Chapter 127: Return to the Peak, The Sword in the Dream

Lu Jiajia slightly bent her fingers, and the sword intent lingering around them dissipated like electric threads. In the past, when she performed Sword Spirit Assimilation, she had to first awaken and summon the sword spirit within her, as if it were a nascent spirit. But now, as she drew that illusory sword, the clear ringing of a sword resonated in her heart, vibrating through her body like an iron sword blank, filled with the clang of metal and stone.

Yan Feng straightened up, staring at the blood in his palm, his eyes filled with disbelief. He couldn't comprehend how Lu Jiajia, with her cultivation in the Longevity Mid-Realm, could unleash such an astonishing sword strike.

Lu Jiajia looked at the utterly disheveled Yan Feng, her voice icy: "Do you still wish to continue this sword duel?"

Yan Feng's pristine white hemp robe was soaked in a lot of blood, which seeped through his fingers and dripped onto the grass. He raised his head, his expression grim, and said, "Peak Master, your sword technique is truly profound. I wonder how it compares to Senior Brother Yan Zhou's current skill."

Lu Jiajia calmly replied, "Had it not been for my consideration of Uncle Yan Zhou's past friendship, by the rules of our sect, I would have already executed you."

"Kill me? You've barely been weaned, and you dare speak such arrogant words? Let me teach you a lesson on behalf of that deceased old man!"

Yan Feng's fingers tensed, the joints and veins clearly visible. Still defiant, after a brief moment of accumulating power, the broad iron sword carried on his back was drawn directly from its sheath. It moved steadily, imbued with an incredibly heavy sword intent, and the furious winds stirred by its sword energy shattered the floor of the Outer Peak Sword Hall.

Yan Feng twisted his hands in front of him, his hair and beard wildly disarrayed, his pupils streaked with blood.

This sword strike clearly used his full power.

Lu Jiajia's expression settled into calmness after a brief moment of surprise. Her entire demeanor was chilling, and a faint cold light shimmered on her pristine white sword robe—it was sword light.

With a sharp clang, the Minglan Sword was drawn. As the long sword emerged from its sheath, it resonated with a clear chime against her body. The sword seemed to drag out countless wisps of white mist from deep within the sheath. As Yan Feng's heavy greatsword thrust forward and entered the mist, a single, dazzling bright spot simultaneously coalesced deep within the mist.

It was a sword tip.

Within the dense mist formed by sword energy, the two swords clashed. A sharp, grating clang reverberated, deafening all present, who instinctively covered their ears, striving to stabilize their sword hearts.

*Clang—Bang!*

The sword mist dispersed, and the air cracked with a sonic boom.

A sword shadow shot out from within, spinning as it flew outwards. Yan Feng's pupils constricted, his expression one of shock. He clasped his hands in front of him, and the spiritual power between his palms, like steel chains, firmly trapped the incoming sword. His body was pushed back continuously by the sword, sliding backward and plowing a long furrow across the lawn outside the Sword Hall.

The ringing of swords slowly faded.

Lu Jiajia stood still, holding her sword, not having retreated a single step. Not a speck of dust marred her snow-white robes.

Ning Xiaoling, watching from the side, was utterly mesmerized. Her heart, which had been in her throat, slowly settled once everything had calmed. She gazed at Lu Jiajia's profile, admiring the soft lines of her side face framed by cascading dark hair, the faint tear mole at the corner of her eye, and the elegant, pristine jade crown with its silver hairpin, her expression lost in adoration.

The other disciples present were just as entranced.

Outside the Sword Hall, Yan Feng, who had been defeated by two sword strikes, wobbled as he straightened up. He gripped the hilt of his broad iron sword, propping it on the ground to support his body.

Every ray of light falling upon him felt like a sword, igniting a burning pain and a profound sense of shame.

Lu Jiajia, meanwhile, slowly walked out of the Sword Hall, holding her sword.

Yan Feng watched her approaching figure. In the bright sunlight, her white robe resembled the last snowflake carried by the winter wind, and her innate sword intent made him feel a bone-chilling cold.

