It had turned to night time when Yao Yao and Chen Mei left.
As Ming Yue closed the gate after having seen her two friends out, she found Jun Xi waiting for her.
"Come with me." He said and then brought her to the backyard.
"Take out your Crescent Moon Sword. " Jun Xi said.
Ming Yue nodded and pulled out the Crescent Moon Sword from her ring.
"Good. Now attack me with The Nine Crescent Moon Sword Arts." Jun Xi said, but when he saw the troubled expression on Ming Yue's face he added, "Don't worry, you can't hurt me."
Ming Yue nodded and took a deep breath and firmed her thoughts. Then she visualized the first move of The Nine Crescent Sword Art, and when she felt confident she could perform it, she dashed toward him. Her demonic core began to rotate in her dantian and a pool of heat began to form in her lower stomach area and as she pulled the sword from behind her and swung it toward him in an upward motion a strong outburst of demonic qi rushed out of her dantian into her arms. A slight pressure appeared around the sword and as she swung the sword upward the leaves and the grass were drawn to the tip of the sword and left the ground forming an arc behind it.
Clang!
Jun Xi hit the side of the blade with the back of his hand. She could feel the sword vibrate in her hand to the point she almost couldn't keep it.
Ming Yue breathed heavily as perspiration began to form on her forehead. Her whole body had heated up by several degrees as the sword move had pulled out all her strength.
"Good. Again!" Jun Xi said.
Ming Yue nodded and performed the same move once again. This time it was even faster and stronger and pulled out even more of her strength. Then she moved on to the second and third moves of the sword arts, but by the time she reached the third sword art, she was too exhausted to continue.
"I can't continue. Too tired." She threw herself onto her back and laid down in the grass. Her whole body was drenched in sweat and she was breathing heavily. Her body was so hot it felt like she had magma in her veins. It took several minutes before she felt the hotness slowly receed back into her dantian.
"Not bad. You were able to perform the first two arts without too much difficulty. However, your cultivation is still too low to show off their true strength." Jun Xi said.
Ming Yue rolled her head to the side and looked up at him. "Jun Xi, you know about The Nine Crescent Moon Sword Arts?"
Jun Xi nodded. "The Sect Leader of the Crescent Moon Sect created the sword arts more than 4,000 years ago and with her new sword arts she managed to turn the Crescent Moon Sect from a small unknown sect into one of the demonic faction's three greats. Unfortunately, during a battle 4,000 years ago between the demonic faction and the righteous faction she was stabbed in the back by one of her rivals. She managed to kill her rival but was now severely wounded and couldn't keep up when disciples from our sect surrounded her and killed her. Then one of our disciples took her sword and her sword arts and began to practice them in secret. But he slowly became corrupted and succumbed to mania and started killing his fellow disciples. After he was killed, the sword was sealed in a formation and the sword arts were destroyed."
"Corrupted?" Ming Yue gasped as she suddenly sat up. "T-Then am I in danger?"
"No. Before the Sect Leader of the Crescent Moon Sect died she had left a strand of her will within the sword acting like a curse. But for you it's different, you've been chosen as her successor." Jun Xi said.
Ming Yue looked at the sword. Did this explain why she felt like it was alive? Because a part of her will was still inside the sword? Then she looked at the now dulled crescent moon bracelet. Was the girl that had been inside of the bracelet another part of her will? Ming Yue sighed and marveled. What was this Sect Leader thinking leaving parts of her will everywhere?
"Wait, didn't you say her sword arts were destroyed? Then where did this bracelet come from?" Ming Yue asked.
"The sword arts I was talking about were the ones she had written down in a manual for her disciples. As for the bracelet it must be what she had prepared for her successor.
It's getting late.
Take a bath and go to sleep. Tomorrow you'll resume your regular martial arts training and classes." Jun Xi said.
"W-What? Do I have to?" Ming Yue pouted. She was hoping she could spend more time and play around with Yao Yao and Chen Mei. But if she was going back to her martial arts training and her classes, she wouldn't have any time over for them.
"Of course, or do you want Yao Yao to always protect you when the two of you go out on missions? Being Yao Yao's friend won't be easy. She lives for martial arts and cultivation, unlike you who always wishes to laze around. Do you think your friendship will last if she always has to carry you on her back?" Jun Xi said and then quietly left.
Ming Yue sighed. He was right. She couldn't live so carelessly like she did in her previous life. Now she lived in a world were only strength mattered and if she wanted to live a good life she had to become strong too. Also, she wouldn't feel right if everyone always had to protect her. No, she wanted to be a person who did the protecting and protect her friends!
She slapped her cheeks and then stood up with a new sense of resolve. "Fighting, Ming Yue!"