Shen Hongmei stood with sword in hand.
Those cool, clear eyes were fixed intently on Chen Yang, who had retreated to just over three meters away, the shock in her gaze slow to fade.
The way Chen Yang had dodged just now — the movement had been so fluid it was almost uncanny, leaving her with a very strange feeling...
That movement technique seemed to carry a sense of natural, instinctive grace, as though it were pure reflex.
Yet when she examined the rough edges in its execution more carefully, it was plainly the work of someone who had only recently begun training — not yet fully refined.
"That movement technique of yours..."
Shen Hongmei slowly sheathed her sword, and the sharp, imposing aura of the Foundation Establishment Stage receded with it. The heavy tension that had gripped the courtyard instantly eased:
"Where did you learn it?"
Chen Yang's heart lurched:
"I... I humbly report, Senior — this movement technique was something this disciple... happened to come across by chance outside. I found it quite practical, so I practiced it on my own..."
His words were deliberately vague.
Shen Hongmei was no ordinary person — she saw through Chen Yang's evasiveness at a glance. He clearly had no wish to elaborate.
She harbored no desire to covet the technique itself.
With her Foundation Establishment Stage cultivation and breadth of experience, she had seen at a glance that the footwork itself was not of any particularly profound or exalted rank — its strength lay more in its clever design. For a cultivator of the Qi Refinement Realm, it was indeed an excellent life-saving art.
She simply sighed inwardly. It seemed this young man was carrying quite a few secrets.
She pressed no further, and instead reached a decision, her tone brooking no argument:
"Very well. Since you are set on entering the trial, and you have acquired this rather ingenious movement technique, come with me. You will cultivate in my cave dwelling on Spirit Sword Peak."
"Go to Spirit Sword Peak?" Chen Yang was taken aback, momentarily unable to process what he had heard.
"Yes. Come with me."
Shen Hongmei gave a nod and said no more. She raised one slender hand, and with a soft hum, the Autumn Water Longsword at her waist slid from its scabbard once more, hovering at roughly one foot above the ground.
A faint spiritual radiance flowed along the blade as it slowly expanded, growing large enough for two people to stand upon.
Chen Yang stared at the hovering Flying Sword, his heart a mixture of excitement and nervous apprehension.
This was his first time visiting Shen Hongmei's cave dwelling.
Seeing that Shen Hongmei had already stepped lightly onto the blade, he dared not dawdle and hurried forward after her.
Perhaps it was the impression left by their previous close encounters, or perhaps it was simply that he acted without thinking in the moment — but after stepping onto the Flying Sword, Chen Yang almost instinctively reached out both arms and wrapped them around Shen Hongmei's slender, supple waist, pressing close to keep his balance.
The instant his arms encircled her, Chen Yang's heart gave a wild flutter.
Just moments ago, when Shen Hongmei had unleashed her Foundation Establishment aura, she had been so imposing and powerful that one dared not look directly at her.
Yet now, through the thin fabric of her dress, the sensation against his palms was so delicate and yielding — so slight that it seemed as though a gentle embrace of his arms could enfold her entirely.
This extreme contrast sent his heart racing in a flustered, disorderly way, and his blood seemed to quicken.
The moment Chen Yang's arms wrapped around her, Shen Hongmei's body stiffened almost imperceptibly — but she said nothing, nor did she push him away. Only the fair skin of her earlobes, bathed in the cool moonlight, seemed to flush with the faintest, most delicate tinge of crimson.
She said nothing, and guided the sword with a hand seal.
The Flying Sword carried the two of them steadily upward.
They had barely risen a few meters when Shen Hongmei's gaze drifted, almost without intention, to the branches of the old tree in the corner of the courtyard below.
She let out a soft, "Oh?"
"That is...?"
She looked at the hair ribbon hanging from a branch, swaying gently in the breeze, and spoke.
Chen Yang followed her gaze — it was Lin Yang's hair ribbon, still hanging in the treetop!
He hastily explained: "Oh, that... that is a hair ribbon this disciple uses. I washed it during the day and left it there to dry, and forgot to take it back in."
"A hair ribbon?"
A note of puzzlement crept into Shen Hongmei's voice. She tilted her head slightly and glanced at Chen Yang from the corner of her eye:
"I have always seen you use a wooden hairpin to secure your hair bun. Since when did you switch to a hair ribbon?"
Chen Yang's heart tightened, but he forced a calm expression and improvised: "Well... this disciple occasionally likes to try a different hairstyle. I thought using a hair ribbon to tie my hair might look... perhaps a bit neater."
