Chapter 3
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Chapter 3: Airborne to Liu Yun
"Brother Yun?"
Ming He’s gaze faltered, a flicker of surprise crossing her expression. The Brother Yun the girl mentioned was none other than Yun Zhao Feng, the top core disciple of the inner sect and the chief disciple of Liu Yun Sect, renowned for his formidable strength.
At twenty-eight years old, his cultivation had already reached the eighth level of the Mysterious Minor realm.
To put it into perspective, even the inner sect elders of Liu Yun Sect barely reached the Dust Dispersal stage, a realm that took decades of cultivation to attain. The gap between them and Yun Zhao Feng was vast, both in time and power.
Yun Zhao Feng was not only the chief disciple but also the sect leader’s inherited disciple, the chosen successor to lead Liu Yun Sect.
The entire sect placed their hopes on him, eagerly awaiting the day he would rise to revitalize Liu Yun and guide it toward a brighter, more expansive future.
Yet now, the girl was telling her that he had been defeated—by someone who needed only a single move to do so.
"Who defeated Brother Yun?" Ming He asked, her curiosity piqued.
The person must have surpassed Yun Zhao Feng in cultivation, and perhaps in age as well.
Could they be much older?
"That person is Qin Chu Yi, a twenty-year-old young woman of extraordinary beauty," the girl replied, her eyes gleaming with admiration. "They say she is not only stunning but also possesses remarkable cultivation and strength.
What’s more, she has now become a core disciple of Liu Yun Sect and holds the title of chief senior sister."
Qin Chu Yi? The name rang a bell. Did the original owner know her?
Ming He felt a peculiar sensation stir within her as the name echoed in her mind. She sifted through the original owner’s memories, only to find that Su Ming He’s life had been uneventful and monotonous for the first seventeen years, with no trace of this woman.
But wait—
Wasn’t the original owner’s elder brother named Su Cheng Feng?
Su Cheng Feng and Qin Chu Yi!
Ming He’s heart skipped a beat as realization dawned. That strange yet familiar feeling—it all made sense now.
This was the very story she had read before her transmigration, a tale of a Dragon Hero male protagonist battling monsters, defying heaven, and rewriting his destiny.
These two names weren’t just characters in the novel; they were the parents of the Dragon Hero, Su Yu.
Su Cheng Feng, the Young Master of the Su family in Qing Shi Town, had joined Liu Yun Sect as an inner sect disciple in his youth, earning a reputation as a prodigy.
Qin Chu Yi, a scion of a great family, had descended upon Liu Yun Sect for reasons unknown, becoming a core disciple. However, she fell victim to a scheme that left her in a perilous situation, which ultimately led to her entanglement with Su Cheng Feng.
Over time, Qin Chu Yi and Su Cheng Feng grew closer, their bond deepening until they welcomed their son, Su Yu, the future Dragon Hero.
But their happiness was short-lived. Qin Chu Yi’s family discovered her relationship with a lowly, humble boy of modest cultivation and forced her into an arranged marriage.
The proud and headstrong young lady refused to comply, resisting with every fiber of her being.
Her defiance came at a cost—she was imprisoned by her family, enduring two decades of suffering until her son, the grown-up Dragon Hero, set out on a quest to find her.
The story was nothing short of epic, filled with heart-wrenching moments and soaring emotions. If only Ming He weren’t just a minor character in this grand tale.
A wry smile tugged at Ming He’s lips as she finally grasped Su Ming He’s role in the Dragon Hero’s saga.
She was the illegitimate sister of Su Cheng Feng, the head of the Su family. Like her brother, she had joined Liu Yun Sect in her youth, but her talent fell short, and she remained an outer sect disciple. Unable to break through to the Spirit Guiding stage before turning twenty, she was sent back to her family in disgrace.
Ambitious yet lacking in ability, she harbored a deep-seated jealousy toward her legitimate brother, Su Cheng Feng. However, his overwhelming cultivation kept her in check, leaving her powerless to act on her resentment.
Such a person is clearly destined to be a mere supporting character.
Later, when Su Yu, following the inevitable path of the Dragon Hero, fell from grace, Su Ming He, who had barely reached the Xuan Wei realm, was the one who kicked him the hardest.
Not only did she incite the young talents previously defeated by Su Yu to harass him, but she also conspired with other family elders to oust Su Cheng Feng, who had been severely injured while searching for spiritual medicine for Su Yu. Her arrogance knew no bounds.
This, of course, was a perfect setup for a humiliating downfall, and not using it to elevate the Dragon Hero would have been a waste.
