Zhuo Zhenru's heart, already in turmoil from her mistake, grew even more flustered.
Not daring to look in Zhang Jingyun's direction, she instinctively sped up her sword movements, blindly finished practicing the Twin-Star Sword Technique, and then walked over to her father with a slightly stiff gait. "Father!" she called out nervously and anxiously.
Without noticing anything unusual in his daughter, Zhuo Sheng raised the corners of his mouth slightly and praised, "Zhenru, you performed the Twin-Star Sword Technique brilliantly! Your sword momentum was fierce and your moves agile. In time, you will surely become a master sword cultivator of a generation."
The few elders standing nearby chimed in one after another. "Zhenru has extraordinary talent. She executed the Twin-Star Sword Technique as smoothly as flowing water, balancing hardness and softness. Even compared to you, Clan Head Zhuo, she is hardly inferior."
Another elder added, "Indeed, it is truly a fortune for the Zhuo Family to have such a daughter. With this level of mastery in swordsmanship, she is a standout among the younger generation, and her future potential is boundless."
Zhuo Zhenru had heard such praises countless times since she was a child, and normally they wouldn't have stirred the slightest ripple in her heart.
Yet, having just made a mistake—even if only a minor one—those praises felt like fierce slaps across her face.
Pressing her thumb against the sword hilt again and again to mask her chaotic state of mind, Zhuo Zhenru couldn't help stealing a glance at Zhang Jingyun.
By then, the surrounding crowd had gradually dispersed, and Zhang Jingyun strode directly toward Zhuo Sheng.
His figure was outlined in a sharp silhouette against the sunlight, dressed in black robes as dark as ink, as if he were about to blend into the gloomy shades of heaven and earth. His dark robes fluttered gently in the breeze, yet carried not a trace of gentleness.
Catching sight of Zhang Jingyun, Zhuo Zhenru subconsciously assumed he was coming for her, and her heartbeat quickened involuntarily.
Her very first reaction was to turn away, wanting to flee. She didn't know why she reacted that way; perhaps it was fear of facing others' reproaches, or perhaps shame over her own performance.
To Zhuo Zhenru's utter surprise, however, Zhang Jingyun stopped right in front of Zhuo Sheng, produced a letter, and said calmly, "Clan Head Zhuo, my master has instructed me to deliver a letter to you."
His voice was clear and indifferent, devoid of any emotional fluctuation.
Zhuo Sheng accepted the letter and replied calmly, "Thank you for your trouble!"
Zhang Jingyun gave a slight nod, turned around immediately, and soon vanished from everyone's sight, never speaking a single word to Zhuo Zhenru from start to finish, nor even sparing her a glance.
Zhuo Zhenru was stunned. Given her exceptional strength, formidable family background, and stunning appearance, every young male cultivator she had ever encountered would rack their brains trying to get close to her. Zhang Jingyun was the first one who couldn't care less about her.
Furthermore, Zhuo Zhenru could tell that Zhang Jingyun wasn't putting on an act; he was just as indifferent toward Zhuo Sheng.
Possessing strength, being able to spot her mistake, and yet remaining low-key—Zhuo Zhenru suddenly felt a spark of curiosity toward Zhang Jingyun. Turning to Zhuo Sheng, she asked, "Father, who was that person just now?"
"You mean the one who delivered the letter to me? He is Sect Master Lu's fifth disciple, Zhang Jingyun, I believe."
"Zhang Jingyun!" Zhuo Zhenru softly repeated the name, committing it silently to memory.
***
Zhang Jingyun had been practicing the Ten-Star Annihilation for quite some time, yet he had made no progress whatsoever, as if he had hit a bottleneck.
He had never experienced such a feeling before. In the past, he had easily advanced from Qi Condensation to Foundation Establishment, and with just a little effort in Foundation Establishment, he had reached the Nascent Soul stage.
Zhang Jingyun found himself trapped in an endless dead end, where no matter how hard he tried, it was all in vain.
Although he was fully aware of this, he still couldn't easily extricate himself from it.
In the past, Zhang Jingyun rarely failed. In his understanding, as long as one put in the effort, success was guaranteed.
Yet, in the two years since joining the Tandao Sect, he had run into obstacles everywhere.
He began to gradually understand those people he used to view as the "weak"—it turned out that these people weren't lacking in effort, but rather that even with effort, one might not necessarily become strong.
