Chapter 462: Another

Got used to it?

hmm…

seems there must be other meanings,

Lin Xuanxuan didn't press further, but sternly instructed: "Soak two more minutes, then eat the red pill I gave you earlier. Once you've absorbed the medicinal energy, you can get out."

"Mm." Zhang Yunlu nodded lightly.

The hazy steam, mingled with the fragrance of spiritual herbs, made Lin Xuanxuan's small face appear slightly blurred.

She barely stood on her tiptoes to be half a head taller than the bathtub.

Her youthful face made it hard to imagine she was actually an all-around alchemist skilled in medicine, pill refinement, spiritual plant cultivation, and drug development.

And she hadn't neglected her cultivation either—now barely over nineteen, her realm was already late-stage Jin Dan.

As for her spiritual power and combat ability…

Just qualifying for the Xian Sect Grand Competition is proof enough.

'Everyone's so talented…' Zhang Yunlu couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

Back in Xuanjian City, the world around her was so small, her concept of 'genius' was extremely limited.

Until that sudden encounter…

It was like abruptly stepping into a completely alien world.

Over these two years, she's seen far too many people younger and more outstanding than herself.

Not to mention her senior sister who leads everyone, or Lin Xuanxuan, Xiao Ruo, and the Xiang Jianzong classmates she met in this selection trial…

And this is only what she knows.

How many heavenly prodigies have emerged from the hundreds of millions of human beings in the Qidaxian Sect? Just thinking about it fills her with pressure.

The more she understands, the more she realizes how insignificant she is.

She was already far behind—unless she pushes harder, she'll truly fall behind…

Thinking this, she looked at the ice-crystal sword before her.

It was one of the rewards she won in a combat trial back in Xuanjian City.

Though its appearance is impressive, as Lin Xuanxuan said, the materials used in its forging were only average.

Now, she certainly has the means to replace it with a better sword—even her master has asked her about it.

After deep consideration, she ultimately decided to keep using this sword.

This sword witnessed the most important turning point of her life.

Even if this choice makes things harder later on, still…

Isn't that just like herself?

Zhang Yunlu raised her hand, her fingertips glowing with soft spiritual light, gently brushing over the crystal-clear blade; where the light touched, several cracks on the sword slowly healed.

Judging by this, it should be fully restored soon.

Hum~

Feeling the faint spiritual feedback of joy and delight, Zhang Yunlu's eyes flickered with something unusual.

To some extent, this sword—despite its humble origins—might represent her own 'Sword Heart'?

…

…

Lin Xuanxuan, who had just stepped aside, watched Zhang Yunlu repairing and nurturing her sword, and muttered inwardly.

'The Xiang Jianzong's Sword Nurturing Art really is convenient…'

No wonder many swordsmiths once united to boycott this technique, causing a huge uproar.

Some swordsmiths even declared they wouldn't take orders from any sword cultivators who practiced the 'Sword Nurturing Art.'

The sect's records named that era the 'Sword Nurturing Chaos,' even before the Great Transformation!

Yet in the end, despite the chaos caused by the swordsmiths' resistance, the 'Sword Nurturing Art' spread widely under the Xiang Jianzong's firm promotion.

The Xiang Jianzong is the number one Xian Sect!

Once they made up their mind to push something forward, no small group could stop them.

Afterward, through continuous improvement and refinement, the 'Sword Nurturing Art' gradually evolved into many versions.

For minor damages from everyday bumps and scrapes, sword cultivators could slowly nurture and restore their Spirit Blades themselves…

After the Great Transformation, it was further combined with talisman arts, engraving the spiritual technique onto materials to mass-produce sword sheaths.

Even the most basic 'Nurturing Sword Sheath' carries nurturing and repair functions.

Coupled with the Xiang Jianzong's numerous subsidies and discount policies, the price is very affordable—any proper sword cultivator can afford it.

'Times are advancing, everyone's competing fiercely…'

Lin Xuanxuan sighed inwardly.

Then she flicked a fingertip of true fire into the side alchemical furnace and tossed in several spiritual herbs.

Because the contestants of the second-time branch quest cooperated to wipe out the Blood Vajra Temple.

So any contestant who participated in that great battle and survived the 'Fan Xu' attack had no shortage of spiritual materials.

Combined with the scriptures left behind by the Blood Vajra Temple, she had already figured out the medicinal properties of most of these materials.

For the remaining special spiritual materials, Lin Xuanxuan planned to take them back for further study—perhaps she could develop a new pill!

After fantasizing about the bright future for two seconds, she glanced at her personal panel.

【Name: Lin Xuanxuan】

【Age: 19】

【Realm: Late-stage Jin Dan】

【System Loaded This Time: Scales of Time】

【Current Points: 1】

【Current Ranking: 7】

【Evaluation: Lin Xuanxuan will grow taller】

(ˉ▽ˉ；)

This one point was only obtained with Little Zhang's "assist."

After all, she's a support-type talent; she's really not great at direct combat and magical clashes.