Thus, the original owner met her fate at the hands of the rising Su Yu, who abolished her cultivation and broke her limbs. Only because she was his half-sister did Su Cheng Feng spare her life, allowing her to live in comfort.
A fate worse than death! Ming He thought that for the original owner, such an end would be more agonizing than dying outright.
So, she hadn’t just been transported to an ordinary cultivation world—she was trapped in the Dragon Hero’s story?
Because the original owner had died from cultivation deviation, the world had lost its villainous cannon fodder, and so she, who had just died abruptly, was dragged in to fill the role?
Ming He’s imagination ran wild, though she couldn’t help feeling a tinge of melancholy. Was she destined to follow the original owner’s path to fulfill the plot?
“Hey, did you hear?” The girl whispered, lowering her voice to create the perfect atmosphere for sharing juicy gossip.
“No, I didn’t. What is it? Tell me!” Ming He played along, her voice hushed and her Peach Blossom Eyes sparkling with curiosity.
The girl glanced at Ming He’s captivating gaze and felt her cheeks flush, but gossip was far too important to ignore. “Even though Brother Yun was defeated by Sister Qin in a single move, he’s fallen for her!”
Oh ho! Now that was some quality gossip.
This wasn’t mentioned in the book, of course, since the Dragon Hero was the protagonist, and his parents were only briefly referenced.
But upon reflection, it made sense. Imagine a stunning beauty with formidable cultivation and an impeccable background—what man wouldn’t be smitten?
Yun Zhao Feng was indeed impressive! But he was Su Cheng Feng’s rival, which had nothing to do with her.
From her fragmented memories, Ming He knew that Su Cheng Feng was now twenty-three, with a cultivation level at Spirit Guiding fifth level.
What a formidable rival! Ming He squinted, a hint of schadenfreude in her expression. It seemed life wouldn’t be boring after all—a grand drama was about to unfold.
“The outer sect grand competition is in two months. Aren’t you going to train?” Ming He asked, noticing the girl clinging to her hand as if eager to delve deeper into the conversation. She felt a bit uneasy and decided to drop a bombshell.
“The outer sect grand competition is for the top ten or twenty. What does it have to do with us, who can’t even break into the top hundred?”
The girl pouted, releasing Ming He’s hand with a dismissive tone.
“Oh, well, you carry on. I’m off to train.” Ming He smiled faintly, her demeanor cool and detached as she turned and entered her small courtyard.
She walked away after hearing the gossip, utterly unbothered.
But so what? If she were to play the role of a supporting character, waiting to have her cultivation abolished and her limbs broken, she certainly wouldn’t accept it.
What if she was a supporting character? Even a supporting character could live a remarkable life!
Now that she knew how thrilling the Dragon Hero’s story was, what did it matter that she was merely an outer sect disciple? The Dragon Hero, Su Yu, had also started from humble beginnings and risen to greatness—why couldn’t she?
If she accepted the predetermined ending written in the book without even trying, what was the point of cultivating at all?
She, Ming He, aspired to reach the heavens!
The girl in blue clenched her fist. Since she was here, she would strive for greatness.
She carried her three-foot azure blade and walked along the short path into her courtyard, closing the gate behind her. The names “Thousand Layers Spirit Mountain,” “Dragon and Tiger Rankings,” and “Giant Serpent of the East Sea” echoed in her mind, filling her with exhilaration.
One day, she would leave her mark on those places!
“Cultivation? Your talent isn’t even as good as mine!” The girl outside the courtyard sneered.
“Hypocrite, if you don’t want to listen, then I won’t bother speaking! Hmph, I’ll find someone else.” The girl in blue stomped her foot and stormed off.
“Hey, did you hear? Brother Yun was defeated in a single move!”
In the small courtyard,
Ming He set down her long sword and sat cross-legged in the center of her bedroom, her storage pouch resting beside the bed.
She carefully removed the blue clothes that marked her as an outer sect disciple, wincing as she examined the wound on her right shoulder.
Nearly four days had passed since the beast’s claw had torn into her, and the wound remained untreated. The blood had turned black, but thankfully, it was just a bruise and not poisoned.
The gash was large and gruesome, and Ming He could barely feel her right shoulder anymore.
To have escaped the relentless pursuit of a beast for three days and nights, and then evade the boy in gray—perhaps her willpower was truly extraordinary.
Ming He didn’t shy away from acknowledging her own resilience, a hint of pride flickering in her eyes. She reached under her pillow and retrieved a small box, unlocking it with a soft click to reveal a white medicine container—a herbal ointment.
