Huang Cixi was becoming increasingly more unstable. Her every night was filled with nightmares now. She was witnessing the death of her little brother in horrendous conditions. Cao Yun was torturing him as she was unable to move or scream to stop him. The moans of anguish and suffering of her brother were grating her very bones. Then, Cao Yun went on to smile to her.
"Now, I can be your new brother. Isn't that what you want?"
Cao Yun then flayed the still writhing Huang Lixin in order to wear his skin as his own.
In other nightmares, her father was also tortured to death while she was holding him in her arms. The poor man was begging her to make it stop and when she looked at the hands tormenting him, they were her own.
She was often waking in the middle of the night while stifling a scream. All her body was drenched in sweat. Then, she meditated to keep it under control. But it was more and more difficult to keep it under control. And soon enough, those hellish scenes appeared during her cultivation as well.
She was doing everything so that Cao Yun would not notice her plight. The young boy did see some things, but he only thought Huang Cixi was still shocked by the attack of Luduo Bu. As such, he tried to alleviate her tasks as much as possible.
"Mei Yuzhi. I know that Luduo Bu's attack has caused you a lot of distress. If you need time for yourself, you should just take it. And if you need anything at all, just ask."
Cao Yun felt responsible for her since she was his servant. But he also felt guilty since she had been attacked because of him, as he was the one Luduo Bu wanted to kill. Ironically, this worsened the situation. The nicer Cao Yun was, the worse Huang Cixi's state of mind was. However, she got better at hiding it.
-
Cao Yun continued to train. He also put more effort into alchemy and array formations. However, he was really wondering what was his end goal...
If he wanted to kill the murderers of his family, he needed enough strength, but also enough influence to flush the demonic cultivators out. According to Xiao Xuefeng, even the Imperial City was tainted by their presence. In order to accomplish that goal, what was the best course of action?
And even more than that, what would he do afterward? Would he join the army? Would he become an inner disciple of the Wubei Sect? Would he become a province governor? Would he try to restore the Cao family? He wanted to be with Feng Yingyue as he had not seen her for several months now. Would he restore the Cao family with her? Would he become an alchemist with her? There were so many options, he was a bit overwhelmed by all this. And to be frank, none of those propositions seemed fully enjoyable to him.
In the vague memories of both the Drop of Wrath and of Cleansed Asura, he had caught a glimpse of a gigantic world, way beyond his imagination. This was probably the kind of world Emperor Nuwa had ascended to. But this world was out of reach since no one had been able to break through into the fourth realm for around fourteen thousand years. Still, he was dreaming about this kind of adventure, sailing to unknown worlds and discovering new comprehensions of the Way. He could even imagine traveling through the universe with Feng Yingyue by his side.
Cao Yun was feeling a bit guilty because he was trying to think of a life for himself but he had not avenged his family yet. However, he had to obey to his father's last wish, and the Hun character was really helping him. It was pushing him to try and find a purpose in his life. Vengeance was only temporary. He had to think about his future after that. Indeed, he was sure that he would get his revenge, no matter what. Thus he had to think about what to do after the murderers of his family were killed, to the last one of them.
One thing that was certain in Cao Yun's mind was that he wanted to keep cultivating and practicing his different occupations, mainly his martial arts.
-
A few days before the challenges, Cao Yun came back to the martial art pavilion. However, many martial artists were otherwise busy, resting for their upcoming duel. Even Chief Elder Baishen was too busy to meet him. These challenges were always a pain in the neck for her. And with the disorganization of the disciplinary pavilion, this was even worse. She had to put all the paperwork concerning the different challenges issued in order.
Cao Yun was ready to leave when he spotted a young girl entering the pavilion. She had a face full of life, not as pale and ghostly as other girls, intricately braided hair as black as obsidian, and silver eyes. She instantly focused her eyes on Cao Yun. They both looked like two full moons. Within them, Cao Yun detected a captivating allure. Looking into them was really like admiring the moon.
