Troublemaker’s Guide to Immortality

"Junior Sister, it's already getting late today. Why don't we... start tomorrow instead?" Si Wanning's voice trembled slightly.

It wasn't that she didn't want to practice swordsmanship!

It was just that practicing with Yun Jin was too infuriating!

Surely, the others would understand her pain.

"Second Senior Sister, tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow, how many tomorrows are there? While we slack off, someone else is out there working hard on our behalf..." Yun Jin declared, full of passion.

Before she could finish, Si Wanning interrupted, "Working hard on our behalf? That person sounds rather kindhearted."

Yun Jin gave her a long look.

Si Wanning immediately felt guilty and cleared her throat. "Junior Sister, I completely understand your good intentions. Let's go practice now!"

Only then did Yun Jin smile with satisfaction. "Don't worry, Senior Sister. From now on, I'll visit you every single day to supervise your practice."

Si Wanning: "..."

Thanks, but that really won't be necessary!

However, this time was different. Yun Jin didn't act like before. She didn't bring out her little stool, nor did she snack on sunflower seeds or sip tea. Instead, she practiced each sword strike earnestly, one stroke at a time.

Si Wanning paused, caught off guard by Yun Jin's focused expression.

After a moment of silence, she too drew her sword.

Her emotions were complicated.

Junior Sister… was truly working hard to improve herself.

The Grand Sect Assembly was approaching. On that day, all their fates would be decided.

There was no more time to waste.

Granted, at her current level, her swordsmanship relied more on insight than on repetition. Mechanical training offered little benefit now.

But even so—

Trying was always better than not trying.

So Si Wanning earnestly joined in the practice. Yun Jin glanced at her from the corner of her eye, a subtle smile playing at her lips. Her senior sister had already reached the sixth level of the Lotus Bloom Sword Art, which was considered fairly advanced. At this point, simple repetition wouldn't help her improve much more.

But…

Yun Jin was here now.

At the Grand Sect Assembly, it wouldn't just be her fighting. Their master, along with several senior brothers and sisters, would all have to take the stage. As for their master, a single Bu Tian Pill would suffice. But for the others, there were only two ways to improve: cultivation realm and martial techniques.

Advancing their realm would require fourth-grade pills suitable for the Nascent Soul stage, which Yun Jin couldn't produce just yet.

That left the second option: techniques.

Yesterday, Yun Jin had tried applying a high-level simplification to the Lotus Bloom Sword Art.

The result had been promising.

First, the feature that allowed her to improve by watching her senior sister practice still worked.

Second, each time her senior sister completed a round of sword practice, she gained one point of sword comprehension. Which meant… as long as Si Wanning kept practicing, she would keep gaining insight and advancing her swordsmanship!

If they kept this up long enough, there was a real chance that her senior sister could reach the ninth level of the Lotus Bloom Sword Art before the assembly!

And as for herself—

She could ride along on that improvement and push the technique to the ninth level too. Although her main focus was the Azure Lotus Sword Art, sword techniques often shared common threads. Advancing the Lotus Bloom Sword Art would significantly deepen her understanding of the sword as a whole.

Yun Jin had traveled through many worlds. In every cultivation world where sword cultivators existed, she always chose that path.

This time, back at the beginning, she still remembered the worlds she had traversed, but the comprehension of sword techniques and internal arts had been forcibly wiped from her mind. Even though she had once been the greatest sword cultivator in countless lives, she still had to start over.

But that was alright.

Yun Jin was confident.

Though she had forgotten those countless sword techniques, some things were etched into her soul, carved into her very bones and blood. Even without the system, Yun Jin could still become a master of the Sword Dao.

The system simply made that journey faster. And now, with more contact with sword techniques, Yun Jin could feel the insights buried deep in her soul slowly returning.

Take now, for instance.

She was far from reaching the sixth level of the Lotus Bloom Sword Art.

She hadn't even used the system to help.

But just by watching Si Wanning practice, she could clearly sense the awkward and stagnant points in her movements. This was her own sensitivity to swordsmanship.

"Second Senior Sister," Yun Jin spoke up once Si Wanning completed a set. "There are a few places where your flow falters a bit."

Si Wanning was stunned.

She tried adjusting her movements according to Yun Jin's suggestions. To her surprise, everything suddenly felt much smoother.

Her eyes shifted toward Yun Jin with something close to awe. Even their master occasionally gave her pointers, but she felt his guidance paled in comparison to her junior sister's precision.

Had her junior sister's sword dao realm surpassed their master's?

After a moment of shock, Si Wanning suddenly grinned. She and their eldest senior brother had been the ones constantly stunned. It was time for their master to experience the same.

With Yun Jin's guidance and the system's boost, Si Wanning felt as though every swing of her sword brought fresh enlightenment.

The sensation was intoxicating.

Her eyes narrowed as she lost herself in the thrill of continuous progress.

Her sword grew faster, her techniques more refined.

The Realm of Selflessness.

Stimulated by her growing understanding, Second Senior Sister had actually entered the Selfless Realm of the sword.

At the center of the courtyard, Si Wanning danced with her blade. Her body and technique had become one, completely fused together.

Yun Jin watched, unable to tell if she was seeing a person—or a sword.

In the next moment—

The six-petaled lotus that circled Si Wanning quietly gained a seventh petal.

Yun Jin couldn't help but smile.

The seventh level of the Lotus Bloom Sword Art. Achieved.

Her senior sister had been stuck at the sixth level for a long time. What she had lacked was merely an opportunity.

Now, Yun Jin and her system had given her that chance.

Even after reaching the seventh level, Si Wanning didn't stop. She finished the entire set before she finally put away her sword.

"Junior Sister!" She rushed over and embraced Yun Jin with joy. "I broke through! I finally broke through!"

Yun Jin laughed with her. "Congratulations, Senior Sister."

"It's all thanks to your teaching!" Si Wanning beamed.

Though the Lotus Bloom Sword Art was only a mid-grade Xuan-tier technique, reaching the seventh level at her age put her far ahead of her peers.

She even felt she could go toe-to-toe with Yue Zhao now!

And just as she thought of Yue Zhao, he returned.

Seeing Si Wanning holding Yun Jin so tightly, his eyes widened. He immediately turned away. "My apologies, I saw nothing. I never imagined the two of you would…"

Si Wanning couldn't be bothered with his nonsense. She drew her sword and shouted, "Senior Brother, come fight me!"

Before Yue Zhao could react, her blade was already in front of him.

Caught off guard, he had no choice but to defend.

This time, Yun Jin cheerfully pulled out her signature trio: the little stool, a teacup, and a bag of sunflower seeds.

She settled in comfortably, enjoying the spectacle.