Chapter 222: The Painstaking Longyuan Sword

Different? Where is it different?

The fields are still those three fields, the jars are still those two jars, and even the missing stones on the path beneath my feet are still missing; where is it different?

It must be that this monster from who knows where wants to distract him, which is why it spoke like that on purpose. Long Qi looked at the person still lying there leisurely and gave a heavy snort: "You monster! Hurry up and get down!"

"Monster?" The person in the hammock also snorted: "Look at you, you're anxious, aren't you? It's useless to be anxious to death. If it were before, you would have already started fighting with me, but now that you have nothing behind you, you can only stare helplessly."

Hearing this, Long Qi's brows furrowed even tighter. Although he did not know who this person before him was, what she said was true. He had relied too much on the Longyuan Sword in his daily life, and now that he had encountered a situation, he was at a loss instead.

Wait, how did she know?

Seeming to see through Long Qi's thoughts, the person poured the last of the snacks from the bag into her mouth, smacked her lips, clapped her hands, and jumped down with a light leap: "Have you never thought about why you are in this place?"

Why?

Yes, why?

The person smiled, her lively manner looking exactly like Lingxiang. He saw her wave her hand lightly, and a scene appeared before Long Qi—Lingxiang was forming seals with both hands, surrounded by a group of monsters, clearly on the verge of exhaustion; Xin Yi was also unable to break free on his side; and he and Zhao Wuyang were also surrounded by a group of monsters, while Adao was still calling out to him incessantly from the side.

That's right! He remembered now; he and Lingxiang had entered Yunmeng Marsh and were currently searching for the Innate Qi!

Seeing Lingxiang fall into danger, Long Qi immediately became anxious: "What are you doing!"

The person raised her eyebrows: "What does it have to do with me? You found your way here yourself."

Long Qi suddenly remembered Lingxiang saying that seeking Qi would seal one's five senses, and unless one found it, one would be unable to wake up.

Could this place be where the Innate Qi is located?

But who is this person? Could it be...

"You... are the Innate Qi?"

The person was stunned for a moment upon hearing this, then burst into laughter: "You are truly funny. The Innate Qi is your own; how could you pin it on me?"

Hearing this, Long Qi pondered for a moment before speaking again: "No matter who you are, since you are here, you must know how to wake up."

Regardless, Lingxiang was in danger now, and he had to go save her.

"I naturally know." The person gave a crafty smile, walked a few steps with her hands behind her back in a proper manner, and then turned to look at Long Qi: "Don't you know too? As long as you find your Qi, you will naturally be able to wake up."

Long Qi's face had just shown joy, but upon hearing the second half of the sentence, his expression froze.

So this fellow was just playing with him!

Seeing the anger on Long Qi's face, the person shrugged, as if to say it had nothing to do with her: "This isn't something I can decide. If you want to wake up, you have to rely on yourself."

Long Qi looked at Lingxiang, who was in danger, his heart filled with mixed emotions. It was all his fault for being too eager for success and insisting on searching for Qi at this time; if not for that, he wouldn't be as helpless as he was now.

The person seemed to see through Long Qi's thoughts, smiled, and said again: "This courtyard is indeed different from usual!"

Long Qi was preoccupied with Lingxiang and had not taken what this person said to heart at all. Seeing him like this, the person suddenly shouted sternly: "If you really want to save her, then hurry up and find the Qi, otherwise you can only worry in vain!"

Hearing this, Long Qi finally came back to his senses. Although he did not know who the person before him was, what she said was absolutely correct; right now, he had no choice but to find his own Qi quickly!

It was just that he couldn't help but be curious: who exactly was this person before him?

Thinking this, Long Qi asked, and the person smiled upon hearing it: "I have had many names, but my current name is Longyuan."

Lingxiang's Spirit Qi was gradually weakening, and the Dharma Array around her body began to loosen. The piles of monster corpses surrounding her emitted waves of miasma, causing her to begin to feel dazed.

Just at this moment, a monster with only half a body suddenly jumped up, the sharp blade in its hand glinting with a ghostly light, lunging straight at Lingxiang. It was clear it was about to stab her.

Xin Yi naturally saw all of this. He shouted at Lingxiang that it was dangerous, but everything happened too fast; before Lingxiang could even turn her head, she already felt the bone-chilling danger.

In the flash of a spark, a humming sound was heard, like the roar of a dragon, and then a flash of light streaked by. The monster was pinned to the ground, able only to twist its mangled body in vain.

It was the Seven-Star Longyuan! It had actually flown out of the scabbard on its own!

Lingxiang thought Long Qi had found the Innate Qi, but when she looked back, he was still sitting cross-legged.

What was going on?

Just as Lingxiang was puzzled, she saw the Longyuan Sword suddenly release a burst of sword Qi, slaughtering all the monsters around Lingxiang, and then a circle of fire rose up around her, preventing the monsters from getting close.

"Since you are begging me so sincerely, I will reluctantly save her; after all, she can be considered the descendant of an old friend." Longyuan crossed her arms and said smugly: "Are you at ease now?"

Seeing Lingxiang temporarily out of danger, Long Qi let out a long sigh of relief, but then he heard Longyuan say: "Don't be at ease too early. I am, after all, only a Sword Spirit, and my available Spirit Power is limited. It is unknown how long this Mysterious Fire Array can hold out, not to mention there is still a formidable character present. With your cultivation, what can you do? If you really want to save them, you had better hurry up and think about how to find your own Qi."

That was easy to say, but something that could neither be seen nor touched was not so easy to find. He was most familiar with this courtyard; there were only so many things around, so where was he supposed to look?

Seeing Long Qi looking around in confusion, Longyuan reached out a finger and tapped his chest: "Some things are not to be seen with the eyes, but with the heart. Since you have been able to let go of the past, your heart should not be filled only with trivial matters. Calm your heart and think carefully about how you found your way here."

Once she finished speaking, Longyuan turned into a wisp of green smoke, drifted away, and disappeared.

Long Qi fell into deep thought.

Just now, Longyuan had been asking about the differences in the courtyard, but he had looked around carefully, and it was clearly no different from usual. However, she certainly would not lie to him; this point was beyond doubt.

He must have missed something!

But what?

"Calm your heart and think carefully about how you found your way here."

Long Qi ruminated on what Longyuan had said when she left, and after a while, he stood up. He looked around the surroundings and then closed his eyes.

Since everything within sight was ordinary, then he would not look with his eyes.

"How did I find my way here..." Long Qi muttered to himself, trying hard to sense the differences in the surroundings. At this moment, a gust of wind blew, and he suddenly heard a rustling sound.

Before him, a pear tree had actually appeared!

He saw that pear tree standing by the hammock, blooming on its own. As the wind blew, petals drifted down like snow.

This was clearly the pear tree from the Xianyun Abode!

Long Qi opened his eyes abruptly, and sure enough, he saw an old tree had appeared by the wall. But unlike what he had seen in his heart just now, this tree was bare, without even a single leaf; the branches were gnarled but extremely withered, like a dead tree.

Could this be the so-called Innate Qi? This looked a bit too shabby...

……

"But now there is nothing behind me, so I can only stare blankly."

……

Long Qi suddenly remembered that Long Yuan had previously forced him to admit that he relied too much on his sword, and then he thought of the herb field at Xianyun Abode, and suddenly understood.

Although he did not know why this tree was here, what he saw now was very different from what he had seen in his mind just a moment ago; it seemed that Long Yuan had been guiding him all along.

She wanted him to make this tree bloom!