Translator: CinderTL
Three hours later.
Li Chunjun lay sprawled on the grass, panting heavily.
Not just him, Jiang Wanyu also looked somewhat exhausted as she sat down beside him.
She looked at him and sincerely praised, "Junior Brother, you're amazing. I thought with my swordsmanship skills, I'd easily win. I didn't expect to be completely outmatched by you."
Li Chunjun glanced at her.
As she sheathed her sword, her cold, ethereal aura gradually dissipated, replaced by a soft, gentle warmth that seemed to envelop her.
"You're at the Core Formation Realm. Controlling your power to the level of Qi Refining already requires extra focus, so naturally, you couldn't unleash your full potential," Li Chunjun said.
"True, I'm at Core Formation. I have a clearer, sharper perception of the world and a deeper understanding of Qi Refining swordsmanship, yet I couldn't defeat you," Jiang Wanyu said, hugging her knees. "Only someone like you, Junior Brother, truly has the qualifications to become the future Flaming Phoenix Sword Prodigy."
Li Chunjun looked at her again.
The contrast between her now and during the spar was striking—she seemed like a completely different person.
Yet, judging from her swordsmanship during the fight, she must have put in a lot of effort in her training.
Add to that her threefold Flaming Phoenix Power…
What kind of talent was this?
But something must have happened to make her abandon her cultivation?
Jiang Wanyu gazed into the distance, her chin resting on the pearl-white hem of her dress, silent.
The spot where they lay was on a grassy slope of Flaming Phoenix Peak, offering a vast, unobstructed view.
The slope was covered in lush grass and dotted with naturally growing flowers.
The sky was clear, with blue skies and white clouds.
From here, they could see the entirety of Flaming Phoenix Peak and even parts of the Taixu Sword Sect in the distance, spanning hundreds of miles.
A cool breeze blew across the peak, rustling Li Chunjun's pant legs and sleeves, and gently lifting Jiang Wanyu's loose hair.
A few strands brushed against Li Chunjun's cheek, carrying a faint, unique fragrance.
The scene was like a painting.
For a moment, Li Chunjun was lost in thought.
Jiang Wanyu seemed to sense something and turned her head, smiling softly at him.
Immediately, Li Chunjun averted his gaze.
Jiang Wanyu looked puzzled, about to say something, but Li Chunjun quickly composed himself and sat up.
"Shall we continue?" he asked, speaking first.
At this moment, all he wanted was to practice the sword.
Seeing this, Jiang Wanyu smiled and nodded. "Alright, I'm ready anytime."
"Let's go."
Li Chunjun stood up.
He didn't feel proud just because he had fought Jiang Wanyu to a draw.
He knew she was holding back.
Otherwise, as a Core Formation cultivator, he wouldn't stand a chance against her.
…
Night fell.
Qin Zhou found Li Chunjun.
He waited until Li Chunjun and Jiang Wanyu finished their training before approaching.
"You've mastered Sword Energy Meteor!? That's incredibly impressive progress!" he exclaimed sincerely.
"It's all thanks to Senior Sister Jiang's guidance," Li Chunjun said.
"Not at all. It's clearly because of your talent, Junior Brother," Jiang Wanyu said with a smile.
Seeing that Qin Zhou seemed to have something to discuss with Li Chunjun, she didn't linger. "We'll end today's practice here. Remember to go to the main hall later. Elder Yuliu has prepared some medicinal food for you, perfect for recovering from the fatigue of intense training."
"Alright."
Li Chunjun nodded.
Jiang Wanyu sheathed her sword and left.
Qin Zhou watched this with a faint smile.
"Junior Sister Jiang can finally relax a bit."
"Huh?"
Li Chunjun glanced at Jiang Wanyu's retreating figure. "Was she very diligent in her cultivation before? I heard from the Sect Master and Peak Masters that…"
"It's something else," Qin Zhou said, looking at Li Chunjun. "Junior Sister Jiang's background is quite similar to yours, Sword Prodigy Li."
"Similar to mine?"
"Uh…"
Qin Zhou realized he might have spoken too carelessly.
Being abandoned by one's parents…
That wasn't exactly a praiseworthy thing.
Gossiping behind someone's back was too impolite…
Qin Zhou quickly changed the subject. "By the way, there's something I need to discuss with you. A friend of yours from Guangzhou City has come to the Taixu Sword Sect, wanting to join the sect. However, his talent is a bit lacking, so he can only be a nominal disciple, at best placed on the list of potential nominal disciples for cultivation. He can't enter the inner sect unless he's allowed into Flaming Phoenix Peak…"
"A friend…"
Li Chunjun didn't pick up on the difference between "he" and "she" in Qin Zhou's words.
Instinctively, he thought Qin Zhou was referring to the Ling family, who had come to the Taixu Sword Sect with Qin Zhou's token.
After some thought, he said, "If he can't enter the inner sect, then so be it. Just offer whatever support you can within your means."
"Understood."
Qin Zhou nodded, having a clearer idea.
…
A month passed quickly.
With Jiang Wanyu as his sparring partner, his swordsmanship had improved significantly.
