Chapter 18: Initial Sword Transmission

"Zhang classmate is also shopping?"

Xu Xing and Zhang Yunlu had just stepped out of the mall when they ran into a middle-aged man in a sharp suit with a slicked-back haircut; behind him trailed several students in blue-and-white school uniforms.

Zhang Yunlu hesitated a moment, then bowed respectfully: "Teacher, hello."

It was her teacher.

"Heh." The teacher smiled, turning to Xu Xing. "I'm Fang Chi, Zhang's teacher. May I ask your name?"

Zhang Yunlu didn't know how to answer that question.

"I'm Zhang's private tutor," Xu Xing said casually.

Guiding her cultivation counts as tutoring.

Upon hearing his identity, the students behind Fang Chi exchanged glances, and his own expression stiffened slightly.

"I see. Zhang is indeed diligent," Fang Chi nodded slightly. "The combat trial is the day after tomorrow—Zhang should do quite well."

Then he led the students past them and walked back into the mall.

"Your teacher doesn't seem to hold you in high regard. Care to explain why?"

Especially when he heard you were her private tutor.

There was nothing secret about it.

"Teacher Fang… at the start of this semester, he set up a remedial class. I was the only one in the class who didn't join—and my grades were still among the best. So over a dozen others quit too."

Since that incident, he hasn't dared openly target her, since Zhang Yunlu still has some reputation at the Third Middle School of Xuanjian City.

But he's constantly ignored her in class and in every other matter—had her mental resilience been weaker, she'd have sunk into isolation long ago.

Yet at first, he clearly said the remedial class was voluntary—anyone who didn't want to attend could skip it.

Sometimes that's how it goes: you don't mean to offend anyone, yet you somehow offend them anyway.

"Do you hate him?" Xu Xing asked.

Hate? Hate her own teacher? That sounded overly dramatic. But now that he asked, she did feel a pang of resentment.

"I don't know," she answered honestly.

Xu Xing wasn't surprised by this reply.

Such matters are inherently minor or major depending on perspective; Zhang Yunlu's mental resilience was excellent, and she wouldn't blame fate or others over this.

She probably never thought about it in daily life.

But whenever someone brought it up or asked, she'd reflect and feel a tightness in her chest.

Adolescent emotions come fast and fade fast—you sulk over past humiliations, then forget them entirely the next moment when something joyful happens.

"Do you want him to pay a price?"

Pay a price?

Memories of past slights rose one by one in her mind; the more she thought, the more suffocated she felt. She nodded firmly: "Yes!"

"If you want that, then let's go."

Xu Xing waved his hand and flagged down a car.

…………

More than ten minutes later, the two returned to the villa.

Zhang Yunlu stepped inside and looked around curiously—she'd heard of this place but never visited.

Xu Xing activated the "air conditioning" array, setting it to the most comfortable temperature, then turned and said directly:

"You've just reached Qi Condensation Ninth Layer. Don't worry about your cultivation yet—I'll teach you a sword art."

He raised a finger; a wisp of spiritual light shot out, struck her forehead in an instant, and vanished inside.

The moment the light entered her brow, she felt a dizziness, as if something new had suddenly appeared in her mind.

When she came to, nearly a thousand characters filled her thoughts—when she examined them closely, they were a sword technique.

"Flowing Cloud Sword Art"

A sword art emphasizing lightness and fluidity, with exquisite movements, focusing on using the opponent's force against them, softness overcoming hardness, skill overcoming brute strength.

For Qi Condensation cultivators, whose spiritual energy is inherently limited, practicing spells offers very low efficiency—this kind of close-combat technique is far more suitable. "For the upcoming combat trial, this sword art will suffice."

"Two days… I doubt I can learn it."

"Don't worry—I won't leave you to learn it alone. When you return to school tomorrow to report your realm, after you've fully understood the Foundation Establishment process, come back here. If you truly wish to forge the Heavenly Foundation, I'll teach you a suitable scripture, the method for absorbing solar and lunar essence, and a celestial treasure."

As he spoke, he pulled a small wooden tablet from a drawer and tossed it to Zhang Yunlu.

"This is the array access token. Keep it safe—don't lose it."

…………

A few minutes later, Zhang Yunlu left the villa, still dazed.

So all this was just to get the array key?

And "don't worry"—does he really trust her talent that much?

Hmm…

Could she secretly be a hidden sword prodigy? She stood by the roadside of the residential complex, lost in thought.

"Xiao Lu?"

A figure descended slowly, standing on a flying sword.

"Brother?" Zhang Yunlu blinked. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to submit a report," Zhang Xiu explained.

As the first to discover the great cultivator's emergence from seclusion, he was required to file a detailed account of the event.

"What about you? Why are you here?"

"This…"

How was he supposed to explain this? That he'd run into a big shot coming out of seclusion on the road, and that big shot had taken a liking to him and wanted to give him an opportunity? Could he actually say that?

Seeing her hesitant look, Zhang Xiu's heart sank, but his face still wore a gentle smile.

"It's fine. If it's not convenient to say, then don't say it."

Worst case, he'd sneak back over tonight to investigate on his own.

"Mm."

Zhang Yunlu nodded slightly, feeling a little guilty inside.

"Let's go." Zhang Xiu smiled gently.

The two of them walked outside together.

After all, sword cultivators below Nascent Soul couldn't carry people when flying on their swords, and he couldn't very well go back alone, so he could only call a ride.

"Still no leads."

In a villa not far away, a figure in white watched the backs of the brother and sister, his gaze indifferent.

Standing behind him was another person—precisely True Person Xiaoning, who had fought the demonic cultivator youth when he was refining the Myriad Soul Banner.

True Person Xiaoning was quite helpless at this moment. Anyone else showing up would have been fine—why did it have to be this particular martial uncle?

"Martial Uncle, since the Xiang Jianzong has already acknowledged that the cultivator who came out of seclusion is one of their own, we don't need to keep harping on it, do we?"

The Dao-Unification mighty figure of the Supreme Dao Sect turned around and looked calmly at True Person Xiaoning: "That cultivator who came out of seclusion caused such a huge commotion, and not only did he not take the initiative to come explain things to me, he even deliberately went into hiding. I have reason to suspect that the Xiang Jianzong cultivator who came out of seclusion is colluding with demonic cultivators, intending to slaughter the city and refine a Myriad Soul Banner."

True Person Xiaoning: "..."

Martial Uncle, could you please stop referring to yourself as 'this seat' every other sentence? According to what they say in Holy Sovereign Abyss, that really is super cringy!

And isn't this obviously a personal grudge dressed up as duty? Back then, it was clearly your own nephew who had a crooked mind, sacrificing infant souls to refine an unorthodox demonic art, and only got cut down by the Xiang Jianzong cultivator coming out of seclusion who happened to be passing by.

Sigh~ that incident caused an enormous uproar back then, even alarming the sect masters of both sects, and it took a lot of effort to finally settle it.

Everyone thought everything had died down, but after this martial uncle advanced to Dao-Unification a few years ago, the very first thing he did was apply to be stationed at the ancient-cultivator response department in Xiang Jianzong territory.

Clearly, he hadn't forgotten.

"I am now merely acting in accordance with the regulations." Purple energy swirled in the Dao-Unification mighty figure's eyes. "What? They may do it, but I may not?"

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