“Do you remember what Senior Sister said when she was teaching me the basics of sword techniques?”
Feng Yunqing suddenly lifted his eyes and stared at Kuang Yuming.
Kuang Yuming’s face was also tense.
The atmosphere became tense for a moment.
Shen Ying’s gaze shifted back and forth between the two, unable to hold back her question, “Junior Brother Kuang, what do you mean by this? Why bring this up out of nowhere?”
Kuang Yuming ignored her.
Feng Yunqing didn’t ask further, just looked at Kuang Yuming, his voice steady, “I remember, she believed that a sword, as a magical artifact, shouldn’t just harm with its blade but should be used to channel spiritual energy.”
Hearing this, Kuang Yuming forgot about the grudge in his heart and couldn’t help but stand up and pace back and forth before sitting back down, asking, “Have you heard anyone else share the same thoughts as Senior Sister?”
Lin Jin, who hadn’t spoken earlier, understood that Kuang Yuming might have encountered someone with similar ideas to Yun Lian. He held Kuang Yuming back, “Junior Brother, don’t get too excited. Understanding the Way of the Sword might not be common in the Canghai Realm, but in the Divine Realm, there are countless talents, and immortals above the Earth Immortal stage are too many to count. Even if you meet someone similar, it doesn’t necessarily mean anything.”
This was like a bucket of cold water poured over him, leaving Kuang Yuming dumbfounded.
Feng Yunqing said, “You’re basing this on just that…”
“Of course not!” Kuang Yuming’s emotions calmed down. He wasn’t as agitated as before, but he clearly hadn’t given up on his idea, “We and the Wanyi Sect of the Divine Realm share the same lineage. The basic sword techniques only have slight variations. Just now… it was exactly like Senior Sister’s habits.”
Ideas can be similar, but the habits of drawing and sheathing a sword, why are each of these actions so familiar?
Among these people, Feng Yunqing and Kuang Yuming share the same lineage with Yun Lian. All three are direct disciples of Qu Ting Zhenjun. Feng Yunqing practiced the basic sword techniques with Yun Lian, and Kuang Yuming was taught by Yun Lian herself, so he was very familiar with her habits.
Kuang Yuming was so anxious that he almost bit his fingers, “It’s that Chang… Chang Songzhu. Just a few days ago, she knew nothing about the Way of the Sword, but suddenly she had an epiphany. Is that normal?”
Feng Yunqing lowered his eyes, listening to Kuang Yuming’s ramblings, and suddenly asked, “Where is that person now?”
Kuang Yuming put his hand down, “You’re right, I need to ask!”
Watching his hurried back, Lin Jin couldn’t catch up, so he turned back to scold Feng Yunqing, “Junior Brother Kuang is young, don’t you understand? Our relationship with these outer sect disciples isn’t great to begin with…”
Feng Yunqing closed his eyes, continuously breathing in spiritual energy, and said, “Since he has such suspicions, it’s better to ask directly than to speculate in secret.”
Lin Jin said with annoyance, “Do you think I don’t know what you’re thinking? You know it’s impossible, yet you still hold onto hope. If you can’t let go, why didn’t you…”
At this point, Shen Ying quietly tugged at him, and Lin Jin realized he had misspoken, swallowing the rest of his words with a heavy sigh, “Let the past be the past. People need to look forward, don’t dwell on it…”
Feng Yunqing was silent for a long time, finally relaxing the tension he had been holding. His voice was slightly confused, “Senior Brother, I just find it hard to believe…”
He and Yun Lian grew up together, their familial, friendly, and romantic feelings intertwined, forming a complex web that tightly bound them together. No matter what outsiders thought, they were the most important people to each other, inseparable like flesh and blood.
Just the day before, they were discussing the style of wedding clothes, and she was so vibrant and beautiful. Yet, in just one day, everything changed.
During the tribulation, amidst the chaos, the desire to survive made him instinctively ignore the pain. Afterward, when the numbness faded, the pain of having his heart ripped out overwhelmed him.
Feng Yunqing wasn’t calm or heartless; he just couldn’t believe it even now.
But he had to believe it. Every time Kuang Yuming found a new reason to prove that his Senior Sister hadn’t vanished, Feng Yunqing had to suppress his unrealistic hope, making him appear even colder.
“You’re too stubborn,” Lin Jin said with a bitter smile, glancing at the jade pendant on Feng Yunqing’s chest, “A miracle happening once is rare enough. How could it happen every time?”
“I know,” Feng Yunqing said slowly, “Senior Brother, it’s just that the human heart is hard to control.”
Shen Ying, standing by, didn’t dare to speak, silently listening to the conversation between the senior brothers. At this moment, she really wanted to ask Feng Yunqing something.
She had thought Feng Yunqing had no feelings for Yun Lian anymore, but it seemed that wasn’t the case. But if he couldn’t let go of Yun Lian, why couldn’t he cut ties with that demoness?
Seeing that Lin Jin didn’t pursue this question, seemingly understanding, she became even more puzzled.
*
After dealing with her fellow disciples, Chang Songzhu strapped the Evergreen Sword to her back and headed to her residence.
