Abyss Sword Intent

A woman dressed in a green robe with a yellow sash stood before the mountain gate with her hands behind her back. Looking down from above, her bright eyes were cold and stern as she stared fixedly at Muyu Feifei without saying a word.

Muyu instantly wilted like a deflated human.

Feifei was riding on her shoulders, the two of them stacked like a little human tower.

Lu Ya looked up.

The woman was a five-star Immortal Master, dressed like a middle-aged matron. With willow-leaf brows and bright eyes, she was beautiful without being seductive, her demeanor dignified, with a hint of warmth hidden beneath her stern expression.

Beneath the green robe, her figure was quite voluptuous, yet thanks to the well-tailored fit, her appearance remained dignified and her temperament graceful, showing no sense of being overly fleshy.

Is this the "rich fairy" who is three thousand years my senior?

The "beautiful sect master" the two girls spoke of?

Fine, she is beautiful...

Three thousand years old isn't exactly ancient, either.

The problem is that this graceful and dignified temperament of yours—your mindset is what's old!

I'm going to have to call her "Auntie."

"Hello, Auntie."

"Young man, you're not bad. Auntie will take you to get a BMW at dawn."

The sense of déjà vu is way too strong!

Lu Ya suddenly felt a bit cowardly.

Muyu Feifei remained in their human tower, the four round ears atop their twin buns standing straight up.

Though they were a bit weak in terms of presence, with Lu Ya there to back them up, the two stood proudly in their stacked formation.

With two large heads tilted upward, they stood on the stone steps three zhang away from the woman, looking fierce and imposing, not daring to take another step closer.

Seeing the two girls show no remorse and instead act as if they were proud, the woman's willow brows furrowed slightly as she asked sharply:

"You snuck out and still dare to return? Where is the Azure Phoenix?"

At the mention of the Azure Phoenix, the two girls let out a burp, grabbed Lu Ya, and hurriedly changed the subject:

"Master, we brought a man back for the Sect Master."

"Look, isn't he handsome?"

Master?

So, Auntie isn't your Sect Master after all?

Lu Ya let out a long breath, silently releasing the 'F' key in his heart.

The woman was slightly annoyed.

Channeling her immortal power, she flicked her sleeve through the air, landing a solid rap on each of the girls' heads.

"The Azure Phoenix is already in your stomachs! And this person was tricked here by you from foreign lands. I sentence you to three days of confinement—no eating, no drinking, and no leaving."

Muyu Feifei clutched their heads, feeling very indignant. They lifted their little faces, baring their teeth and acting out.

"Nanny, you're too fierce! We don't want to be confined!"

"We brought a man for the Sect Master... we've performed a great service!"

Nanny...

Black lines appeared across the woman's forehead, as if her reverse scale had been touched.

With two more bang-bang raps, she knocked the girls' human tower apart.

In the Immortal Realm, fairies consider slenderness to be beauty, and it is best to not partake in the smoke and fire of the mortal world.

Fairies despise having a figure that is too voluptuous, as it makes them seem too worldly.

The woman quietly adjusted the lapels of her robe to make them look looser and more flowing.

She swept a faint glance at Lu Ya and, discovering he was merely a mortal, a trace of imperceptible regret flashed through her steady, bright eyes.

"How should I address you, Young Master?"

Lu Ya was slightly startled.

Immortals rarely addressed commoners as "Young Master."

Her tone was also very comfortable, without any sense of condescension; it was nothing like her imposing figure.

Before Lu Ya could speak, the two girls volunteered to answer:

"Let us introduce you—this is Nanny... cough cough, this is the Discipline Elder and Pill Elder of the Bamboo Spring Sect, the venerable senior Ning Zhongzi."

Deliberately dragging out the "venerable senior" with heavy emphasis, the two girls then pointed at Lu Ya:

"And this is..."

"Right, little brother, what was your name again?"

"Lu Ya."

"That's right, this is Lu Ya. He's the one who caught the Azure Phoenix. Look, isn't he handsome?"

Ning Zhongzi's brow twitched slightly; she clearly didn't believe the two girls' words and even felt a bit embarrassed.

"Please forgive the rudeness, Young Master Lu."

"It is no matter. I came to this place simply looking for a place to... seek the Dao. I happened to run into these two children on the way, and they mentioned your sect was recruiting, so I came to take a look."

A mortal seeking the Dao?

The woman's willow-leaf brows furrowed slightly. She felt it sounded rather unreliable, yet her tone remained polite.

"What exactly did the two children tell you?"

"That if I become a dao companion with your sect leader, I can become a Sword-Wielding Elder, rank among the immortals, and receive thirty immortal crystals every month without having to do a single thing."

"It is indeed true that you do not have to do anything, but there is a certain type of thing you absolutely must not do. For a young master without cultivation like yourself, doing it would put your life in danger."

What did she mean by a certain type of thing one absolutely must not do?

And it was life-threatening to do it?

Lu Ya had originally felt there might be trouble and wanted to find an excuse to retreat, but hearing the woman say this, he suddenly became curious.