As for this evaluation…

It's totally improper!

She had clearly cultivated the 《Scripture of Salvation Pills》, and at her current stage she couldn't interfere too much with her own body's condition.

On top of that, the principle she comprehended was 'Order,' taking the meaning of purity and naturalness.

Under these circumstances, refining a little pill to supplement her nutrition for herself was already the limit!

The result was, the places that should grow didn't grow, while the places that shouldn't grow did.

She couldn't rely on divine abilities, techniques, or pills with fierce medicinal properties to help, and it took a great deal of effort to slim back down.

Hmph!

Once she reaches Soul Transformation and condenses a Dharma Aspect later, she'll be able to refine even planets into pills!

Lin Xuanxuan closed her personal panel and stared at the raging true flames in the alchemy furnace.

Just as she was silently complaining, she suddenly heard a splashing sound of water by her ear.

She turned her head and saw Zhang Yunlu, sword in one hand, stride out of the bathing tub.

"How does your body feel? When circulating magic power, do you still feel any sluggishness? Your meridians…"

After instinctively saying a few sentences, Lin Xuanxuan paused.

Compared to back in Xuanjian City, the current Zhang Yunlu had completely shed her immaturity, and now carried an air of briskness and capability.

The clear medicinal liquid, its medicinal strength already exhausted, slid down her snow-white, supple skin, looking quite alluring.

But what Lin Xuanxuan cared about wasn't these things.

"……"

No way, why is Little Zhang so much taller than me!

Clearly there was never this kind of feeling before…

Could it be that the medicinal bath she had just mixed actually had the effect of promoting development?

Just as she was secretly grinding her teeth, Zhang Yunlu had already finished dressing and looked at her: "No problems. The medicine you mixed worked very well."

Saying so, she clenched her left hand.

A sword scabbard appeared out of thin air in her palm, black on the outside, looking utterly unremarkable.

Clang!

The longsword entered the scabbard!

Three spirit-energy patterns immediately lit up on the scabbard's surface, beginning to nurture and repair the longsword within.

An entry-level nurturing scabbard for the 【Pure Moon Flying Sword】, and the basic model at that.

It wasn't that Zhang Yunlu was reluctant to use a better scabbard.

Not to mention anything else, just the scabbards she received when she became a disciple were enough for her to use for many, many years.

It's just that the spirit coin allowance for this Grand Competition was limited; for the Jin Dan tier, the basic model of the entry-level series was already sufficient.

"Once my sword recovers, the safe zone for the next round should have updated too."

Hearing this, Lin Xuanxuan's little face also grew solemn, and she nodded.

Previously, they had suffered such a huge loss at the Blood Vajra Temple.

So the remaining contestants decided to retaliate before the safe zone for the final round updated!

Speaking of which, it's quite interesting.

This retaliatory operation was actually organized by a contestant from the Supreme Mystery Dao Sect.

Known for their 'cautious development' and 'steadiness,' this time someone from them actually stepped forward!

As for the target…

Naturally, it was the largest sect in this world—

Tian Ling Sect!

…………

Main timeline.

The continuous mountain range that had been sliced flat by a single sword from the Divine Mechanism construct.

The upper half of the mountain peaks in most areas had also vanished, leaving only a churning dark red, a terrifying lava sea resembling purgatory.

True flames blazed fiercely above the lava; the terrifying high temperature warped the air, and even the sky was dyed by these true flames that seemed to incinerate everything.

"Huff… huff…"

Zhao Ruoming stepped across the lava, Yu Qing Xuan Guang of the Qian Yuan Undying swirling around him, continuously gasping for breath, his chest heaving.

His entire body had also turned a charred black; the carbonized skin clung to the burned remains of his dharma robe, looking utterly horrifying.

Even the rotating yin-yang fish pattern in his eyes flickered between bright and dim, looking as though it could barely be maintained.

He had won, but it had been an extremely difficult victory.

The alchemist from the Salvation Valley he had faced was extremely skilled in fire arts.

His true flame divine abilities were simply earth-shattering; a single Hellfire Bead-Soul-Refining True Flame had nearly roasted him alive!

After quite a while, Zhao Ruoming straightened up and looked ahead.

He saw that the alchemist from Jishi Valley, floating on the sea of lava and held up only by a thin layer of Qianyuan Immortal-Suppressing Jade Pure Mystic Light, was in a far more miserable state.

Half his body had been smashed outright, his skull had been pried open, and the bone was scorched black as if struck by Lei Ting.

His bloodshot eyes stared fixedly at Zhao Ruoming, filled with utter unwillingness.

What damn rotten luck!

He had only wanted to hide from those lunatics at the Divine Mechanism Treasure Refining Pavilion, but who would have thought this godforsaken place was hiding an old schemer from the Grand Supreme Dao Sect…

After all, Zhao Ruoming had only practiced the 'Way of Survival' as a side pursuit, and his study of the 'Way of Steadiness' had only just begun—his mindset was still that of a normal person.

