She stood there like a sculpture carved from divine jade, breathtaking in her stillness, yet alive with motion.
Her snow-white robes fluttered gently around her as if caressed by invisible winds, outlining her graceful form with effortless elegance.
Her every movement was refined, fluid, and deliberate....her long legs like dancing reeds swaying in the wind, her waist slender and strong like the supple trunk of a willow.
Under the soft moonlight, her skin glowed like porcelain kissed by starlight.
Even the air around her seemed to shimmer with reverence.
Zhang Xiaofan could only watch in silence from the shadows, his gaze unconsciously drawn to her like a moth to a flame.
He stood in stark contrast.....an ordinary youth clad in plain green robes, with a firewood stick hanging at his waist and Xiao Hui, his monkey companion, perched lazily on his shoulder.
Compared to the ethereal presence before him, he felt like a weed growing in the cracks at the roots of a divine tree.
I don't belong in her world, he thought with a soft sigh.
Still, he didn't turn away.
He lowered himself quietly onto a moss-covered stone bench five meters away, mindful not to disturb her.
There was something about her swordsmanship that held him spellbound.....a quiet power, a balance between grace and danger.
He had heard tales of Lu Xueqi's talent, but witnessing it in person was like watching the moon glide across a clear sky.....silent, distant, and awe-inspiring.
Despite the fact that this place was forbidden to male disciples, she didn't acknowledge his presence at all.
There was no scolding, no cold glare.....nothing. As if he was invisible, as if his intrusion didn't matter.
Her sword traced silvery arcs through the air, flashing like starlight.
Each swing seemed to slice through more than just space; it carried the weight of intention and spiritual force.
But then, without warning, she froze.
Her eyes lifted skyward.
The spiritual energy around her began to stir, gathering like rippling waves in a calm lake.
The hem of her robe lifted with the rising pressure, and with a gentle step, she ascended into the air.
Her body floated upward, light as a feather, her robes billowing like wings.
Then her voice echoed through the silent courtyard...calm, composed, and commanding.
> "Thunder of the Nine Heavens, transform into divine lightning!
With the might of heaven, be guided by my sword!"
The sky responded instantly.
Clouds gathered in a swirl above her, rolling in from all directions like summoned beasts. Thunder cracked, and streaks of lightning arced across the heavens, coiling down toward the glowing sword in her grasp.
The air trembled under the weight of the power she had drawn.
Zhang Xiaofan's eyes widened.
This wasn't an ordinary technique. It was one of the Qingyun Sect's secret arts....Divine Sword Thunder Control Technique.
Most disciples had only heard of it in theory. To see it performed in person was a rare privilege.
But suddenly—
"Pfft!"
A violent cough interrupted the harmony of the scene.
A mouthful of blood burst from Lu Xueqi's lips, splattering across her pale robes.
Her body quivered.
The lightning dissipated in a chaotic scatter, the spiritual energy around her breaking apart.
She began to fall.
Zhang Xiaofan tensed on instinct, ready to leap forward. But he hesitated, rooted by his understanding of who she was.
No. She would see that as an insult. Someone like her… would rather suffer injury than be caught.
Just before she hit the ground, a faint emerald glow surged from her body, softening her fall.
She landed on her feet, knees slightly buckling. Her breath came in shallow gasps.
But even injured, she remained composed.
Without a word, she sat cross-legged on the ground, forming a hand seal.
Spiritual energy began to cycle around her, slowly nourishing her meridians as she stabilized her qi.
Zhang Xiaofan said nothing. He simply watched her from a distance.
Time slipped by. The moon climbed higher.
Half an hour passed.
Finally, Lu Xueqi opened her eyes and rose to her feet.
Her expression was once again calm, her body steady.
She dusted her robes lightly, as if nothing had happened, and began to walk away.
But as she passed the bench where he sat, Zhang Xiaofan finally spoke....his tone soft, almost hesitant.
"Senior Sister Lu," he said, "your sword technique earlier… it had a flaw."
She stopped.
She turned her head slightly, her eyes cool and composed....but there was a glint of curiosity within.
"Oh?" she said. "And what flaw did you see?"
Zhang Xiaofan stood up and took a few slow steps toward her.
He stopped just within a meter. A faint floral fragrance drifted from her, clean and light. His expression remained calm, but his heart pounded beneath his chest.
"You used the Divine Sword Thunder Control Technique," he said. "But your cultivation level isn't yet suited for it.
That technique draws from the heavenly laws and demands more than just spiritual power....it requires harmony between body and soul.
Only someone who has reached the Upper Clarity Realm can handle the full backlash."
Her gaze narrowed slightly. "So… you're saying I was arrogant?"
"No," he said with a faint smirk. "I'm saying you were reckless."
Her eyes widened.....not in anger, but surprise. Not many dared speak to her this way.
She studied him more closely now, as though seeing him for the first time.
"You know my name. You know my cultivation. And still you call me reckless?"
Before he could answer, Xiao Hui chirped and leapt from Zhang Xiaofan's shoulder to hers.
To both their surprise, she didn't push him away. Instead, she allowed the little monkey to settle, even raising a hand to gently stroke his fur.
Zhang Xiaofan raised a brow. That's rare. Xiao Hui's usually picky.
Maybe he senses something between us.
He looked up at the stars.
"You were only missing two things," he said softly.
Lu Xueqi glanced at him. "What two things?"
"First, your control," Zhang Xiaofan replied. "Your technique was forceful, but lacked finesse.
You tried to command the lightning with raw power instead of guiding it gently.
Thunder doesn't obey strength....it responds to harmony."
She was quiet, listening.
"Second," he continued, "your physical resilience.
Though you move like a dancer, your body hasn't yet reached the strength needed to bear the weight of divine lightning.
Grace alone isn't enough.....you need sturdiness too."
Lu Xueqi remained silent for a long moment.
Then, unexpectedly, she nodded.
"Your eyes are sharp," she said quietly. "But those very limitations....lack of control and insufficient physique...
have haunted even the elders of Qingyun for generations. If they couldn't overcome them, how could I?"
Zhang Xiaofan gave a quiet smile.