"What exactly is it that I cannot do?"

"You cannot harbor worldly desires for the sect leader. That is all."

Ning Zhongzi did not hide anything, her bright eyes as calm as still water.

"Can you manage that, Young Master?"

"A nominal dao companion?"

"You could say that."

"Understood."

Lu Ya maintained a solemn expression on the surface, but he was overjoyed inside.

Romance is inferior to gaming; he had a profound understanding of how troublesome dating could be. The reason he didn't mind being kept by a wealthy immortal woman was that he would rather sell his body than engage in a relationship.

Now, the wealthy immortal woman was saying:

I don't even want your body; as long as we are a nominal couple, I can let you enjoy a life of leisure without worrying about food or clothing...

How wonderful!

"Remaining free of worldly desires is simple enough, but I see your sect has very few members. How do you manage to sustain it?"

Remaining free of worldly desires is simple?

Ning Zhongzi was slightly taken aback. She swept her gaze over him, examining Lu Ya in detail once more.

Although he was merely an immortal commoner, his appearance was exceptionally handsome, and his demeanor carried an awe-inspiring, ethereal air.

His gaze toward her was also very proper, unlike most men who would let their eyes wander when seeing an immortal woman...

Could such a pure man truly exist in this world?

Why was a man like this only an immortal commoner?

As for how the Bamboo Spring Sect would sustain itself, Ning Zhongzi was very certain.

"As long as you truly remain free of worldly desires, this sect will enjoy long-lasting peace and stability."

It lasts as long as there's no hanky-panky?

Lu Ya became increasingly curious.

"Let's see the people first."

Ning Zhongzi was slightly stunned, yet she still politely led the way up the mountain for Lu Ya.

"Please, follow me."

Summoning a slender spirit sword, Ning Zhongzi carried Lu Ya to the Sword Terrace at the mountain peak.

The Sword Terrace was located on the north side of the summit.

The peak was covered in a rolling bamboo forest; the bamboo was even more verdant and slender, resembling swords thrust into the earth.

Interspersed with cherry blossoms visible everywhere, it was a completely different style compared to the pines and maples on the mountainside.

The Sword Terrace was a massive, suspended boulder.

To the south, it backed onto the bamboo forest, and ancient pines grew diagonally from the crevices in the cliffside, with a clear, cold stream cascading into a waterfall beside them.

Standing by the waterfall, one could see the scenery of the entire northern half of the Floating Mountain—the sea of clouds in the sky, the rivers, and the fields, all breathtakingly beautiful.

On the west side of the Sword Terrace, the golden sunset pierced through the sea of clouds, bathing the earth in light as if draping the Floating Mountain in a layer of magnificent divinity.

Lu Ya stared blankly, finding the feeling he had when he first played the game all those years ago.

Next-generation graphical details.

Spectacular immortal scenery design.

The flowing colors of the cloud light...

Everything provided a shocking visual effect and an unparalleled sense of immersion.

Yet, the magnificence of the true Immortal Realm was even greater than that of the game!

At this moment, Muyu Feifei caught up as well.

Ning Zhongzi said to the two of them:

"I shall stay here to accompany the Young Master; you two go and summon the Sect Master."

The two tigers hopped and skipped, diving into the bamboo forest with faces full of excitement.

Ning Zhongzi stood at the edge of the cliff with her hands behind her back.

"The sunset is beautiful, isn't it?"

Lu Ya nodded.

"Take a good look. If you harbor even the slightest worldly desire for the Sect Master, this will be the last time in your life you ever see the sunset."

Lu Ya:

"..."

Ning Zhongzi turned around and leaned in close to straighten Lu Ya's robes. Seeing that he kept his eyes straight ahead and his breathing steady, she finally let out a slight sigh of relief.

Lu Ya's curiosity had long since been piqued to the heavens; he had no mind left to care about the Ning Zhongzi before him.

He unleashed his divine sense, instantly spreading it across the entire mountaintop.

Although the summit had some undulations, it was generally flat, covering several dozen acres of land filled with vast bamboo forests interspersed with cherry trees.

In the middle of the woods lay a clear lake, with several pavilions dotting its shores.

To the north was the Hanging Stone Sword Terrace where Lu Ya stood.

To the south was a magnificent palace for meetings.

To the east was a medicinal garden.

To the west was a hot spring.

Mist swirled above the hot spring, merging with the sea of clouds beyond the cliff, creating a vast, hazy expanse that felt like a paradise on earth.

Lu Ya's divine sense pierced through the mist, seeing a pool of clear spring water with scattered bamboo leaves and cherry blossoms floating upon it.

A woman rested her chin on her fair, jade-like arm, leaning against the stone edge of the hot spring with her eyes closed, before a pair of lazy, sword-like eyes slowly opened.

The very instant Lu Ya's divine sense made contact with the woman's sword-like eyes—

A sword intent, as if originating from an ancient abyss, instantly pierced into Lu Ya's dantian.