Chapter 170 – Flight

  Bai Xuelian sat cross-legged in the quiet solitude of her cultivation chamber, the only sound coming from her breathing as she slowly and steadily guided thin streams of spiritual energy through her Dantian to refine her Foundation.

  She had been labouring for months with unwavering diligence to grind down the stubborn flaws within her newly formed foundation. Whenever she discovered a murky knot of impurity, or an uneven ripple in her Sea of Qi, she patiently carved at it with her spiritual energy to smooth, refine and polish it away.

  Her foundation began to brighten bit by bit, and although it wasn’t flawless and perfect, it was strong and steady. It was the best she could possibly forge with her level of talent and the resources she had gathered.

  Each time she carved a piece away, she would take a pill to restore the lost energy until finally, there was nothing left to do.

  “It’s finally done.”

  Bai Xuelian rose from her cultivation mat, feeling light and almost unfamiliar with her own body after being in seclusion for so long. She pushed open the door to the chamber and exited her Immortal’s cave, before stopping and staring at the changes around her.

  It was the middle of summer, and the warm sunlight shone brightly down on her neglected courtyard. The garden and grass had grown in her absence, and the small pond of fish had a number of leaves and twigs floating on the surface.

  The air smelled strongly of flowers, and she could hear the hum of cicadas despite the protective array still in place.

  “Summer?”

  The realization of how long she had been locked away hit her with a strange disorientation. She had known she would be in her chamber for months, but the reality of entering at the beginning of spring and returning at the height of summer was hard to adjust to.

  Bai Xuelian inhaled deeply as her normally severe and cold expression melted, giving way to a rare, warm smile that lit up her face. Her robes fluttered as she gathered Qi beneath her feet and rose from the ground.

  She waved her hand to dismiss the protective array around her residence before slowly lifting higher. Once she was clear of the trees, she broke into a steady ascent. When she grasped that she was truly flying on her own, a feat only possible to those in the Foundation Establishment Stage, her smile widened.

  Bai Xuelian soared higher and let the wind rush past her cheeks as the world opened beneath her like a great canvas. Joy flickered in her eyes, an unguarded brightness that she rarely showed anyone.

  For the first time since the hot springs in the Ironvein Quarry Sect with Jun De, she allowed herself to enjoy the moment.

  Meanwhile, Jun De was studying the jade slips in his courtyard diligently. Weeks had passed since his visit to the Scripture Hall, and each of his waking moments were spent reading the slips, mediating on the content within, attempting the techniques, failing, and trying again.

  Despite the slow going, he had made some progress, but every inch forward felt like a battle.

  Just as he set one of the slips back down on the table to rub his bleary eyes, a faint tremor brushed against his spiritual sense. It was light and airy, like a feather drifting on the wind.

  He instinctively looked upward to see Bai Xuelian soaring through the sky far above the roofs of the Inner Sect and the rising mist from the Tranquil Mountain. Her usual icy expression that she always wore was gone, replaced with a look of pure joy.

  She was twirling in the air with the clumsy excitement of someone testing her wings for the very first time. Her blue robes fluttered as she tilted into a gentle arc, and a smile lit up her entire face.

  Bai Xuelian looked more alive and carefree than he recalled seeing her. Even when they were alone together in the Ironvein Quarry Sect, she hadn’t acted like this, as though she were free and unburdened.

  Jun De couldn’t help but let a loud burst of laughter escape him. Something in her expression tugged a matching smile out of him as easily as breathing.

  “I suppose Weifeng was right, everyone takes to the skies after reaching Foundation Establishment.”

  Without any hesitation, Jun De stood up from his chair and centred himself mentally. He inhaled deeply and triggered the Qi around him into the Dazzling Stream-Light Step.

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  His figure blurred, then vanished completely. Only a shimmering afterimage of him remained in the courtyard, standing where he had just been before it too faded away.

  Bai Xuelian burst from a cloudbank like a swan cutting through the mist, and vapour curled around her ankles as she drifted forward. Her initial delight at flying had been slowly replaced by awe of the view of the Tranquil Mountain behind her, and the Sect itself spread out before her below.

  She was just turning to take another pass over the Inner Sect when she froze in mid-flight.

  Jun De was standing in the sky in front of her.

  He wasn’t standing on a sword or supported by talismans or a spiritual artifact. He was simply floating, calm and steady, completely at ease in the air as though the clouds themselves welcomed him amongst them.

  Bai Xuelian’s eyes widened, and shock flickered across her face before she could stop it. His cultivation was equal to her own!

  Despite her months of effort, her isolation, the endless refinement, and the gruelling self-discipline, he had somehow arrived at the same realm as her.

