Chapter 49: As If in a Dream

The Divine Weapon Trial’s rest day passed by ordinarily for many of the participants.

It was the same for Meng Yingxing.

Although Xiu Qingcheng had advised him to rest well today, Meng Yingxing, being a self-disciplined person, certainly couldn’t remain idle.

Just like before, Meng Yingxing cultivated, practiced his sword, and soaked in his medicinal bath for body tempering at night.

For the current Meng Yingxing, the pain from body tempering was already very slight.

However, after tempering his body for so long, the increase in his spiritual energy was becoming more and more minuscule, though Meng Yingxing’s spiritual energy had always grown slowly.

That night, before his body tempering, Meng Yingxing exhaled a breath of turbid air and slowly submerged himself in the bath barrel.

“Same as always, I’ll stand guard for you.”

Meng Yingxing turned his head and could see the Ting Tian Sword gently circling beside him.

“Yes, thank you for your trouble, Master.”

He nodded, closed his eyes, and silently recited the incantation, beginning this session of body tempering.

‘My constitution… my past… what exactly are they?’

As Meng Yingxing was clearing his thoughts, he uncontrollably thought of his own past.

Xiu Qingcheng had originally thought this body tempering session would go as smoothly as before, but this time, an accident occurred.

A quarter of an hour after Meng Yingxing began, he suddenly let out a muffled groan of pain.

Xiu Qingcheng was alarmed.
She had been spacing out, but she immediately turned to Meng Yingxing.

Xiu Qingcheng saw Meng Yingxing’s brow furrowed tightly, his teeth clenched, the veins on his body inexplicably bulging, and cold sweat mixing with steam as it dripped down his face—
He looked to be in extreme pain.

“He was fine the last couple of days, so why is he like this again?”

Looking at Meng Yingxing, whose spiritual energy was now running rampant due to improper body tempering, Xiu Qingcheng was momentarily puzzled, but she quickly understood.

Body tempering not only forged the body and spiritual meridians but also tempered one’s will.
When tempering the body, one’s mind had to be free of distractions.

And her disciple, right now, was clearly distracted and had underestimated the process.

“Foolish disciple, what are you thinking about? Your past? Or… last night’s beautiful girl?”

Xiu Qingcheng’s tone was one of helplessness.

If she were still just a sword, she might have been powerless in this situation, but thankfully, she could now control spiritual energy in human form.

Just like last night, she would use her own spiritual energy to soothe Meng Yingxing’s chaotic spiritual energy.

Xiu Qingcheng transformed into her human form, stood before the bath barrel where Meng Yingxing was, and extended one of her hands.

White spiritual energy, under Xiu Qingcheng’s control, surged forth from her hand in a continuous stream, gradually flowing into Meng Yingxing’s body.

“Standing guard, I have to do it. Saving him, I have to do that too!”

Xiu Qingcheng used her own spiritual energy to forcefully suppress the spiritual energy that was rampaging through Meng Yingxing’s spiritual meridians due to his distracted mind.

She guided the spiritual energy within Meng Yingxing’s body, making it circulate through his spiritual meridians again and again along the original body tempering path.

With Xiu Qingcheng’s intervention, Meng Yingxing no longer let out pained groans as he had before.

Only after this perilous body tempering session concluded without any real danger did Xiu Qingcheng feign exhaustion and sit on the floor, transforming back into the Ting Tian Sword and panting heavily.

A short while later, Meng Yingxing slowly opened his eyes.

The first thing he saw was the Ting Tian Sword slapping right at him.

“M-Master!?”

Meng Yingxing quickly tried to shield himself in the bath barrel.

“You brat, trying to up the difficulty on me again, are you? Hmm?”

Xiu Qingcheng slapped Meng Yingxing’s shielding arm repeatedly.

“You must be free of distractions during body tempering. You were distracted just now, and the tempering almost failed.”

“Good thing I was here.”

