***
It was late at night; what could be so urgent?
Zhang Yunlu withdrew her gaze and looked at the red jade in her hand.
At this time, her spiritual power had completely recovered, but that warm current remained ceaseless, surging in from the palm of her hand and flowing toward her four limbs and hundred bones.
She felt as though the fatigue of her body had been greatly alleviated.
She flexed the hand that had been holding the sword, and the aching sensation had entirely receded.
'Practice a few more times!' she thought to herself.
There was also a red thread in the jade box; after using it to thread the red jade, it could be worn around her neck just right.
Soon, the long sword was in her hand once more, with spiritual light covering the blade.
Zhang Yunlu recalled the sword moves, and the long sword in her hand swung out accordingly.
Compared to the sword moves from before, which still carried a hint of greenness, this time they were incomparably mellow and harmonious.
Strands of warm current circulated within her body, and the long sword in her hand felt like a gentle breeze passing over, like flowing clouds dissipating.
The blade actually vanished quietly, only to suddenly emerge in the next instant.
Shua!
A streak of white light shrieked out, rushing more than three zhang away before gradually dissipating.
This was sword light, capable of shaving stone into a mirror and penetrating three-tenths of an inch into cold iron!
The first style of the Flowing Cloud Sword Technique was completed!
It actually succeeded?
Even Zhang Yunlu herself was stunned; she had clearly still been so far from it just a moment ago.
Biting her lip, she grasped that piece of red jade at her chest; even through her clothes, she could still feel its temperature.
'So, did he deduce that I would obtain this red jade, and thus conclude that I could master the Flowing Cloud Sword Technique before the day after tomorrow?'
Did that also mean he knew the origin of this red jade?
Zhang Yunlu’s thoughts flew wildly, and it was a long time before she calmed down.
She would go and ask after school tomorrow!
Regarding the truth of her parents' fall, it would be a lie to say she did not care at all, and she believed her elder brother felt the same.
And now there was a path for investigation; one would be a fool not to seize it.
As for the risk...
Heh, if a great cultivator of that level had the intention to plot and seize it, could she and her brother even resist?
She was only in the Qi Refining realm, and her brother was only a Golden Core!
Having made a decision in her heart, Zhang Yunlu put away her sword, took the jade box and the Essence-Returning Spiritual Liquid from the side, turned, and left the rooftop to return home.
After washing up, she walked directly into the bedroom.
She lit a stick of soul-soothing incense; as the curling pillar of smoke rose, Zhang Yunlu lay down on the bed and closed her eyes, still tightly clutching the red jade in her hand.
She soon fell into a deep sleep, but she did not dream until dawn.
Within a peculiar, gray space where the boundaries could not be seen clearly, Zhang Yunlu looked around with a face full of bewilderment.
Suddenly, a line of golden characters appeared before her eyes.
[Fine, I admit that this might be a bit clichéd, but to master the Flowing Cloud Sword Technique before the day after tomorrow with your skeletal roots and comprehension, this method is the most suitable.]
"???"
[Enemy: Level Nine Qi Refining Sword Cultivator, Flowing Cloud Sword Technique at the Lesser Mastery stage.]
[Objective: Kill!]
What?
What kind of thing is this?
Am I not dreaming right now?
She was not given a chance to react; the surrounding mist churned and gathered into a long sword in her hand.
It felt icy to the touch, and the heavy weight proved that this was indeed the real thing!
Wait!
Could it be that what he meant was not that red jade, but this strange place?
A figure carrying a sword walked out from the gray mist, dressed in black martial attire with a face that could not be seen clearly.
The level nine Qi Refining spiritual power was not concealed at all, being on par with her own.
Gulp!
Are we really going to fight?
Without the slightest hesitation, the sword cultivator phantom stepped forward and raised its sword; in an instant, it was before her, the cold, shimmering blade slashing toward her head.
It completely explained with actions that this was not a fight, but a life-and-death struggle!
Clang!
Zhang Yunlu swung her sword to parry, while simultaneously pulling back her position rapidly.
However, the long sword followed her like a shadow; after retreating several steps, her somewhat numb right hand finally recovered.
