Unsheathed

Zhu Quan was silent for a long while, then jibed, "Don't get ahead of yourself! You're still not a Wing Formation Tier martial artist yet, so you could still fall to your death if you're not careful!"

In the absence of Sword Immortal beneath his feet, Chen Ping'an discovered that the sea of clouds down below had become as solid as a white jade slab, no doubt a result of Zhu Quan's mystical abilities.

"Thanks," he said with a smile.

"Do you feel a little better now that you've gotten all of that off your chest?" Zhu Quan asked.

"Much better," Chen Ping'an replied as he interlaced his fingers behind his head.

Zhu Quan shook her head as she sighed, "Venting like this every once in a while isn't a permanent solution. If you keep this up, you're going to be crushed under the weight of your own mental burden someday. One's energy, essence, and spirit are not like one's fist intent. The latter can be hammered down to the size of a mustard seed, at which point every punch that is thrown will be imbued with almighty power.

“In contrast, energy, essence, and spirit must be nurtured. Otherwise, they will be unsustainable. Having said that, I suppose the constant mental burden that you carry with you is what's kept you alive up to this point. If I possessed the same cultivation base as you and were thrust into your shoes, I would've already died several dozen times over in the face of Gao Cheng's tireless pursuit."

"This is why I admire you, Sect Leader Zhu. The pursuit of the Great Dao is an arduous endeavor, yet you've managed to remain true to yourself and make the pursuit much simpler than most," Chen Ping'an said in an earnest manner.

There were very few cultivators of Zhu Quan's caliber that would have the humility and candor to admit their mistake and that they owed someone a massive favor, particularly after they had already done everything in their power to do the best job possible.

Zhu Quan waved a dismissive hand as she scoffed, "Quit trying to suck up to me! I don't have any more female heavenly official mural replicas to give you!"

"I'm going to lay down for a bit. Please don't take it as a gesture of disrespect, Sect Leader Zhu," Chen Ping'an said with a smile.

"I'll be fine as long as I have some wine," Zhu Quan replied as she extended a hand.