Chapter Nine: The Plot

Finally, the day of the Observation Moon Platform trial had arrived. I woke up early and practiced my spells several times in the main hall. After breakfast, Yi'er came to discuss the details of the trial with me.

The Observation Moon Platform trial is held approximately every three years to assess the disciples' cultivation and spell proficiency in the Qiongyun Sect. The trial is divided into three categories: swordsmanship, spellcasting, and lightness skills. The participants are paired for the trials, and failure in any one of the three categories results in expulsion from the Qiongyun Sect.

This trial is a significant challenge for most Qiongyun disciples and a crucial moment for me to decide my fate. Therefore, I must give my all today.

When we arrived at the Observation Moon Platform, Elder Lianhua, Elder Haotian, Elder Luo Yi, and Elder Xiuling were already seated, with the Qiongyun Sect leader, Cang Yun, sitting in the center. Besides several martial uncles and the sect leaders from other factions, there was also a burly middle-aged man in Qiongyun attire speaking with Linglu.

I nudged Yi'er with my elbow, signaling her to sneak behind them with me.

I overheard Linglu anxiously reprimanding, "Uncle, didn't I tell you not to come to Qiongyun anymore? I've already broken the sect rules by teaching you Qiongyun's internal energy to strengthen your body. How can you still be unsatisfied and come to the Observation Moon Platform to steal our martial arts?"

The man chuckled dismissively, "Steal? I'm merely taking a look out of respect for Qiongyun. Once your uncle becomes immortal… ha, ten Qiongyuns wouldn't be worth my notice!"

"What…? Uncle Linglu actually did such a thing. Qingyue, we must inform the Sect Leader immediately. We can't let this go on any further," Yi'er whispered urgently beside me, pulling me to report to the Sect Leader.

I quickly covered her mouth and shushed her, then whispered in her ear, "Don't be hasty. We have no evidence right now, and Linglu is one of the judges for the Observation Moon Platform trial. Let's pass the trial first and then plan our next move."

Yi'er nodded in agreement. "You're right. We must handle this carefully, but it's frustrating to let him spy on our sect's skills."

"Don't worry, Yi'er. Our Qiongyun's spells are so profound. We've studied for years and barely scratched the surface. There's no way that uncle can learn anything significant just by watching. Besides…"

Before I could finish, the proctor on the Observation Moon Platform called out Yi'er's name, indicating the start of the first trial. I reassured Yi'er and urged her to go for the trial.

As I pondered which spells to use during the trial, I suddenly felt a chill behind me. My vision was obscured by an ice crystal lotus flower.

Turning around, I saw the Immortal standing behind me with a smile. Our eyes met, and I could even count his eyelashes. His eyelashes were so long and thick that I couldn't help but envy them.

I quickly took a few steps back, feeling my face flush with embarrassment. If I stayed any longer, the redness would surely spread to my ears.

The Immortal chuckled softly and handed me the ice lotus. "This is a special artifact I found for you. It will aid you during the trial on the Observation Moon Platform."

Upon closer inspection, I noticed that the lotus petals were smooth like jade, translucent like glass, with a pale blue core emitting a bright glow. The stalk had small thorns at the front and sharp spikes at the end, with only the middle portion suitable for holding. It was not only a beautiful ice flower but also a deadly weapon.

The Immortal specially found this artifact for me? No wonder he didn't allow me into the study the past few nights; he was preparing this!

Warmth filled my heart as I accepted the ice lotus. "Thank you, Immortal. But will using this in the trial break the rules?"

"During the Observation Moon Platform trial, every disciple is allowed to use their personal artifacts. For the swordsmanship trial, Linglu will provide uniform swords to prevent significant discrepancies in quality. Personal artifacts, however, are unique and not easily standardized, so disciples must prepare their own."

The Immortal paused briefly, then leaned closer and whispered mysteriously, "In fact… you might encounter opponents with artifacts of equal quality, so it won't be too 'unfair.'"

The Immortal clearly knew his artifact was of superior quality, while most disciples could only prepare medium-quality artifacts at best. This would maximize my chances of winning. He's quite cunning!

At that moment, Yi'er finished her trial. I hurried over to ask how it went. She said she barely won the lightness skills trial, but the other two were relatively easy.

As expected, with Yi'er's talent and diligence, she would pass effortlessly. Since she had succeeded, I needed to work even harder.