Falling directly backward, the sword in the phantom's hand only cut off a few strands of her hair but continued to rush forward due to inertia.
Seizing the opportunity, Zhang Yunlu lunged forward with her sword; the situation reversed in an instant, and it looked as though she was about to pierce the phantom.
Yet, the sword cultivator phantom drew a short sword from its waist, the blade covered in a layer of spiritual light.
Clang!
It managed to block this strike!
"This is cheating!"
After shouting, she performed a "lazy donkey roll" to the side, quickly standing up while raising her hand to deliver a sword strike!
The blade vanished for a moment and then quickly reappeared; a terrifying sword light pierced directly toward the phantom's lower back.
However, that sword cultivator phantom had already stabilized its form and avoided the sword light with just a side-step.
Afterward, it returned a sword strike to her, like a gentle breeze and floating clouds, the blade similarly vanishing for a moment.
The alarm bells in Zhang Yunlu’s heart rang loudly; she hurriedly bent her waist backward to avoid the rushing sword light, but a burst of pain came from her abdomen.
When she looked back, white light occupied her vision.
Lesser Mastery of the Flowing Cloud Sword Technique: three streaks of sword light!
At the critical moment of life and death, Zhang Yunlu raised her right hand and then... raised her middle finger.
In the next moment, her head was like a bursting watermelon, scattering into clumps of gray mist.
"Quite the spirited one."
Inside the villa, Xu Xing watched Zhang Yunlu’s headless figure fall, but that last action of hers was quite interesting; it could be considered losing the fight but not the spirit.
"The grasp of timing and situational judgment are both very good; she truly should walk the path of my sword cultivator lineage."
"And she actually reached the Initiation stage of the Flowing Cloud Sword Technique; this is somewhat surprising."
Zhang Yunlu’s performance could be described as outstanding.
She could still make calm judgments in a sudden life-and-death struggle, and even when the initiative was taken from her, she could quickly compensate.
The current era was far more peaceful than before, and various conflicts had decreased significantly.
Therefore, practitioners like Zhang Yunlu, who possessed a decent talent for combat, were easily buried.
Her skeletal roots were still a bit lacking; otherwise, even if placed within the Sword Sect, she would be an excellent disciple capable of becoming a student under a Void Reversion elder.
"Very well, since you have such talent, what does it matter if I help you achieve a Heaven-Formed Dao Foundation?"
Once a Heaven-Formed Dao Foundation was established, paired with her excellent combat talent, it might not be impossible for her to enter the tutelage of the Four Great Elders in the future!
In the next instant, the entire gray space seemed as if the fast-forward button had been pressed, and the images became blurred.
Xu Xing turned his head to look outside.
"As expected, he still could not set his mind at ease and has come looking for her."
Someone was carefully approaching this place.
"But doing so is somewhat unwise."
In the neighboring villa, someone was already on the verge of noticing; a vast and powerful divine sense was gradually spreading out.
"Fine, since you want to see me so much, I shall give you a hand."
Xu Xing raised his hand and tapped lightly in front of him.
Buzz~
Invisible ripples spread out, and just after he finished this, that vast divine sense had already enveloped the entire residential area.
Scanning around, it found nothing, so that divine sense had no choice but to be withdrawn.
Within the residential area, Zhang Xiu carefully approached the target.
Coming near, a faint layer of power attempted to twist his senses.
This was a formation.
Before coming, Zhang Xiu had done an investigation; a formation of this level could not even block a practitioner of the Qi Refining stage, let alone him.
Soon, he reached the wall and pinched a hand seal.
Wall-Walking Technique.
Afterward, he walked directly toward the wall; the wall, which possessed magic-suppressing properties, seemed like a mere decoration as he passed through it effortlessly.
Arriving inside, because the lights were not on, it looked dark and gloomy, appearing somewhat eerie.
'Continue, cannot delay.'
To save time, he passed through several walls in a row and arrived at the living room.
The living room was empty, though the moonlight shining in made it much brighter.
"Breaking into a private residence should be against the law, but I still want to say a word."
The voice that suddenly reached his ears made Zhang Xiu’s scalp tingle; a young-looking man suddenly appeared on the previously unoccupied sofa, looking at him with a smile.
"Good evening."
***