Chapter 15

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Chapter 15: Innate Weapons

“Qin… Senior Sister?” Ming He stiffly turned around and saw a woman in white leisurely approaching, her expression icy and her brows and eyes as cold as snow. Who else could it be but Qin Chu Yi?

Why did it feel like she had been caught gossiping behind someone’s back? Ming He’s face stiffened, and she felt a bit lost.

Qin Chu Yi’s cold demeanor made it clear she was not someone to provoke. Could it be that she would face an early demise?

“Ming He Junior Sister, it’s nice to see you again,” Qin Chu Yi said with a forced smile that didn’t reach her eyes, causing Ming He’s heart to skip a beat.

“I can handle it from here,” Qin Chu Yi said, glancing at Qing Feng behind Ming He.

“Alright, then I’ll leave it to you, Chief Qin,” Qing Feng remarked, noticing Ming He’s reluctance, and gracefully stepped back.

“Ming He Junior Sister, you haven’t answered my question yet,” Qin Chu Yi broke the silence. “Do you dislike living next to me?”

Qin Chu Yi truly couldn’t understand. As a proud Young Master from a noble family, with both talent and beauty, how was it possible that someone in this remote Liu Yun Sect would find her displeasing? Was she genuinely disliked?

Why? She looked at this girl who seemed to disdain her. Her cultivation was average, and her looks were only passable. Perhaps her talent in swordsmanship was commendable, but how dare she look down on her?

“Senior Sister Qin, I don’t dislike you,” Ming He said honestly, feeling uneasy under Qin Chu Yi’s cold gaze.

She genuinely didn’t dislike her; after all, with skill and beauty, even though she couldn’t reach her level, she was still a pleasure to look at.

“I just… find it a bit troublesome.” It was indeed quite troublesome. Ignoring the fact that she was the mother of Dragon Hero, the swarm of persistent admirers surrounding her was rather annoying, especially since one of them had now advanced to become her senior brother.

“Troublesome?” Qin Chu Yi couldn’t comprehend.

“Troublesome means…” Ming He felt a bit rattled. She knew from Qin Chu Yi’s demeanor that she wouldn’t let it go without a reasonable explanation. As expected, she shouldn’t have spoken too freely.

“Senior Sister Qin is a phoenix among people, and surely has many admirers, plus…” Ming He kept her eyes clear, “And you have exceptional talent and come from a distinguished family. Such a person will certainly not go unnoticed or live an uneventful life anywhere.”

A Young Master from a noble family, possessing stunning beauty and remarkable talent—such a combination should stand on a pedestal. Since she was a favored daughter of the heavens, her path in cultivation would naturally not be smooth.

Setting aside her role in the Dragon Hero storyline, just the aura and grace she exuded set her apart from the common crowd.

Though she held a high status, she didn’t view lives as insignificant and was proud yet not haughty; she occupied a high ground without looking down on others.

“So, you dislike the noise?” Qin Chu Yi asked, slightly uncertain.

“Exactly.” Ming He perked up, feeling she had found a decent reason. “Also, while I practice my swordsmanship, the noise might be quite substantial, so I wouldn’t want to disturb Senior Sister Qin.”

So she wished she could get her to move away quickly!

“Oh, then you don’t need to worry, Junior Sister Ming He. I also dislike noise,” Qin Chu Yi said coldly but calmly, her expression devoid of emotion. Yet, it made Ming He feel… it might be intentional.

“Senior Sister Qin, I’m afraid I might disturb you,” Ming He still didn’t want to conclude this situation. She had intended to cultivate and keep an eye on gossip, not to invite trouble knowing it was unavoidable.

“Ming He Junior Sister, if you continue to refuse, I will think you are afraid of me,” Qin Chu Yi said, her gaze searching.

Why are you afraid of me?

Ming He glanced into the cool eyes of the woman in front of her, understanding that this courtyard would likely be her place on Qingyun Peak in Liu Yun Sect.

Since the noble Young Master had said this much, if she continued to refuse, wouldn’t it be obvious that… she looked down on her?

Ming He thought this and cracked a gentle smile, the ripples in her Peach Blossom Eyes shining brightly, “It is a blessing to live next to Senior Sister Qin. I was just feeling a bit apprehensive before.”

Of course, it wasn’t merely fear that kept her from saying more. Ha! She, Ming He, feared nothing in heaven or earth. Why would she be afraid of the mother of the Dragon Hero?

“Is that so?” Qin Chu Yi replied with a slight smile but did not pursue the topic further. “If you have any questions about cultivation in the future, feel free to seek me out.”

“And, be sure to improve your cultivation quickly; the time when I might need your help will not be far off. So, Junior Sister Ming He, wait for me to come find you.” Qin Chu Yi recalled her recent conversation with the Sect Master, her expression becoming slightly serious.

She hadn’t chosen the wrong person when she sought Ming He’s help. In the vast Liu Yun Sect, perhaps only Ming He could truly assist her, but her cultivation was too low.

At the first level of the Spirit Guiding stage, Qin Chu Yi wasn’t sure if bringing Ming He to that place now would ensure her survival, or if she could even help her obtain that item.

Perhaps she could disregard Su Ming He’s life?

Qin Chu Yi thought about the things she could escape from after obtaining that item. Her heart stirred with temptation, and she nearly decided to take Ming He there at that moment.

But as her emotions rose, they gradually calmed when she met Ming He’s clear gaze.

Even if she felt compelled, even if she had countless reasonable and justifiable reasons, she shouldn’t involve an innocent person in her troubles or disregard her life.

Ming He had just begun to shine, freshly trained by a renowned teacher. Perhaps, as Ming He had said, this girl who was currently at a low point could ride the winds and fight for the human race on the battlefield of the heavens in the future?

