Lu Yan stared at the boy before her, vigilance darkening her eyes. The inheritance—an ancient secret guarded tightly by her clan—was known only to a handful of the most trusted. Yet somehow, this stranger, a mortal from beyond the capital, had knowledge of it.
There was only one explanation: a breach.
If word spread, cultivators from across the continent would descend like wolves. And in the eyes of those old monsters—beings who had cultivated for thousands of years—she was nothing but dust. Her only advantage was secrecy. If that vanished, her chances of claiming the inheritance herself would crumble.
Logic told her to strike him down. But her instincts, honed through years of hardship, hesitated. Something about this boy… didn't add up.
Li Yang stood casually with his arms crossed, a lazy smile playing on his lips as he met her gaze. He watched as her expression shifted—shock, suspicion, then icy resolve. A faint killing intent leaked from her, her grip tightening on her sword.
Then he spoke, calm and deliberate."I can help you with your sword intent. You're stuck. I can help you break through."
Lu Yan blinked.For a moment, she thought she'd misheard him. Her lips curled into a cold smile."You?" she scoffed. "A mortal dares lecture me about sword cultivation?" Her voice dripped with derision. "You don't even possess spiritual energy. Let alone the qualifications to speak of sword intent."
She turned away, her disappointment deeper than she'd expected. She'd assumed he might be someone mysterious… but perhaps he was just another arrogant fool.
Still, she didn't kill him.
Li Yang flicked his wrist. The sword in his hand spun, then flew through the air toward her.
Reacting instinctively, Lu Yan parried the strike, but the force of the blow pushed her back three steps.
Her heart skipped a beat.
No cultivation… yet he forced her back.
Before she could process it, Elder Su—her ever-loyal guardian—stepped forward, fury crackling around her."You dare attack the young miss?" she roared. Her figure blurred as she surged forward like a gale, claws ready to rend the boy apart.
But Li Yang didn't flinch. He stood there, still and smiling faintly. As though none of this mattered to him.
"Elder Su, stop!" Lu Yan's voice rang out, sharp and commanding.
The older woman halted mid-step, shock flitting across her face. Lu Yan walked slowly to Li Yang, eyes narrowed in wary curiosity.
"You should be dead," she said flatly. "You have no cultivation. No sword aura. What exactly are you hiding?"
Li Yang turned toward the valley, his robe rustling in the wind. He looked every bit the serene scholar, yet the weight in his words was undeniable.
"You were trained to see the sword as a tool—a weapon. To kill, to protect, to win. That's the flaw in your cultivation. If you want to break through… you must understand the sword's true meaning."
The words sank into her like stone. Her sword slipped from her fingers, clattering to the ground.
She felt it then—that elusive truth she could never grasp during her years of training. It was closer now, hovering at the edge of her understanding.
"Who are you…?" she whispered.
Li Yang began to walk past her. As he passed, he spoke one last time.
"Come to my hut at dawn. I have something that may help you."
Then he vanished into the valley mist.
The first move has been made, he thought. Let the game begin.
Meanwhile: Alchemist Pavilion, Upper Floor
Lo Rou stood beside the tall lattice window, her silhouette framed by the soft golden light filtering through the silk curtains. She was a vision of quiet elegance, her long, ink-black hair cascading down her back like a waterfall. Dressed in flowing pale-blue robes embroidered with silver lotus patterns, she radiated a sense of noble serenity that made one instinctively lower their voice in her presence.
Her beauty was not the dazzling kind that overwhelmed the senses, but the sort that lingered—graceful, refined, and unforgettable. Her features were delicate: soft brows, almond-shaped eyes the color of autumn mist, and lips tinted like blooming plum blossoms. But it wasn't just her looks that made her stand out—it was her calm, measured presence, the sense that no matter what chaos surrounded her, she would remain composed and discerning.
Lo Rou was known throughout the continent not only as a prodigy of the Alchemist Pavilion but also as one of the few neutral powers who had rejected political marriages and court invitations from both princes and sects alike. Many tried to curry favor with her, but she remained distant, dedicating herself wholly to the path of alchemy.
Despite her young age, her cultivation had already reached the late stages of the Earth Realm. However, her temperament leaned toward observation over action. She disliked politics, loathed manipulation, and found little joy in power struggles. Her heart was drawn to balance and healing—the way of the alchemist.
At the moment, though, her heart was troubled.
She held a sealed letter in her hand, her eyes scanning its contents for the third time. Although her expression was calm, a faint frown tugged at her lips.
Across from her sat an elderly woman, Grandma Yu, whose gaze never left Lo Rou. Though the older woman's face was marked with time, the wisdom in her eyes still shone sharply, and her spine remained straight as a blade.
"They're moving against the Li Clan," Lo Rou said softly, folding the letter. "Using the Pavilion as a front—how shameless."
Grandma Yu chuckled lightly, brushing imaginary dust off her robe."Power always hides behind something. Even purity, sometimes."
"But these charges… they're fabricated. With how the news of the tournament has been spread, the Pavilion is being forced into a corner. We can't withdraw now."
Grandma Yu's wrinkled lips curved into a knowing smile."The question is not whether the Li Clan will fall. The question is—do you truly think they are defenseless?"
Lo Rou turned back toward the window, her thoughts troubled."They look so ordinary from the outside... but if someone truly is protecting them—"
Grandma Yu interrupted with a light laugh."These fools think they're hunting a deer. But what they've cornered… might be a sleeping tiger."
Lo Rou turned sharply."You're coming to the tournament?"
"For the first time in many years," Grandma Yu said, standing slowly. "Something tells me we may witness more than just a contest of strength."
Lo Rou remained quiet, her gaze fixed on the distant direction of the Li Clan compound.