—
Xuanji City, within a certain mansion.
A water mirror floated in midair, its surface shimmering, clearly reflecting the two standing figures in the forest.
A young girl with a face similar to the Crown Prince’s reclined on a soft couch, holding a warm cup of spiritual tea. Her gaze fell on the water mirror, and her soft, charming face was full of curiosity.
“Master Wenzhong, do you think this spar will be won by my sister, or by that boy?”
As she spoke, she looked at the figure standing with hands clasped behind his back beside the couch.
Wenzhong wore a gray robe. His hair was snow-white, and his face was aged but spirited. His eyes were deep as an ancient well, revealing no emotion. He was the Imperial Tutor of the Immortal Dynasty, having taught two generations of Crown Princes. His cultivation was unfathomable, and his knowledge extensive. There was little in the Zhen Realm he couldn’t see through. The boy named Chu Yuan was an exception.
Wenzhong had followed Ji Xuanyuan with his divine sense, naturally having spied on Chu Yuan’s sword technique. Comprehending the myriad emotions contained in the sword intent, he grew increasingly amazed. Now, faced with the Second Princess’s question, Wenzhong hesitated.
“Hard to say.”
This answer startled Ji Yumeng. She looked up at Wenzhong, her eyes full of disbelief. In her eyes, her sister had always been the woman admired by everyone since childhood—peerless in swordsmanship, brilliant in strategy. Among her peers, there had never been anyone stronger than her sister. But now, her own Imperial Tutor was telling her that the outcome of this spar was uncertain?
After all, her sister was not facing the famous Chu Yunlan, but an unknown branch orphan. Who was this boy, to be held in such high regard by the Imperial Tutor?
In disbelief, Ji Yumeng asked.
“Master, why do you say that?”
To this, Wenzhong did not pay attention to the Second Princess. His gaze remained fixed on the solitary figure in the water mirror. Having lived in this Zhen Realm for over a hundred years, he prided himself on his deep understanding of the realm. And this youth in the valley was strange from the moment he gripped his sword.
Although Chu Yuan’s sword technique bore some traces of the Chu Clan’s main lineage inheritance, his movements carried the flavor of other sword techniques—gathering the strengths of many schools. Wenzhong recalled the earlier report from Daji: the deceased Shenbao had guarded this boy in the form of a ring spirit. The more he thought, the more confused he became: ‘Perhaps Shenbao guided the boy’s sword skills? But as the Great Elder of the Demon Path Alliance, I know Shenbao’s sword technique is not this profound. Could it be that Shenbao has hidden trump cards unknown to me?’
Seeing that her Imperial Tutor did not answer, Ji Yumeng did not ask further. Anyway, the spar was imminent, and she was eager to see exactly how capable this Chu Yuan was. Having made up her mind, the Second Princess refocused her gaze on the scene within the water mirror.
—
In the forest, the spiritual light from the imperial carriage gently swayed, illuminating the two figures brightly.
Yin Shiniang rested her hand on her sword hilt, acting as a “referee,” her eyes fixed intently on the field, not daring to relax for a moment. As the most loyal general of the Crown Prince, she not only had to watch the situation inside but also guard against any assassins lurking outside the field. After all, Ji Xuanyuan was the Crown Prince of the Immortal Dynasty, extraordinarily noble.
At the same time, on the open ground, the two figures stood facing each other, neither moving first.
Ji Xuanyuan held the unsharpened long sword, her gaze fixed on Chu Yuan’s face. Memories of her previous and current lives surged in her mind, overlapping with the figure before her in plain clothes. In her past life, she and her Junior Brother had sparred countless times as fellow disciples. She never expected to have the opportunity to spar with him again so early in this life. Ji Xuanyuan sighed inwardly, her mind no longer focused on this spar.
Chu Yuan, standing opposite her, was also reminiscing. But he was not reminiscing about the past; rather, he was recalling his understanding of the Xuanyuan Empress from his previous life. As the saying goes: know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated. In this spar, Chu Yuan had no intention of going easy because of her identity. He was actually hoping to defeat her overwhelmingly, to vent his frustration from being drained by Wanwan these past days.
But as he recalled, he found that the Empress’s deeds were mostly related to governance and livelihood, with very little information that could be used as combat reference. Thinking carefully, he realized that in his past life, he had never truly experienced the sword techniques of the Immortal Dynasty.
The knuckles on his hand gripping the sword gradually turned white. Not from tension, but from anticipation.
At some point, the night wind suddenly swept through the forest, stirring up fallen leaves. Whoosh~! Whoosh~! They tumbled like butterflies under the moonlight, and at the same time, like a pair of large hands, they pushed Chu Yuan to take the lead.
His figure was as light as a swallow, his sword light cutting through the night.
Ji Xuanyuan’s phoenix eyes narrowed slightly, and she swung her sword to block.
“Clang~!!!”
The sword edges clashed, sparks flying.
Ji Xuanyuan took half a step back, dispersing the sharpness of the sword. Taking this as a signal, the two figures constantly crossed, their sword edges distorting the air, producing a long hum.
Chu Yuan activated the Myriad Emotions Sword Technique, using the joy of sparring with the Crown Prince as a catalyst. His sword moves were continuous, like spring breeze turning into rain, moistening things silently. His sword intent was as cheerful as the Path of Joyful Emotions. The sword light formed an invisible net, enveloping the Crown Prince from all directions.
This familiar set of swordsmanship had been experienced by Ji Xuanyuan countless times. In her past life, on the training arena of the Heavenly Sword Sect, Junior Brother had practiced this sword technique with her over and over. Back then, the technique was still immature, with frequent stutters between moves. But now, this sword technique flowed smoothly in the hands of this youth, every transition as fluid as clouds and flowing water.
