Chapter 332 - 211: Taking Turns

Chapter 332: Chapter 211: Taking Turns

He placed a palm-sized block of ice into a cabinet, cooling the Blood Lingzhi solution and some of his Treasure Medicines to prevent them from spoiling.

This mystic ice from the shaded side of the mountain had been frozen in the spiritual land of Cloud Mountain for millennia. A single small piece radiated an intense cold, enough to last him for several years.

As for the other medicinal ingredients that didn’t need to be chilled and couldn’t withstand the cold, Xie Yuan stored them in a separate room. After all, the entire courtyard belonged to him now. ’It was nice to have so much space.’

The stacks of unprocessed firewood piled high in the courtyard were, of course, for Xie Yuan to practice his old craft.

’Although a breakthrough from Chopping Wood seems a distant prospect, if I just keep at it, I should be able to break through in... oh, a mere ten years.’

For a lifetime of cultivation, ten years wasn’t an unbearable wait. Especially given the immense rewards from Chopping Wood, it was well worth the effort.

Besides, he had other means to accelerate the process. ’I just wonder if the owner of the Eight Trigrams Lotus is alright.’

Chopping wood in his spare time was also a way for Xie Yuan to relax and gradually clear his mind of distracting thoughts. For him, ever since he first found his Path by chopping that first piece of wood, the act had become more than a simple motion. It was now a specific method for tempering his Dao Heart. Regardless of his status panel or the rewards, whether he practiced the sword or the saber, Chopping Wood held its own Great Dao.

As he chopped away, watching the numbers tick upward before his eyes, Xie Yuan seemed to enter a unique state, his mind becoming perfectly serene.

A knock at the gate startled him from his trance. He set down his axe and opened the gate to find, as expected, his old friends: the Lin siblings.

The siblings, full of curiosity, asked if he had already become a disciple under Lu Pei. Xie Yuan didn’t want to admit he’d refused the Grandmaster’s offer—it would seem disrespectful and make him look like too much of a maverick. So he just gave a vague answer, saying he had merely received a few pointers. Even so, his words left the two of them green with envy.

For now, the siblings were the only people on the mountain Xie Yuan could truly speak with. He was happy to serve a pot of fine tea and two plates of fruit, and the three of them sat in his small clifftop home, chatting idly and discussing swordsmanship.

Ethereal clouds drifted by as the distant cries of immortal birds echoed through the empty valley.

The entire scene resonated with the profound charm of seeking the Dao.

After seeing the siblings off, Xie Yuan returned to his room to continue cultivating. But just before he entered a state of meditation, he tilted his head slightly and mused to himself.

’I feel like Miss Lin has been sneaking glances at me lately... Is it my imagination? Or is she just upset that a junior disciple has surpassed her? After all, her own cultivation progress wasn’t slow, and she used to be a rising star in the Outer Sect.’

Xie Yuan gave it a brief thought but didn’t dwell on it, returning to his practice and making the most of his time in the mountains.

「The next day, in the Inner Courtyard.」

Seeing Xie Yuan still standing at the back of the ranks, many disciples let out an involuntary sigh of relief.

Having a newcomer be taken away by a Grandmaster after a single day would have been the most demoralizing outcome. It would have made them—veteran Inner Sect Disciples who had been passed over by Grandmasters and elders countless times—seem utterly inferior by comparison.

’It would have been better if he hadn’t come at all. Out of sight, out of mind.’

’But since he’s still here, we’re all good martial brothers.’

Once the Cloud Mountain Sword Form warm-up was complete, Lv Liangdong, for a change, didn’t have the disciples practice it a second time. Just as he was about to say something, a cool, mature, and pleasant voice spoke up from the side.

"One moment, Instructor Lv. I find myself with some free time today, so I will give the disciples a lecture on the opening sword forms."

The disciples all turned as one. Standing nearby was a slender, graceful figure wearing a veil that revealed only a pair of calm eyes. They all bowed in salute.

"Greetings, Elder Luo!"

Forget the disciples; even Lv Liangdong was somewhat taken aback. ’Why is Luo Shuang, the master of Yao Yue Peak, here today?’

Normally, the Inner Sect would invite a Grandmaster or an elder to give a lecture every so often. They came in rotation, so as not to waste the Grandmasters’ valuable time.

But Lv Liangdong hadn’t invited anyone in the last couple of days. Lu Pei showing up was one thing, but for Luo Shuang to appear the very next day... it was as if they had planned it.

And while it might have been believable for other elders, given Luo Shuang’s temperament, it was almost unheard of for her to volunteer to lecture the disciples...

Lv Liangdong shot a subtle glance at Xie Yuan, and a realization seemed to dawn on him.

’So it turns out I don’t need to go around marketing him to the Grandmasters after all... Wait, that’s not right. Yao Yue Peak doesn’t accept male disciples.’

’Then perhaps she’s here for Lin Zhen.’

"Every cultivation technique has an opening form, and swordsmanship is no exception. The opening form exists not only to lead into your subsequent techniques, but also to build your presence. A contest between masters is a contest of presence, and it begins from this very moment..."

Luo Shuang lectured eloquently, her voice soft, holding the disciples completely spellbound.

Although Luo Shuang wasn’t a warm and affectionate instructor, she wasn’t as cold as she appeared and was, in fact, quite patient with the disciples.

Coupled with her peerless grace and melodious voice, she had always been one of the Inner Sect disciples’ most welcome lecturers among the Grandmasters.

But while the disciples were enjoying themselves and learning a great deal, a question also arose in their minds. ’Why are the Grandmasters showing up one after another? Are they always this diligent?’

Xie Yuan was lost in thought after her lecture.

Her point about experts contending over their presence reminded him of the battle between the Sword Sect’s leaders. For the entire first half of the duel, the two Sect Leaders had been locked in a struggle for control of the battlefield. He nodded slightly at the memory.

In swordsmanship, building one’s sword-intent begins from the very first move. His mind immediately went to the First Form of the Nine Forms of the Cloud Dragon: Cloud Dragon Reveals Its Head.

Logically, that sword form should have been shrouded in clouds and mist, hiding the dragon’s head while revealing only its tail. It should have focused on constantly accumulating an advantage before finally unleashing a finishing move—the long dragon emerging from the clouds for a single, fatal strike.

Yet, the First Form of the Nine Forms of the Cloud Dragon was like a killing blow in itself, the dragon’s head emerging with unparalleled ferocity. The subsequent forms then went back to building momentum, the dragon returning to the clouds, its full form hidden as it shook its head and tail, right up until the final killing blow from within the clouds.

It was powerful at both the beginning and the end, yet it always felt slightly different from Xie Yuan’s own understanding, leaving him with a lingering sense of confusion about the swordsmanship.