Chapter 24: Always Free-Riding, Always Enjoyable

Yao Mengzhen watched the thunder beast phantom constantly approaching her, her hand gripping the long blade actually trembled uncontrollably at this moment.

She desperately suppressed the shock in her heart, mobilizing all the true qi she could muster within her body as much as possible.

Although the layered purple lightning formed a thunder defense that seemed to have no blind spots and appeared as solid as gold and stone, protecting Yao Mengzhen as if it were impenetrable.

But in the face of the thunder beast phantom conjured by Li Mu, it was instantly torn to shreds!

It collapsed at the slightest touch!

There was no power to resist at all!

"Crack crack crack..."

The teeth-aching thunderous roar, the explosive sounds rose and fell, echoing in this space.

This caused the already shaky training ground to finally unable to withstand their clash, beginning to crumble and collapse, with dust and smoke shooting up to the sky!

In an instant.

The long blade, like cutting tofu, destroyed all of Yao Mengzhen's defenses without any effort.

"Bang!"

Just as the long blade was about to slash Yao Mengzhen, the blade edge spun violently in midair, turning from the blade to the back of the blade!

During the change of the technique, the terrifying slash also dissipated largely, only a ripple of purple thunder light bombarded Yao Mengzhen's body.

"Zizila..."

Electric snakes writhed, the white martial outfit on the girl's body was instantly torn apart more than half, revealing large patches, large patches of skin as white and beautiful as mutton-fat jade.

Yao Mengzhen's whole body flew backward tens of meters, the Fengyi Blade scraped a long trace on the ground, she barely stabilized her posture and calmed her disordered breathing.

Even though the girl's appearance was extremely disheveled at this moment, her watery, lovable peach blossom eyes were still full of spirit.

After experiencing the initial shock and despair, Yao Mengzhen quickly realized that Li Mu had intentionally slowed the connection and changes of his blade technique.

In the form of slow motion, he conjured the phantom of the thunder beast.

This allowed Yao Mengzhen, who had long been stuck at the Small Achievement Realm peak of the Purple Thunder Sword Technique, to keenly sense from Li Mu what she was lacking.

""

Yao Mengzhen immediately sat cross-legged, her beautiful eyes slightly closed, her whole person's breath distant and prolonged.

And Li Mu looked around.

Looking at his training field now completely collapsed into a ruin, with no trace of its past appearance.

This made Li Mu feel a pang of heartache!

This time, the cost of giving Yao Mengzhen a lesson is really huge!

But also, as much as possible, he displayed one by one the many profound points of the Purple Thunder Sword Technique he had just broken through, before Yao Mengzhen.

Whether she could comprehend something from it depends on Yao Mengzhen's own fortune.

However.

Although this time the price paid was not small, the gain was also quite considerable!

Li Mu slid his hand downward.

That semi-transparent virtual screen visible only to Li Mu slowly appeared, displaying a series of system messages.

Li Mu's gaze quickly fixed on the latest message.

【Ding!】

【The system detected that the host used the Purple Thunder Sword Technique and fought a Ninth-Grade Qi Refining Realm Peak cultivator in a cross-grade battle, successfully triggering the Hundredfold Heavenly Dao Blessing.】

【Congratulations, host, you have successfully obtained a Hundredfold Gain!】

【Ding!】

【Congratulations, host, you have successfully cultivated the Purple Thunder Sword Technique to the Great Achievement stage!】

"After so many times of tens-fold and hundreds-fold gains, and even with the benefits doubled in cross-grade battles, is this barely enough to cultivate the Purple Thunder Sword Technique to Great Achievement?"

"Xuan Tier middle-level technique, indeed not as simple as one thought!"

Li Mu's mouth corner twitched slightly, he thought to himself with such feeling.

Although, in the eyes of others!

Li Mu, in just a short time less than half a day, cultivated the Xuan Tier middle-level technique: Purple Thunder Sword Technique to Great Achievement, this gave people not surprise but admiration.

But rather fear, despair!

Because, this is simply not a realm that humans can reach!

Only deities!

Only gods have the qualification to set foot in the Forbidden Realm!

But as the person involved, Li Mu felt……

It's just that kind of thing!

In Li Mu's view.

The Thunderbolt Blade Technique and the Seven-Absolute Sword Technique, as main killing techniques, inherently share many common points and can verify each other.

