Chapter 19: A Good Beating Will Fix It

Lin Fei knew clearly that although he was still far from the summit, the path ahead was riddled with countless powerful restrictions. The slightest carelessness would be enough to leave him severely injured. Beyond these barriers, there were hidden and formidable auras of sword intent, enough to make any expert hesitate. Despite his innate talent, he was, after all, only at the Mortal Realm and could not take another step forward. His only regret was that during his ascent, he had failed to sense the presence of his former companion sword—the Wood God. Lin Fei pondered to himself that perhaps only a month later, when the restrictions were fully lifted, would he have the chance to reunite with the Wood God sword.

Just as the youth was lost in thought, a sharp whistle of a blade pierced the mountain silence. From the dense mist ahead, an ancient sword broke through the air. The blade was as thin as a cicada's wing and as clear as water; like a bolt of lightning, it charged directly toward Lin Fei. The tip of the sword tore through layers of clouds with such blinding speed that it nearly grazed his forehead. Yet, at that critical moment, the ancient sword brushed past his ear, the intense air current even ruffling the hair at his temples. The sword did not stop but began to circle around Lin Fei, darting about like a playful child. Lin Fei’s expression remained indifferent, as if all this were nothing more than a passing cloud.

"Return." A light, ethereal voice echoed from the mountain. The ancient sword seemed to possess a spirit of its own and instantly vanished from Lin Fei’s side. As the blade disappeared, a figure in white gradually emerged from the sea of clouds. Her three thousand strands of dark hair cascaded like a waterfall to her waist, and the hazy white mist behind her only enhanced the grace of her white robes. Her appearance was flawless and dreamlike, yet the most striking feature was her pair of narrow phoenix eyes—deep and calm, as if reflecting the vastness of the starry sky. Though she had not yet reached the maturity of womanhood, her breathtaking aura was already beginning to show, making her impossible to ignore.

The young woman in white held her long sword and said softly, "Please forgive the earlier intrusion."

Lin Fei did not respond immediately; his gaze was fixed on the sword in her hand. There was something peculiar about the blade that was truly astonishing: a palm-sized little girl stood upon it. She wore her hair in a topknot, her cheeks were rosy, and she was dressed in a small, bright red bellyband, jumping and playing on the blade, looking lively and adorable. Lin Fei shifted his gaze from the little girl to the woman and praised, "It has been a long time since I have seen such a powerful nascent sword spirit. Paired with your natural sword embryo, it is truly a rare and perfect match."

Upon hearing this, the woman’s face betrayed a flicker of shock. The existence of a nascent sword spirit might be easy to identify, but the secret of a natural sword embryo was a top-tier classified matter within the Sword Sect, known only to the Sect Leader and her master. How did Lin Fei know?

Lin Fei nodded slightly, his tone calm: "Naturally, I know who you are."

In recent years, the Sword Sect had seen the emergence of many young talents, such as Feng Ning of Xiling Mountain and Chu Chanyi of Beiyou Mountain; they were all hailed as leaders in the way of the sword. However, among these bright stars, the most dazzling and legendary was Senior Sister Lu Shuli, who had joined Nanmi Mountain five years ago. It was said that when she first entered the Sword Sect, she could spar with a senior from the Transcendence Realm for a hundred rounds without showing the slightest disadvantage. The Sword Sect Leader himself had praised her, saying, "A talent so high, rarely seen in a century." In his daily life, Lin Fei had overheard the disciples of Tianya Peak discussing her, so he naturally recognized her. Yet, seeing her in person, he realized her talent was far more astonishing than he had imagined. Most importantly, she, like him, was a bearer of a natural sword embryo.

Lu Shuli parted her red lips as if to speak, but the ancient sword in her hand trembled restlessly. The sword spirit jumped about, as if ready to fly off at any moment. This sight forced a look of helplessness into Lu Shuli’s beautiful phoenix eyes. A sword spirit is a miracle born from the convergence of heaven and earth's spiritual energy. She had refused to inherit the spirits of others, choosing instead to sit alone on the Sword Mound for three years, using her own primordial sword embryo to nurture this unique existence. However, her sword spirit’s personality was far too lively; it often ignored her commands and flew off on its own, giving her endless headaches.

Seeing this, Lin Fei said faintly, "Your method is wrong."

Lu Shuli looked up, a trace of surprise in her eyes: "How so?"

"A nascent sword spirit is like a mischievous child, playful and unrestrained," Lin Fei explained. "They are like children and require proper discipline. So, giving it a lesson might just make it obedient."

The air seemed to freeze for a moment. Surprise registered on Lu Shuli’s face, while the sword spirit widened its eyes, looking at him as if he were an unreasonable lunatic. Lin Fei, however, remained earnest: "I am not joking."

He rolled up his sleeves: "Would you like me to do it?"

Lu Shuli came to her senses and looked down at the sword spirit. It was shaking its head frantically, eyes brimming with tears, and it jumped up to cling tightly to its master’s arm, looking pitiful. Lu Shuli gently touched the little girl’s head with her index finger and tentatively asked, "Back?"

The little sword spirit hesitated for a moment and stole a glance at Lin Fei, only to meet his gaze, which was as calm as water. At the moment their eyes met, the little spirit let out a strange cry, looking as if a mouse had seen a cat, and leaped back onto the blade. A faint golden light shimmered around it, and it vanished into the steel. With the spirit’s disappearance, the sword finally returned to silence.

Watching the problem that had plagued her for days be solved so easily, Lu Shuli was stunned for a moment. She collected herself and said to Lin Fei, "Thank you for your help." She understood that Lin Fei’s actions were intended to assist her.

"It is nothing," Lin Fei shook his head lightly, thinking to himself that if he were dealing with the Wood God three thousand years ago, he would not have been so gentle.

Suddenly, Lin Fei turned his head toward the depths of the forest to the right. Immediately, the sound of towering trees snapping and the shrill roars of wild beasts erupted, echoing through the mountains, deafening and harsh. Surrounding sword energy surged toward them like a gale. Lu Shuli frowned, and without hesitation, she headed toward the source of the noise. Lin Fei had not intended to involve himself and was about to turn back down the mountain. However, another roar, filled with agony, rang out. This time, Lin Fei detected something unusual in the sound, so he stopped in his tracks.