Maiden Of The Splitting Moon

Perhaps, through their experience as a soldier, they could feel the quiet bloodlust coming from her. It wasn't overwhelming or oppressive but it was unsettling, like a needle prickling at your skin. 

The two commanders both felt it and they couldn't help but feel surprised. 

"Such dense killing intent and yet, it is controlled. How much killing would it take to reach such a level? Several thousand? And so young!" they thought. 

"Perhaps, you really can do this without our help", said Yu Zhen, "In that case, you can spend the next month or two training or hunting, with us or alone. It is up to you, you may go now." 

Ming Yue bowed and left with her two pets. 

As for Zi Jing and Yu Zhen, they both turned back to the war table and looked at it. 

"We'll need a detailed map of the swamps, plot a course, and plan from there."

"I need to bring this to the others to dissect. When is that supply ship suppose to come?"

"In a few days, but we should scout the area better...."

At this point, everyone was getting busy and in the weeks to come, it had grown colder. However, Ming Yue did not let up on her own training. 

Without her sword, she had lost her main way of fighting but that only meant she had to evaluate what she did have. And while Drifting Sky was not available, she still had the Pearlstone Dagger, a Lower-Divine Grade dagger. Furthermore, her Changing Clouds Armor would boost her power once it transforms. 

"I could ask Commander Zi Jing if he can strengthen these two but... it would be better if he focuses on the lizards. Rather, this dagger... I have to try a few things with it."

She played with the dagger in her hands as she stood by the lakeshore. 

"It's speed triples when I fill it with my energy... but only when thrown. What if I use the dagger to execute my techniques? How would that work?" 

Thinking this, She held it in her hand just like with Drifting Sky and began to circulate her energy. Building it up she let it flow into the dagger, causing wind and lightning to encase it in a thin layer. 

Aiming at the sky, she swung out, letting loose a blade wind.

It flew from her dagger and into the sky, climbing until it reached the clouds and vanished. Her eyes snapped back to it as if a light had gone up in her head. 

"I understand now, Realm of a Hundred Swords! My progression was wrong."

But with this one attack, how was she so sure?

"I shouldn't have started with the stick, a dagger would've made much more sense. I should start with things closer to Drifting Sky."

She examined her dagger before using another technique. 

In the span of a single night, she had executed all of her sword techniques with the Pearlstone Dagger, something she had never attempted before. After all, she had no reason to do so before. 

And at the end of it, Ming Yue's suspicions were made true. 

"Starting with the branch would've been much more difficult or impossible. But at least with the dagger, it is a more reasonable start. The sensation is a bit different compared to Drifting Sky, I need less power to attack but the techniques themselves also come out a bit smaller. I think I understand what this stage is about. The essence of the sword is ourselves, our energy. In order to be able to use anything as a sword, I must adjust my energy accordingly and fluidly. I need flexibility."

Through this, she understood what Realm of a Hundred Swords was meant to be. She could not change the fact that a sword and a dagger are different or that a stick cannot compare to her weapon. Rather, she must change how she interacts with these items, she cannot treat them like a sword but turn them into one. 

As with the Pearlstone Dagger, it is different from Drifting Sky but just like it, she can use her techniques with this dagger. All that she needed to do was to adjust her strength and change how she used it. 

But despite figuring it out, she was still at a fundamental wall. 

"I'm still in Return to Simplicity... I could certainly practice it but... making any significant improvements wouldn't happen."

Ming Yue found this situation a bit vexing. 

"Wait, in order to complete this stage, I just need to be able to perfectly mesh my energies together. Using Drifting Sky was just a way of helping me do so but it isn't necessary! I could just use the dagger or even my hands! Ah, why didn't I think of this before?!"

"Yeah, why didn't you?"

Xue Yue suddenly chimed in with a mocking tone. Ming Yue could almost see the smirk on her counterpart. 

"Why are you awake? I thought you'd wake up if something happens to me so you can switch", she muttered. 

Xue Yue chuckled. 

"What? I'm not always asleep! Besides, having someone watch your back is good, no?"

"Sure, watching my back..."

"Come on, it was pretty obvious just how much you depended on Drifting Sky. Sure, we aren't doing too bad without it but it certainly feels strange, right?"

Ming Yue put away her dagger as the sun began to rise. She watched it while conversing with her other half. 

"What of it, we don't exactly have a choice, do we? I could always ask for it back but that would be disrespectful to Yin Bing. I doubt the World Serpent would want to do it again", she replied. 

"True, true. Besides, I'm not just awake for fun. It seems like something is happening inside the camp."

The young cultivator looked around, sensing her surroundings. 

Looking back at the camp, she noticed everyone gathering around, forming two battalions before walking towards the lakeshore. For a moment, Ming Yue was confused but she soon realized why. 

"Today is when the next supply ship comes, I heard that there are some special guests coming to join."

She turned back and looked at the lake, spotting a small dot coming towards them. Walking away, she moved towards the back, watching from afar instead. 

In minutes, the dot slowly grew bigger and bigger before one could recognize it as the silhouette of a ship. And when had certainly begun, the ship had arrived, beaching itself onto the lakeshore. From there, sailors and other soldiers got off, bring with them crates of supplies. Apart from them were a group of six people, all of whom wore similar uniforms, light grey with accents of green. 

As a matter of fact, they were other cultivators, a mixed group of three men and three women. 

Standing on the sand, they looked around before talking to each other, studying the area. 

"Senior Sister, are you sure you want to do this?" one of them asked. 

This senior sister was a woman in her mid-twenties while the others were a year or two younger. Her uniform was the exact same save for several silver strips on her shoulders. Sheathed in their scabbards were two swords hanging from her waist. 

There was a very kindly expression on her face. Her mouth as curled into a small smile while her thing eyes revealed little of her thoughts. Her hair was of a light brown color that was tied back into two ponytails reaching below her shoulders. 

Apart from that was her height or lack thereof as she was not only short, she was shorter than all of her juniors. Perhaps, somewhere around five feet, several inches shorter than Ming Yue. Still, her strength and seniority were not to trifled with. 

"Yes, Junior Shao. This is an extremely new and chaotic place.. If it is here, we will be able to gain some experience and reputation."