The evening sun cast its golden glow over the earth as Han Yue, who had been sleeping peacefully in the flower field, opened her eyes. Her blue eyes sparkled in the warm light. She sat up and glanced around before standing and walking to the lake.
Scooping up the clear water in her small, pale hands, she washed her face, the cool water refreshing her.
She returned to the stone chair and sat for a moment, her thoughts wandering. "It seems Master hasn't returned yet. I don't know where she's gone." After pondering for a while, she decided, It's evening—I should repeat my practice.
Han Yue stood up and walked back to her house. Entering her room, she opened the wardrobe and looked at the right side, where her weapons were stored.
She took out a 1.5-meter iron spear, its cold metal glinting faintly in the dim light. With the spear in hand, she made her way to the training area to the left of her house.
The open space appeared ordinary at first glance, but as soon as Han Yue activated with jade slip, the surroundings transformed into a spacious arena.
This arena was equipped with an array that created an ideal environment for training.
Han Yue steadied herself in the training ground, gripping the spear firmly. With a sharp whoosh, she thrust the spear forward with precision and speed.
Pulling it back, she repeated the motion, alternating between thrusting and pulling.
She then rotated the spear fluidly and thrust it again, following up with a slash to the left using the blade of the spear. She quickly pulled it back, thrust to the right, rotated it, and retracted it once more.
Planting the spear firmly into the ground, she leaped into the air, using the spear as leverage to perform a spinning kick.
Landing gracefully, she retrieved the spear and executed a straight slash to her front. She rotated her body, swinging the spear in a wide arc before slashing back to her previous position.
Han Yue diligently practiced the basic spear techniques, her movements sharp and controlled.
The repetition of thrusts, slashes, and rotations honed her precision and strength. She continued this rigorous training for three hours.
After an hour of rest, Han Yue stood up, holding her spear firmly. She activated her jade slip to change the array, and her surroundings transformed once more.
The training ground now manifested five illusionary figures, each appearing as formidable opponents.
These illusions, all equivalent to cultivators at the Qi Gathering 2nd Realm, wielded various weapons.
Han Yue steadied herself as the figures charged toward her.
The first to attack was an assassin wielding a dagger, swiftly closing in from her side. Han Yue infused her spear with qi, intercepting the dagger strike with the spear's shaft. With a forceful push, she sent the assassin figure stumbling backward.
Almost immediately, a sword-wielding figure lunged at her from the side. Han Yue stepped back with her right leg, slashing her spear horizontally to deflect the sword.
The clash of weapons sent the sword wielder staggering.
Before she could recover, the assassin figure returned, aiming another strike at her. Han Yue channeled gi into her left leg and delivered a powerful kick.
The assassin countered, blocking her kick with its dagger.
Suddenly, a whip lashed out toward her from the side. Han Yue rotated her body and brought her spear down in a decisive slash.
The spear struck the whip, forcing it to the ground with a sharp clash.
A hammer-wielding figure charged at her next. Infusing her spear with qi nce again, she thrust it forward. clashing with the hammer.
The powerful strike pushed the hammer-wielder back.
But the fight wasn't over. A scythe came swinging toward her head while the sword-wielder aimed for her right side. With quick reflexes, Han Yue spread her stance wide, bending low.
Both attacks narrowly missed her, cutting through the air just above and beside her.
Han Yue placed her left hand firmly on the ground and raised her right leg, channeling qi into it. With a swift motion, she delivered a powerful kick to the sword-wielding illusionary figure, sending it staggering back.
Before she could steady herself, the assassin with the dagger attacked her from the side. Without hesitation, Han Yue thrust her spear toward the figure, meeting the dagger mid-strike.
The weapons clashed, but just as she gained the upper hand, the whip-wielding illusion struck again from her flank.
Han Yue rolled swiftly along the ground, keeping her spear close to her body. The whip missed by a hair, snapping against the dirt.
A hammer-wielding figure then charged at her. She rolled again to evade, but the whip came back for another attack.
This time, while still lying on the ground, Han Yue slashed her spear toward the whip user.
Infusing her strike with qi, she severed the illusionary figure, which dissipated into nothing .
As she tried to get up, the scythe-wielding illusion launched a strike toward her head. Han Yue bent to her left, narrowly avoiding the blade, and thrust her spear with precision into the scythe user.
The qi-powered strike destroyed the illusion instantly.
