Chapter 22: Sis, How About We Switch to Body Cultivation?

Not long after, her body, ragged as torn cloth, dissolved, and gray mist surged, weaving together to reform Zhang Yunlu's figure.

【Enemy: Cultivation Base Level 9 Sword Cultivator, Perfect Flowing Cloud Sword Art】

【Killing this enemy ends this trial】

Familiar golden text, and a pill.

Zhang Yunlu snatched the pill and swallowed it, then closed her eyes to meditate; after several minutes, her depleted spiritual energy fully replenished, increasing slightly in total volume.

The sword cultivator's phantom merely watched silently; by the time Zhang Yunlu rose with her sword, her weakened spiritual energy had fully restored—and grown slightly stronger.

"The hell you are!"

This was a boss that synced in strength and suffered no state degradation.

After cursing, she charged forward.

Yet the outcome improved little—after only a few exchanges, her heart was pierced again by sword light, then her head was severed in one stroke.

Again, she held out a few more strikes before the sword cultivator's phantom cut her in half at the waist—but Zhang Yunlu dragged her severed lower body forward and slashed once at the phantom's right hand.

Third time, Zhang Yunlu chose hit-and-run tactics—but she couldn't even withstand two strikes before the phantom's sword pierced her throat.

Fourth, fifth, sixth time—three consecutive failures, her performance worse than at the start, failing to last even a minute.

Seventh time, Zhang Yunlu abandoned evasion and engaged the phantom head-on, refining her sword techniques mid-battle; again she didn't last over a minute, but this time she wounded the phantom.

In subsequent attempts, her sword techniques grew increasingly refined; beyond the inherent fluidity and grace of the Flowing Cloud Sword Art, they now carried an added boldness, prolonging their exchanges and inflicting heavier wounds on the phantom.

Fifteenth time, Zhang Yunlu's left arm was severed, her abdomen pierced clean through, and a bleeding gash ran across her neck.

But the sword cultivator's phantom fared no better—its right wrist, holding the sword, had been sliced off, forcing it to switch to its left hand; its chest and abdomen appeared split open, wisps of gray mist leaking out.

"Huff… huff~"

Zhang Yunlu gasped for breath, her vision darkening in waves—a sign of excessive blood loss; she was barely holding on…

It's just a trial—why make it this real?! Across from her, the sword cultivator's phantom had staggered to its feet.

Fuck! What a fucking monster!

She loved reading, dreamed of becoming the kind of sword cultivator in Ancient Cultivation Secret Histories—white robes fluttering, snatching heads from a thousand li away with a flick of the fingers.

Now she was here, wielding a sword, fighting a monster that didn't feel pain, having died over a hundred times without breaking.

"I even admire myself!"

Squeezing out the last ounce of strength, she propped herself up with her sword.

Clang!

Zhang Yunlu dropped her long sword—it was too heavy for her to lift now.

She drew her waist dagger; only after dying once had she realized she'd had this all along.

Without warning, both charged at each other—the phantom's blade aimed straight at Zhang Yunlu's throat; long sword versus short, she'd be struck first—dodging was the best choice, yet…

Zhang Yunlu's eyes flashed with ruthlessness—she didn't dodge, didn't flinch; the long sword pierced her throat without hesitation, emerging from the side of her neck.

Yet she didn't stop—using her last shred of spiritual energy to preserve her vital essence.

Plop! Her dagger plunged into the phantom's blurred face—likely where the eyes should be—and twisted hard! 【Slain Enemy: Cultivation Base Level 9 Sword Cultivator, Perfect Flowing Cloud Sword Art】

【Time: Seven minutes twenty-five seconds】

【This trial ended】

Golden text appeared, but Zhang Yunlu ignored it, watching the dissolving phantom and smiling.

…………

"Excellent. At the brink of despair, you dared gamble everything, trading wounds to force a kill."

In the villa, a scene was projected into midair.

Xu Xing praised, but Zhang Xiu, seeing that moment, couldn't help but twitch his eyelid.

That woman—missing an arm, a sword stuck in her neck, barely alive, still smiling—that's my sister?! "After one hundred and two deaths, she ultimately slew a Cultivation Base Level 9 sword cultivator who had perfected the Flowing Cloud Sword Art." One hundred and two deaths?

Zhang Xiu stared at the fallen figure on screen, his heart torn.

He ached for his sister, yet understood this harmed her not at all.

"Elder…"

"You too possess a Heaven-Born Dao Foundation—you should know the pain and peril of absorbing solar essence, condensing lunar radiance, refining stellar light."

"… "

How could he not know? That process's agony was no less than being carved a thousand times.

"Yet judging by her current state, that trial may not be difficult for her."

Zhang Xiu's mind replayed the image of Zhang Yunlu, half-dead yet smiling—and overlaid it with the memory of her sitting peacefully in sunlight, reading.

Could this ruthless woman truly be the quiet, book-loving little Yu?

…………

The Zhang siblings' residence.

In the bedroom, the calming incense had burned halfway down; Zhang Yunlu lay with eyes shut, sleeping soundly.

The next instant, the curling smoke scattered—sudden, vigorous spiritual energy surged, lifting the curtains.

Her tightly closed eyes snapped open; she sat upright, eyes brimming with wariness.

Familiar yet alien surroundings filled her vision; an endless warmth reminded her she had returned to reality.

No—if that was only an illusion, how was her spiritual energy real?

After long silence, she rose from bed, opened the door, walked to the fridge, opened it, and poured herself a glass of juice.

Feeling the cool, sweet juice, she had the sensation of finally coming back to life.

Holding the glass, she walked slowly to the floor-to-ceiling window; the evening breeze drifted gently, carrying a chill, distant lights glittered, vehicles moved below, and occasional streaks of cultivation light flashed across the sky.

A scene of prosperity—utterly alien to the brutality of life-and-death combat.

She stood by the window for a long time, until she finished the remaining half-cup of juice, then suddenly smiled.

Even the owner of the noodle shop downstairs was at the peak of Foundation Establishment—she was nowhere near his match; what was she doing pretending to be melancholy here?

She set down the cup and prepared to return to her bedroom to sleep again, but before she took even a few steps, she stopped.

Something felt missing…

She looked around, scanned the room, and her gaze finally settled on the long sword leaning against the wall.

That's it!

She stepped forward, seized the scabbard, and the instant her right hand gripped the hilt, her heart became utterly serene.

"Sigh~"

Her current state must be a bit off.

Shen! The sword slid from its scabbard, its blade reflecting her eyes, gleaming with cold light—but it was merely an ordinary sword, otherwise it wouldn't have been left leaning against the wall.

At that moment, a rustling sound came from outside the door.

Huh?!

The door opened quickly; seeing who it was, Zhang Yunlu relaxed her guard and broke into a bright smile.

"Brother, you're back."

But Zhang Xiu, standing at the door, felt a chill at her smile—especially seeing her still holding the sword.

Sis, maybe we shouldn't be a sword cultivator anymore—let's switch to body cultivation!

Please collect and follow!! (End of chapter)