CHAPTER 75: Wei Han
The sound of a stream filled a mystical and calm valley, several small animals and birds peacefully going about their daily lives, and in the middle of it all a young man was sitting on his knees on the grass.
Even when a small bird landed on his head, he showed no reaction at all. A long black hair, dark as a starless night, fell like a waterfall over his back, and delicate features, jade-pale skin, but without a trace of life in his gaze could be seen on him.
Without warning, the calm of the place was disturbed by a slight gust of wind, another slightly older young man appeared near him.
"Junior brother, the sect master wants to see you," said the young man with calm indifference.
Upon hearing someone call him, the black-haired young man slowly opened his eyes, and when he fully did, the senior brother frowned slightly.
Ever since he met this junior brother, those black eyes resembling the void had always felt disturbing to him, but that thought was erased by what happened next.
When the young man opened his eyes, the sword resting on his lap trembled slightly, releasing a sharp whistle similar to the sound of a blade being unsheathed, and in the area around the black-eyed young man, several cuts were released.
Nothing was left intact, from the grass, the ground, and even some nearby trees, everything was reduced to fine fragments by several invisible blades of martial intent.
Covering himself with a thin layer of energy, the older young man showed genuine surprise and could not help but hesitate.
"Junior brother… don’t tell me… you already managed to condense your sword intent?" his voice trembled slightly as he felt the sharp intent coming from the young man, but the only response he received was a nod from his new junior brother.
A voice as calm as it was cold came from the dark-eyed young man. "Greetings, senior brother Huang." The young man showed the methodical respect of a junior, although his voice carried no trace of inferiority.
Sighing to himself, Huang nodded and moved at high speed through the valley like a gust of wind, and when he looked back, he was followed closely by the younger one.
The difference was clear, even with that unsettling coldness, every action resembled a sword, and even that was reflected in his movement technique.
In a certain hall, two men were sitting facing each other while two cups of tea released their steam. "So, sect master, how is the progress of your young disciple?" spoke a middle-aged man as he elegantly took a sip of his tea.
"Faster than expected… at this rate, when the tournament of the youngsters arrives in five months, he will be on the verge of a major breakthrough," replied the silver-haired man in white robes as he raised his cup.
"So fast, indeed an innate sword body is a gift from the heavens," said the man as he chuckled lightly. "But… it will be of no use if he lacks experience, although I suppose that’s not something I need to remind you of," he added as he took another sip of tea.
"There is also that muscular brute, I heard he picked up a new disciple and now he’s causing quite a stir in the alchemy peak asking for very valuable materials," he couldn’t help but shake his head slightly as he lamented the misfortune of those alchemists.
"Yes, apparently he has severe soul damage. He came to speak with me, and after examining him, I decided to let him do as he pleased," replied the silver-haired man as he set his tea cup down.
Hearing that, surprise appeared on the man in purple robes. "I suppose that if you decided that, then he must be an exceptional young man. Now I’m curious who that young man is and how he ended up in that state."
Just as Sect Master Shen was about to respond, the man in purple robes stood up first. "It seems we’ll have to postpone our conversation… apparently we have unwanted visitors at the borders."
With that said, the man disappeared as if he had never been there in the first place, not without first saying something. "Sect master, remember that we are running out of time."
When he heard that, the handsome face of Venerable Shen changed for an instant, but quickly returned to absolute indifference. "I know… try not to destroy too much, Supreme Elder Liang."
When he finished speaking, a young voice came from the other side of a door. "Master, I have come as you requested," said the boy as he slightly bowed with a martial salute.
A flat and ethereal voice echoed throughout the hall in response. "Enter." Hearing the reply, the young man opened the door and entered the small hall, approached the table, and remained standing still.
"Hmm, it seems your sword intent has already condensed. Well done, continue nurturing your sword spirit with it so you may achieve unity." With just a glance, he was able to see all the progress the young man had made.
Upon hearing the praise and instructions of his master, the boy simply expressed gratitude and nodded while absorbing the information. Seeing the young man pay attention to each of his words, Sect Master Shen nodded in approval and spoke again.
"The reason I called you is because of two important points in your cultivation. First, you are already at the ninth level of Qi Condensation, but you lack real combat experience, and the sparring matches you’ve been having with the Supreme Elder’s granddaughter do not count."
Hearing that, for the first time the young man’s gaze twitched, but he quickly regained his cold composure, although he couldn’t help but mutter, "But she’s the one who keeps insisting."
When he heard that, Venerable Shen was genuinely surprised to see his disciple being petty. For the past year he had observed him, and for a moment he doubted whether he was truly a fifteen-year-old boy, although thinking about it, no matter how cold and mature he seemed, he was still just a youth.
Convinced of that, Venerable Shen stood up and began to walk while the young man followed him. "You need experience, so you will accompany a group of senior disciples to eliminate a demonic sect in the west." The young man simply nodded in response.
They stopped at the door as Sect Master Shen spoke one last time. "And the second point… do you know a young man named Jin Yuchen?"
An expression of complete surprise filled the young man’s face, and for the first time his heart, usually so unshakable, tightened slightly, and he spoke in a tone that was no longer indifferent. "Yes, I know him, Master… he is a… friend?" he replied, somewhat confused.
His disciple’s answer made him nod as if he had understood something. "Good… when you return from your mission, I will take you to see your friend." A nearly imperceptible smile appeared on Venerable Shen’s face before disappearing, leaving a confused Wei Han alone in the hall.