Breaking through the illusion of the mortal world

Chapter 39 Sword Shadow and Heart Mark

The sky behind Tianyan Peak has become the most familiar scene to Lu Ming in recent days.

The Wind Spirit Sword, initially unruly and difficult to tame, gradually became compliant, like an extension of its limbs; wherever the mind directed, the sword light would follow.

His swordsmanship became increasingly refined through countless falls.

At first, it could only lift off the ground about a foot, wobbling like a child learning to walk.

Now it can rise to a height of tens of feet, the sword light is stable, and it can perform simple turns and dives.

The whistling mountain wind brushed past his ears, ruffling the stray hairs on his forehead. Beneath his feet were miniature pavilions and towers, and a myriad of scenes shrouded in mist.

This freedom of soaring between heaven and earth should be exhilarating.

However, whenever the sword light sweeps across the sea of ​​clouds, and he faces the boundless sky and magnificent peaks alone, an indescribable feeling quietly creeps into his heart.

This feeling is different from the thousand-year cycle of reincarnation in the trial of the heart, and also different from the anxiety when encountering obstacles in cultivation. It is more concrete and more piercing.

This feeling is called longing.

Its shape resembles Hu Zhen's eyes, which curve like a crescent moon when she smiles.

The girl's smile captivated the boy's heart and made his youthful years even more enchanting.

The sword light drew a long arc in the air, and Lu Ming subconsciously headed southwest.

That's the direction of Baicao Peak.

The image of Hu Zhen uncontrollably appeared in Lu Ming's mind.

The two shared laughter and joy at the school, and Hu Zhen often secretly brought him snacks.

A silhouette of her carefully tending to the spiritual plants in the Qingxin Bamboo Forest after she went to the Taoist Academy.

And there's the way she nervously yet resolutely casts spells in the Misty Forest, and her silhouette softened by the firelight as she listens quietly by the campfire...

Furthermore, the two shared life and death and went through thick and thin together in Yunmengze.

"Buzz—" The Wind Spirit Sword emitted a slight tremor, startling Lu Ming from his chaotic thoughts.

He then realized that he had unknowingly flown to the airspace where Lingxi Valley and Baicao Peak meet.

Further ahead lies the territory of Baicaofeng.

He quickly steadied the sword light, hovering in the air, his mind in turmoil.

Should he go see her? Once the thought arose, it grew wildly, entangling his reason.

He tried to find reasons for himself: the bond between fellow townsmen, the friendship between partners, and the need to visit old friends were all justified.

Qin Feiyu was cultivating diligently at Yanwu Peak, and the three of them had indeed not been together for a long time.

But deep down, he knew clearly that this was not the whole story.

He wanted to see her alone.

He wanted to know if she was doing well in the inner sect, whether she had adapted to life at Baicaofeng, and whether she had... made any new friends.

A subtle mix of cowardice and longing left him in a dilemma.

Going there is risky, I'm afraid of being abrupt, I'm afraid of disturbing others, and I'm even more afraid of seeing certain scenes I don't want to see.

If I don't go, my restless heart has nowhere to rest.

Ultimately, his emotions overcame his concerns. He controlled the Wind Spirit Sword and slowly descended towards the iconic, fragrant aura of Hundred Herbs Peak.

He deliberately avoided crowded places and landed on a secluded hillside planted with calming flowers.

Lu Ming sheathed his flying sword and straightened his robes, which had become slightly disheveled from flying.

He followed the route that Hu Zhen had mentioned in their correspondence, and headed in that direction.

The atmosphere of Baicao Peak is completely different from the tranquility of Tianyan Peak; it is full of vibrant life.

The air was filled with the unique medicinal fragrance of hundreds of kinds of spiritual plants. Taking a deep breath made one feel refreshed and relaxed.

Along the way, one can see many disciples busy in the mountains, either practicing magic or carefully gathering mature herbs.

Lu Ming slowed his pace, his eyes searching for that familiar figure in the crowd.

My heart is racing involuntarily.

Soon, he saw Hu Zhen next to a medicinal garden where some kind of spiritual herb was growing, shimmering with starlight-like blue light.

She was still wearing that familiar red dress, and her figure seemed even more slender than when she was in the outer courtyard. Her profile looked gentle and serene in the sunlight.

She was bending down to examine the leaves of a spiritual herb, her expression focused.

Lu Ming felt a warmth in his heart and was about to step forward and call out to him.

However, the next moment, his steps froze.

A tall, handsome young man was standing next to Hu Zhen, leaning slightly forward, pointing at the spiritual herb, and explaining something in a low voice.

Hu Zhen listened attentively, nodding occasionally, and sometimes looking up at the young man with an admiring smile on her face.

That smile, clean and bright, was exactly what Lu Ming was familiar with.

But at this moment, it felt like a fine needle gently pricking him.

The young senior seemed to have said something witty, and Hu Zhen couldn't help but cover her mouth and chuckle, her eyebrows curving and a faint blush rising on her cheeks.

The sunlight shone on the two of them, creating a harmonious yet... dazzling scene.

They were so close that Lu Ming could clearly see the glint in Hu Zhen's eyes.

But this scene, as seen by Lu Ming, was automatically veiled by a dark filter.

A sense of loss, even a hint of unspeakable inferiority, instantly tightened around his heart, making it almost impossible for him to breathe.

He suddenly felt like an unwanted intruder, barging into a tranquility and beauty that didn't belong to him.

The young senior's composed demeanor, Hu Zhen's natural interaction, and the harmonious atmosphere between them based on shared interests all made Lu Ming feel an invisible distance.

What about myself? Besides that insignificant sense of kinship with someone from the same hometown and five years of companionship at the Foreign Languages ​​Institute, what else do I have?

While cultivation on Tianyan Peak is important, it is ultimately a different path from the main alchemy practice on Baicao Peak.

Could he, like that senior brother, talk to her fluently about the habits and medicinal properties of spiritual herbs?

He instinctively took a step back, hiding himself behind a lush, ancient tree.

The heart that had just been leaping with anticipation in my chest now sank heavily.

He watched her chatting and laughing with that man, and saw the same look in her eyes that he had seen in the academy. A deep sense of loneliness overwhelmed him.

He felt as if he had returned to the trial of self-examination, walking alone in the long river of time, surrounded by noise, yet it had nothing to do with him.

This time, however, loneliness took on a concrete shape and a name—it was a smile that was so close yet no longer belonged to him.

He stood quietly in the shadows of the trees, like a silent stone statue, gazing into the distance.

The small sense of accomplishment I felt while practicing sword control earlier has long since vanished.

The thought of going to say hello vanished completely after witnessing that harmonious scene.

Perhaps, he shouldn't disturb them, he told himself.

Just as he was about to quietly turn around and leave as silently as he had come, Hu Zhen seemed to sense something and her gaze inadvertently swept over the direction where he was hiding.

Her gaze paused for a moment, a hint of doubt in her eyes, before brightening with surprise.

"Lu Ming?"

Her clear voice pierced the tranquility of the herb garden, and like a ray of light, it unexpectedly shone into Lu Ming's tangled inner world, leaving him nowhere to hide.