"What do you want?" Yan Feng stared at her and said, "Internal fighting is strictly forbidden within the peak. I am your martial uncle! Are you trying to defy your senior and abandon your ancestors?"

Lu Jiajia said nothing. She simply raised her hand, and then Yan Feng's shrill screams erupted. Two bloody holes, as if bone nails had pierced through, appeared on his wrist.

Lu Jiajia said, "Out of consideration for Uncle Yan Zhou, I will spare you this once. You will be imprisoned in the Cold Dungeon for three years, with no release."

Yan Feng stared intensely at her. A moment ago, his pride had been immense, having spent ten years sharpening his sword to test its blade here. But how quickly his decade of effort had been rendered futile! Although this young girl dared not kill him, the Cold Dungeon was a harsh place, and three years—how long would that be?

He stared at Lu Jiajia and said, "Currently, no one in Heavenly Cavern Peak, apart from Senior Brother, has reached the Violet Palace realm. The peak lacks high-level elders to oversee it. If you are willing to prioritize the greater good, let us make peace. We can pretend today's events never happened, and from now on, I will respect you as the Peak Master and cause no further trouble. How about that?"

The disciples outside the Sword Hall were indignant, wondering how this old man could be so shameless.

But Yan Feng was certain his offer was very tempting.

Heavenly Cavern Peak was currently in decline, with no disciples from two generations having reached the Violet Palace realm. This was why he dared to openly seize the position of Peak Master. Even if the other three peaks had objections, Heavenly Cavern Peak had no suitable successor, so he would be the only one to manage it.

However, he hadn't expected Lu Jiajia to hide her true abilities so well... But no matter how gifted Lu Jiajia was, she alone couldn't support the struggling Heavenly Cavern Peak, which currently lacked a new generation of skilled practitioners.

He stared at Lu Jiajia, awaiting her answer.

Lu Jiajia, however, had already sheathed her sword and turned to leave. "Imprison him in the Cold Dungeon. If the Sect Leader questions it upon his return, I will explain it to him."

Behind her, Yan Feng's angry shouts echoed: "That old fool truly had no foresight, choosing a mere girl who only cares about her own mood to be Peak Master! Heavenly Cavern Peak will be ruined by you sooner or later... Three years from now, I will make sure you die a miserable death!"

Lu Jiajia ignored him. She led Ning Changjiu and Ning Xiaoling around the Sword Hall, ascended the stone path of Heavenly Cavern Peak, and headed towards the Inner Peak, which was veiled in white clouds.

"Master is amazing!"

After the three had walked some distance, Ning Xiaoling looked up and praised genuinely.

Lu Jiajia smiled softly and said, "Cultivating the sword fundamentally emphasizes purity of mind. Although Yan Feng's realm is high, his intentions are mixed and swayed by malice. How could his sword strikes be swift? Xiaoling, if you uphold a bright sword heart from now on, you can certainly cultivate such pure sword intent."

Ning Xiaoling thought everything Lu Jiajia said made perfect sense and nodded vigorously.

Ning Changjiu said, "Master's words are like gold and jade. I am enlightened."

Lu Jiajia knew he was subtly mocking her. If it hadn't been for him healing her injuries last night, which inadvertently advanced her Sword Spirit Assimilation, she would absolutely not have had the power to face Yan Feng.

Her expression unchanged, she said, "The early spring sword trials will be in seven days. I have high hopes for both of you, so do not be complacent."

Ning Changjiu also said, "Junior Sister, you must work hard and astonish everyone."

Ning Xiaoling asked, "What about Senior Brother? Isn't Senior Brother participating?"

Ning Changjiu replied, "I am not an Inner Peak disciple. Wouldn't it break the rules for me to participate in the Inner Peak disciples' sword trials?"