Shen Hongmei heard this and asked no more, only withdrawing her gaze with a thoughtful look.
She extended a slender finger and lightly tapped the air in the direction of the branch. A subtle ripple of spiritual energy spread outward, and the hair ribbon, as if drawn by an invisible hand, floated gently down and landed squarely in her palm.
She held the hair ribbon in both hands and ran her fingers over it in what seemed like an idle gesture, her fingertips reading the texture of the fabric.
Her eyes flickered faintly.
But in the end she said nothing, only raising her hand once more to send the hair ribbon back precisely to its original branch, letting it continue to sway there in the breeze.
Having done all this, she acted as though nothing had happened, focused her attention on steering the Flying Sword, and accelerated, cutting through the air toward Spirit Sword Peak.
Chen Yang watched the hair ribbon being returned to its branch and breathed a quiet sigh of relief.
Yet he had a vague sense that Shen Hongmei's actions just now had carried some deeper meaning. He dared not ask, however, and could only press that unease down into the depths of his heart.
The Flying Sword was extraordinarily fast. Piercing through drifting clouds and mist, the silhouette of Spirit Sword Peak soon came into clear view.
Even in the dead of night, through the thin veil of clouds, Chen Yang could see that many disciples were still below among the mountain peaks, training diligently with their swords.
Streaks of sword light flickered and danced in the darkness.
Some fierce and sharp, others dense and continuous.
The sound of blades cleaving the air drifted up faintly.
A spirit of striving and unyielding perseverance — the very atmosphere of Sword Cultivators — washed over him, and Chen Yang could not help but feel a surge of longing.
Before long.
The Flying Sword carried the two of them to a sheer cliff face near the summit of Spirit Sword Peak.
Shen Hongmei guided the Flying Sword to a slow descent, coming to rest before the entrance of what appeared to be a naturally formed cave dwelling.
Both of them stepped off the Flying Sword.
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Shen Hongmei waved her hand and recalled the Flying Sword.
Chen Yang stood before the cave dwelling, glanced down at the dark, bottomless chasm yawning beneath his feet, then looked up at the cave dwelling that seemed to hang suspended on the sheer cliff face. A faint chill of unease crept through him.
This place... was truly precarious.
"The area around my cave dwelling is surrounded by restrictions. Ordinary disciples cannot approach, and no one will come to disturb you. You may cultivate here in peace."
Shen Hongmei's voice sounded beside him, offering a brief explanation.
Chen Yang nodded quickly:
"Yes, this junior understands."
They entered the cave dwelling.
The interior was nothing like its rugged exterior suggested — it was quite refined and spacious, furnished with stone tables and chairs, meditation cushions, and a jade couch, everything one could need. The air was suffused with the same faint, cold fragrance of winter plum that clung to Shen Hongmei herself.
Shen Hongmei walked to the center of the cave dwelling and turned to face Chen Yang. Her expression carried a gravity he had not seen from her before...
Solemnity?
She looked at Chen Yang and spoke:
"Chen Yang, when I previously forbade you from fighting Yang Tianming, it was not entirely because I looked down on your abilities. It was more that... I did not know how to effectively improve your chances against him in a short period of time."
Chen Yang was startled.
He had not expected Shen Hongmei to bring this up so suddenly.
Shen Hongmei continued:
"I do not know much about Yang Tianming, but from what I have observed, the movement technique and speed he excels in are at the very pinnacle within the Qi Refinement Realm — and may even... already faintly resemble the short-range shifting ability of a Foundation Establishment Stage cultivator in its early form. Even if Spirit Sword Peak has several more advanced movement techniques that might surpass his, your current cultivation foundation makes it impossible for you to learn them. Forcing yourself to train in them would do more harm than good."
Chen Yang was silent.
He knew what Shen Hongmei said was the truth.
"However,"
Shen Hongmei's tone shifted, her gaze settling on Chen Yang with a hint of scrutiny and... an almost imperceptible expectation:
"The movement technique you displayed just now — I do not know its name, but its ingenuity, particularly its potential for explosive bursts and evasion in an instant, may be... precisely what is needed to contend with Yang Tianming's speed. If you can bring it to minor mastery within three months, you will at least not be at too great a disadvantage in terms of speed."
Chen Yang's eyes lit up at these words, and he fell into thought.
The Startled Swan Step had earned such high praise from Senior Shen?
