Lian'er, unable to stay serious for long, bounced on the spot and answered in a lively, spirited tone, "Yes, help you! I think your problem stems from not seeing enough people regularly. If you were more exposed to others, even just passively, it might ease your social anxiety bit by bit. So, your brilliant and beautiful Senior Sister proposes we take a walk together through the sect!"
She clasped her hands behind her back and leaned forward slightly. "That way, you'll be around others—but don't worry, you don't have to talk to anyone. Just try to tolerate their presence and let yourself adapt slowly. What do you think?"
Lyra's instinct was to refuse. Of course it was. The idea of confronting her social anxiety head-on was frightening, and the comfort of staying here with a book in her lap was hard to leave behind.
But then she glanced at Lian'er's hopeful expression. She felt... lighter. Ever since she had opened up, it was as if an invisible weight had fallen off her chest—a burden she hadn't even realized she was carrying. She wasn't entirely healed, no, but something had changed.
She still didn't want to face her fear. But forcing herself to gather her resolve, she gritted her teeth and declared inwardly, 'I have to do this. It won't fix itself. I need to take that first step. This isn't about courage—it's about survival. If I let it fester... it'll consume me.'
With determination rising inside her, she met Lian'er's gaze and said, "I'll come with…" The final words stuck briefly in her throat, but after drawing in a steadying breath, she finished, "...you. I want to try facing it head-on."
Hua Lianyu bounced excitedly in place the moment she heard those words. "Don't worry! With me here," she said proudly, tapping her chest with conviction, "by the end of this little outing, your social anxiety will just be a bad memory!"
With those confident words hanging in the air, the two beauties descended from Sword Heart Peak, heading toward the more bustling parts of the sect—ready to help Lyra take her first step toward overcoming her fear.
They left Sword Heart Peak by flight. Walking through the Wandering Sword Sect's immense mountainous terrain would not only have been extremely slow, but many areas would have been practically unreachable on foot.
And so, they took to the skies, swiftly descending toward the Inner Court. Mid-flight, Lian'er turned to Lyra and said, "We'll head to a section of the Inner Court where some disciples gather. It won't be as lively as a marketplace, but compared to the near-emptiness of the Core Court, it'll definitely feel more crowded. But don't worry—there's no need to talk. Just follow me and get used to being around strangers, okay?"
Lyra's hands trembled slightly as a wave of nervousness coursed through her, yet she didn't falter. She offered a hesitant but determined nod to Lian'er.
It didn't take long before they entered the Inner Court and reached a relatively active area, where several Inner Disciples were engaged in their daily routines.
At first, Hua Lianyu and Lyra's arrival didn't draw much attention. But the moment the Core Disciple emblems on their robes were noticed, that quickly changed.
"Core Disciples?"
"Senior Sister Lian'er!"
Voices like these rippled through the crowd, and in an instant, the two of them became the center of attention—to Lyra's great dismay. But gritting her teeth and pushing through her fear, she walked beside Lian'er without flinching.
Surprisingly, even under all this attention, Lian'er remained as lively as ever. She engaged in short conversations with nearly every disciple they passed, her presence bursting with the vibrance that seemed to define her.
Watching this unfold, Lyra couldn't help but feel the stark contrast between them. There she was—silent, anxious, simply walking beside her Senior Sister—while Hua Lianyu moved from one conversation to the next like a social butterfly, always smiling, always glowing.
'She's really impressive,' Lyra thought with quiet admiration, feeling just a little more at ease now that most of the attention was on Lian'er and not on her.
"Senior Sister Lian'er, who is this Senior Sister? I've never seen her with you before," asked a curious female Inner Disciple.
Lyra almost imperceptibly froze, panic bubbling inside her—but before she could stammer anything out, Lian'er stepped in without missing a beat.
"This is my new Junior Sister, a freshly accepted Direct Disciple of Great Elder Jinhai!"
Those words drew even more attention to Lyra, and a few disciples immediately began peppering her with questions. Just as Lyra started to feel overwhelmed by the flood of inquiries, Lian'er raised her voice.
"Okay, okay, stop bombarding her with questions! My Junior Sister isn't exactly comfortable around strangers, so stop bothering her already."
Her declaration came out firm—almost fierce—surprising the Inner Disciples, who weren't accustomed to seeing this sharper side of Hua Lianyu, so different from her usual cheerful demeanor.
Sensible enough to pick up on the shift in tone, the Inner Disciples refrained from asking Lyra any further questions. Instead, they simply chatted with Lian'er, allowing Lyra to remain quietly at her side as she slowly reacclimated herself to the presence of strangers.
In this way, their walk through the Inner Court continued without interruption or any problematic incidents. And as time passed, Lyra began to feel increasingly at ease within the social atmosphere.
Eventually, when their walk was nearly at its end, Lyra even managed to exchange a few short words with a Junior Sister they encountered along the way. It might not seem like much when compared to her usual ease in conversations with her Dao Family—or even the basic conversational skills of an average person—but for someone who had recently been struggling with a resurgence of social anxiety, it was undeniably a huge step forward.