The sword-wielder advanced again, slashing at her with force.
Han Yue dodged the attack, but the blade grazed her arm, leaving a shallow cut. lgnoring the pain, she quickly stood up and engaged the hammer-wielding figure.
She struck with the tip of her spear, meeting the hammer in a resounding clash.
The impact shook the ground, sending a cloud of dust into the air. As the hammer user staggered, Han Yue delivered a quick kick, pushing the figure back.
In that brief moment, the sword and dagger illusions attacked simultaneously.
Han Yue deflected their strikes with the tip of her spear, creating enough distance to counter.
She spun on her heel and delivered a powerful back kick to the dagger-wielder's head, destroying the illusion instantly.
Her breathing steadied as she prepared for the remaining opponents, determination burning in her eyes despite the blood dripping from her injured hand.
With only two illusionary figures remaining, the sword-wielder struck first, aiming for Han Yue's neck.
She deflected the attack with her spear and swiftly rotated her body, delivering a powerful slash downward just as the hammer-wielder charged from her side.
Her spear, imbued with qi, cut through the air with devastating force.
The hammer-wielder attempted to block, but the sheer power of her strike shattered the defense, obliterating the illusionary figure in an instant.
The sword-wielder seized the opening, lunging for her leg with a precise strike. Han Yue, still recovering from her previous attack, quickly adjusted.
Using her spear, she countered the incoming blade, the clash sending shockwaves of air and dust through the training ground. Both fighters were forced backward from the impact.
Han Yue refused to give the sWord-wielder a chance to recover. She channeled gi into her legs, propelling herself forward like a spring.
Closing the distance in an instant, she unleashed a powerful thrust, her spear glowing with concentrated energy.
The sword-wielding illusionary figure couldn't react in time, unable to dodge mount a defense. Han Yue's qi-infused spear pierced through, destroying the illusionary figure completely.
Breathing heavily, she stood tall amidst the dissipating remnants of her opponents, her spear still glowing faintly with residual qi. The training ground returned to its calm state as the array deactivated.
Han Yue retrieved a healing pill from her storage ring, swallowed it, and sat cross-legged on the ground.
She focused on reforming and stabilizing her qi within her dantian. After some time in deep meditation, she felt rejuvenated and opened her eyes.
Standing up, she exited the training ground, deactivating training array with her jade slip and storing it back in her ring.
She walked back to her house, selecting a fresh blue dress from her wardrobe before heading to the small waterfall on Purple Flower Peak.
The waterfall cascaded gently into a clear, serene pond surrounded by vibrant flowers. Upon reaching the pond, Han Yue sprinkled a mixture of herbs and flowers into the water.
She then unfastened her dress, stepping gracefully into the cool pond, her jade-like feet sinking into the water.
She swam slowly toward the waterfall, letting the water cascade over her head. Her mind emptied of all thoughts—no cultivation, no past life, no concerns—just serene nothingness.
Unbeknownst to her, her Ice Phoenix Body began to react. Blue, icy veins glowed faintly across her body, emitting a soft, ethereal hue.
The reaction deepened her connection to her Ice Phoenix Body, increasing her ability to harness its power from 3% to 5%.
Simultaneously, her ice spirit root evolved further, enhancing her natural affinity with ice qi. Gradually, the blue hue faded, and her body returned to its normal state.
Fifteen minutes later, Han Yue emerged from her meditative trance.
She swam around the pond leisurely for another hour, enjoying the calming waters.
After finishing her bath, she stepped out of the pond and dressed in her blue attire. Using a small fire technique, she dried her long, sky-blue hair, which shimmered softly in the evening light.
After drying her hair, Han Yue walked back to her house as the sky darkened, signaling the arrival of night. She decided to prepare a simple dinner.
Entering her kitchen, she lit the stove with a small fire technique, activating the array below for a steady flame.
She opened the herb shelf and selected some fresh vegetables and seasoning, then moved to a small storage jar for rice grains.
She rinsed the rice in a jade bowl and set it to cook. While the rice steamed, she chopped the vegetables skillfully and stir-fried them in a pan, adding a pinch of herbs to enhance the flavor.
The aroma of the meal filled the air, making the cozy kitchen feel even more inviting.
Once the food was ready, Han Yue plated her meal and carried it to the small dining table in her sitting room.
As the soft glow of moonlight streamed through the window, she sat down to enjoy her dinner in peaceful solitude.
*****[END]