It wasn't until her arms could no longer be lifted and she collapsed to the ground after a final splash of water that she caught a glimpse of a dark figure still standing at the courtyard gate.
The water hadn't actually hit her.
As she lay on the ground clutching her sword, Juesheng used its tail to pull the water back.
It poked its fish head out. "Ningyun, you practiced ninety-six thousand sword swings today. You've already saved up enough for the next two days. Are you still practicing tomorrow?"
"I am. I'll continue tomorrow!"
Gu Ningyun took a breath and tremulously raised her right hand, her grip on the peach wood sword deathly tight.
"Half."
She had failed to catch half of the water droplets today.
"The intensity stays the same tomorrow. I want to catch every single drop."
Juesheng: "..."
If you work this hard, Ningyun, it makes me look very lazy.
"I just wanted to try playing with water at first. Do you believe me?"
Gu Ningyun looked up at the sky. "If we hadn't been fighting from dawn until sunset, I might have tried to believe you."
She climbed up from the ground. The bluestone courtyard was covered in wet water stains.
"Will Senior be sparring with me again tomorrow?"
Looking at her still-dripping peach wood sword, Juesheng instinctively replied, "Yes."
For some reason, it seemed to have grown fond of watching the water droplets scatter after being shattered.
It was as if there were an indescribable sense of Zen in it.
It always reminded it of that long, hazy dream.
Its heart felt a slight stir.
Flicking its tail, it blew out two round little bubbles.
Buddhist scriptures seem quite interesting too. Maybe I'll go to the Lecture Hall for morning lessons tomorrow.
After agreeing to the sword practice appointment, Juesheng wiggled out of the small courtyard in its alms bowl, seemingly heading toward the refectory.
Gu Ningyun put away her peach wood sword and used a Cleaning Technique to tidy up the courtyard and herself, then tilted her head to look at the gate.
A female Foundation Establishment cultivator was standing there in a daze. Her black Star-Moon Sect inner disciple robes made her figure look exceptionally capable and sharp.
A black identity token hung at her waist, with only the words 'Star-Moon Sect' carved on the front; no other information was visible.
A three-finger-wide hairband was tied neatly across her forehead, beneath which were long but heroic sword-shaped eyebrows.
Had this person been spacing out at the entrance of their meditation courtyard all afternoon?
As she took a few steps closer, the female cultivator suddenly snapped back to her senses.
Gu Ningyun looked up, her gaze meeting a pair of eyes that sparkled like starlight.
"Does Senior have some business here?"
"Nothing. I just saw you practicing your sword and accidentally became entranced," the female cultivator said, shaking her head.
Gu Ningyun was a bit puzzled.
She had only practiced the four most basic sword moves without even using spirit energy. What was there to be entranced by?
As if seeing her confusion, the female cultivator explained softly.
"Practicing the sword without using spirit energy like that... it brought back some memories."
"Senior is also a sword cultivator."
The female cultivator stood before her with a straight back, like an unsheathed sword.
Gu Ningyun didn't even need to ask; she could tell her identity at a glance.
The female cultivator nodded. "I haven't introduced myself. I am Zhan Fei Bai, a disciple of the Star-Moon Sect."
Gu Ningyun was somewhat surprised.
This sharp, sword-like female cultivator was actually the third progeny disciple of Taiyi Peak, Zhan Fei Bai.
The tool female supporting character from the original book.
The original book had only briefly sketched Gu Lianxue's early experiences.
Immediately after her apprenticeship, the story skipped twelve years to when Gu Lianxue was eighteen, starting her daily routine of ambiguous relationships with her two senior brothers, her master, and other male cultivators.
This Third Senior Sister had only appeared twice in the book.
Once was when she returned to the sect after years of training and had a normal chat with her two senior brothers, only to be caught by a jealous Gu Lianxue.
After making Gu Lianxue jealous, she went back out for more training.
The second time her name appeared was when her soul lamp went out, and the final image of her dying in the mouth of a demon beast was sent back.
The main reason Gu Ningyun remembered her plot in the original book was that this female cultivator was such an absurdly blatant tool character that it had left her utterly speechless.
Didn't that previous report from the Wind-Seeker say she had been framed by Gu Lianxue and confined to the Cliff of Reflection for two hundred years?
How did she end up at the Penglai Dao Discussion Meeting?
Meeting the female cultivator's clear, starlit eyes, Gu Ningyun suppressed the confusion in her heart.
The original book was the original book; reality was reality.
"I am Gu Ningyun, a Xiaoyao disciple."
"I know. A Dao Insight that lasted five months and resonated with heaven and earth."
Zhan Fei Bai winked at her. "Your Dao Rhyme gave me many insights; I've even faintly sensed the threshold of the Golden Core stage."
Gu Ningyun cringed internally.
She stepped aside. "Would Senior like to come in and sit for a while?"
"It's already late today."
Zhan Fei Bai stared at her without blinking. "I wonder, when you practice your sword tomorrow, Ningyun, may I observe?"
"Of course you may.
"But Senior is already a Foundation Establishment cultivator. What use could there be in observing a Qi Refining cultivator like me practicing fundamentals?"
"Although I developed a sword intent prototype long ago, I've always felt it was lacking.
"I've traveled to many places over the years and tried various methods, but I could never find the missing piece.
"I gained a little from sensing your Dao Rhyme earlier, and watching you practice today gave me even more insights.
"Therefore, I would like to exchange thoughts with you to see if I can complete the flaws in my sword intent prototype."
After learning that she was a sword Dao talent and followed the orthodox sword cultivator path, Gu Ningyun had made another trip to the Sword Hall to seek guidance on the sword Dao.
She naturally understood what Zhan Fei Bai meant.
If the sword intent prototype a sword cultivator developed during the Foundation Establishment stage was flawed—to the point that even the cultivator themselves wasn't satisfied—
It would be very difficult for that cultivator to develop true sword intent once they reached the Golden Core stage.
Even if they did, the sword intent would not be very strong.
Gu Ningyun enjoyed exchanging ideas with others.
The collision of thoughts from different people always gave her new inspirations.
As they were both sword cultivators, and the other was a sword Dao talent who had already developed a sword intent prototype,
She naturally wouldn't refuse when the other party took the initiative to propose an exchange on the sword Dao.
"After morning lessons tomorrow, you may come over, Senior."
Zhan Fei Bai pulled out a Spirit-Attuning Jade Token. "Why don't we add each other as friends? It would be more convenient."
Gu Ningyun nodded, took off her disciple identity jade token, and added her as a friend.
The following half month was exceptionally fulfilling for Gu Ningyun.
In the morning, she went to the Lecture Hall for morning lessons with her companions; during the day, she practiced her sword in the courtyard; and at night, she flipped through the 《Compendium of Talismans》 in her room to learn about any talismans that caught her interest.
Juesheng used water to spar with her every day, and she no longer restricted herself to the habit of thirty thousand swings a day.
As if she were competing with herself or perhaps with Juesheng, she insisted on practicing until her whole body went limp.
As the days passed, the greatest gain was that she was able to catch more and more water droplets.
When she swung her sword, she began to feel something slightly different from before.
She hadn't quite grasped what it was yet.
True to their agreement, Zhan Fei Bai came to the courtyard every day after morning lessons, never missing a single day.
While Gu Ningyun practiced, she would sit quietly next to Juesheng.
She didn't speak; she just watched silently for the entire day.
Until one day, while she was watching, she suddenly drew a sword and began to dance with it in the courtyard.
Rate on N.U.
