Supreme of the Heavenly Realm
Chapter 198 - 195 Long Zhiyang

Chapter 198: Chapter 195 Long Zhiyang

"This must be Junior Brother Ye, as an elder brother, I must thank you for taking care of Little Yan at Wanxiang Mountain, allowing her to return safely. Otherwise, if anything had happened to her, I truly wouldn’t be able to forgive myself."

The young man in white looked at Ye Xuan with a warm smile, and then his gaze lingered fondly on Ling Qianxue beside him. To Ye Xuan, however, that look inevitably caused him to frown.

Little Yan? Such intimacy in address, has Long Zhiyang’s relationship with Ling Qianxue already progressed to such an extent?

However, Ye Xuan wasn’t the type to be petty and let such things upset him; what mattered was the tone of the other person. Logically, the one who had returned from the brink should have been him. As the foremost among the Four True Disciples in Heavenly Martial Hall, Long Zhiyang at least ought to have greeted him first.

Moreover, Long Zhiyang’s words of thanks made it seem as though he was the one who rescued Ling Qianxue, which significantly diminished his own merits.

"There’s no need; we are all from the same sect, supporting each other is only right." Ye Xuan replied indifferently, his impression of this senior brother from Qian Hall was already not very favorable.

Hearing Ye Xuan’s words, a shadow of displeasure briefly flashed through Ling Qianxue’s beautiful eyes, but she concealed it well, and to outsiders, she still appeared unaffected and serene.

"Hehe, Junior Brother Ye is certainly not wrong."

Long Zhiyang’s face showed a smile as warm as a spring breeze, which quickly faded, "However, as an elder brother, I hope Junior Brother Ye can be more committed. Don’t be fickle or carelessly flirtatious, as it might bring you unnecessary troubles."

At these words, Ye Xuan’s pupils contracted slightly, and a cold smile crossed his mind, "There’s no need for Brother Long to worry about that. But, I am indeed a person of divided attentions, always looking at what’s in the pot while eating from the bowl."

Long Zhiyang’s implication was clear: he didn’t want Ye Xuan to harbor any intentions towards Ling Qianxue. Sadly, he was terribly mistaken. Ye Xuan despised threats more than anything, and who he liked was certainly not for others to dictate.

"Enough!"

However, before Long Zhiyang could respond to Ye Xuan’s retort, Ling Qianxue spoke first, her cold voice spreading in the area, "Brother Long is right; I utterly despise men who are fickle. You really should work on changing that bad habit."

With that, she turned and left without another word.

Long Zhiyang glanced at Ye Xuan, a trace of coldness flickering in his eyes, then he followed Ling Qianxue, resuming their cheerful conversation.

"Brother Ye, I..."

Watching Ling Qianxue, who seemed angry as she left, Tang Xiaoyan also looked at Ye Xuan with a hint of guilt. She well knew that the remarks about Ye Xuan being fickle likely involved her.

"It’s fine; let’s go. There’s no need to mind what others think."

Ye Xuan patted Tang Xiaoyan’s shoulder, then watched Ling Qianxue’s departing figure, shook his head without saying more, and left the square.

Back at the residence, Ye Xuan inquired about Tang Xiaoyan’s recent progress in Cultivation. She was now only a step away from ascending to the level of a Seventh Grade Martial Master. Though Ye Xuan might consider this slow, under normal circumstances, it was quite acceptable.

However, Tang Xiaoyan would soon participate in the Inner Hall Disciple’s assessment, and her Cultivation during this period should not be taken lightly.

"Show me the Martial Arts you’ve been practicing recently; perhaps I could offer some advice."

In the courtyard, Ye Xuan prepared to guide her before the assessment.

"Alright."

Tang Xiaoyan drew her sword from her waist, and began to execute a set of sword techniques, tearing sounds echoed through the space.

For a moment, leaves tumbled on the ground, and dust filled the air.

The technique employed by Tang Xiaoyan was a high-rank Earth-grade Swordsmanship called the Thousand Illusion Sword Skill. It was not easy to master; the essence of it lay in "illusion," which meant variation: striking fast to create illusions, making it difficult for the enemy to predict, and slaying invisibly.

After observing several moves, Ye Xuan’s face revealed a contemplative expression. He didn’t interrupt her, instead watching as Tang Xiaoyan completed the entire set of sword techniques.

After several minutes, the showcase of the Thousand Illusion Sword Skill concluded.

"How was it, Brother Ye?" Tang Xiaoyan asked hopefully.

"You’ve mastered the basics, but there are many flaws." Ye Xuan unreservedly doused her expectations with cold water.

"Oh."

Tang Xiaoyan felt somewhat deflated, having hoped for some praise, only to receive such a low assessment from Ye Xuan.