"However, movement technique alone is not enough."
Shen Hongmei's tone grew serious once more:
"You also need a sufficiently powerful offensive art to hold your own against Yang Tianming — and perhaps even... to defeat him."
"An offensive art?"
Chen Yang's mind stirred:
"Senior, do you mean...?"
"I intend to teach you the Blazing Annihilation Sword Art."
Shen Hongmei said slowly, her voice cool and clear, yet carrying a weight that brooked no dispute.
"The Blazing Annihilation Sword Art?!" Chen Yang cried out involuntarily, his heart shaking with a violent jolt!
He knew this cultivation technique all too well!
Back at the Cultivation Technique Pavilion, he had made his choice between the Yimu Immortality Art and the Blazing Annihilation Sword Art!
Though he had no regrets about choosing the Yimu Immortality Art, he had always harbored a longing for this sword art of tremendous power and fierce killing intent.
He had assumed he would have to wait until he had completed the Qi Refining stage or even reached Foundation Establishment before he could ever touch it — and yet...
After the initial surge of joy, Chen Yang suddenly recalled something, and his expression shifted slightly.
Shen Hongmei seemed to read his thoughts and asked directly:
"Let me ask you — your Nine Revolutions Body Tempering Art: how many body temperings have you completed so far?"
A look of embarrassment immediately crossed Chen Yang's face.
During this period, he had been occupied with cultivating the Yimu Immortality Art and dealing with various other matters, and had indeed neglected his body tempering considerably.
According to the requirements of the Nine Revolutions Body Tempering Art, one tempering per level of the Qi Refinement Realm was the standard — at the seventh level of the Qi Refinement Realm, he should theoretically have completed seven temperings by now.
But in reality...
He lowered his head and answered with some embarrassment:
"I humbly report, Senior... this disciple... has only completed four body temperings. The fifth... has not yet begun."
"Only four?"
Shen Hongmei's brow furrowed slightly:
"Is it because cultivating the Yimu Immortality Art caused you to neglect it?"
Chen Yang's head snapped up, and he said in surprise:
"Senior... how did you know this disciple was cultivating...?"
This internal breathing technique was different from body tempering — it left no obvious outward signs.
Shen Hongmei said evenly:
"I am a Foundation Establishment Elder, after all. When I delivered the pills to treat your injuries last time, I sensed that the Yimu Essence Qi permeating your courtyard was unusually pure and active — far beyond what ordinary wood-element cultivation techniques could produce."
Seeing there was no hiding it, Chen Yang had no choice but to come clean:
"Yes... this disciple has indeed been cultivating the Yimu Immortality Art. It was... a Senior Brother in white robes I encountered at the Cultivation Technique Pavilion, who privately did this disciple a favor..."
He gave a brief account of how he had obtained the cultivation technique.
"A Senior Brother in white robes..." A strange light flickered in Shen Hongmei's eyes, and she seemed lost in thought.
But she did not press the matter, and only said:
"The Yimu Immortality Art is indeed an extraordinarily refined cultivation technique. That you temporarily fell behind on your body tempering because of it is understandable enough."
Her tone shifted again, turning stern:
"However — if you wish to learn the Blazing Annihilation Sword Art, your current physical constitution absolutely cannot withstand the burden of its fierce sword intent and spiritual energy circulation! At the very least, you must complete the seventh body tempering and lay a solid foundation first!"
Chen Yang's expression grew serious, and he gave a firm nod:
"This disciple understands! From this day forward, I will make every effort to catch up on the body tempering!"
It seemed the Nine Revolutions Body Tempering Art would have to be moved back to the top of his training agenda.
However.
The words had barely left his mouth when Shen Hongmei's cool voice reached him again.
What she said next struck him like a bolt of lightning, leaving him wide-eyed with shock.
"In that case, tonight — you will complete all three of the body temperings you have fallen behind on, in one go."
"Wh... what?! All at once — three body temperings in a single night?!" Chen Yang was instantly stunned, barely able to believe his own ears.
He knew all too well what the Nine Revolutions Body Tempering Art felt like!
Each tempering was like enduring a session of torture — every sinew, bone, and fiber of flesh felt as though it were being ground apart and reassembled, the agony almost unbearable.
After each tempering, he needed several days of rest to recover before he could attempt the next.
And each one was harder than the last.
More agonizing!
His original plan had been to catch up gradually over the coming period, one step at a time.
But Shen Hongmei was demanding that he complete the fifth, sixth, and seventh — three full body temperings — all in one go?!
