Chapter 112: 112. Chapter 112

112. Chapter 112

Guan San is currently petting the server, please complete your subscription to defeat him! Atian felt that, in that moment of eye contact, she had died.

Awe-inspiring Sword Intent came flooding in like a deluge; the sharp gaze pricked her scalp until it went numb, and the overwhelming, terrifying power ground against her until her bones ached, while she could even hear creaking sounds beside her ears.

Her legs bent uncontrollably; the moment her body plummeted, she stretched out her arms to brace herself against the ground, one knee slamming down heavily, and pea-sized beads of sweat slid continuously from her forehead down her cheeks, hitting the ground to form little round dots.

However, the overwhelming pressure did not weaken because of her wretched reaction; instead, it came even more fiercely, forcing the arms she used to support her body to begin trembling slightly, and even the gaps between her bones began to ache.

She was going to be snapped in two.

For the first time in her life, Atian felt such an intense sense of crisis. Compared to Bai Xinli, the strength she had relied on in the past was fragile and vulnerable. She could trade blows with Song Zhicheng, and she could easily snap the magical artifact that had left Zhao Kuo helpless, but she could not withstand a single glance from Bai Xinli.

What is a gap?

This is the gap.

Along this journey, it was not as if she had never experienced powerful Sword Intent or seen formidable cultivators. The former was like the Broken Sword of the Grandmaster, and the latter included the babbling Tan Tianming and the smiling Guo Huai. However, the Grandmaster's Broken Sword was, after all, an ownerless object, and Tan Tianming and Guo Huai were, after all, figures of the level of Junior Uncle, their cultivation already rounded and smooth; how could they deliberately release it to frighten a little girl?

But Bai Xinli was different.

At the age of twenty, he was at the age of sharp-edged progress. He did not need to hide his light, nor did he need to deliberately conceal his clumsiness. His prime was in full bloom; it could not be covered, and it could not be hidden.

Her body and spirit were stretched to the limit, yet deep within her heart, a streak of stubbornness supported her to keep going.

Cannot kneel, cannot kneel.

Once she knelt, she would truly be broken.

Scattered flames emerged from between her fingers, yet as soon as they appeared, they were covered by a layer of thin frost, unable to stir up even the slightest ripple.

She did not know how much time had passed, but the terrifying Sword Intent receded like water. Having lost the pressure, the young girl trembled, and her whole body collapsed onto the ground, yet she could not move even a single finger, only able to pant with dull eyes.

"Junior Nephew Xin Li is different from others; he lives year-round in the Stone Chamber of the Martial Arts Arena."

"Junior Nephew Xin Li is forced to be this way; you will understand once you see him."

More than just understanding, she had practically seen through it all.

With this level of Sword Intent and this level of pressure, if he were to stay in the living quarters, she estimated that no one would be able to sleep at night.

Her clothes were already soaked through and stuck to her body, which was exceptionally uncomfortable, yet Atian's spirit was inexplicably excited, and an urge to burst into loud laughter lingered in her heart.

What is a Sword!

This is a Sword.

What is the Dao!

This is the Dao.

Interesting, it is truly too interesting!

She also wanted such a Sword.

She also wanted such a Dao.

She wanted it until her bones ached.

"Can you still stand up?"

A cold male voice sounded above her head. This voice was not low, but it was sufficiently magnetic, and it carried a metallic chill.

Atian licked her lips and smiled, "You are a monster."

The other party was silent for a moment before giving an answer, "Thank you for the compliment."

After lingering on the cold ground for a while, Atian finally commanded her limbs, which had recovered a little strength, to shakily climb up. Bai Xinli was standing five steps in front of her, elegant as a jade tree, in the prime of his youth.

Bracing herself against her knees to catch her breath, she finally had the heart to examine the appearance of this "fiancé" in name.

