Amidst the towering mountain range, Li Zixuan stepped lightly, flitting across the treetops.
A gentle breeze brushed past her ears, blowing her hair, but it could hardly hide the excitement in her heart.
"I'm finally almost there!"
Li Zixuan closed her eyes, sensing the Sword Essence in the air. Ever since the mountain was split open that day, the valley had been filled with lingering wisps of profound essence.
It was a clear testament to the profound depth of the swordsman's Power.
What surprised and delighted her even more was that throughout the long day, this was the only moment she was truly free. Only when she was comprehending the Sword Essence would the bodyguards sent by her family leave her be.
A feeling of lightness, like a migratory bird leaving its nest, spread through her entire body.
It seemed even the heavy burden that always weighed on her shoulders had lightened considerably.
In a few moments, Li Zixuan arrived on the branch closest to the Broken Peak.
She stood atop the tree in a white dress, otherworldly and independent, quietly gazing at the fissure above.
The apex of this ancient, thousand-year-old pine was the closest and safest vantage point for comprehending the Sword Essence.
If she went any further up the mountain, it would be life-threatening.
The surging Sword Intent was immense, like a churning undercurrent in the deep sea. Even after several days, it showed no sign of diminishing. Not even the dean of the Jianghai Martial Arts Academy dared to venture further in.
'Let alone someone like me, who's only at the Postnatal Eighth Realm?'
"Such terrifying power... As expected of a master. Even my own teacher couldn't get close."
Li Zixuan focused her mind, sensing this powerful Sword Dao aura, and her admiration for that master grew even deeper.
The surface of the Broken Peak was smooth and flat. A gentle breeze swept past.
The wind pressure, which should have been harmless, had transformed into blades that could slice a person into a thousand pieces, annihilating any enemy who dared to enter!
Faintly, she sensed that this breeze... was somehow, brilliantly, similar to the most basic Qingfeng Sword Technique.
"Returning to the Essence... Could this be the Sword Dao Ultimate Intent my teacher always talks about?"
Li Zixuan murmured softly. No matter how many times she saw it, she was utterly awestruck.
'What kind of Realm must one reach to unleash this level of Sword Intent?'
With this question in mind, she pondered for a moment, then slowly closed her eyes. She began to quietly sense the Sword Intent, seeking a deeper level of comprehension.
「Meanwhile, not far away.」
Qin Yang, concealing his aura, had already taken in Li Zixuan's every move.
'Damn... this girl isn't actually my fangirl, is she?'
He had just extended his Perception Power to check things out, and after seeing the look in Li Zixuan's eyes, Qin Yang was momentarily stunned.
He was becoming more and more certain of his earlier guess.
'And from the look on her face, she's completely hooked…'
Qin Yang stroked his chin, a bold idea gradually forming in his mind.
'If I show up in front of Li Zixuan as a so-called "Sword Dao expert," won't she immediately prostrate herself and beg to become my disciple?'
'The magnificent future Empress, taking a piddling Innate Realm cultivator like me as her master?!'
'If that happens, wouldn't this damn system freak out and crash on the spot?'
'Nice, nice, great idea. It all follows logically. I'll wring every last reward out of this damn system!'
Qin Yang patiently waited for Li Zixuan to finish her comprehension, observing the surroundings and preparing a big surprise for her.
.....
「A short while later.」
As the sun set and the bright moon rose among the clouds,
Li Zixuan slowly exhaled, retracted her focus, and finally finished her comprehension.
"Alright, that's enough for today."
Seeing it was getting late, she took her phone out of her bag and carefully took a few selfies to mark the occasion.
It was a young girl's vanity at work.
After snapping a few pouty-faced selfies, Li Zixuan's expression immediately turned stern, returning to her usual cold and aloof appearance, as if she'd been caught doing something wrong.
Putting the phone in her pocket, she turned to leave.
But just then!
An ancient, wizened voice suddenly echoed in her ears!
