Chapter 23: Chapter Twenty-Three: Living Life
As the sun in the sky had fallen, with the moon to take its place alongside the stars, there were two individuals lying on the ground in opposition to one another. They were both unconscious, but a smile remained on their faces.
A blonde teenager with burnt clothing and marks across his face sprawled out against the floor while holding a blade made of light blue ice.
In his opposition, was a young man with black hair and ice marks and cuts all across his clothing and body. His sword was also drawn, a crimson red blade with black accents across its blade. Its handle was being worn out over time, but with this battle it had been severely damaged due to the constant changes in temperature.
The two blades felt respect for one another, as their respective masters had fought valiantly against one another. The sheer control over their own body and the elements had allowed them to exert their own strength to the maximum.
[Aurora] and [Wentian] were their respective names. Although the elements that made up their respective bodies were contrary to one another, they did not reject one another as they had thought.
Note: Wentian: Asking the Sky/Heavens, Xin Che: Clear Heart
They knew this as the location of where the Frozen Moon and the Blazing Sun had met created a swirl of fire and ice. It gathered the spiritual energy in its surroundings, creating a nurturing force to all those around it. Plants grew much faster and a healing energy surrounded the area.
It was due to this reason that Yanqing and Xin Che were healing rapidly when in reality they would spend months if not years recuperating.
…
"Hey, student Jing Ming, are you ready for another bout?" An enthusiastic voice spoke out with intent to mess with his new friend. His arms reached over to see what his new friend was doing.
Yanqing's focused glare soon redirected its gaze towards the speaker, Xin Che. The two had gotten along extremely well as they had known one another through their fight.
The best way for a Sword Cultivator to know another is through a fight after all, and only in a fight can one show who they truly are. For example, one could see that Xin Che was someone who refused to go along with what others wanted.
He was sturdy, stubborn, and persistent like the earth in its manner. Yet, when there was something that interested him there was none that could stop his fiery passion that ignored all things in its path. It was a greediness that Yanqing himself could not understand.
Yanqing himself had called Xin Che a teacher because that was proper etiquette as he was learning from him. Neither side held back in their fights, but Xin Che saw the opportunity to tease Yanqing at every opportunity.
The two had clashed for the past two years as they continued to hone their skill against one another, until the moment that Xin Che finally broke through to Middle Core Formation. Their previous balance had now been broken, with Xin Che harassing Yanqing with his superior energy storages.
Now that Xin Che was stronger than Yanqing, he would abuse the title given to him by Yanqing, which he found amusing.
This would not annoy Yanqing normally as he would agree almost instantly to it as he was a strong opponent and friend, but now there were problems that he faced.
He was planning on breaking through to the late stage within the next few years as well, before performing the [Three Revolutions Technique] in order to guarantee his breakthrough to Core Formation.
This soured Yanqing's mood immensely as he would not be able to fight against Xin Che during the periods of time when he was recultivating. So he took on every opportunity to spar against him, but he soon faced a bottle-neck in his sword arts.
This threw Yanqing in the dumps as he believed he was peerlessly talented in the Sword, which he is, but there were limits due to his current realm. Certain moves he had developed could only be used when his physique reached the next level.
Body refining techniques were not an option either as finding them proved to be the most difficult thing ever as even Xin Che did not have a proper one.
Body refining was not as simple as bathing or training physically as it was also a science. Just like how formations studied the world around them, the strongest body refiner would be like a doctor.
They would understand the inner and outer parts of the human body to the extreme, but due to the decline of body cultivators in general as resources depleted, they went into near extinction.
Due to this issue, everyone just used regular Qi Cultivation with no regards to anything else. Finding a proper body refinement method was difficult as well, since each one was delicately made. If one attempted to switch from one to another, the best cause would be crippling oneself.
Creating a method was also hard since they did not have any way to save themselves in case they messed up and experienced Qi Deviation, effectively going crazy.
As a result of all this, Yanqing soon poured all of his pain and motivation to get vengeance on Xin Che into studying formations further. He was planning on giving him a nice surprise the next time his opponent used earth fire.
'My shot will not miss you next time. When I break through I will not go easy on you.' Yanqing evilly thought to himself.
Looking back on the fights, it was usually Yanqing who initiated it as he would pester Xin Che. How the tables have turned. He would also do it during times when Xin Che was busy with formations or cultivating.
It was only fair that Xin Che did the same.
Although the two had a decade of age difference, the two got along with one another. Sometimes he felt that Xin Che acted younger than himself. Though, Yanqing himself was not one to say this at all.
To outsider's their arguments would be the same as a children's play fight as they would argue back and forth denying what the other had said.
Sometimes the arguments were about sword sheaths, guards, and forms. One of the biggest arguments the two had were about guards as when one was flying on their sword, a guard would make it less aerodynamic.
The two argued for several days before they remembered that they could put it to the test, but as they flew a clear winner was decided. Yanqing originally focused on his speed, with his several swords complimenting his own sharpness with his sword arts.
This meant that he already had the foundation set regardless of whether or not he had a guard. The baffled face on Xin Che was priceless, maybe if he could take a photo it would sell well.
'The photo of the legendary Core Formation Elder of the Xin Family, the Blazing Sword Fanatic, had this face on him!" A smile always appeared on Yanqing's face whenever he imagined doing this to troll Xin Che.
Xin Che would not be amused, unless it was he who did it to Yanqing instead.
From the outside, the two were polar opposites as Xin Che would often face others with a dominating and arrogant attitude, seeing those who do not interest him as less than ants.
Yanqing would answer politely to others no matter what, which had already created a good reputation from the Xin family and others in the Longxin city.
Yet like Xin Che, Yanqing had some flaws when he came to their territory. The funniest part that Xin Che had found was that the ones that Yanqing had originally spoken with were the ones that were anti-social.
Since cultivators spend several decades to several hundred years in seclusion and in cultivation, one would forget communication skills. This would lead to internal embarrassment and cause them to answer with short responses.
When Yanqing was told by Xin Che, his cheeks puffed and expanded outwards. It was similar to a creature called the Autumn Rat as it would often store seeds and other plants within its mouth before the winter causing it to expand.
These memories were engraved in the two of them as they continued to fight and spar each day.
The two acted pretentiously towards one another in their spars as every new move created would be copied by their opponent. It was interesting at first, but their inspiration kept on getting copied by one another.
Their fighting styles adapted to one another as they understood the [Sword] philosophy each one carried. From each strike that Yanqing had struck, a sorrowful feeling remained in his blade.
Both [Wentian] and himself understood what this had meant, and it wouldn't be bad to help a friend out after all. This would make their adversary and rival much stronger after all.
Just as Yanqing had understood Xin Che, he too had understood what Yanqing was like. A reminiscent feeling appeared in Xin Che as he recalled a time when he was just like that. Yet, that did not stop him from walking forward to the path of defying the heavens.
After all, the very act of cultivating is defying the heavens.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
Reader_Noti
Reader_Noti Sorry for the shorter chapter. I wanted to add some slice of life and also some more characterization for Xin Che.
There will probably be another chapter in a few hours.
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