Lian Chaoxi seemed unaware of Lou Shuangzui’s little schemes. He happily ruffled Lou Shuangzui’s hair and pinched the still chubby cheeks of his young disciple, his smile gentle. “Alright, thank you, Shuangzui.”
Lou Shuangzui turned his head to look at Lian Chaoxi. He didn’t believe that Lian Chaoxi was truly oblivious; it must be deliberate indulgence. Because he was a disciple, he could be indulged and tolerated no matter what. That was truly…
His golden eyes lingered on the immortal’s brows for a moment before Lou Shuangzui quickly shifted his gaze, rubbing his knuckles, his expression softening considerably.
Initially, Lian Chaoxi had asked Lou Shuangzui to tidy up his room, not to handle work. Now that he finally had some free time, he remembered the main task at hand. The Sword Master had never taught a disciple before; the immortal servants didn’t count, as they were lucky if they could even reach the Foundation Establishment stage in their lifetime. Therefore, they didn’t need to learn the foundational heart techniques for further cultivation. Lou Shuangzui was the first one he was seriously teaching.
Being the first time, Lian Chaoxi wasn’t very skilled. He could only write down his insights into a book for Lou Shuangzui to read and comprehend on his own. “Take a look first. If you don’t understand, you can come and ask me. Actually, getting started with channeling spiritual energy is quite simple,” Lian Chaoxi thought for a moment, recalling some old memories from long ago, and offered a few more tips based on his experience. Then he placed his hand on Lou Shuangzui’s back, his voice gentle. “Let me guide you in feeling the spiritual power first; it will help you adapt to the initial stage of cultivation.”
As soon as he finished speaking, Lou Shuangzui felt a refreshing coolness. The power flowed in from his back, surging into his dantian. Wherever it passed, his skin and flesh seemed to rejoice as if they had encountered a long-awaited rain. “…Hmm? Oh right, you’re a wood spiritual root, and I’m a water spiritual root. My power is a great supplement for you,” Lian Chaoxi, being a first-time teacher, had momentarily forgotten this. He was slightly surprised but then felt a bit annoyed with himself, covering it up with a light cough. “That’s not important, focus.”
Lou Shuangzui curled his lips into a smile, closing his eyes to carefully feel Lian Chaoxi’s power. Spiritual power was very similar to the mental power of the interstellar era. It spread throughout the body, forming a unique cycle within, possessing a rhythm like the tides and exchanging like water molecules, endlessly renewing.
With each breath, with each phase of the moon, spiritual power flowed into his body, constructing a unique equation within. Lou Shuangzui couldn’t help but immerse himself in it. For a moment, he felt his spiritual root… branches and vines, winding and flowing, with poison mixed in the roots, like the fangs of a black water serpent.
“Humans are born from the energy of heaven and earth, formed by the laws of the four seasons.” In an instant, a flash of insight struck, and his mind became clear. In the midst of it all, Lou Shuangzui grasped that thread, and the invisible barrier between human and immortal dissipated in an instant. Spiritual power, like a rushing river, soaked into every inch of his flesh and breath.
The young man seemed to sense something. When he opened his eyes again, he met Lian Chaoxi’s smiling light purple eyes. The Sword Master’s eyes were like the softest petals, the most brilliant glow, making Lou Shuangzui pause for a moment. “Congratulations, you’ve successfully channeled spiritual energy into your body!” Lian Chaoxi congratulated with a bright smile, reaching out to rub Lou Shuangzui’s face, his tone light. “At this speed, you’re truly the little disciple gifted to me by the Heavenly Dao.”
Lou Shuangzui touched his cheek, letting out a soft laugh. When channeling spiritual energy into his body, he was fully focused, so it felt like a short time, but in reality, a whole night had passed. Golden light pierced through the dark clouds in the sky. It had rained at some point last night, and as dawn arrived, the moist air began to slowly dry.
Perhaps this was the magic of immortal arts. Despite not resting the entire night, Lou Shuangzui didn’t feel tired at all; instead, he was full of energy. Lian Chaoxi seemed to have anticipated this situation. He tidied up his slightly disheveled robe from guarding all night and planned to take Lou Shuangzui to try out various weapons.
