Chapter 192
Although Li Qingran had not yet reached the Golden Core stage, how old was she?
Not even twenty!
The youngest among the prodigies of the Sacred Land, Song Chiyue, was already twenty-seven.
In modern times, she would be on the verge of becoming a "leftover woman," a prime target for family matchmaking.
Unlike his little Qingran, still as fresh as a dewdrop~
“Master, how can you say that about those prodigies of the Sacred Land…”
Li Qingran stood on her tiptoes, lowering her voice.
Her small eyes darted around, wary of anyone eavesdropping on her master’s words.
It was said that the leaders of the Sacred Land were all about face, fiercely protective of their own.
Though her master hadn’t said much, the disdain in his tone was already a humiliation to the Sacred Land.
“I’m just speaking the truth.”
Chen Huai'an snapped open his folding fan, the ribs lightly brushing against Li Qingran’s chin, lifting it slightly.
The silver bells on his wrist jingled, and his little disciple stumbled back, nearly falling onto the dragon throne.
“Master!” Li Qingran hurriedly propped herself up with the sword sheath, the tassels entwined with a red cord swaying. In the sliver of light beneath the Sacred Throne, one could see the faint blush creeping up her ears, spreading down her neck like vermilion ink blooming on rice paper.
At that moment, they were very close.
Barely a fist’s distance apart.
Li Qingran gazed at Chen Huai'an’s face, and with just half a step forward, their lips would meet.
Could it be that her master wanted to…
“You’re about to enter the secret realm, so I have something for you.”
Chen Huai'an didn’t pull Li Qingran close just for mischief.
Having reached the pinnacle of Foundation Establishment, she had unlocked the ultimate reward—Sword Spirit Root.
And it was two pieces of Sword Spirit Root.
Just enough for him to use one and give one to Li Qingran.
Li Qingran stared at the silver sword floating in her master’s hand; there was no doubt it was a single Sword Spirit Root.
According to the "Tiangong Kaiwu Lu," there are three ways for spiritual veins to manifest: first, innate spiritual roots, which cultivators are born with; second, acquired transformation, using secret methods to graft; and third, the nurturing of heaven and earth, which is a mysterious creation.
Among them, the Sword Spirit Root is particularly special, not belonging to the five elements.
When the sword intent of a certain place condenses for a thousand years without dissipating, its sharpness can pierce through the earth’s veins, giving birth to sword-shaped crystal clusters within the essence of spirit stones. This object sings under the moonlight and hides in sunlight, requiring supreme sword intent to seal it, lest its spiritual resonance leak out.
Through some special secret methods, a cultivator’s spiritual root can also be extracted and sold as a resource.
However, this behavior is strictly prohibited by the righteous path and is usually the work of the demonic path.
Some ancient monsters, when they reach a bottleneck and their lifespan is nearing its end, may resort to desperate measures—either seizing the bodies of younger cultivators with better talents or taking others’ dantians, bodies, and spiritual roots to strengthen themselves. This not only helps them break through their bottleneck but also extends their lifespan… as for the more terrifying tribulations they would face later, that was a distant concern.
Death means losing everything.
As long as one is alive, there is always a glimmer of hope.
Was her master really going to implant this precious Sword Spirit Root into her?
If this got out, it would surely cause a bloody storm, as precious as the treasures within the secret realm.
She thought her master was finally warming up to her for a moment of intimacy…
“Master, this item is extremely precious, I…” Li Qingran clasped her hands, about to refuse.
She was indeed her master’s disciple, but she couldn’t be greedy for everything.
Her master was a great sword cultivator; it would be better for him to use this spiritual root.
However, the next moment, she saw her master’s left hand reach into his robe.
Li Qingran froze, her eyes widening—her master also had a Sword Spirit Root in his left hand.
“What’s wrong? Is this thing really that precious? I’m already a Sword Spirit Root myself, and now I have two. Do you want it? If not, I might just throw it away~” Chen Huai'an swung his arm dramatically, pretending to toss it.
“Master, no!” Li Qingran rushed forward to grab her master’s arm, but ended up empty-handed.
She only managed to snatch the Sword Spirit Root from his hand.
“I’ll use it, I’ll use it, okay?”
