From Zhuge Su Yeon's Perspective
The steam rising from the teacup seemed slower that morning, as though it too awaited the right moment to disperse. Zhuge Su Yeon sat in the elevated seat of his study, body motionless, but his mind tracing every corner visible through the wide window that opened onto the inner courtyard.
Below, the clan carried on with its routine. Two disciples crossed the corridor carrying buckets of water, speaking quietly; farther ahead, a group practiced basic stances. Among them, an elder corrected a posture with patient care.
Su Yeon turned the cup slightly in his hand, the jade of his ring catching the pale light from the window. Each reflection served as a silent marker of time, a rhythm only he seemed to hear.
Time had slipped away like fine sand in an hourglass, and now only a single day remained before the start of the Junior Martial Tournament.Down below, in the training yard, voices were scarce. The dominant sounds were the sharp impacts of steps, blades, and controlled breaths.
Su Yeon let the tea cool on the table. His gaze, sharp as the tip of a spear that never misses its target, scanned the ten youths he had chosen—not as a proud spectator, but as one testing every link of a chain before casting it into the sea.
Zhuge Wen was at the eastern edge, his body arched in tense focus beyond the visible target. His newly adjusted recurve bow loosed arrows that cut through the air with a clean hum. Not a single shot was taken without first aligning his breath with Steps of the Celestial Balance—each shot a ritual in itself.He had risen from the fourth stage of Body Refinement to a stable sixth.
Zhuge Min trained nearer the center, her long saber vibrating with the crimson energy of Crimson Detonation Edge. Each slash reverberated through the air like an invisible wall being struck. Between blows, she called upon Serene Steel Skin, absorbing the recoil of her own strikes.She had risen from the fifth stage to a steady seventh.
Zhuge Tao spun his iron staff in wide arcs, feet shifting with the irregular rhythm of Steps of the Wandering Specter. His next attack was impossible to predict—sometimes a low sweep, other times a sudden thrust to the chest.He too had climbed to the seventh stage of Body Refinement.
Zhuge Fen, restless as always, ran broad circles around the yard before diving into her Rising Thunder Blade practice. Steps of the Free Wind made her charges and retreats so swift that the sound of her feet seemed to vanish into the breeze. Each strike landed in a flurry of three, as if she sought to etch her presence into the air itself.She had surprised them all, reaching the eighth stage of Body Refinement.
Zhuge Rong trained alone, his broadsword resting on his shoulder between attacks. Defensive Fortress Slash molded each strike into an inevitable push—attack and defense in the same motion. Stone Dragon Muscles sustained both the blade's weight and his own immense force, making him a living wall.
Zhuge Han drilled with his spear, eyes fixed on his partner. Exquisite Precision Body anchored his stance and gave him absolute control over every move.
Both Rong and Han had reached the eighth stage of Body Refinement.
Zhuge Lin moved with precision. Heavenly Blade Dance flowed in perfect arcs and counters.
Zhuge Cai trained alone, yet each strike of his halberd seemed to cleave the air itself. Emperor Martial Strike shaped his assaults into unstoppable advances, while Heavy Thunder Steps rooted his feet like stone and carried him forward like a moving fortress.
These two had just recently reached the ninth stage of Body Refinement, though Su Yeon could tell their realms remained somewhat unstable.
Zhuge Shan was the quietest, his longsword carving smooth, meditative paths. Floating Sword Dance seemed to toy with the space around him, while Silent Blade Heart kept his spirit calm and unshakable.
Zhuge Ren closed the circle, his fists sheathed in violet Qi. Thunderclap Fist discharged explosive power with each strike, while Tempered Gold Body let him absorb blows as though his flesh were polished steel.
As for Shan and Ren, both stood at the peak of the ninth stage. Given one more month, Su Yeon had no doubt they could step directly into the Spiritual Refinement realm.
Looking over the results of his investment, Su Yeon admitted it had not been a waste. Their realms might falter somewhat after the tournament, shaken by forced progress through pills—but with their potential, and with some help from the system, it could be managed. It was, after all, a calculated risk.
Each of them trained exactly as he had foreseen. Every movement confirmed that tomorrow, no surprises would come in form—only in outcome.
Satisfied with their performance, his gaze stretched farther, toward other directions, across distances few could measure.His two troublesome siblings… each walking their own path.
Yu Jin was beyond the clan walls. Su Yeon's spiritual sight found him in a clearing ringed by tall trees, the cold air rich with the scent of moss and damp earth. Sunlight filtered through the canopy, scattering golden patches that swayed with the wind.
He moved like a predator who had learned patience—low, attentive, saber in hand. Each step avoided dry leaves, each breath aligned with the forest's rhythm. The faint rush of water hinted at a stream; farther still, the hurried rustle betrayed a fleeing spiritual beast.
Yu Jin didn't let it escape.In an instant, Silent Thunder Steps shattered his stillness. His figure blurred between the trees, and his saber cut a simple, lethal arc. The strike landed before the beast could even roar. The blade twisted midair, casting off blood, and returned to guard.
He wasn't merely hunting—he was alternating broad and precise strokes, testing variations of Steel Dragon Blade against bark, stone, and hide. Each exchange ended with retreat, re-evaluation, as though carving the blade's memory into his body.Su Yeon couldn't tell whether the choice to seek real combat had been Yu Jin's or inspired by another… but he admitted it was a wise one.
In contrast, Yui Lan sat cross-legged on pale stone within one of the clan's inner gardens. Around her, nine types of incense exhaled sweet, fresh fragrance, arranged in triple circles. Small ceramic bowls held chopped herbs mixed with translucent resins and bluish petals—all reacting to the breeze with subtle glimmers, as if their Qi were awakening.
Her hair, pinned with a jade clasp carved into an aquatic flower, reflected the dim light of dusk. The ornament seemed to serve as a focus: faint streams of Qi trailed from its base, weaving into the currents swirling around her.
Her breathing was so deep and steady she could have been mistaken for a living statue. Yet Su Yeon noticed—in the faint tremors of air, in the way energy threaded through her meridians—that this was no ordinary method. It did not simply gather Qi, but refined it with uncommon purity, filtering it like water through a thousand crystalline stones.
It was something he had never seen before.
After checking on each of them, Su Yeon leaned back slightly and took a slow sip of tea. The taste was bitter at first, but left a sweet aftertaste.
Gradually, his focus withdrew from the outer world.The sun sank into the horizon, painting the rooftops in blue and gold, while shadows stretched across the clan's silent courtyards.
The day ended without haste.And tomorrow… tomorrow would be interesting.
The Zhuge clan, dormant and inert for years within Gray Sky City, would display its grace once more.
And their enemies would learn that a swan is not only beautiful from afar—it can also be vicious when its territory is trespassed.