She was wearing the uniform of the Wubei Sect with an emblem of the Purple Northern Cloud Faction engraved with the number two. Seeing Cao Yun, she smiled and walked to him.
"Brother Chen, I'm Long Huafang. I'll be direct. Spar with me!"
Her name sounded familiar to Cao Yun. Thanks to his perfect memory, he quickly went through the official documents of the Wubei Sect and saw her name on the fighting scroll. She used to be just under Zhi Yin at the 166th rank. But that was the last ranking of the previous year. Since then, Zhi Yin had reached the 79th rank. Afterward, she lost against Long Huafang who was the new 79th best fighter. Thanks to that, she was now recognized as the strongest second-year.
Sparring against such an opponent would necessarily be a good thing.
"Senior Sister Long, please give me some pointers."
Long Huafang smiled. "Good. I was a bit worried that you were a coward when I heard that you wouldn't challenge anyone. At least, you have some backbone. But I'll warn you! I'm better than both Luduo Bu and Mu Hue. Even though this is just a sparring match, I will be serious. If you don't want to get hurt, you should fight me seriously as well."
The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
As she spoke, she unsheathed her sword and jumped on a nearby ring. The scabbard was made of a minutely sculpted white wood. On it were engraved the figures of legendary beasts looking like dragons and wolves. And the blade itself was pure Lightning Silver, the sharpest metal in the Hongchen Kingdom. It was extremely rare.
This sword was a 2-star Human sword called 'Shining Fang'. According to its blacksmith, it contained the canines of a Moon Devouring Gray Wolf. Such a demonic beast had six demonic cores, and was on par with very early Spirit Warriors. According to the legends, these beasts could become increasingly powerful as the moon got bigger within the month. And they were at their weakest during a new moon, the perfect opportunity to hunt them. Their fangs were said to be powerful enough to bite a part of the moon, even though that was probably an exaggeration.
The martial art pavilion had many rings meant for sparring and Long Huafang chose the widest. She then faced Cao Yun.
"What are you waiting for? Afraid?"
Cao Yun understood what was going on. Long Huafang had probably heard of his sparring session with Mu Hue since they were in the same faction. And knowing that he wouldn't challenge the fighting scroll, she got impatient and came to challenge him outside of an official challenge. According to the rules of the Wubei Sect, Cao Yun could decline of course, but she seemed very upright. Moreover, she had an aura of strength around her and he wanted to test his 'Azure Dragon's Seven Piercing Stars' to the limit.
"Senior Sister, I do miss a real fight with an honorable opponent. I won't insult you by holding back."
Long Huafang smiled even more, but with a glint of ferocity in her eyes. She was like a beast who had just found a new toy.
Cao Yun gripped his 'Nine Chi Black Dragon Spear' and jumped on the ring, facing her. They both cupped their fists and bowed.
Immediately after that, they assumed their fighting position.
"Brother Chen. I know you practice the 'Azure Dragon's Seven Piercing Stars'. To be fair, I'll tell you that I cultivate the 'The Dragon Howling at the Moons', a 1-star Heaven rank martial art. This is the defining martial art of my Long family. Prepare yourself!"
'Azure Dragon's Seven Piercing Stars' was considered a 1-star Human martial art. However, it was solely based on practitioners who would stop studying it before forging the last three stars. Considering its real potential, it was at least 5-star Human rank. And in fact, with the ability to get into his sea of consciousness, this same martial art showcased by Cao Yun was closer to a Heaven rank martial art, or even higher.
Earth rank martial arts were mostly used by mere mortals and Mortals. They were extremely powerful but limited to the body. Once you were to use a Human rank martial art, strange phenomena could happen around you just by circulating your Qi in specific pathways. And if you were a Mortal Warrior, then you could fully manifest your Qi and produce even stronger phenomena. Finally, a Heaven rank martial art was able to impact the very soul of a practitioner.
They looked like two dragons facing each other. Cao Yun had a serene demeanor with a tinge of excitement while Long Huafang had a fierce light in her silver eyes.
