On the arena stage, Lu Wen stood with his sword in hand.
His gaze fell upon Lin Zhixue, his brows knitting slightly.
Late Foundation Establishment.
Never in his wildest dreams had he imagined that the one standing on the stage in the end would be her.
“Junior Brother Gu.”
Lu Wen turned his head, glancing at Gu Yanqing below the stage.
“Are you sure you want her to fight in your place?”
Gu Yanqing did not answer.
Lin Zhixue simply tightened her grip on the Guilan Sword. “Let us begin.”
Looking at her tranquil expression, Lu Wen suddenly gave a light chuckle.
“It seems Junior Sister is quite confident.”
“However...”
He slowly raised his longsword.
“...the gap between Foundation Establishment and Golden Core isn't something that can be bridged by a sword alone.”
The moment his words fell, the referee announced the start of the match.
In the next instant, Lu Wen struck first with his sword.
Water-attribute spiritual energy surged instantly, a light blue glow surfacing along the blade.
He did not unleash his full power with this strike, treating it more as a probe.
After all, in his eyes, a late Foundation Establishment sword cultivator was not yet worthy of his serious attention.
As the sword glow sliced across the stage, Lin Zhixue turned her body sideways to dodge, her movement devoid of the slightest excess.
The second strike followed immediately after, his sword momentum noticeably stronger this time.
Several sword shadows appeared simultaneously, blocking off Lin Zhixue's retreat from every direction.
Yet Lin Zhixue still did not retreat. She simply raised her sword, drawing the Guilan Sword from its sheath.
The first stance of the 《Autumn Water Sword Technique》: a flash of sword light.
There was no grand, earth-shaking momentum, nor was there a sky-covering wave of sword glow.
Yet the moment the two swords collided, Lu Wen's complexion suddenly changed.
His sword momentum was actually forced right back.
That water spiritual energy—originally circulating with perfect fluidity—felt as though it had slammed into an unshakeable barrier the second it touched the Guilan Sword.
How is this possible?
For the first time, hesitation crept into Lu Wen's heart, but he quickly suppressed his emotions.
In a battle between sword cultivators, a single moment of distraction was a fatal flaw.
He immediately retreated, simultaneously manipulating his flying sword to attack Lin Zhixue once more.
Yet in the next instant, Lin Zhixue's figure had already vanished from her spot.
By the time he reacted, a frigid sword blade was already resting right in front of his chest.
Silence blanketed the entire arena.
Lu Wen's sword-hand froze in midair, the blade mere inches from his body.
Eight moves.
From start to finish, it had only been eight moves.
A good number of disciples in the surroundings had already noticed the commotion here.
Although this was not an official tournament arena match, two cultivators clashing was naturally enough to draw eyes.
Not to mention that the loser was Lu Wen.
Lu Wen's face darkened inch by inch.
He stared at the sword before him.
A moment later, he suddenly gave a chuckle.
“Junior Sister's swordsmanship was indeed somewhat beyond my expectations.”
The words sounded like praise, but his tone was exceedingly stiff.
Lin Zhixue did not respond.
Lu Wen withdrew his sword and stepped back.
“However, I was not fully prepared for that last strike.”
“Besides, this spar was merely a spur-of-the-moment idea.”
“If this had been a true life-or-death fight, the outcome might not have been the same.”
Hearing this, the spectating disciples around them displayed varying expressions.
Some thought his words made sense, while others felt he was clearly looking for an excuse to save face.
Lu Wen naturally noticed the gazes around him, his face growing even uglier.
He originally wanted to say more, but ultimately kept his mouth shut.
Staying any longer would only make him look even more embarrassing.
Thus, he turned directly around and left, moving even faster than when he had arrived.
Only after he walked out of everyone's sight did Lu Wen's face turn completely dark and grim.
The referee quickly announced: “Lin Zhixue wins.”
A burst of discussion immediately erupted beneath the stage.
A late Foundation Establishment defeating a mid Golden Core, and using fewer than ten moves to do so.
Gu Yanqing stood among the crowd, looking at the young woman on the stage.
He was not overly surprised.
After all, he knew what Lin Zhixue had gone through during this time.
Yet seeing this scene with his own eyes still left him somewhat dazed.
She was growing too fast—so fast that she had completely strayed from the original storyline.
The future he had originally needed to carefully avoid seemed to no longer exist.
As Gu Yanqing watched Lin Zhixue sheath her sword and turn away, a thought suddenly crossed his mind.
Perhaps she truly no longer needed him.
After the match ended, Lin Zhixue walked up to Gu Yanqing.
