Chapter 441: Silver Moon Overhead
“Deputy Commander Nie is back!”
“Deputy Commander Nie, I still can’t master that ‘Fishing the Moon from Water’ technique. Could you give me some pointers?”
...
As soon as Nie Honglou returned, the Silver Sky Mercenary Corps erupted into chaos. The mercenary soldiers swarmed around him like stars encircling the moon, crowding him in the center.
Among them, young women were the majority. Each one cast flirtatious glances at Nie Honglou, as if chasing after their dream lover, their excitement palpable.
One had to admit, Nie Honglou’s appearance was indeed extraordinary. He was exceptionally handsome, with delicate features, a sturdy build, and astonishingly high talent—naturally earning the admiration of countless young women.
Nie Honglou smiled and said, “Today, I’d like to introduce a guest to all of you. If any of you encounter a bottleneck in your sword techniques, you can ask him for advice. He’s certainly capable of guiding you.”
With that, Nie Honglou pointed toward Zhang Ruochen.
Only then did the crowd notice that a young man was standing beside Nie Honglou.
Though this young man wasn’t as devilishly handsome as Nie Honglou, he was still refined and spirited, with a unique aura that made him approachable.
Dozens of eyes fixed on Zhang Ruochen all at once, yet he showed no sign of nervousness, remaining calm and composed.
A female mercenary with a ponytail stepped forward. She wore long iron boots and carried a serpent-shaped battle sword on her back, stopping directly in front of Zhang Ruochen.
“He looks like he’s not even twenty-five. Can he really teach us anything?”
She scrutinized Zhang Ruochen from head to toe, frowned slightly, and shook her head gently, clearly unimpressed.
Martial artists could use true qi to nourish their bodies and slow aging, but their eyes never lied. Any skilled martial artist could discern a person’s true age from their gaze.
This female mercenary, named Tu Ling, had reached the Heavenly Extreme Realm Great Perfection and was ranked on the Heavenly Roll. She served as a minor leader in the Silver Sky Mercenary Corps.
Given her strength, she naturally wouldn’t take a young man barely over twenty seriously.
Nie Honglou chuckled and said, “Tu Ling, you’ve been at the Heavenly Extreme Realm Great Perfection for seven years now, haven’t you? What’s your current rank on the Heavenly Roll?”
Though proud and aloof, Tu Ling remained respectful toward Nie Honglou, her elder. She quickly bowed and replied, “Reporting to Deputy Commander, I’m currently ranked 84,720th on the Heavenly Roll.”
Nie Honglou remarked, “Your progress is quite fast. I recall that last year, you were still ranked after the 200,000th place.”
Tu Ling puffed out her full chest, lifted her chin with confidence, and smiled. “Last year, during a mission, I obtained a millennium spiritual herb. After refining it, my cultivation advanced significantly, allowing me to break into the top 100,000 of the Heavenly Roll.”
“If I can also master the Ghost-grade lower-rank sword technique ‘Moon-Shattering Sword Art’ passed down by the Commander, my ranking on the Heavenly Roll will surely improve even further.”
Tu Ling had been practicing the Moon-Shattering Sword Art for five years and was only one step away from the Great Perfection stage.
Nie Honglou shook his head. “Your talent is already quite good, but compared to this young brother beside me, you’re still far behind.”
Tu Ling was unconvinced. “Deputy Commander, you’re underestimating me. I may not have broken through to the Fish-Dragon Realm, but I haven’t wasted these years either—I’ve been improving every moment. Do you really think Heavenly Roll martial artists are so easily dismissed?”
“Swish!”
Tu Ling snorted, channeled her true qi, and raised her finger.
The serpent-shaped crystal sword on her back, drawn by the true qi, flew out of its sheath and landed in her hand.
Twin whirlwinds formed beneath Tu Ling’s legs as she charged forward rapidly. At the same time, she thrust her sword swiftly, executing a move from the Moon-Shattering Sword Art.
Instantly, thirty-six sword shadows appeared before the battle sword, all striking simultaneously at thirty-six vital points across Zhang Ruochen’s body.
Zhang Ruochen merely smiled faintly. His body shifted slightly, creating multiple afterimages of his movement technique.
A moment later, all those afterimages merged back into one.
Zhang Ruochen stood exactly where he had been, as if he had never moved at all.
Tu Ling was momentarily startled and prepared to strike again, only to realize that her sword was now in Zhang Ruochen’s hand.
What had just happened?
“My sword…”
Tu Ling’s expression changed. She immediately formed a palm technique and attacked Zhang Ruochen.