Li Qingran cradled the Sword Spirit Root in her hands, both amused and exasperated.
Such a precious item, and her master was ready to toss it aside—was he trying to turn the entrance of the Central State secret realm into a battlefield?
Chen Huai'an lightly tapped the back of her head with his folding fan, feigning a stern expression: “From now on, you’re not allowed to refuse anything I give you. If you do, I’ll…”
“Will you throw me away too, Master?” Li Qingran pretended to be in pain, covering her head, her delicate face scrunching up, her lips forming a cute pout.
“Ahem, stop being cheeky. I wouldn’t throw away my disciple… now hurry up and refine the Sword Spirit Root!”
“I don’t know how to refine it; I need Master’s help.”
Not knowing was just an excuse.
Seeing Li Qingran’s puppy-like demeanor, Chen Huai'an couldn’t help but chuckle.
He had no choice but to let her sit in front of him while he personally helped her refine it.
…
Not far away, Yue Qianchi noticed this scene and rolled her eyes, mimicking Li Qingran’s tone: “Oh dear, my disciple doesn’t know how to refine it and needs Master’s help~”
Her voice was just loud enough for Li Qingran to hear.
Li Qingran shivered, biting her red lip, a blush spreading to her ears like ink blooming.
“Stand up straight, what are you twisting around for?”
Su Qinian quickly kicked Yue Qianchi from behind.
This little disciple was getting more and more unruly!
Even the ancestor dared to tease her.
Would they end up tearing down the Sword Pavilion in the future?
…
…
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Chapter 207: Safety Index One Hundred Percent (Frozen Lemon +1)
Chen Huai'an watched as Li Qingran entered the small secret realm.
It felt quite peculiar.
A bit like a father sending his daughter off to school.
As her master, he felt that Li Qingran should step out of his protective shadow and experience some real training—though it wasn’t a complete departure, as the Sword Pavilion was still her shield, and he had armed that shield to the teeth. Yet, he still worried about her encountering insurmountable challenges and getting hurt.
It was a rather contradictory feeling.
“Ancestor, what are your plans next? Why not explore the great secret realm as well?”
Su Qinian sidled up to Chen Huai'an, a cheerful smile on his face.
Chen Huai'an knew exactly what Su Qinian was after.
He simply wanted to take advantage of his strength and have him act as a golden leg.
However, the Central State secret realm was not a place one could enter and exit freely, and the small secret realm would close before the great one. The third hint from the main storyline was quite clear—when the secret realm closes, there may be turmoil, meaning that even if Qingran managed to escape from the Central State secret realm, she could still encounter danger upon exiting.
Thus, he couldn’t enter the great secret realm.
He had to stay outside and wait for Li Qingran to come out, fully prepared.
“I won’t be going in. I’ve been to the Central State secret realm countless times; the treasures inside no longer attract me. You all go ahead.”
Su Qinian felt a bit disappointed.
It would have been great if the ancestor had gone too.
If they didn’t run into those three old monsters from the Sacred Land, wouldn’t the Sword Pavilion dominate the great secret realm?
“Ancestor, where do you think those treasures are gathered?” He decided to probe for information.
Chen Huai'an fell silent for a moment, his lips twitching.
Damn it, he was really getting annoyed with people who asked too many questions lately.
“What use is it for me to tell you about things from over a hundred years ago? After all this time, do you think those treasures would still be waiting for you to take them?” Chen Huai'an rolled his eyes at Su Qinian and closed his eyes, sitting in silence.
He looked like he was saying, “Don’t bother me.”
Su Qinian chuckled awkwardly, realizing he had asked a rather presumptuous question.
“Well then, Ancestor, you just wait outside. We’ll head in first.”
Su Qinian exchanged glances with several elders, and then they soared into the air on their flying swords, heading toward the great secret realm.
The Sword Pavilion was short on resources, and even though the ancestor had bestowed some, it was only a temporary relief.
As the sect leader, he was considering the long-term development of the sect.
So, no matter how dangerous the great secret realm was, he had to take the elders in to explore.
Not long after Su Qinian and the others left, Chen Huai'an opened his eyes, sighed in relief, and shifted into a comfortable position on the dragon throne.
“Finally some peace…”
At this moment, the various sects’ dojos were much less crowded.
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