Empathizing with them, Zhang Jingyun developed a sense of tolerance in his heart. He no longer looked down upon those of lesser strength the way he used to.
Behind the Tandao Sect lay a vast, boundless mountain range. Stretching and undulating like the spine of the earth, the mountain range seemed to have no end. Amidst the mountains, clouds and mists swirled, ancient trees towered, and countless powerful and ferocious demon beasts lurked.
Seeking a breakthrough, Zhang Jingyun resolutely decided to venture into the mountain range to seek out powerful demon beasts for actual combat.
Early in the morning, when the first rays of sunlight bathed the earth, Zhang Jingyun set off on his journey.
Dressed in fitted martial attire and carrying no weapons, he started climbing from the foot of the mountain, carefully searching for suitable demon beasts along the way.
Although the mountains teemed with demon beasts, finding one that was just right was no easy task.
Zhang Jingyun roamed through the mountain forest for an entire day. It wasn't until dusk, when the lingering rays of the setting sun dyed the entire mountain range golden, that he finally spotted a Foundation Establishment Stage demon beast—a Red Jade Fierce Claw Tiger.
The Red Jade Fierce Claw Tiger was lazily curled up in front of a strange plant, seemingly waiting for it to mature.
Zhang Jingyun didn't recognize what the plant was, nor did he have any interest in finding out. He suddenly lashed out with a punch at the Red Jade Fierce Claw Tiger, intentionally letting the force of his blow veer off target simply to attract the beast's attention.
The gust of wind from the punch swept past the top of the Fierce Claw Tiger, kicking up a gale. Instantly awakened, the Fierce Claw Tiger stared with copper-bellied eyes in the direction the punch had come from, and quickly spotted Zhang Jingyun.
The Fierce Claw Tiger let out a deafening roar, then lunged furiously at Zhang Jingyun.
Moving with lightning speed, it closed the distance to Zhang Jingyun in an instant. With a sharp gleam in his eyes, Zhang Jingyun swiftly sidestepped, causing the Red Jade Fierce Claw Tiger to pounce on empty air.
Man and tiger distanced themselves from each other, staring fixedly at one another.
This Fierce Claw Tiger was in the Late Foundation Establishment Stage. Although Zhang Jingyun's cultivation realm was one level higher, the transition from Foundation Establishment to Nascent Soul had not produced a qualitative transformation.
Moreover, Zhang Jingyun was like a mechanic hero in a game, with his base stats leaning toward the lower end; his combat power relied entirely on his consummate sword techniques. Once he gave up his sword skills, his strength was reduced by at least seventy to eighty percent, forcing him to keep his guard up when facing even a single Fierce Claw Tiger.
The Ten-Star Annihilation possessed immense power, but its execution speed was extremely slow and notoriously difficult to land, making it a classic defensive-counterattack cultivation method.
Zhang Jingyun should have continued to standoff with the Fierce Claw Tiger, draining its patience and waiting for it to make the first move.
Yet, having spent so many years as a sword cultivator, Zhang Jingyun had long since formed the habit of delivering a thunderous strike to seize the initiative, making his patience even worse than that of the ferocious Fierce Claw Tiger.
If he kept dragging it out like this, he figured his own mind would unravel first; thus, without waiting any longer, he resolutely threw a punch at the Fierce Claw Tiger.
Just as Zhang Jingyun expected, he was utterly unaccustomed to the extraordinarily heavy and clumsy moves of the Ten-Star Annihilation. Although the punch he threw with all his might contained astonishing power, its straight-line trajectory was far too easy to anticipate.
Flexing its body agilely like an extremely slippery loach, the Fierce Claw Tiger effortlessly dodged the ferocious punch.
Zhang Jingyun's fist smashed heavily into empty air, and the feeling of striking nothingness sent a faint wave of frustration surging through his heart.
Quickly seizing Zhang Jingyun's vulnerability, the Fierce Claw Tiger lunged forward with lightning speed. Before Zhang Jingyun could retract his thunderous punch, the beast struck him squarely in the chest.
An unimaginably massive wave of force surged over him. Struck as if by a heavy blow, he staggered back several steps, a searing, heart-rending pain shooting through his chest as if several ribs had been snapped.
Enduring the excruciating pain, Zhang Jingyun regained his footing and stared fixedly at the Fierce Claw Tiger, bracing himself for its next round of frenzied attacks.