Chapter 24
For the first time, Yu Sui could achieve such high compatibility resonance with Five Elements Light Cores. Between each breath, she possessed abundant, rich Five Elements energy, truly feeling its existence.
At her fingertips, cheeks, eyes, even sleeves, hair, and accessories, Five Elements energy enveloped her entire being, ready to unleash.
But Yu Sui quickly felt something wrong—this power existed too briefly, almost fleetingly.
Each Five Elements Light Core provided too little power.
Generating new Five Elements Light Cores from Strange Fire, Yu Sui's limit was three hundred per day. If these Five Elements Light Cores were separated from Strange Fire, they would only exist for twelve hours before dissipating.
Yu Sui's Five Elements Light Cores were currently the most primitive, uncultivated ones that couldn't even be considered First Realm—the lowest-level Five Elements Light Cores.
Saint Chang Gen gave no response, but Yu Sui remembered what he'd once said:
"Focus."
Yu Sui steeled her heart, diving into her consciousness depths, looking at the gently swaying Strange Fire: "Unify."
She knew.
Strange Fire could understand her meaning.
Sometimes, Strange Fire was herself.
The small flame in darkness suddenly became a ferocious fire serpent, instantly devouring the three hundred generated Five Elements Light Cores. The accumulated power refined into one new Five Elements Light Core for Yu Sui.
The one she would mainly cultivate going forward.
……
Yu Sui smiled as she pushed the door open, seeing Mei Liangyu finally allowed in by Saint Chang Gen.
Mei Liangyu walked from the entrance to the steps below, looking up at Yu Sui emerging. She seemed to be restraining her happiness—if no outsiders were present, Yu Sui alone would probably be hopping down the steps.
So happy—eighty percent chance the problem troubling her cultivation was solved.
Mei Liangyu stood before the steps without moving, hearing Yu Sui call: "Senior Brother."
Listen—when happy, even calling "Senior Brother" sounded different.
Mei Liangyu lifted his eyelids to look at her.
Yu Sui walked only two steps up the stone stairs before stopping, smiling at Mei Liangyu below: "Senior Brother, let's spar."
She seemed afraid Mei Liangyu would refuse, adding: "Master also agreed."
"Don't use Master to pressure me," Mei Liangyu said casually. "I don't spar casually. What can you trade with me?"
Yu Sui pondered, looking down curiously: "I have money, lots of it. How much do you want, Senior Brother?"
Mei Liangyu: "......"
Quite wealthy.
The corner of Mei Liangyu's mouth curved slightly: "Remember to pay the bill later."
Just as he finished speaking, he disappeared from Yu Sui's sight, using Wind-Riding Techniques to reach behind Yu Sui: "If you can catch a piece of my sleeve before dawn, I'll charge you less."
Yu Sui looked back—Mei Liangyu was already several meters away.
"Though I have lots of money, saving some is always right." Blue light flashed beneath Yu Sui's feet. Five Elements energy generated Wind-Riding arts, shooting out like an arrow with only afterimages visible.
Stone lamps flickered with fire, illuminating some darkness. When two pursuing figures occasionally flashed by, the flowing Five Elements energy made candle flames violently tremble and bend, nearly extinguishing.
Yu Sui continuously familiarized herself with triggering and using Five Elements energy and Nine Schools Arts during the chase, like years ago at the National Academy during archery and sword lessons—she always remembered techniques and essentials quickly, almost learning at a glance.
She was like a burning candle, burning with full effort for the first time in her life.
Though Mei Liangyu was a Ninth Realm practitioner facing Yu Sui with only First Realm strength, he compromised the gap but didn't go easy. He effortlessly pulled away just when Yu Sui was about to catch him.
This feeling of always being just short of touching but missing created strong frustration while making the desire to win increasingly intense.
"You'll lose me a lot of money this way," Mei Liangyu stood at the platform's edge using Wind-Riding, looking at Yu Sui, already breathless from exhaustion. "Still chasing?"
Yu Sui wiped sweat from her cheeks, nodding: "Mm!"
She attacked Mei Liangyu again.
An unprecedented feeling—releasing Five Elements power made Yu Sui feel exhilarated, as if years of forcibly suppressed emotions and delayed anger were silently vented in tonight's wind-riding chase.
