Chapter 9: Wind Shadow Art

After instructing Yun Hao to meet him in fifteen days, Lin Xian flew away on his sword.

Yun Hao kept his hands cupped in respect until the elder’s figure disappeared completely from the horizon. 

Only then did he lower his arms and relax.

He stroked his right hand with his left, a dazed look on his face.

I can cultivate…

Even now, he could hardly believe it. 

He was afraid this was only a dream—a beautiful dream born from his desperate longing.

Whoosh!

A piercing sound came from the sky. 

Luo Shuiling returned after two hours away.

In truth, nourishing the soul and immortal foundation with a spiritual spring should not have gone so quickly. 

A normal cultivator would need to soak for several days to ensure every part of the body received its benefits. 

But Luo Shuiling had already reached the Dao Integration realm, and her Ice Jade Physique possessed a special absorption effect. 

In just an hour and a half, she had absorbed the entire spiritual spring without leaving a single drop.

As expected, the spring’s effects were exactly what she and Jiang Shu’er had predicted—useless.

Neither of them felt disappointed. 

Jiang Shu’er had known it would be of no use to Luo Shuiling the moment she found the spring, yet she had still brought it back. 

She thought that after more than a month away from the sect, Luo Shuiling must be tired from her travels. 

The spiritual spring would serve as a reward for completing the mission and help her recuperate. 

She had wanted Luo Shuiling to soak in it last night, but in the end decided to let her rest first and do it the next day.

Luo Shuiling had long known that heavenly materials and earthly treasures no longer worked on her. 

This time she had gone to soak in the spring partly to avoid disappointing her master and partly because she genuinely needed to relieve her fatigue. 

While her physical exhaustion was minor, the mental strain was different.

She had to suppress the damage to her immortal foundation at every moment and endure backlash that could strike without warning. 

It left her exhausted.

Upon returning to the Sect Master’s Peak, Luo Shuiling saw Yun Hao standing dazed beneath the sweet osmanthus tree and frowned slightly, a trace of displeasure rising in her. 

She disliked being ignored. 

Logically speaking, she was Yun Hao’s savior and had half-guided him onto the immortal path as his senior sister. 

Now that his senior sister had returned, yet he was still standing there like a fool—what kind of behavior was that?

Luo Shuiling walked quietly to Yun Hao’s side and spoke in a cool voice.

“What did Elder Lin say about your immortal aptitude?”

Yun Hao had still been lost in his anxious thoughts and hadn’t noticed Luo Shuiling approaching. When she suddenly spoke, he turned and saw his senior sister right beside him. 

He quickly composed himself and began to tell her about his talent…

But the words caught in his throat. 

Elder Lin had only told him that he might be able to walk quite far on the path of cultivation; he had never said his immortal aptitude was excellent. 

That phrasing implied decent talent, but Yun Hao didn’t want to sound too full of himself. 

He knew the importance of leaving some margin in speech and action, so he replied to Luo Shuiling,

“In response to Senior Sister, Elder Lin… did not specify my immortal aptitude. He only said that on the path of cultivation, I might be able to walk quite far.”

He had almost called him Elder Lin privately but changed it to “Elder Lin” out loud, worried it might give his senior sister a bad impression of disrespect. 

Yun Hao suddenly felt a pang of guilt toward Lin Xian. 

The elder had been so kind to him—an elder of the Proud Sword Sect willing to guide a complete novice—yet here he was, unwilling to call him “Elder Lin” in front of others. It felt ungrateful.

Guilt flickered in Yun Hao’s heart, but right now he was more nervous facing Luo Shuiling. 

He knew how exceptional her immortal aptitude was. 

From Song Yang he had learned she was called the unparalleled genius of the Proud Sword Sect, the leading figure of her generation.

He wondered what level “walking quite far on the path of cultivation” meant in his senior sister’s eyes.

Luo Shuiling listened to Yun Hao repeat Lin Xian’s evaluation and nodded inwardly.

Yun Hao might not understand the meaning, but as a Dao Integration realm cultivator she naturally did.

Lin Xian himself was at the Void Condensation realm. 

When he said “walk quite far,” he was using his own level as the benchmark. 

Void Condensation was among the highest combat power in the cultivation world. 

Though Great Vehicle and Tribulation Transcendence realms existed above it, cultivators at those stages were usually attempting to break through further or in secluded death cultivation. 

They rarely involved themselves in sect affairs. 

Therefore, on the Tian Ling Continent, Void Condensation represented the highest freely roaming combat power.

For someone at that level to say a person could “walk quite far” meant that, barring any premature death, the youth would at least reach Void Condensation. 

With good fortune and an immortal opportunity, even the higher Great Vehicle realm was not out of reach.

It matched her initial expectations perfectly.

Hearing Yun Hao’s answer, Luo Shuiling nodded inwardly once more. 

On the surface she remained expressionless and continued asking in the same cool tone,

“And?”

“That was all. Elder Lin only told me that much.”

Yun Hao looked at Luo Shuiling and answered truthfully.

Luo Shuiling felt a trace of puzzlement. In her mind, Yun Hao should possess some kind of special physique. 

Otherwise, how could an ordinary decent talent cause her Ice Jade Physique to stir?

After pondering for a moment, she temporarily set the thought aside. 

Some special physiques in the cultivation world did not reveal themselves at first. 

