Azure Valley - Sacred Empire
Under the first lights of day Jun was executing the move that made him famous in the past, 'Fall of the Sword Dragon'. It was a fancy move that consisted in forming a dragon made of swords and then slamming it into the ground while trying to speed its fall using Qi.
The dragon fell, dragging down with it a torrent of swords, some were real swords while others were imitations completely made out of Qi. Its momentum seemed unstoppable, and when it hit the ground it engulfed the surroundings in a huge dust cloud. In a real battle, the caster wouldn't wait for the dust to settle; they would follow up with a long-range attack to finish off any survivors. But this was just training. So Jun was standing still, his eyes fixed on the cloud as he waited for the dust to settle.
However, when the dust settled it became clear that he had failed. In fact, at the center of the impact a lone target was still standing; untouched by the dragon that had destroyed its surroundings.
Jun's face darkened, he had failed. Again.
He recalled to himself the four real swords that had formed huge pits in the ground, making them float behind him. His eyes were still fixated on the practice target at the center of the destroyed ground.He channeled his Qi while moving the four swords and summoned the sword dragon again, his light blue robe fluttering in the wind created by the dragon's movement. He pointed forward and the dragon fell on the ground again.
He stood still again, waiting for the dust to settle. However, the target was still standing there, mocking his incompetence. It didn't matter how hard he tried, his finishing move had a blind spot that he had never managed to remove. A safe spot at the center of the dragon's point of impact.
A red flush crept up Jun's face as he remembered the day he discovered the flaw. The same day his undefeated streak was shattered, and he was humiliated before a roaring crowd in the arena.
Jun still remembered his opponent's mocking face, as he walked out of his finishing move without a scratch on his body. The red-haired man had toyed with him the entire match, effortlessly dodging every strike and technique. Even after Jun unleashed his strongest technique, the man had found a blind spot and remained unscathed.
He still remembered the man's words as he was thrown out of the ring by a pair of flaming punches.
"You are just an undeserving kid who doesn't deserve to be here."
He remembered it all, his opponent's mocking eyes, the crowd's expressions, the whispers claiming he was just a weakling who'd made it that far with pills and outside help. Just a pampered child favored by his sect.
He called his swords back to him again. He wouldn't let this happen again, he wouldn't let anyone humiliate him or his sect. He was also a member of the Golden Generation, he was Lan Jun and he wouldn't let anyone look down on him again.
He summoned the sword dragon again, this time it seemed to have more momentum than before as it seemed to imitate the rage of its caster. Then it fell again.
And again. And again.
Elder Lan was slowly walking towards his abode when he heard the ground tremble. He sighed.
That child never stops...
He instantly disappeared and in a matter of minutes he reappeared on a flat plateau about two miles from his original position. As he arrived he saw another sword dragon fall on the ground, bringing destruction to the already tattered ground. However, as it crashed on the ground it destroyed everything except for the target it was supposed to eliminate.
He sighed, from the surrounding area and the cracked ground it was clear that Jun had spent the entire day practicing his dragon fall, but he could see from the pristine state of the circular target that Jun hadn't managed to fix his technique's blind spot.
While shaking his head he lightly stomped his feet on the ground, so that Jun could hear him arriving. Jun had always been like this, always training, perfecting and focusing on self-improvement. He actually admired the determination that his disciple had, even if he was talented he had never let this blind him and he continued to focus on his cultivation.
"Jun, you should take a pause and get some sleep. You won't get anything by training without a clear mind. You are no machine."
When Jun turned around Elder Lan could see his figure better. Jun's complexion was pale, a clear sign of Qi depletion, while his blue tunic was dusty due to the constant dust clouds that his technique made.
Jun bowed, clearly not minding to be seen in this state.
"Master, I can't stop. I'm close to the solution, I can feel it."
Elder Lan let out a turbulent breath, his disciple was always like this, training all day and if he tried to stop him he would simply say that he was close to a solution and that he had to continue. When Jun was younger, Lan could still use his authority as a master to make him stop and relax. But now, Jun was a Soul-Wandering cultivator, only one realm below him. As a Nascent Soul cultivator, Lan was still stronger but he couldn't order Jun around anymore. He was a master in name only now, as Jun had completed his apprenticeship long ago.
However, he didn't mind. Jun was the disciple he was the most proud of. It was just a shame that he was still obsessed with what had happened two years ago. After losing that match, Jun had shut himself inside the sect, training in isolation and refusing to appear in public. That retreat cost him his reputation and only pushed him further into solitude.
Now, it was widely believed that Lan Jun was the weakest member of the Golden Generation and that his title should be passed on to someone more worthy.
"Jun, I know that you want to perfect this move and fix your reputation but it's been two years, maybe you should let go. I don't want you to develop an inner demon because of this."
