Chapter 71
A casual flick of his fingers caught a blade of grass that seemed to come from nowhere, pinched between his fingertips.
With a gentle wave,
Endless sword energy tore through the heavens.
A shocking sword intent shattered the galaxy.
Every minuscule detail swept away all existence.
That sword intent, sword energy, and sword momentum were all imprinted in Jiang Chulong's gray-white eyes.
Even Li Mo, along with her, remained oblivious.
Something within her was growing wildly, like wild grass...
"As for this third realm..."
...
An incense stick later, the little class on the Sword Dao with the Celestial Master came to an end.
"I believe with your comprehension, you should have understood everything."
"Mm-hmm! Teacher, you’re amazing..."
Jiang Chulong clapped her small hands, her dirty little face filled with admiration.
What she had previously been confused about was now revealed to be sword energy, sword momentum, and sword intent?
But... cutting through the stars with grass and wood?
Even she had never imagined that those things could achieve such feats!
But since the teacher said it was possible, it must be!
Right now, she was just too weak, her understanding of the Sword Dao still too shallow...
...
Ziyang City.
"A single blade of grass can sever the sun, moon, and stars!"
In the muddy alley.
The calm yet imposing words echoed in her ears.
Jiang Chulong slowly awakened, the overwhelming sword intent still lingering in her eyes.
She smeared more mud on her face and wrapped a rag around her head.
Picking up a dry branch from the ground, she began to practice in the courtyard.
She needed to grow stronger...
For her mother.
So as not to disappoint her teacher...
Swish—
With her frail arms gripping the gnarled branch, she wore a serious expression, making onlookers think she was just a little beggar playing around.
However,
The weeds and leaves in the dilapidated courtyard began to stir on their own, as if moved by an unseen wind.
...
Qingyuan Sect.
Li Mo gazed at the martial arts rewards just credited to his system, lost in thought.
"Emmmmm...."
"What has she comprehended now?"
"If I ask her directly, will it make me seem like a fool as the Primordial Celestial Master?"
"Okay, next time I’ll just say it’s a test."
Li Mo couldn’t help but pat himself on the back for his cleverness.
Being a middleman isn’t easy.
And just then, Princess Jiang had another question... filling up three sheets of paper.
As Li Mo searched the courtyard for the figure of Ice Block, a woman poked her head over the wall of Qiushui Pavilion, cautiously peering inside.
"Master?"
Who else could it be but Shang Wu?
"My precious disciple, you’re back? Good thing you ran into me first."
"Why are you still here? Are you trying to get yourself killed?"
Shang Wu lowered her voice, her apricot eyes filled with alertness.
"Huh?"
Li Mo was completely baffled.
"No time to explain! Little Bing has recently taken a liking to cooking!"
"Come with me now!"
Shang Wu was dead serious.
Li Mo: "....."
When did I say I was coming back?
I thought I hadn’t seen my master for a couple of days.
As the saying goes, every dog has its day.
Even a fearless master can have her cautious moments.
---
Chapter 67: Shang Wu, Hmph, the Troubled Disciple Xiao Qin
"Master, actually, you’re a bit late. I’ve been back for a few days."
"You... you ate?!"
Shang Wu froze, staring at her precious disciple, who nodded with a forlorn expression, then sighed dramatically with her hands behind her back.
The Qiushui Pavilion fell silent.
They exchanged glances, speechless.
Today’s breeze felt unusually boisterous.
Seeing the beautiful master covering her mouth, her apricot eyes flickering, Li Mo couldn’t help but feel a bit uneasy.
It reminded him of when he was a child, boasting to friends, saying, "My brother dares to eat poop," and receiving similar looks in return.
"Master, actually, if Ying Bing’s cooking isn’t terrible, it’s still..."
"I get it, you don’t need to say more. You’re back and alive, that’s double happiness. If we both go, it’ll be in the wine."
Shang Wu uncorked a small gourd and took a celebratory sip.
Then she casually handed the gourd to Li Mo, giving his shoulder a hearty pat:
"Well done."
"......"
So how did we end up sharing a drink?
With the crisis averted, Shang Wu happily reclined back in her rocking chair, her apricot eyes narrowing.