Yu Sui allowed herself to release this power, ultimately becoming exhausted, covered in sweat, too tired to move even a finger.
She lay on the Saint Hall's long bench, too tired to speak clearly. Mei Liangyu listened for a while before understanding she meant to rest.
Seeing her exhausted state, Mei Liangyu said: "I don't think you can wake up after just resting."
On the first day of learning Nine Schools Arts, recklessly burning all her power—was she too happy or too repressed?
Mei Liangyu leaned against the door for a while, shifting his gaze from the sleeping Yu Sui, slightly frowning as he recalled what he'd originally come to do.
"Master," Mei Liangyu looked at Saint Chang Gen's portrait. "I'm going to intercept people at the Martial Path tomorrow. After it ends, probably many academy teachers will come trouble you."
Saint Chang Gen: "Fine."
Mei Liangyu looked at Yu Sui again: "You're just letting her sleep here? With so many ancestral masters watching—what kind of behavior is this?"
Saint Chang Gen: "You can wake her and have her return to the residence."
Mei Liangyu said lazily: "I won't."
……
Yu Sui briefly slept at night.
She rarely slept well or deeply after nightfall—any small sound could wake her. When people were nearby, the swaying Strange Fire would also suddenly wake her.
Now she fell from her consciousness's depths onto a boundless water surface. The seemingly black, heavy water surface had scattered sparks floating up, with flames slowly rising from the water's depths.
Yu Sui crouched down, looking at the rising flames.
Black flames suddenly dispersed just before reaching the surface, transforming into a human figure.
Yu Sui saw herself in the water.
She wasn't surprised, her expression calm. Her fingers touched the water surface, hovering without falling. The underwater Yu Sui had magnificent eyes. They were the same person with identical faces, yet easily distinguishable.
When the underwater Yu Sui looked up at the surface, she seemed to be judging something. Her curved eye corners were both brazen and malicious. She opened her mouth slightly, seemingly saying something.
What was the other me saying?
Nothing more than wanting her to come down or let her come up.
The underwater Yu Sui was like a siren. Her long hair floated gently and lightly in water. Her lustrous skin had water patterns rippling. Her eyes appeared even more moist underwater. When occasionally drawing close, she'd show you sly, seductive looks, extending invitations.
But Yu Sui only looked at her coldly, unmoved.
Scattered sparks floated from the water like stars falling into deep ocean, unable to be extinguished.
She extended her hand toward the surface Yu Sui. Her wet fingers lightly touched the back of her hand. Yu Sui didn't dodge. The next instant, the person emerging from water transformed into black flames, engulfing Yu Sui.
Yu Sui heard her voice laughing softly:
"You and I coexist, living and dying together."
……
Yu Sui slowly opened her eyes.
She rolled over from the cold bench and sat up, rubbing her eyes. She couldn't quite remember the dream's content—seemed like something she shouldn't forget, yet couldn't recall no matter how hard she tried.
Yu Sui frowned slightly, looking troubled, not noticing Mei Liangyu standing by the door.
Mei Liangyu was replying to Wind-Listening Ruler messages without looking up: "Since you're awake, hurry back to the residence and wash off all that sweat."
Only then did Yu Sui look toward the great hall entrance in surprise.
After a while, Mei Liangyu also looked up, seeing her confused expression: "First pay for last night's sparring."
Yu Sui asked: "How much?"
Mei Liangyu didn't blink: "One hundred gold."
Yu Sui nodded, taking out her Wind-Listening Ruler: "Senior Brother, let's add each other as Wind-Listening Ruler friends."
Mei Liangyu thought that was fine, walking over with his Wind-Listening Ruler.
Yu Sui extended her Wind-Listening Ruler to touch his, then conveniently grabbed Mei Liangyu's clothes.
Mei Liangyu: "......"
He lowered his eyes slightly, his lashes trembling.
"Senior Brother," Yu Sui tilted her head toward outside. "Dawn is when the sun rises."
Mei Liangyu looked toward the entrance—the dim night sky showed morning light just breaking as yesterday's setting sun now slowly rose.
Yu Sui said: "Since I caught Senior Brother before dawn, you should charge less."
"Fine," Mei Liangyu looked back at Yu Sui with a half-smile. "Just a little less—ninety-nine gold."
