"Luo Lan, this little fellow has nothing but a Five Elements Mixed Spirit Root. His aptitude is terrible. There's no way he'll ever learn the Lingxiao Sword Technique!"
Atop the mountain.
After the boy left, an old man drifted over.
It was none other than Elder Luo.
Recently, he'd heard that his precious granddaughter was teaching an outer sect disciple the Lingxiao Sword Technique. After looking into it, he'd learned that the disciple was Chen Changming.
That handyman disciple with a Five Elements Mixed Spirit Root!
The news had infuriated the old man.
His granddaughter's time was precious. How could she waste it on a good-for-nothing like that?
So, after today's lesson, the old man finally couldn't hold back any longer. He rushed over and poured cold water on his granddaughter.
"Grandpa, I suppose you have a point."
Luo Lan smiled wryly. She'd noticed that Chen Changming seemed to have gotten more foolish lately, with more and more things he didn't understand.
At one point, she'd even wondered whether her teaching was so poor that her student kept coming up with more questions.
"Good. At least you understand. You can't carve rotten wood. Put an end to this starting today."
Seeing that his granddaughter knew she was wrong, Elder Luo was delighted. He gently stroked his white beard, his features relaxing.
Luo Lan suddenly shook her head, her expression stubborn. "No. I promised him, so I'm going to make sure he learns."
"You..."
Elder Luo was so furious he nearly spat blood.
His granddaughter was being stubborn again. He'd feared this would happen. Back then, she'd insisted on joining the outer sect, and no matter what he tried, he couldn't stop her.
"Plenty of people in the sect know about this now. Luo Lan, what am I supposed to do with this old face of mine...?"
Elder Luo wasn't ready to give up. He kept trying to reason with her.
"Grandpa, as the outer sect's Senior Sister, shouldn't teaching my junior brothers swordsmanship be something to be proud of?"
Luo Lan blinked her bright, lively eyes and gave him a sly smile.
"Something to be proud of? They're all laughing at me, saying everyone in the Luo family is stubborn and thickheaded, wasting their time on a good-for-nothing with a Five Elements Mixed Spirit Root..."
Elder Luo's face reddened.
"So what if he has a Five Elements Mixed Spirit Root? He's still a disciple of the Lingxiao Sect. When the sect issued its summons this time, he was the only handyman disciple who came back. That proves how loyal he is to the sect. Doesn't a disciple like that deserve a little of my time and effort to teach him the Lingxiao Sword Technique?"
Luo Lan made a compelling case.
Elder Luo: "..."
His granddaughter's words left him speechless. In the end, Elder Luo could only sigh and leave.
Children would make their own way in the world.
It was a good thing his granddaughter had a mind of her own. He'd let her do as she pleased, as long as she didn't put her life in danger.
After watching her grandfather leave, still unwilling to give in,
Luo Lan sat back down on the rock, resting her chin on her delicate hand as she furrowed her brow.
"I need to find a way to explain it more simply. Then my junior brother will be able to understand..."
The girl murmured to herself.
A gust of wind blew into her eyes. She gently rubbed them, then got up and left.
Besides its main peak, Lingxiao Peak, the Lingxiao Sect had six other peaks.
Though the Lingxiao Sect had been founded on swordsmanship, not everyone could cultivate the Lingxiao Sword Technique. Each of the sect's six peaks had its own inheritance, all different from the Lingxiao Sword Technique, and none to be underestimated in power.
The inheritance of Skyfire Peak was the Skyfire Divine Art.
A little over two years ago, the peak master of Skyfire Peak had taken in a genius disciple from that cohort, who had a high-grade Earth-ranked Fire Spirit Root.
The outer sect had very few disciples across the six peaks. They mainly recruited inner sect disciples, who focused on cultivating the techniques of their own peak.
"Hahaha, Junior Brother Shi, I heard that Luo Lan from the outer sect has lost her mind and started teaching that good-for-nothing with a Five Elements Mixed Spirit Root the Lingxiao Sword Technique. Apparently, it's been over ten days, and the kid's still completely lost!"
