Heavenly Opposers

Li Lun held the bow, her heart beating faster, her mind frozen. For a moment, she forgot that she couldn't see, the pain that haunted her dissolving into illusions. Only she and the target remained before her. She couldn't see, but for a moment, she felt that everything was clear: the wind that blew, the breathing of Xiao, the sounds that were spread across her.

Everything looked beautiful. Her 'aura' focused on the target, and her breathing became even. Deep within her soul, several power chains could be found bound around something, something dark and sinister, and within those chains, a small crack took place. A very minuscule one, but it rattled the entire chain, beginning a chain reaction. For a moment, a dark power tried to spread, but it was held back. The chain stood strong, holding the power back.

Back in reality, Li Lun strengthened her hold on her bow, her arms aiming toward her target. Everything froze for a moment, and then the arrow was released from her hands. The moment it did, time moved for her. As she found herself back, she heard a thud as the arrow had hit the target.

"Amazing..."

Xiao's voice reached her ears. She raised her head, 'looking' at the target, trying to feel where the arrow had struck, and she could tell that it had hit the middle. 'Seeing' it, her heart started beating faster, while her hands trembled in excitement. For the first time since her fall, she felt an emotion she thought she had lost.

She felt... pride! Deep, gushing pride that made her lightheaded. For the first time since her awakening, she felt accomplished. She had done something without the help of anyone else. Granted, in the grand cosmos of cultivation, it's nothing, but it was still hers. It was her achievement and no one else's! This was enough to fill her heart with the desperate satisfaction she needed.

And just as she was relishing in her victory over fate, she felt a familiar hand patting her head, making her heart beat faster. He was just her age, but whenever he patted her head, she would feel happy and, for some reason, content. It was bizarre, but in no way did she hate it. No, she was coming to love it.

"Looks like I was right. You have some inhuman talent in archery."

Xiao spoke, each of his words making her heart beat faster. She never thought that she would love a weapon, but here she was holding this bow. She felt right at home, and all of this was attributed to the boy beside her. She couldn't begin to think of how much her heart weighed for him.

"Th-Thank y-you."

Li Lun spoke with choked emotion. No one could know how much this meant to her. In a world where she needed others' help to survive, in a world where she was nothing but dust, having something to call her own was beyond help. It was... her salvation. Xiao had pointed out a path for her, such that she wouldn't fall into the pit many before she had.

Again, tears she thought had dried started to spill. But this time, it wasn't one of sadness, but of relief. It would seem that whenever she was down, he would be beside her, helping her move forward. And the feelings that were in her heart grew once more. Embers that were burning were evolving into flames that filled her heart. Again, a small crack filled the chains that bound her soul. Even though the changes were small, it was still a change, something that would snowball into something that would break all adversaries before her.

"Silly girl, all I showed you was away. Everything else is your achievement."

Xiao said as he looked at the tearful Li Lun. He was just showing her a path that she found by herself. All he did was push forward the timing, but it would seem that he had underestimated the worth of what he had shown. To Li Lun, it turned out to be a spark of life that she needed. He didn't say anything else as he stood beside her, being there for her.

After this, he spent the next hour helping Li Lun with archery. Even though he was no master, he still knew all the basics well. Hence he helped her improve. Well, improving would be an understatement, as she had outgrown him in skill within the first hour! Her hold, style, and shots improved at speeds beyond common sense.

If he were any other bow user, he would surely die with envy. But now, all he felt was a sense of satisfaction as he watched a smile spread across Li Lun's face. Just hearing her laugh and smile was more than enough. She had suffered a lot in the past; maybe this time he could help alleviate the pain a bit.

They couldn't practice for long as Li Lun got tired. Because she had lost her legs and eyes, Li Lun didn't pay much attention to her cultivation. But now, with a path forward, renewed determination filled her heart. She took a vow to take her cultivation more seriously. Feeling Xiao beside her, her thoughts ran rampant.

'I won't be able to stand and fight beside you, but maybe I will 'stand' behind you and at least try to protect you.'

Her thoughts all lay in one day fighting beside Xiao, such that she wouldn't be a bother to him. That was now becoming her dearest wish and a part of her martial heart. A feeling that would only continue to grow with time.

She knew that her talents weren't that amazing, but she would try her best to one day be beside Xiao, helping him in his endeavors. Unknown to the changes he was causing, Xiao pushed Li Lun's wheelchair as he headed to the dining hall. Li Lun's father had called him and her for lunch.

Things from there weren't anything special. As he gave punctual words to Li Kai, and kept a respectful front, making Li Kai smile, they just chatted throughout the lunch. Li Kai learned about his daughter's talent in archery and smiled with happiness. Seeing that his child looked better, he gave Xiao a look full of gratitude.

Xiao just smiled at it as the three ate and talked, spending a calm and easy-going evening. After which he spent the next 2 hours talking with Li Lun. He spoke about his adventures and the things he faced. Of course, he didn't tell the truth. He just took up some stories from his past travels and added some more elements to them.

But that was more than enough to get Li Lun hooked. She would exclaim with happiness at the parts of the fight and curse out in sadness at any part where Xiao would get hurt. Overall, she was feeling envious of all the journeys Xiao went through. Moreover, she was sad about not being able to accompany Xiao.

Finally, after all the talks, he left the Li family under the saddened eyes of Li Lun. But he had promised to meet her the next day, thus finally getting her to stop sulking. Feeling more relaxed, Xiao headed back home.