"Not bad... this young lass has excellent Comprehension..."
The unfamiliar voice was ethereal and otherworldly, its direction uncertain, as if it were everywhere at once.
This was precisely the Sound Transmission Secret Technique that only those in the Innate Realm could use. Qin Yang had figured it out while messing around with nothing better to do.
It had little combat application—a completely useless trick, really—but today, it finally proved its worth.
The sudden voice sent Li Zixuan's guard shooting up.
"What expert is here? Please reveal yourself!"
Li Zixuan's heart pounded with panic as she gripped her longsword and scanned her surroundings.
The evening wind blew through the valley's trees, and the pine needles rustled, creating a cacophonous sea of sound.
'All the top experts outside the mountain are at the Late Stage of the Postnatal Realm. For this person to enter undetected... their power must be terrifying!'
"Do not be alarmed. This old man means no harm."
Qin Yang, using the Seven-Star Dragon Roaming Step, appeared before Li Zixuan in an instant.
Only...
He had already changed into a black robe and a wide-brimmed bamboo hat, his face mostly obscured. Bathed in the cold moonlight, his features were impossible to discern.
Even his voice was as ancient and weary as a man on the verge of death.
The two stood on separate treetops, facing each other.
Li Zixuan looked at the black-robed figure who had suddenly appeared before her, feeling a surge of dread.
'To be able to use a sound transmission technique, they must be at the Innate Realm or even higher. How can I, a mere Postnatal Eighth Layer, possibly be a match for them?'
'When did an expert like this appear in Jianghai City?'
After a long moment, Li Zixuan cupped her fist and said with a tremor in her voice, "Master has graced me with your presence. May I ask what instructions you have?"
"I…"
Hearing her, Qin Yang opened his mouth, just about to mention taking her as a disciple.
But the next moment, a "DING!" sounded in his head.
"DING! The Empress has been detected nearby! Host, kowtow and become her disciple at once! This opportunity must not be missed!"
The noisy system cawed in his mind like a crow.
Qin Yang: "..."
The words he had been about to speak were instantly derailed by the system's racket, and he lost his train of thought.
'You damn system, can't you have some fucking standards?'
'Can't you see I'm trying to get the Empress to become *my* disciple?!'
Qin Yang couldn't help but curse the system in his mind. His irritation, already simmering, boiled over.
"Master, have I offended you in some way?"
Seeing Qin Yang hesitate, Li Zixuan grew anxious and asked.
"No. It's just that this wind is a little too clamorous."
Qin Yang frowned, looking at the gentle breeze at the Broken Peak. The mountain wind howled in his ears, making him even more irritable.
He couldn't very well explode in anger, so he redirected the frustration caused by the system onto the wind.
The moment he spoke, Li Zixuan froze in disbelief. 'This mountain breeze was the embodiment of Sword Intent. Her own teacher regarded it as a priceless treasure, yet to this master, it was just... clamorous?'
However, in the next moment, something happened that shocked her even more!
She watched as Qin Yang muttered, "Be still," and waved a hand toward the Broken Peak.
Instantly!
All of that surging, terrifying, breeze-like Sword Intent seemed to dissolve as if in water, vanishing completely.
In an instant, the mountains fell silent.
Not even a whisper of the howling wind remained.
The entire mountain fell utterly still!
"How is that possible?!"
Li Zixuan's eyes widened, feeling as if her entire perception of reality had been shattered.
'Such a godlike ability... Besides the master who performed One Sword Breaks the Peak, who else could possibly do this?!'
"You... you, you are..."
Li Zixuan was so excited she couldn't even form a complete sentence, stammering as if she were spellbound.
'To finally meet the idol she'd thought about day and night... how could she not be ecstatic?!'
"Indeed. It is I."
Qin Yang nodded slightly. Seizing the opportune moment, he smoothly continued:
"Young lass, this old man observes that your bone structure is remarkable. Are you willing... to take this old man as your master?"