Heavenly God Mountain

The Desolate Region, Heavenly God Mountain.

The mountain rose into the clouds, lofty and magnificent, with spirit springs, cascading waterfalls, and lush, beautiful trees. Many rare birds and exotic beasts dwelled there, making it seem like sacred ground.

Various buildings stood upon it, all ancient, steeped in the weathered air of ages past.

On a purple peak, slender stalks of purple bamboo stood straight and tall, swaying in the wind as their leaves rustled softly.

Beneath the bamboo grove sat a slender figure with her legs crossed. She was a girl of fifteen or sixteen, with skin as luminous and white as jade and an otherworldly bearing. Her flowing purple hair stirred gently in the breeze, and her breathtaking beauty robbed heaven and earth of their splendor.

The girl sat there with runes glittering around her, like starlight filling the sky. Each strangely shaped rune resembled a tiny sword, its keen edge shimmering and radiating a terrifying aura.

Across her knees lay a purple bamboo sword, three feet long, with a slender blade that gleamed with purple light. Runes were branded upon it, and it exuded an astonishing sharpness that resonated with the girl's aura, the two forming a seamless whole.

Before long, footsteps sounded. The girl opened her eyes, and piercing light shot from them before they grew calm again. The runes around her swiftly vanished as well.

She rose, and the Purple Bamboo Sword floated up to rest behind her back, its sharpness entirely concealed.

"Little Ying."

A clear voice rang out as another girl in purple appeared, looking exactly like her.

"Sister, what brings you here?"

The girl looked at the newcomer, who shared her face because they were twins. Her name was Yun Ying, and the other girl was Yun Xi. Both belonged to the Celestial Clan.

Strictly speaking, Yun Xi had been born before Yun Ying, making her the elder sister and Yun Ying the younger.

"I came to see you. How is your cultivation going?"

Yun Xi smiled faintly as she asked.

"Very smoothly. No problems. What about you?"

Yun Ying's expression barely changed, and her tone was flat.

Yun Xi was long accustomed to this. Yun Ying had been like this since childhood, never given to smiles or laughter. To outsiders, she probably seemed ice-cold.

Still, Yun Ying cared deeply about her elder sister. Had it been anyone else, she might not have spared them even a single word.

Yun Ying behaved this way even with their grandfather.

"I'm doing all right too, but I haven't the slightest idea how to reach the tenth heavenly grotto. It feels pretty hopeless."

Yun Xi shrugged.

"Just do what you can. There's no need to force it."

Yun Ying offered her quiet words of comfort.

"Mm, I know. It's a legendary realm, after all, even harder to reach than the ultimate limit of the Blood Moving Realm. I won't force it. What about you, Yun Ying? Are you confident?"

Yun Xi smiled faintly, then asked.

She asked because she knew Yun Ying was extraordinarily gifted, even more so than herself. Among the Celestial Clan's younger generation, Yun Ying had the greatest talent, and her fighting prowess was formidable.

But Yun Ying was rather unusual. She was interested only in the sword and cared nothing for any precious techniques. Her fixation bordered on possession, and no one could talk her out of it.

Yet even without learning any precious techniques, Yun Ying had relied on her own efforts to attain a terrifying depth of understanding of runes. The power she unleashed was no weaker than that of precious techniques, and could even surpass them.

"With ten heavenly grottoes, the difficulty isn't opening the tenth heavenly grotto. It's understanding yourself. Watch closely, Sister. I'll demonstrate it for you once, and only once."

Yun Ying looked at Yun Xi as she spoke.

"Huh? What?! Little Ying, you..."

It took Yun Xi several seconds to register Yun Ying's words, and then she cried out in surprise.

By then, Yun Ying had turned away and was walking forward, step by step. The Purple Bamboo Sword behind her began to tremble, its clear, ringing cry echoing between heaven and earth.

With every step Yun Ying took, the sword's cry grew louder, and the sharpness radiating from her became more terrifying.

