Feeling far too restless and intrigued to simply stay put, Yun Zhou decided to go and take a look.
He suppressed his cultivation realm down to the early stage of the Nascent Soul realm, placing him precisely one minor realm below the swordsman, Tang Nanxi.
Casually snapping off a twig, he used its leaves as a footing and soared through the air toward the martial arts platform.
Channeling spiritual energy into the twig in his hand, he met the cold, sharp edge of his opponent’s spiritual sword. With a deft parry, a twist, and a downward press, the branch and the sword engaged in a silent contest of strength in midair.
The sword blade pressed from below while the twig rested above. The blade trembled slightly, emitting a faint ringing sound as it conveyed its master’s unwillingness to yield, while also expressing Tang Nanxi’s inner thoughts to Yun Zhou.
Grasping his sword, Tang Nanxi perceived the weak point where the twig bore its stress. Shifting his footing slightly, he quickly pulled his blade back, concentrated his spiritual energy at a single point on the edge, and thrust upward. Yun Zhou’s twig snapped cleanly in two at the impact.
The young cultivator cupped his fists and bowed, gesturing for Ling Wanxing beside him to return the greeting as well. His tone was cool and respectful: “Thank you for your guidance, Fellow Daoist. May I ask how to address you?”
Yun Zhou immediately waved his hand dismissively, indicating it was nothing, and casually fabricated an identity on the spot: “Guidance is hardly the word. I simply noticed your swordsmanship, though fierce, still retained an underlying gentleness, and I wanted to spar with you for a bit.
“My name is Shen Qingchen, a registered disciple under Immortal Venerable Yun Zhou. Immortal Lord Shi An is currently guiding my cultivation on behalf of Shizun.”
Tang Nanxi replied politely, “A pleasure to meet you, Fellow Daoist Shen” though if he could have shed a bit more of the freezing indifference and detachment in his tone, it would likely have felt far more courteous.
Perhaps he only ever revealed the vibrant energy appropriate for his age when facing Ling Wanxing beside him.
Ling Wanxing had appeared to listen intently to Young Master Shen’s words, but in reality, his eyes had long been captivated by the twitching fox ears and the nine tails swaying behind him.
It wasn’t until the surrounding area fell quiet that he realized he had lost his decorum. Flushing crimson, he apologized profusely, wishing he could find a crack in the ground to crawl into and erase that awkward lapse.
The corners of Yun Zhou’s lips curved upward, amused by the young man’s anxious and panicked tone.
There was no mockery or contempt in it; he simply found the youth thoroughly entertaining and remarkably polite.
However, what piqued his curiosity even more was which sect the two of them belonged to. With that thought in mind, he voiced the question aloud.
Tang Nanxi lowered his gaze, momentarily wondering why Yun Zhou was unaware of these matters.
Without a second thought, Ling Wanxing asked with a mix of curiosity and confusion: “Fellow Daoist Shen, you might not know this, but we are disciples of the Qinyinxin Sect.
“Our Sect Master has an important collaborative arrangement with your sect’s leader. Brother Nanxi, myself, and several other disciples will be staying here for a period to spar and exchange pointers with the prodigies of your sect.”
Yun Zhou felt a slight flush of embarrassment. Having found his little disciple too long-winded earlier, he hadn’t listened closely, it seemed that matter had indeed been mentioned. Outwardly, however, he maintained an utterly unflappable composure. “So that’s how it is. I have nothing to do either; if you run into any trouble in the future, you’re welcome to come find me.”
Ling Wanxing chimed in excitedly, “Fellow Daoist Shen, look, we’ve been chatting for so long does that mean we can be considered friends now?”
Yun Zhou glanced at Tang Nanxi beside him, and seeing him give a slight nod of agreement, he answered Ling Wanxing’s question, “Naturally. We are friends.”
The Sect Master of the Qinyinxin Sect would never have imagined that his own little troublemaker of a son could actually let loose and cut loose alongside several other disciples. Well, no he did expect it, but he certainly hadn’t expected them to play quite this wildly.
Beginning with what started as normal sparring matches with the disciples, Yun Zhou would consistently snap off a twig and effortlessly defeat batch after batch of disciples until they were utterly convinced of his skill.
Having amassed a loyal following of junior followers alongside Ling Wanxing and Tang Nanxi, he soon became the undisputed leader among the younger disciples.
The trio developed a distinct dynamic: one appeared cool, refined, and elegant on the surface while secretly concocting the most schemes; another was carefree, thick-skinned, and the most fiercely reckless in action; while the final one remained taciturn and reserved, but always lingered in the background to clean up the messes left behind by the other two.