Mission: Seduce the Master!

"Amazing!"

Huang Jing could only admire and sigh. At such a young age, Xie Qing had reached such a level of understanding, while he was simply treading on the ground as the youth ascended to the Heavens.

If he were to be completely honest, Huang Jing was envious. If he had the same talent as Xie Qing, many things in his life would have undergone significant changes.

He would not have had to spend so much time persuading merchants and many influential figures. With such talent, which merchant would not approach Xie Qing?

"I need to be realistic. After all, those with great talent often have a great burden. The Heavens are considerate," Huang Jing thought and sighed, "Brother Xie's future will be difficult. However, I am willing to support him."

As he was thinking...

Whoosh~...

A gentle breeze brushed against Huang Jing's cheek, causing him to come to his senses. And to his horror...

"Blood? This light wind... left a cut on me?" Huang Jing was shocked as he felt the Sword Aura ignite in his wound, "Bad! This technique is too powerful for me. No wonder Xie Qing couldn't show it!"

However, it was too late to regret it. The sword was raised into the air, and then, when Huang Jing met the gaze of the adult Xie Qing...

BOOM!

"Ugh..."

His body was sliced in half, and where he had been standing, there was a long gash that was five meters deep and ten meters wide.

After a second, Huang Jing's body reassembled itself. All of this was happening in his mind, so he was not harmed. The only consequence was fear.

"Terrible... this technique is terrible. No one can withstand such power!" Huang Jing was shocked.

As he was in awe of this power, the adult Xie Qing suddenly spoke.

"Lord of the Nine Realms and Heavens - Sword God Strike. This skill I created in my youth, after reading legends of the great God Sword, who with one strike, could split open hundreds of worlds."

"Y-you're saying?!"

The voice of the adult Xie Qing was devoid of carelessness and whining. It was deep, commanding, and somewhat seductive. If Huang Jing were a woman, he would not have been able to resist.

Xie Qing's expression was cold. He stuck the sword into the ground and leaned on it with his hands. His eyes looked directly at Huang Jing.

"My thirst for power was insatiable. I gathered all my knowledge of sword strikes. I was not interested in modern techniques that used more Qi than Sword Aura. I liked the raw power and the subtle, yet commanding use of the Sword Aura!" Xie Qing said with a resolute voice, "However, this technique is full of holes and flaws. There are many holes.

Although I eliminated them in the future, this does not negate the fact that I was untalented!"

"This..."

"Don't look at me like that. I cannot teach you the perfect version, so I will teach you what the current me knows!" Xie Qing said with an annoying smile, and then added, "Of course, you only have four attempts. If you cannot learn it in this time, then you are not suitable for this technique!"

"U-understood!"

Huang Jing did not understand many things. For example, what future was this Xie Qing talking about? After all, this space was just an illusion in Huang Jing's mind.

However, there was no time for contemplation. Xie Qing raised his sword again. The man's eyes flashed with power, and the surrounding earth began to tremble.

Huang Jing shuddered. He felt as if he were just a helpless ant that had ended up in the path of an elephant.

However, even so, he did not waste time and stood in a stance. He tried to imitate the man's movements!

The Sword Aura whirlwind filled the space. Huang Jing was breathing heavily, barely able to withstand such pressure.

"A swordsman is not just someone who wields a sword. It is someone who is a sword itself!" Xie Qing shouted as it was too difficult to hear each other amidst the massive Sword Aura whirlwind, "The sword is a part of the body. Not a weapon, not metal, and certainly not a friend! The sword is you!"

Huang Jing frowned. He still could not understand the meaning of these words. Everything sounded like nonsense to him, as how could a person become a sword?

However, Xie Qing did not bother to explain this. He just smiled and swung his sword.

And in that moment... time seemed to stop. All the movements that Huang Jing had come up with and his attempts to imitate the strike were in vain.

Thus, the third attempt passed... and then the final, fourth attempt.

Huang Jing was breathing heavily. His body was lying on the ground, and around him, there were countless pits and cuts.

His face was pale, and his forehead was covered in sweat. Despite all his efforts, he could not even understand how this technique worked.

Gr-r-r...

