Fleeting Dream Across Three Lifetimes - Chapter 13

Chiyan? Luo Yuan, upon seeing that sword, widened his eyes at once and sent a voice transmission to Wu Chenzi. “Shixiong, you are truly generous, even giving the Chiyan Sword to your little disciple. When Yuan-shidi begged you for his second disciple before, you refused.”

(T/N. Shidi: Younger martial brother. For junior male members of one’s own sect.)

Wu Chenzi still kept his eyes fixed on the arena. Watching the sword in Qin Mohan’s hand, he said blandly, “You’re not much better. A mid-class Heaven-grade spiritual weapon, and you just handed it to a girl who’s only been here half a year.”

Luo Yuan secretly regretted it. Although the Luohe Sword was a mid-class Heaven-grade weapon, it did not match Qin Mohan’s spiritual roots. How could it compare to Mu Qitong, a fire-root cultivator paired with the top-class Chiyan?

Indeed, Mu Qitong had a single fire root. In the past three centuries of the Wuji Sect, single roots were pitifully rare. At present only Yan Xiao and Ming Yao, the chief disciple of Mingshui Peak, had them. It was clear how much importance Wu Chenzi placed on her. As both the master of Luori Peak and sect leader, he needed disciples to uphold his prestige and secure the best resources. For Mu Qitong, he spared no effort in her cultivation.

Silently cursing Wu Chenzi in his heart, Luo Yuan still sent another transmission, smiling, “Shixiong, you really aren’t fair, letting your heavenly-root disciple wield Chiyan against my little disciple.”

Wu Chenzi raised the corner of his mouth, retorting bluntly, “Didn’t you give her the Luohe Sword? And your Ziyun Pavilion, even I envy it.”

Luo Yuan kept his eyes on Mu Qitong, who had already made the first move, and chuckled. “She’s at mid Foundation Establishment, while my girl has only just built her foundation and entered the sect half a year ago. As for what she can comprehend from Ziyun Pavilion, it’s limited.”

No sooner had he spoken than Mu Qitong struck mercilessly. After a few probing exchanges with Qin Mohan, she unleashed the second form of the Nine Chaotic Swords. Crimson spiritual power blazed like fire around Chiyan Sword, then swept forward, surging straight toward Qin Mohan.

Watching from the side, Su Zining clenched her fingers tight and blurted out, “Be careful.” Realizing it, she bit her lip in frustration, yet her heart still throbbed with worry.

Luo Yuan’s face also grew serious. He glanced at Wu Chenzi with a hard expression. That level of spiritual power was far beyond mid Foundation Establishment. Clearly, Wu Chenzi had piled resources onto Mu Qitong. No wonder she was like this. Yet relying too much on elixirs was no better than forcing seedlings to grow. Once she reached late Golden Core and tried to break into Nascent Soul, it would be far harder.

Wu Chenzi feigned ignorance, eyes narrowed, waiting for Qin Mohan to be eliminated.

But Qin Mohan had clearly caught the soft call in her ears. A calculation formed in her mind. She did not grow tense. Instead, she even nodded lightly toward Su Zining.

Su Zining felt a rush of irritation. At such a time, and she still insists on putting on an act!

While everyone expected Qin Mohan to admit defeat or be beaten down in disgrace, she instead strode straight toward the incoming blaze. As the fireball surged down, she swiftly conjured a water curtain to block it.

Luo Yuan frowned, and Su Zining’s face tightened. Qin Mohan’s spiritual power was weaker than Mu Qitong’s. Even if water countered fire, a gap of one stage was still an absolute suppression.

Yet in the next instant, Qin Mohan’s left hand swiftly formed another seal. A wood technique burst forth. The blazing spiritual power that had been crashing against the water screen split apart, part dispersing the spell, while the rest was evenly matched. Mu Qitong reacted quickly, forming a fireball after the Nine Chaotic Swords strike, but suddenly pain shot through her hand. The fireball broke apart, blood gushing from her left hand.

Seizing the stunned moment, Qin Mohan’s Luohe Sword spun in the air, her water curtain enveloping Mu Qitong’s power and dissolving it instantly. She stepped onto her flying sword, fingers weaving intricate hand seals so swiftly the onlookers’ eyes blurred.

