118 Senior Brother, watch your sword!

The lady in white possessed a head of jet-black, lustrous, fine, and straight hair that cascaded down to her hips. She was tall, with legs that were long, slender, and powerful. Among all the female cultivators Pang Yue had encountered, this woman’s bodily proportions were the most perfect. Truly, to add or subtract even a single fraction would be a pity; she was a treasure of the world. Her beauty was in no way inferior to Luo Qingyuan or Ye Xue, yet she possessed a spiritual elegance and grace rarely seen in the women of the Demonic Sect.

"Senior Brother, have you also reached the fifth level of the Dao Foundation?" Pei Luanjing looked at Pang Yue with beautiful eyes, speaking with intimacy. "I encountered a stroke of good fortune during my travels this time. I had hoped to surpass you in cultivation, but who would have thought I still couldn't widen the gap..."

Pang Yue sifted through the memories of this avatar, knowing that while their relationship was ambiguous, it had not yet reached a substantive stage. He held his composure and said with a gentle smile, "What kind of fortune did you find? Tell me about it."

Pei Luanjing’s eyes twinkled as she smiled. "Let’s have a sparring match first. If you can beat me, I’ll tell you."

Since childhood, the two had loved to exchange sword techniques, especially after being separated for a period; the first thing they would do upon reuniting was always a sword duel. With that, Pei Luanjing turned and flickered away, transforming into a streak of sword light that flew out of the grotto. Pang Yue stood where he was, lost in thought for a moment before a faint smile appeared on his face, and he followed after her.

Outside the grotto lay a lush, verdant meadow. In the distance stood a deep forest, with towering, majestic firs and ancient pines. Pei Luanjing stood prettily on a branch, her white robes fluttering in the wind, highlighting the contours of her well-proportioned, long, and straight legs. As soon as Pang Yue stepped out, he heard his junior sister say with deep affection, "Senior Brother, watch my sword!"

As the words fell, a brilliant streak of sword light shot out, heading straight for his face. Pang Yue stood before the grotto entrance, his posture upright and his wide sleeves billowing. Without any visible movement, his gaze flickered, and two rays of sword light, bright as lightning, flew from his eyes. One ray caught Pei Luanjing’s sword light, while the other suddenly crackled with thunder, transforming into an afterimage as it circled toward her slender waist.

Pei Luanjing’s beautiful eyes lit up, and a look of delight appeared on her lovely face, as if she were genuinely happy at her senior brother’s improvement in cultivation. She flicked her jade fingers, and another streak of sword light flew out, striking Pang Yue’s sword light with precision. Her sword technique was agile and swift, no slower than his own, as she too had mastered the supernatural ability of "Sword Qi Echoing with Thunder."

"Be careful, Senior Brother!"

Her voice was melodious and pleasant, yet her strikes were exceptionally sharp. With a wave of her delicate hand, another streak of sword light shot out, suddenly dividing into dozens in mid-air before weaving together into a painting. A bright, clear moon hung in the sky, casting its soft, cool radiance everywhere. Within the beautiful painting lay a profound and exquisite sword intent: The Nine Scenes of the Firmament, Cold Moon’s Clear Radiance!

With this move alone, Pei Luanjing’s combat power was enough to surpass ordinary inner disciples like Ning Daozhen of the Demon Talisman Sect and Luo Qingyuan. And she was but a sword cultivator who had just entered the fifth level of the Dao Foundation and had cultivated for less than thirty years! This was what was meant by "a single sword breaking ten thousand spells."

As the Cold Moon’s Clear Radiance unfolded and was about to descend upon Pang Yue, he finally moved. He took a sudden step forward. His entire being became like a sharp, peerless sword, and a heaven-shaking sword intent rose from him, abruptly slicing the painting open. He spread his hand toward Pei Luanjing, and nine brilliant, snow-white sword auras manifested in the void, instantly weaving into a painting of misty clouds: The Nine Scenes of the Firmament, Misty Sea of Clouds!

