I Have a Friend

A sword technique powerful enough to move even a Nascent Soul True Lord was anything but ordinary.

Lu Li was a little surprised, too.

The white-haired elder was actually willing to pass such a powerful sword technique on to him?

Could it be... another trap?

Lu Li's heart tightened.

Just then, the white-haired elder stroked his three-foot white beard and sighed. "The Heavenly Demon Twenty-Three Swords was created by the founding patriarch's junior brother. It originally had only thirteen swords. Later, after being refined by many sword geniuses in the sect, it grew to twenty-three."

So that was how it was!

Lu Li's eyes lit up.

That alone made the sword technique powerful enough!

So what if it was a trap? He could learn it, then set it aside and let it cultivate on its own. Who knew when it might save his life?

"Thank you, Elder!"

Lu Li accepted the jade slip without hesitation and cupped his hands in thanks.

"You needn't thank me."

The white-haired elder waved a hand. "The Heavenly Demon Twenty-Three Swords relies heavily on talent. If your talent in the sword is lacking, you won't even be able to master the first sword. When that happens, the jade slip will destroy itself."

No wonder he'd been so generous.

Lu Li understood at once.

Still, with his system cheat, it shouldn't be a problem.

"All right, it's about time. This old man has to return to the Scripture Depository." The white-haired elder rose to leave.

"I'll see you out, Elder."

Ghost Demon True Person immediately stood up to escort him.

"No need."

The white-haired elder waved a hand and flashed to the doorway.

Just then, he suddenly stopped, as though remembering something. He turned and beckoned to Lu Li. "You, boy. Come here. This old man has a few words of advice for you."

Lu Li couldn't help but freeze.

Then he looked at Ghost Demon True Person.

Ghost Demon True Person gave a slight nod, signaling him to go.

Lu Li had no reason to refuse, so he drifted forward and followed the white-haired elder out of the cave's main hall.

They walked a few steps and stopped beneath a Rainbow Tree.

Humm.

The white-haired elder swept a hand lightly. Golden light flashed, and a golden barrier sprang up around them, enclosing the space on all sides.

A formation barrier!

Lu Li's heart tightened. He cupped his hands and asked, "May I ask what else you wish to advise me on, Senior?"

"Boy, that move you used just now—you flew up and struck out with a Golden Dragon of qi. That definitely wasn't a move from the Vajra Art! And what you've cultivated isn't a pure Vajra Art either, but a body-tempering technique even more powerful than the Vajra Art! It's every bit as formidable as the Great Thunder Sound Temple's premier body-tempering art, the Vajra Arhat Body! Tell me, what is this body-tempering technique, and who passed it on to you?"

The white-haired elder's eyes widened. His imposing presence pressed down like a mountain.

In an instant, Lu Li's soul choked, and boundless terror surged through him.

It felt as though he'd been thrown into a pit of giant pythons, surrounded by venomous snakes ready to strike, bite him, and swallow him whole.

And the white-haired elder's words carried a tremendous force that allowed no defiance.

Lu Li nearly spilled the entire secret of his system.

Just then, a ding rang out.

The system's notification sounded like music from heaven, dispelling the fear and suppression weighing on Lu Li.

Lu Li returned to normal.

After hesitating, he said with great difficulty, "Elder, this concerns my master... I can't say."

"Oh?"

The white-haired elder furrowed his brows and mused, "Your master? Could it be that he dug up a few bald monks' pagodas and unearthed a body-tempering technique for you?"

"This... I can't say."

Lu Li gritted his teeth, forcing himself to withstand the terrifying pressure.

As soon as the words left his mouth, the boundless pressure dissipated.

The white-haired elder clasped his hands behind his back. "Forget it. Since your master passed it on to you, this old man won't pry."

Phew.

He'd finally made it through.

Lu Li secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

"But..."

Just then, the white-haired elder's brow furrowed. After a moment's thought, he continued, "This old man has another question for you. If you answer correctly, I'll give you the cultivation instructions for the Heavenly Demon Twenty-Three Swords."

"Please ask, Elder."

Lu Li cupped his hands.

The white-haired elder tilted his head back at a forty-five-degree angle, gazing out at the boundless sea of clouds in the sunlight. His expression grew wistful. "This old man has a friend..."

Huh?

A friend who was totally not him?

Lu Li's guard shot up. He cautiously asked, "Elder, is this friend you're talking about actually you?"

"Boy, sometimes it's best not to be too clever."