Wu Chenzi was shocked, his voice low. “Luo Yuan-shidi, disciples aren’t allowed to be gifted artifacts before matches. Have you forgotten?”

“I haven’t forgotten. But Shixiong, did you see her use any artifact? Just be patient and watch.” Luo Yuan’s eyes glimmered with delight. If his guess was right, Qin Mohan had triggered two spiritual forces at once, concealing her strange metal-root power within her wood root spell, waiting until everyone relaxed before striking. After all, everyone believed she had only dual roots, and as a mere Foundation disciple, it was deemed impossible to channel two kinds of energy in a single hand seal. Luo Yuan could not suppress his joy, his smile spreading uncontrollably.

As Qin Mohan pressed from above, Mu Qitong was forced to dodge frantically. Proud as she was, how could she endure being suppressed by someone at early Foundation? She too mounted her sword, and the two clashed fiercely in the air.

But Qin Mohan’s sword-riding technique was flawless, to the point even Wu Chenzi marveled at her control. Mu Qitong could not land a strike, while Qin Mohan countered again and again. Growing flustered, her power drained rapidly until at last she was struck down.

Knowing she had lost, Mu Qitong stood pale and dazed at the side. Qin Mohan had not struck harshly, so her injuries were light.

Luo Yuan laughed heartily. Wu Chenzi, his face dark, snapped coldly, “Qitong, you’ve greatly disappointed me.” With a flick of his sleeve, he turned and left.

Mu Qitong bowed her head in silence. As Qin Mohan stepped down, Su Zining approached quietly and said, “You were amazing.”

A faint smile curved Qin Mohan’s lips, and the tips of her ears beneath her hair flushed faintly red. Just as she was about to speak, a surge of danger rushed in. She had no time to react before Su Zining shoved her aside. But Su Zining could not fully avoid it herself. The scorching fireball grazed her arm and slammed into the crowd, drawing gasps and chaos. Luckily, Luo Yuan quickly scattered it, sparing the disciples behind from losing their lives.

“Mu Qitong!” Luo Yuan was furious, his pressure bursting out in an instant. Many disciples could not withstand it and dropped to their knees. At the center of the suppression, Mu Qitong could not endure the crushing force of a Divided Spirit cultivator, coughing blood as she collapsed to the ground, unable to move.

Seeing this, Wu Chenzi hurried back. Luo Yuan, knowing he would not stand idle, withdrew his pressure at once and quickly asked, “Girl, how are you?”

Qin Mohan shook her head but held Su Zining’s arm in worry. The place where the fireball had grazed was scorched, burning through both sleeve and flesh. Qin Mohan knew all too well the pain of such burns. Cradling Su Zining’s arm, she swiftly purged the fire energy from the wound with her spiritual power and asked anxiously, “Does it hurt badly? Did it hit anywhere else?”

Luo Yuan, watching his little disciple so flustered over a gray-robed disciple, found it strange. But since it was Su Zining who had saved Qin Mohan, and since his little disciple’s eyes brimmed with worry and distress, he coughed softly and said, “Here, crush this and apply it.” Then he turned a cold gaze upon the unconscious Mu Qitong. “Shixiong, you tell me. Striking a fellow disciple in secret, disregarding kinship within the sect; with such petty and narrow conduct, how should this be dealt with?”

Wu Chenzi’s eyes grew gloomy, though his face remained expressionless. “Qitong was at fault, but it was only because she focused too much on the result of the match. I demanded too much of her. Her heart is unsettled, and in a moment of impulse she made this mistake. However, she has already been taught a lesson. Since Lin-shizhi is not seriously harmed, let us pardon her this once. Lin-shizhi, for your fright, take this sixth-rank Vermilion Fruit as compensation.”

(T/N. Shizhi: Its English counterpart is “Martial nephew” though it is supposedly gender neutral, like shishu)

Qin Mohan looked at the box he handed over, lips pressed tight without replying. Luo Yuan whispered, “Take it.”

Qin Mohan bowed, accepted it silently, then said, “I will take Zhi Mo to rest. Shizun, I will withdraw for now.”