At some spot on Skyfire Peak, an inner sect disciple ran up to Shi Kelang, his face brimming with excitement.
As he spoke, he waved his hands around, making the story come alive.
It was as if he were recreating the scene of the lesson.
"Hahaha, is that so?"
Shi Kelang was taken aback, then burst into laughter.
The Lingxiao Sword Technique wasn't something just anyone could cultivate. That was no secret in the Lingxiao Sect.
Someone with the worst possible aptitude dared to practice the Lingxiao Sword Technique?
And that outer sect's number-one hothead—when had she gotten so stupid that she'd dare teach the technique to a good-for-nothing like that?
"This is hilarious! Hahaha!"
The inner sect disciple laughed loudly too. Several inner sect disciples from Skyfire Peak nearby had also heard the news, and they immediately burst into laughter.
For a time, all of Skyfire Peak was filled with laughter.
"Hmph. Luo Lan's always been arrogant and overbearing. This time, she's dug her own pit and jumped right in. I'd like to see how long she can keep it up."
Shi Kelang snorted.
"Exactly. If she gives up halfway, it'll be even more hilarious. The other sects might even hear that our Lingxiao Sect's outer sect has such a fool! Hahaha..."
The inner sect disciple cackled.
"Hahaha..."
Shi Kelang and the other inner sect disciples laughed so hard they doubled over.
More than half a month later.
Atop the mountain.
Chen Changming gazed at Luo Lan pleadingly. "Senior Sister, I really can't learn this. How about we just give up...?"
"Not a chance. I think you've made a lot of progress lately, Junior Brother. Keep it up!"
Luo Lan chuckled.
Half a month in, when faced with the rumors and ridicule, she'd wavered. But after a month, her resolve had finally grown unshakable. She could find not a single crack in it.
No matter what, she was going to keep going.
She'd teach her junior brother until he learned, no matter how slow he was. Even if he couldn't wield the technique with much power after learning it, she wouldn't regret it.
After all, she was the outer sect's Senior Sister.
She wouldn't abandon even the most hopeless junior brother in the outer sect, let alone give up halfway.
"All right."
Seeing how enthusiastic Senior Sister was, Chen Changming nodded bitterly.
Though he'd made some progress over the past month, he still had no confidence that he could learn such a profound sword technique.
Maybe I should just learn the Breeze Sword Technique...
The thought suddenly rose in his mind, but he quickly cast it aside. Now that he'd boarded Senior Sister's boat, there was no turning back.
He couldn't let Senior Sister become a joke in everyone's eyes.
"Junior Brother, you really do have a knack for cultivation. Look, you've broken through to the third level of Qi Refining again!"
Luo Lan looked at the boy before her, her face full of praise.
Chen Changming grinned sheepishly.
Over the past month, he'd kept up his grueling cultivation. After consuming a large number of Spirit Gathering Pills, he'd finally broken through to the third level of Qi Refining.
A month later.
Chen Changming had far fewer questions, and his understanding of the Lingxiao Sword Technique had grown deeper. This only strengthened his confidence.
Another month passed.
Chen Changming finally gained an initial understanding of the Lingxiao Sword Technique and could just barely manage a few moves.
The boy finally saw a glimmer of hope.
"Well done, Junior Brother! You're getting better and better!"
Watching the boy awkwardly perform the Lingxiao Sword Technique before her, Luo Lan's eyes glistened with tears as she clapped and cheered.
Three months had passed.
Her junior brother had finally grasped the basics.
The Lingxiao Sword Technique was powerful and profound. Even she wouldn't claim to have mastered it to any great degree. She could only gradually deepen her understanding through constant practice.
The deeper one's understanding, the more terrifying the technique's power.
A month later, Chen Changming could perform more than twenty moves.
Another two months passed.
At last, he could perform the Lingxiao Sword Technique from beginning to end.
It had taken him half a year just to get his foot in the door. All he could do was perform the technique in full; it still had no real power.