The courtyard of the Sixth Branch leader was quiet except for the sound of steel cutting air.
Mo Xuan stood in the open space before Xu Cangming's residence, sword in hand, repeating the movement he had been shown earlier that morning.
Again.
And again.
And again.
The technique was called Falling Star Severance — a deceptively simple strike that condensed spiritual power into a single, piercing line. It was not flashy. It did not rely on brute force. It required control. Compression. Absolute precision.
The first attempt failed.
The second dispersed halfway.
The third collapsed before formation.
Xu Cangming leaned lazily against a stone pillar, wine gourd in hand, watching with half-lidded eyes.
"Too stiff," he commented casually. "You're forcing the qi instead of letting it gather."
Mo Xuan did not reply.
He adjusted his breathing.
Shifted his stance.
This time, he did not try to overpower the strike. He guided it.
The sword moved.
A thin line of compressed qi formed along the blade's edge.
Slash.
The air cracked faintly as the strike extended forward and sliced a shallow mark across the stone target.
Xu Cangming straightened slightly.
"Hmm."
Mo Xuan tried again.
The fourth attempt was cleaner.
The fifth, sharper.
By the tenth—
The strike cut cleanly through the stone slab.
Silence settled over the courtyard.
Xu Cangming stared at the split stone, then at the young man before him.
"This technique," he said slowly, "normally takes at least a week for a disciple to grasp."
Mo Xuan lowered his sword.
"You explained it clearly."
The leader barked a laugh. "Brat. Don't flatter me."
But inwardly, he was deeply surprised.
There was refinement in that strike. Not just talent.
Experience.
"Enough for today," Xu Cangming said at last. He reached into his sleeve and tossed several manuals onto the stone table. "Take these. Breathing foundations and qi regulation. Study them carefully."
Mo Xuan glanced at the books… and shook his head.
"I don't need breathing manuals."
Xu Cangming raised an eyebrow.
"Oh?"
"I have methods I am used to. If you permit… I would rather enter the Sixth Branch library and select techniques suitable for myself. If I encounter difficulty, I will consult you."
For a moment, there was silence.
Then Xu Cangming burst into laughter.
"In all my years," he said between chuckles, "this is the first time a disciple has rejected my teaching manuals and asked to learn independently."
He studied Mo Xuan carefully.
"Very well."
He removed a jade token from his waist and flicked it forward.
The token was deep green, engraved with the words Azure Gale Authority Seal.
"With this," Xu Cangming said, "you may enter the Sixth Branch library freely. One week from now, show me what you have learned. Then I will decide whether to teach you further."
Mo Xuan caught the token and bowed slightly.
"Thank you."
The Sixth Branch library was guarded by two disciples who had once barred his entry.
When they saw the jade token, their expressions changed immediately.
They stepped aside without another word.
Mo Xuan entered.
Rows upon rows of scrolls and manuals lined the towering shelves. Techniques. Spell formulas. Sword arts. Defensive arrays.
His divine sense was still fractured.
He could not sweep the hall with spiritual perception.
So he did what he had not done in centuries—
He began reading.
One scroll at a time.
Hours passed.
Daylight faded.
Yet none of the manuals mentioned restoration of shattered meridians or repair of a broken spiritual sea.
This branch was strong in combat arts.
Not healing.
Mo Xuan closed the final scroll with quiet disappointment.
"This place does not have what I need."
Still, two discoveries caught his attention.
The first was a scroll describing the Celestial Summit Immortal Sect — the most powerful sect in the region. It mentioned a grand central library that contained forbidden and ancient texts.
The second was a map.
A crude, old parchment detailing a region called Falling Star Gorge — a place rumored to contain concentrated spirit stone veins.
Dangerous.
Unstable.
Filled with unpredictable spiritual storms.
Mo Xuan's gaze sharpened.
"If I can obtain high-grade spirit stones, I can accelerate my recovery."
He folded the map.
Shen Liang had once mentioned that the upcoming main martial competition would be held at Celestial Summit Immortal Sect.
If he entered the sect tournament and ranked high—
He would gain access to their library.
And perhaps find a method to repair his spiritual sea completely.
The path was clear.
He left the library at nightfall.
Back at the dormitory, Shen Liang was sprawled lazily across his bed.
"You're popular," he said casually.
Mo Xuan paused. "What do you mean?"
"One person's been looking for you."
"Who?"
Shen Liang grinned. "Ling Yue."
Mo Xuan turned immediately and left.
He found her near the courtyard pathway, moonlight brushing softly against her robes.
She crossed her arms when she saw him.
"So. The leader's personal disciple now?"
"I only train under him."
"Oh? And you disappeared into the library without telling me?"
"I was studying."
She narrowed her eyes playfully. "You must be hiding something."
He almost smiled.
"You misunderstand."
"I misunderstand?" she teased. "You joined weeks ago. I know you well enough."
He hesitated.
Then decided.
"I found a place."
"Where?"
"Falling Star Gorge."
Her playful expression vanished instantly.
"You can't go there."
"Why?"
"My father once told me about that place. When he was younger, he ventured near it. The spiritual storms tear meridians apart. Many who enter never return."
Her voice lowered.
"It's not a place for Qi Gathering disciples."
Mo Xuan's eyes remained calm.
"I must go."
"For what?"
"The sect competition is approaching. I am only at Qi Gathering Realm. Spirit stone veins there could help me advance faster."
She clenched her hands.
"You don't have to risk your life."
"I do."
Their eyes met.
She saw it clearly.
He had already decided.
Silence stretched between them.
Then—
"If you go," she said firmly, "I'm coming too."
Mo Xuan blinked.
"That's unnecessary."
"I don't care," she cut in. "I was the one who saved you. You think I'll let you run into danger alone?"
He opened his mouth to protest.
She stepped closer.
"I know what you're about to say," she added quickly. "That it's dangerous. That I'll slow you down."
She lifted her chin.
"I won't."
Moonlight illuminated her determined expression.
Mo Xuan studied her face.
Confidence.
Stubbornness.
Concern.
He exhaled slowly.
"…Very well."
A hint of triumph flickered in her eyes.
"Tomorrow morning," he said, "we leave the sect. It will take two days to reach the gorge."
She nodded.
"Okay."
Then she paused.
"And stop calling me 'Senior Sister.'"
He raised an eyebrow.
"We're the same age."
She stepped closer, looking directly into his eyes.
"Just call me Ling Yue."
For a moment—
Neither of them spoke.
The night wind brushed softly past them.
Petals from the distant Moonlight Blossom tree drifted faintly in the air.
Their gazes locked.
Unblinking.
The journey beyond the sect had begun.
End of Chapter 13...