Not long after, she arrived at the location. Looking around the shores of Qianxuan Lake, surrounded by mountains and blooming flowers, it formed the shape of a glazed disk and was indeed an excellent place for cultivation.
Shortly after, the six of them followed the commands of their mysterious new master, Chen Liushang, and arrived one after another at Qianxuan Lake in the Xiuxian Continent.
Fendai linked arms with Zheyue and walked at the very front. Complaining the whole way about being tired, she had never walked such a long distance before and wondered what this new master could possibly want, bringing them to such a secluded place.
She said with some dissatisfaction, "Senior Sister, what on earth is that woman trying to do? Whenever we went out before, we always rode in carriages. I'm so exhausted." She complained as she patted her calves.
Zheyue glanced back shyly at Moran behind them and replied, "It's good to go out for a walk every now and then. Think of it as an outing to clear your mind."
At that moment, she felt a flutter of shyness. Her heart was filled entirely with the figure of Moran, and naturally, she felt overjoyed at the prospect of seeing him again.
Meanwhile, Ming Fan and Xuanjing followed closely behind Moran, endlessly toying with their ritual swords.
"Junior Brother, I will be sparring with you in swordsmanship today. You must not hold back."
Ming Xuan seemed somewhat distracted. His gaze kept wandering toward Chen Liushang, who was sipping fine wine in the pavilion at the center of the lake. In his heart lingered a mix of apprehension and curiosity; for some reason, this woman possessed an inexplicable magnetism that drew his eyes and made it impossible to look away.
He glanced at Xuanjing and replied perfunctorily, "Senior Brother, I won't hold back against you from now on."
"Mm-hmm."
Seeing from afar that Chen Liushang was drinking and growing increasingly worried, Biluo hurried over to her side.
"Good wine, truly good wine." Chen Liushang continued to take small sips.
Noticing Chen Liushang repeatedly pouring wine into her delicate hand, Biluo strode up, snatched the wine bottle directly from her grip, and said without a trace of mercy, "Milady, please drink less."
Chen Liushang paused her small hand, turned to look at the worried expression on Biluo's face, and replied lazily, full of alcohol-induced haze, "Hm? It's fine, it's fine!"
As she gazed at the moonlight and drank to drown her sorrows, she waved her hand dismissively behind her to brush it off.
Looking at this lazy aura and the unmistakable drunkenness, Biluo wore a helpless expression.
*It seems I will need to prepare more sober tea,* she thought to herself.
Slowly, Ming Fan and the others converged upon the pavilion at the center of the lake, standing face-to-face with Chen Liushang. Chen Liushang immediately put down her wine bottle and said, "Today, you will practice right here upon the lake. I have already set up the barrier so that you can learn some immortal cultivation techniques within it to protect yourselves."
Everyone felt a trace of doubt, unsure of her intentions.
Chen Liushang continued slowly, "This place is sparsely populated and vast, making it ideal for you to practice swordsmanship."
Upon hearing this, Xuanjing, Ming Xuan, and Moran all grew interested. Looking around, they agreed the space was indeed expansive enough that they could unleash their swordsmanship freely without endangering any innocents.
Shortly after, Moran and Ming Xuan began their trial upon the surface of the lake.
Finding it thoroughly entertaining, Chen Liushang kept drinking while watching from afar.
Fendai, off to the side, was decidedly unhappy. She said to Zheyue, "Senior Sister, why should they get to sit while we have to stand?" She pointed resentfully at Biluo and Chen Liushang sitting nearby.
Zheyue had no mind to pay attention at that moment; her gaze remained fixed entirely upon Moran, and she stood in silence with a blushing face.
"Hmph!"
Seeing Zheyue acting so infatuated and staring fixedly at the two leisurely figures, Fendai could only swallow her dissatisfaction down into her chest. Out of the corner of her eye, she swept a glance toward the senior brothers who were floating over the lake, preparing to spar.
"Swish, swish, swish!" The two traded blows for a while.
Amidst flashing blades and flying sword shadows, a thousand ripples stirred across Qianxuan Lake. A sweep of Ming Xuan's blade shaved off a thin thread of black silk from Moran's gorgeous dark robes. Moran's expression remained unchanged, his gaze icy and calm as he said, "Junior Brother, I am going to use my full strength now."
With that, a flash of resolute determination crossed his eyes. Splashes of water erupted across the surface of Qianxuan Lake, and the white robes of the spectating Senior Brother Xuanjing fluttered in the chaos. The five-colored flowers blooming on the mountains surrounding the lake were sent drifting into the air by the force of the golden sword Qi.
"Junior brothers, take it easy! Don't hurt any innocent bystanders."