Lu Jiajia pondered for a moment, then said, "In seven days, during the Inner Peak sword trials, the Outer Peak will also conduct disciple assessments. If you pass the assessment, you can enter the Inner Peak for cultivation. If you don't participate in the sword trials in seven days, you can go to the Outer Peak to try. I will arrange it for you."

Ning Changjiu neither agreed nor refused.

His cultivation was now back on track. Although it was a full twelve years later than in his previous life, he believed that without the constraints of that Unobservable domain, he could reach much greater heights and distances in this life. Aside from cultivation, everything else was minor, and he wouldn't dwell on it too much. He simply thanked Lu Jiajia and walked with her up the peak.

Ning Xiaoling harbored slight reservations about her Senior Brother's apparent lack of ambition. She always felt it wasn't right for him to just bring a stool and sit beside her during morning lessons, and with his abilities, passing the Outer Peak assessment should be effortless.

Lu Jiajia remembered something and asked, "Xiaoling, how are you progressing with your Senior Brother's lessons in reading and writing?"

Ning Xiaoling was slightly startled and stammered, "Xiaoling is dull-witted and hasn't learned much, ah. So far, I've only learned... hmm... three to five hundred characters?"

Lu Jiajia chuckled softly, "You've only learned that much in three months?"

Ning Xiaoling couldn't quite figure out if she had said too much or too little, so she nodded decisively.

Lu Jiajia asked, "Are you not studying carefully, or is your Senior Brother not teaching well?"

Ning Xiaoling dragged out a drawn-out "Hmm," uncertainly saying, "It might be Xiaoling's problem, or it might be Senior Brother's problem."

Ning Changjiu also smiled and exposed her, saying, "Xiaoling has actually learned very well. Reading scrolls and scriptures is largely no longer a problem for her. Junior Sister is quite the little scholar now."

Ning Xiaoling puffed out her cheeks, her voice as faint as a mosquito's buzz: "Senior Brother doesn't want me anymore."

Ning Changjiu said, "Junior Sister, you've learned enough about reading and writing, there's no need to delay further. Although the cultivation realm bestowed upon you by Fengdu is impressive, it's still somewhat shallow and not solid enough. You need to properly consolidate it yourself."

Ning Xiaoling, unconvinced, said, "Senior Brother is lying..."

Lu Jiajia gently rubbed her head and said, "Xiaoling, you've learned enough characters. Don't waste any more time on it."

Ning Xiaoling lowered her head, and only after a long moment did she hum in acknowledgment.

Lu Jiajia said, "However, during future morning lessons, I will still allow Ning Changjiu to accompany you as a study companion."

Only then did Ning Xiaoling brighten up, saying, "Thank you, Master."

As Ning Xiaoling lowered her head, Ning Changjiu and Lu Jiajia's eyes met, briefly and intentionally. Lu Jiajia quickly looked away, but Ning Changjiu had a faint smile, as if they had subtly completed some secret scheme.

Ning Changjiu returned to the Inner Peak, a place he hadn't visited for some time. He sat at his desk and pushed open the window. Outside, the cold mist had dissipated, the sky was clear and bright, with only cotton-like white clouds drifting by.

After a month, when he looked at these familiar scenes again, his state of mind was entirely different.

He folded his sleeves in front of him, holding a strange Taoist hand seal, and sat quietly. Wind blew in from the window, brushing against his somewhat delicate cheeks, making his previously soft facial features more sharply defined and resolute. Gradually, his black hair, which had been ruffled by the wind, slowly fell back into place. At the same time, his collar, eyelashes, and every part of his body became still.

But the wind continued to blow, yet when it passed through his body, it was as if it was blowing through an insubstantial phantom, stirring not the slightest ripple.

After a while, the wind once again stirred his hair. He opened his eyes, feeling somewhat fatigued.

This was one of the Unobservable's core Taoist incantations, named "Moon in the Water, Flowers in the Mirror." It was an advanced form of the Taoist sect's Breath Concealment Art, and the only one of the four great Unobservable incantations that his Senior Brother had allowed him to cultivate.

