Chapter 75: She Must Conquer the Heavens!
However, Celestial Lady Qing Luan paid no heed to her protests.
“Celestial Lord Chang Li has passed down his most treasured technique to you, yet you claim to have no ties with him? Hah.”
That petty mutt, Chang Li, was never one to be so generous.
Moreover, there were certain expressions on Shen Sang Ruo’s face that bore an uncanny resemblance to that wretched man. Just looking at her made Qing Luan’s teeth itch with irritation. Whether or not they were master and disciple, their bond was undoubtedly deep.
“Spare me your honeyed words. If you must blame someone, blame that conniving mutt for leading you down this path.”
Shen Sang Ruo was briefly taken aback. So Celestial Lord Chang Li was an old offender, huh?
Celestial Lady Qing Luan once more donned that sinister, wicked smile. Her lips curled upward, but her eyes carried no mirth.
“Heh, come now. Let’s do this again.”
Before Shen Sang Ruo could react, she was once more hauled into the sky. Qing Luan’s slender, elegant fingers released their grip, and down she plummeted again.
This time, at least, Qing Luan hadn’t devised a fresh torment for her. Having endured it once already, Shen Sang Ruo was somewhat prepared.
What was another few frantic flaps? She might as well consider this a firsthand experience of Azure Luan training.
Just as she prepared to repeat her previous countermeasures, she noticed something—
The wind field had weakened significantly from before.
“Did you think I’d let you get away with such an easy trick twice? Enjoy your fall.” Qing Luan sneered, her voice dripping with mockery.
Originally, she had intended to savor the sight of Shen Sang Ruo’s miserable struggle. But as she observed her flailing arms fighting against the diminished wind force, she fell silent once more.
Was this truly torture?
With an impassive glance, she turned her eyes away. Better not to look.
Shen Sang Ruo felt the change instantly. The reduced wind force meant more effort was required to slow her descent. Gritting her teeth, she summoned every last shred of spiritual power she could muster, channeling it all into her arms.
The reckless burning of her energy caused her dantian to feel as though it were set ablaze, yet she dared not stop. She had to absorb the spiritual energy in the air greedily, pushing her meridians to their limit, until they too felt scorched from within.
Her technique naturally shifted from the Wind Blaze Art to the more advanced Sunset Glazed Flame Art.
“Boom!”
Another thunderous crash resounded, louder than the last.
Shen Sang Ruo staggered out of the newly formed crater, her body trembling slightly but still managing to remain upright.
She retrieved a Spirit Replenishing Pill from her Universe Bag and swallowed it. The burning sensation in her meridians and dantian eased slightly as fresh spiritual energy surged through her body.
“Finished resting? Good. Continue.”
Qing Luan appeared behind her once more. Though a flicker of surprise flashed through her phoenix eyes, her voice remained as cold as ever.
Shen Sang Ruo, however, said nothing further. She allowed Qing Luan to carry her into the sky again and throw her down once more.
This time, her breath came in quick pants. The expression on her face shifted subtly, her gaze toward the boundless sky hardening with determination.
Something within her had ignited.
Qing Luan arched a brow, a glimmer of appreciation in her eyes.
Oh? She had finally started to see the true path.
With a casual flick of her hand, Qing Luan further weakened the wind’s force.
Yet rather than despair, Shen Sang Ruo fought with even greater recklessness. She drove her Sunset Glazed Flame Art to the extreme, using every ounce of her power to resist her descent.
She struggled fiercely, barely managing to find equilibrium.
Just when she thought she had steadied herself, a sharp gust of azure feathered spiritual energy lashed against her arm.
“I can’t watch this anymore. Your flailing is an absolute eyesore, girl.”
Pain shot through her limb, breaking her rhythm for but a moment—
And in that fleeting moment, the delicate balance was lost.
Her body plummeted at an alarming speed, the wind roaring past her ears.
Shen Sang Ruo felt an ominous premonition rise in her heart. Gritting her teeth, she channeled every last drop of spiritual power from her dantian, her face flushing crimson with the strain. Her lower lip had already been bitten raw, a line of blood blooming against its pale surface.
Yet Celestial Lady Qing Luan seemed intent on making things difficult for her. Feathers as blue as the boundless sky darted toward her arms, striking just as she was about to regain balance, shattering all her efforts. Only when she was moments from crashing into the ground did Qing Luan finally stay her hand, forcing Shen Sang Ruo to make the last desperate adjustments herself before colliding with the earth.
From within the newly formed crater, Shen Sang Ruo, now utterly drained, found a fallen branch and used it to steady herself as she struggled to her feet. She trembled uncontrollably, the last vestiges of strength slipping away from her limbs.
She swallowed two Spirit-Replenishing Pills, yet before she could even catch her breath, Qing Luan materialized behind her once more.
Anticipating this, Shen Sang Ruo spoke before her mentor could: “Again!”
A flicker of surprise crossed Qing Luan’s face before her lips curled into an amused smile. This was a request she had not heard before. With a sweep of her wide sleeve, the sky around them shifted, and they now stood even higher among the clouds.
This time, Qing Luan did not need to act. Without hesitation, Shen Sang Ruo threw herself into the abyss.
The height increased, the wind weakened, and Qing Luan’s relentless feathers continued their pursuit. This was the most grueling trial yet.
Summoning her hard-earned comprehension of the Sunset Glazed Flame Art, she pushed the wind manipulation techniques within it to their limits. At the same time, she began to realize something—Qing Luan’s attacks were not merely assaults but corrections, refining the way she flared her arms.
Through the onslaught, she discerned a subtle pattern, noticing the brief moments of pause when Qing Luan withdrew. Adjusting her movements accordingly, she slowly aligned herself with the ideal posture.
It became marginally easier—at least, her limbs no longer flailed so helplessly. Yet, because she was unskilled in execution, her controlled efforts bore less effect than her previous wild floundering.
Her dantian and meridians burned like molten iron, and her very skin flushed a fevered red.
Indeed, a maiden’s blush outshines even the most poetic of confessions.
The ground rushed toward her, and she, a burning comet, braced herself for the final clash.
Just a little more! Just a little more!
“Boom!”
A massive crater swallowed all previous ones, its dust cloud rising into the heavens.
Celestial Lady Qing Luan stood at the edge, gazing down at the swirling debris. This time, Shen Sang Ruo did not immediately emerge.
Her brows furrowed.
In that moment of distraction, something weakly grasped at her foot.
Lowering her gaze, she found Shen Sang Ruo clawing her way out of the pit. She had lost even the strength to stand, yet her eyes shone with a light that burned fiercer than ever.
Qing Luan’s frown deepened. “If you stop now, there is still time.”
“Again!”
From that exhausted voice, Qing Luan detected an unmistakable hint of exhilaration.
“Very well. Do not regret this,” Qing Luan said, lips curling, her tone carrying newfound recognition.
But these trials were merely appetizers. If Shen Sang Ruo wished to earn her true approval, she would have to endure far more.
Yet Shen Sang Ruo’s fighting spirit had already ignited into an unquenchable blaze. Her excitement surged, drowning out the pain of her battered body.
Just a little more, and she would have succeeded.
She was gradually grasping the essence of it, feeling an even deeper connection with the Sunset Glazed Flame Art. With each fall, her control grew sharper, her understanding keener.
One more time—she would do even better than before!
She would conquer the sky itself!
This novel is translated and hosted on Bcatranslation