There were no seasons in the Heavenly Sword Realm. In the outside world, the weather was constantly shifting. Back when Wu Jian was living in Zahn City, the winters would be a snowy wonderland, the summers hot, the springs full of vibrant flowers, and the fall a colorful myriad of fallen leaves. Compared to the ever changing seasons of the normal world, the Heavenly Realm was static.

It was easy to lose track of time when life never changed like this. Days, months, years. They could pass by in a blur without you ever realizing it. Wu Jian had begun to understand this after being in the Heavenly Sword Sect for nearly a year.

Wu Jian had lost track of time as he honed his skills by challenging the sect's top disciples--the seven faction leaders. Immediately after defeating Luo Feng, he had gone on to challenge Gao Shen and Wei Ying. He had beaten them both, though they had been much stronger than Luo Feng. He then challenged Lan Xiu of the Azure Moon and Mei Ling who led Crystal Lotus. Mei Ling had refused him at first. He had to bribe her with alchemy ingredients, which had been another ordeal entirely. He’d been forced to search for a 1,000 year old Heavenly Yang Lotus Root. After fighting and defeating Mei Ling, he went on to battle Lei Jin and Yue Lan.

As he continued his winning streak, Wu Jian’s popularity increased in proportion. Rumors about him had already spread quite far. Most people had known about him even before he began taking on every faction leader because of Wu Meiying’s favor toward him.

Back then, a lot of people had looked at him with scorn. How dare this nobody from outside of the sect get so close to the Lady Oracle! Their thoughts and feelings had been written clear on their faces. Most of them wouldn’t do anything because they lacked the power to make him back off, but the seven section leaders did have that power, and they tried their hardest to humiliate him under the misguided belief that Wu Meiying would see reason if he lost to them.

Thanks to that, Wu Jian had been able to hone his skills to perfection. He had fully mastered Cleaving the Heavens in a Single Stroke and even created a few variations that Master Feng Tiangsheng didn’t know. They were all derivatives and lacked the power of the original, but they were good techniques to use in a pinch.

After defeating the seven faction leaders, nobody bothered to challenge Wu Jian anymore. The last person he defeated had been Lan Yue over one month ago.

While no one challenged him to duels anymore, he did still have sparring partners in Wu Meiying and Húndàn Wang. Even Zhe Fēnglì occasionally stopped by to ask for a spar. Thanks to them, he was still able to continuously improve himself.

Wu Jian didn’t spend all of his time training, of course. Taking breaks was also important. During this time, Wu Jian spent most of his time relaxing with Wu Meiying and Youmei. They normally spent time at home since it was more comfortable there. Wu Jian and Wu Meiying couldn’t go to the Heavenly Sword City without people gawking at them, so while they did occasionally go on dates into the city, they preferred spending time with each other at home.

It was another beautiful day within the Heavenly Sword Realm. The clear sky provided bright illumination and warmth. A soft breeze created unique sounds as it traveled through the zen garden. The minimalist landscape helped to sooth Wu Jian’s mind so he could find inner balance. He took in the peaceful atmosphere with a sense of emotional serenity.

Resting her head on his thigh was Wu Meiying, whose long eyelashes were visible as she dozed off. He glanced at her and smiled. The young woman’s chest rose and fell as she rhythmically breathed in and out through her nose. She looked so peaceful that Wu Jian considered going to sleep himself. The idea of napping on the veranda overlooking his garden was appealing.

While he and Wu Meiying relaxed on the veranda, Youmei was playing in the garden. She was chasing after a butterfly, hopping up and down to catch it, though he didn’t think she was seriously trying. She could have caught it easily if she wanted to.

“It’s so peaceful,” Wu Meiying murmured, eyes slowly opening.

“Oh? You’re awake.” Wu Jian paused for a moment, then nodded. “It has been very peaceful lately.”

“It feels a little like the calm before the storm.”

“Have you seen something?”

“I’ve seen many things… but nothing concrete yet. That is, in itself, a problem.”

“What have you seen?”

“… You will be going on a journey with someone you know, but I do not know what will happen there.”

“Meaning our enemy is going to make their move?”

“Most likely.”

“Hmmm.”

 So he would be leaving the Heavenly Sword Sect soon. It had been a while since he had left. He wondered where his journey would take him. He also wanted to know who the familiar face was, though he didn’t ask. Given what Wu Meiying said, he would find out soon enough anyway.

The day wore on and Wu Meiying became more lively after waking up from her nap. She played with Youmei as Wu Jian watched from the veranda, enjoying the soothing sight of two beautiful people acting like children. Wu Meiying with her lustrous black hair, jade-like skin, and womanly features was a study in contrast from Youmei. The young panther magical beast also had black hair and pale skin, but she lacked the mysterious aura and delicate beauty of a full-grown woman. Cute was a much more apt way to describe her.

It was during this time that someone arrived at the mansion. Wu Jian answered the door upon hearing someone knocking to find Zhe Fēnglì. The young man was often coming over in between missions. Nominally, he would come to spar, but Wu Jian thought his true reason was because Wu Meiying often spent time here.

“Zhe Fēnglì, here for another spar?”

“I’d like to, but no, that’s not why I came today. A visitor who arrived shortly has requested your presence. She’s waiting at Heavenly Sword City’s mission hall.”

“Oh? I understand. I’ll be right there.”

As Wu Jian wandered back into the house to inform Wu Meiying about the visitor. It looked like her vision about his journey was about to come true.

