It was night.
In Ting Yun's bedroom.
The exquisite octagonal lampstand emitted warm light, illuminating the elegant bedroom in detail.
The air carried a faint fragrance, a blend of Ting Yun's usual fragrant oil and bath lotion, along with her natural body scent.
Bai Yu sat by the bed, smoothing fragrant oil evenly onto his fingertips. He lowered his gaze and glanced at Ting Yun, who was lying curled up beside him.
A light gauze robe enveloped her, seemingly present yet absent, perfectly showcasing her graceful figure.
The gauze clung to her skin, rising and falling with her gentle breaths. Her cascading hair flowed over the bed, still slightly damp.
She rested her head on one arm, turning her head to catch his eye. Though she had removed her makeup, the hint of orange eyeshadow was gone, but the lazy glint in her eyes under her bare face was even more alluring.
"What's wrong? Lost in admiration, are you? Why don't you get a little closer and take a good look?"
"Or maybe don't just look, at least—ah!!"
Before she could finish, a delicate cry escaped her lips.
A fox's tail was the most sensitive part, especially near the base. Even a light touch would make them tingle all over, let alone someone else's.
Bai Yu knew this well—after all, he had spent countless hours "playing" with his fox sister's tail. This time, he deliberately applied a bit more pressure, successfully leaving Ting Yun with no time to tease him back.
"Ouch! Go easy… hiss! Too… too gentle! Itchy… ugh…!"
A melodious cry rose and fell. The white jade legs beneath the gauze robe tensed, and the helpless Ting Yun curled her toes, digging them into the sheet, creating a series of wrinkles.
"Too hard, you complain. Too gentle, you complain. Why don't you just do it yourself."
Bai Yu glared at Ting Yun, but his hands didn't slow down. With a twist, he returned to the pressure that most relaxed Ting Yun.
Finally able to breathe a sigh of relief, the fox lady exhaled deeply, her breath smelling of fragrant orchids. Then, both shy and annoyed, she lashed her tail against Bai Yu's arm.
"You just love tormenting your elder sister. Where's the good, obedient little brother from before?"
"You spoiled me yourself. It's your fault, idol!"
Ting Yun's tail didn't stop. It continued to lash out at Bai Yu's arm: "What idol? You're quoting those silly things from the stage plays again. Don't be so mean—ah! You did it on purpose, didn't you? You wanted me to let out a cry?"
"Foxes don't cry like that."
"How do they cry then?" Ting Yun rolled her beautiful eyes. "Do you want to hear 'ying ying ying'?"
"No." Bai Yu shook his head, looking serious. "I want to hear you cry, 'The Great Chu is rising, Chen Sheng is King.'"
Ting Yun: "…………Where do you pick up all these lines? I've watched all the plays in Luofu, but I've never heard you say these things."
As the second half of her sentence came out, Ting Yun's voice became more and more languid, as Bai Yu returned the pressure to a point that made her feel relaxed.
It was as if each word stuck together, a hazy, unclear mess.
The siblings chatted casually, and when they were finished, Bai Yu got up, wiping his hands with a piece of exquisite silk.
"Alright, I'm going to rest too."
"Xiao Bai, you forgot one thing!"
Ting Yun pushed herself up using her arms, her small eyes scanning his face, over and over. Then, she opened her arms, adopting a posture of wanting a hug.
Only after Bai Yu leaned down willingly did Ting Yun feel satisfied, embracing him and burying her face in his neck, taking a deep sniff, then happily rolling over onto her side.
"Good. Today's Xiao Bai energy replenishment is complete. This humble lady thanks the esteemed General for his grace. If the esteemed General doesn't mind, this humble lady—"
The sound of the door closing echoed in the room.
Ting Yun: "…"
Rising angrily, the fox lady with round, apricot eyes glared at the closed door, as if she could stare Bai Yu back into the room.
As she stared, her expression gradually softened. Her slender, white fingers gently traced her tail root, and she couldn't help but shiver.
"Hiss… you smelly Xiao Bai, you left me in such a state. It's definitely on purpose!"
…Divider…
Returning to his own courtyard, Bai Yu washed up and didn't rest immediately.
After changing into loose robes, he sat cross-legged on the cushion in his room, eyes closed, beginning to silently recite the "Sword Heart Sutra."
Before being taken to Luofu by Jing Yuan, Bai Yu's parents in this life had been killed in a battle. He was then raised by their comrades in arms, who were also Su Shang's parents.
When Jing Yuan took a liking to Bai Yu and planned to take him to Luofu, Su Shang's mother, though heartbroken, agreed to let Bai Yu have a better future. Before his departure, she entrusted Jing Yuan with her family's secret arts, asking him to teach them to Bai Yu when he grew up.
Being willing to share their family's secret arts with an outsider showed how close Bai Yu's deceased parents were to Su Shang's parents.
This world's "Tai Xu Sword Qi" is different from Honkai Impact 3rd's "Tai Xu Sword Qi" used by the Crimson Lotus Xianren, Fu Hua. In Honkai Impact 3rd, Crimson Lotus's Tai Xu Sword Qi has five aspects: Mind, Form, Intent, Soul, and Spirit. Mind and Intent are internal energies, Form and Soul are sword techniques, and Intent requires the accompanying tenth Divine Key, "Dominion Key," to unleash its full potential.
Except for Mind, the most basic yet most difficult to master, the other four aspects have no inherent superiority or inferiority. There is no set order. Cheng Ling, Crimson Lotus's most gifted disciple, even mastered Spirit, but not Intent.
In this world, Tai Xu Sword Qi, though also divided into five aspects, Mind, Form, Intent, Soul, and Spirit, has a strict order of mastery. One must achieve the previous aspect before proceeding to the next.
Though Bai Yu had already surpassed the stage of condensing Sword Heart, reaching Intent and nearing Soul, he still persisted in daily cultivation of the "Sword Heart Sutra."
He found that as he continually refined, solidified, and strengthened his Sword Heart, the power emanating from the three Paths of Destiny grew stronger and more abundant.
Hunt, Annihilation, and Preservation—the virtual energy from the three Paths of Destiny were distinct, yet they coexisted peacefully within him. As Bai Yu refined his Sword Heart, they were slowly causing a transformation in the very essence of his being.
In his consciousness, a luxuriously crafted long sword shone with a soft golden light, occasionally emitting a clear chime.
With each recitation of the Sword Heart Sutra, the duration of the single chime emitted by the sword would increase slightly.
After three repetitions, the entire sea of consciousness continuously reverberated with a resonant chime, like a massive bell.
Finally, a sound like the thawing of a frozen lake, the crackling of ice as spring warmth returns, arose.
Bai Yu sensed something, something that had constrained him, breaking apart in the depths of his being.
He couldn't help but smile. After all this effort, he had finally broken through the limitations of Sword Heart, achieving "Dustless" and entering the realm of "Clear Mirror."
Just as Bai Yu felt joy at his Sword Heart advancing another step, an irresistible force pulled his consciousness, tearing through the barriers of the world and propelling him into an unknown spacetime…