Celestial Mountains...
Classical music filled the leisure Pavilion. Beautiful dancers moved their bodies rhythmically to the music, entertaining the guests.
At the top luxurious session of the pavilion, sat a beautiful man, Xiang Weisheng. His eyes that were clouded over like a frost-covered mountain lake and shielded by a veiled-hat he wore, wandered intently across the place.
Removing his hand that had been resting on his well-defined jawline, he sat up heaving a sigh of disappointment.
"Still haven't found anyone?" Asked Haoran, his spirit companion beast who has attain a man form.
"Let's go back to Nine Clouds Hall." Xiang Weisheng told, standing up to leave. No one here, including the dancers, had what he was looking for.
A pure and beautiful countenance, with a soul and energy so pure it can bridge the gap between his spirit and the light.
He was born blind. But it didn't stop him from becoming one of the most feared and respected cultivators across the six realms.
But it was still a curse. A curse that not only gave him eternal night but also hindered his breakthrough into the Immortal Ascension cultivation level-No matter how hard or how many times he had tried, even with his high level of cultivation.
For years he has searched for the only solution, a dual cultivation partner with a pure yin body. But he has found none.
***
Moonpetal Court...
A beautiful woman walked gracefully across the courtyard, her disciples that were also young ladies trailed behind her as she lectures them. She is an elder, immortal Liao Zhilan.
"You all have done quite well as outer disciples of the Moonpetal court. I have no doubts that all of you would move up soon to become inner disciples." The woman appraised.
All the disciples started murmuring in excitement. Well, except Yu Meirong.
Her friend, Xiao Chunhua, elbowed her in the arm. "We're levelling up soon Meirong, (Giggles) Aren't you excited?"
Meirong scoffs in irritation, "What's there to be excited about? We're just getting closer to becoming spineless fairies, we don't actually do anything special in the realms."
Xiao Chunhua just stared at her. It wasn't the first time Yu Meirong behaved so dissentious.
Across the six realms, it was demanded that women remain fragile vessels of passive energy, and it was even more profound here in Moonpetal court - Women dominated their population yet the few men still subjugated the realm, only a few women could occupy high positions like being senior masters/elders and it was just so they could nurture more submissive fairies. The Moonpetal court were known for having the most beautiful and well behaved fairies.
But Meirong wasn't contented with this. She aspires to be a warrior of the six realms someday, and has been secretly cultivating the sword dao arts originally meant to be cultivated by only men.
After the lecture with immortal Liao Zhilan, she went up to the mountains, where she usually spends her quiet time, and secretly cultivates.
Yu Meirong's eyes were shut. Her ears could still hear the quiet noise nature made - the rush of the waterfall, the walk of the small lake the waterfall made, the song of the wind that blew on her long raven black hair.
But as Qi roared through her meridians, igniting the Sword Heart within her dantian, she could hear even the heavy flapping of a butterfly's wings.
Qi pressure rolled outward in invisible waves. Her eyes opened and she moved like a shadow cast by lightning.
Then she drew her sword.
The air screamed as sword intent erupted.
Mountains crack.
The lake reverse.
Her movements were graceful, not gentle.
But then she felt her Qi stumbled like a broken stream as an Array activated beneath her.
She fell to her knees.
The pressure from an aura bent the grass flat.
Her eyes moved to the origin of the aura. She saw immortal Liao Zhilan, Xiao Chunhua, and immortal Tao Shu, the second in command to the leader of Moonpetal court.
The aura and array was from immortal Tao, his Qi circulated smoothly.
"What are you doing, Yu Meirong?" Immortal Liao questioned in disbelief.
"I just happen to be with immortal Liao, when this disciple came to report her suspicions of you engaging in heretic practices, and we can all see how true it is." Immortal Tao mentions, referring to Xiao Chunhua.
Meirong's eyes moved to Xiao Chunhua, an aggrieved look in them. How did she even find out about her quiet place up in the mountains? That means she must have followed her. But why... Just why would she report her? She didn't have any friends but she at least thought Xiao Chunhua and her were friends. She could have expected this from anyone else, not her...
"Only cultivators at core formation stage can perform the sword dao arts you just did. That is to say you have been engaging in this heretic act for quite awhile now-"
"Forgive me for my negligence, immortal Tao!" Immortal Liao interrupted, her knees on the ground, her hands clenched together forward as she bowed.
Xiao Chunhua did the same thing, "Your speculations immortal Tao are true. This hypocrite Yu Meirong should be punished severely." She suggested, her eyes that were filled with contempt stared back at Meirong's that never left her.
Meirong couldn't believe Xiao Chunhua had this much disdain for her.
Gracefully, Immortal Tao began to move closer to Meirong, the dust trembled as his Qi stirred.
The pressure of his array increased making Meirong to cough out blood as she experience a backlash.
His aura pressed down like a mountain.
She couldn't escape the array. Elder Tao was a Strategic Array-Based cultivator, one of the best across the realms, and he was at Spirit Severing stage, compared to her that's just at core formation, she was no match to him.
"Yu Meirong... I can spare your life-"
"Immortal Tao!" Xiao Chunhua cuts in. But immortal Liao gave her a death stare, which made her to compose herself.
"Forgive her manners, immortal Tao." Immortal Liao apologized.
But immortal Tao's full attention was on Meirong who stared back at him.
"I can spare your life, all you just have to do is admit your wrong and never practice the sword dao arts again, to ensure this you will have to undergo the Silent Moon Severing," he told, her eyes widened. "That is your punishment."
Xiao Chunhua's lips pulled up in a smile.
The Silent Moon Severing was a technique of the Moonpetal court that damages one's cultivation when subjected to it, it reduces one's cultivation level and creates a seal that hinders future breakthroughs.
There was silence.
Immortal Tao continued to hold Meirong's gaze.
Then, her gaze turned fierce... to a deadly glare even. "I refuse!"
***