Two figures clad in light-yellow robes dashed through a thicket of pine trees. They weren't in a full sprint but their pace was quite speedy. The thick tree trunks passed by in a blur and the two crested several hills in succession.
"Big Sister Lin, Big Sister Lin, I beg you… Let's rest for a while, I'm really tired." One of the said through heavy pants.
"Yue'er, since when did you start calling me big sister?" The other responded, their voice smooth and unhurried.
"Aunty Lin, Big Aunty Lin, please!"
Lin Qingcheng laughed and slowed her steps. If she didn't, she might end up being a grandmother. The two found a dry log and sat down to rest. Su Yue, being the diligent one, brought out cups and a pot to make tea while Lin Qingcheng looked around carefully to make sure there were no surprises around them.
Su Yue held a pot of water in her palm and summoned her flames. After it came to a boil and she had poured two cups, she took a sip of her, still scalding hot, tea and let out a sigh, "Qingcheng, how far do you think we've run this morning? It's unbelievable that we still haven't found anyone else."
"Hmm, not sure." Lin Qingcheng said as she took the other cup, "Probably over two hundred kilometers since daybreak."
"Two hundred…" Su Yue said and looked down at her poor feet.
She was used to riding horses for long missions or riding carriages. She wasn't one to run around like a dog if she had a choice. Although the two of them were at the same cultivation level, her stamina was far inferior.
Lin Qingcheng patted her thigh and laughed, "Yue'er is the delicate type, I should have remembered. But you have nothing to worry about since master seems to like your type the most. Alas, I am too rough and simple."
"Actually, I think master likes big breasts the most. You've seen how he looks at Elder Sister Wu and Elder Sister Long. Even Elder Sister Song is so formidable." Su Yue said seriously. "And who can blame him, how can we compete with that?"
"Hehe, that's only because Sister Jasmine has been sleeping for a while. When she comes back out, it will be time for us small-chested disciples to rise again!"
The two laughed and continued discussing a variety of matters, mostly involving sex and their most precious master. After a while, they patted their butts and continued forward to look for their fellow sisters.
Around mid-afternoon, the two of them ran into another group of cultivators. They were gathered around a very tall tree that had no branches until the very top. From the distance, it looked like an arrow pointing toward the sky.
Those people were trying to climb the tree. One by one, they tried to run up the trunk, digging their toes into tiny cracks on the otherwise smooth bark, zig-zagging their way around. Sadly, the tree was over one hundred and fifty meters tall and their best attempts could barely get up a third of the way.
At the very top of the tree was a distinctive source of sword energy, a sword truth. But unlike other sword truths, this one seemed to test a person's footwork and movement technique as they tried to climb up the trunk. Such skills were also critical to mastering the sword as it was ultimately a physical cultivation art.
"Who's there? Come out!" One of them suddenly shouted.
Lin Qingcheng and Su Yue had wanted to slip away but they had made too much noise. Since Lin Qingcheng wasn't afraid of a fight, she decided to go ahead and see if there was anything interesting such as a sword truth.
The two yellow-dressed ladies faced off against around ten people in drab gray clothes. The other side was a mix of young men and young women but they were all from the same sect, the Tower of Swords. Both sides glared at each other as an air of danger rose between them.
The one who had shouted, a stocky man with a beard, stepped forward and said roughly, "You, you are Lin Qingcheng of Ten Thousand Flower Valley?"
"I am." Lin Qingcheng replied simply.
"I am Peng Kai, core disciple of the Tower of Swords. This place is ours, you can leave."
To emphasize his point, he let out a surge of sword energy to show off his cultivation at the 10th Level of the Spirit Initiate Realm. However, he didn't attack because he was apprehensive about Lin Qingcheng's strength. Everyone had seen it during the tournament. Even with nine other sect members with him, he wasn't confident of winning. And besides, their target was Wu Qianyu, not the other random disciples of Ten Thousand Flower Valley.
Lin Qingcheng smelled a fight so she wasn't going to back down. She remembered how these dog-eating bastards from the Tower of Swords had tried to bully her and her sisters during the challenge tournament. She was eager for some payback.
She stuck her fists into her hips and scoffed loudly, "You guys haven't managed to take the sword truth at the top of that tree yet so what makes it yours? If I climb up right now and take it, wouldn't that make it mine?"
"You?" Peng Kai's face became red and he spat spittle everywhere as he said, "So you want to fight? Since you are looking to die, don't blame me. Everyone!"
"Yes, senior brother!" The others shouted and drew their swords.
Peng Kai also drew an oversized sword and brandished it, "Kill!"
With a flash of gold, Lin Qingcheng raised her fighting gauntlets and leaped forward. Su Yue followed with a worried expression, the Winter's Sun sword already in her hand and her body surrounded by a ring of icicles.
Shouts and clashes of weapons filled the small clearing. Lin Qingcheng barreled her way through the enemy disciples, kicking and punching every which way. Su Yue stayed outside of the melee and shot ice arrows, forcing many to divert their attention away from Lin Qingcheng to defend.
It was chaotic and a clear winner couldn't be determined in a short time. Having passed the challenge tournament, none of these disciples from the Tower of Swords were cabbages. They were experienced and their sword forms were well-practiced. And yet, they were contending with two people who each held an immortal item. Such luxury couldn't be overcome with numbers alone.
But before the fight could drag out for too long, a sudden shout made every one pause.
"Stop! What are you doing? Stop fighting!"
A single figure clad in gray flashed out of the trees and approached the battlefield at an alarming speed. Lin Qingcheng and Su Yue didn't have time to react before that person was already atop them. With blinding steps, the figure became a blur as a dull weapon extended.
Whack!
Slap!
"Ahhh!"
"Senior brother!"
"Mercy!"
All ten disciples of the Tower of Swords were beaten up in an instant. Some held their face while others clutched their hands and arms. They looked on in shock at the person that had arrived out of nowhere.
That person faced Lin Qingcheng and Su Yue and bowed deeply, "Disciple of the Tower of Swords, Peng Xiling, apologizes to friends from Ten Thousand Flower Valley. Please forgive my juniors for their disrespect. I promise that I will punish them heavily for their offense today."
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