The only difficulty is how I can refine more thunder-attribute spiritual energy into my body.

And coincidentally!

Yao Mengzhen, as a practitioner of the Purple Thunder Sword Technique, shares the same origin as me.

In the process of sparring with her, the thunder-attribute energy that emanates happens to be absorbable by Li Mu.

Even, compared to absorbing thunder-attribute spiritual energy from heaven and earth, which requires a transformation process into the thunder-attribute spiritual energy needed for the Purple Thunder Sword Technique, it is different.

Li Mu absorbing the thunder-attribute spiritual energy emitted from Yao Mengzhen's techniques, indeed even the transformation process is omitted.

Directly converted for his own use.

Among them are not lacking the Heavenly Dao Blessing's tens-fold to even hundred-fold gain, with the gain doubled.

But Li Mu thought.

This still has everything to do with his persistence and effort!

"Let's try the effect!"

"Star‑speed Flash!"

"Rumble…."

At that moment.

Li Mu, holding his long blade, suddenly stepped forward.

A terrifying dark‑purple lightning flare erupted beneath his feet, roaring with deafening thunder‑wind, blasting the air itself.

Immediately after.

Li Mu turned into a streak of dark‑purple electric light and vanished from the spot.

When he reappeared, he was already a hundred meters away.

The speed was astonishing!

It truly was lightning‑fast!

"Tsk!"

"No wonder it's a Xuan Tier Middle‑level Technique."

"Although the Purple Thunder Sword Technique isn't a body‑movement type technique."

"But because of the thunder attribute of the blade, it grants me speed not inferior to the Yellow Tier High‑level body‑movement techniques!"

Li Mu was extremely satisfied.

Yao Mengzhen, this disciple, received an incredible gift!

Not only did she cover all the pills I needed to cultivate to the Concentration Realm, she also gave me a huge meeting gift—the Purple Thunder Sword Technique!

She even saved me the contribution points I would have spent on acquiring body‑movement techniques!

No wonder.

In my youth I didn't know the value of a rich lady, mistaking my youth for rice seedlings.

These are the precious experiences summarized by the seniors!

"I see…"

"Fengyi Blade!"

Just as Li Mu was happily thinking about it, he saw Yao Mengzhen, who had been sitting cross‑legged in front of him, suddenly stand up from the ground, summon the Fengyi Blade again, and assume a stance.

"Rumble…"

This time.

In Yao Mengzhen's moves, not only did wind and thunder sounds appear, but faint illusory thunder‑beast silhouettes also emerged on the long blade.

"Success!"

Yao Mengzhen lifted her head in delight, her peach‑blossom eyes full of joy as she looked at Li Mu.

"Li Mu!"

"I've finally refined the Purple Thunder Sword Technique to the Great Achievement Realm!"

"Even I feel that the previously unbreakable bottleneck of the Qi Refining Realm Great Perfection has loosened considerably at this moment!"

"You're truly amazing!"

"Thank you!"

"I really thank you so much, Li Mu!"

Yao Mengzhen felt that she had truly gotten a huge bargain this time.

The Purple Thunder Sword Technique, which had been stuck for so long and hard to breakthrough, finally reached the Great Achievement Realm!

Not only that!

What made Yao Mengzhen even more thrilled was that

With the refinement of her martial will, the shackles that were as solid as gold, the unbreakable Ten Grade Lian Qi Realm Great Perfection,

now showed a clear loosening!

Just one more opportunity, and Yao Mengzhen is confident she can breakthrough to the Ten Grade Lian Qi Realm!

Yao Mengzhen took two rapid deep breaths, barely suppressing her ecstatic joy, then, with her peach‑blossom eyes fixed on Li Mu, she said earnestly,

"Junior Brother Li Mu!"

"I actually have always thought I was an extraordinary genius!"

"And…"

"I once naively believed that only I could restore the former glory of the remade Outer Peak of Longtan Peak."

"But since I met my junior brother,"

"I have only just realized."

"I am merely a caged bird unaware of the azure sky, a trapped fish ignorant of the deep blue sea."

"I…"

Speaking, Yao Mengzhen's expression darkened, her eyelids drooping, and a deep melancholy appeared on her exquisitely beautiful oval face.

"I am merely a mortal forged by my family's resources."

"..."

Seeing Yao Mengzhen's noticeably dispirited will, Li Mu let out a sigh.

