Sparring and theorizing, fighting and dying, the two weeks that Yin Long had set down as their last became filled with nothing but those two things. Rest became a thing of the past to him, the 13 hour training day getting pushed up to a full 20 hours every day, leaving him with a paltry two hours to rest or organize his thoughts. He was a cultivator so it wasn't a problem for him to go for extended periods of time without rest, he had even done so plenty of times in the past when he delved into his own training.
But time marched on without end, the hands of the clock continued to move no matter how much you wanted to halt them. And so, the two weeks he had designated came to an end in an almost boringly uneventful manner, the night simply ticking over to day as it always did.
"So that's the end, huh. It's got quite a strange feel to it, certainly feels like more than only a few months have passed."
Xiao Yin Yu stood next to Yin Long and gazed upon the cave entrance ahead of them as she mumbled. The sun had just barely started to rise so a faint tinge of darkness still lingered over the land. It was only Yin Long, Yin Yu, and Jin Wang in the clearing, Hongzai hadn't revealed themselves even as they left the cavern so Yin Long assumed that she had no desire to see them off.
And why would she? Their time together was nothing more than a tiny interlude in her long life, Yin Long wouldn't be surprised if she forgot all about it after only a few years. But he? He would never forget this meeting, the things she had taught him and the path she had illuminated for him. And so, he slowly got down on his knees and leaned forward, placing his fists on the ground and lowering his forehead until it rested on the ground.
"This Yin Long thanks you for the time you have taken to show me the correct path, I may never have been able to set foot on the path of a true swordsman if you hadn't taken the time to be patient and enlighten me. Though our paths shall temporarily, or possibly eternally, separate here, I will forever consider you my Master. Master, Disciple Yin Long will bid you farewell here, I pray that you manage to carve yourself a path that leads you to your desired future."
He was grateful, truly and honestly grateful. And such gratitude was one that needed to be shown. She may consider it insignificant and pointless, but he still wanted to see her as his Master, his first true master of the sword. He kept his forehead pressed against the ground for a handful of seconds to show his respect, but eventually, it was time for him to stand up and leave. But as he was brushing the dust off of his robe, a voice from the cavern stopped him.
"Wait."
The echoing sound of footsteps came out from the cave after Hongzai's voice stopped the group, the woman appearing in the entrance shortly after. She appeared rather differently compared to before, her black hair had been tied back into a neat ponytail, quite similar to Yin Long's. She was clad in a tight-fitting blue outfit that appeared rather thick, almost leather-like, and her dark blue eyes were filled with deep dignity, the pride of the strong.
"Yin Long, tell me, do you have a title?"
It was a question quite out of left field, Hongzai stopping only two or three steps away from Yin Long. The eyes of the two met, the dignity and solemnity in Hongzai's eyes pushing Yin Long to adopt the same mannerism.
"Prince of Fallen Leaves, I was given that title by one of the men I fought."
Prince of Fallen Leaves, the title Fang Yau had given him after their first battle. It was a title Yin Long hadn't really managed to use a lot since he got it, he just hadn't been around a lot of people ever since then so no one really got to call him that. But that wasn't of importance right now so he didn't say it aloud, Hongzai nodding her head as she took it in.
"I see, a dignified prince dancing amidst the leaves, it suits you well. Very well, then until you find your own path as a swordsman, I will give you the provisionary title of Swordsman of Dancing Leaves. In the future, when we meet again and you have created more swords for your Heaven Extinction style, that will be the day I introduce you to the Lodge, they will give you a more suitable title."
Hongzai didn't go into any details about this so-called Lodge, but the look in her eyes also made it clear that she had no intentions of giving him any details even if he asked. So he remained silent, Hongzai raising her hand and presenting him with a hair ornament shaped like six-connected drops of water, carved from a deep blue jade.
"This is a communication treasure, but it can only be used to contact those who hold one of the droplets, sacrificing versatility for range and toughness. It originally had nine such drops, but two have been lost to time and I hold the third one, leaving only these six. It is so sturdy that not even I can break it, so you can wear it without fear. If you ever feel lost or feel like you can't make any progress with one of your ideas, you can contact me. But do not forget, it must be your last way out! You will only pollute your own path if you rely too much on the aid of others."
The hairpin was dropped into Yin Long's hand, his eyes gleaming slightly. Even if he ignored the toughness of this item, the range it had would probably be rather useful when Lang Huo returned to the Lang clan. Of course, the fact that he could use it to contact Hongzai again also made it immensely valuable to him, her insights would definitely prove invaluable should he hit a wall he failed to overcome.