Xiu Qingcheng stopped after a couple of slaps and floated in mid-air with a huff.

“But it was also my dereliction of duty for not noticing you were distracted.”

“Disciple, what were you thinking about?”

Meng Yingxing dazedly lowered his head and murmured to himself, “I… was distracted?”

Yes, before tempering his body, he had thought of the person who claimed to be his mother, and then he thought of her words.

His once simple existence had become blurred because of it.

All of it was unknown, and the unknown brought confusion.

“I was just… thinking about my past…”

Meng Yingxing said blankly.

Xiu Qingcheng sighed.
She knew it.

Originally, Meng Yingxing had no special background; his parents were dead, and he was taken in by the Tianfeng Sect.

Then, suddenly, his mother made a final appearance, telling him that his past was special and that he should seek his own truth.

Anyone hearing such words would be confused; it was a hurdle that would be difficult for anyone to easily overcome.

Not to mention a young man with as little experience as Meng Yingxing; it was understandable that he would overthink it.

“Don’t think so much.”

Xiu Qingcheng comforted Meng Yingxing.

“Things will work themselves out. Besides, didn’t we already agree? I will accompany you to find your past.”

“Hmm? Isn’t that right?”

Xiu Qingcheng’s voice rose at the end, sounding particularly alluring and attractive.

Meng Yingxing looked at Xiu Qingcheng.

His somewhat chaotic mind also quieted down because of her words.

With his master accompanying him, there was nothing to be confused about, and the unknown road ahead was not something to be feared.

“Master is absolutely right. It is my own state of mind that is not yet mature enough.”

“It’s good that you can see it that way.”

Xiu Qingcheng huffed again, swayed, and moved to the side, instructing Meng Yingxing as she went.

“I transferred some of my spiritual energy into your body just now. You should try to comprehend and absorb it yourself. It will be good for you.”

‘Master’s spiritual energy… inside my body?’

Meng Yingxing looked at his water-stained hands.
He could indeed feel another gentle stream of spiritual energy lingering in his spiritual meridians.

An indescribable emotion rippled through Meng Yingxing’s heart.

In the following days, the Divine Weapon Trial continued.

With his victory over Mò Kǎimíng under his belt, no one dared to look down on Meng Yingxing anymore.

Some who lacked confidence in themselves, when facing Meng Yingxing, fought like spineless weaklings and were easily defeated under his sword.

And for some reason, Meng Yingxing and Xiu Qingcheng noticed that ever since he had defeated Mò Kǎimíng, the acting Sect Master, He Yundan, would be present to watch every one of his matches.

“Does he think you cheated and used some improper means?”

Xiu Qingcheng whispered to Meng Yingxing.

“Perhaps.”

Meng Yingxing was also clueless.

In any case, with his sudden, unstoppable momentum, Meng Yingxing passed through round after round.

Not only did he achieve the goal Xiu Qingcheng had set for him of reaching the top sixteen of the Divine Weapon Trial, but he had also, quite unexpectedly, reached the semi-finals.

And this semi-final match, with Xiu Qingcheng’s help, Meng Yingxing also won with some difficulty.

“Divine Weapon Trial, semi-final round! The winner is Meng Yingxing!”

The sect deacon announced Meng Yingxing’s victory.

After entering the top eight, the entire sect was allowed to watch the Divine Weapon Trial, so everyone in the sect witnessed the moment Meng Yingxing won the semi-finals.

At this moment, watching Meng Yingxing’s victory, no one in the entire sect made a sound.

The good-for-nothing they had always deliberately ignored or looked down upon had actually won the semi-finals of the Divine Weapon Trial.

So absurd, so unreal.

“It really is thirty years east of the river, thirty years west of the river now, little disciple.”

Xiu Qingcheng looked at the silent crowd below the competition stage and sighed with emotion on Meng Yingxing’s behalf.

“…Yes.”

Having reached a height he had never imagined, Meng Yingxing’s heart was surprisingly calm.

As if in a dream.