Kuang Yuming found her at this moment, “Senior Sister Chang, please wait.”
Chang Songzhu stopped, feeling a bit apprehensive.
It’s said that cultivators born in the Divine Realm have some stereotypes about those who ascend from the lower realms. Even if someone has become an Earth Immortal, with a cultivation level higher than most in the Divine Realm, some still see them as country bumpkins.
The kinder ones might think they’ve barely scraped into the Divine Realm after overcoming countless hardships. While this isn’t strictly wrong, it often carries a hint of condescension.
Even ascended Earth Immortals face this, so one can imagine the looks people like Kuang Yuming, who were promoted despite lacking cultivation, receive.
Chang Songzhu didn’t have such thoughts. After all, she had struggled alone to get where she was, enduring hardships no less than those from the lower realms. But after defeating Kuang Yuming earlier, his despondent reaction scared her, fearing that this one failure might trigger some problem in him. So she decided to avoid him in the future.
But before she could dodge, she was blocked. Kuang Yuming directly asked, “Senior Sister Chang, who taught you your sword techniques?”
Here it comes!
Chang Songzhu thought: As expected, he’s just not convinced and wants to learn from me.
Seeing her wary eyes, Kuang Yuming finally realized and softened his tone, “I mean no harm. It’s just that your recent sword habits are very similar to someone I know. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen them, so I got a bit anxious.”
Hearing that he might be a friend of Yuan Lian, Chang Songzhu immediately let her guard down and got quite excited, but then she thought something was off.
She frowned and thought for a moment, “Wait, didn’t you just arrive in the Divine Realm? How do you already have ‘old friends’?”
Kuang Yuming was very honest, explaining everything, “She was my Senior Sister in the Canghai Realm… We were disciples under the same master. She got separated from us over a decade ago…”
“Then it definitely can’t be her,” Chang Songzhu quickly said, “I don’t know what level your master is, but at most, it’s Integration. The person I know is at least at that level… could even be an Earth Immortal. How could she be your Senior Sister?”
Kuang Yuming paused, not letting disappointment cloud his judgment, “What’s her name?”
Since it was clear this person wasn’t Yuan Lian’s friend, Chang Songzhu was even more reluctant to reveal anything. She shook her head, “There’s no need to ask. It definitely isn’t her.” With that, she tried to walk around him.
Kuang Yuming didn’t give up, persistently following and saying, “My Senior Sister’s name is ‘Yun Lian,’ Yun as in charm, Lian as in lotus. Have you heard of this name?”
Chang Songzhu’s steps suddenly halted, nearly causing Kuang Yuming to bump into her.
She turned back, suspiciously asking, “Lotus as in Lian?”
“Exactly!” Kuang Yuming quickly replied, “Have you heard of it?”
Chang Songzhu looked him up and down, hesitating but still cautious, “No, I haven’t heard of it.”
“Really?” Kuang Yuming’s eyes widened.
She nodded, her eyes darting around, “But what does your Senior Sister look like? What’s her personality? I can keep an eye out for you…”
She spoke sincerely, and Kuang Yuming didn’t think much of it, honestly saying, “Senior Sister is very beautiful… She’s a gentle person, honest and kind to others, never speaking harshly to anyone.”
Oh, then it definitely isn’t her.
Chang Songzhu thought this but asked, “Does your Senior Sister have any family?”
Kuang Yuming smiled bitterly, “The Great Thousand World is different from the Divine Realm. Many cultivators’ parents are mere mortals, with lifespans of less than a hundred years. Senior Sister Yun Lian has no siblings, so how could she have family…”
Chang Songzhu was about to say something when Kuang Yuming continued, “If I must say, she does have a fiancé…”
“What?!” Chang Songzhu couldn’t help but exclaim.
Kuang Yuming glanced at her, now certain that this person must have some connection to Yun Lian. Even if they weren’t directly acquainted, they likely had some interaction.
He didn’t press further, only saying, “Senior Sister Chang, could we find a place to sit down? I can tell you more about Senior Sister, and maybe… you could help keep an eye out…”
Chang Songzhu’s mind was a bit muddled. On the surface, apart from being “beautiful,” Kuang Yuming’s Senior Sister seemed unrelated to Xiao Lian. But the similar sword habits and the similar name were hard to ignore.
Hearing Kuang Yuming suggest a detailed conversation, she was tempted but also worried that it might cause trouble for Yuan Lian if something was amiss. After some thought, she decided to let Yuan Lian know about this first.
“I don’t…”
“Go with him.”
Yuan Lian’s voice suddenly came from beside her ear, startling Chang Songzhu, who instinctively looked around but saw no one.
Kuang Yuming, seeing her strange behavior, quickly asked, “Senior Sister Chang? Did you think of something?”
He seemed completely unaware of the voice, but Chang Songzhu clearly heard Yuan Lian say again, “Go with him, listen to what he has to say.”
Chang Songzhu cleared her throat and said seriously to Kuang Yuming, “You’re right. As fellow disciples, if I can help you, that would be great.”