Being stared at like this by the person he had ambushed left him feeling more or less guilty.

To offer comfort would seem a bit affected.

To justify himself would seem a bit hypocritical…

In the end, he could only cup his hands in a salute: "Many thanks for the lesson. Safe travels."

Safe travels?!

That alchemist was somewhat thrown off by such a remark.

"I'll travel my—"

The curse was already on the tip of his tongue, but when he saw the Qianyuan Immortal-Suppressing Jade Pure Mystic Light surrounding him, he forcibly swallowed it back.

No, no!

This guy is the son of Venerable Ancestor Hong.

Hold it in, hold it in—absolutely cannot curse!

The alchemist kept admonishing himself, but the more he thought about it, the more aggrieved he felt.

But then a thought struck him, and suddenly he had an idea.

So, summoning the last breath in him, he said: "You're the Grand Supreme Dao Sect's Dao Child from the last Xian Sect Grand Competition, Zhao Ruoming—the one who was beaten to tears by Xiang Jianzong's Chi Jiuyu?"

His tone carried three parts regret, three parts unwillingness, and four parts aggrievement.

This made Zhao Ruoming freeze involuntarily.

The next instant, he heard him continue: "Sigh~ If only you'd lost to that Lin Changsheng, or at worst to Chi Jiuyu, that would have been better…"

Amid his sighs, and to deny Zhao Ruoming any chance to speak, he took the initiative to cut off his own last thread of life.

The remaining half of his body dissipated into thin air, leaving only a standard-issue storage ring resting on that thin layer of Qianyuan Immortal-Suppressing Jade Pure Mystic Light.

Zhao Ruoming: "…"

He stood there in a daze for quite a while, his gaze shifting again and again…

Damn!

I really wasn't beaten to tears!

……

……

Meanwhile, at the City Lord's Manor of Zhitui Xiancheng.

Hum~!

A surging sword intent shot up into the heavens, a single streak of sword light pierced through the City Lord's Manor, and finally came to rest high in the sky.

One could see this man holding a longsword three chi and three cun in length, its bright blade trembling gently like a pool of autumn water.

Sword-like brows and starry eyes, handsome in appearance, a bamboo crown binding his hair, straw sandals and a blue robe.

His aura blazed like a blazing sun, sweeping in all directions.

It was Lin Changsheng!

After a period of recuperation, he had finally regained his usual handsome and dashing air.

To celebrate this fine day, he had even changed into a specially commissioned Xiang Jianzong outfit.

The elders at home had once mentioned the outfit Xiang Jianzong's own patriarch most often wore in his youth, so he had quietly noted it down and gone to have one custom-made.

After all, they were all sword cultivators—who could not yearn for the Xiang Jianzong patriarch!

If his own sword spirit weren't so resistant, he would even have wanted to dye his sword red…

Ahem!

Twirling a sword flourish, Lin Changsheng looked into the distance.

Recuperation complete, time to continue seeking out other competitors.

Before the final safe-zone update, he aimed to push his score into double digits!

Thinking of this, just as he was about to ride his sword light away, a soft laugh suddenly came from behind…

"Young friend, would you care to chat with me for a moment?"

The voice came out of nowhere, and Lin Changsheng instantly felt his scalp prickle.

Hum~!

At the same instant he turned, he slashed backward with his sword—a single streak of sword light, like a line cleaving the azure void, swept out violently, as if to cut the entire sky in half!

Yet the figure in a purple-gold dharma robe merely tapped out lightly with one finger.

The ferocious sword light, the instant it touched that fingertip, simply disintegrated; even the violent spiritual energy, because of that one finger, returned to calm once more.

"That sword strike was not bad—your Sword Dao is indeed extraordinary," that person slowly withdrew his hand and commented with a smile.

Lin Changsheng's heart tightened, and his grip on the sword tightened a few degrees more.

Holy shit!

He'd gotten himself into trouble with a big shot.

Although the Return-to-Void cultivators of this world were all rather 'void,' this one was definitely no ordinary Return-to-Void.

"Who are you?" Lin Changsheng said coldly.

"I am the second-generation patriarch of the Celestial Spirit Sect, Xuan Xing."

Although Lin Changsheng's utterly disrespectful attitude left Xuan Xing somewhat displeased, considering that the person before him was the most outstanding performer among this batch of outsiders who had reached Soul Transformation, he still patiently explained.

This seat?

Lin Changsheng felt it was rather odd.

When did the term "this seat" become so cheap that any random trash dares to refer to themselves that way?

"You… need something?"

Complaints aside, Lin Changsheng's expression remained unchanged.

After all, he probably wasn't a match for this guy…

"Little friend, no need to be nervous. This seat merely wishes to ask you a few questions." Having said this, Xuan Xing paused, then added, "This seat is at the peak of Return to Void; were I to make things difficult for you, there'd be no need for such pretense."

"…"

No way, you're at the peak of Return to Void and this is all you've got? (End of chapter)