Zhang Ruochen took a step back, easily evading Tu Ling’s assault, and swung his arm, tossing the serpent-shaped sword into the air. The battle sword flew in a circle around Tu Ling and, with a clatter, returned to its sheath.
“Sword-controlling technique—Sword Heart Illumination.”
Tu Ling halted her attack and stood still, her eyes wide with shock, as if seeing the young man before her in a new light.
So young, yet he had achieved Sword Heart Illumination?
Though she was a Heavenly Roll expert, she was still far from reaching the realm of Sword Heart Illumination.
Encountering a young martial artist who had mastered Sword Heart Illumination, Tu Ling was filled with admiration. She no longer looked down on Zhang Ruochen as before; instead, her eyes showed respect and reverence.
“May I ask your name, sir?” Tu Ling cupped her hands and asked.
Zhang Ruochen returned the gesture. “Zhang Ruochen.”
Tu Ling’s face lit up with a knowing expression. “So it’s the new-generation king. To have the Silver Sky Mercenary Corps graced by your presence—no wonder you’ve achieved Sword Heart Illumination at such a young age. Admirable! Admirable!”
“He’s Zhang Ruochen, one of the six kings of the new generation?”
“Legend has it that he defeated the young master of the Black Market First Class Hall and was the top among the newest batch of saint disciples recruited by the Holy Academy this year.”
“What is he doing at the Silver Sky Mercenary Corps?”
“They say his mastery of the sword has reached the realm of Sword Heart Illumination. If he could teach us a few sword techniques, it would definitely boost our strength.”
...
The surrounding mercenaries had mostly heard of Zhang Ruochen’s name and many tales about him. Some of the younger martial artists had even set him as their goal to strive toward. Now, seeing him in person, they were naturally quite excited.
Soon, people approached Zhang Ruochen, sharing the difficulties they faced in sword cultivation and hoping he could guide them.
Zhang Ruochen was patient, a smile always on his face. He discussed sword techniques and martial arts with the Silver Sky Mercenary Corps members, occasionally sharing his own insights into the sword.
About an hour later, in the central area of the Silver Sky Mercenary Corps, the gate of a tower building rumbled open.
A faint white light emanated from within, and a tall woman stepped out from the glow. She had long silver hair, a cold and elegant demeanor, and an icy gaze. Dressed in boots and armor, she revealed her smooth, flat abdomen.
She was the commander of the Silver Sky Mercenary Corps—Silver Moon Overhead.
Silver Moon Overhead stood on the stone steps, first glancing toward Zhang Ruochen with a slight frown, then looking at Nie Honglou with a questioning expression.
Nie Honglou bowed to Silver Moon Overhead and used sound transmission to relay something to her. She nodded thoughtfully, her expression contemplative.
Finally, her gaze settled back on Zhang Ruochen, and she walked over.
Seeing Silver Moon Overhead emerge, the mercenaries of the Silver Sky Mercenary Corps fell silent and stepped aside, solemn and respectful, bowing to her.
“Greetings, Commander!” they said in unison.
“So this is the commander of the Silver Sky Mercenary Corps—Silver Moon Overhead?”
Zhang Ruochen’s gaze fixed on the woman emerging from the tower, studying her carefully.
Silver Moon Overhead appeared to be in her early twenties, with a flawless figure—full chest and hips, a slender waist, and especially her two long, jade-like legs exposed outside her armor, crystalline and pure as egg white, without any blemish.
Though clad in armor with a cold demeanor, she exuded an incredibly seductive aura.
Yet Zhang Ruochen noticed that even when he infused true qi into his eye meridians, he couldn’t clearly see Silver Moon Overhead’s true features.
It was as if she stood in another dimension. He could only see her silhouette, not her true form.
No—that was her true form.
It was simply that her cultivation was too high, far beyond mortal limits, and she had stepped onto the true sacred path. That was why Zhang Ruochen couldn’t see through her.
Of course, if Zhang Ruochen activated his Heavenly Eye, he could still see Silver Moon Overhead’s face and even discern her cultivation level. But doing so would be highly disrespectful and would surely provoke her anger.
“Her cultivation has reached such a profound level—she must be close to the Half-Saint realm.”
Zhang Ruochen could clearly sense that with every step Silver Moon Overhead took, the world’s spiritual energy trembled, as if she had become the center of the surrounding world.
In her presence, even if Zhang Ruochen released his martial soul, he couldn’t mobilize the world’s spiritual energy.
Though Zhang Ruochen’s talent was already exceptional, there was always a sky beyond the sky and people beyond the people. In the Eastern Domain, there were still many remarkable talents and geniuses.
Both Silver Moon Overhead and Nie Honglou could be called outstanding talents, surpassing even most of the saint disciples in the Holy Academy in terms of natural ability.