Chapter 25: Counting down to the third senior sister, she could easily manipulate the junior sister.
While a bloody storm raged beneath Jingzhe Peak, the small town where the outer disciples resided remained peaceful.
A swift shadow abruptly stopped in front of the small courtyard in the mountain forest, creating a violent gust of wind that swept through the surrounding vegetation, even knocking many leaves off the seemingly sturdy tree. Yan Xueya's mind stirred slightly, and the longsword beneath her feet transformed into a streak of light, merging into her body, allowing the two to step onto the ground.
Her white dress flowed gracefully, and her slightly disheveled hair added a touch of dashing elegance.
However, Qiao Yanshen beside her was clearly not feeling so well. She had barely managed to stabilize herself using her spiritual power after the twists and turns, avoiding being violently thrown into the air. Now, finally stopping, she was nearly thrown headfirst into the barrier, feeling her head churning and her senses completely muddled. But seeing Yan Xueya directly sheath the sword in her dantian, she disregarded her dizziness and, while reaching for a tree beside her, asked, "Why could you put the sword away so easily?"
Seeing that she was not in good condition, Yan Xueya reached out to lift her up again, but Qiao Yanshen hurriedly dodged her. The young man in front of her touched his collar with lingering fear, which made Yan Xueya laugh out loud again.
"Because this is my natal sword, its spirit is bound to my blood, and from then on, our thoughts are one, and all changes are as I wish," she replied.
Qiao Yanshen nodded thoughtfully, his curiosity undiminished, waiting for her to continue explaining. Yan Xueya had intended to end there, but seeing the bright look in her eyes, she reluctantly added a few more words. This student's seriousness surprised her; as she listened to her speak, the student even took out a piece of paper and used her spiritual power to write down her thoughts.
Forging a natal sword to form this contract is extremely demanding for both the master and the sword. Whether the cultivator's spiritual power attributes can combine with the runes in the sword's materials, and whether the cultivator's inner path aligns with the sword spirit's standards—after overcoming these hurdles, the contract also requires mutual trust between the two parties. A sword capable of developing a sword spirit is either formed from the treasures of heaven and earth, or it has accumulated spiritual energy over a long period, cultivating its own divine consciousness within iron ore. It possesses an innate sensitivity to the laws of heaven and earth, and most can see through false words, relying solely on the cultivator's sincere heart.
Halfway through his speech, Yan Xueya sighed, "Frostblade Peak is a unique place in the sect. The snow on it never melts, which nourishes the mineral veins within, giving them spiritual energy and creating a cave. This cave is deep and mysterious, and there are mysteries on its inner side, but no one has been able to go deep into it to this day."
She deliberately avoided mentioning her status as the peak master, and after speaking, she stared at Qiao Yanshen, waiting for her reaction. The woman with her brows furrowed heard her words and not only began to wield her pen, but also held a strange little book wrapped in leather in her hand, writing furiously on it.
"I see. It seems this matter requires a stroke of luck and cannot be forced." Qiao Yanshen nodded, muttering to himself, "Truly wondrous..."
Looks like I'll just have to find something I like and make do for now.
Although they didn't have many spirit stones, they could probably buy an iron sword. And since their junior sister could now cultivate, they definitely needed to prepare one for her as well. Besides, they had many other miscellaneous items to buy; they had been in too much of a hurry when they came. But at least they had finally solved the problem of Shen Lixia's inability to cultivate.
Although it wasn't exactly a solution—it was just that the tribulation lightning brought out a strange ability that even the other party herself was unaware of, causing her to repair herself and become whole again.
Thinking of this, Qiao Yanshen looked towards a certain direction in the mountains, worried about where Shen Lixia had gone and why she hadn't returned yet. The dim afterglow of the setting sun was fading, pressing down on her and bringing a heavy, slightly chilly feeling.
Seeing that she seemed preoccupied and was leaning against the wall, Yan Xueya told her to come inside first. Qiao Yanshen opened the barrier and obediently followed the unfathomable woman into the house. He glanced at her, then at the clean and simple furniture inside, and finally his gaze fell on the neatly folded pillows and blankets in the storage room.
It looks like more than one person lives here.
So she was just worried about her roommate? Yan Xueya withdrew her gaze without leaving a trace, and saw that Qiao Yanshen's hand was still cautiously pressed on the storage bag, and the spiritual energy fluctuations on his body were extremely subtle. She was first surprised by the other party's ability to control spiritual energy so gently and subtly, and then she found her vigilance amusing.