In the past, he had been unable to use it due to his limited talent. Today, he tried again, but could only briefly enter this state, which offered little benefit in actual combat.

He closed his eyes, meditated for a moment, then spread out a piece of paper and listed all the Taoist arts and sword techniques he remembered having cultivated in the Unobservable in his previous life.

Although he was very familiar with these profound Taoist arts, his current body had never practiced them, so they couldn't be ingrained as muscle memory. Therefore, cultivating them all over again would still require a significant amount of time.

He decided against this for the time being. His immediate priority should be to quickly absorb spiritual energy and rapidly break through to the next realm.

"I wonder how that kid, Nan Cheng, is doing." Ning Changjiu, following a lead, thought of him, rose, and walked towards the library pavilion, intending to "check in" on him.

In the corridor, Lu Yuanbai sat as usual, boredly drinking wine. However, Lu Yuanbai's alcohol tolerance didn't seem very good; he was already tipsy after just a few sips.

Ning Changjiu walked past him and quipped, "Uncle Lu, you have an impressive capacity for drink!"

Lu Yuanbai glared at him and said, "What do you know? Your Uncle merely doesn't want to set a bad example for the peak's disciples, so I always only take a small sip. That way, when they return from their lessons, I can quickly shake off the effects of the alcohol."

Ning Changjiu gave a thumbs-up: "This junior was thinking too shallowly."

Lu Yuanbai's lips curved into a smirk: "You little brat, don't talk to me in that sarcastic tone. Do you think I don't know your mischievous schemes?"

Ning Changjiu smiled and said, "Uncle often drinks. Is this... because you're troubled by love?"

Lu Yuanbai's expression froze. He shook the wine in his flask, sniffed it, but seemed to have lost all desire to savor it. He capped the flask, turned his head to Ning Changjiu, and said, "Where did you hear such gossip? For a dashing figure like your Uncle Lu, if I were to like any woman, wouldn't she be easy to win over?"

Ning Changjiu was in a good mood lately, so he unusually pressed further, "Which peak's female disciple has caused Uncle so much worry?"

Lu Yuanbai rolled up his sleeves and angrily said, "I'm only being lenient with you because you're a junior and your aptitude is poor; I can't be bothered to argue. If you don't know what's good for you, I won't even give Lu Jiajia face!"

Ning Changjiu looked at his face and enumerated, "Shouxiao Peak? Xuangri Peak? Huiyang... Oh, so it's Huiyang Peak."

Lu Yuanbai was genuinely angry. He thought his expression was clearly tightly controlled, but this kid either was trying to trick him or had coincidentally guessed correctly... In any case, it was too much. He grabbed a nearby sword sheath and swung it. Ning Changjiu "narrowly dodged" the strike, then smiled and waved goodbye to Lu Yuanbai, walking into the Inner Peak's library pavilion.

Following the wooden staircase down, he arrived in the library pavilion.

The library pavilion, being too large, was as deserted as usual.

Elder Yan Zhou was still in a deep slumber. Upon Ning Changjiu's approach, he slightly lifted his eyelids and glanced at him. Then, his usually indifferent expression, one that saw through all things without joy or sorrow, became serious.

"Have you met a master from outside the world?" Yan Zhou asked.

Ning Changjiu replied, "I had a chance encounter with an immortal who guided me in a dream, and when I awoke, I found my body and mind completely revitalized."

Yan Zhou meticulously observed his body. He had noticed at first glance that the young man's previously terrible constitution had suddenly improved, and now, upon closer inspection, he felt increasingly astonished.

Yan Zhou didn't press him on the truthfulness of his words. He said, "Your blessings are so profound that even an old man like me feels envious upon seeing them."

Ning Changjiu smiled faintly.

Yan Zhou asked, "Have you formed a nascent spirit?"

Ning Changjiu nodded, but did not tell him what it was.

Yan Zhou sighed with emotion, "I am becoming increasingly curious about your origins."

Ning Changjiu said, "Are you suspicious of me, Grand-Martial Uncle?"

