge of her divine sword, Tianya, and her own sword heart using the sharpness of heaven and earth.

Tonight, she was sitting in meditation as usual, her person and her sword seemingly merged into the cold moonlight, lost in the oblivion of self and object.

But just a moment ago, the peerless divine weapon Tianya, resting across her lap, had suddenly let out a faint chime.

This chime was filled with vigilance, and even excitement and longing!

Lu Xueqi jolted awake from her meditation, her cold, clear eyes snapping open as she gazed toward the direction of the sword-ringing sound.

She saw a young man in green robes standing under the moonlight, holding a strange gourd.

Is it him?

Lu Xueqi recognized Li Xiaoyu.

With the Seven Meridians Martial Arts Tournament fast approaching, she had heard of the outstanding disciples from every peak.

This Li Xiaoyu was the very person currently being talked about all over Morning Sun Peak—the genius who had returned after six years of silence, suddenly enlightened.

However, his presence here in the dead of night was suspicious, and the gourd in his hand emitted an aura that even made Tianya stir with unease.

This instantly filled her heart with extreme vigilance.

Lu Xueqi stood up and landed silently on a higher boulder, watching everything below coldly like a night owl.

Li Xiaoyu was focused on channeling the gourd, absorbing the metallic essence from the ores.

Suddenly, a bone-chilling coldness emanated from behind him, making the hair on his body stand on end.

Startled, he whipped his head around.

Under the moonlight, high up in the valley, the woman in white as snow stood quietly, her cold gaze piercing his heart like two unsheathed swords.

It's actually her?!

Lu Xueqi of Small Bamboo Peak!

Li Xiaoyu's heart sank instantly.

He had not expected to run into this true pride of the Green Cloud Sect in such a remote place.

Moreover, judging by her appearance, she had clearly been here for a long time.

The scene of him channeling the Immortal-Slaying Gourd had likely been seen by her in its entirety.

This was a huge problem!

Li Xiaoyu immediately put away the Immortal-Slaying Gourd, hiding it in his sleeve, while his brain raced to think of a countermeasure.

He definitely couldn't win a fight.

?

Li Xiaoyu shook his head.

With the gourd, perhaps he wouldn't necessarily lose.

But there was no need for that; they were both from the Green Cloud Sect.

It was just that the gourd had been exposed.

Seeing him put away the gourd, Lu Xueqi moved, landing silently ten feet in front of Li Xiaoyu like a falling snowflake.

She already held the Tianya divine sword, which glowed with a faint blue light, in her hand.

"Sneaking around here in the dead of night—what is your purpose?"

Lu Xueqi's voice was colder than the night wind.

Li Xiaoyu forced himself to calm down.

He knew that the more critical the situation, the less he could afford to panic.

Li Xiaoyu bowed to Lu Xueqi with a composed expression.

"Morning Sun Peak disciple, Li Xiaoyu, greets Senior Sister Lu."

His voice was calm, devoid of the panic of being discovered.

"I am here merely to practice a rudimentary technique that requires the use of metallic essence. I did not intend to disturb your cultivation, and I hope you will forgive me, Senior Sister."