Chapter 11: The Hidden Blade
Four years pass in an instant.
On the farthest mountain peak of the Heavenly Sword Sect, where clouds roll like waves and silence stretches endlessly, a lone figure stands atop a cliff — still, sword in hand.
He has long black hair that flows like silk in the wind. His body is tall and lean, muscles defined, his presence calm yet dangerous. His face is sharp and handsome, no longer the youth of the past.
He is Liu Guan Yi.
For four years, he never leaves his peak. While other disciples compete, train, and chase fame, Liu Guan Yi stays hidden in silence — cultivating, refining, sharpening his will.
During this time, he breaks through to Rank 4, Initial Stage. His foundation is solid, and his aura cuts like an invisible blade.
He masters the first two forms of the Cutting Edge Sword technique:
Cutting Flash, a slash faster than sight —
Cutting Edge, a precise strike that pierces through defenses.
Every day, he trains. Every night, he meditates. He speaks to no one. No one visits him.
Today, the wind shifts.
A streak of white descends from the sky — elegant and graceful.
Ji Ning, his master, lands beside him. Her robes flutter in the breeze, her gaze calm.
"You've grown stronger," she says, examining him. "Your qi is steady. Sword intent has started to form. You've done well."
Liu Guan Yi bows slightly. "Master."
"I have a task for you," she says. "Tomorrow, the sect is holding a martial arts competition. Core and inner disciples will take part."
"You want me to participate?"
"No," Ji Ning replies. "You will observe. Test them quietly. See if any among them are worth my attention. I'm searching for another personal disciple."
She starts to leave, then adds, "Wear a mask. Let them think you're a guest elder. I want their true selves, not their performance."
Liu Guan Yi nods.
"I understand."
As she disappears into the clouds, Liu Guan Yi stands alone again.
He looks down from the peak, eyes calm and distant.
"It's time to see what the sect has become in these four years."