Yan Zhou looked at him with a smile and said, "Restoring spirit meridians damaged to this extent is already a rare miracle in this world. And your current talent, among all the people I've seen, ranks at least among the top three. I once suspected you might be a disciple of the Purple Heaven Dao Sect, but now it seems impossible for the Dao Sect to easily let go of a disciple like you, if they truly had one."

Ning Changjiu said, "Whether you believe it or not, Grand-Martial Uncle, I am merely an ordinary disciple, and I harbor no ill will towards the Sword Discourse Sect."

Yan Zhou waved his hand, as if he didn't want to dwell on the matter. He said, "My time is running out; the coming deluge is no longer for me to worry about... By the way, what happened with Yan Feng?"

Ning Changjiu was somewhat surprised, not expecting Uncle Yan Zhou, despite his long seclusion in the library, to have received the news so quickly.

Ning Changjiu relayed Lu Jiajia's words truthfully.

Yan Zhou sighed, "My junior brother is headstrong and obstinate; I always knew this day would come."

Ning Changjiu asked, "What do you think, Grand-Martial Uncle?"

Yan Zhou looked at him, his expression uncharacteristically serious. "He is my junior brother, and also my blood brother. I only have this one brother..."

Instead of answering directly, Ning Changjiu countered, "If Lu Jiajia had lost the incident below the peak today, how would you have decided?"

Yan Zhou pondered for a moment, then chuckled self-deprecatingly, sighing, "I've lived for nearly a hundred years, yet I'm always burdened by worldly affairs, unable to live truly enlightened. Perhaps this is why I've been unable to comprehend the Great Dao for so long."

Ning Changjiu naturally had nothing more to say to him about this matter. Since Yan Feng dared to do such a thing, he should bear the consequences. Lu Jiajia was far too soft-hearted; if it had been him, he would never have let Yan Feng off so easily.

The two fell silent. Yan Zhou lay back down, neither dreaming nor truly awake, while Ning Changjiu went to the library pavilion and pretended to read.

He casually walked to an deserted large bookshelf. At this point, he no longer needed the book's help to reverse-draw the Small Flying Void Array and travel to Hidden Peak.

Specks of spiritual energy floated around him. He traced a pattern in the air with his finger, the spiritual light points connecting. After a brief sensation of weightlessness, he found himself on Hidden Peak.

The spiritual energy on Hidden Peak was several times more abundant than outside. As soon as he entered, his Qi Sea involuntarily opened, absorbing the peak's spiritual energy and refining it into pure spiritual power.

Ning Changjiu went to the cave dwelling where he had previously cultivated. Adhering to the expectations of a future master, he no longer practiced lying down as before. Instead, he sat cross-legged, silently reciting incantations to circulate spiritual energy through his meridians, allowing his cultivation to ascend and improve little by little.

Since he no longer needed to teach Ning Xiaoling to read, he started his cultivation a bit later today.

Many of the stone walls on Hidden Peak were made of special material; they seemed to sense the passage of the sun and moon outside, and gradually quieted down accordingly.

Ning Changjiu rose, pushed open the cave dwelling's door. He didn't go to find Nan Cheng first, but instead walked towards the center of Hidden Peak.

At the center of Hidden Peak, beneath the Dragon-Coiling Pillar, lay a vast darkness that had once filled him with dread.

The last time he gazed into this abyss, an invisible hand seemed to grip his vision, pulling it sharply downward, and his consciousness rapidly plummeted with it, causing him to quickly faint.

Now, he once again opened his golden-flamed eyes and cast his gaze towards the bottom of the peak.

His golden eyes pierced through the layer of grayish-black mist. Deep within the mist, the sensation of his vision being dragged downward became clear once more.

He saw clearly now: within the grayish-black mist, countless tentacle-like small snakes lurked. They writhed in the wave-like black mist, devouring everything in the air, including any gaze or consciousness directed into it.

