Dragon Tamer

 

The witch Ye Youying did not respond but continued wiping her face.

As she washed away the charcoal that she had smeared on herself, her bright and lustrous skin revealed a hint of rosy healthiness. It must be said that the witch indeed had an attractive appearance, and if one must say so, she had the qualifications to be a chief maid.

Zhu Minglang also freshened up, straightening his clothes and hat.

Sure enough, early in the morning Ming Xiu and Lín Zhong came knocking at the door, bringing breakfast and ready to take the two on a tour.

“Did you two sleep well last night…” Lín Zhong glanced at the witch Ye Youying and couldn’t help but stare, seemingly at a loss as to where this stunningly beautiful woman had come from.

Was it because it was too dark last night, or because the dust on her face had been washed away, that she had become so charming and alluring? No wonder this young master wanted to elope with his maid!

“Sorry, I almost didn’t recognize you,” Lín Zhong explained awkwardly.

“It’s rare to be able to enter the White Robe Sword Sect. I’ve heard that the swordsmanship here is graceful, the sword strikes as gentle as ripples, yet the power is no less than that of crashing waves. It would be good to learn from you,” Zhu Minglang said.

“Oh no, the Yaoshan Sword Sect’s swordsmanship is truly exceptional. However, if Brother Zhu wishes to observe, we can certainly arrange that,” said Lín Zhong.

Zhu Minglang was indeed eager to learn.

Whether it was the Fighting Sword Faction, the Flying Sword Sect, or any other swordsmanship factions, there were points where everything could be integrated. Each Sword Awakening required the consumption of a huge amount of energy, and this energy could only be replenished by some special metal vessels. Zhu Minglang had to grasp some unique Art of the Flying Sword techniques so that the Sword Spirit Dragon could display even more powerful abilities.

This White Robe Sword Sect had a profound heritage, and the Elder Sword Sovereign had mentioned this Sect Forest many times.

When they arrived at their Sword Mastery clearing, Zhu Minglang saw people facing a long gorge, practicing their swordsmanship, precisely the Art of the Flying Sword. Everyone was controlling their swords with their fingertips, and the more adept were doing so purely with their will.

Zhu Minglang watched them control their Flying Swords, heading toward the valley that sloped toward a lakeside mountain. The swords followed a specific path, flying further and further, and were all in unison. From the clearing, looking in the distance, they resembled a silver ribbon gliding across Long Valley Lake.

“Brother Zhu is also from the Flying Sword Sect, right? Do you want to give it a try?” asked the Swordswoman Ming Xiu.

“What sort of trial are we talking about?” Zhu Minglang inquired.

“Look closely at this Long Valley. On both sides of the valley, there are wooden stakes placed all the way from our position to that mountain lake. In total, there are eighty-six wooden stakes in the valley. Our White Robe Sword Sect’s Flying Sword Swordsmen take this as a test, which is to control one’s Flying Sword through this Long Valley to reach the lake, and to hit as many wooden stakes as possible,” Ming Xiu said, smiling.

Zhu Minglang stood on the clearing, gazing into the distance. The Long Valley was stretched out, and he could clearly see the red wooden stakes among the trees in the nearby valley. However, as the stakes were further away, they became as small as leeks, and near the mountain lake, it was almost impossible to see those human-shaped wooden stakes…

“If we can’t even see them, how can we hit them?” asked the witch Ye Youying, sounding somewhat puzzled.

“Of course, it’s not expected to hit all eighty-six stakes; it’s just our way of pursuing perfection to continually break through our limits. Moreover, the Flying Sword Technique emphasizes speed; every time you reach the lake, the time should not exceed half a moment of this water-drop pot,” Ming Xiu explained, pointing to a stone platform nearby.

On the stone platform sat an ancient water-clock, a timekeeping device with precise scales.

“This is a relatively difficult Flying Sword test. We usually only require disciples to control the Flying Sword and reach the mountain lake within one significant increment of the water-clock’s time.”

“After that, we ask the disciples to hit as many of those wooden stakes as they can within the same increment of time.”

“Next to the stone platform, there’s a Name Recording Pillar, where we record the best results and rank them…”

“Brother Zhu, would you like to give it a try?”

Lín Zhong and Ming Xiu seemed eager to witness the strength of a Yaoshan Sword Sect swordsman, extending a hearty invitation.

The other disciples practicing swordsmanship, hearing that Zhu Minglang was from the Yaoshan Sword Sect, also stopped their practices and formed a circle to watch.

Zhu Minglang looked up at the record pillar and asked, “Is the highest record up there Brother Lín Zhong’s?”

Lín Zhong smiled without answering.

“It’s a good practice method, but it should be no great challenge for me, right, Xiǎo Tán Huā?” Zhu Minglang raised an eyebrow teasingly at the witch from the devil sect, Ye Youying.

Ye Youying revealed a very perfunctory smile, one that was displayed only on her face, without a hint of flattery in her heart.

“Brother Zhu, don’t underestimate the Long Valley practice. After all, the farther the Flying Sword is from its controller, the more difficult it is to be precise,” Lín Zhong reminded him.

“The stakes under our feet, and the ones not far away, are indeed not hard to hit, but once you reach the middle or even the latter half of Long Valley, it’s quite common for the Flying Sword to fall out of control,” Ming Xiu said with a slight air of pride and a look of anticipation for the outcome.

“Then please time me,” Zhu Minglang responded as he approached the extending sword practice stage.

The Sword Spirit Dragon followed right behind Zhu Minglang. Although there was no sword bag to be seen, it looked as if it was carrying one, and it maintained a constant distance from Zhu Minglang as he moved.

With a gesture to the sky, the Sword Spirit Dragon unsheathed itself, leaping to a high point in an instant, emitting a faint crimson glow that wasn’t blinding but gave off a sharp, cold sensation.

At that moment, Ye Youying’s gaze was also fixed on Zhu Minglang.

Ye Youying was naturally curious about the true strength of this man from the Yaoshan Sword Sect.

The posture he took in unsheathing the sword was stylish and elegant, his movements very adept…

When the disciples from the White Robe Sword Sect saw Zhu Minglang’s move, they couldn’t help but let out several exclamations of admiration.

Not all swordsmen could master such a cool sword-drawing technique!

“This Brother Zhu must be very strong, I could feel it last night,” Lín Zhong said in a very expectant tone, whispering to Ming Xiu by his side.

“Fancy moves are easy with enough practice, but whether he can complete the Long Valley Lake challenge is a different story,” Ming Xiu said.

…

Zhu Minglang stood on the edge of the mountain stage, striking many elegant Sword Control poses, his eyebrows sharp as stars, his will merging with the sword, his fingertips acting as a rudder, perfectly commanding the Sword Spirit Dragon to leap across Long Valley!

Of course, that was just the façade of a Flying Sword Swordsmaster.

The real him was not focused at all, still thinking about how tasty the noodle soup was that morning, and then he casually commanded the Sword Spirit Dragon, “Mo Ye, give a jab to each of the stakes along the way as you fly over.”

As for those seemingly suave and handsome Sword Control moves, they were all improvised!

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