The sun hung lazily over Azure Sky City, spilling golden light across the tiled roofs of the Li residence. Birds flitted across the sky, chirping gently as if they too were enjoying the brief peace before great change.
Li Qingyun stood silently on the stone path, breathing in deeply. His robes fluttered as a faint wind passed by. Before him hovered a gleaming silver sword—the Cloudveil Sword, issued by the sect.
With a calm gaze, he stepped onto the sword.
It dipped slightly, and he adjusted his balance instinctively. The Cloudveil Flight Method was far more delicate than any footwork art. This wasn't a sprint or a leap. This was flight—a dance of spirit and intent. The cloudveil flight method was a part of cloudveil sword control method.
His first few attempts had been awkward; the sword wobbled, dipped too low, and once even flipped him into a flowerbed. Now, after several days of steady effort, he could hover and glide, though not yet soar as freely as the elders of legend.
Still, he felt proud. Every inch he gained in mastery brought a sense of satisfaction that no mere pill or treasure could offer.
[System Notification:]
[Cloudveil Sword Control Method: Advancement in progress]
[Current Stage: Proficient]
Unlike his explosive breakthroughs with Voidcleave Sword Manual, this sword control method advanced slowly, steadily. But Qingyun didn't mind. Cultivation wasn't always about speed—he'd learned that patience carved the sharper edge.
He rose a few meters into the air, then slowly drifted along the perimeter of the courtyard. The sword trembled occasionally, his control still imperfect, but it held. After a careful circle, he descended smoothly.
'It's stable now. Better than yesterday.'
"You've improved," his father said, smiling faintly.
"I'll need more time," Qingyun replied. "But it's progressing."
From the side, his parents had been watching.
'Sword control is harder than expected. Even with the technique slotted, the advancement is slow. So this is the real difference between spiritual techniques—some demand time no matter how talented you are.'
Still, he welcomed the challenge. Voidcleave Sword Manual had reached the Perfect Stage, and though the system made cultivation smoother, it didn't dull his will to work hard.
________
In the early afternoon, just as Li Qingyun was practicing a steady hovering technique over the garden pond, a servant arrived in haste.
"Young master, a guest… Lady Xia Shuying of the Xia Clan has arrived—with two elders."
' Xia Shuying? Now'?
He descended slowly, wiping a faint line of sweat from his brow. He'd expected to meet her at the sect gates—but not at his home.
Still, he adjusted his robes and walked toward the entrance with a composed air.
The gate opened to reveal a scene both elegant and imposing.
Xia Shuying, clad in pale blue robes embroidered with sword-shaped clouds, stood calmly with two elders flanking her.
One was an elderly man with silver hair, his presence restrained but overwhelming—a cultivator who had long since reached the Golden Core stage. He nodded politely.
The second was a middle-aged woman with jade-green eyes, her spiritual aura colder, sharper. Her gaze lingered on Li Qingyun with silent scrutiny.
'From their pressure alone… these two are not simple guards.'
He stepped forward. "Xia Shuying."
She inclined her head. "Li Qingyun."
The silver-haired elder stepped forward with a clasped fist. "I am Xia Hongyuan, elder of the Xia Clan. This is Elder Mei, our defensive arts specialist. We were tasked with safeguarding Shuying on behalf of the clan. Please forgive the abrupt visit."
Li Tianyang returned the gesture respectfully. "You honor the Li family with your presence. Please, come in."
_______
Later, in the shaded rear courtyard, Xia Shuying stood alone with Li Qingyun under a gently swaying willow. The air was quiet but filled with subtle tension.
"We'll be entering the sect together," she began. "So I thought we should talk."
Qingyun looked at her, reading the calm sharpness in her expression.
'She's not here just for pleasantries. She's measured, like someone testing a blade's weight before a duel.'
"We're fellow cultivators now," she continued. "And I believe we should have each other's backs in the days ahead."
There was no arrogance in her voice, only clarity. Strength recognized strength.
He didn't hesitate.
"I agree," he said, meeting her eyes. "In a sect filled with ambition and hidden currents, having an ally can mean survival—or more."
Her gaze softened for a fraction of a second, and she nodded.
They sat for a few moments longer in silence. Then she spoke again.
"Also… we're both sword cultivators. It would be a waste not to train together."
Qingyun's lips curved slightly. "Then draw your sword."
_______
That very day, after the elders and his parents had settled down for tea and formalities, the two youths moved to the courtyard Li Qingyun uses for practice—one of the few private spaces large enough for real sword practice.
"Don't go easy," Xia Shuying said, already drawing her sword.
"I wasn't planning to," Qingyun replied, summoning Shadowfang to his hand with a flicker of spiritual light.
They began with simple forms.
Strike. Parry. Step. Flow.
Their swords met in the golden light of day.
Shadowfang hummed as it clashed with Shuying's pale azure sword. Her strikes were swift and precise, honed through years of clan discipline. But Qingyun's rhythm was unpredictable—refined through relentless solo training and empowered by a Perfect-stage Voidcleave.
Their movements were clean yet fierce. One moment her sword danced like snowflakes in a storm; the next, his Shadowfang surged like a coiling river.
'She's good. Her Sword Bone Physique gives her a frightening sense of balance and precision. Once she truly controls it, she'll be unstoppable.'
'But I've walked further on the path.'
Between exchanges, he corrected her stance. She pointed out inconsistencies in his control over the Cloudveil Sword. Slowly, respect began to crystallize between them—silent, mutual.
Time passed unnoticed until their spiritual power waned.
Both collapsed onto the stone bench, breathless but satisfied.
"You're not bad," Shuying admitted, dabbing her forehead.
"You're not slow," Qingyun replied.
A ghost of a smile passed between them.
_____
As her elders readied to leave, Shuying turned back at the gate.
"In the sect… let's rise, not just survive," she said.
He nodded. "We will. Together."
The gate closed softly behind her.
Alone once more, Li Qingyun turned his gaze toward the courtyard.
'The Voidcleave Manual is already perfect. I'll use it to support my sword control training. Even if it's slow, I'll carve my path with my own hands.'
He looked at the silver Cloudveil Sword resting near the pond, its reflection trembling in the water.
'Fighting, surviving… This world won't wait for anyone to be ready. But I'll be ready.'
'Because I have people behind me now.'