"The essence of the Thousand Illusion Sword Skill lies in the ’illusion’ — one must not only be fast but also have high demands on sword technique," Ye Xuan stated gravely, "Swordsmanship, unlike Saber Skill, Spear Skill, or Staff Skill, which all have offensive and defensive moves, most sword techniques focus solely on offense rather than defense—thus, never hesitate; your strikes must be fast, fierce, and accurate."

Seeing Ye Xuan’s serious expression, Tang Xiaoyan perked up her ears to listen. She found that what Ye Xuan explained made more sense and was simpler than the teachings of the elders.

"Practicing swordsmanship is simplest through combat. Attack me with all your strength now, and soon you will know where your weaknesses lie."

Ye Xuan took out a wooden sword from the Qiankun Ring, apparently planning to use it as Tang Xiaoyan’s sparring partner.

"All out?"

A hint of hesitation flickered across her pretty face. Seeing that Ye Xuan was only using a wooden sword, Tang Xiaoyan worried as well. Although her sword wasn’t a Divine Weapon, it was an Earth-grade Treasure Sword. Would his wooden sword be slashed apart with one strike?

"Are you afraid you’ll hurt me? Don’t worry, if your sword can even touch my clothes, I’ll practice swordsmanship with you every day," Ye Xuan said with a light smile, noticing Tang Xiaoyan’s concern.

"Really?"

Tang Xiaoyan’s eyes suddenly brightened as her spirit revived, "You said it yourself. You can’t go back on your word later."

"I promise," Ye Xuan said unchangingly.

"Then watch this!"

Tang Xiaoyan didn’t believe she couldn’t even touch Ye Xuan’s clothes. Although her Thousand Illusion Sword Skill was not well-practiced, Ye Xuan was merely using a wooden sword against her. If her sword just disabled Ye Xuan’s, striking him afterward should be a piece of cake.

She stamped her foot and thrust her three-foot steel sword forward, drawing a shocking curve in the air. The sword trembled, and sword flowers suddenly bloomed and spun, blurring the line between reality and illusion.

"Don’t make unnecessary movements."

As the sword flowers enveloped Ye Xuan, his expression remained unchanged. Instead, he offered a word of advice to Tang Xiaoyan before his wooden sword, enveloped in mighty True Qi and tinged with a layer of azure, finally picked its way out.

Clang!

The wooden sword precisely targeted Tang Xiaoyan’s steel sword. A force penetrated invisibly, impacting the blade and almost causing Tang Xiaoyan to lose her grip on her sword instantly.

Retreating a few steps, Tang Xiaoyan looked at Ye Xuan in shock. She had not expected Ye Xuan’s wooden sword to be so accurate. Not only had he completely seen through her sword techniques, but he had also pinpointed her most uncomfortable position. If Ye Xuan exerted a bit more force with that thrust, it would have been over.

Putting away all her underestimations, Tang Xiaoyan’s eyes narrowed, and she thrust her sword again, her body fluttering like a butterfly. She executed the final move of the Thousand Illusion Sword Skill, "Illusion Dance of the World," this time with fewer needless flamboyant movements.

"Much better, but there’s too much opening."

Regardless of how dense the sword light was, in Ye Xuan’s eyes there was always only one. Ye Xuan’s wrist moved again, and with a clean strike, he flicked away Tang Xiaoyan’s Treasure Sword. The tip of his sword touched her body, leaving a faint sword mark with a ’tsss’.

"No more practice, no more! In your eyes, I’m full of flaws."

After two consecutive attempts without even touching a hair on Ye Xuan, Tang Xiaoyan, driven to extreme embarrassment, refused to continue. In front of Ye Xuan, she felt no better than a child just learning swordsmanship, completely unable to touch him.

"Knowing where your flaws lie is the chance to remedy them. If outside you encounter an opponent like me, they could easily kill you without even needing a second move."

Ye Xuan was somewhat helpless, then set down the wooden sword and shook his head as he walked over.

"Who’s as freakishly skilled as you?"

Tang Xiaoyan muttered, but when Ye Xuan approached, she suddenly had an idea and tried to thrust her sword at him unexpectedly.

However, as soon as the sword thrust began, it was clamped between two fingers and halted completely in front of Ye Xuan, unable to move even slightly.

With a little effort from Ye Xuan, the Treasure Sword slipped from Tang Xiaoyan’s hand, tracing a parabolic path through the air before violently stabbing into the ground nearby.

"Alright, stop trying to be sneaky, practice more."

Having been tricked by Ling Qianxue in an underground space last time, he wasn’t about to fall for the same trick again.

"Got it."

Like a deflated ball, Tang Xiaoyan walked over to retrieve her sword and started practicing earnestly, while Ye Xuan, more like a big brother, stood by offering pointers and occasionally scolding. Thus, time quietly passed—five days passed in this process.

During these five days, while Ye Xuan coached Tang Xiaoyan in swordsmanship, he also kept himself occupied. Having recently advanced in the Martial Sect, his Cultivation Technique, including the Nine Heavens Thunder Scripture, was due for enhancement—a critical time for seclusion and intense Cultivation.