To Yun Xi, Yun Ying seemed like a divine sword drawn from its sheath, revealing an unrivaled edge that dazzled heaven and earth.

Boom!

The void shuddered. Behind Yun Ying, nine inverted volcanoes appeared, each gushing forth the divine essence of heaven and earth. Surging life essence poured into Yun Ying's body like celestial waterfalls tumbling from the nine heavens.

"Heaven and earth stretch boundless, the way of the sword shines resplendent. Forge my undying sword body, condense my immortal sword soul. With the sword I begin, with the sword I end!"

As Yun Ying spoke, the light in her eyes blazed to its utmost intensity, as though two divine swords were rising and falling within them. Sword intent surged to the heavens.

Brilliant runes filled the air and enveloped her, like stars clustered around the moon, lending her the air of an immortal banished from heaven.

Rumble!

Thunder shook the heavens. Black clouds roiled across the sky and gathered in an instant. Purple lightning flashed, and an aura of destruction swept toward them.

Yun Ying's declaration was like a ritual invocation, proclaiming her resolve to heaven and affirming her great path. Yet this was undoubtedly an affront and a challenge to the Heavenly Dao, and thunderclouds had begun to manifest.

Although the thunderclouds had appeared, no lightning tribulation descended. This was a warning.

"Tenth heavenly grotto, open!"

As her words fell, brilliant divine light erupted from Yun Ying. Nine heavenly grottoes encircled her, and the Purple Bamboo Sword shot into the sky, radiating endless splendor. It resonated with the nine great heavenly grottoes, its sharpness tearing through the void.

Hum!

Within the boundless void, a hazy volcano appeared, piercing the firmament and shaking heaven and earth as it descended with crushing force.

Watching this, Yun Xi's lips parted slightly. She was too stunned to speak.

The tenth heavenly grotto!

Yun Ying was actually opening her tenth heavenly grotto right before her eyes. It was utterly inconceivable.

Rumble!

At last, the Heavenly Dao stopped issuing warnings. Thunderclouds churned across the sky, and an aura of destruction surged in like a tide. Thick bolts of purple lightning struck straight down, cleaving toward Yun Ying like divine blades.

"Little Ying, watch out!"

Yun Xi could not help screaming. This was heaven's punishment, and the aura it gave off filled her with dread.

Lightning from the nine heavens struck Yun Ying, sending blood splashing from her body. Yet her expression did not change, as though she felt nothing. Her eyes remained sharp as swords, with boundless keenness swirling within them.

The nine great heavenly grottoes shone, continuously pouring forth the essence of heaven and earth to nourish her flesh and rapidly heal her wounds.

But in the next instant, several bolts of lightning crashed down and engulfed Yun Ying. Blood mist drifted through the air, and her body was pierced through.

"Little Ying, stop!"

Yun Xi's face turned pale as she watched, and she kept calling out. Opening the tenth heavenly grotto was actually this perilous. No wonder the ancient records said that eight or nine out of every ten favored geniuses who attempted it had perished.

"Calm down!"

Just then, an elderly figure appeared behind Yun Xi and placed a large hand on her shoulder.

The old man had crane-white hair and a youthful face. His aura was concealed, yet divine light enveloped him, making him resemble a god. He was Yun Canghai, the master of Heavenly God Mountain and the grandfather of Yun Xi and Yun Ying.

"Grandfather, please save Little Ying! She's going to die!"

Seeing Yun Canghai arrive, Yun Xi hurriedly pleaded with him. She feared Yun Ying would die while attempting to open the tenth heavenly grotto.

But Yun Canghai shook his head. "Once it begins, it cannot be stopped. Either she succeeds or she fails. Those are the only two outcomes. Don't worry. Failure doesn't necessarily mean death."

Hearing Yun Canghai say this, Yun Xi became a little less anxious.

I don't know whether this counts as a transformation story either. Maybe it's just a gimmick. After all, I don't intend to write a romance plot; this is the kind of story where the focus is solely on pursuing the Dao. If you don't like this type of story, please don't keep reading. Stop here.