Elara seized the rope of the wooden bucket, expertly cast it into the deep pool, then, with a swift pull, hauled up a brimming pail of crystalline spring water. She effortlessly hoisted the bucket high above her head and, with a decisive flick of her wrist, whoosh—the entire volume cascaded from her crown to her feet.
"Ah, wonderfully refreshing!"
"Truly invigorating!"
Elara and another youth exclaimed in near-perfect unison, their voices laced with satisfaction.
It was hardly surprising; it was the height of summer, the heat sweltering and oppressive. Both stood bare-chested, and the shock of icy mountain spring water drenching them was an unadulterated pleasure, every inch of their skin tingling with soothing comfort.
"Heh heh! Junior Sister Elara, you certainly possess a knack for finding prime locations. To think you even managed to unearth such a secluded little pool," remarked one of the youths—the one with a somewhat stern, focused demeanor.
"This is hardly a feat. I've discovered many places far more difficult to access. Regrettably, none boasted water as limpid and revitalizing as this," the other youth—Elara—accepted the compliment with a complete lack of false modesty.
The second youth was indeed Elara; her companion was Leric Stormblade, present to collect his medicinal supply.
Ever since Leric had first received the pain-relieving powder from Elara and sampled its effects, he'd found it remarkably efficacious; the torment inflicted by the Bone-Gnawing Pill was substantially diminished.
From that point onward, Leric found himself utterly dependent on it. Each time the pill's effects flared, if he was without Elara's powder, he could no longer endure the heart-piercing, bone-chilling agony. Consequently, the supply originally projected to last a full year had been entirely depleted by Leric within a mere handful of months.
Tormented to the very precipice of collapse by that inhuman pain, Leric had been left with no alternative but to steel himself and proactively seek out Elara, requesting she concoct another batch of the medicine.
At this juncture, Elara was deeply engrossed in devising methods to enhance her own strength. Upon learning that Leric had gained entry to the Stone Fist Outpost's core training facility, the Hall of Seven Arts, for advanced tutelage, she had directly proposed an exchange: her meticulously prepared elixirs for the refined martial techniques taught within the Hall.
Leric, acutely aware that his remaining years were few, had agreed to this proposition with surprising alacrity, readily assenting to all terms.
To ensure their clandestine transactions remained undetected by outsiders, Elara had identified several exceptionally secluded locations within the vast Rosycloud Range—a mountain chain stretching for over a dozen leagues—to serve as their meeting points.
The pair would rendezvous secretly at regular intervals. Elara would deliver the prepared elixirs, and Leric, in return, would impart some of the advanced martial techniques he had acquired from the Hall of Seven Arts.
Thus, both parties found the arrangement mutually satisfactory, and these private transactions had persisted for well over half a year.
During these six months of regular contact, both Leric and Elara discovered a genuine affinity for one another. Unwittingly, they had forged a true friendship, one where they could speak openly about almost anything.
Leric was exceptionally pleased with the clandestine locations Elara had secured, particularly this hidden sanctuary with its small pool. The area was entirely encircled by towering cliffs and sheer precipices, cradling a modest basin-like depression. The sole path leading to it was a cleverly concealed narrow cave, so constricted that one was forced to crawl on hands and knees to traverse it. The cave's exit, even more ingeniously, was camouflaged within the hollow of an ancient oak tree that grew flush against the cliff face.
Most critically, in the stifling heat of summer, the presence of such a cool and inviting pool was an extraordinary boon. After a session of limbering up and engaging in some spirited sparring, dousing oneself with the frigid water here was an incomparably blissful experience.
Having finished their invigorating splash, Elara tilted her head to gauge the sun's position. "That Serpent's Coils Technique you taught me last time," she began, "is excessively forceful and rigid. I don't believe it suits my style particularly well. Do you happen to know any techniques that are more agile and fluid?"
"Junior Sister Elara," Leric replied, shooting her a wry glance, his tone tinged with mild exasperation, "do you genuinely imagine the Hall of Seven Arts is a domain where I, Leric, dictate all terms? That I can simply elect to learn any martial art I fancy? I, too, am restricted to selecting only a small fraction for my studies. My cultivation path inclines towards the yang and the overtly powerful; consequently, I naturally gravitate towards those formidable and domineering ultimate skills."
"But Senior Brother Leric is no ordinary disciple! He's the very epitome of excellence among us, a prodigy destined to become a core elite. How can he possibly be compared to the common practitioners within the Hall of Seven Arts?" Elara offered a somewhat sheepish smile, sensing his slight displeasure, and quickly stepped forward to deliver a few well-chosen words of flattery.
"My, my, it isn't every day one receives such praise from our 'great genius' Elara," Leric teased, a ghost of a smile playing on his lips.
"What genius?" Elara retorted. "Am I not still consistently subdued by you in a mere handful of moves every single time?"
"Hmph! That is only because I employ my Source Energy Breath, overpowering finesse with brute force. That hardly counts as true martial prowess. Were I not to utilize my Source Energy, I daresay I would be unable to best you even within a hundred exchanges."
"And who, pray tell, would abstain from using their Source Energy in a genuine confrontation? Senior Brother Leric is being far too modest."
"Modest? I am not being modest in the slightest. You have never undergone systematic martial arts training, nor have you engaged in any formal spars. The sole discipline you've ever studied is that peculiar, utterly impractical secret art. To comprehend complex movements so thoroughly in such a brief span—if you are not a genius, then what are you? Speaking of which, that secret art possesses absolutely no discernible power. I truly cannot fathom why you persist in practicing it daily."
Elara managed a wry, internal smile, thinking: Do you honestly believe I wish to learn it? I'm in a precarious situation with no other recourse; I have no choice but to continue.
"Junior Sister Elara," Leric said, his voice softening with earnest concern, "it's not my intention to nag, but considering the prodigious talent you've demonstrated in learning martial arts over these past six months, you should earnestly consider abandoning that useless secret art and commit to learning some genuine skills from me. I give you my word: within two years, you'll distinguish yourself and make a significant name for yourself within the outpost. Then, the two of us can join forces and reign supreme amongst the younger generation of Stone Fist Outpost. Would that not be a grand endeavor?" He admonished her once more, his sincerity palpable.
Elara felt a flicker of warmth at his words. Although he had reiterated this sentiment numerous times, to the point where her patience occasionally wore thin, she could still perceive and appreciate the genuine conviction underpinning his advice.
Elara gently shook her head, a silent refusal, and then skillfully diverted the conversation. "Within the Hall of Seven Arts, are there truly no martial disciplines that don't rely heavily on Source Energy Breath? None that can overcome an opponent purely through refined skill and technique?"
Leric, observing Elara's deliberate shift in topic and her evident reluctance to rehash this familiar argument, chose not to press the matter further. He sensed that she, much like himself, probably harbored certain unspoken burdens and constraints.
He lowered his gaze, pondering intently for a moment, then looked up. "Actually," he began slowly, "there is indeed one such… peculiar sword art. It seems it can be employed without significant reliance on the wielder's intensity of Source Energy. However…"
"However, what?" Elara's eyes lit up. The prospect of a martial art genuinely suited to her filled her with sudden elation, and she eagerly pressed him for details.
"However, this particular set of sword forms has languished in the archives of the Hall of Seven Arts for over a century, and not a single individual has ever succeeded in cultivating it. Legend has it that even the senior outpost elder who devised this very sword art passed away without ever mastering it himself. The name of this sword art is also rather… eccentric. It's called Blink Strike Swordplay. An odd name, wouldn't you agree?" Leric himself sounded a note of marvel as he recounted the tale of this enigmatic technique.