Bai Xinli had been very good-looking since he was a child, delicate and pretty like a girl. Although he no longer had the androgynous look of his childhood after growing up, he could still make people unable to help but clutch their chests and praise him as a "beautiful gentleman," especially those eyes—the pupils were black and round, deep as if they had no bottom.

Atian felt that she should whistle to show respect, but as a young lady of a respectable family, she held back.

They hadn't met in fifteen years, and to whistle like a hooligan the moment they met—even she couldn't do that!

Perhaps it was because the other party had deliberately suppressed his Sword Intent, but she no longer felt the sensation of needles on her back, and she had the leisure to think about this and that.

Although there was the status of "child bride" binding the two of them, Atian and Bai Xinli had never had any interaction other than "that glance" before. It would be strange to be polite as Senior Brother and Junior Sister, but as for a familiar conversation... they really weren't familiar!

"Apologies," in the end, it was Bai Xinli who broke the awkward silence, "It was I who had Zhao Kuo bring you here."

Atian was stunned upon hearing this. She had thought he would ask about Master Bai or Lady Bai, but she had not expected that his first words would be an apology.

The fact that there was an instruction from Bai Xinli behind the Beihai Sword Sect's strange actions did not actually surprise her. The "I calculated with my fingers that there is a connection with my Immortal Sect" in Zhao Kuo's mouth was entirely a lie to fool the Bai couple. If one could really calculate fate, how would Atian have been picked up by Master Bai in Shengxian Town? And how would she have lived honestly in Guangkai Town for so many years?

She did not consider herself a smart person, but she was not a fool either. The moment Zhao Kuo returned, she had become suspicious of this Senior Brother of the Beihai Sword Sect.

The only connection between the Bai family and the Beihai Sword Sect was Bai Xinli; the only one who could make Zhao Kuo, who represented the Beihai Sword Sect, return was Bai Xinli.

Why was she so certain that Bai Xinli had such influence? This also had to do with the Beihai Sword Sect's regular visits.

Once a year, through wind and rain, they did not just take a look and leave, but made a real visit to the door. These cultivators, who were rumored to be arrogant, were willing to bow to the mortal Bai father and mother—this was a treatment that even the county magistrate could not enjoy. At that time, she had guessed that this fiancé she hadn't seen in fifteen years likely held an extraordinary position in the Beihai Sword Sect.

The facts were indeed as she had expected: the Senior Brother of the Beihai Sword Sect, recognized as the number one of the younger generation at the age of twenty, even surpassing fellow disciples whose cultivation years were several times his own—how difficult this was!

Cultivating immortality is not like Enlightenment for children, where the earlier one starts, the more one can gain an advantage. Cultivating immortality is more like cultivating a karmic connection, only it is the karmic connection between the Heavenly Dao and oneself.

When the karmic connection has not arrived, everything one does is in vain.

Bai Xinli entered the island at five years old. A five-year-old child had just barely learned the Thousand Character Classic; his bones had not even fully developed, and his Sword Bone was only a sprout. How could one talk of cultivation? How could one talk of realizing the Dao?

This is what it means for the karmic connection to not have arrived.

Just like Zhao Kuo, he grew up on the Floating Island, yet he was only allowed to follow his masters to cultivate the sword after he was a child, and he had only just entered the threshold to this day. Bai Xinli was not many years older than him; this age difference was almost negligible in the cultivation world where people were often hundreds or thousands of years old, yet Bai Xinli had become the Senior Brother of the Beihai Sword Sect.

Atian had to admit that the young man before her was a true genius.

Perhaps her previous evaluation would also work: Bai Xinli was a "monster."

However, "monsters" all have to pay a price.

She was like this; there was no reason Bai Xinli could be spared.

"You..." she asked hesitantly, "... has something gone wrong with your cultivation?"

Bai Xinli shook his head lightly upon hearing this, "When the thoughts are clear, success comes naturally."

Why is that?

Atian furrowed her brows.

It couldn't really be that he wants to get married, could it?