He gritted his teeth. A fire of disappointment and anger burned within him. And Xie Qing... the man was just standing in place. Behind him, there were only light cuts and a little bit of cut grass.

Everything around him was constant, prosperous, and beautiful. Meanwhile, behind Huang Jing, there was only destruction and death.

This was the difference between their strengths. If Xie Qing could make such deep cuts with one strike, then Huang Jing could barely even cut the grass.

However, do not think that he was devoid of talent. It's just that this technique was not suitable for everyone.

"You have tried well. Your understanding of the path of the sword has increased, and in the future, your vertical strikes will be able to cause significant damage to your enemies. The recipe for true power is ruthless training!" Xie Qing said, standing in place and leaning on his sword. He smiled, "Discard all prejudices, stop thinking with the ordinary logic of a mortal.

You may have power in your hands, but do you need it in the mortal world?"

"Wh-what... do you... mean?" Huang Jing asked, gasping for air and coughing.

Xie Qing raised an eyebrow and then slapped himself on the forehead.

"Oh, that's right. You don't know about this yet... so it's too early to say," Xie Qing said and laughed, "Master will definitely scold me. In any case, young friend, it's time for you to return."

"S-stop..."

However, Huang Jing's voice was not heard. Xie Qing was still standing proudly in his place, while Huang Jing fell into a hole.

When he lost consciousness, the last thing the man heard was these words:

"The goal of immortality should not be secondary for cultivators. Only by giving everything can one touch the peak of the universe."

***

"AAAAAH!"

Xie Qing was startled, slightly frightened by Huang Jing's sudden scream. Turning his head, he saw that his friend was drenched in sweat, with a look of regret and shock on his face.

"What's wrong with you? Did you manage to learn the technique?" Xie Qing asked, tilting his head to the side in confusion, "Your face is pale. Did I use the wrong technique?"

"Th-this..."

When he returned to reality, Huang Jing's gaze towards Xie Qing became complicated. The man in the illusion was older and more powerful, his demeanor was commanding and serious.

Although they had significant differences, Huang Jing could see some similarities in their behaviors.

He wanted to sigh. It seemed that despite the knowledge he had gained, he would not be able to come to terms with what he had seen for a long time.

"Your power is terrifying, Brother Xie," Huang Jing said with a sigh. He looked exhausted as if this sigh had taken away all his life energy.

"Huh? Thank you?" Xie Qing did not know how to respond to such a compliment, so he jokingly said, "Of course, I'm the best. There's no one better than me!"

"On the other hand... you two are different."

"What do you mean 'you two'?"

"Nothing..."

***

Late at night, when Xie Qing had finished "comforting" Fanп Lan, he received a message on his communication token.

"Hm? This isn't Master, my mom, or any of my other close acquaintances. The vibration from the communication token is different," Xie Qing thought and stood up from his seat, taking out his spatial ring and the vibrating communication token, which had a carving of a moon hiding in the clouds. "This is... the communication token of the 'Silver Moon' Commerce? It seems they have a task."

Xie Qing put on a robe and left the room so as not to wake Fan Lan. He entered an empty room and set up several formations to prevent tracking and location recognition.

Only then, after putting on a mask and changing his voice, did he pick up the call.

"Sir Gu Heng?"

A mature female voice came from the token. It was none other than Wang Feifei.

"Lady Wang," Xie Qing nodded.

"Oh, I'm glad you're not asleep. I apologize for the late call, but I have an urgent task for you!" Lady Wang informed him, and after some flattery, she said, "I have several orders. They need to be completed in three to four days..."

"No problem, but it all depends on the required pill," Xie Qing nodded and asked, "I need specific information."

"I'm glad you asked!" Lady Wang replied calmly and continued, "Are you familiar with the Pill of Estrangement?"

"Pill of Estrangement... hmm? Lady Wang, you know that this pill is difficult to make, and it is extremely expensive, even without considering the alchemist's fee?"

"Yes, but I would like to know if you can make it?" Lady Wang asked, without revealing any details.

"As long as I have the recipe, any pill is possible. However, you should understand that no alchemist can make it on the first try, so I need more resources."