She herself had been in seclusion for far too long, and this disciple had been bogged down in the sect's tedious formalities, so it was normal that he was unaware of the inner sect's affairs. It was all thanks to Ruan Luoying's kind words that she hadn't missed this rare talent.
"It seems you still have things to do, so I won't bother you any longer." Yan Xueya raised her hand, and a thin leaf that had fallen by the window was drawn into her fingertips.
Several strands of spiritual energy wrapped around it and disappeared. Then, the woman casually flicked her wrist, and Qiao Yanshen's eyes sharpened. A watery blue light suddenly surged from his body. He reached out and quickly caught the leaf, and then a few strands of bright red blood flowed from between his fingers.
Despite the intense pain, she didn't blink, waiting for the other person to speak.
"This leaf contains a wisp of my divine consciousness. If you encounter any danger, crush it; if you need my intervention, simply send your divine thoughts into it. Of course, if you have the ability—"
Yan Xueya summoned her natal sword, and instantly a thin layer of ice seemed to condense in the room.
"Then come directly to Frostblade Peak to find me. I will answer all your questions, no matter how big or small."
As soon as she uttered those words, the thin ice shattered, the chill dissipated, and Yan Xueya returned to her original gentle smile, hands behind her back, and said lazily, "Alright, I'm leaving now. Focus on preparing for the mini-competition; the sect leader will be there to watch."
After speaking, the woman turned and walked outside, her figure carrying a sword disappearing beyond the barrier and quickly vanishing from Qiao Yanshen's sight.
Frostblade Peak, chilling air, sword cultivators...
Qiao Yanshen stared at the gradually healing wound between his fingers, put the fine leaves into his bag, and began to recall the sect's history that he had learned in the previous period.
For new disciples, it is essential to understand the operation, structure, and development history of the sect, and they should also remember the immortals within the sect who have reached the Nascent Soul stage.
After all, although the sect leader is powerful, the sect's reputation and operation also rely on the assistance of these immortal venerables.
She slowly compared these characteristics with her own knowledge, occasionally raising her hand to touch her brow, feeling utterly distressed. Only when she thought of a familiar yet rarely mentioned figure did Qiao Yanshen slowly lower her hand, her eyes filled with disbelief.
Only one person fits all these characteristics.
The illustrious Sword Master who single-handedly annihilated millions of demons during the Second Three Races War, protected young disciples, and led the human army to quell numerous disturbances.
Legend has it that with a single breath, he can generate three thousand sword intents, his aura as cold as frost, and he is a terrifying character capable of creating a sea of strangely colored fire.
She is Mingji Zhenjun.
He didn't know what had drawn her to him, nor could he discern whether it was a blessing or a curse. Qiao Yanshen thought about how he had just been next to someone who could easily kill him, and he couldn't help but let out a deep sigh of relief, feeling the oppressive atmosphere instantly ease.
The person in front of me looks so different.
This was for no other reason than that she recalled the book's description of Dao Mingji Zhenjun as a general whose character, honed by long years of war in the mortal realm, was like a blazing flame—warm from a distance, but scalding when approached. At that time, she wore her black hair tied up high, armor covering her shoulders, and was said to look quite dashing.
Now, her white hair falls like a thick blanket of snow on her shoulders, and not a trace of her former eccentricity remains.
Since the other party did not immediately draw their sword and even escorted her back to the courtyard, there was not much hostility in their eyes. Although Xi Ye had injured her, it carried a familiar aura—a sword intent that was even purer than what she had comprehended, condensing the chilling energy that Yan Xueya had honed over a long period of time.
The sword intent was extremely sharp, and it was inevitable that it would cut her. For some reason, Qiao Yanshen suddenly remembered that joke—"Swords have no eyes, be careful not to hurt your fellow Daoist"—this wisp of icy sword intent was probably indeed of this kind, incomparably sharp, but it could inevitably hurt others, or even injure itself.
She wouldn't choose that kind of sword intent, but rather hoped to be able to control it freely and follow her own path.
If his junior sister were here, she would probably have already uttered that teasing remark. Qiao Yan sighed, suppressed his slightly agitated thoughts, lit a stick of incense that Simmons had given him, and then lowered his head to write and draw in his notebook, beginning to record the various magical artifacts he had seen so far.
