Traveling through time to cultivate immortality: a life and death test

Liu Xing arrived in the courtyard to practice his swordsmanship and spotted Dongfang Qing outside the gate. He opened the door and let her in to watch. Dongfang Qing was deeply in love with him. During Liu Xing's retreat, she would stroll around his gate twice a day, each time staring blankly at the closed gate before leaving in disappointment. Now, seeing Liu Xing emerge from his confinement, she was thrilled. She had a secret to tell her lover and would give him a surprise later.

Liu Xing flicked two fingers on Dongfang Qing's sword, sending it flying. With a nimble twist of his wrist, he grasped the hilt and unleashed the Plum Blossom Sword Movement. His steps flowed like a fluttering butterfly, his swordplay agile as a dragon soaring from the sea. His entire body seemed shrouded in a veil of mist, a dreamlike illusion, like an immortal descending to earth. Dongfang Qing felt a sudden wave of disbelief, convinced that her brother, Liu Xing, was an immortal descending to earth, and that she was unworthy of him.

Liu Xing initially practiced the Plum Blossom Sword Manual, adhering completely to the standard movements. By the time he'd finished the entire set, he was a walking textbook. Then, he completely disrupted the steps, moving faster and slower, as he pleased. Sometimes he soared into the sky, a white rainbow piercing the sun; sometimes he suddenly turned, a move like the prodigal son returning; sometimes he suddenly stopped, a move like the immortal pointing the way; sometimes he opened and closed his movements, a move like the wind sweeping the plum blossoms. The slow movements were like a spring breeze; the swift movements were like lightning and thunder; the light and graceful movements were ethereal; the mysterious movements were as mysterious as a ghost. This scene was deeply imprinted in Dongfang Qing's mind, becoming a model for her later swordsmanship. Even years later, when she broke through her innate level and reached the pinnacle of martial arts, she still felt that Liu Xing's swordsmanship at that time was beyond her reach.

A full hour passed before Liu Xing finally stopped and stood still. He had intentionally guided Dongfang Qing, so he began his sword practice from simple to complex, from slow to fast, from rules to breaking them. As for how much she could grasp, it depended on her talent. Inspired by Liu Xing, Dongfang Qing entered the kind of sudden enlightenment martial artists dream of, a state so profound it's hard to come by. Liu Xing naturally noticed this and quietly passed the sword to Dongfang Qing. She subconsciously took it and unleashed her Misty Rain Sword Technique.

Liu Xing observed closely from the side and noticed that Dongfang Qing had made rapid progress over the past year, her swordsmanship already reaching mastery. It seemed she had been diligently training. The girl's perseverance was impressive, and she was a promising talent. He was well aware of the hardships of martial arts training. His diligence and self-discipline stemmed from his adult soul and the constant threat of survival. Dongfang Qing's efforts were likely largely due to him—the power of love, Liu Xing thought sheepishly.

"Is this internal energy?" Liu Xing suddenly noticed something strange about Dongfang Qing's body. He saw a gray stream of air flowing through her meridians, avoiding blocked acupuncture points, bypassing the Ren and Du meridians, and completing a half-circulation, entering her Dantian. This flow of air grew stronger with her sudden enlightenment. Internal energy couldn't have just appeared today. Liu Xing felt that he had underestimated Dongfang Qing. He had practiced swordsmanship for three years without developing any internal energy, yet this little girl had found her sense of energy in just one year. She must have quite the talent.

The morning passed quickly, and Dongfang Qing finally woke up from her epiphany. She gained a lot this time, which brought her martial arts attainments to a new level. As a result, she became more grateful, dependent and intimate with Liu Xing.

"Congratulations, Miss, your swordsmanship has reached perfection!" Liu Xing joked.

"Brother Liu Xing, stop laughing at me. Are you still calling me Miss? Can you please call me Qing'er too?" Dongfang Qing refused to give in. She hugged Liu Xing's arm tightly and rocked him, pressing her body against his, looking at her beloved lover with a face full of affection and hope. Although Dongfang Qing was only fourteen, she came from a wealthy family, was well-nourished, and had developed exceptionally well. With her entire body hanging on his arm, Liu Xing was a little distracted. Acting like a spoiled child was Dongfang Qing's natural talent, and no one could resist. Liu Xing quickly surrendered and agreed.

"Brother Liu Xing, I have a secret to tell you. Guess it?" Dongfang Qing said mysteriously. Liu Xing knew what secrets she had besides cultivating inner strength. However, Liu Xing would not reveal her secrets outright. Instead, he wanted to tease the little girl. He guessed several times but none of them were correct.

"I've found the sense of Qi and cultivated internal strength! Do you think I'm that powerful?" Dongfang Qing saw that her lover hadn't guessed it right, so she said the answer with great joy.

"Wow, really? Our Qing'er is so amazing and talented." Liu Xing pretended to be surprised and delighted, and praised him generously.

Dongfang Qing was very satisfied and happy to receive the praise from her lover, as if all the hard work and efforts of the past year were not worth mentioning compared with the joy of this moment.

"Give me your inner power secrets, I'll take a look at them for you." Liu Xing said, determined to help Dongfang Qing sort out her meridians and help her reach a higher level. Dongfang Qing took out the inner power secrets of the Misty Rain Sword from her bosom without hesitation and handed it to him. Ever since she found the sense of Qi, she had asked her father for the secrets. The inner power secrets of the martial arts were the secrets of the sect, and the disciples of the sect protected them with their lives. Dongfang Qing loved her brother so much that she could give her feelings, her life, everything she had to him, not to mention a secret secret. Love really makes people lose their minds.

Liu Xing carefully studied the internal gong techniques and quickly mastered their routes. The human body is a vast treasure, with countless meridians and boundless potential. Even with Liu Xing's current knowledge, he could only glimpse the tip of the iceberg. The quality of a technique depends entirely on the number of meridians opened and the efficiency of its routes. The Misty Rain Sword internal gong technique is a top-tier martial arts secret manual. It opens twice as many meridians as ordinary techniques, resulting in deeper and more profound skills. Furthermore, the meridian paths are shorter, making the energy much more efficient, and allowing for faster reaction times in combat.

"I also have a secret to tell you, but you must swear to keep it a secret for me and not tell anyone." Liu Xing suddenly said to Dongfang Qing mysteriously.

"I swear to keep the secret for Brother Liu Xing." Dongfang Qing suddenly became curious.

"Actually, I've also cultivated internal energy, but my technique is so unique that no one can see it. This is my trump card, so you must never tell anyone." Liu Xing decided to give Dongfang Qing a little insight, laying the groundwork for the subsequent cleansing of the tendons and marrow. Dongfang Qing swore again, but inwardly she was incredibly happy. The fact that her lover shared such an important secret with her meant that he cared deeply for her. She was determined to protect this secret with her life, even at death's cost.

"This technique of mine is very powerful. It can help you open up your Ren and Du meridians, allowing you to reach a higher level of internal strength."