Easy Mode

Two small venomous bees flitted among the blossoms, one to the left, one to the right. This was a vast mountain valley, shrouded in dense forest and encircled by emerald waters—an untouched, verdant wilderness unmarred by human footsteps.

Suddenly, from the stream emerged a shimmering ribbon of color, a constellation of dazzling lights gathering together and exuding a strange, enticing fragrance. The venomous bees nearby were instantly drawn to the glow, clustering around it, swirling in a tight formation.

The glimmering lights began to move, at first slowly, then following the river’s course, winding through the valley. They flowed from the stream into the main river, meandering until they reached a flat riverside.

In an instant, the light vanished. The bees, deprived of their guide, buzzed aimlessly for a while before scattering. With so many flowers and grasses around, they soon settled nearby.

“Phew…” Beneath the water, a large koi sank gently, returning to a sandy pit at the riverbed.

Beside her, a smaller, multicolored koi swam over immediately. “Sister, you’ve worked so hard! I must strive in my cultivation and gain magical power soon, so I can share your burden.”

The larger fish sighed. “Alas, I possess only meager magic; I have no other abilities and can only manage such small tasks…”

The little fish quickly replied, “You’re already amazing, Sister!”

The large koi seemed tired, her beautiful body undulating with the current. “I only hope that villain doesn’t return.”

“Mmm…” The little fish swam upward. “Let me go take a look…”

She floated to the surface, only to see sword shadows flickering along the riverbank, slicing down the bees her sister had painstakingly gathered.

“Sister…” The small koi’s voice wavered, nearly in tears. “He’s not only back, he’s coming earlier and earlier!”

…

Chu Liang, as usual, was fulfilling his duties, slaying the venomous bees. He glanced around, still hungry for action, and failed to notice the angry bubbles rising on the water’s surface.

Afterward, he returned to Mount Shu.

Yunhua Town was close by, and before long he arrived at Pagoda Peak.

Senior Sister Jiang had arranged to meet him here today.

Upon entering the Water Curtain Cave, he was greeted by the young Bai Ze, who chirped excitedly and bounded to his side, rubbing its oversized head against him.

“It’s been so long,” Chu Liang said, patting its neck affectionately, before moving further inside.

Today, Jiang Xiaobai wore a blue gown, her figure slender and graceful. When she saw him, she rose to greet him, standing tall and elegant.

“I’ll be leaving the mountain soon for a mission, and it may take a while. So I came to check your progress with the Talisman Sword Technique ahead of time,” Jiang Xiaobai said.

Her rank meant she didn’t select missions at whim like Chu Liang and the others; they were assigned by the sect, not entirely at her discretion. So it was normal for her to have unexpected duties.

“Senior Sister, you still care about my cultivation? I’m deeply grateful,” Chu Liang replied with a smile.

“Enough. You talk sweetly, but you had me help sell your fruit tea as a cover. I hear your business is booming—everyone in Mount Shu knows about it now—yet I haven’t seen any dividends,” Jiang Xiaobai said, casting him a sidelong glance.

“My little business is hardly worthy of your notice, Senior Sister,” Chu Liang responded quickly.

“Hmph.” Jiang Xiaobai snorted softly, wasting no more words. “I told you to study the Talisman Dao True Explanation and practice the sword technique. How’s it going?”

Chu Liang answered honestly, “Progress has been slow.”

“Oh?” Jiang Xiaobai’s gaze sharpened. “It’s been seven days. If you’ve made no progress, I’ll be displeased.”

Chu Liang replied, “The Talisman Dao is vast and profound. I’ve only begun to understand its basics these past few days. Practicing the Talisman Sword Technique has been especially challenging—I’ve only grasped a little…”

“That’s to be expected. Show me what you can do, and I’ll see how to guide you,” Jiang Xiaobai nodded.

Following her instructions, Chu Liang stepped back to the open space in the cave, summoned his flying sword, held his breath, and recalled the technique.

“Rise!”

He uttered a low command, raising his fingers, and the sword soared into the air with a metallic ring.

Talisman Sword Technique!

With a shift of his fingers, the sword sliced through the air, emitting a series of sharp, continuous sounds. Silver light swiftly formed a rune in the air, and with a flick of his finger, the rune merged with the sword energy and shot forward.

Boom—

A streak of sword energy trailed a fiery tail, crashing into the ground ahead like a flaming meteor and blasting out a massive crater.

Far more powerful than ordinary sword control techniques.

“Hmm…”

Jiang Xiaobai watched, her brows knitting delicately.

You call this “grasped a little”?

He’d combined the rune and sword energy seamlessly, releasing a complete sword technique—wasn’t that mastery already?

Claiming slow progress, who was he trying to fool? Was this not the classic case of a man’s words being nothing but lies?

But it had only been a few days!

No matter how you looked at it, this man’s progress was too swift.

She herself was fairly skilled in talisman arts, yet had needed twelve days to succeed. He…

Wait.

He’d reached this level now, but that didn’t mean it happened today. Could he have mastered it in less than seven days?

Chu Liang put away his sword, noticing Jiang Xiaobai’s contemplative, slightly troubled expression. He thought she might be dissatisfied with her own progress, but he felt his speed was already fast and his sword technique quite complete.

Was there something imperfect?

He hesitated, then said, “I reached this level four days ago. Since then, progress has slowed, mainly because I haven’t fully grasped the Talisman Dao. Right now, I can only use the fire rune with my flying sword, at most blending two fire runes, though not every time successfully…”

“But lately I’ve been practicing the wind rune and have succeeded several times. I believe in another couple of days, I’ll master the Wind-Fire Dual Rune Sword, and its power will grow even greater…”

“Senior Sister, you gave me a month, right? I believe by then, the runes I can master will be far more than these…”

His voice was meek, worried that Jiang Xiaobai might suspect him of slacking and refuse to teach him further.

Yet every word he spoke pierced Jiang Xiaobai’s heart like an arrow.

Her brows drew tighter.

After a moment, Jiang Xiaobai raised her hand. “Enough, stop talking.”

She’d actually considered giving him pointers just now.

What’s there to teach? She’d merely told him the sword technique, and he’d already deduced the entire process. From here, all he needed was steady practice—once his cultivation rose, ten-rune swords, hundred-rune swords would follow naturally.

It seemed even the most complex Talisman Sword Techniques posed no difficulty for him—he could learn them at once, master them quickly, and use them with ease…

Did he cultivate on easy mode?

For the first time in her life, Jiang Xiaobai felt the sting of being outmatched by sheer talent. In the past, she was always the one others looked up to.

Since meeting Chu Liang, she’d been the one left behind.

“Senior Sister?” Chu Liang called softly.

Jiang Xiaobai’s gaze snapped back, and she looked at Chu Liang with utmost seriousness.

“Let me tell you this: as long as you call me Senior Sister today, you must always call me Senior Sister. Even if one day you surpass me, you must still obediently call me Senior Sister! Understood?!”