But Lou Shuangzui didn’t want to start experimenting so soon. He tugged on the Sword Master’s sleeve, signaling Lian Chaoxi to wait. Lian Chaoxi raised an eyebrow, obediently stopping his actions. Then he saw Lou Shuangzui take out a few smooth jade stones from his pocket—mostly pink and white, likely selected from Wen Guyue’s gifts. At some point, he had drilled holes in them and strung them together with a thread.
The young man had just channeled spiritual energy into his body, and his vision and perception had become much clearer. He casually pulled out a hair ribbon from the pile of messy documents on the desk, a ribbon Lian Chaoxi had forgotten he had left there a year ago. It seemed to have been woven by Qian Mo, but he had never thought to wear it.
Lou Shuangzui lifted his chin, signaling Lian Chaoxi to sit down. The master, encountering such a situation for the first time, found it novel and obediently sat down. There was no comb here, but Lian Chaoxi’s hair was smooth and didn’t tangle. His white hair was like soft silk, and with Lou Shuangzui’s skillful hands, which could tame his own curly hair in his past life, he quickly braided it.
He braided a few strands from the top, tying them on the left side with the hair ribbon. The unbraided part merged with the remaining hair, and at the end, he braided three sections, tying them tightly and decorating them with beads. When the long, thick hair no longer covered his face, Lian Chaoxi’s delicate features stood out clearly, especially his light purple eyes and the slightly curved lips. The Sword Master’s lips were exceptionally beautiful.
However, this made the hair accessory seem too plain, not as stunning as that face. After all, jade stones couldn’t compare to the preciousness of pink and purple clouds. Lou Shuangzui, unfazed by Lian Chaoxi’s teasing smile, calmly examined it from both sides. “I don’t have a more suitable hair accessory right now,” Lou Shuangzui’s gaze fell on the unadorned left side of Lian Chaoxi’s hair. “But it’s okay, Master. I’ll find something better for you later.”
Lian Chaoxi couldn’t help but laugh. He propped his face with one hand, curiously touching the intricately braided hair with the other. “My disciple is truly skillful. Maybe you have a talent for artifact refining and talisman drawing.”
He said it casually, not taking it seriously. The Sword Master was now satisfied with everything about Lou Shuangzui, so even the previously tedious task of braiding hair didn’t seem so dull anymore. After all, it gave him an excuse to praise and show off his disciple.
“Before you find a suitable hair accessory, let’s go try out some weapons. Once you find a weapon type that suits you, I’ll have your Uncle Lu refine a good and beautiful one for you.” He casually pinched the jade stone hanging from Lou Shuangzui’s hair crown, his expression indulgent and doting.
The training ground had a small warehouse where various practice weapons were stored, all made of common materials, so it wouldn’t matter if they got damaged. When they arrived, Yulan and Hua Mao were sparring in the training ground. Qian Mo had gone on patrol. Today was supposed to be Hua Mao’s turn on duty, but yesterday’s incident had sounded an alarm for Qian Mo. Even though Hua Mao repeatedly promised not to interact with those people, she still wasn’t at ease, so she took on the task of patrolling the mountain.
Seeing Lou Shuangzui, Hua Mao turned his head awkwardly. When Lou Shuangzui wasn’t paying attention, Lian Chaoxi noticed Hua Mao’s frown, clearly aware of his unusual behavior. However, since Lou Shuangzui didn’t report it, Lian Chaoxi didn’t plan to ask at this moment. He quickly set aside other thoughts and took out several weapons from the warehouse, piling them in front of Lou Shuangzui.
“Try them one by one.” Seeing his eldest disciple pick up a sword first, the Sword Master frowned. “Even though I’m the Sword Master and this is Sword Peak, you don’t have to practice swordsmanship. I hope you choose a weapon that suits you, making your cultivation path smoother.”
Lou Shuangzui shook his head, holding the long sword in his hand and casually twirling it into a beautiful sword flower. He knew he wasn’t skilled with a sword. In fact, if he had to say what he was more accustomed to using, it would be rocket launchers, laser guns, and other hot weapons. Before crossing over, even when he occasionally used cold weapons, it was mostly out of necessity. In such situations, there was no choice; whether it was a dagger, a blade, or even a leaf, Lou Shuangzui could use it.
“I don’t know many weapons. The martial arts masters in the palace taught the most common sword. I’ll show you, and you should be able to see the issues. From there, finding a suitable weapon will be much easier.”