Clouds surged and smoke drifted. Pei Luanjing’s graceful, slender figure landed within the sword painting, but she could only hold out for a moment before her own sword light was shredded. The mist drifted past her body, leaving her completely unscathed. She looked at Pang Yue in stunned amazement. "Senior Brother, how have you become so powerful?"

She had expected that by mastering the Cold Moon’s Clear Radiance and the Sword Qi Echoing with Thunder, she would be at least a notch above him. She never imagined that not only had he mastered both, but the quality of his sword qi was far superior to hers!

Pang Yue flicked his sleeve and retracted his sword light, laughing heartily. "Is it only allowed for you to have good fortune, but not for me to make progress?"

Pei Luanjing pursed her lips and smiled, flying to his side. "Where did you get so much Tai-Bai Geng-Metal Qi?"

Pang Yue naturally would not tell her about the You-Tian Market, instead spinning a casual lie to cover it up. As they chatted and laughed, preparing to return to the grotto, a warm and calm voice reached their ears. "Junior Brother, Junior Sister, come see me for a moment."

They exchanged glances. Pei Luanjing looked curious. "It’s Senior Brother... what does he want with us?"

"Let’s go and see."

Pang Yue was unsure as well, but he steadied his mind and, acting according to his avatar’s usual demeanor, merged his escape light with Pei Luanjing’s and flew toward the peak of Firmament Mountain. To his avatar, Yang Su was like a brother, a father, and a mentor all in one. Across the entire Firmament Peak, Yang Su, as the eldest disciple who taught on behalf of their master, commanded immense prestige. Both he and Pei Luanjing had been raised by Yang Su since childhood.

At the snowy summit, a simple stone house sat amidst the deep snow. The interior was sparsely furnished. A middle-aged man with entirely ordinary features sat upon a meditation cushion. He sat perfectly still, yet he gave the impression of being a shifting, unpredictable streak of sword light.

Pang Yue and Pei Luanjing entered and bowed to Yang Su. He looked them over and smiled. "It has been about a year, and the speed at which you both have improved your strength astonishes me. Especially you." He looked at Pang Yue, his eyes filled with approval. "If a person is not tempered by hardship, they cannot be stimulated; if they do not reflect deeply with a cautious heart, they cannot reach great heights. These days, you must have endured many crises and hardships to have achieved this."

Pang Yue nodded and briefly recounted his pre-prepared story, along with the battle against the monster tide on Hutuo Island. Yang Su listened and nodded. "When you were sparring with Luanjing just now, I observed that your sword intent was vastly different from before, so I couldn't help but invite you both up. I did not expect you to have undergone such trials."

He paused, then added, "In our pursuit of the Dao and the sword, we value a firm and unwavering ambition at the start, a courageous and advancing heart in the middle, and a steadfast and enduring strength at the end. I will be entering a death-seclusion in a few days to breakthrough to the Golden Core stage. I give these words to you both; cultivate diligently, and may you achieve the Great Dao soon!"

Like two students, Pang Yue and Pei Luanjing listened patiently to Yang Su’s lecture before taking their leave. Back at the grotto, Pei Luanjing took out the spiritual fruits and delicacies she had collected during her travels to chat with Pang Yue.

"Senior Brother is finally taking that step!" Pei Luanjing sighed. "With his talent and will, he could have broken into the Golden Core stage long ago... It is a pity that he wasted over fifty years in vain, competing for a spot among the Ten Great Disciples."

Pang Yue said, "Senior Brother never truly cared about the Golden Core realm from the beginning. What he seeks is the Primordial Spirit Great Dao... Without becoming one of the Ten Great Disciples, it is difficult to ask for the Primordial Spirit."

Pei Luanjing’s expression dimmed. "It is a pity that after our master fell, Firmament Peak no longer has a Golden Core master, leaving Senior Brother with no choice but to break through early..."