However, this time, those small snakes showed a natural fear of his golden eyes. And within his Violet Palace, the Golden Crow cried out, seemingly eager to burst forth and devour the darkness at the bottom of the peak.

He forcibly suppressed this urge.

He could still sense that something dangerous was lurking at the bottom of the peak.

He turned and left, going to find Nan Cheng.

The door to Nan Cheng's cave dwelling was ajar, as if he knew that the New Year's Eve had passed and his "senior" should be returning to the peak soon, so he had left the door open, awaiting his arrival.

As Ning Changjiu walked in, Nan Cheng had just exhaled a breath of turbid air, completing his cultivation for the day. He opened his eyes, saw the figure at the door, and was first startled, then quickly surprised, which turned into joy. He exclaimed excitedly, "Senior, you're finally here!"

Ning Changjiu glanced at him and said with satisfaction, "Your talent is good. It's quite rare to cultivate the Post-Natal Sword Physique to this extent in just two months."

If anyone else had told him he had good talent, he might have been displeased, but hearing these four words from the white-robed youth before him, he considered it a rare compliment.

He hesitated for a moment, then said, "This junior has encountered some problems during this month's cultivation."

Ning Changjiu said, "Speak."

Nan Cheng voiced each of his cultivation questions. Ning Changjiu listened to these complex issues without a change in expression, calmly and steadily explaining the key points and details. Nan Cheng was alternately shocked and enlightened, his admiration for Ning Changjiu growing even deeper.

"Senior, you haven't cultivated the Post-Natal Sword Physique yourself, yet you can explain these issues so clearly... This junior is truly impressed," Nan Cheng exclaimed with emotion.

Ning Changjiu thought to himself that although he hadn't cultivated it himself, his fourth senior sister was a master of this path. He had simply used her cultivation methods as a template, adding some of his own understanding when explaining it to him.

Ning Changjiu said, "All Taoist arts in the world share common principles. When you gain more experience and your Dao heart becomes complete, you will also possess this deductive ability."

Hearing this, Nan Cheng was completely convinced.

He suddenly recalled something and marveled, "The remaining spirit fruits in the jade token from last time were just enough for me to complete my subsequent cultivation. Was this... also something Senior had anticipated?"

*What a coincidence...* Ning Changjiu, without changing his expression, nodded slightly.

Nan Cheng said admiringly, "Senior truly has divine foresight."

Ning Changjiu thought it was getting late and asked, "Are the spirit fruits in the jade token now completely used up?"

Nan Cheng said, "After every New Year, the quota in the jade token is refilled."

Ning Changjiu, without hesitation, already held out his hand.

Nan Cheng was slightly startled and tentatively voiced his suspicion: "Is something wrong with Senior's body? Logically, with Senior's profound cultivation, these spirit fruits shouldn't be of much benefit anymore."

Ning Changjiu, feigning solemnity, said, "Heavenly secrets must not be revealed. You will understand in due time."

Nan Cheng dared not ask further and respectfully handed him the jade token.

Ning Changjiu took some spirit fruits and pills, storing them in his own cave dwelling for tomorrow's cultivation. Then, he skillfully drew the array to return to the library pavilion.

By now, it was dark, and the disciples had all returned to their rooms to rest. The library pavilion was deserted.

Ning Changjiu was about to leave as usual, but a subtle sensation arose in his heart. He looked back, and his pupils suddenly constricted.

Yan Zhou was holding a sword, adopting an odd sword stance he had never seen before, the iron sword's tip pointing directly at him.

The elder's killing intent was incredibly real; it was as if a tough iron wire connected the sword tip to his heart, capable of tearing it apart instantly with just a slight pressure.

An alarm rang in Ning Changjiu's heart, spiritual energy surged, and the Golden Crow in his Violet Palace was ready to roar out at any moment.

However, that sword made no further move. Yan Zhou held the stance for a moment, then woodenly transitioned to the next sword form. But whether intentionally or not, the killing aura from the sword tip continuously pointed directly at his heart.

Ning Changjiu understood.

He was practicing swordplay in his sleep!