Chapter 74: 74. Chapter 74

74. Chapter 74

Guan San is currently petting the server, please complete your subscription to defeat him! However, the overwhelming pressure did not weaken because of her wretched reaction; instead, it came even more fiercely, forcing her to support her body as her arms began to tremble slightly, and even the gaps between her bones began to ache.

It's going to be snapped.

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 a magical artifact that 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 that she hadn't experienced powerful Sword Intent, nor that she hadn't seen formidable cultivators. The former was like the Broken Sword of the Grandmaster, and the latter included the eccentric 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 martial uncles, their cultivation already smooth and perfect; how could they intentionally release it to scare a little girl?

But Bai Xinli was different.

At the age of twenty, he was in the prime of his sharpness and progress. He did not need to hide his light, nor did he need to intentionally feign ignorance. His youthful brilliance could not be covered, nor could it be hidden.

Her body and mind were stretched to the limit, yet deep within her heart, a stubborn streak supported her in persisting.

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 collapsed to the ground, unable to move even a single finger, only able to gasp for air with dull eyes.

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

"Junior Nephew Xin Li being this way is also a last resort; you will understand once you see him."

It was more than just understanding; it was practically seeing through everything.

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 long since soaked through and stuck to her body, feeling exceptionally uncomfortable, but 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 particularly deep, but it was sufficiently magnetic, and it carried a metallic coldness.

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 commanded her limbs, which had regained a bit of 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.

Supporting herself on her knees and catching 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 at this moment to show respect, but as a young lady of a prominent family, she held back.

They hadn't met for 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 intentionally 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 a "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 hadn't expected that his first words would be an apology.

The fact that there was Bai Xinli's instruction behind the Beihai Sword Sect's strange actions did not actually surprise her. The "calculating with fingers, there is a fate 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 grown 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, and 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 be discussed in relation to the Beihai Sword Sect's regular visits.

Once a year, rain or shine, it wasn't just a glance before leaving, but a real visit to the door. These cultivators, who were rumored to be arrogant and conceited, were willing to bow to the mortal Bai father and mother—this was a treatment that even the county magistrate couldn't enjoy. At that time, she guessed that this fiancé she hadn't seen in fifteen years probably held an unusual status in the Beihai Sword Sect.

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

Immortal cultivation is not like Enlightenment for children, where the earlier one starts, the more one can gain the upper hand. Immortal cultivation is more like cultivating a karmic connection—it is simply 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 hadn't even fully developed, and his Sword Bone was only a sprout—how could one speak of cultivation? How could one speak of realizing the Dao?

This is what it means when the karmic connection has not arrived.

Just like Zhao Kuo, he grew up on the Floating Island, but he was only allowed to follow his masters to cultivate the sword after he was a child, and he had only just entered the gate to this day. Bai Xinli was not much older than him; this slight 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 evaluation from just a moment ago also worked: Bai Xinli was a "monster."

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

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

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

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

Then why?

Atian frowned.

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

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

Forget... Bai Xinli?

But isn't Bai Xinli himself?

However, the bewilderment lasted only for a moment; Atian soon realized the subtext of the latter, and she looked at the Sword at his waist almost subconsciously.

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

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

Sword Bone creates the Life-bound Sword, and the Life-bound Sword determines the Sword Cultivator's Sword Heart; possessing such a beautiful long Sword and possessing a Sword Intent as piercing 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 parents, so I can only see you."

The young man looked at Atian, his eyes bottomless.

"In return, I will gift you a path to the 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, with "Beihai Sword Sect—The Best Choice for Advancing Toward the Immortal Path" written on it in wild cursive script.

Bai Xinli also noticed that Atian had spotted 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 that he was reciting the Beihai Sword Sect's recruitment slogan, slowly... blushed.

"Master said this slogan must be used to have appeal," 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."

The Sect Master of the Beihai Sword Sect, the current number one Sword Cultivator in the cultivation world, Duan Xuan, once voiced the inner thoughts of his fellow disciples:

"Sometimes I really want to snap it in two."

Zhao Kuo and his Duan Yue Sword were in the most chaotic period of adjustment, causing trouble all day long; that they could send him to welcome Atian showed an important characteristic of this Xiuxianmen, the Beihai Sword Sect—they were thick-skinned.

"Just do your best, doing your best is enough," the Deacon Elder who assigned him the task said with a chuckle, "Besides, the worst result is just Xin Li coming out of seclusion and beating you up; it's not like you could lose the young lady, could you?"