The dignified light in Hongzai's eyes only grew stronger when she saw Yin Long place the ornament on his head, its dark blue sheen contrasting his pure silver hair. A dense amount of Qi started to surge out from her body, gathering at her side and forming a quivering blade so dark blue that it was almost black. The sword was filled with immense thirst and sorrow, it was to the point that Yin Long was momentarily convinced that he had already died of thirst, alone and sad.
"This is the final gift I can give you, use it to form a sword for yourself. And if you ever get the chance, use it to slit the throat of any Flood you come across. "
A short and simple order, one Yin Long immediately followed as Hongzai released her control over the energy. His soul surged out and surrounded the quivering blade, its trembling halting as it was condensed and hardened. Scaled leaves spread out across the entire blade as it was finished, the air around it distorting quietly due to the energy the weapon radiated.
This was definitely the strongest sword Yin Long had ever formed, it eclipsed even the sword he had formed using the protective talisman his parents had given him in the past. Holding the newly-formed sword, he could feel its energy coursing into his body from the grip, his muscles twitching and his skin prickling due to the immensity.
It was the first time he had ever held this much power, it surpassed even the energy he had felt from Tao Tiankong, he had no doubt that he could cause untold destruction with this blade. But perhaps as was to be expected from such a powerful weapon, he could immediately tell that using it would be challenging. A momentary lapse of concentration would be all it took for the energy to crush the parts of his soul that held it together, he would have to train diligently so that he could use it properly.
"Yin Long, I will accept your declaration. In this life, you will be the first disciple I have ever had, and most likely the last one I will ever have. So hold your head high and puff out your chest, The Snowfield Demon decrees that you have that right, you are strong enough to be proud. So go, carve your own path and show the world how your sword screams, drive the nail that is your existence into the world and force it to acknowledge you."
Her hand landed on Yin Long's shoulder as she spoke, her emotions transmitted into him through her strong grip. The disciple had acknowledged the master, and the master had acknowledged the disciple. And thus the threads of fate were interwoven, the karma was sown and the lives intertwined, and thus the world was changed forever.
The sword he was holding was sucked into his soulsea, resting quietly inside him as it started to draw upon the energy of his Qi to nourish itself. He locked eyes with Hongzai again, the two quietly looking at each other for a few moments before he cupped his fists, uttering the last words of their parting.
"Disciple won't disappoint you."
No farewells, no goodbyes, he simply gave a low vow before he turned and left. Jin Wang and Xiao Yin Yu joined him as they retraced their steps, following the path they had first walked when they came here over half a year ago. The special scales that had been embedded in their chests started to pulsate quietly as they approached the spatial distortion, notifying them that they were heading in the right direction.
"Mhm, I wonder what Fang Yau is gonna have to say when he meets you again? He'll probably challenge you to a fight straight away to see if he can learn anything from you."
Xiao Yin Yu, Fang Yau, Yin Long. Three different people from three different places, but all of them had been drawn to each other because of that one thing they had in common, their immense desire to sharpen their skills and grow stronger. Granted, Yin Yu guessed that neither she nor Fang Yau was on the level of Yin Long, but she was certain that the number of people that were on his level could be counted with one hand.
"If he won't, I will. His dual-wielding style is very useful so I'm looking forward to learning more from it, I have a feeling it will help me with the domain and sensory technique I'm using."
Yin Long wasn't shy about stating his own desires, both Fang Yau and Yin Yu still had so much they could teach him. And they would likely continue to grow due to their own desires, there was a good chance that there would always be something that the two of them could teach him. And if that wasn't a cause for joy, then what was?
"I'm also looking forward to seeing what Little Huo has learned over the years. Well, after I've scolded her for leaving behind her weapon."
Yin Long stopped walking as he spoke, space in front of them shimmering and twisting slightly as they reached their target. Just beyond this shimmering space was the shattered space of the Province Championship, where their enemies and friends were waiting for them.
They didn't even need to put their hands on the space, just touching upon the scales embedded in their chests was enough to form a connection. Their bodies were automatically drawn into the space, a twisted tunnel appearing around them as they were dragged back to the Province Championship.
They had pushed it off for quite a while, but it was finally time to return. And it was finally time for Yin Long to meet his sister again. And whether he wanted it or not, it was time for his sword to reveal itself to the world, the brilliant sun could not hide its rise from those beneath it.
