This is… could it be a curse?’. 

Xiao Fang remembered reading about it in the Death Reaper Cultivation Method scroll. Although it was the only requirement one needed to cultivate this method, he wasn’t prepared to curse himself considering all the harm it could do. 

Xiao Fang had dreaded about his future prospects for just a moment, but he nearly lost focus because of it. He pushed all thoughts relating to the curse aside and focused wholeheartedly on the battle at hand.

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Naturally, Sword qi was transparent so it could not be seen very easily with the naked eye, but when it was condensed it could become as white as snow. 

However, Xiao Fang’s sword qi was neither white nor transparent, it was grey.

‘What is that?’, Lei XinYi thought to herself.

She could feel that it was his sword qi, but it gave off such an ominous, heart sinking feeling. It was almost as if it were trying to pull her in.

‘There’s no way he can see me in this state…. but why does it feel like something is watching me’, Lei XinYi thought to herself. 

She changed directions taking a step towards Xiao Fang, but in that exact moment Xiao Fang turned his head slightly in her direction. She immediately broke out into cold sweat. 

The reason he was able to detect her was because she broke her concentration the moment she thought about attacking him, revealing her position for just a brief moment.

‘That was close’, she thought.

The feeling of death was too potent. It was unlike anything she’s ever felt before.

‘If this is going to work I’m going to need to keep my cool’, she thought.

Calming her mind she erased the fear that lingered in her heart. 

‘Break’ 

This was a breathing technique most swordsmen learned in the inner court. 

When she opened her eyes again, she had renewed vigor and a firm but determined expression on her face. 

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[ Fear is a hindrance that clouds one’s mind. A cloud in one’s mind creates doubt in one’s heart. Doubt creates hesitation. Hesitation creates opportunities. Opportunities lead to defeat ]

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‘As long as I am the first to draw blood, I will be the victor. Even if I have to suffer for it, I must win, that’s all that matters’, Lei XinYi thought to herself after she saw her master watching her. 

She finally bit her tongue and dashed in towards Xiao Fang. 

Closing her fingers like an arrowhead, she prepared to strike his back from an obscured angle. But the closer she got to him the more her fears resurfaced.

It was too late to go back. Lunging forward with her arm extended, she revealed herself in the last moment to put everything she had into her final attack. However, the moment she revealed herself he immediately unsheathed his sword.

Zziiing~ 

The sound his sword made when he swung it through the air made everyone’s hairs stand on end.

Suddenly, as if her body was acting purely out of instincts, she retracted her arm and dodged his sword acrobatically, landing a few feet away. 

She was sweating profusely. 

At first she couldn’t believe that she didn’t exchange blow for blow, because she thought she’d be faster than him, but after she dodged his attack she was relieved that her swordsman’s instincts kicked in.

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Just as she thought she got away unharmed, she heard the click of Xiao Fang’s sword being sheathed again and then felt a stinging sensation on her arm. 

She was cut.

Her eyes widened with disbelief when she saw it. Although it was a small cut, it was enough to make her bleed. She managed to escape his blade by an inch, but it was as if the sword qi that coated his blade still cut her.

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This was the 3rd stage of the ‘Divine Sword’ technique: 

[ Divine Sword Cutting Air ]

> It can be used to cut through anything, even if it is beyond your reach. 

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Xiao Fang could only extend his sword qi’s reach by a bit more than an inch, but that was all he needed to defeat her.

Lei XinYi was confident that she had dodged his sword so she couldn’t understand how he was able to cut her. But that didn’t matter now, she already lost the fight.

She put her sword away, clasped her fists, then bowed her head slightly. Xiao Fang did the same.

Despite seeming calm on the outside, Xiao Fang was just barely hanging on and could collapse at any moment. 

He was relieved that the battle was over, because he could no longer use his arm; it was in too much pain.

The backlash he received for using the next stage of the ‘Divine Sword’ technique was way too strong, he couldn’t imagine how bad the backlash would’ve been should he had failed it.

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Xiao Fang’s grandmother sighed in relief. On the other hand, the Elder was ecstatic. The battle went perfectly in his eyes.

Lei XinYi’s attack pattern, her foot work, and Xiao Fang’s defense and counter strikes were all the things the Elder had been teaching the disciples and more. 

Despite having their prides on the line they were still able to stick to the lessons the Elder wanted to teach. He couldn’t have asked for more.

Xun Wei always knew Xiao Fang was strong, but to see him fight up close at max strength was enlightening. 

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After the Elder finished analyzing some of the basic techniques used in their fight, he instructed the disciples to start practicing in pairs.

Xun Wei approached Xiao Fang hoping he could be his partner, but Xiao Fang could no longer wield his sword so he kindly declined her request.

“Sorry, Xun Wei. It seems I have pushed myself a bit too far this time. Maybe next time”, he said before making his way back home to rest.

She pouted trying to act cute for a second but she understood his situation so she didn’t take any offense to it. 

Although she was a bit disappointed that Xiao Fang could not stay with her, there were many others that would kill to have a chance to practice with a beauty like her. 

Unfortunately many of the guys that offered to be her partner couldn’t even last a few seconds against her sword. Her beauty was too distracting and her swordsmanship was far ahead of many of the disciples there. 

She was under the direct tutelage of Xiao Fang and he trained her relentlessly everyday for the past few months.

Despite being in the 1st stage of the Body Refinement realm, her Divine Sword cultivation method was only equivalent to someone in the 4th stage of the Body strengthening realm. 

The reason she was making so much progress was not only because she was dual cultivating with Xiao Fang, but also because she was already at the 1st stage of the Body Refinement realm, so she could cultivate much harder and longer than someone at the body strengthening realm.

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While Xiao Fand was rushing home, Lei XinYi rushed over to her master expecting some kind of punishment. 

“I am sorry, Master. I’ve failed you”, Lei XinYi said to Xiao Fang’s grandmother with her head bowed.

“Don’t be silly, child. He is my grandson after all. Pick your head up, there is no shame in your defeat today”. 

Lei XinYi still kept her head down because she didn’t want to start crying out of shame. 

Despite all that her master had done for her, she couldn’t even stand a chance against Xiao Fang. Their battle ended so quickly, and anyone with eyes could tell that the battle was completely one sided. 

Realizing how she must’ve been feeling, Xiao Fang’s grandmother could only sigh.

“How could you have known that he could use the 3rd stage of the ‘Divine Sword’ technique: Divine Sword Cutting Air”, she spoke nonchalantly.

Lei XinYi finally raised her head up, but it was out of disbelief.

Her master could not blame her though, even if she were to tell her son, the Patriarch, about the things that happened today, she doubted that even he would believe her.

‘My son truly did create a monster’, she thought as she shook her head helplessly.