The storm had barely passed when a new tension swept through Butterfly Valley. The air was sharp, charged, as if heralding something ominous.
From beyond the valley path came the faint sound of wooden clogs striking wet stone. A trio of figures soon emerged. At their head was a tall, austere woman garbed in the plain gray robes of a nun. Her features were sharp and commanding, but the downward slant of her brows lent her an unsettling, almost spectral air—like a shade risen from the gallows.
This was none other than Mother Clarisse Hale, the formidable Abbess of the Emei Sect.
Flanking her were two younger disciples, both dressed in the same gray robes but with youthful refinement in their bearing. One was the proud and sharp-tongued Saxa Quinnthe abbess's favored protégé. The other, quieter but no less disciplined, was Viola Grace, whose calm eyes betrayed little of her inner thoughts.
The Infinite Upgrade System stirred within Liam Ardent's mind.
System Update
[Character Identified: Mother Clarisse Hale]
Cultivation: First-Rate Expert Peak (With the Heavenly Reliquary Sword, strength comparable to Mid Super-First-Rate)
Identity: Abbess of Emei Sect
Weapon: Heavenly Reliquary Sword
System Update
[Character Identified: Saxa Quinn]
Cultivation: Second-Rate Expert Late Stage
Identity: Emei Sect Disciple
System Update
[Character Identified: Viola Grace]
Cultivation: Second-Rate Expert Mid Stage
Identity: Emei Sect Disciple
The information scrolled past Liam's vision. His chest tightened. He had already crossed paths with the unpredictable Lady Serpentis—whose power rivaled Mother Clarisse's. But unlike Lady Serpentis, this abbess bore the full authority of a sect that commanded thousands of disciples throughout Jianghu.
Liam's hand brushed against the inside of his robe, where the Skyblade Experience Card rested. Just knowing it was there gave him a thread of confidence.
Even if she wields the Heavenly Reliquary Sword, with Skyblade's swordsmanship, I won't need to fear her… not for three minutes.
The door to the cottage creaked open. Lady Moira Drake stepped outside, her daughter Isla close at her side. The moment Moira caught sight of the abbess, her face paled. She lowered her body in obeisance, pulling Isla down with her.
"Disciple Moira Drake… pays respects to Master. This is my daughter, Isla." Her voice quavered with a blend of reverence and dread.
Mother Clarisse's eyes narrowed. At the sight of the child, her brows twitched, and the air between them grew cold.
"Isla?" she said, her tone cutting like a blade. "You bore a child in secret… and even named her Isla, as if declaring your shameless defiance! Had I not heard whispers from the wandering swordsman, Sir Quentin Longstride, I would never have discovered your betrayal."
Saxa Quinn sneered faintly, her gaze flickering toward Moira with open disdain. Moira's heart trembled; she knew all too well how her fellow disciples had poisoned her master's ear against her for years.
Liam stepped forward, his eyes unwavering. "Mother Clarisse Hale," he said evenly, "this is Butterfly Valley, not Mount Emei. You would do well to remember that before throwing your authority around."
The abbess's eyes sharpened at once. Her aura pressed outward, a suffocating tide of force that made even the rain-dampened trees tremble. Moira gasped softly, fearful for Liam.
But Liam did not flinch. He positioned himself squarely between Moira and the abbess. He would not let Isla's gentle mother fall into Emei's merciless hands.
To Isla, watching with wide eyes, Liam's defiance transformed him into a hero. In her mind, the old nun was nothing more than a villain come to torment her family, and Liam was the only shield strong enough to resist.
Mother Clarisse turned her gaze toward Lady Serpentis, who stood at the periphery with her granddaughter Lilith. The abbess's lips curved into a frosty sneer.
"So… Lady Serpentis of Spirit Snake Island. You leave your island paradise only to meddle in Central Plains disputes? Do you think Emei's matters concern you?"
Lady Serpentis tapped her serpent-headed staff against the ground, her disguise as an aged crone holding steady. "This boy is no disciple of mine," she croaked. "Your petty squabbles with Moira Drake are no concern of Spirit Snake Island."
Clarisse blinked, momentarily caught off guard. Her eyes narrowed on Liam again. "If not her disciple, then whose? Tell me, boy, what sect shelters you that you dare speak against Emei?"
Liam's tone was calm, almost dismissive. "Shelter? From whom? You are no revered elder of mine, Abbess. This is my valley. If you wish to discipline your sect's disciples, take them back to Mount Emei. Don't parade your authority here."
The abbess's nostrils flared. Then she let out a sharp, humorless laugh. "Such insolence… such audacity! Very well. Saxa—teach this boy what becomes of those who mock their betters."
"Yes, Master!"Saxa's voice rang clear. She stepped forward, drawing her slim sword in a single motion. The blade gleamed like liquid silver, and with a flourish, she launched into the opening stance of the Emei Swordplay. Her footwork was elegant, her blade darting like a swift swallow—light, precise, and filled with concealed venom.
At the periphery, Lilith Stormbane clenched her fists. "Grandma, I'll help him!" she urged, ready to dash forward.
But Lady Serpentis caught her wrist, shaking her head faintly. Her lips curled in a secret smile. "No, child. Watch closely. This boy does not need rescuing."
Saxa's sword arced toward Liam with dazzling speed. But just as the edge came within a hair's breadth of his chest, Liam's left hand curved like the talons of a hawk, his right poised like the head of a striking serpent. The two motions flowed as one—swift, deceptive, and merciless.
His hawk's claw slipped into Saxa's sword path, disarming her in an instant. At the same time, his serpent's head lashed sideways, striking her across the cheek with explosive force.
The impact sent Saxa spinning through the air, crashing to the ground in a heap. Her cheek swelled instantly, red and raw.
Gasps rippled through the valley.
Liam stood steady, his robe fluttering slightly in the breeze. He had felled one of Emei's proudest disciples with a single move.
Mother Clarisse's eyes widened, recognition flashing across her face. "That technique—Eagle-Serpent Life-and-Death Grapple! Are you of the Huashan Sect?!"
Liam did not answer. His gaze remained fixed, unwavering, upon the abbess. The unspoken message was clear: Your titles and sects mean nothing to me. This valley is mine to protect.
Glossary – Chapter 18
Mother Clarisse Hale – Abbess of the Emei Sect, one of the most powerful female figures in Jianghu. Wields the Heavenly Reliquary Sword, a sacred blade of her sect. Cultivation at First-Rate Expert Peak.
Saxa Quinn – Proud and sharp-tongued disciple of Mother Clarisse Hale, brash in temperament but skilled in swordplay. Second-Rate Expert Late Stage.
Viola Grace – Calm, disciplined disciple of Emei Sect, junior to Saxa Quinn. Second-Rate Expert Mid Stage.
Emei Swordplay – The signature sword technique of the Emei Sect. Graceful, swift, and precise, often laced with deceptive angles and hidden killing intent.
Eagle-Serpent Life-and-Death Grapple – A fusion martial technique combining the ferocity of eagle talons with the speed of serpent strikes. Effective for both disarming and delivering crippling counterattacks.
Skyblade Experience Card – A consumable system item. Grants Liam three minutes of legendary swordsmanship modeled after Lord Aelric Skyblade, famed for his unparalleled strike Heavenly Descent Beyond the Veil. Considered one of Liam's most powerful hidden cards.
This story is inspired from various Wuxia novels ,so if you find any similarities please dont mind . and if you think this is boring wait till the Dual cultivation starts ,Thank you .
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T/N :
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