Yu Sui: "......"
She withdrew her hand, rubbed her face, thinking: Never mind, I have money.
Yu Sui and Mei Liangyu returned to the residence together.
Along the way, Mei Liangyu watched Yu Sui use Wind-Riding Techniques to dash far ahead, then pretend to walk slowly for two steps, then suddenly fly far ahead again, repeatedly playing like this with great enjoyment.
Finally reaching the residence, Mei Liangyu looked back at Yu Sui, still walking slowly.
Morning mist dispersed. Peach blossoms on both sides still filled the branches, seemingly never wilting.
Yu Sui walked leisurely.
Mei Liangyu ahead gestured—why walk so slowly? Yu Sui said: "Usually I run because I'm afraid of being late. Now I know Wind-Riding Techniques, knowing I'll definitely make it in time, I'm not anxious anymore. Instead, I want to walk slowly and look around."
She looked up at the falling flower rain, giving a simple reason: "Because the roadside flowers are beautiful."
Mountains of pink swayed with morning breezes, falling down. Yu Sui in her pink dress seemed to merge with this mountain scene yet appeared unique.
Mei Liangyu watched quietly.
Clearly, Junior Sister was in a genuinely good mood.
Yu Sui asked Mei Liangyu: "Senior Brother, can these flowers be picked?"
Mei Liangyu: "Pick whatever you want."
I'd like to see who dares say these flowers can't be picked.
Yu Sui looked up at the flowering trees, using Nine Schools Arts wind blades to cut several bouquets of peach blossoms. After playing enough, she held the flower branches and walked toward the residence.
Mei Liangyu replied to Wind-Listening Ruler messages without watching the road. Yu Sui fiddled with her flower branches, also ignoring whether there was response, chatting with him.
Yu Sui walked toward the Dragon Stairs.
Since Mei Liangyu was replying to messages, he defaulted to following Yu Sui. Only after walking there did he react, asking: "You learned Wind-Riding Techniques but still take Dragon Stairs?"
Yu Sui said: "Outside I like Wind-Riding Techniques, inside the residence I like Dragon Stairs."
Before Mei Liangyu could say anything, the Dragon Stairs descended and stopped, opening its doors.
Gu Qian and Xun Zhiya standing inside the Dragon Stairs looked toward the entrance, meeting Mei Liangyu and Yu Sui waiting outside.
Gu Qian first noticed Yu Sui but was surprised by Mei Liangyu beside her. Originally leaning against the wall, he straightened up, frowning.
Mei Liangyu only glanced lightly at the two inside.
"Sui Sui," Gu Qian looked at Mei Liangyu while walking toward Yu Sui. "You didn't return last night?"
"Just got back. Brother Gu, are you going to the Legalist School so early?" Yu Sui was in good spirits, smiling as she greeted him.
Gu Qian paused: "Today there's rank advancement challenges. Xun Zhiya and I plan to try."
Yu Sui seemed to understand hazily, nodding: "Then hurry up! Good luck!"
"Where did you go that you're just returning?" Gu Qian frowned.
Mei Liangyu, who had entered the Dragon Stairs, said: "Let's go."
Yu Sui walked into the Dragon Stairs, waving to Gu Qian outside: "I'll explain later—you go ahead!"
The Dragon Stairs door closed.
Gu Qian watched the ascending Dragon Stairs, slightly stunned.
"Going?" Xun Zhiya asked indifferently.
Gu Qian looked away: "Let's go."
Inside the Dragon Stairs, Yu Sui received a message from Gu Qian. After reading briefly, she asked Mei Liangyu: "Senior Brother, rank advancement challenges are for Class B disciples becoming Class A disciples?"
Mei Liangyu hummed, sending messages.
Yu Sui pondered: "What do they have to do?"
"Each time rank advancement challenges open, they have different requirements and trials. Each school's requirements are also different," Mei Liangyu said casually. "Those choosing Martial Path rank advancement this time are unlucky—they'll encounter me."
Yu Sui asked curiously: "When does it start? Can I watch?"
Mei Liangyu looked over, seeing she was genuinely just curious: "What would you watch?"
Yu Sui: "Can't I watch?"
Mei Liangyu said: "Your basic classes aren't finished—you can't."