Naked Sword Art

Boom!

Another beast fell—a crimson-scaled 9th-tier wyvern—its wings burning as it crashed into the trees. However, its resilience was monstrous—it rolled onto its feet with a furious shake, then immediately shot into the sky, attempting to flee.

Li Lian's flames blazed hotter as she prepared to chase, but the wyvern was too quick. Suddenly, Xun Wei snatched Li Lian's whip mid-air, twisting her body as if in perfect sync.

Li Lian didn't hesitate. With a powerful flick of her wrist, the whip cracked, launching Xun Wei like a bolt of lightning toward the fleeing wyvern.

Midair, Xun Wei vanished under [ Stealth ], becoming an imperceptible blur.

A second later—

Shhhk!

She reappeared, spinning like a bladed cyclone, tearing through the wyvern's wing in an instant before plunging her blade deep into its neck.

The beast shrieked, its flight crippled, sending it plummeting in a spiraling freefall.

But Xun Wei wasn't done. Pulling her blade out of its neck, a cold streak appeared in her eyes before she executed a Quick Blade technique.

[ Ghost Blade Barrage ]

Her spirit attribute Qi coated her blade, giving it the strength it needed to cut through the wyvern's tough scales;

Dozens of slashes every second. Xun Wei's gaze was cold and calculating, attacking at its vitals again and again till it crashed miserably into the ground.

Boom!

The ground shook from the impact, and Li Lian finally catching up, descended onto it like a shooting malignant star.

[ Divine Judgement ]

This was currently her only [ 1st stage Dragon Perception ] technique, and she only seemed to be getting better at it with every use.

Matriarch Shi Lan watched with a racing heart.

The skill, the synergy, the ferocity, and the fearlessness. This was far beyond anything any girl their ages could do. And for them to be working so well together just took Matriarch Shi's breath away.

She had trained Li Lian personally, so she was deeply familiar with her techniques, so in truth she was more shocked to see Xun Wei fight because she was only learning now that she could use [ Stealth ], an ability that could only be obtained from a purple beast core.

They both fought with a battle sense beyond her years.

Beside her, Quan Luixian was speechless.

"That girl…" Luixian murmured, her breath catching in her throat. "That's impossible. Has she already unlocked the 1st Stage of Dragon Perception?"

Matriarch Shi Lan smirked, a glint of satisfaction flashing in her eyes.

"That would be my disciple," she confirmed. "And yes, she has. Li Lian possesses the [Heavenly Fire] spirit attribute. She's only 19, yet she's already battling 9th-tier beasts head-on. Dare I say, even we wouldn't have stood a chance against her at her age. It won't be long before she surpasses us."

Luixian exhaled slowly, shaking her head.

"To call her a genius would be an understatement." She shifted her gaze to the other figure fighting in perfect sync with Li Lian. "And the girl beside her?"

"That would be the 2nd Spirit Attribute holder. Her name is Xun Wei, and she's currently training under Supreme Elder Yao of the Disciplinary Department."

"And her spirit attribute?" Quan Luixian asked.

"[ Nine Winds of the Azure Dragon ]"

Quan Luixian stiffened.

Her reaction didn't go unnoticed, but Shi Lan assumed it was due to the rarity of the attribute. The [ Nine Winds of the Azure Dragon ] was one of the strongest air-based spirit attributes known to elite cultivators, but what she didn't know was that Quan Luixian originally got it from Xiao Kong, Xiao Fang's grandfather, while she was in the Royal Court (chapter 78).

'It's the same spirit attribute his wife possesses,' Quan Luixian thought as she watched Xun Wei fight.

"Incredible, isn't it," Matriarch Shi said.

"Well, at least we know now why it rejected me," Quan Luixian replied.

Shi Lan understood what she meant. A cultivator couldn't have 2 of the same type of spirit attribute. Since Quan Luixian already possessed an air type spirit attribute, she assumed that was the reason why it rejected her when she attempted to claim it for herself before she gifted it to Matriarch Shi Lan. However, the truth was that the spirit attribute Xiao Kong gave her wasn't the [ Nine Winds of the Azure Dragon ], but the [ True Immortal Lightning Tribulation ].

Meanwhile, as Li Lian and Xun Wei prepared to move on to find another 8th or 9th-tier beast to hunt, a dark blur darted across the battlefield.

Xiao Hei.

Emerging from [ Stealth ], she swiftly extracted the beast core from the fallen wyvern, her movements precise and efficient. She preferred scavenging to fighting, but she never let her guard down, watching her companions intently in case she was needed.

Quan Luixian's gaze flickered toward her.

"Another [ Stealth ] user?" she murmured, surprised.

Only now did she and Matriarch Shi Lan realize—while they had been focused on the battles, Xiao Hei had been moving unseen, collecting beast cores right under their noses.