Not only was Sword Energy Meteor nearing mastery, but Profound Phoenix Sword Wheel had also reached the small success stage.
However, he hadn't yet begun training the strongest Qi Refining technique, Flame Phoenix Sun Refining, which was a slight regret.
But with the small success-level Profound Phoenix Sword Wheel, his techniques were close to the standard of a ninth-level Qi Refining swordsman.
With a few more months of practice, he could easily reach the standard level in both swordsmanship and techniques.
This level of talent and progress already surpassed 90% of the core disciples in the Taixu Sword Sect.
With such cultivation and the various mystic treasures, talismans, and the hidden Dao Protector secured by Jiang Yuqiu, the Taixu Sword Sect finally felt confident enough to let Li Chunjun go on a training mission.
Of course, aside from the talismans, neither the Dao Protector nor the protective treasures were disclosed to Li Chunjun.
Otherwise, knowing his safety was guaranteed, how could the mission serve its intended purpose?
…
"Let's go. Gather at the main peak. An Elder will take you to the mission location in a flying vessel," Jiang Yuqiu said to the prepared Li Chunjun.
Li Chunjun nodded.
"Junior Brother, good luck!" Jiang Wanyu waved at him from the side.
"Alright."
Li Chunjun responded.
With Jiang Wanyu's gaze following him, Jiang Yuqiu summoned a sword beam and flew off with Li Chunjun, heading straight for the External Affairs Peak.
At the External Affairs Peak, in a large courtyard near the inner area, many people were already waiting.
Aside from one Core Formation Elder, there were over sixty people, all at least at the seventh level of Qi Refining.
Among them, over forty were sword cultivators, and the rest were Qi cultivators.
Moreover, anyone familiar with the Taixu Sword Sect's core disciple hierarchy would notice that without exception, every single person here was an elite.
Most were at the ninth level of Qi Refining.
A dozen or so were among the top-tier ninth-level Qi Refining cultivators, standing out even among the core disciples.
Particularly notable were Pan Ruo and Xuan Wu, disciples taken in by the Battle Peak's Master Lei Yuan in the past decade.
These two had performed exceptionally well.
In less than ten years, they had broken through multiple realms, advancing from the fifth or sixth level of Qi Refining to the ninth level.
Pan Ruo, in particular, had entered the top ten core disciple rankings at less than twenty-five years old.
He was the only one in the top ten under twenty-five.
At this moment, the eyes of these two Peak Master disciples gleamed.
Unlike most of the other Qi Refining cultivators who were genuinely here to exterminate Divine Race Believers, they—along with a few other core disciples—knew more.
This mission was less of a mission and more of a personal showcase!
A showcase prepared for someone with the full support of the sect!
This news didn't faze the average core disciple, but for those equally talented, it was frustrating and humiliating.
When had they, who were used to being the center of attention everywhere, been reduced to mere background characters?
And even worse…
Some Peak Master disciples had privately received orders to follow instructions at critical moments to ensure the safety of a certain individual.
What was this!?
Being background characters was bad enough, but now they had to be babysitters?
Fortunately, this was only the official command!
In secret…
Their masters, as well as a few Peak Master disciples, had received completely different instructions.
A personal showcase, huh?
The future Sword Prodigy, huh?
I'll defeat your future Flaming Phoenix Sword Prodigy!
…
Not far from the courtyard.
Jiang Yuqiu landed with Li Chunjun.
"Alright, you can go in now. Since this is your first mission, we've arranged for a Core Formation Elder to guard the perimeter. Plus, you have plenty of protective talismans, so your safety shouldn't be an issue. But…"
Jiang Yuqiu paused. "How many Divine Race Believers you find, how many you kill, and your overall performance—that's all up to you."
"I understand."
"Good. If you encounter any danger, use the talismans to protect yourself and remember to call for help with the Message Jade Talisman. Don't push yourself too hard."
Jiang Yuqiu added one last reminder.
"Alright."
No more words were needed.
With that, she turned and left on her sword.
After she left, Li Chunjun entered the courtyard.
As soon as he stepped in, everyone's eyes turned to him.
By now, Li Chunjun was a household name in the Taixu Sword Sect.
After all, figures at the "Prodigy" level were considered beyond the norm even for the Taixu Sword Sect on Blue Star.
This was evident from the way the previous Flaming Phoenix Sword Prodigy had swept through the eight sects of Blue Star.
Now, a future Flaming Phoenix Sword Prodigy stood before them, alive and well…
Instantly, the courtyard erupted in chatter!
"Sword Prodigy Li! It's actually Sword Prodigy Li!?"
"Sword Prodigy Li is joining us on a sect training mission? Could there be a mistake?"
"This is absurd! With Sword Prodigy Li's talent and strength, his time should be spent in seclusion, training hard. How can he be out here on missions like us!? And a dangerous mission like exterminating Divine Race Believers, no less!"
The reactions among the dozens of core disciples varied.
Some were shocked by Li Chunjun's presence, while others even suggested canceling the mission.
But the Core Formation Elder simply waved his hand. "Enough! If the sect has allowed Sword Prodigy Li to participate, it's because they have full confidence in him! That's final! Let's move out!"
(End of the Chapter)
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