***

“Hey, hey! Look! It’s him!”

“That’s Jian Wu? This is my first time seeing him in person.”

“You never saw his duels? Oh, man. You missed out.”

“So I’ve been told. By the way, why does he wear a mask?”

“No one knows, but I heard a rumor that it’s because his face is covered in hideous burns.”

“Poor guy…”

Wu Jian wandered through Heavenly Sword City as people gawked, pointed, and whispered about him behind his back. None of it was malicious so he ignored it. Still, a lot of people had way too much time on their hands. If they had enough time to gossip, they should have spent that time training.

“You’ve become quite popular,” Zhe Fēnglì said with a smile.

“I guess. It always amazes me when I see people spending more time gossiping about others than they do training.”

“Everyone needs downtime.”

“I understand well the idea of taking a break to relax. I just think some people relax too much.”

Zhe Fēnglì didn’t say anything to dispute him, for he was also a man who spent a lot of time training or taking missions. Wu Jian could not sense his cultivation, but he could tell from the little signs that the young man was close to another breakthrough. He must have been training hard.

“You’re close to reaching the Realization Realm, aren’t you?”

“I’m surprised you can tell.”

Wu Jian shrugged. “Your chi is surging--a sure sign of a future breakthrough.”

“Ah ha ha. You’re one of the few people who would be able to sense that.” Zhe Fēnglì chuckled, paused, then shrugged. “I could have broken through already, but I’m suppressing my cultivation.”

“That will make you more powerful when you do break through.”

They soon reached the Mission Hall. It was bustling with activity like always, with people coming in to grab a mission that would take them outside of the Heavenly Sword Realm. A lot of people stopped what they were doing when Wu Jian and Zhe Fēnglì entered. Two famous figures together created a strong presence that normal cultivators found difficult to ignore. They ignored the people present as Zhe Fēnglì led Wu Jian into a room located through a hallway.

Someone was inside.

A very familiar someone.

Her clothing was different from what he remembered, for she now wore a dark traveler's cloak that hid her figure from view. The hood was pulled back, however, allowing her silver-tinted blue hair to flow freely down her back like a frozen waterfall. Pale skin like a jade sculpture was framed by several bangs. The soft curve of her small nose perfectly complimented her beautiful lips and ice blue eyes. Her face had not changed. It was every bit as beautiful now as it had been back when she was still a member of the Ice Phoenix Sect.

“Mei Xilan, you look well.”

“As do you, Jian Wu.”

Wu Jian and Mei Xilan exchanged greetings. When greeting someone you were familiar with, etiquette dictated that a standard martial bow was required. Their bow happened at the same time and was filled with a sense of strong familiarity.

She’s finally come to ask for my help. Does that mean she has the Sixteen Star Advancement Pill?

Wu Meiying had once told him that he would want to help Mei Xilan eventually because she would offer him this pill, which would help him break through to the Realization Realm. He was still only at the peak of the Deva Realm. However, the pill would still prove useful when the time came.

The room they were in was a standard meeting room. There was no couch, but instead, a tasteful low-seating table made of mahogany with a lacquered finish sat in the center, surrounded by cushions for them to sit on. Zhe Fēnglì had a maidservant bring them some tea. Wu Jian spent that time getting caught up on what Mei Xilan had been doing.

“I’ve been traveling across the Xaio Continent ever since leaving the Ice Phoenix Sect,” she explained. “It was difficult at times. Many cultivators tried to… acquire me through various means.”

“You mean they wanted to enslave you?”

“I mean they wanted to turn me into a cultivation furnace.”

Wu Jian grimaced. He had been taught about cultivation furnaces by Huo Shuchang. It went by many names: Human furnaces, cauldrons, cultivation vessels. Each term amounted to the same thing--an invasive dual cultivation technique in which men and women had their chi stolen from them through sexual intercourse.

“I’m happy they didn’t succeed.”

“There were a few close calls. I made it through most of them, but I recently ran afoul of someone from a dark sect called Eclipse Soul. They… recognized who I am and began chasing me. I only managed to escape them thanks to luck.”

According to Mei Xilan, Eclipse Soul was a dark sect of a particularly sinister nature; their focus was on dual cultivation. The Undying Sun Sect had brokered a deal with Eclipse Soul. In exchange for keeping them safe from persecution, Eclipse Soul would provide them with knowledge of the dual cultivation technique, which stole a person’s chi through sexual intercourse and turned the person acting as the cultivation furnace into a crippled vegetable. That was how the Undying Sun Sect had been able to rise to power and overthrow the Sui Kingdom’s monarchy.

“You mean they found out your identity as the former princess of the Sui Kingdom?” asked Wu Jian.

“Correct.”

“I think I just heard something crazy,” Zhe Fēnglì muttered. “I knew the Sui Kingdom’s monarchy had been abolished after the Undying Sun Sect took over, but I had no idea the emperor’s daughter had escaped.”

“I have been keeping myself hidden until recently,” Mei Xilan confessed.

“I understand. You didn’t have the strength to confront your enemies. Hiding was all you could do.”

“I still don’t have the strength to fight them by myself.”

“And that’s why you’re here,” Wu Jian said. “You want my help.”

“That’s right.” Mei Xilan nodded. “I would like your help destroying the Undying Sun Sect and Eclipse Soul. Of course, I promise to make it worth your while.”

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