The first one to move was her. 'Wolf's Pounce'. In a flash, she was in front of Cao Yun. His spear gave him an edge if she kept her distance, so Long Huafang reduced their distance immediately.
'Imperial Throne'. Unable to move away in time, Cao Yun protected himself. With a powerful gust of wind, he swept her away. Faced with a wall of wind, Long Huafang was pushed back while blocking with her sword. 'Baring its Fangs to the Moon'. She held her sword vertically in front of her and the wind got separated by the blade.
'Dragon's Twin Horns'. To push her back even further, Cao Yun harassed her with at least thirty cones of wind. 'Wolf Walks on the Moon'. Long Huafang was extremely agile and fast. She was even faster than Cao Yun. Despite her lower cultivation, she clearly overcame Mu Hue in term of fighting ability.
In this fight, Cao Yun's speed was completely negated not by her defense, but by her own speed and agility. He had to completely change his strategy. Thankfully, his mind cultivation allowed him to follow her moves without any problem. Otherwise, this sparring session could have been quicker than he thought.
On Long Huafang's face, there was excitement and joy. The boy everyone talked about was worthy of his reputation and she was convinced that she would enjoy the fight.
From Long Huafang's mouth, a shrill cry erupted toward Cao Yun. 'Wolf and Dragon's Howl'. For an instant, Cao Yun had the image of a beast threatening him. The creature had the shape of a wolf but was covered in scales with bits and pieces of silver fur here and there. It had enormous claws and fangs. Cao Yun could not clearly see the beast as it was more of a feeling, but this gave off the impression of a hybrid between a gigantic wolf and a dragon.
In his sea of consciousness, his mind cultivation quickly brought him back to reality. But there was something more. His three stars seemed to react, as if they were challenged by a rival. These stars were the representation of a true Azure Dragon as it had been seen by the expert who had created the 'Azure Dragon's Seven Piercing Stars'. And the martial art of Long Huafang was also clearly inspired by a dragon of some kind.
Freed from this distraction, Cao Yun was able to react just in time. 'Silver River Overflows'. The tip of the 'Shining Fang' was aiming straight for his chest. Long Huafang could easily control her blade and stop it before a lethal strike. However, she still targeted a non vital area, just in case. Sensing the blade drawing near, Cao Yun decided to try his last technique.
'The Son of Heaven's Spear and Shield'. The moment he received the strike, Cao Yun felt as if a violent flow of water was sent directly onto him and was trying to penetrate his skin. Long Huafang was faster than him, but he was stronger and more resistant, even without martial arts. His technique worked perfectly, he diverted all this current into his spear and struck with it.
Surprised by the lack of reaction of Cao Yun, Long Huafang was almost ready to withdraw her attack so as not to hurt him. However, she soon realized there was no need for such a worry. Her sword would not pierce him at all. And she felt something strange. Her instincts warned her before her senses. When the counterattack came, she was already retreating. 'Tail Follows the Sky'. With a sweeping move, she accompanied her retreat with a strike meant to behead Cao Yun.
Of course, the attack had no killing intent behind it, but Cao Yun still acted as if it had. That was the point of a sparring session, they wouldn't really kill each other but they had to act as if they were really trying to. He redirected his spear to block the incoming attack. The shock was so brutal thanks to the energy he had redirected in his spear that Long Huafang almost let go of her weapon. But she used this shock to jump away.
In Cao Yun's sea of consciousness, the stars were more active than ever. Even if Long Huafang could not enter her own sea of consciousness, she also felt that her martial art was resonating with her opponent's. They were both gaining a lot from this sparring, but Cao Yun was on top. Indeed, his martial art was linked to the Wood element whereas Long Huafang's was connected to the Water element. Some martial arts were more closely related to one specific element while others used several aspects indifferently. And obviously, according to the Five Elements, Water was able to feed Wood.
Cao Yun was experiencing this situation for the first time. In his past fights, he was the faster opponent and he had to deal with a powerful defense. This time, he was slower than Long Huafang and she had a tough time penetrating his defense, even with her precious sword.