Only as cultivation progressed and realm increased would they gradually show their true power and eventually reach full maturity.

While Luo Shuiling was lost in thought, Yun Hao grew uneasy watching his silent senior sister. 

Elder Lin had indeed said he might walk quite far on the path of cultivation, but he hadn’t said his immortal aptitude was good. 

Once again, Yun Hao began to worry and second-guess himself.

This was simply how Yun Hao was. 

Sixteen years of hardship had planted deep seeds of inferiority in him. 

The lack of confidence had taken root in his bones and always accompanied his delicate, sensitive nerves.

Seeing Yun Hao grow dazed again, the displeasure Luo Shuiling had just felt rose once more. 

She raised her hand silently, and a cultivation manual appeared out of thin air. 

An ancient aura washed over them.

Luo Shuiling glanced at the manual and said,

“From now on, you will cultivate using this manual. In the early stages it emphasizes light and agile movement techniques. Your speed will be unmatched among cultivators of the same realm. In the later stages, offensive power will also emerge.”

“Cultivators are vulnerable to all kinds of accidents when they are still weak. I chose this manual for you so that once you enter the immortal path, even if you encounter enemies far stronger than yourself, you may not be able to win—but at least you will be able to run.”

Seeing that although Luo Shuiling appeared cold toward him on the surface, she had secretly thought so much about his well-being, Yun Hao felt waves of gratitude surge in his heart. 

Senior Sister really is a good person. 

We’ve only known each other for a few days, yet she’s already so kind to me.

For years, almost no one had shown Yun Hao any care. 

Facing Luo Shuiling’s concern now, he was moved beyond words. 

He felt truly cared for, the way an older sister would care for a younger brother—family affection. 

Even though he and Luo Shuiling shared no blood relation, it did not affect how Yun Hao felt.

Yun Hao stepped forward gently and received the manual with both hands. 

The ancient book bore three elegant characters on the cover: Wind Shadow Art.

“Thank you, Senior Sister.”

Just as Yun Hao was marveling at the extraordinary nature of the Wind Shadow Art, Luo Shuiling’s voice sounded again.

“Can you read?”

Yun Hao paused, finding the question a little strange. 

Even as a mortal he would certainly know how to read. 

Then he remembered he had first met Luo Shuiling as a slave and realized his senior sister was worried he might be illiterate. 

A warm current flowed through his heart as he answered,

“In response to Senior Sister, I once served as a study companion in the prince’s mansion for a time. I can read.”

Though that period had also been when he received the most beatings, Yun Hao thought to himself.

“Good.”

Luo Shuiling paused, then continued,

“Opening the path of cultivation requires spirit infusion. This afternoon, come back here beneath the sweet osmanthus tree. I will open your spirit veins for you so you can begin cultivating.”

“As for your residence… you may stay here for the time being.”

Luo Shuiling’s words filled Yun Hao with delight. 

What pleased him was not that he could start cultivating that afternoon, but that she was willing to let him continue staying here. 

Being able to remain by his senior sister’s side was his greatest wish right now.

“Yes, Senior Sister!”

Then something else occurred to him. 

Gathering his courage, he looked at Luo Shuiling and asked,

“Senior Sister, what exactly is my immortal aptitude like?”

“Your immortal aptitude is acceptable. However, you must still cultivate diligently. On the path of immortality, one can never slack off.”

Hearing Luo Shuiling’s words, Yun Hao nodded. He reminded himself inwardly not to grow complacent just because he had some talent. 

There would always be someone stronger. 

He had to cultivate hard and strive to repay his senior sister as soon as possible.

He stopped chatting with her and, after a while, excused himself and returned to the wooden hut to study the Wind Shadow Art.

Luo Shuiling watched Yun Hao walk away, the corners of her mouth curving upward slightly. 

She felt quite pleased. 

Earlier, when Yun Hao spoke to her, the cautious way he acted and the admiration in his eyes—something he himself might not have noticed—had not escaped her gaze.

She loved this feeling: the feeling of being able to control Yun Hao at will. 

What she wanted was not an equal senior-junior relationship, but a master-servant dynamic of superior and subordinate.

An equal relationship was fine in its own way, but domination was what truly stirred her nerves and brought her pleasure. 

She didn’t know why she enjoyed it so much. 

Every time she felt she could dominate someone, an unconscious thrill ran through her.

In the past she had always maintained the image of a cold and proud eldest senior sister. 

Though aloof, she kept good relations among the disciples. 

No one had ever known her deepest secret. 

But facing Yun Hao—this pure, blank-sheet child—she could no longer hold back.

She wanted to dominate him. 

She wanted to toy with him. 

She wanted to make him cry, to make him kneel before her and sob while calling her Master.

Luo Shuiling shook her head, driving those thoughts away.

For now, Yun Hao’s value lay not in satisfying her pleasure but in whether he could benefit her cultivation. 

If he proved useless to her later, she would probably abandon him. 

A worthless piece of trash had no right to remain by her side.

At that thought, she felt a tiny pang of reluctance at the idea of discarding Yun Hao. 

But she quickly firmed her Dao heart again, becoming cold and detached once more. 

The path of cultivation was endless. 

Only those with unwavering resolve had any hope of reaching immortality.

Yun Hao, ah, Yun Hao… you had better not disappoint me.

With that thought, Luo Shuiling slowly returned to her elegant pavilion.