Great Wasteland Mountain stretches across the horizon, its majestic landscapes extending endlessly. Even an ordinary martial artist riding a horse would need at least twelve days to cross it and reach Hongxing Town, the nearest settlement and the destination of Lin Shuang’s current mission. Legend has it that no fewer than twenty gangs of bandits, large and small, lurk within the mountain, taking turns to ambush travelers at the only passable route through the mountain—the famous “Skyline Ravine.”
“Hmm, I see. The Skyline Ravine must be a must-see sight.”
Lin Shuang sat comfortably atop her wide sword, which resembled a snowboard, checking a small bundle of snacks prepared for her journey by her junior apprentice sister Zhao while reading the detailed mission notes handwritten by Senior Xu.
“Lin Shixiong.”
As she read, the sound of a sword slicing through the air approached from afar.
Zhou Xuanwu, dressed in the same green outer robe of the Qingshui Sect as Lin Shuang, landed his flying sword five paces away.
When his gaze fell on her peculiar setup—two wide swords combined side by side—his square face twitched involuntarily.
She had joined the sect three months after him, yet they had exchanged fewer than ten sentences.
Lin Shuang smiled and nodded at him. “Zhou Gege.”
Zhou Xuanwu grunted in reply, stepped back three steps, and sat cross-legged.
Her eccentric behavior and low cultivation level made it hard for him to find common ground.
Indeed, she wasn’t the kind of travel companion he could easily communicate with.
Lin Shuang lowered her head, smiling with relief.
Thankfully, she had already completed three days’ worth of friendship exchanges with her junior apprentice sister before departure.
They each occupied a spot at the foot of the mountain, ten paces apart, sitting back to back in silence.
When the mission client, an elderly man surnamed Lu, arrived at Great Wasteland Mountain with a sixteen-member merchant caravan, he hesitated.
“Two Daoists…”
The elderly man from the caravan couldn’t tell which of the two cultivators, male or female, should take the lead.
“We entrust this journey to you. We’d best reach the Skyline Ravine before sunset to avoid bandit attacks.”
Zhou Xuanwu opened his eyes, rising swiftly from his cross-legged position.
He nodded coldly to the elder. “Yes. Let’s depart.”
But soon, Lin Shuang’s lively voice came from behind him. “Hold on. It’s not yet the agreed departure time.”
Zhou Xuanwu frowned, about to speak, when a loud, flamboyant laughter approached from afar. A bulky flying sword wrapped in multiple layers of cloth appeared in front of him.
The newcomer wore a glossy brocade golden robe, his feet hovering in midair, seemingly using a levitation technique. He maintained a distance of three feet above his sword.
Zhou Xuanwu narrowed his eyes, sensing a formidable presence.
“Xiao Qi?”
His sword had descended into madness, yet his talent was extraordinary.
In less than three years since joining the Shanhai Sect, he had already reached the ninth layer of Foundation Building, nearly stepping into Core Formation, surpassing Zhao Keran’s progress.
In recent conflicts over spiritual springs between their sects, Xiao Qi had proven to be the toughest opponent.
Though Zhou Xuanwu had never directly fought Xiao Qi, his cultivation had always been half a stage below.
“It’s been a while, Senior Zhou.”
Xiao Qi’s fair, handsome face bore a carefree smile of a wealthy young master. He politely bowed to Zhou Xuanwu.
As he spoke, he leaped from the midair sword, refusing to let his flying sword touch the ground.
Zhou Xuanwu lifted his head, his lips tightening as he watched the expensive brocade golden robe flutter, revealing the black martial outfit underneath.
Xiao Qi’s eyes glimmered with spiritual light, as if tea leaves swaying in a cup.
This was a sign of breaking through a cultivation barrier.
Was he nearing Core Formation?
Was he seeking someone to fight, to overcome the final obstacle?
Zhou Xuanwu immediately became serious. “Junior Xiao, do you seek me for something? I’m on a mission and can’t spar with you…”
But Xiao Qi sheathed his sword and walked past him directly.
Zhou Xuanwu was stunned.
“Senior Zhou, you misunderstood. I came here to find Shixiong Lin.”
“What?”
Zhou Xuanwu turned in shock.
