Though the lean horse was thin, it still possessed great strength, its four hooves thundering as it galloped like the wind.
The horse carried the young girl into a thick fog, awakening her childlike heart. She flipped and stood on the horse's back. Though young, she had a solid foundation in martial arts, and even on the bumpy, living creature, she remained as steady as a rock.
The girl raised her arms to the wind, and the thick white fog swirled around her sleeves. She imagined herself as an immortal riding the clouds, a blush of happiness spreading across her face. She let out joyful cries, her voice like a lark, her body like a cuckoo, free and beautiful as a frost bird.
The fog was indeed thick, and the horse had run wild. By the time the girl came to her senses, she realized she had unknowingly surpassed her adoptive father.
She tried to control the lean horse, but instead, she only provoked its wildness, causing it to jump erratically.
The girl shrieked, on the verge of being thrown off.
Her adoptive father laughed heartily, leaping into the air. In an instant, he grabbed the lean horse's reins. A soft, gentle force enveloped both the person and the horse, and they floated lightly to the ground, neither suffering the slightest injury.
The girl exclaimed in admiration, "Wow! 'With one skillful move, a Tai Chi, with one Tai Chi, it turns to naught'—this is the Wudang Wuji Strength!"
"Everything your adoptive father casually told you seven days ago, you've remembered it all?" Her adoptive father was very pleased. He reached out and lifted the girl from the horse. "Hahaha, good, good, good! It wasn't in vain that your adoptive father spent his efforts sending you into the Valley!"
The girl squinted, "Hehe, adoptive father often says, 'Xin'er is a martial arts prodigy rarely seen in a thousand years.' What adoptive father says is naturally correct."
The old man smiled, "Indeed! Your aptitude surpasses others, one in ten thousand. However, a jade not cut and polished cannot be made into a vessel. For the next few decades, you must diligently practice martial arts in the Valley and not waste your talent…"
The girl shrieked, "Decades?! Adoptive father, do you really want me to practice in this Valley until my hair turns white?"
Her adoptive father sighed, "Alas, Xin'er, your adoptive father's enemy possesses boundless power! Before you fully inherit your adoptive father's and the fu yu sword's true teachings, you are absolutely no match for it! I fear that as soon as you step out of Yanxuan Valley, you will face mortal danger! You must remember this…"
"Xin'er will listen to adoptive father…"
The old man nodded, looking around. Seeing the beautiful scenery of mountains and rivers, he suggested they build a hermitage and live in seclusion here.
The girl, with her childlike nature, quickly brightened up. One moment she was talking about building a swing, the next about constructing a training room. She pretended to want to work hard but was actually planning to find fun things to do for herself.
Her adoptive father laughed and scolded, "Pah, little girl, your words are not from your heart."
"Hehe."
Once deep in the Valley, far from the madding crowd, watching the sun set behind the mountains, the night grew somber and melancholic. It brought to mind the lights of human settlements, the painted boats on the rivers, the shadow puppets and lion dances—all that bustle should now remain neatly in the towns. It's just that I know where joy resides, but I can no longer approach it.
The father and daughter spent three days building a bamboo hut and crafting all the necessary household items, officially settling in the deep Valley.
Life in the Valley was clean and simple, with so few things to do that they could almost be counted on two hands.
They lived such a peaceful life until half a month later.
One day, the air was hot and humid, without a trace of wind. Throughout the entire day, thick clouds in the sky remained silent. Then, in the middle of the night, lightning suddenly flashed and thunder roared, followed by a torrential downpour. The girl was startled awake by the thunder. Pushing open the window, the sight she beheld greatly astonished her.
For some unknown reason, golden light pierced through the vast dark clouds. The cloud layers were dyed as if they were the golden lacquered murals in a temple, layered upon layer. The edges of the large golden clouds were still dim lead-gray, as if the Heavenly Palace above the clouds was hosting a Peach Banquet. An infinite number of palace lanterns emitted beautiful golden-yellow light, illuminating such a vast expanse of black clouds.
The thunder did not cease, spreading like branches and striking the ground on the other side of the mountain. The flashing light was extremely dazzling. The girl guessed that this was the Thunder God and Lightning Mother beating drums to add to the excitement. At that immortal banquet, there would surely be celestial maidens performing dances, each one waving water sleeves, their deep affection like water. However, seeing the dense lightning, it might well be some Heavenly General performing a sword dance, with the drumbeats fast and urgent.
