Returning to Challenge

"I was hiding away and recovering from my injuries", Ming Yue replied nonchalantly.

"Oh I see, so when the signal from your badge disappeared for over a week, you were hiding, hmm?"

Elder Xiang looked at her carefully, seemingly doubting that this was all that happened.

Despite his words and action, Ming Yue did not crack and nodded.

"Yes, I hid within a small cave and chanced upon some medical herbs. The cave turned out to be a tunnel that led deep underground. I must have missed some incredible treasure if you could not find the signal."

As she lied, the elder stared at her and grinned.

"Hah! I'll stop prying now. An opportunity you find yourself is for your eyes only. At least I know that you are not as naive as I had thought. Let's depart. If you hadn't sent me that message, I would've given up and left you."

The both of them boarded the ship and set off to the gates of the garden.

Stepping onto the deck of the ship, Ming Yue was greeted by the fluffy embrace of her pets. Both of whom had charged towards her the moment they saw her. She couldn't help but laugh at their actions and embrace them tightly.

She looked at the elder, who had found a comfortable spot on top of the captain's cabin.

"Did my friends return safely?" she asked him.

"Yes, I picked them up and took them back. They're currently waiting at the gates and hoping that you come back alive. You know, there was only two more days until the thirty day deadline. Once it comes and goes, those that returned safely would have left regardless of whoever was still inside. After all, those that didn't return were probably dead. "

Ming Yue nodded. She really had gained much from this, more than she would have thought.

"Ah, almost forgot. They had informed me of a scuffle with one of the Saber Hall disciples, right? What was it?...Li Baojun, I think."

He rolled over and stared at the sky with amusement and interest.

"As far as I know, he has stolen your kill and returned to Heaven's Gate on the interim return ship. Well, now he's become one of those Elite Disciples after handing it in and so he's thrust himself into closed door training."

Ming Yue listened carefully and looked down at Xiao Yin and Hei Yue.

"I see."

"Yes, so...this is your chance to finish up that assignment I gave to you. To fight someone and win. remember?"

He sat up and grinned at her.

"Well so far, nothing has reached the criteria until now. You see, the Ren Huan Battelfield trip is one of the larger events that we have. We also make several other expeditions and whatnot to danger zones and all that. There are also many competitions as well, one of which is the Heavenly Gate Tournament. It's not a very creative name but it really is the best way to call it. It is the largest and most important event for everyone. The reason being is the prize, a day inside the "Empyrean Paradise" which is behind, as you may have guessed, a gate. This gate is known as "the" Heaven's Gate and can only be opened with the powers of the grand elder."

"So you want me to enter it?"

Ming Yue knew where he was going but she did not expect his next words.

"Yes, I want you to enter and to win first place. If not, then at least place top ten or else I'm not going to teach you the perfect technique."

"The perfect technique?!" Ming Yue was taken aback by his claims.

How could there be such a thing? A perfect technique could not exist! It was not possible.

Elder Xiang saw her reaction and his grin curved even more.

"Hah, I can tell you don't believe me. However, I am not an elder of Heaven's Gate for show. Alright, It's settled then, enter the competition, beat up that Li guy, and win! "

He wagged his finger at her, seemingly enjoying the teasing. Afterwards, he hopped off of the cabin's roof and retreated inside, leaving Ming Yue to her still cuddling pets. She could not imagine what technique the elder had in store and tried to take her mind off of it in vain.

In the hours it took to return, she spent all of it imagining what it would be. Powerful? Fast? Impactful? Difficult? Deadly? She didn't know what this perfect technique could be.

Even after arriving, she couldn't think of something and was interrupted by the Elder's calls.

"We're here! Hop off and go relax for a bit. We'll be leaving the next day."

Ming Yue did as he said and left the ship with Xiao Yin on her shoulder and Hei Yue walking next to her. Finding herself at the gates of the Ninth Flower Garden, she looked around, gazing at the tents and the people. Of the several hundred that came, there was only less than a hundred that were here.

She walked around until finding a tent, lit from the inside and revealing two familiar silhouettes.

"I hope she's okay..."

Anqing's generally cheerful and caring voice was instead somber and worrisome.

"I mean, the elder has returned. We should go to him and see if he found her."

Xukun's silhouette sat close to Anqing and his arm wrapped around her. His hopeful voice seemed to ease her a little but in both their minds, they knew that the chances were slim.

Then the flap opened and Ming Yue appeared. She dropped her sword to the side and both pets curled around her as she sat down. She looked at the two, giving them a small smile. If she had waited any longer, the atmosphere between the two would've become even sadder and she did not want to hear anymore of it.

As for her two friends, they were shocked, even speechless. They couldn't utter anything more than the first syllable of their words.

"Uh-ah-you-"

"How-ah-"

She didn't bother to wait for them to collect their thoughts and spoke first.

"Yes, I managed to survive and I did not get killed by the crow."

She couldn't help but chuckle at their stupor and after several minutes, Anqing was the first to return to her senses.

"You didn't die!" she jumped forward and embraced her.

Xukun was still shocked but nevertheless, the night was spent with Ming Yue detailing about her escape from the crow and how she had been surviving until the elder saved her. Of course, she had omitted her time at the fourth pavilion, sticking to the lie with the cave.

Friend or foe, what she had experienced was a secret that should not be spoken.

Still, both Anqing and Xukun were surprised and enthralled by her story.

The following day, they returned to the ship along with everyone else and prepared to leave.

"I can't wait to return, I'm going to hunt that Li Baojun down", Anqing rubbed her hands together in anticipation.

"Sure we can challenge him, but he's probably holed himself up in closed-door cultivation. We should focus on improving ourselves and wait for him to get out. Still, he's an Elite Disciple now, with much more resources too."

Xukun looked over her worriedly.

He was somewhat confident after obtaining a Metal Dao Root and the white sword from the garden. With both of these, he could focus on the later levels of his swordplay. It had stringent requirement for what swords could be used and as well as the level of attainments he had in the Dao of Metal. He thought himself incredibly lucky to have found these items. Still, he was unsure as to whether to could go against someone like Li Baojun.

Speaking their piece, Ming Yue looked at the two and shook her head.

"No, I'll take him down."

She spoke with detest and gripped her sword tightly. His methods were distasteful and his actions were shameless.

Once she returned, the first thing she would do was to go off into the world for experiential training. She had to solidify her new cultivation and the best way to do so was through battle! Once the tournament came, she would be ready.