  No, not the same as her. He had evidently reached Foundation Establishment ahead of her if she was assessing his cultivation correctly. It was stable and quiet, without the telltale fluctuations that came from a recent breakthrough.

  Jun De greeted her with a warm, bright smile that only deepened her daze. His blue robes hung calmly around him, undisturbed by the wind as he blocked it with a shield of Qi, showing his growing mastery of its use while flying.

  “Senior Sister Bai. Congratulations on reaching Foundation Establishment!” Jun De called out, his tone gentle but filled with obvious happiness and delight for her accomplishment. As usual, Jun De was visibly pleased by the success of those around him, and his attitude made it difficult for Bai Xuelian to even think of being envious or jealous of him in return.

  If she had been walking, she would have stumbled and fallen, with her mouth open. She was at a loss for words.

  “J-Jun De! How did you-? How did you break through before me? I spent months in seclusion, while you were only in the 9th Level of Qi Condensation when I last saw you!” Bai Xuelian resisted the urge to rub her eyes, as though what she was seeing were a mirage or illusion.

  But her spiritual senses couldn’t be deceived, and this truly was Jun De in front of her, and his cultivation was indeed the same as hers!

  Jun De only shrugged lightly in response to her question, while that infuriatingly humble smile tugged at his lips.

  “I just got lucky.”

  Bai Xuelian’s bright, youthful smile faded the moment she truly looked at Jun De. The carefree young woman who drifted amongst the clouds vanished, and was replaced by the familiar, calm and composed Senior Sister Bai that Jun De knew so well.

  Her robes settled as she wrapped a layer of Qi around her to push back the wind, while she crossed her arms and her expression smoothed into something unreadable.

  “Junior Brother Jun, breaking through too quickly may damage your foundation. A rushed cultivation path will only harm your future.” Bai Xuelian said quietly, her cool voice cutting through the wind as she chastised him.

  Her tone was scolding, but there was a level of concern in her voice that she never had for anyone else. She truly cared about Jun De and didn’t want to see him harmed or risk his future in the rush to match her.

  Jun De only laughed in response, while looking utterly relaxed in the sky without a flying sword beneath his feet. His laughter was warm and easy, and Bai Xuelian felt a familiar flutter in her heart at the sound.

  “You don’t need to worry, Senior Sister. I had the full support of Shen Weifeng and Elder Mu Yanyu before attempting my breakthrough. My foundation is stable and strong.” Jun De replied, waving his hand slightly to brush away her concerns.

  His confidence made her eyebrows draw together as she frowned at him, but she quickly returned to her cool expression.

  Before she could say anything, Jun De glanced down at the Inner Sect beneath them. There were a number of Disciples peering up at them, and a faint blush appeared on her cheeks as she realized that they were on full display to their peers below.

  The thought that they had witnessed her flying around like a fool made her blush deepen.

  “Senior Sister Bai, would you care to join me in my courtyard for tea? It seems we may have become a spectacle.”

  In a few moments, they had descended toward Jun De’s courtyard, and she was seated at a small stone table with a cup of tea set in front of her. Jun De’s residence was neat and tidy, with a well-cared-for herb garden and a pond with large fish swimming lazily in circles.

  It was calm and peaceful, exactly the sort of place she would associate Jun De with. It matched him perfectly.

  Bai Xuelian took a breath and looked away in embarrassment as she spoke to Jun De while watching the swimming fish carefully.

  “I’ve been looking forward to seeing you when I left seclusion. I was going to visit you as soon as I paid respects to my Master.” Bai Xuelian admitted, and Jun De smiled.

  “To show off your new cultivation?” Jun De teased, and another rare blush coloured her cheeks. She turned away from the pond to look at him.

  “Perhaps a little.” She admitted, and Jun De let out another laugh.

  “I also wanted to apologize again, Jun De. I told you that cultivation was the single most important thing in my life, and I didn’t want whatever happens between us to harm either of our progress.”

  Bai Xuelain’s eyes lowered for a moment, locking onto the teacup in front of her.

  “But, after spending months in seclusion, I understood that I was being untrue to myself.”

  Jun De’s response was immediate. He smiled and shook his head with a soft laugh.

  “I honestly never expected it would. You’re far too talented to let anything I do stand in your way.”

  For a heartbeat, Bai Xuelian simply looked at him, studying his expression, weighing the affection in his words, and parsing her own feelings for him.

  Then, before she could second-guess herself, she leaned forward and kissed him. It was a gentle, deliberate press of her lips against his, soft as falling snow.

  Jun De's eyes opened wide in surprise as Bai Xuelian drew back slightly. Her cheeks were flushed, and her breath was unsteady as she whispered.

  “I missed you.”