“Very well. There are no more matches today. Go and rest.” Luo Yuan sighed helplessly. Wu Chenzi was the sect leader, and Mu Qitong was a heavenly-root disciple. No matter what he did, he could not truly punish her. That was why he had struck so harshly earlier, to avenge his obedient disciple.

Qin Mohan led Su Zining away, not to her courtyard but directly toward the teleportation array. Su Zining was stunned. When Qin Mohan drew her into an embrace and stepped onto her flying sword, she stammered in confusion, “You… where are you taking me…”

“To my place.” Qin Mohan shielded her carefully, voice low, her gaze falling on the still-charred wound, her heart heavy. In her dreams, it had always been Zhi Mo taking care of her. Now that she was here, it was still Zhi Mo protecting her.

“It’s really nothing, just a surface wound.”

“The day after tomorrow is another match, how can it be nothing? Why didn’t you dodge? Why split your focus to shield me? I’ve at least reached Foundation Establishment, my skin is thicker, I can take a hit.”

Su Zining laughed softly. “Nonsense, does higher cultivation make one’s skin thicker?” She herself did not know why, but when she saw the fireball flying at Qin Mohan, her instinct was to pull her away. Though she claimed it was deliberate, that instant’s reaction could not be faked. Qin Mohan’s impact on her was stronger than that person’s. Her gaze lowered, shadowed with unreadable emotions. With her back to Qin Mohan, the other girl did not notice her expression, only sped up the return.

Qin Mohan did not know Su Zining had already reached the seventh layer of Qi Refining. Fearing she might feel unwell, she spread a protective shield of spiritual power around her, arm still wrapped firmly about her. The two were pressed close; Su Zining could feel her warmth, the soft contact. She remembered Qin Mohan’s words from that day—My reason is you—and her heart grew restless.

In silence they returned to Qin Mohan’s courtyard. Su Zining, regaining her composure, glanced around her room. It was clean and neatly arranged. Books filled the space, mostly journals of geography from the cultivation world and records of past events, as well as various introductory manuals, covering half the room. The rest was simple: a table, two bamboo chairs, and a bed.

“Sit down first.” Qin Mohan guided her to a seat and gently rolled up her sleeve. The wound, already treated with spiritual power, had not worsened. Qin Mohan took out the medicine given by Luo Yuan and sniffed it. It was a fourth-rank healing pill. She crushed it and applied the powder. The once-gruesome wound immediately began to close, its effect remarkable.

“How is it, does it still hurt?” She lifted her head to look at Su Zining, concern plain in her eyes.

Su Zining turned her face away and shook her head. “It doesn’t hurt anymore. Since it’s from Peak Master Luo, it must be good.”

“Mm.” Qin Mohan let out a breath of relief, lowered her sleeve gently, and asked softly, “After watching two days of matches, how do you feel about your own preparations?”

Su Zining composed her expression. “Most of the white-robed disciples have only just guided qi into their bodies. Most are still at Qi Refining. I’ll likely face someone at the second layer, and since I’m already at Qi Refining, I’m not too worried.”

Qin Mohan was pleasantly surprised. “You’ve reached Qi Refining already? I didn’t even notice.” Then she caught herself, frowned slightly. “I mean I couldn’t see your cultivation, not that…”

Her earnestness made Su Zining laugh. “I know. I deliberately concealed my cultivation. I don’t want to draw too much attention.”

Qin Mohan fell silent for a moment, then hesitated, “Then if I let you enter the competition, will it…”

Su Zining broke into a playful smile. “By the way, Qin Mohan, I forgot to ask. How old are you? Why do you act so old and serious all the time?” She herself was several centuries old, yet compared to her, Qin Mohan worried too much.

Qin Mohan froze, then gave a helpless smile. “I’m already twenty-two, six years older than you. Do you find me too nagging?”

Twenty-two? With her steady temperament, Su Zining would never have guessed she was only twenty-two. Seeing Qin Mohan’s eyes on her, she quickly shook her head. “No, it’s just that you think of everything so carefully, always worrying, so I asked. Since I agreed to you, I already considered the risks and gains. You don’t need to fret.”

Qin Mohan tilted her head, her brows and eyes soft with a gentle smile. “For you, no amount of care would ever be too much.”