Chapter 15 – Seizing the Right Moment

Chapter 15 – Seizing the Right Moment

Two dark figures only attacked after the monster had forced the Withered Wood Daoist to retreat some distance. The Daoist feigned ignorance of their approach, though he had been on guard all along. Just as the two believed their strike would be fatal, he dodged aside with sudden agility, leaving them momentarily stunned.

Having evaded their assault, the Withered Wood Daoist produced his artifact. With his keen eyesight, Xiao Xianyu saw that it was a porcelain bowl with a chipped rim, yet its surface glimmered with immortal radiance—clearly no ordinary object. Xiao Xianyu recalled his master’s words: all things in this world, like people, are divided into various grades. The reverse is also true. The lowest grade is mortal, the highest divine, with spiritual and immortal grades in between. The Daoist’s porcelain bowl had certainly transcended mortal quality, reaching at least the spiritual grade. As for which rank within that grade, Xiao Xianyu couldn’t discern—his cultivation was not yet so profound, and his master’s teachings on such matters had been brief.

Once summoned, the bowl hovered above the Daoist’s head, casting down a veil of light like an illusory bronze bell covering him. Bathed in the bowl’s divine glow, the two dark figures revealed their true forms: covered in long hair, blue-faced with tusks—they were both evil spirits. Including the one Xiao Xianyu had earlier slain with the Edge-less Black Sword and sealed in the black gourd, there were three in all. Xiao Xianyu’s surprise attack had eliminated one, but the other two now engaged the Daoist in fierce combat.

Lacking any artifacts of their own, the two spirits relied on their sinister aura, sharp fangs, and claws to assail the Daoist. Under the bowl’s protection, he remained unharmed for the moment, but it was clear he could no longer distract the monster as before.

The monster glanced at the Daoist with its blood-red eyes and let out a shrill, grating laugh before resuming its absorption of the descending black energy from the sky.

Xiao Xianyu narrowed his eyes. If he did not intervene now, the monster would surely succeed. But was this the right time to act?

He recalled the Daoist’s words: he would know when to strike. Yet at this moment, Xiao Xianyu felt no such clarity. Glancing between the monster and the Daoist, he saw that the Daoist was fully entangled with the two evil spirits and had no chance to signal him.

“This is my own trial,” Xiao Xianyu thought. “It’s not just about slaying monsters, but about honing my sense of timing as well.” Resolving this, he turned his attention from the Daoist to the monster poised to absorb the descending spiritual energy.

“This energy must not fall into its hands. The moment to act is when it is about to absorb it, but has not yet succeeded.” As this realization flashed through his mind, the Edge-less Black Sword, floating at his side, seemed to sense his agitation and trembled slightly.

Despite Xiao Xianyu’s racing heart and the sword’s subtle quiver, neither released the slightest hint of immortal energy at this critical moment.

The monster, believing itself safe, devoted all its attention to the descending spiritual energy, its earlier vigilance forgotten. As the energy drew ever nearer, the creature even closed its crimson eyes.

“Now is the time!”

Having waited for this precise moment, Xiao Xianyu silently directed the Edge-less Black Sword toward the monster. The blade shot forth like a bolt of lightning.

By the time the monster sensed danger, it could only watch as the black sword pierced its chest.

With a thunderous boom, the monster’s body exploded. The spiritual energy from the heavens struck the sword’s blade just as the explosion occurred. The sword looped gracefully through the air and returned to Xiao Xianyu’s side.

The spiritual energy, now drawn by the connection to the sword, descended upon Xiao Xianyu himself. It surged into his body, sinking at once into his dantian, merging with the already substantial vortex of energy within him.

Even after its body was shattered by the sword, the monster did not vanish entirely. The corpse-eating insects within it, lured by evil energy, began to gather once more.

At that moment, the Withered Wood Daoist, who had appeared hard-pressed by the two evil spirits, suddenly shouted, leaping into the air. The porcelain bowl, still hovering above him, fell into his hand.

He chanted an incantation, thunderous as a storm, directing it at the black energy and the corpse-eating insects. When the spell ended, both the black energy and the insects were drawn into the bowl.

Almost simultaneously, all the descending spiritual energy was absorbed into Xiao Xianyu’s body.

Glancing down, Xiao Xianyu found himself unscathed. Turning his inner gaze upon his dantian, he discovered the vortex of spiritual energy spinning with newfound speed—a clear sign of impending advancement.

As he pondered this, the Daoist’s voice sounded by his ear. “Calm your mind and focus. Break through your limits—I will stand guard for you!”

A torrent of spiritual energy surged within Xiao Xianyu, threatening to burst forth. Even without the Daoist’s urging, he knew a breakthrough was inevitable. He immediately sat cross-legged, calming his mind and breath.

Within his dantian, the vortex spun faster and faster until it blazed with radiant light like a glowing orb. Suddenly, a sound like a mountain collapsing and the sea roaring erupted—the vortex exploded into countless tiny points of light. These scattered outward, then rapidly contracted and gathered together.

At last, the lights coalesced into a platform of white jade, suspended within his dantian and his sea of consciousness.

When all finally grew calm, Xiao Xianyu slowly opened his eyes to see the Daoist beaming with delight.

He rose at once. “Elder, what became of the monster?”

The Daoist replied with a smile, “The monster is destroyed. The matter is settled.”

Xiao Xianyu let out a long sigh of relief. “Fortunately, we did not delay at the crucial moment.”

The Daoist chuckled. “Indeed, we did not. Yet there is still a matter that requires your decision.”

Hearing this, Xiao Xianyu could not help but feel curious.