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034 - Bathed in Coloured Light
🕑 Added 2024-07-16 22:09:55 +0000 UTCQin Yun was in no hurry to go to his wife's rescue. She was no child or damsel in distress; she was more than capable of looking after herself. Of course, Qin Yun wouldn't truly let her come to any harm, but hardships were necessary on the path she had chosen to walk. If he were to shelter her, she might never reach her desired heights. Besides, Qin Yun would regret it if she were to lose the edge she possessed if she were to get too used to peace. A slight hint of danger was required to keep their guards up.
Either way, Qin Yun wasn't worried as he could hear blades clashing behind the main house. Judging from the sound, the fight wasn't intense, as they were probably only probing each other. Also, Qin Yun only felt a single presence aside from Yun Jingfei. Unless their intruder was someone above the Foundation Building Realm, Yun Jingfei had nothing to worry about.
Still, Qin Yun wondered if this intruder was related to the man who suddenly appeared inside those ruins. It wouldn't surprise him as Qin Yun scarcely believed in coincidences—in his case, at least. Most of the time, he could feel the hidden hands of fates around him as if trying to manipulate him. He figured this time felt no different.
A slight blanket of obscurity hung over the sky as it was late in the day and the sun reached the horizon. Yet, Qin Yun could see flashes of multicoloured light illuminate the courtyard shortly before the sound of clashing steel reached him.
At a leisurely pace, Qin Yun walked to the back of the main house, only to see Yun Jingfei in the midst of battle with another woman. Yun Jingfei danced with Chun Xue in hand, striking with ever-increasing intensity, probing where her blade would be most suited to hit her opponent. Her movements were fluid and without excess.
Her improvements in such a short time frame were astonishing. She first held a sword less than a month ago and was now on the threshold of reaching the later stages of the Mortal Sword realm. Once only driven by pure force, her blade began to seek flexibility and also began to forsake the naivety and straightforwardness she used to rely on, seeking what Qin Yun had heard master swordsman refer to as the Hollow Truth, a sort of unpredictability. There was no beauty in her blade's path.
While Qin Yun wished to praise his wife, her shortcomings were also apparent. He could feel the hesitation buried within each of her strikes. While some may look down upon ruthlessness, it was necessary, whether toward your opponent or yourself. Yun Jingfei didn't lack ruthlessness toward herself, but the fact that her opponent was still living spoke volumes of her hesitation.
Her opponent was by no means weak, but if Yun Jingfei were to unleash all her might, that unknown woman wouldn’t be able to last. At least, not unless she continued to rely on that strange multicoloured light.
While that woman’s features were blurred by those constantly flashing lights as Yun Jingfei’s blade clashed against that woman’s sleeves, those lights reminded Qin Yun of something he had seen before, yet he couldn’t quite put his finger on it.
Still, Qin Yun pondered how the long sleeves of that woman's orange dress could parry Chun Xue. Even if that dress was a Profound Rank artifact, there was no way it could block its edge. It wasn't until he took a closer look that he noticed that each time the blade would near the woman, her sleeves would erupt into coloured light, blocking the edge. Furthermore, he saw that the edge of Yun Jingfei's blade would deviate from its path shortly after the light erupted. At first, Qin Yun attributed this to Yun Jingfei's inexperience, but when it happened repeatedly, he had no choice but to delve deeper.
He thought that the woman might be adept in the Dao of Space, as he had noticed the slight spatial fluctuation originating from this courtyard, but he soon ruled against it. Being able to teleport past the formations around the courtyard would mean that the woman was at least in the Soul Formation Realm.
Only a Dao Domain could achieve such a feat, or at least a High-grade Earth Rank artifact. He wondered if such a thing was possible as an artifact of that type would be worth as much as the Western Region in its entirety. As far as he knew, only two artifacts of that rank could be found in this part of the continent. Also, if that woman was that strong, Yun Jingfei would have long perished at her hands.
Then, he suspected something of the time attribute as the woman’s movements were strangely inconsistent. She would sometimes be flustered as she tried to evade, others she would retaliate with an uncanny fierceness after parrying a blow with that light.
All in all, Qin Yun didn't know what to think. He had seen many wondrous things, and yet he wasn't all-knowing. The world was much larger than the mind could comprehend. There was always heavens above the heavens, always something more to strive toward. Qin Yun could barely stop himself from interfering in this duel and experiencing this light himself.
As time passed, the woman's light began to dim as exhaustion became visible in her body language. Her chest heaved up and down as she struggled for breath. More than that, Qin Yun could see that she often favoured one side when blocking Yun Jingfei's assault.
Yun Jingfei had also become aware of this and relentlessly struck that weakness, prompting that woman to use that weird light solely for defence. Soon, Yun Jingfei was solely on the offensive, and that woman could barely defend herself.
While that battle had been relatively brief, Qin Yun could see remarkable improvement in Yun Jingfei’s swordplay. While the Mortal Sword realm could be divided into two different stages, they weren't separate but a continuation of the other. As such, there was no grandiose act of breaking through.