He saw Lin Shuang calmly smiling, extending her right hand to wave at Xiao Qi.
Xiao Qi immediately hurried over with a beaming smile.
“We can depart now,” Lin Shuang turned sideways, smiling at Zhou Xuanwu. “The person I was waiting for has arrived.”
Zhou Xuanwu: “What?!”
*
The caravan consisted of six horse-drawn carriages and twelve fine steeds, ensuring spare mounts in case of emergencies.
At this moment, first-tier yellow talismans—Wind Riding Talismans—were affixed to the front and rear walls of the carriages and the saddles of the horses.
These talismans, when used with the wind, could double the speed of ordinary travelers.
Currently, Zhou Xuanwu was flying ahead of the caravan on his sword, leading the way.
His spiritual sense extended outward, sufficient to detect any sound within a ten-mile radius. He could instantly sense any bandit attack.
“We should reach Hongxing Town in about three days.”
“It’s a must-see sight—the Skyline Ravine. Arriving at dawn allows a distant view of the sunrise, while arriving in the evening offers a breathtaking view of the setting sun.”
Soon, a lively and relaxed voice reached Zhou Xuanwu’s spiritual awareness from behind.
“Old Sun, besides that, what other scenic spots are on this road?”
“Old Sun, what are the must-try restaurants in Hongxing Town?”
Zhou Xuanwu’s eyebrow twitched. “…”
He turned around and saw Lin Shuang, who should have been guarding the rear of the caravan, sitting casually with her legs crossed on her wide swords, which resembled a small couch. Her height matched the window of the last carriage.
To her left floated Xiao Qi, silently listening on his sword, and to her right leaned Old Sun from the caravan, chatting enthusiastically through the window.
Zhou Xuanwu took a deep breath.
It was understandable for ordinary people.
But why had even Xiao Qi become so lax?
He looked at Lin Shuang, whose fair skin stood out like snow against the snowy backdrop of Great Wasteland Mountain. Her brows were naturally dark, and her lips naturally red, vivid against the white landscape.
Zhou Xuanwu closed his eyes.
Could it be that Xiao Qi had willingly surrendered to her during the spiritual spring competition out of infatuation?
Yet, beauty meant nothing to cultivators.
Even when seeking a cultivation partner, the smaller the cultivation gap, the better for mutual progress.
How could Xiao Qi be so foolish?
Forget it.
He couldn’t interfere.
Zhou Xuanwu turned his head back, focusing once more on the road ahead.
He could complete this mission alone; he hadn’t expected her to contribute anything anyway.
“Did you know, Lin Xianzi also reads novels?”
A female martial artist traveling with the caravan curiously asked, gathering courage.
Lin Shuang floated on her wide sword beside the carriages, chatting warmly with Old Sun and the martial artists of the caravan.
Soon, the entire caravan grew familiar with her, and the bolder ones dared to ask her questions.
“I’ve read this one too—’The White-Faced Scholar Runs with the Ball.'”
The female martial artist felt excited to have read the same book as a cultivator immortal.
“I thought cultivators spent all day in closed-door cultivation, studying diligently to transcend the mundane and achieve immortality, never reading novels.”
Lin Shuang chuckled and waved her hand. “What’s wrong with reading ‘The White-Faced Scholar’ while cultivating? If you study day and night, you’ll go bald.”
“Haha…” The martial artists burst into laughter.
This sound, entering Zhou Xuanwu’s ears, felt particularly grating.
What nonsense was this?
Zhou Xuanwu’s lips tightened as he shouted, “Lin Shixiong.”
The chatting martial artists and Xiao Qi immediately fell silent.
“Hmm?”
Lin Shuang, holding her novel, looked toward Zhou Xuanwu’s tall back.
“Don’t speak recklessly about cultivation matters.”
“Oh, okay, Senior.”
Lin Shuang shrugged, a fleeting look of regret in her eyes.
Zhou Xuanwu’s spiritual awareness and dantian remained tense for 365 days a year.
Year after year, like a fully drawn bowstring, it risked snapping.
Lin Shuang closed her novel, tapped her earpiece, and played music from a sound cultivator.
