T/N: Just wanna give a shout out to Lizzerik for joining my membership
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Star calendar year 6363, autumn.
Xianzhou Yaoqing.
Inside the Cloud Knights' specialized precision assault training ground, a graceful figure moved with a speed and focus that ordinary people could scarcely imagine. Jingliu held her breath, her concentration absolute. The longsword in her hand flashed so quickly that afterimages trailed behind each strike, the sharp tearing of air merging into one unbroken roar.
Ten streaks of sword light erupted almost simultaneously, each one finding its mark on the high-speed simulated Abomination targets darting across the arena. The precision indicators lit up in rapid succession. The timer froze at 0.18 seconds.
Ten hits. Perfect accuracy. Her third new record of the day.
Still, it was not enough.
Jingliu wiped the fine sweat from her forehead. The memory of her Master's recent gaze surfaced unbidden — that calm, indifferent look that held no expectation, no warmth, no acknowledgment of her efforts. She drew a slow breath.
"Set gravity to five times normal intensity."
The training ground responded at once. An invisible mountain of pressure crashed down upon her. The floor groaned under the sudden weight. Jingliu lowered her center of gravity, forcing her body to adapt to the crushing load. Simply reaching the targets her Master had assigned would never earn her even a flicker of approval. She had to surpass her former self, again and again, until she could finally stand close enough to see her own reflection in those perpetually calm eyes.
In the days that followed, Jingliu trained like a machine that knew neither fatigue nor mercy.
At dawn she stood in the open yard, the heavy star iron sand strapped to her limbs. Its weight increased daily, from a thousand pounds to the limit of two thousand. Sweat poured down her back as she moved through her forms, each step deliberate, each breath measured. She thought only of closing the distance between herself and her Master's back.
At noon she took her sword beneath the great waterfall. The water hammered down with terrifying force, battering her shoulders and arms, yet her posture never wavered. She swung against the current again and again, letting the pressure temper both body and technique. In those moments she could feel something beginning to stir deep within — a faint current she had not noticed before.
In the evening she wove through the agility course like a ghost. Hidden mechanisms and sudden attacks came from every angle, yet none so much as brushed the edge of her sleeve. Her movement grew sharper, cleaner, more instinctive with each passing day.
One month later, she had already completed every target her Master had set.
A month and a half later, she doubled the intensity of every regimen.
On the day the three-month period came to an end, Jingliu stood before the massive waterfall she had split in two with a single strike. For a long while she simply stared at the divided water, her expression distant. Then she slowly sheathed her sword.
A marvelous, steady flow of energy moved through her body — the True Qi she had cultivated by tempering her internal organs and awakening the current within her Core Esse, exactly as her Master had once described. Whether fist or blade, anything infused with this power would strike with geometrically greater force.
She also understood, at last, the vast difference between Sword Control through Qi and Sword Control through Divine Sense. With Qi alone she could now command 681 flying swords at once. She was no longer limited to the famous blades forged by the Artisanship Commission. Even a simple wooden sword would answer her call.
A memory from her youth rose unbidden — the day she had challenged her Master and watched him step onto the stage by controlling swords beneath his feet. At the time she had thought it merely showy. Only now did she grasp the true depth hidden inside that single movement. A Xianzhou native who had never cultivated True Qi through their internal organs and Core Esse could never achieve such a feat with an ordinary wooden blade.
The corner of Jingliu's mouth lifted in a faint, satisfied curve. She could hardly wait to see even a hint of surprise on her Master's usually impassive face. As long as those calm eyes reflected her, even for an instant, every drop of sweat would have been worth it.
She boarded her starskiff and pushed it to maximum speed, eager to return home. Unfortunately, the Delve's civil and military airspace had been placed under temporary restriction due to unforeseen circumstances. Starskiffs were grounded for the time being. Jingliu did not mind. Her speed on foot was hardly inferior.
She leapt onto the courtyard wall in a single bound — and froze.
Fallen ginkgo leaves carpeted the ground below. In the covered corridor not far away, two figures stood locked in a tight embrace. Kanzaki's tall frame was slightly bent forward, his face buried against Xueyi's neck. Xueyi's arms were wrapped around his waist, her body almost clinging to him, trembling faintly as though she were both enduring and welcoming the closeness.
The sight struck Jingliu like a blade between the ribs. The joy she had carried all the way home drained away in an instant, replaced by a sharp, spreading pain. As expected… not only Hanya, but even Xueyi…
She wanted to turn and leave, yet her feet refused to move. She watched Xueyi tilt her chin upward, her usually composed face flushed with color, her expression soft and dazed — a version of herself Jingliu had never seen. For a moment Jingliu forgot to breathe. Only when the metallic taste of blood touched her tongue did she realize she had bitten her own lip.
An inexplicable longing rose in her chest, fierce and difficult to suppress. She wanted… she wanted to take Xueyi's place.
Reason eventually won. Years of relentless training had forged her will into something resilient. Jingliu forced herself to retreat soundlessly from the wall, circled around to the starskiff landing area, and slipped into the house through the back entrance.
Some time later, Kanzaki and Xueyi returned indoors as well. The flush on Xueyi's face had not fully faded. Her steps were unsteady, her breathing still slightly uneven. Kanzaki, by contrast, looked exactly as he always did — calm, composed, untouched by any visible trace of what had just passed.
Jingliu arranged her expression and stepped forward to greet them, pretending she had only just arrived.
"Master, I'm back."
Kanzaki's gaze settled on her for a brief moment.
"Mm."
A single, flat syllable, empty of emotion.
Jingliu's chest tightened, but she pressed on. "Master, I have completed all the training targets. I even doubled every one of them."
Kanzaki gave a small nod. His eyes had already moved elsewhere.
"I see."
His tone remained unchanged. He asked nothing about how she had achieved it.
"Since you have finished, you will begin formal practice with me tomorrow."
With that, he turned and walked straight into his room.
Jingliu stood motionless, her thoughts in quiet disarray. There had been no approval, no surprise, not even a simple word of acknowledgment. She turned toward Xueyi, who had followed behind.
Xueyi glanced away, her manner faintly unnatural. "I shall prepare dinner tonight."
She left for the kitchen without another word, leaving Jingliu alone in the corridor.
Jingliu had pushed herself beyond every limit. She had done more than asked, more than anyone could reasonably expect. Yet her Master's attitude toward her had not changed at all. Toward Xueyi and Hanya, however…
She lowered her gaze to her own shadow on the floor. Her eyes stung.
But she exhaled slowly, forcing the trace of grievance back down where it belonged. It did not matter. As long as she could remain by her Master's side, as long as she continued to grow stronger, one day she would obtain what she wanted.
Her Master was strict, but he was not a heartless man. He simply had not yet approved of her. That was all. It was only natural — she was his only disciple. His expectations for her would naturally be higher than for anyone else.
One day, she would close that gap. One day, those calm eyes would look at her differently.
She would make certain of it.