Feeling a strange prickle at the back of her neck, Xiao Hei stiffened. Someone was watching her. Without hesitation, she quickly signaled Li Lian and Xun Wei.

{"We're being watched."}

The moment Xiao Hei whispered through a spirit transmission, both girls immediately scanned the area.

"There," Xiao Hei pointed subtly.

Following her gaze, they finally spotted the observers.

"Oh, it's the Matriarch," Xun Wei noted, tilting her head slightly. "Looks like she came to check on us."

"Yeah… but who's that next to her?" Li Lian muttered.

"No idea," Xun Wei shrugged. "Let's find out."

Xiao Hei didn't know what was going on, but still decided to tag along.

Quan Luixian had a brief talk with the pair, learning about their backgrounds, their interests, and goals. By the end of it, she was convinced that if they had continued to train well, the future of the Black Paradise sect would be very bright.

Finally, her gaze drifted to the smaller figure hiding slightly behind Xun Wei.

"And who might you be?" Quan Luixian asked, softening her tone.

Xiao Hei blinked her large eyes before responding simply, "I'm Fei Lin."

Quan Luixian chuckled, intrigued by the girl's cautious yet straightforward nature.

"Well then, Fei Lin, you're quite the sneaky one. I hardly noticed you until the end."

Despite her friendly tone, she was more than just amused—she was deeply impressed.

'Neither Li Lian nor Xun Wei sensed my presence, yet the moment I looked at this girl, she noticed.'

That meant her instincts were sharper than even some of the high-ranking cultivators she personally knew.

And then there was her mastery of [ Stealth ]…

For nearly an hour, Xiao Hei had remained hidden—even from her. That level of concealment was far beyond remarkable.

"Fei Lin," Quan Luixian said thoughtfully, "would you like to become my disciple?"

"What," Matriarch exclaimed in shock. It was simply too unexpected.

Xiao Hei tilted her head. "You want to be my master?"

Quan Luixian nodded.

"But I already have a master," Xiao Hei replied, blinking innocently.

"Little Lin, don't you know who this is? She's the Elected Head of the province, does the name Quan Luixian ring any bells?" Matriarch Shi Lan said, hoping Xiao Hei wouldn't pass up on this golden opportunity.

Xiao Hei blinked at her innocently, as if she had no clue what she was saying.

Quan Luixian laughed softly, nodding in understanding. "I should've expected as much. A girl as exceptional as you… your master must be an exceptional person as well."

"Yes, he's very exceptional. He's the most remarkable man in the world," Xiao Hei repeated, copying her phrasing.

"Oh? Your master is a man?" Quan Luixian arched an eyebrow. "Then he must not be from this sect, is he?"

At that moment, Li Lian and Xun Wei stiffened.

Cold sweat ran down their backs.

Xiao Hei, oblivious to their panic, simply continued.

"My master is my father."

There was a brief pause.

Then Quan Luixian let out a lighthearted laugh. "Ah, so that's how it is. Hahaha! A daughter's love for her father is truly an extraordinary thing."

She looked genuinely amused, but beneath the surface, her mind was working fast.

'I'd love to meet your father one day.'

Just as Xiao Hei was about to respond, she suddenly looked around as if searching for something. "Um… I don't know where he is right now, but—"

Before she could finish, Li Lian stepped in front of her, smiling awkwardly, while Xun Wei patted her head.

"Ahhh haha~" Li Lian laughed nervously.

"Elder definitely has a good eye," Xun Wei chimed in hastily. "Her father is definitely a remarkable man. Maybe one day we can all meet for tea."

Xiao Hei blinked at them.

'Why are they acting so weird?' Xiao Hei thought.

She shrugged it off, assuming all the fighting had made them stupid.

Quan Luixian, however, had heard enough. She kept a neutral expression, but inwardly, she was even more curious. Whoever this man was, Li Lian and Xun Wei were deliberately hiding his identity.

That meant he was certainly an important figure.

.

.

.

Later, after leaving the Ancestral Training Ground, Quan Luixian sought out her younger sister—Supreme Elder Quan.

"I need you to look into someone," she said.

Supreme Elder Quan arched an eyebrow. "Who?"

"A girl named Fei Lin."

At the mention of the name, Supreme Elder Quan's expression darkened. She hadn't forgotten what had happened during the Inner Court Exam. But even after telling Quan Luixian about it, it simply made her even more intrigued to find out more about her.

"I assume you have a reason?" Supreme Elder Quan asked coldly.

Quan Luixian smirked. "Let's just say… I have a feeling she's someone we need to know more about."

Her sister remained silent for a moment, then sighed.

"Fine," she relented. "I'll find out what I can."

With that, Quan Luixian turned to leave.

As she walked away, she couldn't help but smile to herself.

'Whoever you are, Fei Lin… I'll be seeing you again soon.'