Watching Zhou Xuanwu, who never relaxed his cultivation efforts during the journey, reminded her of her past self.
She had believed that persistent effort would bring rewards.
But in the end, she lost far more than she gained.
After her grandmother’s death, she locked herself in her room for two months, grieving and reflecting. She decided to change, researching how to become an efficiency master and avoid being dragged down by time.
After reading over a hundred research reports, she realized her previous approach of overworking had been wrong.
Elite athletes could break records not only through training but also through energy management.
Once a crucial action ended, their heart rates rapidly dropped from peak to calm, instantly entering a self-protective energy-saving mode.
Constant tension only led to gradual exhaustion.
Lin Shuang smiled at the martial artist who dared not speak again.
“Overusing or underusing energy both reduce efficiency.”
“You liking novels is great.”
Zhou Xuanwu frowned deeply.
Unable to resist, he turned to look at Lin Shuang.
He happened to catch Lin Shuang’s pitying gaze fixed on his tense dantian, followed by a sigh.
Zhou Xuanwu: “Huh?!”
“Shixiong, why mislead ordinary people? In this world, everything is like cultivation—diligence makes up for lack of talent. Persistent effort without pause is the true path.”
But as soon as he finished speaking, he heard another helpless sigh from Lin Shuang.
“Ah, it’s my fault for speaking out of turn, Senior.”
“Some people haven’t reached the point of understanding yet. Even if I speak, they won’t comprehend. Oh, wasted five Pomodoro intervals for reading novels…”
Zhou Xuanwu: “What?!”
What was a Pomodoro interval?
His disciple ranking was 17,000 places higher than hers!
Xiao Qi smiled bitterly, trying to lighten the mood. “Ah, I remember a cultivation story. Let me tell you all—”
But Lin Shuang’s almond eyes narrowed, and she raised her hand to stop him.
Her gaze pierced through them, looking toward the valley in the southwest of the caravan.
After watching for a while, her red lips tightened.
“Shh. Let’s talk later. Guests are coming.”
“Hmm?”
Old Sun from the caravan immediately tensed, and the martial artists beside the carriages gripped their blades tightly.
“Could there be an ambush?”
“Are there bandits ahead?”
Zhou Xuanwu and Xiao Qi were stunned.
Where were the incoming people?
Especially Zhou Xuanwu, whose spiritual sense had been continuously scanning, detected no living beings within ten miles except for a few birds.
“Shixiong—”
But before he could finish speaking, his expression changed.
Xiao Qi also suddenly stood upright on his sword, his gaze serious as he looked through the distant trees.
“There’s an ambush ahead!”
“Twelve people, no, fourteen. Untrained, strong qi and blood—likely bandits.”
Zhou Xuanwu’s face darkened.
He barely restrained himself from turning around to look!
She was right.
How was that possible?
She had been chatting all along. How could she detect it faster than him and Xiao Qi?
Lin Shuang comfortably flipped over on her wide sword, turning off the earpiece on her left ear.
As the qin’s melody from the sound cultivator ceased, her spiritual awareness immediately descended from its peak exploratory frequency to a tranquil, ordinary state.
Like a top athlete lowering their heart rate instantly after scoring, resting and conserving energy.
“Alright, my watch is over. I’ll take a short nap now. Senior, wake me in an incense stick’s time.”
Zhou Xuanwu: “…??”
When an incense stick’s time passed, the ambushing bandits appeared exactly as predicted.
The caravan and Xiao Qi couldn’t help but marvel.
“Lin Xianzi’s prediction was spot-on, indeed an incense stick’s time!”
“Shixiong Lin’s spiritual awareness is so accurate.”
Zhou Xuanwu’s flying sword vibrated intensely.
An outer sect disciple ranked 17,000th, a low-level Foundation Builder still chatting with the caravan and reading novels!
Her spiritual awareness’s sharpness and precision far surpassed his?
How was that possible!
“Overusing or underusing energy both reduce efficiency.”
Zhou Xuanwu looked at the bandits coming into view, his gaze wavering.
“Some people haven’t reached the point of understanding yet.”
“It’s my fault for speaking out of turn… Even if I speak, they won’t comprehend…”
His junior apprentice sister might as well just call him by name directly!
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