He looked his disciple in the eyes. As expected, there was no sign of doubt or hesitation. This wasn't the first time they'd had this conversation, and it was unrealistic to think that one more would change him. Still, he tried, he didn't want his disciple to lose himself because of the past.
"Master, don't worry, our sect's secret technique will prevent me from developing one."
Elder Lan sighed. "Our sect technique can't totally prevent inner demons. You should be careful," there was a moment of silence before he added, "I don't want you to lose yourself."
Concern was written all over his face, and Jun must have noticed it too since he continued to reassure his master.
"Master, even if I develop an inner demon I will use our sect techniques to trap it and prevent it from controlling me." Jun tried to use the most reassuring tone he could. "You don't have to worry about me, I'm really close to a solution."
Elder Lan slowly turned to face the horizon. From the elevated plateau they were on they could clearly see the lights of the sect being lit as the last light of day shined through the mountains that encircled it. He was still concerned but his disciple's words consoled him a little, at least Jun was ready to trap the inner demon if it surfaced.
"Jun, just remember, I, the sect master, all the elders, and the entire sect believe in you. Even if you were defeated you will definitely rise in the future."
He paused for a moment before continuing.
"You're still young. You have a lot of time ahead of you. So rest for once and let us old fogies worry about the past and the future."
Jun took a step forward. "But Master, I—"
However, his master had already disappeared. Only his voice remained, carried gently by the wind:
"Jun, there is no shame in resting. Even the sun does it."
Shard Fortress - Rose Kingdom
The fortress lord was sitting in a finely decorated chair, his eyes fixated on the blue ball hovering in front of him. On the sphere's surface the image of Yun Qiang falling to his knees while muttering the names of the array present on the fortress continued to play on repeat.
Did he see it?
The lord rewound the scene and played it again. The sound coming out of the ball was crystal clear, and it felt like he was just a few meters away from Yun Qiang's mutterings. After the scene ended he gently brushed the blue sphere with his hand. Its glow slowly faded, turning the device into an ordinary, gray-colored stone before it floated gently back into his palm.
No, it can't be. Surely he didn't see it.
Even a master of arrays like Liang Wei wouldn't be able to find his blood-sacrificing array without having direct access to the array eye, or at least the power source of the array. It was impossible for a brat that wasn't even in the Foundation Realm to have noticed it.
He activated the orb once more. In a flash, thousands of miniature scenes flickered across its surface: soldiers eating, recruits training, private quarters where people rested and slept. Every corner of the fortress was under his constant watch. He ignored most of them and searched for Yun Qiang. Once he found the right image, he tapped it, and it began to enlarge as the others faded away, leaving space for the chosen scene.
Right now Yun Qiang was in the recruits' training ground. His muscles were tense and exhaustion was clearly written on his pale face.
Qi mastery training... He won't be able to solidify his Qi like this, his mind and body are exhausted. He is bound to fail.
Fortress lord Lu Bu moved on and looked at the rest of the recruits. This group had arrived only a month ago, but a few talented individuals had already started to stand out. In particular, two recruits had caught his attention: Lee and Sun. According to the report he had read, both were talented individuals. Lee had reached the first level of Qi mastery in half a day while Sun had taken a little more than a week. Typically, this process took most recruits three to four weeks.
Yet, as Lu Bu observed them, he noticed something that wasn't mentioned in the report. Lee's Qi control was clearly that of a beginner: raw and instinctive. The blade he formed was uneven, with rough edges and crooked lines. Sun, on the other hand, showed refined control. His triangular blade was smooth, precise, and free of imperfections.
An ironic smile formed on Lu Bu's face.
Hiding your skills won't help you out here. You are not in a sect anymore.
Sun's little trick wouldn't work here.
Lu Bu had seen it plenty of times during his past years as a sect instructor. Disciples would hold back during the initial examinations, only to reveal their true skills in front of elders or during critical evaluations, passing it off as sudden inspiration or natural talent. He had to admit that in the sect environment this trick was a good way to find a backer and get some extra resources. But this wasn't a sect. This was the Shard Fortress. They didn't care about raising outstanding disciples that could bring fame and influence to a sect. Here they only cared about raising soldiers that could survive the battle. Talent was a plus, but a talented individual that couldn't fight was just another corpse on the battlefield.
An exclamation of joy briefly caught his attention, another recruit had managed to solidify Qi even if his Qi blade dispersed in less than a second. This meant that every recruit except Yun Qiang had reached the first level of Qi mastery. They had done the most difficult step and now they only needed to hone and refine their control.
Lu Bu shook his head, a self-mocking expression was written on his face. Even with all of his years of experience he had been fooled, sometimes he worried too much.
Yeah, there is no way Yun Qiang noticed the blood-sacrificing array. Even if his realm is slightly higher than the rest of the recruits, the others will soon reach him and surpass him.
He is their weakest member.