When the incense had burned halfway and Xia Ruo still hadn't returned, she went out to look for her.
The sandalwood incense slowly enveloped the room, but failed to dispel the dryness. In the height of summer, the forest was especially humid, making the already dim sky even more hazy, and the setting sun swayed behind the mountain shadows.
A faint ripple emanated from the repaired barrier. Qiao Yanshen immediately stood up, hooked two fingers around the notebook, casually placed it on the table, and walked outside.
The boy, who was walking slowly, looked up when he heard her footsteps. Although the thick twilight made his features appear pale and weak, it couldn't hide his appearance. Qiao Yanshen's heart sank. He quickly went over to support Shen Lixia and placed his hand on her back, making her lean against him.
Shen Lixia blinked where she couldn't see. Although her eyes were weak, her expression changed in an instant, no longer like the way she had just collapsed.
That's great. Although it's really uncomfortable, since I'll be found out anyway, I might as well overdo it and my senior sister won't care too much...
“Shen Lixia”.
Qiao Yanshen's voice was still pleasant, and his hand supporting Shen Lixia was trembling slightly, but suddenly a chill ran through the latter's body, as if something terrible was about to happen.
Oh no, oh no.
Just as Shen Lixia had secretly breathed a sigh of relief earlier, Qiao Yanshen also bit his lower lip tightly out of the other's sight, taking deep breaths to suppress his worries and trembling, so that he could continue speaking.
My senior sister doesn't call me Li Xia anymore.
Shen Lixia nearly broke out in a cold sweat. She wasn't unfamiliar with this tone; ordinary mothers, when their children had caused trouble, would speak in such a gentle yet icy tone, raising their voice precisely to pronounce each word of the child's full name. And this call would usually be followed by a sentence—
Count to three.
Qiao Yanshen didn't actually say that, but in Shen Lixia's mind, the ticking of time was already echoing. She recalled the whole process like a revolving lantern, saying she would pick out some things she could explain.
In the end, they discovered that there was practically no way to explain it.
She prided herself on her quick wit and the ability to fabricate lies in a second, but she couldn't bring herself to tell Qiao Yanshen a single lie, except for finding a loophole.
"Senior sister, I..."
"Go back inside first, you're feeling cold... Rest well before we talk."
What nonsense is my senior sister talking about?
Her body was clearly burning up, and it was still burning, with waves of stinging pain crashing against her internal organs.
Before Shen Lixia could reveal everything, Qiao Yanshen helped her and led the young man into the house. Shen Lixia was very tall, and when she was being helped, it looked as if she was leaning on the other person's shoulder. However, the uneasy expression on her face was quite subtle, as if she was extremely aggrieved but dared not speak. Her upturned eyes narrowed slightly and became watery.
Qiao Yanshen caught a glimpse of her expression out of the corner of his eye, and whether it was anger or speechlessness, he couldn't help but laugh. Shen Lixia thought her attempt to appear weak had failed, and was about to plead with her senior sister in a high-pitched voice when the other interrupted her.
"I know you used that strange fire again. Tell me the truth later, and don't hide it from me. If you are sincere enough, I may consider a lighter sentence."
She couldn't bring herself to get angry at Shen Lixia, and she knew that the other party must have remembered what she said before, and that this time she must have had no other choice.
In the end, Qiao Yanshen was only worried about her current weak state, so why should he harden his tender concern with anger?
Shen Lixia nodded sullenly, but when she sat down inside, she suddenly frowned, looked up and sniffed lightly, "There's a strange chill... and the aura of other people's spiritual power."
After saying that, she tensed up, her body heated up again, and she tried to summon the flames.
Unexpectedly, Qiao Yanshen raised his hand and tapped her head, his voice carrying a hint of warning: "...Shen Lixia."
The boy was momentarily speechless. After calming down, he realized that it was just a remnant, not that someone was actually in the house. She was restless and reached out to touch Qiao Yanshen's notebook to look through it. She saw that the latest page, which was clean, had several scribbled mistakes and some ink marks that had been smeared while it was still wet.
"Alright, go ahead and speak."
Qiao Yanshen sat opposite her and said calmly.
The boy pondered more palatable words, remaining silent for a long time, so Qiao Yanshen added another sentence:
"I'll count to three."
...As expected, it came.
Upon hearing this, Shen Lixia immediately broke out in a cold sweat.
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Author's Note: Junior sister, junior sister, just let your senior sister have your way!
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