Later, as they flew back toward Sword Heart Peak, Lian'er suddenly twirled mid-air with playful elegance and said, "It wasn't so bad, don't you think?"
"This…" Lyra hesitated for a brief moment, then nodded, the hint of a smile forming at the corner of her lips. "Yeah. I thought it would be worse, but now that it's over… I'm proud of myself."
Lian'er grinned and gave her a thumbs-up. "That's the spirit, Junior Sister!" She paused, seemingly gathering her thoughts before continuing with a gentler tone, "Do you think you'd be up for more outings like this one? To help you keep facing your social anxiety?"
Lyra's first instinct was to refuse. The thought alone made her stomach twist. But riding the wave of optimism from today's small victory—and finally glimpsing a path forward in what had once seemed like an unsolvable issue—she straightened and responded with quiet determination, "Yes. I want to keep facing it."
And so, on Lyra's resolute words, the two beauties returned to Sword Heart Peak. They eventually went their separate ways, but not before agreeing on a future outing—another step on the path toward helping Lyra overcome her resurging fear.
***
The moon's silvery radiance poured gently over a lush, tranquil clearing nestled within nature's embrace.
At first glance, the open space seemed deserted. But upon closer inspection, it became clear that someone stood at its heart—a lone figure bathed in streaks of moonlight. An extraordinarily handsome young man with messy black hair, piercing emerald-green eyes, and a well-toned physique moved gracefully beneath the open sky. In his hand, a black longsword with a blood-red edge cut silently through the night air.
"Swish"
The young man—easily recognizable as Mikael—continued to move with fluid grace beneath the moonlight. Each of his sword strokes was elegant and refined, exuding an aura of precision and mastery. As he danced across the clearing, he tirelessly executed the Moonlight Sword Dance, his form radiating silent discipline and focused resolve.
Then, a sudden glint of seriousness flickered in Mikael's eyes as his rhythm abruptly shifted.
Moonpiercer Sword Art – First Movement: Lunar Shadow Slash.
In an instant, Sangrelia's movement changed. The swordplay that had once been graceful and flowing transformed into fluid, deceptive strikes delivered with unpredictable timing. At times, the longsword moved so slowly it seemed weightless—only to explode forward in the next breath with sharp, blinding speed. The erratic rhythm of slow and fast created an illusion that made reading the blade's trajectory nearly impossible.
Mikael's gaze was sharp and unwavering as he continued to slash with a mixture of precision and ferocity toward a shadowy figure conjured entirely by his mind. Sometimes he would dodge, twisting his body to evade an imagined blow; other times, he unleashed swift, agile sword techniques that caught the shadow off guard, his strikes landing with impeccable timing.
He continued the simulated battle, relying on the Lunar Shadow Slash as he engaged his imaginary opponent. Every movement was driven by intent—his mind immersed in the illusion of combat. Eventually, another flicker of resolve passed through Mikael's eyes, and his stance subtly shifted once more.
Moonpiercer Sword Art – Second Movement: Eclipsing Crescent Cut.
Once again, his style changed. This time, his strikes slowed, sacrificing the agility, speed, and unpredictability of before. In their place came a defensive grace, his blade acting as both shield and lure. He no longer pressed the offense but instead responded—parrying, deflecting, and waiting patiently for an opening.
The moment came when the shadow overextended, and Mikael seized the opportunity. In a single burst of focused speed and power, he lunged forward and struck at a vulnerable point. Sangrelia pierced through the shadow's vital area, but the illusion simply recoiled, retreating a few steps without any visible reaction. Naturally—after all, the shadow was nothing more than a construct born from his mind, conjured for the sole purpose of advancing his mastery of the Moonpiercer Sword Art.
Having been caught off guard by the Eclipsing Crescent Cut, the shadow became more cautious, adopting a defensive posture and reducing its aggression. The change in behavior forced Mikael to take the initiative. Sangrelia began to circle the shadow like a hawk, fluidly shifting angles and testing its defenses.
He searched for openings, analyzing the weaknesses with unwavering focus. The moment he found them, his blade moved in swift, precise arcs, piercing the vulnerable spots with ruthless accuracy. While the Eclipsing Crescent Cut lacked the relentless tempo of the Lunar Shadow Slash, each attack it delivered was devastating, aimed precisely where it hurt the most.
Eventually, Mikael halted the battle. The shadowy figure slowly dissolved before his eyes, its purpose fulfilled, leaving him alone in the moonlit clearing.
'The First and Second Moves are progressing well. Honestly, I should be able to use them in a real fight without any major issue—even though I haven't reached the Entry level of the Moonpiercer Sword Art yet. Because of that, I still can't use Lunar Qi to enhance it… but even in its current state, it's clearly more powerful than standard swordplay.'
Author Note:
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