After resting with Yi'er for a while, I finally heard my name called from the Observation Moon Platform. Taking a deep breath, I walked towards the platform, ready to face the trial.

The first trial was the test of lightness skills. Two participants would step on lotus leaves across the Moon Reflection Pool simultaneously, and the one who reached the finish line first without getting their shoes wet would be the winner.

Qiongyun Sect's lightness skills are renowned for their ethereal elegance. However, the effectiveness of these skills is determined by one's internal energy. Given that most disciples have similar proficiency, winning under equal conditions is challenging.

We both performed our lightness skills simultaneously, initially neck and neck. Suddenly, my opponent flicked a pebble at my ankle. Unable to dodge, I felt a numbing pain in my foot and quickly fell behind.

I then remembered a technique Luo Xi had taught me, the Misty Steps. This technique could temporarily lighten one's body, making movements as elusive as drifting clouds, providing excellent support for lightness skills. I activated it, swiftly catching up and overtaking my opponent to reach the finish line first.

Before the elders could announce the result, my opponent angrily accused me of cheating.

I found it amusing and tilted my head, teasing him, "Cheating? I didn't use a pebble to trip you up. Besides, the Misty Steps are a standard technique among Qiongyun disciples. Your eagerness to win led you to use underhanded tactics. How is that my fault?"

"You… you…" He stammered, unable to refute my words, and reluctantly admitted defeat.

The elders nodded at me, announcing, "In the lightness skills trial, Qingyue wins. The second trial is spellcasting, with Qingyan as your opponent. Each participant may use only one spell, and it must be controlled precisely."

I returned to the platform, facing a green-clad woman whose ten fingers were adorned with sharp green claws emitting a faint blue mist.

Could they be poisoned? It seemed the Immortal's "cheating" artifact wasn't much compared to these.

Determined not to let her touch me, I quickened my movements and conjured the ice lotus. Her attacks were fierce, aiming for my vital points. I barely managed to fend her off using the stem of the ice lotus, while constantly seeking a weak spot in her defense.

Suddenly, she combined her fingers into a curved blade, slashing at me. With no room to dodge mid-air, I formed a hand seal, creating an ice shield to block the attack.

We exchanged blows for dozens of rounds, with her unable to land a hit on me, growing visibly impatient. I, too, was feeling the strain. If I didn't make a decisive move soon, winning would become even more difficult.

She suddenly focused her energy into her fingers, creating a massive green claw that slashed down at me from above. It seemed she intended to force me into a corner and strike when I dodged, leaving me no escape.

In that case, I would play along.

Feigning inability to avoid the attack, I rolled awkwardly on the ground. She immediately pounced, but I pushed off the ground with my heels, flipping upright, and spun my right hand to press the sharp end of the ice lotus against her neck.

Stunned, she stared at the ice lotus in my hand and slowly withdrew her claws from my body. "I admit defeat. Your skills surpass mine."

"Thank you." I retracted the ice lotus, smiling calmly as I bowed to her before preparing for the third trial.

The third trial was swordsmanship. Which technique should I use? The Flowing Cloud Sword Technique was fast but lacked power, while the Cangwu Sword Technique was powerful but slow. Since this trial was about disarming the opponent, steadiness was key.

As the elders announced the start, I approached the platform and drew my sword. As soon as our blades clashed, I felt a scorching pain in my palm, forcing me to release my grip, and my sword flew out of my hand.

I… lost?

Linglu walked up from behind me, feigning surprise. "It seems Qingyue excels in Qiongyun's spells and lightness skills but hasn't devoted much effort to swordsmanship. How can you be so unsteady with your sword?"

With a mocking smile, she added, "I apologize for not realizing this earlier. I should have made the sword lighter for you."

Elder Haotian slapped the table, enraged. "A loss is a loss, and it has nothing to do with the sword. She's clearly a hopeless case. Have her pack up and leave Qiongyun."

"Brother, don't be hasty. Qingyue performed excellently in the first two trials. Perhaps there's another reason for this."

"Don't defend her just because she excels in lightness skills, Miaolian. I taught the swordsmanship, and she clearly disregarded my teachings!" Elder Haotian's anger deepened, veins bulging on his forehead.

"Enough. We'll follow the sect rules. She must leave Qiongyun in three days." With the sect leader's decree, Elder Haotian had no choice but to comply, angrily waving his sleeve.

I stood there, stunned, the burning pain in my palm searing through my thoughts, feeling as if I were in a fiery purgatory.