Still, Qin Yun was now certain she had begun her journey towards mastery of the Soft Sword Style. According to her pace, Yun Jingfei would reach the peak of the Mortal Sword in another four months, barring any accident. Then, she could embark into true Mind Cultivation.
Only by genuinely mastering the sword would one be able to discard it. At least, that was the goal, as a sword was only a material object while the mind was ethereal. Past a certain point, no matter how exquisite the weapon, nothing could hold a candle to the world itself.
Beyond the Mortal Sword Realm was the Earthen Sword Realm, which used the earth as the sword and the sky as the edge. While poetic, this meant only using the Spiritual Qi found in the atmosphere to form a blade and use its might to tear realities apart.
Of course, while cultivators could replicate such a phenomenon through orthodox cultivation, its effect would be limited by the size and sturdiness of one's Qi Centre. If they could bear the strain, a mind cultivator could move the whole of reality to aid their cause.
Of course, this came with some drawbacks. A human mind could scarcely conceive of such a notion, and if she were to attempt such a thing, it would only lead to her destruction. As such, Yun Jingfei’s path should be a mix of the two. By cultivating her mind now, Qin Yun hoped that she could transcend the limits imposed on orthodox cultivator once he repaired her Qi Centre.
Furthermore, Qin Yun hoped that her newfound control over Qi would help her control the rampaging energies that her previous cultivation couldn't handle. Once she mastered the sword, it would be safe to say she would be free of her nightmare. Qin Yun was intrigued to know just how far she could go.
Qin Yun himself walked the same path. After all, mind cultivation was based on insights. While most had been locked away by the heavens deep in his mind, he figured they would return in time as he advanced upon the path.
The two women's fight was reaching its climax. While Yun Jingfei's cadence accelerated, Qin Yun could see that the mental strain of such a fierce fight had taken a toll on her mind. Her movements grew sloppier yet much more forceful. Gone was the flexibility she had sought, replaced by anxiety as her opponent refused to fall.
The woman, too, was reaching her limit. With each new clash, Qin Yun noticed the woman glancing around, seeking a way to flee. Unfortunately for her, Qin Yun had the key to the formation in his hand. Unless he willed it, that woman would be unable to leave. It seemed she was aware of this, which was why the fight had dragged on until now.
In fact, Qin Yun had long figured this woman wasn’t an intruder in the strictest sense. She had long been here, locked away by the formation as if in a prison, unable to leave. This was probably caused by the spatial fluctuation that brought her here. Qin Yun saw no other explanation for her presence, as only a Soul Formation cultivator could breach it without the key Qin Yun possessed.
That woman was far from that realm. While he couldn’t see her lotus, he could infer her realm through her fight with Yun Jingfei. At most, that woman was at the later stages of the Foundation Building Realm, creeping towards the peak.
Usually, this wouldn't be enough to contend against a serious Yun Jingfei. Yet, that strange light kept the balance, but it dwindled with each passing moment. Soon enough, it would extinguish, and she would be powerless.
Still, Yun Jingfei had long known that she would win if she were to simply wear down her opponent. Yet, her pride wouldn't let it come to that. How could she continue on this overbearing path with such a weak mindset? She refused to relent in her assault.
She charged forward, brandishing Chun Xue in a circular motion, striking at the woman's waist. Despite her apparent exhaustion, Qin Yun considered this her most potent strike yet. She had put her all into it, leaving nothing behind. While she detested gambling on a single strike, this was no gamble. This was a statement of her intent. Her intent that her blade would follow this path no matter what.
Yet, surprisingly, her blade deviated from its path. Yun Jingfei's eyes couldn't help but open wide as she stared in disbelief at the glowing sleeve that collided with her blade. Qin Yun, too, was intrigued.
It was worth mentioning that Yun Jingfei had used Chun Xue for this strike. While Chun Xue was an artifact that Qin Yun had personally forged, it didn't possess any grand abilities. Only a single one, yet it was the perfect one for someone like Yun Jingfei. The ability to choose the ideal path.
Indeed, if one were to rely on Chun Xue, one would know exactly where to cut to sever anything in existence. Although it seemed overpowered, Chun Xue was just a sword like any other, made of common materials. It was simply infused with Qin Yun's sword intent. Its wielder would still need to be able to cut it themselves. This was also why Yun Jingfei couldn't cut that light, no matter how perfect her strike was.
Besides, Chun Xue also came with drawbacks. While relying on it could give one insight into the depths of swordsmanship, relying too heavily would only be a burden as one would improve. The goal, after all, was to discard the sword in the end and to rely solely on intent. Still, for her current realm, Chun Xue was something that could help her immensely.
As for her opponent’s parry, Qin Yun had finally found an inkling of how she managed it. Just before Yun Jingfei's blow landed, Qin Yun saw the light emerge, erasing the blow entirely, and through that same light, another slightly altered blow emerged. For the briefest of moments, Qin Yun had seen the two blows overlap simultaneously.
Qin Yun's jaw hung open slightly. Even for him, this was a first. This was no mere light but a light that could affect causality. This woman possessed the means to alter cause and effect!
