Chapter 82 Handkerchief, the basic footwork of Shifting Form and Position

Xiao Yunxi naturally felt it.

A barely noticeable ripple arose in her heart.

But she thought it was unintentional, so she didn’t dwell on it much.

She gently blew on the edge of her bowl and then took a sip.

Her red lips were moist, and under the candlelight, they emitted an enchanting gloss, utterly captivating.

Seeing that Chen Mo hadn’t moved, Xiao Yunxi personally handed him a small bowl and said, "You should eat too."

"Thank you, Your Highness."

After a bit of polite exchange, Chen Mo also began to eat.

However, he didn’t eat as elegantly as Xiao Yunxi.

Noticing the grains of rice at the corner of Chen Mo’s mouth, Xiao Yunxi chuckled and said, "No one is rushing you, eat slower."

After speaking, she picked up a piece of yam for Chen Mo and said, "This yam is done well, very soft and tender. You should try it too."

"Thank you, Your Highness." After saying this, Chen Mo also reversed the gesture by picking a piece for Xiao Yunxi: "Your Highness, you need to nourish yourself, have some more."

Xiao Yunxi ate the piece of yam that Chen Mo had picked for her right before his eyes. After chewing a few bites, she took a mouthful of rice and said:

"Didn’t I say before? You don’t have to be so formal with me in the future, there’s no need to keep saying Your Highness."

"Understood."

"Your Highness, please try this too."

Xiao Yunxi: "..."

"I’m sorry, Your Highness, it slipped my tongue." Chen Mo pretended to be bashful as he scratched his head.

...

Originally, a meal that Chen Mo could finish in minutes.

But accompanying Xiao Yunxi, teasing her and making her laugh, extended it for half an hour, even without delaying his plan to go to Shenxiao Temple in the evening.

When Xiao Yunxi indicated that Cai’Er would take care of the cleaning, Chen Mo prepared to take his leave and head to Shenxiao Temple.

As she watched Chen Mo’s departing figure, Xiao Yunxi found herself wanting to stand and see him off.

But just as Xiao Yunxi stood up, Chen Mo suddenly turned around.

Hurriedly, Xiao Yunxi said, "Having just finished dining, I thought to take a walk; do you need something?"

"Reporting to Your Highness, it’s night, and the temperature has dropped. If you plan to take a walk, please wear more to avoid catching a cold," Chen Mo responded.

Given that it was summer, though the night cooled, the temperature wasn’t too low.

But did Xiao Yunxi care about that now?

Feeling only Chen Mo’s deep concern, her heart rippled like a tranquil lake into which a stone had been thrown, and she nodded slightly: "I understand."

"With that, this servant takes his leave." Chen Mo bowed and performed a salute.

"Wait." Xiao Yunxi suddenly stopped Chen Mo.

"Hmm?" Chen Mo looked puzzled.

"Wipe your mouth..." Xiao Yunxi suddenly produced a white handkerchief and handed it to Chen Mo, then said, "Since you’ll be meeting the State Preceptor, it’s better to be mindful of your appearance to avoid disgracing Weiyang Palace."

"Understood." After wiping his mouth, Chen Mo didn’t return the handkerchief to Xiao Yunxi but instead tucked it into his chest.

Just as Chen Mo was leaving Weiyang Palace, Cai’Er happened to ask him what his favorite food was, and he almost said pear reflexively.

He quickly changed it to strawberries.

...

When Chen Mo arrived at Shenxiao Temple.

Zhao Fujin had already arrived in advance.

She wore a green waist-cinched robe, her features delicate and gentle, very pure and dignified, and stood on one leg atop a wooden stake.

Above Zhao Fujin, Lin Su Ya stood among the bamboo, speaking slowly: "Left three, horizontal four, right two, horizontal three..."

A clearing in the bamboo grove held 36 wooden stakes, arranged in a 6x6 formation.

The distance between each stake was one meter.

Following Lin Su Ya’s instructions, Zhao Fujin quickly leaped to the stake in the third row, fourth column on the left, then swiftly shifted to the stake in the second row, third column on the right.

Chen Mo watched silently, not uttering a sound.

At first, Zhao Fujin’s speed was somewhat slow.

But moments later, her speed increased, and shadows appeared on the stakes, even showing a hint of Shifting Form and Position.

Later on, Chen Mo couldn’t even see the shadows.

He could only activate the Ancient Heavy Pupils, which broke down Zhao Fujin’s movement paths, even revealing a complete trajectory in Chen Mo’s mind. Using the Heavy Pupils, he found a flaw within it.

If he aimed at the stake in the fourth row, second column on the left, he would hit Zhao Fujin.

As thoughts flowed, following the analyzed movement path, Chen Mo’s steps began to move seemingly on their own.

Initially, he was clumsy, constantly needing to watch Zhao Fujin for clearer breakdowns through the Heavy Pupils.

But later, Chen Mo found the path seemed to integrate into his very being, becoming part of himself.

His movements grew more agile.

Below the stakes, Chen Mo’s figure transformed into a series of shadows, continuously sweeping across the clearing.

His speed surpassed even Zhao Fujin’s by a bit.

Standing among the bamboo leaves, Lin Su Ya raised an eyebrow, a hint of surprise flickering in her gaze, and with a flick of her Duster, her figure vanished.

When she reappeared, it was at a spot in the clearing.

This was the next position Chen Mo was set to reach.

Indeed, as Lin Su Ya appeared, Chen Mo’s figure was also about to reach it, forcing him to brake quickly.

However, as it was his first attempt and because of his rapid pace, he couldn’t stop in time, and directly stumbled toward Lin Su Ya.

Lin Su Ya’s expression remained calm, unmoving.

Instantly, a torrent of True Qi surged from her, enveloping the entire bamboo grove.

Chen Mo suddenly felt as if everything in the world had lost its color.

The bamboo leaves turned gray and white.

Chen Mo’s figure abruptly halted.

When the colors returned, Chen Mo found himself suddenly falling to the ground, still a good distance away from Lin Su Ya.

Even though he had been less than a half-arm’s length away just moments ago.

"Just as expected, such an extraordinary comprehension! Just by observing once, you’ve comprehended this far." Lin Su Ya was delighted; an unchanging face unexpectedly broke into a smile, feeling as if she had found treasure.

She then said, "In that case, you can train with Fujin tonight."

"What?" Chen Mo was still a bit dazed, not quite understanding what Lin Su Ya was saying.

On the stakes, Zhao Fujin had already stopped moving, gazing at Chen Mo with astonishment in her eyes.

Under Lin Su Ya’s explanation.

Chen Mo finally understood.

It turned out Zhao Fujin had cultivated Harmonize with the Light and Dust to a transcendent level.

What Lin Su Ya was teaching now was the fundamental steps of Shifting Form and Position; as soon as Zhao Fujin mastered these steps, she would be able to shift her form and position.

But Chen Mo, not having reached transcendence, could already grasp the fundamental moves for Shifting Form and Position, truly astounding both Lin Su Ya and Zhao Fujin.

So, Lin Su Ya decided to have Chen Mo cultivate these steps in advance.

When Chen Mo’s Harmonize with the Light and Dust reaches transcendence, naturally he would be able to achieve Shifting Form and Position like her.

Even the basic steps of Shifting Form and Position could be compared to Earth Tier body technique martial arts.

Understanding this, Chen Mo happily agreed.