The sun cast long golden streaks across the deck of the spiritual boat as it cruised steadily through the vast sea of clouds. The quiet hum of spiritual formation arrays beneath the wooden planks resonated faintly, a reminder of the powerful forces keeping them aloft. Several days had passed since the boat left Azure Sky City, and most of the provisional disciples had settled into their rhythms—training, meditating, boasting, or scheming.
Li Qingyun had spent the past week in seclusion in his private room. Having just stepped into the Foundation Establishment Realm, he took no chances. Within the room, the energy from his nine elemental circuits had stabilized, weaving around the black-gold core like the celestial orbits of stars—silent, steady, perfect. No spiritual fluctuations leaked out. No signs betrayed his realm.
To the outside world, he was merely another quiet, common-looking boy.
But today, murmurs buzzed across the deck like wildfire.
"Hey, is it true? Xia Shuying is going to spar with someone?"
"No way! Who dares to challenge her?"
"They say it's that plain-looking boy she came aboard with... I think his name is ....what was his name again?"
"You mean that guy who ignored Young Master Lu?"
At that name, many glanced nervously toward the upper deck, where a figure stood with arms crossed and an unreadable expression. Lu Yifan, clad in brocade robes that shimmered with faint runes, looked down at the growing crowd around the sparring platform in the center of the deck. His gaze was sharp and calculating.
Two figures stood facing each other on the central sparring platform—Xia Shuying and Li Qingyun.
________
Li Qingyun calmly stood opposite Xia Shuying.
Xia Shuying's presence was overwhelming. Her tall, lithe form had developed far beyond her age due to her intense body training, rivaling those of teens in their prime. With her long jet-black hair tied in a high ponytail and her sword resting at her hip, she exuded the calm confidence of a seasoned warrior.
She wasn't there for show. And neither was Li Qingyun.
They stood still, the air between them taut like a drawn string.
There was no animosity.
Only mutual understanding.
Since boarding the boat, neither had found a worthy match. And as two familiar figures who had trained together, they didn't need words to know what they wanted—a clean, pure sword exchange. No techniques. No powers. Just the blade.
A few disciples had caught glimpses of Li Qingyun during meals or on deck strolls but had dismissed him as unremarkable. Now they watched as he drew his sword in silence—a plain, long blade without adornment.
From the railing above, Lu Yifan watched silently. His emerald brocade robes fluttered gently in the wind. Eyes narrowed, he observed every movement.
He had tried to find out more about Li Qingyun, but they were far from Azure Sky City, and direct communication with spies or family members wasn't possible on a spiritual vessel sealed with barrier formations. But Lu Yifan wasn't patient for nothing—he had dispatched one of his people to retrieve information once they landed at the sect. For now, he observed.
"Let's begin," Xia Shuying said softly, her hand resting on her hilt.
Li Qingyun gave a slight nod.
Then they moved.
No dramatic clangs. No blinding lights. Just sword against sword.
Their movements were fluid, precise, and unrelenting. Xia Shuying attacked like a wave—relentless, rhythmic, pushing forward with practiced grace. Li Qingyun responded with the calm of a mountain—each parry measured, each step deliberate.
Every clash rang crisp across the deck. No fancy footwork. No cultivation pressure. Just the sound of steel meeting steel.
Xia Shuying moved like a tide, her strikes sharp and controlled—every swing laced with honed discipline.
Li Qingyun matched her with ease. His movements were flowing, elegant, yet deceptively precise. Even though he had entered the Foundation Establishment Realm, he suppressed his strength to match her.
But the intensity—oh, the intensity.
Their blades blurred under the rising sun, crossing dozens of times within seconds. Sparks flew, not from spiritual energy, but sheer speed and precision.
The crowd was stunned into silence.
"This... this is insane. Their technique..."
"They're both monsters."
"How is he keeping up with her?"
Xia Shuying gritted her teeth. Her eyes shimmered with respect. He's improved again. His form... it's nearly flawless.
Li Qingyun remained calm, breathing steady. Each strike he received flowed naturally into a counter. He wasn't attacking wildly. He wasn't trying to win. He was refining. Testing. Sharpening.
They continued for over a hundred exchanges.
Finally, Xia Shuying sheathed her sword, sweat lightly dotting her brow.
—
On the upper deck, Lu Yifan's eyes narrowed.
For the past few days, he had thought Li Qingyun was some countryside bumpkin who had won Xia Shuying's attention through some cheap trick. But now...
Lu Yifan's gaze darkened.
Who was this boy?
He wasn't just skilled. He had discipline. Calm. Strength.
He's no commoner...
—
Back on the sparring platform, the tempo shifted.
Xia Shuying stepped back slightly, sweat glistening on her brow. "You're even more annoying than I expected," she muttered, then smiled. "But that was fun."
Li Qingyun chuckled. "Likewise."
No one cheered. No one dared to interrupt the silence that followed. Even Elder Wu Zheng, observing quietly from the side, gave a small approving nod.
Xia Shuying gave a small nod and turned to leave—but not before throwing a casual glance at Li Qingyun. "Don't forget our deal. When we reach the sect, we're training together. Every day."
Li Qingyun smiled and watched her go.
—
Later that night, in the silence of his room, he meditated calmly. The spiritual energy within his newly formed Ninefold Chaotic Circuit Matrix flowed steadily. Each of the nine elemental paths pulsed gently, their rhythms aligning like a celestial clockwork. His core—black and gold, steady and unfathomable—sat at the center like a quiet storm.
_____
Inside his luxurious cabin, Lu Yifan sat with a cold expression.
"That boy... he's no ordinary provisional disciple."
The shadow attendant beside him hesitated. "Young Master… I just realized something."
"Speak."
"Young Master. That youth is—Li Qingyun."
Lu Yifan narrowed his eyes. "...From the Li Clan of Azure Sky City?"
"Yes. The one who awakened the Primal Chaos Vessel Physique at his awakening. The most celebrated genius in the region."
Lu Yifan's lips curled into a slow smile. "Tch. So I've been ignoring a dragon dressed as a sheep," Lu Yifan muttered. "No wonder Xia Shuying spoke to him with respect. So he's the city's golden boy."
He chuckled darkly. "Interesting. Let's see how high your wings can spread once we reach the sect…"