“Ahhh—!”
The girl gripping the longsword could no longer maintain her balance.
With a plop, she fell into the snow, getting a mouthful of it.
Behind her, the culprit holding a small twig crouched beside her with a look of annoyance.
“You really are a little rookie.”
“Guh…”
“Your sword-holding posture is off, your movements are incorrect, and most importantly, your lower stance is unstable. One touch and you topple over.”
Nan Xi listed Xia Xia’s flaws one by one, his tone dripping with disdain.
With that, he raised the twig and tapped her lightly on the head.
“Tomorrow, add three extra hours of horse stance training.”
“That hurts, Master.”
The girl sat miserably in the snow, spitting out mouthfuls of it.
“Even if it hurts, you’ll train.” Nan Xi shot her a glance. “Or do you not want to learn swordsmanship anymore?”
“I do!”
Xia Xia immediately tightened her grip on Ban Xia. This was the one thing she would never give up.
“Then get up and train.”
“Alright, got it.”
Xia Xia scrambled to her feet, never loosening her hold on Ban Xia.
Because that was her sword.
The sword Nan Xi had personally given her!
With that thought, her gaze involuntarily drifted toward Nan Xi.
He stood before her with his hands behind his back, pacing slowly back and forth, the small twig swaying in his hand like a pointer.
He always seemed like this—verbally scolding and teasing her.
But…
“What are you spacing out for?”
Nan Xi tapped her on the head again.
Xia Xia’s neck shrank, but her eyes didn’t dodge away like usual.
Instead, she gazed back at Nan Xi seriously.
Her cherry-colored lips pressed together briefly.
After a moment of hesitation, she suddenly spoke.
“Master, I want to learn a sword technique.”
Thump!
Another light tap landed on her head, followed by Nan Xi’s slightly annoyed scolding.
“You silly girl, you can’t even walk and you want to learn to run—let alone a sword technique.”
“But I really want to learn, hehe.”
“Learn my foot.”
Nan Xi shot her a look of pure disdain.
After a moment, he let out a reluctant snort.
Still, his actions betrayed his words.
The ring on the base of his right finger flickered silently, then turned into ink-like droplets that dripped down.
In half a breath, the matte longsword reappeared in his hand.
“Watch closely. I’ll only teach it once.”
“Got it.”
Xia Xia grinned foolishly.
See? Her master was always like this. No matter how much he scolded or teased her, he never once truly gave up on her.
She watched Nan Xi.
Just like that night, under the cold snow, she had listened as Nan Xi asked her, word by word, if she was willing to train under him.
He would take her to steal swords from the Sword Pavilion.
He would shield her under the pressure of countless elders.
He would scold her under the moonlight while demonstrating sword techniques.
“What are you grinning about now?”
“Eheh~”
Xia Xia stuck out her tongue. Somehow, in front of Nan Xi, she was growing bolder.
Nan Xi rolled his eyes again, then turned around.
In Xia Xia’s shimmering gaze, he slowly raised his blade—a sword strike like no other.
In the boundless, silent night, even the moonlight seemed to be severed by it.
If she could learn this one sword technique, would she be a little closer to her master?
And if one day, she could learn every single one of her master’s moves, could she finally catch up to him?
Xia Xia laughed foolishly.
Thinking like that, hoping like that.
…
…
…
Cough!
A heavy cough jolted her nearly fading consciousness back into clarity.
Blood still seeped from her palm, trickling down in streaks over Ban Xia’s blade, giving its plain appearance a haunting, seductive beauty.
“Do you still want to continue?”
Lu Luo spoke calmly, her voice filled with confusion.
“I already told you, the gap between us is too great. You can’t beat me.”
With light steps, she walked straight toward Xia Xia.
No spiritual power, no martial techniques.
In a battle meant to determine the hierarchy between the Two Sects, she moved toward Xia Xia with complete ease.
She stopped only when she was three meters away.
At that distance, one kick would send Xia Xia off the arena.
“Cough.” Xia Xia wiped the blood from her lips with her sleeve, using Ban Xia for support as she struggled to stand, locking eyes with Lu Luo from across the space. “It’s not over yet.”
“You…”
Lu Luo bit her red lips, her expression complex as she stared at Xia Xia.
She couldn’t fight back at all under Lu Luo’s attacks, so why was this girl still fighting so desperately?
Her small hands clenched tightly, teeth grinding.
“If we weren’t opponents, maybe we could have been friends.”
“Hehe, sure.”
A faint smile tugged at Xia Xia’s lips. Even at a time like this, she could still smile.
How foolish.
“But before that… I want to have one last match with you.”
Xia Xia’s lips curved into a forced, strained smile. Just standing was already a struggle in this state, let alone fighting.
Yet she still spoke, carrying that stubborn determination unique to her.
“One last match?” Lu Luo’s brow furrowed slightly, but soon, she nodded seriously at Xia Xia. “Alright, I accept.”
With that, she leaped back, putting more distance between them.
The familiar surge of spiritual power began to gather around Lu Luo.
It seemed she was preparing to use [Starless Secret Art: Ascending the Clouds] again.
Xia Xia wondered if she could withstand its impact this time.
Xia Xia gave a faint smile. Then, she took a deep breath and slowly raised her longsword.
The bloodstained blade was leveled beside her face.
With a slight tilt of her gaze, she could see her own reflection in the sword’s surface.
Lu Luo was already moving.
At her speed, it would only take three seconds to close the distance between them and kick Xia Xia.
But Xia Xia remained calm, both hands gripping Ban Xia tightly.
Her strength was far weaker than Nan Xi’s. Only by using both hands could she barely steady the blade.
Facing the oncoming charge, she slowly closed her eyes—
Shing!
In an instant, blood-red spiritual power flowed along the sword’s wounds, turning Ban Xia into a crimson blood sword.
Then, the blade lowered slowly, just as the figure in her memory had done. The sword strike swung upward from below—
Everyone present saw that strike.
Saw it slice through the air, tear through rock, and charge forward with unmatched momentum.
Under their stunned gazes,
It seemed to cut through the very light itself.