With each boom and each flash, it made people's hearts tremble and their souls unsteady. The girl, however, showed no fear. Instead, she observed it closely and vaguely comprehended some profound martial arts principles.
Her adoptive father, who had been sleeping soundly, was also woken by the thunder. Old people sleep lightly, and he had no intention of going back to sleep. At the same time, he feared that his adopted daughter, Huan Xin, was too young to withstand the might of heaven, so he quietly went to her bedroom door, gently lifted the bamboo curtain, and peered inside.
The girl's elbows rested on the windowsill, her palms cupping her cheeks, as she stared blankly at the sky, lost in thought.
Huan Xin thought that with a banquet in heaven and a Heavenly General performing a sword dance for entertainment, there must be plenty of fine wine to drink. Perhaps some great immortal, tipsy and unable to hold his liquor, would accidentally spill his wine goblet, and the jade-like nectar within would flow down to the human world, transforming into this great rain.
Who knows, if she took a sip, she might greatly increase her cultivation and extend her lifespan?
The childish girl was bubbling with joy at her own idea. She couldn't help but reach out and catch a handful of rainwater, then happily took a sip.
"It's no different from ordinary rainwater! Hmph!" Huan Xin pouted, angrily wiping her hands, then continued to stare blankly at the brocade clouds in the sky.
Her adoptive father couldn't help but chuckle secretly, but unexpectedly, Huan Xin noticed him.
"Ah! Oh, adoptive father! You're not sleeping in the middle of the night, but coming to laugh at Xin'er!"
"Hahahaha! My Xin'er truly hasn't lost her childlike innocence! Good! Good!" Her adoptive father laughed heartily, his heart also much lighter. He had always felt he owed this child a great deal, making her endure such a simple and hard life at such a young age. Now, seeing her pure, innocent demeanor, he couldn't help but feel greatly comforted.
The feigned anger on Huan Xin's face was also washed away by her adoptive father's deep laughter, and a joyful expression returned. "Adoptive father, come quickly and watch the sky with Xin'er, it's so beautiful, the clouds are all golden!"
Her adoptive father walked to the window with a smile. Yes, there was an unusual phenomenon in the sky tonight. Such an astonishing sight might never have been seen by anyone from ancient times until now.
Huan Xin asked curiously, "They say when a sage is born, there are strange phenomena across the sky. Do you think a sage might have arrived?"
"Don't talk nonsense, it's just some strange scenery. You'll see more when you grow up, it's nothing rare."
"Xin'er wants to see a shooting star."
"Why?"
"That shooting star must be some immortal who fell from the Peach Banquet in heaven. Xin'er wants to ask him what the Heavenly Court is really like."
"Silly child, heaven and the human world could only ever interact via the Jianmu tree, but that divine tree was cut down long ago, so how could there be any… Wait!"
Her adoptive father didn't finish his comforting words when he saw a streak of fire fly out from the layered brocade clouds. It was a meteorite. The meteorite smashed through the clouds, and beautiful rays of light poured from behind them, truly appearing like a heavenly wonderland.
"Oh! It's a shooting star!"
"That's not a shooting star, it's a meteor!"
"It's flying towards us!"
"This is bad!" Her adoptive father saw the fiery meteorite approaching with great force, fearing its landing point might be right on their bamboo hut. He immediately became anxious, scooped up his adopted daughter, and leaped out the window to escape.
Huan Xin also realized that their dwelling might be struck by a star from the sky and immediately shrieked, "Adoptive father! What do we do! This house was so hard to build!"
"A disaster from the heavens, we can rebuild this house. As long as people are safe, that's what matters."
The meteorite, with the force of a rainbow, exploded with a bang as it approached the bamboo hut. The shockwave shattered the wind and rain, and a blinding flash of light erupted, momentarily blinding them.
When the light faded, Huan Xin and her adoptive father looked back at the bamboo hut, only to see a woman in flowing robes standing proudly on the rooftop, her hair like ink, her face like jade, and an awe-inspiring, stern presence in her gaze.
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