The white-haired elder gave him a cold sidelong glance.

"You're right, Elder."

Lu Li promptly shut his mouth and put on a look of rapt attention.

The white-haired elder clasped his hands behind his back and gazed at the sky, continuing his reminiscence. "This old man had a friend who fell head over heels for a peerlessly beautiful woman at first sight."

How many people really fell in love at first sight? He was just lusting after her body.

Lu Li muttered to himself.

"Unfortunately, that peerlessly beautiful woman had many suitors. My friend wasn't anything special back then, so he was just another face in the crowd."

The white-haired elder sighed.

Oh?

Was this a toad chasing after a swan?

Lu Li immediately recalled the question from last time and began to suspect he knew where this was going.

Just then, the white-haired elder continued, "But after much effort and a stroke of luck, this old man finally... No, my friend finally won the woman's favor."

Huh?

Had the simp finally made it?

Lu Li saw right through it and cupped his hands. "Congratulations, Elder—ah, no, congratulations to your friend, Elder."

The white-haired elder shot Lu Li a look but didn't scold him. He simply went on. "One day, my friend accepted an invitation from the beauty. Beneath the moonlight, on the beach, beside the boundless Great Ocean, they enjoyed the gentle sea breeze and talked through the night."

As he spoke, a smile appeared at the corner of the old man's mouth.

There was a trace of delight in it.

It was the happy, involuntary smile of a man looking at the woman he loved.

Lu Li watched without saying a word.

Though simps didn't deserve sympathy, he was happy for one who'd finally gotten what he wanted.

Just then, the white-haired elder gave a bitter laugh. "A man and a woman alone together, their feelings running high—it should have all happened naturally, but unfortunately..."

"Hm? Could it be that you weren't up to the task? Ah, no—was your friend too soft-hearted to get it up?"

Lu Li thought he'd figured it out and interrupted him.

"Bullshit!"

The white-haired elder immediately cursed, then said irritably, "The peerlessly beautiful woman suddenly asked him a question."

"What question?"

Lu Li was curious now, too.

"She asked, 'If a man and a woman are in love with each other, how close should they be?'" The white-haired elder furrowed his brow as he repeated the question.

That was a free point!

Lu Li's eyes lit up. He immediately asked, "What did you say, Elder?"

"This old man answered, 'If a man and a woman love each other, the closest they should be is for the woman to rest her head on the man's chest, the two of them embracing until the ends of the earth.'"

The white-haired elder replied.

In his eyes, reflecting the boundless sea of clouds, a hint of regret showed.

Huh?

He'd gotten a free point wrong?

Lu Li suddenly felt helpless frustration, like watching someone ruin a sure thing. "Elder, your answer was a little weak. I'm afraid the beauty wasn't satisfied."

"Yes. The beauty shook her head and flew away. To this day, this old man still can't figure out where he went wrong."

The white-haired elder furrowed his brows.

"In normal circumstances, there'd be nothing wrong with saying something romantic like that when two people were in love. But, Elder... your friend was punching above his weight. In that kind of situation, alone with a woman, he should've said something more assertive and forward. That's how you win a beauty over."

"Hmph, this old man knows what you're trying to say, but that beauty didn't like vulgar words. If he offended her, he might never get the chance to see her again!"

The white-haired elder snorted.

"You misunderstand, Elder. I'm not suggesting any vulgar talk about getting closer than close. You only need to replace two words in your answer to get it right."

Lu Li explained.

"Oh? Hurry up and tell me!"

The white-haired elder's eyes lit up.

"It's simple. The right answer is: 'The closest distance in this world is for the woman's legs to rest on the man's shoulders, until the ends of the earth.'"

Lu Li gave his answer.

"Hm?"

The white-haired elder froze for a moment.

Then his eyes flashed with brilliance.

"Damn, Ghost Demon True Person really struck gold taking you on as his disciple!"

As he spoke, he casually tossed over a jade slip. "The cultivation instructions for the Heavenly Demon Twenty-Three Swords are all in here. Make sure you cultivate them properly. Also, reach Foundation Establishment as soon as possible and become the Chief Disciple. Once you're the Chief Disciple, True Lord Yellow Spring and the others won't dare touch you!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he tore through the void with a boom and vanished.

Only rings of ripples remained, spreading through the air.

He fled so fast, as if a peerlessly beautiful woman at home were waiting for him, wearing only the barest scrap of clothing, ready for him to come back and do his husbandly duty.