Seeing her confusion, Bai Xinli closed his eyes for a moment and gave his answer, "I am just... about to forget Bai Xinli."

Forget... Bai Xinli?

But isn't Bai Xinli himself?

However, the bewilderment lasted only for an instant; Atian then reacted to the latter's subtext, and she almost subconsciously looked at the Sword at his waist.

It was a long Sword that, like the man himself, required a whistle to show respect; its entire body was as white and pure as jade, with only a few conspicuous blood-red threads mixed into the scabbard and hilt, winding around the jade-like Sword body, revealing a hint of allure.

Zhao Kuo was not a person who could keep his mouth still; while flying on his Sword, he told her quite a bit of common knowledge about the world of Sword Cultivators, which included Sword Bone and Sword Heart.

Sword Bone creates the Life-bound Sword, and the Life-bound Sword determines a Sword Cultivator's Sword Heart; possessing such a beautiful long Sword and possessing a Sword Intent as sharp as frost, yet saying he is about to forget himself... what exactly is Bai Xinli's Sword Heart?

At this moment, her curiosity about Bai Xinli reached its peak.

"I cannot forget Bai Xinli, but I also cannot disturb my father and mother, so I can only see you."

The young man looked at Atian, his eyes bottomless.

"In return, I will gift you an Immortal Path."

Atian was stunned for a moment, and just as she was about to answer, she saw a banner hanging on the wall behind Bai Xinli, on which someone had written in wild cursive, "Beihai Sword Sect—the best choice for stepping onto the Immortal Path."

Bai Xinli also discovered that Atian had noticed the banner, and his gaze began to drift involuntarily.

"Senior Brother, you should be more invested when reading it next time," Atian suggested sincerely.

Bai Xinli, having been seen through by Atian for reciting the Beihai Sword Sect's recruitment pitch, slowly... blushed.

"Master said this pitch must be used to be persuasive," he said softly, the corners of his mouth curving slightly into what was vaguely a smile, "but I think you probably don't need it."

When the news arrived that the Beihai Sword Sect had come to the door, Atian was gnawing on a chicken leg.

Lady Bai, who a second ago was smiling and urging her to eat more, threw down her chopsticks and jumped up the moment she heard the report, excitedly patting the back of Master Bai beside her, successfully causing the head of the Bai Fu to fail to swallow a mouthful of hot soup, spraying it out directly.

"Oh my, Laoye, why are you so careless." While helping the constantly coughing Master Bai catch his breath, Lady Bai handed him a handkerchief, her face showing an expression of disdain.

Master Bai, who was coughing until he was nearly out of breath, silently rolled his eyes.

Lady Bai did not notice her husband's small gesture; all her attention was now focused on the servant who had come to report, "Why haven't you invited the Immortal Elder in yet!"

Upon hearing this, the servant's face turned bitter, "Replying to Furen, the Immortal Elder only stayed at the door for a while, saying he still had to be busy with the Ascension Ceremony, and then he left!"

"Ah!"

It was hard to say if it was disappointment or relief; upon hearing this, Lady Bai sat back down in her chair, and her brows furrowed.

Having finished the chicken leg in her bowl in a leisurely manner, Atian thought about it, but still did not reach out her chopsticks to take a second one; now was definitely not a good time to attract Lady Bai's attention.

"Why did he just leave like that?" Lady Bai muttered, "I was still planning to ask properly about Xin Li's situation."

"Forget it, it's clear that he doesn't want to have any entanglements with us," Master Bai, who had finally caught his breath, was quite open-minded, "Once that brat entered the gates of the Beihai Sword Sect, he had nothing to do with us anymore; no matter how much you miss him, it's useless. Besides, don't we still have Atian?"

Hearing the two words "Atian," Lady Bai, who had previously looked displeased, instantly became joyful; she turned her head to look at the quiet girl, reached out to hold the young girl's hand, and said in a sorrowful tone: "Atian, Mother only has you left."