“Your injuries haven't fully recovered yet.”
“It's no longer a big deal.”
Lin Zhixue looked at him, saying nothing.
A moment later, she said softly, “Don't do this in the future.”
Gu Yanqing lowered his head. Knowing she was referring to the matter on the stage, he replied, “I know.”
Lin Zhixue then turned and walked away.
Gu Yanqing watched her departing back, standing in place for a long time.
...
The days that followed regained their tranquility.
The Sect Grand Tournament continued forward.
Xu Muhe ultimately stopped at the top eight.
After it ended, she also came looking for Lin Zhixue.
“What a pity.”
Xu Muhe let out a somewhat helpless laugh.
“I originally wanted to go a few steps further.”
“Still, this time can be considered a chance to recognize my own shortcomings.”
“Once I go back, I'll have to cultivate properly.”
Lin Zhixue nodded. “Mm.”
Xu Muhe looked at her and could not help smiling slightly.
“Zhixue, you really are still the same as before.”
Lin Zhixue looked at her in confusion. “What?”
“Nothing.” Xu Muhe shook her head. “I just feel that you've changed quite a bit.”
Having said that, she departed.
And as time went by, the accumulated snow within the sect gradually began to melt.
The cold winter also slowly passed.
Yet Xiaoyu felt that something was growing increasingly off.
Because it discovered that Lin Zhixue seemed to have not gone looking for Gu Yanqing for a long time.
In the past, although she did not speak much either, she would at least go over every day.
She would ask about his condition, or simply stand there for a little while.
But what about now?
Cultivating.
Practicing her sword.
Cultivating.
Almost every day was spent repeating these exact things.
Xiaoyu floated beside her, and as it watched her sheath her sword once more, it finally could not resist asking, “Zhixue.”
“Mm?”
“How come you haven't gone looking for Gu Yanqing lately?”
Lin Zhixue did not look at it, merely holding her sword. “He has his own matters.”
Xiaoyu blinked its eyes.
For some reason, it felt that this response was a bit strange. The Zhixue of the past would not have said that.
...
That night, Xiaoyu secretly snuck over to Gu Yanqing's place.
“Hey!”
Gu Yanqing was in the middle of meditating, and opened his eyes upon hearing the voice.
“Xiaoyu?”
Xiaoyu flew up before him, resting its hands on its hips. “Let me ask you something.”
“Why haven't you gone looking for Zhixue these past few days either?”
Gu Yanqing fell silent for a few seconds before asking in return, “What would I seek her out for?”
Xiaoyu had not expected him to say that, and stamped its feet in the air in anger.
“Look at you!”
“The two of you are like this right now!”
“Your relationship was clearly so good before!”
“How come now one doesn't visit, and the other doesn't take the initiative either?!”
Gu Yanqing said nothing.
After a short moment, he spoke in a low voice:
“She no longer needs to ask me what I'm doing every day.”
“She is already at late Foundation Establishment, even stronger than me.”
“As for cultivation matters, she has you by her side.”
“What could I possibly do if I went over?”
Hearing this made Xiaoyu even angrier.
“Who says friends only meet when there's a reason?!”
Gu Yanqing's expression finally shifted slightly.
Xiaoyu continued, “In the past, you ate food together, went outside together, and chatted together.”
“Were all of those things done just because Zhixue needed your guidance?”
“Just because she grew stronger, you feel you ought to vanish?!”
Gu Yanqing remained silent.
Xiaoyu's voice grew a bit softer. “Gu Yanqing.”
“Although Zhixue didn't like to speak much in the past, she would smile.”
“She would react to things concerning you.”
“But what about now?”
“All she does every day is cultivate.”
“Of course I want her to grow stronger.”
“However...”
Xiaoyu lowered its head. “I still want to see the Zhixue from before.”
Gu Yanqing simply looked at it like that. After a long while, he released a quiet sigh.
“Is that so...”
Xiaoyu nodded.
“So stop always thinking about what is needed or not needed.”
“Friends are just friends!”
“Since when do friends stop keeping in touch just because one grew stronger?!”
Gu Yanqing did not answer, merely looking down at his hands. Only after a very long time did he say softly:
“I understand.”
...
The next day.
Lin Zhixue was practicing her sword in the courtyard.
A voice sounded from outside the courtyard gate.
“Junior Sister Lin.”
She stopped her movements and turned her head to look. Gu Yanqing was standing right there.
The two met each other's eyes, neither speaking for a moment.
Gu Yanqing was the first to speak.
“Lately... how has your cultivation been going?”
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