Dao Companion Crippled, Coveters Move

Chapter 67: Yueqiu, Pushing Herself to the Limit to Meet Her Master's Expectations

In a courtyard, a silver-haired young woman sat meditating with her eyes closed. Before her, eighteen longswords were neatly arranged.

WHOOSH—

A gentle breeze swept by, carrying a few withered leaves past her.

The next moment, the eighteen longswords in front of Qing Yueqiu began to tremble in mid-air. She gently lifted a finger, and six of the longswords swam into the sky, as agile as a school of fish.

Then, she raised a second finger. Another six longswords took flight, falling into an orderly formation behind the first set of flying swords.

Soon, all eighteen longswords were airborne, forming a dense and flexible sword array like a school of sardines. The formidable, sweeping sword qi shredded the falling snow and made the air shriek.

If any of the Sword Cultivator Elders from the Xuanyuan Dao Sect had witnessed this, their jaws would have dropped in shock.

An ordinary Sword Cultivator who could perfectly command a single flying sword was already considered peerless among cultivators of the same stage.

To simultaneously command eighteen flying swords, and to do so with such order that they moved like extensions of her own limbs—this level of terrifying Spiritual Qi reserves, Divine Sense precision, and understanding of the Sword Dao all surpassed the scope of a typical Golden Core Stage.

But even so, a look of dissatisfaction appeared in Qing Yueqiu's eyes.

'It's not enough… At this level, it's definitely not enough to face the True Disciples of the Great Elders, let alone the Sect Leader's.'

'If I want to take first place in the Dao Sect's upcoming competition, I need to be able to command at least thirty-six swords at once to form the Thirty-Six Celestial Spirit Sword Array. Only then will I have a chance.'

The Thirty-Six Celestial Spirit Sword Array required at least twelve Golden Core Cultivators, each commanding three flying swords and expending all their Spiritual Qi to form it. Once successfully deployed, even an Early-stage Nascent Soul Cultivator caught in the incomparably fierce Celestial Spirit Sword Net would likely die filled with regret.

For Qing Yueqiu to attempt the work of twelve Sword Cultivators all by herself was nothing short of a fantasy.

But she believed she could do it. Her master had told her she possessed the Innate Sword Bone, giving her an unparalleled affinity for swords. If she cultivated to the Mahayana stage, she could make all the swords in the world submit to her with her power alone.

Right now, she naturally couldn't touch the mythical realm her master spoke of. But merely controlling thirty-six flying swords to form a Celestial Spirit Sword Array? Qing Yueqiu believed she could at least accomplish that!

After all…

'If Master says I can do it, then I definitely can!'

Qing Yueqiu came from a lowly background. She had lived as a refugee and beggar, fighting wild dogs for scraps of food. Coming to the prosperous Xuanyuan Dao Sect and seeing the gorgeously dressed, highborn Fairies, she always felt an indelible sense of inferiority in her heart.

But when it came to her master's affirmations, she believed in them without a shred of doubt and would wring out every last drop of her potential to achieve them!

"Rise!"

Following Qing Yueqiu's somewhat hoarse command, another six flying swords shot out from behind her.

Now, the sword array in the sky numbered twenty-four. Qing Yueqiu's face was as pale as the surrounding snow, her breathing as ragged as the whistling cold wind. She had clearly reached her limit.

She swallowed the metallic, bloody taste in her throat and prepared to bite her tongue to push past her limits.

"Enough! Are you trying to get yourself killed?!"

Pei Yuhang's stern voice rang out. Empowered by Spiritual Qi, each word transformed into a visible, profound rune, spreading out in ripples.

Under this suppression, which held absolute dominion over swords, all twenty-four flying swords hovering in the air trembled and lost control, clattering to the ground in unison as if they were subjects hastily bowing before the arrival of their true monarch.

Qing Yueqiu felt her connection to the swords sever. She subconsciously felt a tightly wound string in her mind snap, and her body fell backward uncontrollably.

She didn't hit the cold ground.

She was caught in a warm and firm embrace.

Pei Yuhang looked at his first disciple in his arms. His brows knitted, wanting to scold her, but seeing how weak she was, he ultimately sighed helplessly.

"Why would you do this? You were even about to use Essence Blood Sword Control. If you had failed, the backlash would have left you bedridden for at least twenty days. Don't tell me you want your Master to take care of two patients—you and your Mistress?"

"...I'm sorry, Master. I just felt that with my current strength, I really can't live up to your expectations.

The Sect competition starts in one month. I don't have enough time to break through to the Nascent Soul stage. If I want to take first place, I at least need to master a trump card like the Celestial Spirit Sword Array, something that can defeat enemies of a higher stage..."

Qing Yueqiu's answer was exactly what Pei Yuhang had expected.

To be honest, when he'd said he believed Qing Yueqiu could take first place, he was only trying to encourage her. He never expected her to actually push herself so relentlessly in private.

'The fault is mine, then.'

"Your Master doesn't actually need you to win the title of 'Sect Competition Champion.'"

"Do you think I can't do it, Master?"

A panicked look instantly appeared on Qing Yueqiu's face. Her hands subconsciously tightened on the front of Pei Yuhang's robes, like a little puppy terrified of being abandoned.

Pei Yuhang opened his mouth, about to say that wasn't what he meant, when another young woman behind him spoke up with a grin.

"Don't worry, Eldest Martial Sister! Master told me that you're his most prized disciple~ He came looking for you this time to take you to the Divine Sword Pavilion to get a sword and obtain even greater power."

"Little Martial Sister, did your Divine Soul Fusion succeed?"

Only then did Qing Yueqiu notice Yu Gu Nan's presence. She couldn't help it; the moment her master appeared, her entire focus had been fixed on him alone. How could she possibly have been aware of anyone else?

'But, Yu Gu Nan considered herself a magnanimous beauty, not at all petty and jealous like her younger sister. She generously forgave Qing Yueqiu in her heart for the discourtesy of ignoring her.'

However, before she could speak, Pei Yuhang exposed her identity.

"Yueqiu, the one before you right now isn't your Little Martial Sister, but your Little-Little Martial Sister."

"Little-Little Martial Sister? My Third Martial Sister?"

"Yes. She is the older sister inside Xiaoxiao's body. Her name is Yu Gu Nan."

Yu Gu Nan: "..."

'Wait, how is this Qing Yueqiu woman on the same wavelength as Pei Yuhang? How did she hear an abstract term like "Little-Little Martial Sister" and immediately realize it meant Master's third disciple?!'

'Also, as for that Xiaoxiao brat being my senior in the sect hierarchy, I never agreed to that!'

Unfortunately, no one cared about Yu Gu Nan's opinion. After a brief greeting, Qing Yueqiu's gaze returned to her master.

"Master, are you taking me to the Divine Sword Pavilion today?"

"That was the original plan, but seeing as you've completely depleted your Spiritual Qi, it would be better for you to rest for a couple of days."

Qing Yueqiu shook her head. She swallowed several Nourishing Essence Pills and quickly refined them, and a bit of color returned to her pale face.

"Master, the Sect competition is approaching. We can't afford to waste a single day. I often end up in this state of depleted Spiritual Qi during my cultivation, so my body is used to it. I'll recover quickly.

Let's go now."