The sun was bright today, and as she lay down, the sunlight painted a beautiful picture.
As the poem goes: "From the front, it looks like a ridge; from the side, it looks like a peak..."
Seeing Li Mo about to leave, she turned her head, sleepily asking:
"By the way, precious disciple, what are we having for dinner tonight?"
Implying that since you’re going out, I’ll be placing my order.
Li Mo couldn’t help but grin:
"Leftovers. You know, with the Nine Peaks Martial Arts Competition coming up, I’ve been busy practicing."
"Mm?"
"Actually, I didn’t finish eating the other day. There’s still some Nine-Turn Intestines and spicy stir-fried meat left..."
"!"
Seeing her master suddenly wide awake, Li Mo stifled a laugh and slipped away.
As he walked further, Shang Wu glanced at the spot where the vegetable basket used to be, now empty, and muttered:
"Hmph, ungrateful disciple...."
...
Meanwhile.
In the Outer Affairs Hall.
"All checks out."
"Inner disciple Xiao Qin, has killed one criminal at the peak of the Blood Qi realm. Reward: one thousand contribution points!"
The steward of the Outer Affairs Hall nodded with a smile after carefully verifying the token.
Having just entered the inner sect, to be able to kill a criminal at the peak of the Blood Qi realm in actual combat showed that this disciple was a promising talent.
Other disciples coming to submit tasks also cast curious glances in his direction.
The bounty for capturing criminals was substantial, but the failure rate was high, and the risks were significant.
Thus, not many disciples took on such tasks.
A considerable number of them did so to hone their skills.
"One thousand contribution points..."
"May I ask, steward, how many contribution points are needed for treasures beneficial to the mind and spirit?"
Xiao Qin’s expression, however, showed little joy.
"Mind and spirit treasures?"
The inner sect steward paused, then shook his head:
"I can tell you without checking; none are below thirty thousand contribution points."
"Those are items used only in the God Observation realm. You’re still too early to be thinking about them; don’t aim too high."
"I suggest you first exchange for some healing items to avoid leaving hidden injuries."
The inner sect steward had a good impression of him, hence he offered a few more words.
"Thank you!"
Xiao Qin cupped his hands in gratitude, then couldn’t help but sigh.
As expected, it was just as he thought.
When he went down the mountain to take on tasks, he had inquired about similar items, but either they were unavailable or the prices were far beyond his expectations.
Exchanging for them at the sect was indeed more cost-effective, yet still beyond his means...
"Don’t worry, my boy. I’m just a bit weak; it’s not time for me to fade away yet."
The voice of Qianxing Wuzun sounded, though it was much weaker than before.
"It’s all my fault for not being cautious."
Xiao Qin’s face showed guilt.
When capturing that criminal, he hadn’t verified the opponent’s information and didn’t know there were accomplices, leading him into a trap.
As a result, his master had to expend a lot of spirit energy to save him.
"Everyone has their youthful days. You’ve already done remarkably well for your first life-and-death struggle."
"You’ve reached the peak of the Blood Qi realm, but unfortunately, I’m unable to refine the Tiger Tendon Condensing Pill for you."
Though Qianxing Wuzun was weak, his tone was filled with pride.
With the Nine Peaks Martial Arts Competition approaching, Xiao Qin had hoped to break through to the Inner Breath realm and achieve a good ranking.
But he hadn’t anticipated such a turn of events...
"Xiao Shixiong? You’re here too."
Just as he stepped out the door, someone called out to him, and Xiao Qin instinctively turned around.
It was Li Mo, who had arrived at some point, smiling at him.
"Li Shidi, are you here to submit a task as well?"
"Yeah, I took on a bounty for capturing a criminal too."
Li Mo nodded, noticing that Xiao Qin had recently been in a fight, with some injuries still not fully healed.
"Time flies; you’ve changed a lot."
Xiao Qin couldn’t help but feel a bit emotional.
Looking at Li Shidi, it was clear he had completed his task with ease.
After all, the bounty tasks were heavy, and the targets were at least at the peak of the Blood Qi realm; anything below that was handled by local authorities and wouldn’t be reported to Qingyuan Sect.
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