"You, a native."

"How much are you unable to let go, to compare with me?"

"This isn't pure; it just clogs my own mind."

Li Mu muttered a scathing remark in his heart, then immediately steered the conversation elsewhere.

"Sister Yao, didn't you say Xuan Yue Feng wanted to hold some kind of martial discussion conference with us?"

"Give me the details!"

"What's going on?"

Yao Mengzhen, hearing Li Mu mention the 'martial discussion conference,' could no longer stay 'emo…' and, after gathering her thoughts, said,

"The conference is merely a way for each side to gauge one another before the Four Peaks Grand Competition arrives."

"In past years, this conference had nothing to do with us."

"But I don't know what's different this year—Xuan Yue Feng not only wants to join our conference, they also offered a Mysterious Tier Heart Method as a prize!"

Speaking of that, Yao Mengzhen's tone paused, and a rare solemn expression crossed her usually bright face.

"Although Xuan Yue Feng says they won't send the Outer Peak's four‑year direct disciples to participate."

"Even so, Xuan Yue Feng still has plenty of masters!"

"Among them, the most representative is currently the thirteenth seat of the Fengyun Ranking, Zhao Jianfei!"

"Half a year ago, Zhao Jianfei had already reached the Ninth‑Grade Qi Refining Realm Peak; his strength is not to be underestimated!"

Speaking of that.

Yao Mengzhen's peach‑blossom eyes sparkled as she looked at Li Mu.

"If it were the old way, Zhao Jianfei would definitely be handed over to me to handle."

"But lately, I feel a breakthrough to the Ten‑Grade Refining Qi Realm is near, so I plan to close off for cultivation."

"With junior brother Li Mu here, dealing with Zhao Jianfei would be more than enough."

Li Mu was not surprised by Yao Mengzhen's plan to close off and break through to the Ten‑Grade Refining Qi Realm.

After all, Yao Mengzhen is my own disciple; Li Mu naturally knows exactly which step she's at.

What truly piqued Li Mu's interest was the champion's prize—a Mysterious Tier Heart Method!

It's like when I'm about to nod off, someone hands me a pillow!

I just freeloaded the Purple Thunder Sword Technique from Yao Mengzhen, shoring up my lack of speed!

And now Xuan Yue Feng has proactively prepared the Mysterious Tier Heart Method for me!

Can't help it!

Freeloading feels good for a while!

Keep freeloading, keep feeling great!

Li Mu is already daydreaming about what kind of Mysterious Tier Heart Method he might obtain tomorrow.

"……"

In the following days,

Yao Mengzhen was virtually unmoving; at the first hint of dawn she arrived at Li Mu's doorstep, carrying Qi‑Blood Pills.

Li Mu finally got to experience what an immortal‑like life feels like!

Since meeting the young rich lady Yao Shijie,

Li Mu's Qi‑Blood Pills have become an all‑you‑can‑eat buffet, unlimited.

All he has to give in return is to be Yao Shijie's training partner!

What a wonderful deal!

It makes Li Mu increasingly realize that the saying 'young people don't know the value of a rich lady, mistaking youth for rice seedlings' is gaining even more weight!

With an unlimited supply of Qi‑Blood Pills, Li Mu's cultivation over the past few days has noticeably changed.

A few times, Li Mu's luck exploded, and under Hundredfold Heavenly Dao Blessing the Qi‑Blood Pill count multiplied a hundredfold!

The powerful Qi‑Blood force effortlessly pushed Li Mu's cultivation to the Seventh‑Grade Qi Refining Realm Peak!

Thinking back to the days after crossing over, when Li Mu ate and slept on the go, enduring endless hard cultivation, he truly wept.

Fortunately!

My cheat finally paid off!

The feeling of having a cheat…

So good!

Because I've had enough of the suffering without a cheat, Li Mu now cherishes the moments with a cheat even more, reluctant to sleep each night.

Thinking of that.

Li Mu downed another bottle of Qi‑Blood Pill, held his breath, focused, and re‑entered a frenzied cultivation mode.

Li Mu not only doesn't get fatigued.

The more he cultivates, the more exhilarating it feels!

But Li Mu doesn't know that.

These past few days he's been cheating and having a blast at Longtan Peak, while Qin Siwu, far away at Xuan Yue Feng, has been living each day like a year…