It was a herbal ointment the original owner had exchanged for ten contribution points at the task hall.
Unlike the hemostatic pill she had swallowed in the mountains, this ointment could not only stop bleeding but also heal wounds and remove hidden injuries without leaving scars.
Ming He thought of the jagged scar on the Scar-faced Man’s face and finally understood the original owner’s decision.
But what good was a lock? If someone truly found her, would a cultivator of any skill be thwarted by such a flimsy barrier?
Ming He doubted the original owner’s intelligence, though considering her fate, it wasn’t as if she had been particularly brilliant.
Perhaps the little lock gave her a sense of security. And this shabby little room—no wonder the original owner had been too afraid to take the ointment outside, fearing it might be stolen.
The girl took out a clean dagger and carefully cut away the dead flesh from the wound. She rinsed the blackened blood with water, then dabbed a bit of the ointment onto the injury with her fingertips. Tossing the small box aside, she examined her shoulder.
The moment the ointment touched her skin, a cool, soothing sensation spread through her right shoulder, tingling but painless.
It was said that this herbal ointment was even a half-step postnatal spiritual medicine.
Ming He recalled the classifications of spiritual herbs from her memories. The original owner had only known the distinction between postnatal and innate, with no knowledge beyond that.
As for the detailed classifications in the books, Ming He shook her head. It was too fragmented to remember.
When she had read it, it had felt like background information—something to skim over, not to memorize.
After sitting cross-legged for about fifteen minutes, Ming He decided the wound only needed that small amount of ointment. She changed into a fresh set of blue clothes, capped the ointment, and tucked it into her pocket.
The original owner had been too cautious to take it outside, but Ming He had no such reservations.
With her wound tended to, Ming He closed her eyes and reflected on her gains over the past month.
The beast materials and completed tasks had been exchanged for contribution points and spirit stones, but more importantly, she had gained profound insights into her cultivation.
Cultivation insights… Ming He murmured the words softly, her mind drifting to the life-and-death moments she had faced in the Liu Yun Mountains.
From narrowly escaping the beast’s savage claws to awakening her sword energy; from being surrounded to slaying the Scar-faced Man; from having her life hanging by a thread to returning to the sect…
Ming He thought of her desperate, stumbling figure, each time turning danger into safety. As she recalled the bold and confident swings of her sword, a sudden clarity blossomed in her heart. The obscure questions that had eluded her during a month of training now seemed to resolve themselves effortlessly.
“Boom!”
Spiritual energy swirled into a small vortex and surged into Ming He’s body, carrying the newly realized sword energy with it. The barrier of the fifth level of Qi Refinement shattered with ease.
Her eyes snapped open, filled with astonishment.
Sixth level of Qi Refinement!
She had thought it would take at least another month of secluded training to reach this level, yet she had broken through in an instant.
No wonder the books emphasized that experience could enhance cultivation and strength. It wasn’t just empty talk.
Ming He felt the spiritual energy coursing through her, invigorating her and filling her with determination.
Now that she had reached the sixth level of Qi Refinement, perhaps she could break into the eighth level by the time of the outer sect grand competition in two months.
Eighth level of Qi Refinement! Ming He’s eyes gleamed with excitement at the thought.
If she could reach the eighth level before the competition, then she would undoubtedly aim for first place.
Su Yu could fight beyond his level, so why couldn’t she?
Protagonist halo? She believed only in the power of effort and determination.
Ming He’s heart swelled with anticipation for the rich rewards of winning the outer sect competition, but after a moment, she steadied herself and began to plan.
Her cultivation had improved, so now she needed to focus on her combat skills.
She had indeed awakened her sword energy, but her repertoire of martial skills for battle and killing enemies was still lacking.
It seemed a trip to the library was in order.
The girl in blue stood up, picked up the ordinary long sword she had recently acquired, and prepared to leave.
Hmm? What’s this—
Out of the corner of her eye, Ming He noticed the discarded blue clothes, now stained with blood and mud. Beneath them lay a spirit herb.
It was the spirit herb she had harvested, the one that had led to her being chased by a beast for three days and nights—and the one the boy in gray had been after.
What is this? Ming He bent down to pick up the spirit herb, but as soon as her fingers touched it, a sharp pain shot through her right hand, like an electric current, leaving her fingers numb and tingling.
“Clink!” The spirit herb fell to the ground.
Ming He stared at her right hand, where a small patch of skin had turned dark and charred.