In contrast, her swordsmanship was as steady as a mountain. With each swing, she applied just the right amount of force—neither too much nor too little.
After years of practice, Ji Xuanyuan had already figured out the pattern of Junior Brother’s sword technique. In fact, the worst thing a swordsman could do was repeatedly spar with the same opponent, as it was easy to have one’s routine figured out. Once the pattern was understood, no matter how well the technique was executed, it could be broken in a single strike.
Sometimes, Ji Xuanyuan wondered if Junior Brother was trying to increase contact with her this way. No! Since Junior Brother kept her sword even into this life, what did that mean? It meant he still had thoughts of her as Senior Sister! The one he wanted to spar with was not the Crown Prince version of her, but the Senior Sister version! Perhaps Junior Brother’s last words before his death in the past life—“I don’t like you”—were said precisely to prevent her from feeling guilty! If that were the case, what would happen if she revealed her identity? Could they have a chance again?
Thinking this, the smile on Ji Xuanyuan’s lips turned sweet and sticky. She suddenly regretted forming an alliance with Fairy Gu.
Seeing the Crown Prince’s relaxed demeanor, Chu Yuan frowned in displeasure. He channeled his emotions… It was no longer gentle. The spiritual power in Chu Yuan’s dantian surged forth, carrying the force of thunder, pouring into his sword meridians. The fallen leaves on the ground were swept up by the sword energy, shattering into powder in midair. In an instant, his sword moves became fierce and domineering. Ji Xuanyuan’s pupils contracted sharply, and she no longer found it easy to defend.
The sword edges produced a piercing shriek as they cut through the air. “Clang! Clang! Clang~!!!” Chu Yuan’s figure flickered constantly, like black lightning. Each swing of his sword was accompanied by a low thunderous roar.
The Path of Angry Emotions used anger as a catalyst and strength as momentum. The sword moves became fierce and domineering. Though they did not wound the Crown Prince, they increasingly pressured her, as if telling her: ‘My sword was never meant to please anyone!’
Seeing the Crown Prince growing less capable, the guards beside the carriage finally realized how extraordinary Chu Yuan’s swordsmanship was. One round-faced guard opened her eyes wide.
“T-this can’t be, right? Her Highness is at a disadvantage?”
A younger guard even rubbed her eyes, thinking she was hallucinating. But when she rubbed them and looked again, the Crown Prince was indeed retreating. That waste of a branch member they had looked down upon was forcing the Crown Prince back step by step.
“How could the Crown Prince…”
“Who is that kid?”
“Could it be… the Crown Prince is going to lose?”
At these words, everyone fell silent. Lose? The Crown Prince lose to a branch waste? They couldn’t believe it, but the scene before them left them no choice.
Yin Shiniang sighed inwardly. There was no surprise in her eyes, only a complex expression of “I knew it.” She had long sensed that the youth was no ordinary person, but she hadn’t expected his strength to surpass expectations.
Seeing this, Ji Xuanyuan stopped her absent-mindedness. Her calm, mountain-like swordsmanship suddenly became as agile as a snake. Her graceful figure wove through the thunderous sword light. Each dodge was dangerously close, but she always missed by a hair’s breadth. If not for the countless spars in her past life familiarizing her with Junior Brother’s technique, she would have been caught off guard.
Using her understanding of this sword art from her past life, she quickly found a way to counter it. Her sword tip tapped against the spine of Chu Yuan’s sword, using borrowed force to redirect his attacks, defusing them one by one.
Chu Yuan let out a soft exclamation of surprise, thinking to himself: ‘This Crown Prince’s countermeasure is so familiar. Where have I seen it before? Where was it?’ Unfortunately, he had faced many enemies in his previous life, and he was still in the middle of a spar, so he couldn’t think it through.
Facing the Crown Prince’s tactics, the fierce anger in his sword moves faded, transforming into something lingering and profound. It was sticky, like cobwebs, clinging to the Crown Prince’s sword, rendering her powerless.
Feeling the emotion in it, Ji Xuanyuan’s heart suddenly trembled. She could hear the lingering affection in the song of the sword. In a daze, she smelled the fragrance of the osmanthus cake that Junior Brother used to make—the very cake she had never been able to get enough of in her past life. She thought of the carefree expression Junior Brother had when practicing swords with her. She hallucinated the scenes of the past…
Every sword Chu Yuan now swung, in Ji Xuanyuan’s eyes, was telling her the profound feelings from their past life. The more she fought, the more ashamed she felt. Those years of Junior Brother’s sacrifices had ultimately allowed her to slay the Dragon Emperor and achieve great fame.
Regret caused Ji Xuanyuan’s sword heart to waver. She found it increasingly difficult to defend. Meanwhile, Chu Yuan’s sword was faster, his attacks surging like a tide—wave after wave, each higher than the last.
Ji Xuanyuan’s defenses were slowly eroded. Her steps retreated, and her breathing became disordered. Before her eyes appeared the smiles Junior Brother had given her in the past. She had given him a sword, and he still kept it. The sword technique they had sparred with, he still practiced.
What about her? What had she kept???
The osmanthus cake Junior Brother made, Ji Xuanyuan had never tasted even a single bite in her past life. The Warm Sun Jade he gave her had long shattered, not even existing in this time and space. Shame caused Ji Xuanyuan’s sword intent to lose what little sharpness it had.
The spar continued, but her defeat was already certain. Yin Shiniang, acting as the “referee,” had already begun shaking her head unconsciously.