Qin Chu Yi smiled, realizing she was overthinking. Ming He was still only at the first level of the Spirit Guiding stage, with a long way to go before reaching the battlefield.

But no matter how weak or humble, she shouldn’t erase the possibilities in someone else’s life.

So, she decided to wait a little longer. She would strengthen herself a bit more and gain some self-protection.

Help?

Ming He blinked, remembering that she indeed still owed Qin Chu Yi a favor.

But what was it? What did Qin Chu Yi want her to do? When was she supposed to do it?

She watched Qin Chu Yi’s receding figure, feeling puzzled. After standing there for a while and failing to find an answer, she decided to set it aside for now. If it was time for her to help, Qin Chu Yi would naturally come looking for her—there would be no way to refuse.

Ming He walked closer to the courtyard and discovered that while the courtyard didn’t seem large, it was quite spacious. Besides the open area for practicing sword techniques, there were chambers for rest, a quiet room for cultivation, and several empty rooms, all fully equipped, likely determined by the owner’s preference.

For example, if someone were an alchemy practitioner, those rooms could serve as alchemy rooms.

Unfortunately, Ming He was purely a sword cultivator, so these empty rooms probably wouldn’t be of much use to her.

She sighed softly, took a quick look around, and felt quite satisfied. An inherited disciple was indeed different; even the courtyard was arranged with a spirit-gathering array. Though it was the lowest level of the acquired type, it was still better than nothing.

What should she do next?

Ming He pondered for a moment and decided to sit cross-legged on the soft mat in the quiet room. She needed to cultivate properly.

She closed her eyes, feeling the inner spiritual energy within her, and took a deep breath to sense the new feelings brought on by the Spirit Guiding stage. According to the techniques she had learned, she began to stabilize her cultivation, and the spirit-gathering array quietly activated, drawing spiritual energy toward her.

As the moon hung in the branches and the sun rose in the east, a day had passed by in the blink of an eye.

“Whoosh—”

Ming He exhaled deeply, pushing herself up to stand. After nearly a day and night, she had managed to solidify the breakthrough she had achieved.

Next, she needed to go exchange her rewards: innate-level weapons, techniques, or martial skills.

Her current technique was the most basic Liu Yun Technique, and her sword art was also the most elementary Liu Yun Sword Art. As her cultivation rose, they had started to fall behind, and it was time for an upgrade.

For instance, the middle and upper volumes of the Liu Yun Sect’s scrolls corresponded to the Spirit Guiding stage and the Xuan Wei realm, respectively.

In swordsmanship, just like the Liu Yun Technique, the Liu Yun Sword Art was also divided into upper, middle, and lower volumes, so there was no need to consider that for now.

The Rotating Cloud Steps and Breaking Cloud Fingers were both below the acquired level, and their effectiveness was limited at this time; she needed to find martial skills that suited her better.

Thus, she would first go to the Martial Pavilion to redeem the reward for being first among the outer sect disciples, and then head to the library.

Ming He made her decision and set off, carrying her fine steel long sword.

A sword cultivator and her sword should never be separated; Ming He understood this principle well.

Moreover, since she could obtain an innate-level sword, there was no point in keeping her older one, so it was better to sell it for spirit stones.

“Take this token to the library, and you can select one innate technique or martial skill without using contribution points. As for the innate weapon, please follow me.” The attendant disciple at the Martial Pavilion calmly glanced at the storage ring in Ming He’s hand, handed her a token, and turned to lead her to a weapons room.

“Here, you can freely choose any weapon. Once you’ve made your selection, come out to register your information.” With that, he walked away.

Ming He looked at the token curiously. It was a white cloud shape with a “先” character written in a flowing script in the center. Another redeemable voucher?

She silently grumbled to herself, then pocketed the token and turned her gaze to the many weapons before her.

Swords, spears, polearms, whips, axes, hammers… all kinds of weaponry dazzled Ming He’s eyes, shining coldly, waiting patiently for their master to arrive in this small room.

Ming He’s gaze swept across the weapon racks, and without hesitation, she walked to the long sword rack to make her choice. Since she had chosen the sword, she would devote herself to it for the rest of her life; she would never change her mind.

A sword cultivator sounded so cool.

The weapon rack held more than ten innate-level long swords. After carefully weighing their balance, Ming He eliminated those that didn’t meet her requirements. After her selection, only three swords remained.

All were around three feet long, their tips reflecting a faint cold light with sword energy seeping out, and even sheathed, their sharpness was noticeable.

The first was white, with the sword body, hilt, and sheath all pure white. Even in this dim corner, it seemed to radiate a subtle glow, catching one’s eye.

The second was red, with a strikingly bright red sheath and a gentle blue hilt that concealed its sharpness, allowing a hint of starlight to seep through.

The third… appeared rather ordinary, a plain, dull black, with the sheath and blade looking quite unremarkable—almost worse than her recently acquired fine steel long sword, at least visually.

Ming He chose to keep it as part of her final decision due to its plain appearance.

It seemed too ordinary; a sword that looked so simple yet could become an innate weapon seemed to have a story behind it.

Following the trope she had read in novels, such a sword would surely catch the main character’s eye, shedding its dull exterior to reveal its latent brilliance, becoming a potent weapon in the protagonist’s journey—transforming into incredible artifacts while startling those who once mocked the protagonist’s choice.

So which sword should she choose?

Ming He silently contemplated, and the next moment, she reached out without hesitation, grabbing the long sword she had had her eye on.

The cold touch was indeed as she had imagined. Ming He drew the sword, watching the flickering light along the blade, and feeling satisfied, she headed out to register the sword with the attendant disciple.