Chapter Twenty-Six: The Illusory Sect Master

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The day was drawing to a close, yet the stone grotto remained as bright as ever, illuminated by the radiance of various glowing stones. Old Chi wore a dark expression as he watched Chen Qi reduce yet another figure to nothingness, inwardly vowing that the rules for this solitary trial would have to be perfected in the future.

Chen Qi sat cross-legged directly beside the Shadow Stone, as if he were its guardian. A wisp of a fading phantom lingered by his side, not yet fully dissipated. Chen Qi glanced eagerly at the prompt from the "Seedling Realm":

[Shadows remaining in Shadow Stone: 5/10]
[Current reward: Treasure Chest (Purple) x2]

This was the fifth shadow Chen Qi had defeated. By standing guard over the spot where phantoms appeared, and combining his Blood Surge and Focused Burst, he had managed to dispatch three shadows in quick succession.

At last, Old Chi could no longer hold his tongue. "You brat, you’re the most unprincipled martial artist I’ve ever seen!"

Chen Qi paid no heed to Old Chi’s bellowing. Since he dared to act this way, he’d long been prepared for the old man’s disdain. Suddenly remembering something, Chen Qi turned to Old Chi and said, "By the way, I’ve now defeated five shadows. Old Chi, what about the secret technique you promised me?"

Old Chi, who had been in the middle of lecturing Chen Qi, abruptly fell silent, his gaunt face flushing slightly. Chen Qi waited for a while before hearing the old man speak in a voice strained by suppressed anger, "You rascal, I’ll teach you after the trial."

Chen Qi immediately rose to his feet and thanked Old Chi respectfully. "Forgive me, Old Chi. I’m self-taught, and had no choice but to resort to such methods."

Ignoring this, Old Chi suddenly changed the subject. "Do you even know who the current Sect Master of the Cloud Sea Sect is?"

Naturally, Chen Qi did not. Since arriving in this world, he’d had little understanding of its structure or the histories of its sects. Seeing Chen Qi’s puzzled gaze, Old Chi grew even more exasperated and scolded him, "You brat! You’ve joined the Cloud Sea Sect without even knowing who the sect master is!"

Chen Qi could only apologize and try to calm the old man down.

Old Chi let out a long breath, as if expelling a jet of flame, then said, "The next phantom you face will be a copy of Yun Yuxi, the current Sect Master of the Cloud Sea Sect, as she was when she was a servant disciple. Be careful."

"Yun Yuxi." Chen Qi silently repeated the name to himself, noting that it sounded feminine.

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Then, as if recalling something, Old Chi’s face darkened further and he added, "Who would have thought you’d make it to the sixth shadow, you little menace! Fortune truly favors the wicked."

But Chen Qi had no time to respond. He judged that only half a stick of incense remained, and resolved to use his usual tactics again.

He inclined his body slightly, adopting a familiar sword-drawing stance, and adjusted his breathing. Seeing Chen Qi’s practiced—yet shameless—demeanor, Old Chi, watching from the side, let out a cold snort, his inner energy vibrating in the air and making Chen Qi’s eardrums buzz.

The Shadow Stone glowed once more—the next shadow was about to appear.

By now, Chen Qi’s mind was calm. His previous experience allowed him to judge precisely when to strike. Strike too soon, and the blow would be nullified by the shadow; too late, and the element of surprise would be lost.

The shadow gradually began to take shape. Chen Qi waited for the critical moment, just before it fully manifested, and exhaled as he drew his blade.

The long saber, wreathed in a blood-red glow, slashed toward the half-formed shadow. Chen Qi felt a certain satisfaction—none of the previous shadows had managed to avoid taking a loss from this ambush.

He waited for the shadow to defend itself hastily, ready to unleash the familiar Blood Surge and Focused Burst combination. But this shadow took him by surprise—it did not attempt to block his attack. Instead, just as the blade was about to land, it retreated suddenly and without warning.

Swish.

Chen Qi’s saber cleaved empty air, unease creeping into his heart.

He couldn’t believe the shadow could maintain such bizarre footwork, able to dodge repeatedly in such a short time.

Flipping his wrist, Chen Qi struck again, his steps carving a small pit in the ground with each inhalation.

By now, the shadow was fully formed—a tall, slender figure with indistinct features, wielding a long sword. As he’d guessed, it was a woman.

Clang!

With her sword, she blocked Chen Qi’s saber. The two clashed with a resounding impact.

Chen Qi exhaled sharply, pressing forward with saber and sword locked together, but the shadow’s agile movements allowed her to slip free once more.

A trace of satisfaction crossed Chen Qi’s mind—at least in terms of strength, he had the advantage. This fight was far from over.

The shadow’s figure flickered, Chen Qi’s gaze fixed tightly on her sword tip, his saber repeatedly colliding with the blade.

He adjusted his breathing, striving to channel his vital energy into every strike, aiming to numb the shadow’s hands with each impact.

Although Chen Qi’s agility and footwork could not match the shadow’s, he could at least keep his eyes glued to her sword.

Thus unfolded the scene in the brightly lit grotto—a phantom weaving gracefully back and forth, her sword dancing in a thousand patterns, while a young man wielded a saber, relentlessly pursuing the elusive blade.

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Suddenly, the shadow’s swordplay revealed a flaw. Chen Qi’s blade knocked her sword aside, leaving her chest exposed.

Chen Qi’s expression changed slightly, but he did not press the attack—he suspected the shadow was baiting him.

At that moment, he saw the shadow’s left index finger extend, shooting toward his chest.

As the finger sped toward him, Chen Qi sensed something was off, but there was no time for hesitation.

Inwardly, he mused, "Let’s see if your finger is sharper than my saber!"

With a sudden motion, his right hand drew back, angling the blade to meet the incoming finger.

The shadow’s fingertip touched the blade’s edge, and Chen Qi felt a tremendous force surge along the back of the blade, numbing his hand.

Meanwhile, the shadow’s sword hand had abandoned its weapon at some point, and with the same motion, her right hand jabbed toward him.

Chen Qi unleashed his Blood Surge, but instead of aiming at the shadow, he directed the force at the ground!

Using the recoil, he managed to arch his body backward, narrowly avoiding the deadly finger strike.

The woman’s finger missed, transforming instantly into a claw that swept toward his chest.

Unable to evade in mid-backbend, Chen Qi took the blow head-on.

Bang!

A surge of blood and energy churned in his chest as he was sent tumbling to the ground.

Without a moment’s hesitation, Chen Qi rolled across the floor, glimpsing out of the corner of his eye as the shadow’s slender leg stomped down where his head had just been.

Missing her mark, the shadow pressed her advantage with another vicious stomp.

Lying flat, Chen Qi could only raise his saber across his chest in defense, bracing for the impact.

Bang!

The shadow’s foot struck the blade, using the momentum to spring into the air and bring her other foot down with a whistling descent.

Seeing the force of the attack, Chen Qi dared not take it head-on, and rolled aside once more.

The shadow’s eagle-like stomp smashed a deep crater into the ground, sending dust flying and filling Chen Qi’s mouth with grit.

Taking advantage of the brief pause as the shadow withdrew her leg, Chen Qi scrambled to his feet and spat out a mouthful of dust.