Xuanjing's icy, sword-like brows furrowed as he pulled his white robes tighter around himself, a helpless expression on his face as he spoke to the two. Floating directly above them, he could hardly escape the splash zone. Though displeased, he let them continue their duel and drifted a few steps higher into the air.
"Senior Brother has fine swordsmanship!"
Ming Xuan parried the blow with great effort; had it not been for a flashy dodge, he surely would have suffered severe injuries. His fierce gaze unyielding, a smile played at the corner of his mouth. Catching a glimpse of Chen Liushang and Biluo in the pavilion out of the corner of his eye, he swung his tall body to the right, spun, and slashed his sword in counterattack. His swirling black robes whipped about like countless feathered arrows, and a powerful wave of golden sword Qi scattered in their wake, instantly agitating thousands of glassy, brilliant ripples upon the lake.
Moran, dressed in his magnificent black robes, stood on the left side not far from the Qianxuan Pavilion where Chen Liushang rested, intending to spar in swordsmanship with Ming Xuan and Senior Brother Xuanjing over the lake surface, completely oblivious to Zheyue's centuries-old romantic feelings.
"Good wine, good wine, haha."
Intoxicated and reposing within the Qianxuan Pavilion, Chen Liushang watched with keen interest while setting up trial barriers across the lake. Even as the five of them harbored their own distinct thoughts, she had long since begun casting spells to arrange the trial array.
Maintaining an expressionless face, she greedily downed sips of wine. Spiritual light of glazed brilliance illuminated the lake surface, forming three separate barrier chambers upon the sparkling water. The surroundings of the central pavilion began to overflow with glazed radiance.
"Time's up!" At that very moment.
Following up immediately with the final array she had prepared, a faint smile graced her delicate, glazed-bright face. With a casual flick of her sleeve, only six lingering afterimages of the group remained upon Qianxuan Lake.
"Ah."
"Senior Sister..."
"Junior Brother..."
Without warning, all six were swept by her casual spell directly into the trial array within the lake.
Half-intoxicated, Chen Liushang waved her hand lazily, causing the lake to form a massive, net-like barrier of glazed light. Without her releasing the exit of the barrier, these fine disciples had no way out. Leaving the six of them to undergo their trial, she laughed heartily with flushed cheeks, closed her glazed eyes halfway, and drifted off into a peaceful sleep slumped inside the pavilion.
"Good wine, good wine."
"Suit yourselves, haha, suit yourselves."
With that, she drifted off into sweet dreams.
"Why is it you!"
Fendai jerked upright in agitation, brushed down the hem of her pink-tinted skirt, and rebuked Biluo with a look of utter disgust as she lay on the glazed ground nearby.
"Junior Sister."
Biluo slowly picked herself up. As usual, she greeted Fendai with utmost respect, maintaining her composed demeanor without a single change in her features.
Gathering up her skirt, Fendai scanned the surrounding environment and complained loudly, "What a crappy place is this!"
"This... I fear this is a trial arranged by Milady."
Biluo's expression remained unchanged as she calmly analyzed the surroundings.
Suddenly, a look of resolute determination flashed in her eyes and she spoke urgently, "Junior Sister, there is no need to panic. Milady would not harm us."
Mid-sentence, she summoned her own jade-green ritual sword. Her gaze grew cold, her right hand tightened slightly around the hilt, and she offered words of comfort to the disgruntled Fendai beside her.
Fendai wore a look of complete reluctance, her lips pursed in a pout. Looking at the enclosed environment around her, she ran out of options and could only listen to Biluo's half-believed explanation.
"Hmph, how are we supposed to get out now?" she scolded her senior sister weakly.
Without changing expression, Biluo used her sword to inspect the glazed ground. Sure enough, prominent patterns were engraved upon the surface.
"Just how long is she going to lock us in here!"
Fendai said with intense dissatisfaction. Looking at Biluo—who, despite being her senior sister, held a lowly status—she felt an overwhelming aversion to sharing a room with her.
"Junior Sister, come look. Milady has left us a clue."
Fendai pouted, though a hint of joy flickered in her heart. Twirling a stray lock of her hair, she glanced at the ground out of the corner of her pink-tinted eye and said with a disgruntled look, "Who knows if she's trying to harm us."
By this point, Biluo was growing somewhat impatient. She spoke to Fendai with absolute conviction, "If you don't want to get out, you can throw your little tantrums here forever. I believe Milady means us no harm."
Hearing Biluo utter such an unbelievable statement, a look of utter shock appeared on Fendai's pink face. *She actually trusts this mysterious, drunken woman this much?* Fendai muttered under her breath, probing cautiously, "I'll trust you just this once, hmph."