This...
How was that possible? How could his body possibly endure it?!
Chen Yang could not help but blurt out:
"S-Senior! Each tempering of the Nine Revolutions Body Tempering Art requires Spirit Origin Pills to assist — to ease the pain and repair the damage. Three in a row... to say nothing of whether the body can hold up, surely consuming too many Spirit Origin Pills at once would cause problems as well?"
"Who said anything about Spirit Origin Pills?"
Shen Hongmei glanced at him, her tone unhurried:
"Within this cave dwelling of mine, there is a 'Frost Jade Spirit Spring.' You need only enter the spring to perform your body tempering — its effects far surpass those of Spirit Origin Pills, and it will also temper your will and solidify your foundation."
With that.
She turned and walked toward the depths of the cave dwelling.
Chen Yang had no choice but to suppress the storm raging in his heart and follow along with a stiff resolve.
Passing through a somewhat narrow natural stone doorway, the space opened up before him — a slightly smaller stone chamber.
At the center of the chamber, there was indeed a spring vent, roughly the size of a large square dining table's surface. The water was a deep, vivid shade of jade green, with tiny bubbles continuously gurgling upward.
An intensely piercing cold radiated from the spring water, causing a thin layer of white frost to crystallize on the stone walls and floor surrounding the vent. The air was thick with icy mist.
Chen Yang had only drawn a little closer when the cold bit into his bones, and he could not help but shudder, his heart growing more uneasy by the moment.
Body tempering in spring water that looked like it could freeze a person solid?
"Go in."
Shen Hongmei stood at the edge of the spring, her tone leaving no room for argument:
"Then immediately circulate the Nine Revolutions Body Tempering Art."
Chen Yang stared at the spring water exhaling its bone-chilling cold, swallowed hard, and said with a trace of fear:
"Senior... this... this won't cause any problems, will it? This disciple... this disciple is a bit sensitive to the cold..."
Shen Hongmei heard this and looked at him with an expression that was almost amused, her tone carrying a faint note of teasing — and something else besides:
"You swallowed a Blazing Flame Tiger's demon core raw, and now you're afraid of a little cold?"
Chen Yang's heart lurched again. How did Senior even know exactly which demon core he had eaten?!
The perceptiveness of a Foundation Establishment Stage cultivator was truly terrifying!
He dared not say another word, and drew a deep breath.
Since there was no escaping it, he had no choice but to steel himself and press on!
No matter how agonizing the body tempering was, it was still better than dying at Yang Tianming's hands — or failing to achieve Foundation Establishment!
However.
He had only just removed his outer robe and was about to continue undressing when Shen Hongmei suddenly called out to stop him.
"Wait — what do you think you're doing?"
Chen Yang paused, and looked up in confusion:
"Going in... to do the body tempering, as Senior instructed?"
Shen Hongmei looked at him, an odd expression crossing her face, and pointed at the frigid spirit spring:
"You were planning to... go in with your clothes on?"
She paused, her tone carrying a trace of exasperation and faint disdain:
"This is my private spirit spring. You must first go to that flowing water vent over there and rinse yourself clean, then enter the Frost Jade Spirit Spring unclothed to circulate your cultivation technique."
Chen Yang looked in the direction she indicated.
Only then did he notice that in the corner of the stone chamber, there was indeed another, smaller spring vent, from which warm, clear water was bubbling up with a steady gurgle.
The flow collected into a small pool, then ran off along a channel carved into one side of the stone wall.
Chen Yang's face instantly turned bright red with embarrassment.
He looked at the Frost Jade Spirit Spring with its bone-chilling cold, then at the warm water vent beside it, and hesitated for a moment before asking in a small, awkward voice:
"Then... then, Senior — do you have a bath towel, or something of that sort... something to... to cover myself with?"
Shen Hongmei heard this, and those cool, clear eyes fixed on him directly. Her tone was perfectly flat and unruffled, yet it carried a meaning that made Chen Yang's scalp tingle:
"Cover yourself? Do you think you've come here to enjoy a hot spring?"
Chen Yang froze on the spot, his mouth opening and closing without a single word coming out.
He raised his head and met Shen Hongmei's unwavering gaze looking straight back at him.
He felt as though his face were on fire, his entire body locked rigid.
Within the stone chamber of the cave dwelling, the only sounds were the steady gurgle of the warm water vent and the bone-deep chill radiating from the Frost Jade Spirit Spring.