It had been several months since Xia Shuying visited the Li estate, and in that quiet passage of time, Li Qingyun turned seven years old. He didn't celebrate it with cakes or feasts—there were no fireworks or formal declarations. But within the quiet courtyard, a subtle transformation had taken place.
The days stretched long and peaceful, filled with the rustle of bamboo leaves, the occasional clang of metal from the training hall, and the scent of incense drifting through quiet corridors.
Within this harmony, Li Qingyun's cultivation had not ceased for even a day.
Since then, his progress in the Cloudveil Flight Method had surged to Major Completion.
[System Interface]
[Host:] Li Qingyun
[Realm:] Qi Gathering Realm – 9th Stage (Peak)
[Physique:] Primal Chaos Vessel Physique
[Slots:]
Slot 1: Voidcleave Sword Manual — Perfect (Transcendent locked — requires 300 points)
Slot 2: Ninefold Essence Sutra — Perfect (Transcendent locked — requires 500 points)
Slot 3: Cloudveil Sword Control Method — Proficient
Slot 4: Unlock Requirements- Advance to Foundation Establishment Realm.
[Techniques:]
Jade Body Tempering Scripture — Transcendent( Unshakable core) .
Ninefold Essence Sutra — Perfect.
Voidcleave Sword Manual — Perfect (Sword Intent: Advancing Edge).
Phantom Step Art — Perfect.
Cloudveil Sword Control Method — Proficient
↳ Cloudveil Flight Method: Major Completion.
[Bound Weapon:] Shadowfang — Spirit Grade
[Weapon Traits:] Adaptive resonance, enhances Sword Intent, evolves with usage
[Energy:] 245 points
________
Sitting cross-legged beneath the ancient plum tree, Li Qingyun's breathing was steady—each inhale drawing in ambient spiritual energy like a tide, each exhale releasing it as mist.
The Ninefold Essence Sutra rotated ceaselessly in his meridians, circulating on its own even as he meditated passively.
'The perfect stage of Ninefold essence sutra is in it's own league comparison to it's previous stages. It's like I've lit a spiritual furnace in my core that burns eternally.'
Where other cultivators had to sit for hours in intense focus just to sense a strand of spiritual qi, Li Qingyun could now gather it while drinking tea, walking, or sleeping.
The vastness of his spiritual energy had grown terrifying.
If the qi of most cultivators in the Qi Gathering Realm was like river water—narrow, flowing in a set path—then Li Qingyun's qi was an ocean. Boundless. Deep. Immeasurable.
'I've reached the peak of the 9th stage.'
He clenched his fist gently, watching the subtle surge of energy beneath his skin—like waves crashing against unseen shores.
______
Floating several feet above the stone path was the Cloudveil Sword. Li Qingyun stood atop it, hands behind his back, balancing without even shifting his weight.
The Cloudveil Flight Method, the foundational piece of his Cloudveil Sword Control Method, had finally reached Major Completion.
With a thought, he glided forward, spiraling gently around the nearby training post. Another flick of intention—and the sword curved into a steep arc, then halted mid-air as if time had paused.
"Seventy percent proficiency gain at Major Completion… It's not just faster. It's reactive, fluid. Like my mind and the blade are one. Major Completion grants true mastery over flight agility. I can now freely change directions midair, accelerate instantly, or even remain suspended without channeling too much spiritual energy."
"Even the wind resistance around me is subtly dispersed. The technique creates a veil-like flow of energy that stabilizes motion, just as the manual described."
Although Li Qingyun had begun with no actual instruction from a teacher, his two-pronged cultivation—one part diligent training, the other part aided by the Self-Cultivating Technique System—had proven formidable. What would take others a year or more, he achieved in a few short months.
"And with just a little more time… I'll reach the Perfection stage."
Gone were the clumsy directional corrections and sudden altitude drops. What remained was pure elegance—motion imbued with grace and precision, like a cloud veiled in sword intent. And though the method had once strained his concentration, now it responded like an extension of his will.
Even more impressive was how seamlessly it combined with his Phantom Step Art. At Perfect Stage, he could vanish and reappear mid-flight, bending both distance and angle to his will.
"Soon, I'll push the Cloudveil Sword Control Method to Minor Completion… and then I'll unlock full sword telekinesis."
He descended from the sky slowly, the sword landing so lightly that a nearby leaf did not stir.
_____
Back in his private courtyard, Li Qingyun sheathed the Cloudveil Sword and sat cross-legged beneath the plum tree. The late afternoon light filtered through the leaves, and in the distance, he could hear the gentle clatter of kitchen pots—his mother likely preparing dinner again despite servants offering to handle it.
His heart was calm, but his mind stirred.
'Soon, I'll leave for the Sky-Reaching Sword Sect.'
'So many things will change. But I've already accepted that the sect won't be some peaceful mountain retreat. It's a crucible—filled with talent, ambition, and hidden currents. If I don't step carefully, I'll either be overlooked or trampled.'
'Still… with the system, my cultivation speed, and my techniques—I can carve out a place for myself.'
'I don't plan to stand in the shadows.'
Even though Li Qingyun was a reincarnator and with a system, a heavenly talent, he still didn't became arrogant because as the saying goes, 'There is always a sky beyond the sky, and people beyond people'.
______
He opened his system interface, and his eyes paused on the Sword Control Technique.
'I thought it would advance faster. But unlike flight methods or offensive sword manuals, true sword control requires intricate mental focus. It's like cultivating both my mind and sword sense at once.'
Still, he could feel the subtle changes—the way his spiritual sense could lightly tug at Shadowfang even without directly commanding it, how his intent could project a faint echo into the blade.
He unsheathed Shadowfang, holding it in his palm.
The obsidian blade pulsed faintly.
He gestured slightly—and the sword floated half a meter above his palm for three seconds before dropping gently.
"Not yet. But one day, I'll be able to call you from across mountains."
____
As the light dimmed, and birds flew toward their nests, Li Qingyun remained beneath the tree, thoughtful.
'When I reach the sect, I must understand the hierarchy. Who holds the true power? Which halls focus on sword intent cultivation? Who teaches advanced sword control and other techniques?'
'And who… will become allies? And who, enemies?'
'I don't know what awaits there… But I do know that strength rules the sect.'
'Many prodigies will come with pride and backers. Some will come with ambition, some with grudges. And then there are people like Xia Shuying—sword-obsessed, and probably lonely too.'
He thought briefly of Xia Shuying.
'She said we'd watch each other's back. That wasn't a lie.'
'If she truly masters her Sword Bone Physique, she may become someone even the elders have to look at twice.'
He stood up, Shadowfang sheathed across his back.
"The Sky-Reaching Sword Sect is just the next step."
A breeze blew past him, scattering fallen petals into the wind. He watched them swirl upward before vanishing into the blue sky above—free and untethered.
Soon, he would soar far beyond that horizon.