Lian Chaoxi was convinced, nodding in agreement with Lou Shuangzui’s idea. He then pulled out a training scarecrow with simple movements enhanced by talismans and placed it in front of Lou Shuangzui. “Give it a try, I’ll watch.”
Lou Shuangzui politely curled his lips into a smile. In the next second, the long sword thrust forward, catching the lightweight scarecrow off guard and causing it to fall backward. But it was in this fall that the young man had already identified the weak points of the artificial construct.
The scarecrow was fast, but Lou Shuangzui was faster. Using the nearby weapon rack for leverage, he lightly landed behind the scarecrow, piercing the weak points with his sword, dismantling the scarecrow’s structure. Loose golden straw scattered, and with a gust of wind, quite a bit was blown away. The talisman hidden inside the straw fell lightly to the ground, picked up by Lou Shuangzui, who was closest.
“Not bad!” Lian Chaoxi’s eyes lit up, not stingy with his praise. “The scarecrow is no longer a threat. Yulan, come over and spar with your senior brother.”
“Yes, Peak Master,” Yulan picked up the sword beside her and quickly joined Lou Shuangzui. She cupped her hands. “Senior brother, forgive me.”
Yulan was strong, and when she swung her sword, it made a terrifying sound as it cut through the air. Although Lou Shuangzui wasn’t weak, his current body was only thirteen years old, so just by hearing the sound, he could tell he couldn’t meet it head-on.
So he first stepped back to avoid the heavy sword, then sidestepped, using the heavy sword’s clumsiness to his advantage. In the three-second delay, he stepped on the sword’s blade and leaped up. Then, the sword in his hand flew out, accurately hitting a weapon on the ground. The impact lifted a lighter iron fan, which he tapped with his toe, causing it to fall and hit Yulan’s wrist.
The heavy sword fell to the ground, kicked away by Lou Shuangzui, who had calculated the timing and position. The fallen leaf he had somehow picked up became a new weapon, pressed against Yulan’s neck, its sharp edge cutting a strand of her hair.
“It’s over, Miss Yulan.”
Yulan pursed her lips. Although she knew that the talent of immortal servants was not even comparable to outer disciples, let alone inner disciples, being easily defeated by a “senior brother” who had just entered the sect for a few days still left her a bit unwilling.
The girl bit her lip. “No, it’s not over yet.”
Spiritual power emerged from her fingertips, causing the heavy sword on the ground to hum. The heavy sword, summoned by metal attribute spiritual power, flew over aggressively.
It looked dangerous, but Lian Chaoxi had no intention of intervening. Lou Shuangzui remained calm, his expression unchanged. He chuckled softly, and in an instant, poisonous vines broke through the stone ground, piercing Yulan’s ankle.
With a “thud,” the heavy sword fell to the ground again as its owner’s spiritual power was interrupted. Yulan’s face turned pale for a moment, but as Lou Shuangzui manipulated the plants to absorb the poison, her complexion gradually improved.
—Controlled and measured, without harming fellow disciples.
Lian Chaoxi, watching from the side, was satisfied, curling his lips into a smile.
Hua Mao, too shocked, accidentally knocked his own sword off the table. He was so dazed that he didn’t even think to pick it up when it fell. The boy’s voice was lost and forlorn. “He’s already channeled spiritual energy into his body?”
Hua Mao was sixteen this year. Since being brought back by Lian Chaoxi, how long did it take him to channel spiritual energy into his body? Three years? Four years? It certainly wasn’t a short time.
How long did it take Yulan? It was definitely over two years. Even the most talented among them, Qian Mo, took more than a year.
And Lou Shuangzui, brought back yesterday, started learning last night, and today he had already channeled spiritual energy into his body. Moreover… he was using it skillfully, without any of the stiffness seen in immortal servants when they were exploring elements.
So this was the difference in talent between inner disciples and servants?
Sword Peak had never had inner disciples. Hua Mao’s most frequent contact with the outside world was with outer disciples from other peaks. Because Lian Chaoxi didn’t look down on them and taught them carefully, the three of them could be considered to have a decent cultivation speed among most outer disciples.
So Hua Mao had never thought he was much worse than others, nor did he think inner disciples were that impressive. But now… he seemed to understand a bit.
Author’s Note: