Regressed Master: Raising The Son Of Heaven Isn’t Easy (Xianxia/Progression)

[Overload69]

The Heaven's Pond. The only thing it brought to the alliance was trouble, not only did it help in skyrocketing the growth of the Demonic cultivators in large numbers, but it also helped them produce numerous geniuses that terrorized the Alliance. And even after the Alliance captured the Heaven's Pond the only thing it did was cause factions to form, deepening the already apparent cracks in the system.


But now, neither the Demonic Sect nor the Alliance knew about it. Right now, this major resource is in one person's hand, Li Muchen, me. To not use it fully would be foolish, as the time it could be useful to me was running out quick after the change in Spiritual root.


The Black Lotus, I was internally elated that the aspect that held me back was replaced by something much higher grade. However, that was foolish of me.


If there is an up, there must be a down. Such was Heaven's way of doing things for the common man, one cannot experience fortune without misfortune of some kind.


In my case, this misfortune seemed much bigger than the fortune. The speed of Qi absorption this Spiritual root had far outclassed the durability of my meridians and Qi pathways that had stayed unchanged. If it wasn't for my cultivation method that allowed me to reduce the base absorption, I would've died after only a few seconds of cultivation. As much as I wanted to use the higher-ranking Cultivation methods, they were impossible to use with my current meridians, and if I went any lower than my current method it would only result in an unstable cultivation.


And I could not allow myself to put a cap on my growth, to strengthen the meridians and the body Heaven's Pond was the perfect place.


The Mortal Qi (Fire, Water, Wood, Earth, Metal) and the Heavenly Qi (Yin and Yang) everything was made up of these, and living beings were the greatest creations to come out of this union facilitated by the Goddess Nuwa.


The body and the soul, the mortal and the heavens, it was the creation that came about from an intricate balance created by the Mother of All. To intervene in such a process was like crossing a tightrope with your hands and feet tied while a tornado rages on, everything was bound to go wrong.


But I have no choice, and it isn't like there weren't ways created to make this possible. The condition was that one needed to find a source that had the perfect mix of the Mortal and Heavenly Qi, although found in nature such a thing was closer to a miracle than anything. Only seven such items had been found thus far, but the help they could give was abysmal compared to the pond I was in. Even then I couldn't carelessly start absorbing the Qi right now.


My spiritual root is raring to go rogue again… Rather than a lotus it would be accurate to call it a starved beast in a craze. If I so much as started mediating that would be the end of me, even the cultivation method I was familiar with for several centuries couldn't help, however, there was still a way to get what I wanted.


After completely closing my Mind realm gate, I emptied my lungs. With a relaxed motion, a stream of flowery air and Qi entered through my nose, holding my breath for four seconds the Qi quickly passed through my meridians before it was exhaled over three seconds, and the cycle continued.


What I was doing was a little more tedious than normal breathing, a breathing technique used by the very first cultivators to achieve the state of Pseudo-meditation, in other words, a passive state that allowed a common to get stronger without their knowledge. It was from this knowledge that the first cultivation method was born.


In this state one is meditating, yet completely aware of their surroundings and senses. Cultivation started with something that could be considered one of the hardest things to achieve.


Perfect for me even with the speed being reduced to five percent because it excluded my Dantian and Mind realm gate flawlessly, both of which had become a problem for me. However this breathing technique cannot be used for proper cultivation because of the slow yield, but that was of no issue as cultivating wasn't the goal.


The Qi circulating through the meridians and pathways passes by organs, bones, nerves, and muscles, ridding them of any impurities while nourishing them further. While doing so, Qi from Heaven's Pond gets absorbed in the body and doesn't cause an imbalance because of the identical structure.


I had never used it in my previous life, by the time the Alliance took this pond over I had already gone past Golden Core Realm. The reason was that the first three realms are known as the Mortal realm of cultivation, is these realms cultivators only strengthened their bodies the best they could, as their souls resided in the heavenly plane.


But as soon as one reaches the Nascent Soul Realm their soul descends into the body, thus the balance becomes more intricate. Any rash tempering here results in being crippled. That is why I was thankful for being in the Golden Core Realm, although the benefits I get won't be as great as my young disciples who have only started their journey, the results I get would be a hundred-fold more than any other method of doing this.


So, I kept at it. My skin felt hot, my bones were itchy, the muscles twitched in joy, and the nerves tingled with intensity. The wave of rejuvenation passed through my wound-ridden body, from every previously torn muscle to broken bones to punctured organs, my entire body drowned in the soothing touch, relieved of the lingering pain along with the shadows that came with it.


My aching meridians cracked, but not in a bad way. They were opening, slowly but surely, they widened to allow the passing of slightly more Qi as the previously damaged Qi pathways made recovery, absorbing all of the Qi with glee. A blissful experience like swaying in a hammock letting the spring breeze wash over you.


But as good as it felt staying here all day wasn't possible, even at my stage 12 hours was my limit, any more and the potent energy will run rampant. However, I couldn't use those twelve hours completely, at least not today.


A sharp beep pierced my ear, this made it the seventh time but instead of ignoring it again I opened my eyes and turned around. With a light touch, the token fell silent, but the second one continued, on the stairs Wang Yang stirred awake by the sound of his token as I wrapped a robe around myself.


"Oh, Master…" He rubbed his eyes while turning the alarm off.


He was fully dressed with dry hair as he had stopped meditating in the pool three hours ago. I expected him to jump in again after an hour of rest like before, but he fell asleep on the stairs.


"So how was it?" I asked fastening the white belt around my robe.


"It was like swaying in a hammock in the spring wind."


His words brought a smile to my face as I too had the same thought, but most people would have a similar thought as that is a common experience.


I contacted Sun Lingling and Wu Kexin through the token after taking a quick bath, they came over to the cabin Wang Yang and I shared as preparations for the dinners started. Although I say that, food was prepared in advance and kept in the storage ring.


As the quick but hearty dinner came to a close, I made the closing remarks.


"From tomorrow morning you three are to use the ingredients in the pantry to make your own meals, if you run out the forest outside will be your hunting ground." They looked over, eyes full of confusion.


"Why so suddenly?" Lingling asked, her eyes clearly showing her interest in training continuously.


"Food is important for sustenance, and being able to cook is a skill everyone must know. Especially cultivators who have to brave through unknown territories alone knowing the fauna and flora is an advantage, the Food pills can run out and in a situation like that this skill will help you. Also, cooking skills are a foundation that will help in alchemy." I explained.


"Food as medicine like the one in the old books…" Kexin's mutter gave them an idea of it.


"Along with that, I will start teaching you about the Four Cardinal Direction of Cultivation in earnest."


"Does that mean we can learn about swordplay from tomorrow onwards?" Wang Yang's excitement rose.


Sun Lingling and Wu Kexin had their attention set on this too, and I didn't plan to dampen the mood.


"Since we have eaten our fill, how about some after-meal exercise?" It was time to show them the first mountain.


***


"Sword Mastery is divided into three major milestones, Sword Qi, Sword Silk, and Sword Soul. Each stage is much more difficult than the last taking cultivators decades to centuries to understand them." I said holding a slender black sword in my hand, it emitted a dull white glow responding to my heart. "The first stage is accomplished when you can wrap your heart around the sword, giving it an edge as sharp as your ambition."


Outside the cabin, the three looked at the glowing sword with intense focus. Pointing the sword at them I dropped an ingot of meteoric iron, the very metal this sword was made of, on top of it. Even if dropped from only an inch above the edge, the ingot was split in two even with the sword held still as if butter sliding over a hot knife.


Wang Yang and Wu Kexin's eyes widened as the ingot, now cut sunk into the soft soil below. Sun Lingling's eyes however were fixated on the edge of the blade, or more precisely the light green sword qi surrounding it, the Qi gave this sword a robust and hair-raising edge anyone who couldn't feel that wouldn't have the makings of a Sword Cultivator. But this wasn't all I had to show today.


"The Sword Silk is a realm in which you can extend your Sword Qi beyond your blade. It creates an illusion of a long sheet of silk following the path of your sword. It is taxing, but its attack power is several times higher allowing continuous motion and unbreaking strikes that help weave offense and defense together, making it a trump card that every sword cultivator wishes to have." Stepping forward my blade moved diagonally downwards in the air leaving a grass-green trail behind.


Although it appeared as soft and non-lethal like silk, yet the more I turned in tandem with the swing the more momentum gathered behind the blade, the sheet of silk now covered the openings as the edge sharper than steel moved towards the target. The meteorite iron ingot I had thrown in the air ended up in 10 pieces, each a passable cube.


"…Has Master already reached the Grandmaster realm?" A subtle emotion entered Sun Lingling's voice.


"G-Grandmaster realm?" Kexin's voice trembled.


"Is that great? Isn't it the second stage?" Wang Yang looked at the two.


"Of course it is! There are only 20 Sword Grandmasters on the Eastern Continent. This not only makes Master the 16th but also possibly one of the youngest to reach it!" Kexin's enthusiasm pushed Wang Yang's shining eyes toward me, bearing the eyes of admiration was tedious, especially for people who weren't special.


"No, that won't be possible, the current youngest Sword Grandmaster on the Eastern continent would be Miss Gu Yue who reached the stage at the age of 180. But if we include the people who weren't born on this continent the list would differ, however, Master would still be in the youngest ten." Sun Lingling's unblinking red eyes turned to me, now much more intense than before.


"Well, that would indeed be true if I had achieved true Sword Silk." I said much to their confusion, there was a big reason why so few reached that stage even with the abundance of Sword Cultivators. "What I did not was but a trick to emulate Sword Silk."


With the square pieces of meteorite iron placed before them, their confusion deepened.


"Look at the rough edges, the weight, and the number. A sword grandmaster can cut a 1 kg ore into thumb-size cubes of the same size and weight without the loss of any material. This is the difference between the fake and the genuine article." The explanation seemed to be sinking in as the imperfections became clear to them.


Can I use Sword Silk? Yes. My insights with the sword had stayed with me along with my experience in battlefields, the most important aspect. But I cannot openly admit to it, such a rare prowess comes with equally scrutinizing attention, something that was of no use to me at this stage. So, the previously developed trick that imitated the sword silk by lining up individual Sword Qi, a technique developed by Sword Feind, and guiding threads came into play for cleaner cuts.


"With that, the demonstration will end." I sheathed the sword.


"But what about the Sword soul?" Wang Yang asked.


"To understand that you must reach Sword Silk." Such answers cannot be given that easily, regardless the bar had been set now so it was time for the push. "But before becoming the Sword Master, you must first become a first-rate sword cultivator."


"First-rate sword cultivator?"


Wang Yang's question made me worry if he had been reading properly. Maybe I have been a tad bit lenient with him to make up for the time before regression.


"One becomes a first-rate swordsman when the sword becomes a part of the cultivator." Kexin explained, jabbing his side.


"The sword becomes the part of the person? Like Uncle Han?" Wang Yang's innocent question was met with a glare.


"To a first-rate swordsman, a sword isn't simply a tool, rather it becomes an extension of their hand. It is the moment where both the cultivator and his weapon become one entity." I answered before the subject was lost in the moment.


"That sounds cool!" Wang Yang said.


"It indeed is, but it is also the first major roadblock that will show one how much talent they possess with the sword." Cleaning up the ore I looked at the three with a smile. "You three will begin training first thing tomorrow so be sure to rest properly, unless you wish to faint halfway through the training."


"Will do Master!"


Understanding the severity of the situation Wang Yang and Wu Kexin made their way to the cabins without missing a heartbeat, however, Sun Lingling remained behind, and the reason was clear.


"You may have used Sword Qi, but you aren't a first-rate sword cultivator yet." So, I answered before she could ask.

 

[Overload69]

"You may have used Sword Qi, but you aren't a first-rate sword cultivator yet." I said to Sun Lingling.


"…Why?"


Her confusion was understandable, even geniuses cannot skip over the Sword-Body unification before achieving Sword Qi. It was a prerequisite as a user would have to connect their pathways with the sword to bring about the transfer of energy and meticulous control. However, Sun Lingling wasn't a normal genius.


"Just like I used a trick for Sword Silk, you too have arrived at Sword Qi realm with a trick." My eyes went to the sword on her hip.


That sword belonged to an accomplished and hardworking sword cultivator, paired with Lingling natural talent and spiritual root reaching the Sword Qi would be as difficult as walking for her. But therein lay the problem.


"You cannot achieve Sword-Body unification with that sword, because to you that is the same as affirming that the previous owner of the Ashen Blade had passed away."


Sun Lingling's gaze lowered, and for a moment she bit her lip before speaking.


"Master… How much do you know?"


"Not enough to let your worries at rest." Shaking my head was all I could do.


"…Do I have to part with this too?" That weak mutter was unlike the stoic Sun Lingling, the small shoulder trembled as her hand gripped the scabbard.


"If you want to go beyond Sword Qi then yes, you'd need a sword you can accept as your own. In truth, I have already prepared one so tell me after you have thought things over." There was not much I could do to help her here even if I wanted to, as fantasy like Cultivation sounded there were many preset rules that couldn't be broken for one's convenience.


"…I will." Her words were barely audible as she left for her cabin on the other side of the pond.


Do forgive me Lingling. I can't have you breaking down over news I haven't confirmed with my own eyes. Looking at her back I turned and entered my own cabin. I understand your torment better than anyone else, that is why I cannot let you live with it.


A boatload of trouble waited on the Horizon.


***


The schedule inside the cavern reflected that of the outside world, even if the place was lit for 24 hours. To sleep everyone used the curtains to block the windows and used the clock in the cabin to know of the time.


As for how they woke up…


"This thing is annoying… but it works." Kexin ripped off the green talisman from her forehead, it functioned as an alarm clock that sent a string of sounds straight into her ears to wake her up.


Since no one else would hear it, this became the perfect tool for the three disciples because of their variable schedules in the past month.


On the bed next to her Sun Lingling lay on her side, her eyes shut giving her the visage of a sleeping princess yet a sword handle peaked out from the blanket. The Ashen Blade was synonymous with her, and she hadn't been seen without it even when she entered the heaven's pond. Although unexpected, Kexin had grown accustomed to it now, leaving the bedroom she washed her face with cold water kept in the kitchen and made herself a light breakfast.


It was five in the morning, an hour earlier than yesterday. She stepped out of the cabin with a sword in hand, deep black in color with sliver lines stretching from the hilt to the tip, made with quality iron giving it a sharp edge and proper weight.


"Mornin' Kexin." However, she wasn't the first one out here, as usual, Wang Yang had already completed the physical training and started swinging his own sword, one similar to hers but a bit longer and wider.


"Morning, aren't you pushing yourself a bit too much? That's almost twice the weight compared to last week." The black straps wrapping around his arms had several pockets filled with solid metal sticks for the weight.


One four-inch stick weighed around 2 kilograms, and Wang Yang had 10 of those on each arm and ankle with a weighted vest of similar weight.


"If it wasn't for Master's warning I would've doubled the weight." He said doing downward slashes without breaking a sweat.


"Well, a gradual increase is better, it will cause problems if you hurt yourself because of overconfidence." She sighed, she had only reached about four sticks on each limb.


Kexin wrapped the straps on her body in preparation of her run when an explosion occurred behind the cabin she shared with Sun Lingling. Despite the echoes ringing in their ears, the two didn't bat an eye at the rising smoke. They had grown used to it over the past month, however there was one thing they couldn't understand.


"How can she cause explosions while cooking meals?" Wang Yang's question went unanswered again.


After physical training and following the sword drills instilled in her by Li Muchen, Kexin entered the heaven's pond to meditate and strengthen herself. She entered the water in silence to not disturb Sun Lingling and closed her eyes.


My strength is still increasing, and even my speed of cultivation is seeing progress. She still couldn't rival Wang Yang's speed not to mention Sun Lingling, but her speed had almost doubled from what she started with. And according to Li Muchen, she still had more room to grow, but the same was true for the other two.


Wang Yang is already making his way to the third layer of Qi Refining, Sun Lingling is nearing a breakthrough to the seventh… No, don't think like that, remember Master's word. She clenched her fist under the glow of the pond. I am a turtle, not a hare. But even hares come to a halt along the way, and that will be my time to catch up.


With burning passion, she slipped into meditation once again.


***


Around afternoon the three disciples had finished with their physical training and moved to alchemy practice, the three sat down outside of the cabin. Wang Yang and Kexin sat only a few steps away from one another with a brown cauldron the size of a pot before them while Sun Lingling was about a hundred steps away, they focused their eyes on the murky liquid inside.


Like water mixed with dirt, the scent of it was as appealing as its appearance, strong enough to make their noses numb. However, the two kept their burning eyes close to the pot, their hands grabbing on the sides of the cauldron, sweat trickling down their forehead.


I'll pass today! With a mental battle cry, Kexin sent her Qi into the cauldron, the earthy liquid burbled along the side of the earthen cauldron as a hint of green hue broke out from the cloudiness.


The liquid was a mixture of water and Ligu seeds, an inexpensive spiritual herb, that were about as small as mustard seeds, the three had to separate the Ligu seeds from the water. But they could only use their Qi to form a clump in the center and then extract it so that it doesn't scatter afterward, such was the exam Li Muchen used to know of a student's alchemy potential.


Kexin had been doing this test for over three weeks now and had succeeded in gathering ninety percent of seeds at a time, the concentration it took to gather each seed had many roadblocks, the biggest problem being the seeds rejoining the water because of her weak control over Qi and even if she tried to extract them the seeds wouldn't stick together.


But that is what this training is for. Not only does it help in increasing my control over Qi, it also helps in learning how to focus on two tasks at the same time. This way, even if I don't have a talent for alchemy, the time I spent would still benefit me in other things. Kexin has seen the results of it when she meditated, so she put her all in the training to reap the maximum benefits from them.


"Oh… It worked." Wang Yang had surprised himself with the way he looked.


Kexin stopped her practice for a moment and looked at the clump of tightly packed Ligu seeds, they hadn't separated even after he had taken it out of the water marking the first success out of three disciples.


"What… How did you do that?" The result was exactly what their Master wanted.


"Well, I saw a kid playing with a toy yesterday in the nearby village." He brought in an unexpected variable.


"A toy?" Kexin titled her head.


"Yeah, they were some marble-sized metal balls that stuck to one another for some reason. I thought that if I treated the seeds like those balls and used Qi to hold them together it could work, and it did somehow." Wang Yang showed the clump of Ligu seeds in his hands to Kexin so she could have a closer look.


Using Qi to bind them rather than keeping them in place? Kexin had tried to hold the seeds in place by wrapping each seed with Qi, however, her mental capacity had limits and her control slipped at times. I was going about it the wrong way? This wasn't about Qi control and concentration training alone…


"So, this is how pills are made…" Kexin looked at the seed clump with a deep gaze. "From herbs to pills, the process to remove the unneeded, binding the medicinal properties from a myriad of different and contrasting materials together. It all happens like this."


"What?" Wang Yang blinked.


"Nothing. About the toy you mentioned, can you show me who has it? I'll be going to the village today to barter eggs and milk, so come if you can." Kexin had to look deeper into this, and not because she wanted to succeed in her test.


"I don't see why not. But I'll go in the evening, I have to hunt now."


"Didn't you go hunting yesterday from afternoon to sundown?"


"Ah… well…" Wang Yang scratched his cheek.


"Did you really waste time playing yesterday?" Kexin already knew the answer when he averted her gaze.


Li Muchen gave them one day in a week to hunt for food after the pantries had emptied, true to his word he didn't help them cook or gather things. With everything left to them, only today the real problem arose.


"Since you are done with this, you should leave now and handle the food, I'll give you some for today." Kexin sighed.


"Wouldn't master punish us then?"


"This isn't simply sharing, you gave me valuable information and I gave you food in return, it is a proper transaction. Remember that." She wouldn't take no for an answer as his grumbling stomach told her the state of his food reserves.


"If you say so." He stood up with a smile and stored the cauldron in his storage ring. "Meet me at the village in three hours then."


"I hope he doesn't get distracted today too." Kexin cleaned up and got ready to enter the pond again, but then a booming explosion rang through the cavern.


It was the fourth one since morning.


"I should be grateful that it isn't happening in the cabin at least." With a sigh, Kexin moved towards the pond.


***


A couple of hours before sundown, Kexin left the Heaven's Pond through the cave Li Muchen had dug. The chilly evening wind made the damp forest much duller, as if night had already fallen.


The light outside and inside, the atmosphere, the temperature, and the taste of the air, everything differed. As if the tunnel she had taken brought her to a different world, such was the difference between them.


The clouds are gathering… an untimely rain? Kexin observed while making her way through the forest at a maintained pace.


After roaming the place for a month, she knew the area well enough to take shortcuts through the dense trees with confidence even if there were no animal trails. The falling leaves made for a good dodging exercise in the meantime.


Master really has some wei-Ahem* unique ways of training. Coughing away Kexin climbed the small mountain to reach the village, the men who worked in the field had grown used to her timely visits to the village.


"Young miss, here to trade meat again? Did you get a big haul again?" A guy knees deep in mud asked with a smile.


"Not a big haul, but it should be enough to get me some goat milk and eggs." Kexin smiled back with a rucksack in hand, she had taken it out at the foot of the mountain to avoid suspicion.


"Ain't that perfect? My chickens have been working hard lately. How bout it?" The man offered.


"I don't see why not."


The transaction didn't take long as the boar meat she brought got her enough eggs and milk for the week. After climbing a little more, she found Wang Yang sitting outside a house, he was enjoying a bowl of congee with a smile.


"Oho, if it isn't the hunter lady. How you doing?" The middle-aged woman with a baby girl strapped to her back smiled, she was the one they first talked with in this village.


"As usual, here is the meat you wanted. I put in a little extra as a thanks for taking care of this fool." Kexin handed over cured meat wrapped in yellow paper.


"It is nothing, my Liu becomes more energetic whenever he is around." The woman reigned in her kid that tried to climb over her back to reach Wang Yang.


"Looks like you are as popular as ever with kids." Kexin turned towards her troublesome friend.


"Don't act like you didn't diss before this, also you'd be popular too if you don't get angry so often."


"What'd you say?" She looked over.


"Nothing, big sis." He coughed as his grumbling stomach demanded the congee.


"You two sure get along." The woman smiled stirring the pot of congee. "The village always feels lively with many visitors."


"Is it rare?" Kexin asked.


"Of course, who would want to come to a remote mountain village in the middle of nowhere? Even merchants wouldn't come by if it wasn't for the tea leaves, but more people have come here since you arrived."


"More people?" Kexin's eyes narrowed.


"Some relatives of village chief from a nearby city, they brought some valuable spices as gifts too. I haven't seen them around, but the men were causing a ruckus at how beautiful and polite they were." The woman's tone turned low.


"Was that all?" Kexin tried to smile, it seemed this woman's husband was one of those men.


"No, the problem's something else. Two days ago, Hunter Yu saw a bear-like man roaming about the Jo River, and yesterday night some men came by the village to find directions. I heard they looked like ruffians or the sort, so be careful when you go in the forest."


"I will be careful." Kexin nodded and turned to look at Wang Yang. "Then, I'll go ahead."


"Sure sure." The woman waved them off.


"Have you seen the bear-like guy they were talking about?" He asked waving the woman and kids goodbye.


"I haven't. Don't look for him either, if you do encounter him alert Master immediately." She said looking around, they were quite deep into the village.


Unlike the small houses attached to the field on the outskirts, the main village had a dozen of wooden and mud-walled houses.


"Where is the kid who had that toy?" She asked.


"The village chief's grandson. Their house is just 20 or so steps ahead." Wang Yang pointed at the house at the end of the dirt road.


This was the only house with two floors in the village, a waist-high wooden fence surrounded the residence with a slanted roof made of hay. Kexin didn't think much of the unassuming appearance, such houses were commonplace in the countryside, however as soon as they were within 10 steps of the house her expression stiffened.


"Wang Yang, we are getting out of here." Her voice turned grave as the vision before her changed.


Unlike Wang Yang and Sun Lingling, Kexin had a passion for learning every path she could to follow in the footsteps of Li Muchen, her master. So much so that she had been learning swordsmanship, alchemy, formations, and forging, at the same time even if it meant losing time to rest.


And to get started on formations Li Muchen gave her a Talisman to access Qi sight. In non-complicated words, she could see the Qi in nature using her sight, such a skill became necessary to Formation users who used the natural Qi to their advantage and it helped in locating hidden formations.


I only found out about it after stepping in it, we are too late. Sweat trickled down her forehead as her disciple token in a panic, almost dropping it.


"What happened suddenl-?!" Before Wang Yang could finish his sentence she pushed him away.


A woman in purple, one a little older than Sun Lingling rushed towards them with a silver sword in hand.


"Shi-!" Kexin tried to bring her sword out of the ring, but her vision dyed crimson the next instant.

 

[Overload69]

When a sword cultivator attacks, their eyes are the last thing you focus on. Any cultivator with a sword will be worth his salt. Li Muchen's lesson replayed in Kexin's head. There is a technique called Thousand Yard Stare that every cultivator learns to get an edge in the fight, however, given you are only starting that is an advanced territory. So, I'll teach you all the One Yard Stare instead.

That lesson was a weird one even if it came from Li Muchen. The Thousand Yard Stare as he explained took in all information about the opponent and the surroundings through sight, however, the One Yard stare only focused on the opponent's movements, a single part of the picture. That being the movement of their shoulders and hips to figure out where they would attack. But that wasn't all he taught them about one-on-one situations.

The initial rush of the woman was aimed towards Wang Yang. Kexin pushed him to disrupt that, thus the woman turned towards her. The sharp turn limited the number of strikes she could do. Kexin confirmed the sword raised towards the right shoulder, the options were a simple downwards slash or a diagonal slash to the lower left from the top right.

Given the speed of the woman, Kexin didn't have enough time to take her sword out. Dodging being her only option. She moved to her left rather than stepping back to remove the first option.

Crimson shell, Activate. The bracelet around her left arm shone with a red hue. It created a shell in front, shielding her torso and head.

This was her trump card. An artifact her master bestowed upon his disciples before they left the sect.

The sword's tip scratched against the crimson barrier like nails on a board. The sparks died down in an instant. The momentum carried the sword and the wielder down left. Her back now exposed to Kexin.

A swordsman is most vulnerable after their swing. So, taking advantage Kexin thrust the sword that finally came into her hand.

The thrust aimed for the opponent's neck. A clean and straight attack that she had practiced over thousands of times. Given that and the woman facing away, the attack should land without problem.

However, the woman moved backward. No, it would be clear to say that she started to move the moment Kexin thrust her sword. As if she had eyes on her back. Without missing a beat her sword moved at an angle to target Kexin's sword hand.

To avoid losing her fingers, Kexin let go of the sword and pulled her hand back. A cut on her palm burning with intensity. She jumped back to gain some distance.

The purple-haired woman kicked the airborne sword back at its wielder. The sword struck the barrier giving birth to sparks. Kexin's hair stood on end when the sparks covered her vision. By the time she noticed the woman had arrived in front of her. Her sword already descending from above.

It's no problem, this shield can block the attacks of Formation Realm cultivat—! Kexin's vision sank before she could finish her thought. A dull pain rising from her legs.

In the moment her eyes latched on the sword above, the woman swept her legs. With a thud, Kexin back struck the pressed dirt road. Her head spun and the shield vanished with her focus breaking.

"Guh!" She grunted as the woman's foot landed on her shoulder.

The woman's sharp eyes glinted with the promise to break crush Kexin's shoulder if she so much as took a long breath.

Looking down on Kexin, with the sword pointed at her neck. For the first time, her lips parted.

"A quality work made with ore of equally rare quality." A bell-like voice, clear and concise just like her attacks. "Given your skill, I suppose I have to believe it now."

"What are you talking about?" Kexin's words were measured as the woman stepped away from her.

"No need to be so tense, I won't attack you anymore. Especially after confirming that." The woman's light purple eyes landed on the white token in Kexin's hand.

"Master's token?" Wang Yang muttered, confused but still gripped the sword handle while helping Kexin up.

"Yes, there isn't anyone in the Orthodox Sect that would intentionally attack his disciples." The woman's sheathed her sword, a sense of pride and coldness in her. "Unless they are foolish enough to oppose the Demon in White."

"But you still attacked us." Wang Yang looked at the blood dripping from Kexin's palm and the back of her head.

"I had to make sure that you weren't impersonators. I've had the misfortune to run into them recently." The woman retrieved the black sword and returned it to the owner.

Kexin understood the situation, her aggression dying down. This woman didn't need them to lower their guards with conversation. She had enough strength and skill to kill them right there. The impersonator checking also made sense, she had faced them in the caravan attack.

"Wang Yang, it is fine. She isn't an enemy." She said bandaging her wound, it wasn't deep because of the woman's mercy.

"…I'll keep it out just in case." His answer almost made her chuckle. But Kexin turned her attention to the woman.

"Is there a reason you are here? We will be reporting this to our Master, so it would help in being out of each other's way." With the cat out of the bag, Kexin decided to start the next step, which was intimidating the other person now that she knew of the connection.

"Fear not, I am not here for the same reason you are. I am only using this village as a rest stop." Cultivators going for the same treasure always bred disputes, thus she tried to make her reasons clear.

"Are your companions from the Purple Cloud Sect in the house there?" However, Kexin's question caused the woman's expression to turn fierce.

"How do you know that?" She had already redrawn her sword, ready to attack.

"Calm down. Even if you are dressed like a villager your storage ring is the one only Purple Cloud Sect's disciples can use." Kexin spoke even faster to avoid confrontation.

Li Muchen had taught them ways of identifying cultivators from the major factions, the easiest way was to look at the details on the storage ring. For the Purple Cloud Sect, it would be a black ring with a purple cloud, which the girl had forgotten to camouflage.

"And you have only came out when we approached the house. It is almost like you are defending your companions. Which could mean that they are either asleep or incapacitated." Kexin said.

"T…That's correct." The woman faltered, realizing her mistake.

"So, is there something we can help you with?" Kexin smiled. Trying her best to be friendly, unlike Wang Yang.

The woman opened her mouth for a moment but closed it again to stop the words from coming out. Kexin notices the woman clench her fist before she decides to speak.

"If possible… I would like ask for your Master's help." The power behind her voice dropped for a moment.

"Alright, I'll contact Master and ask him about it." The matter looked severe so Kexin didn't waste time.

"Too late, I am already here." But Li Muchen's voice came from behind her before the transmission connected.

"Master, please stop appearing behind me." Wang Yang would've swung the sword if Li Muchen didn't hold his shoulder to stop him.

"How long have you been here?" Kexin noticed the shock on the woman's face too, none of them noticed his presence.

"From the moment you entered the formation." He said.

"Then why didn't you help us?" Wang Yang asked.

"Since you two have been doing well in practice, I wanted to see you in action where it really matters. And that kid wouldn't hurt you badly after noticing the Disciple Tokens, even if she suspected them to be fakes." Muchen already knew of the woman and her companion's arrival in the village.

He waited for the disciples to encounter them and see the result. Which was why he didn't make contact with the other cultivator and kept his disciples in the dark.

"Master… that habit of yours… no never mind." Kexin stopped herself as her Master should've already accounted for everything. That's how he was.

"It is good to see that you are doing well, kid. This makes it the second time we've met, right? Is Gu Yue doing good?" Muchen moved to the woman who had finally gotten out of her shock.

"Indeed. My Master is healthy as always, but busy. She had greatly regretted not attending the last East Martial Meet." With cupped hands, she did a martial bow towards him.

"Tell her not to worry. That matter was been smoothed over." Giving a small smile, Muchen turned to his disciples. "This is Gu Yingyue from the Purple Cloud Sect, and she is the only disciple of the Second Abode's Matriarch."

"My name is Gu Yingyue. Although the situation isn't ideal, it is a pleasure to meet you two." Yingyue gave a short bow to the two even when she was the senior.

"We understand, my name is Wu Kexin and this is Wang Yang." Kexin said with a martial salute, giving her proper respect.

Wang Yang followed without a word and finally put his sword away.

Seeing them finish their introductions, Li Muchen turns to Yingyue for the main topic.

"So, what do you need my help on?"

"…I think it would be better if you saw it in person." With that, she led the way.

The three followed her inside the mud house, they passed through the sparsely furnished first floor. The family of four having their dinner didn't notice them at all.

"Is it because of the Formation?" Kexin asked as they took the stairs to the second floor.

"Yes, the concealment formation is a helpful one. I also used it so that no one in the vicinity noticed the battle, so you can continue your interactions with them as normal." Yingyue said.

"So, you knew about us from the start, huh." Kexin almost let out a dry laugh. This woman deliberately attacked from the front to sound them out and confirm their identities.

"Yes, but I still failed to confirm Senior Li's arrival." She said.

"That shows your lack of practice, otherwise you'd have a little more chance of catching me." He said in a droll tone.

"Only a little chance, is it?" Yingyue shook her head as they arrived on the second floor.

Rather than a floor, it was a single room with no windows. A better description would be an attic with a bed. A woman with bluish hair lay on that single bed under the illumination of the oil lamp, asleep but restless. Beads of sweat slid down the fair face and pained grunts left her pink lips.

"She's…" Kexin couldn't help but notice the reddening hands of the woman.

"She is the third elder of the Second Abode, Zhi Rou. She got poisoned while protecting me from the Demonic cultivators." Yingyue stood next to the bed, her eyes flashing with anger at her helplessness. "It has been four days and her condition keeps worsening. Now, she can't even walk so I carried her to this village. We've been unable to receive any help because of the recent chaos. And no matter how many times I administer the antidote it just doesn't work."

Li Muchen stared at the Peach blossom mark marring Zhi Rou's forehead. It was about 3 centimeters in diameter with five petals slightly overlapping each other to form the flower. However, unlike the usual lush and light pink flowers, this Peach blossom was pitch black, save for one petal that was halfway there.

Li Muchen checked Zhi Rou's vitals and took her temperature. Next, he used a needle to draw a drop of her blood and added it to a glass tube filled with a clear liquid. The blood drop immersed in the liquid morphed into darker shades of purple with pinkish spots.

"This is a variation of Black Blossom Poison the Dark Petal House uses. The normal antidote wouldn't work. It has progressed towards the last stages, but worry not I can make the antidote given a few hours." A poison that enhanced one's base desires and drove them mad. It was a poison that claimed many lives and destroyed many more.

"You have my endless gratitude." Yingyue's tense face eased a little.

However, she couldn't relax because of Li Muchen's dry tone as he continued.

"If you want to preserve her image in your eyes, you better leave the formation." That wasn't a request, but an order.

"…Ok." With a slight hesitation, Yingyue chose to leave.

It wasn't that she didn't trust Li Muchen, but she was unable to leave the suffering woman alone even for a moment.

"We'll be going too." Kexin and Wang Yang followed her out evacuating the family below, leaving only Li Muchen in the house with Zhi Rou.

"You can open your eyes." He said causing the woman to stop shaking.

The Black Blossom Poison was a troublesome one, there were many variations of it used as it was a go-to for the Demonic Cultivators. The one used on Zhi Rou was specifically made to corrupt captured cultivators and humans. However, for the first time, someone had resisted the poison for so long thus worsening the effects.

"You… look so good…. Ah~!" A thick haze of desires covered Zhi Rou's green eyes. But before she spoke, she tackled Li Muchen to the floor her face clouded with her primal desire.

This variation of Black Blossom multiplied the person's desires several times making them act in ways they wouldn't normally. A dirty method Demonic Cultivators liked to use, it made controlling the targets and extracting information easier.

There were two scenarios where the poison would work even better when lust was involved.

First, the poisoned is faced with someone they like.

Second, the poisoned is faced with a person of extraordinary looks.

Zhi Rou was too intense for it to be only one of the scenarios.

"Senior Li… I've always… always…" Gasping, she closed the distance between their faces.

This is going to be troublesome.

 

[Eskine]

I was wondering when the yandere tag would come in play but unfortunately I'm pretty sure that it's not now. I'm currently betting on Qian Yun but the character that is concerned by the tag may not have been mentioned or appeared so who knows ?

 

[Lillie Jones]

Thanks for the chapter