I Have a Friend

A sword technique capable of moving even a Nascent Soul True Lord is by no means ordinary.

Lu Li was also somewhat surprised.

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

Could it be... another trap?

Lu Li felt a chill in his heart.

At this moment, the white-haired elder stroked his three-foot-long white beard and sighed, "This Heavenly Demon Twenty-Three Swords was created by the junior brother of our sect's founding patriarch. Initially, it only had thirteen swords, but later, after being refined by numerous sword-dao geniuses of the sect, it has now grown to twenty-three."

So that was it!

Lu Li's eyes lit up.

Based on this alone, the power of this sword technique was definitely sufficient!

Even if there were a trap, so what? Once he learned it, he could just set it aside and let it cultivate itself; perhaps it would save his life one day.

"Many thanks, Elder!"

Lu Li did not hesitate; he accepted the jade slip and bowed in gratitude.

"There is no need to thank me."

The white-haired elder waved his hand. "This Heavenly Demon Twenty-Three Swords is highly dependent on talent. If your sword-dao talent is lacking, you won't even be able to master the first sword. When that time comes, the jade slip will self-destruct."

No wonder he was so generous.

Upon hearing this, Lu Li suddenly understood.

However, with his system cheat, it should be no problem.

"Alright, the time is about up; I must return to the Scripture Depository." With that, the white-haired elder stood up, ready to leave.

"I shall see you off, Elder."

Seeing this, Ghost Demon True Person also stood up immediately to see his guest out.

"No need."

The white-haired elder waved a hand, his figure flickering as he teleported to the doorway.

Just then, his figure suddenly paused, as if he had remembered something. He turned back and beckoned to Lu Li, "Kid, come here. I have a few words of advice for you."

Lu Li was taken aback.

He turned to look at Ghost Demon True Person.

Ghost Demon True Person nodded slightly, signaling him to go.

Having no reason to refuse, Lu Li drifted forward and followed the white-haired elder out of the cave hall.

The two walked a few steps forward and stopped under a Rainbow Tree.

Hum.

The white-haired elder flicked his hand, and with a flash of golden light, a golden barrier descended, sealing off all directions.

It was a barrier!

Lu Li felt a chill in his heart and bowed, asking, "May I ask, Senior, what other instructions do you have?"

"Kid, that move you used earlier—flying up and striking with a golden dragon aura—is definitely not a technique from the Vajra Art! Furthermore, what you practice is not the pure Vajra Art, but a body-refining technique even more tyrannical than it! It is no less impressive than the Great Thunder Sound Temple's first-class body-refining technique, the Vajra Arhat Body! Speak, what is this body-refining technique, and who passed it to you?"

The white-haired elder's eyes widened, his majesty pressing down like a mountain.

In an instant, Lu Li's soul felt suffocated, and infinite fear welled up in his heart.

This feeling was like being trapped in a pit of giant pythons, surrounded by venomous snakes ready to strike and swallow him whole at any moment.

Moreover, the white-haired elder's words carried a powerful force that brooked no resistance.

Lu Li almost blurted out the secret of his system.

Just then, a ding sounded.

The system notification was like a heavenly melody, dispelling the state of shock and fear from Lu Li.

Lu Li returned to normal.

He hesitated for a moment, looking conflicted and troubled as he said, "Elder, this matter concerns my master... I cannot disclose it."

"Oh?"

The white-haired elder frowned and mused, "Your master? Could it be that your master raided the pagodas of some bald donkeys and dug up a body-refining technique to give to you?"

"This... I cannot disclose."

Lu Li braced himself against the terrifying pressure, gritting his teeth.

As soon as he finished speaking, the boundless pressure dissipated.

The white-haired elder stood with his hands behind his back and said, "Fine, since it was passed to you by your master, I will not ask further."

Whew.

He had finally passed the test.

Lu Li breathed a sigh of relief inwardly.

"However..."

Just then, the white-haired elder furrowed his brows, pondered for a moment, and added, "I have one more question for you. If you answer correctly, I will give you the essential techniques for the Heavenly Demon Twenty-Three Swords."

"Please ask, Elder."

Lu Li cupped his hands in a salute.

The white-haired elder tilted his head forty-five degrees, gazing at the boundless sea of sunlight and clouds, his expression filled with nostalgia. "I have a friend..."

Hm?

Creating a friend out of thin air?

Lu Li's instincts flared instantly, and he probed, "Elder, is this friend you speak of actually yourself?"

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

The white-haired elder's face turned cold as he shot him a sidelong glance.

"The Elder's lesson is well-taken."

Lu Li immediately shut his mouth, assuming an expression of rapt attention.

The white-haired elder clasped his hands behind his back, looked up at the sky, and continued his reminiscence. "I had a friend who fell head over heels for a stunning beauty at first sight."

There's no such thing as love at first sight; he was just lusting after her body.

Lu Li muttered to himself.

"Unfortunately, that beauty had many suitors. At the time, my friend was unremarkable, so he remained obscure among the crowd of admirers," the white-haired elder sighed.

Oh?

The classic toad chasing the swan plot?

Lu Li's mind flashed back to their previous conversation, and he vaguely guessed what was coming.

The white-haired elder continued, "However, through some effort and a stroke of luck, I finally... no, my friend finally gained the beauty's favor."

Hm?

The simp actually made it to the top?

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

Hearing this, the white-haired elder rolled his eyes at Lu Li but didn't reprimand him, simply continuing his story. "One day, my friend was invited by the beauty to meet under the moonlight, on a beach by the endless ocean, where they chatted all night long in the gentle sea breeze."

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

The smile was tinged with a trace of joy.

It was the involuntary, happy smile of someone seeing their beloved.

Lu Li watched without saying a word.

Although simps aren't worth pitying, seeing one get what they deserve made him happy for the guy.

The white-haired elder gave a bitter laugh. "Naturally, with a man and a woman alone, when the mood is right, everything should have fallen into place. But unfortunately..."

"Hm? Is it that you... I mean, your friend, couldn't perform? Or was he too soft, unable to get it up?"

Lu Li blurted out, having jumped to a conclusion.

"Bullshit!"

The white-haired elder cursed immediately, looking annoyed. "It's because that stunning beauty suddenly asked a question."

"What question?"

Lu Li's curiosity was piqued.

"She asked, if a man and a woman are in love, how close should they be?" the white-haired elder said, frowning.

This is a softball question!

Lu Li's eyes lit up, and he immediately asked, "And how did you—I mean, how did your friend answer at the time?"

"I answered that if a man and woman are in love, the closest distance should be the woman's shoulder resting against the man's chest, holding each other until the ends of the earth," the white-haired elder replied.

His eyes, reflecting the boundless sea of clouds, held a trace of regret.

Hm?

He got a softball question wrong?

Lu Li suddenly felt a sense of exasperation, as if watching someone fail a simple task. "Elder, that answer was a bit weak. I'm afraid the beauty wasn't very satisfied."

"Indeed, the beauty shook her head and flew away. To this day, I still can't figure out what I answered wrong," the white-haired elder frowned.

"Under normal circumstances, if two people are in love, that romantic line would be fine. But Elder... your friend was in a position of chasing someone 'above' him. In that situation, alone with a woman, he should have said something more aggressive and assertive to truly conquer her heart."

Lu Li shook his head.

"Hmph, I know what you want to say, but that beauty dislikes vulgar language. If you annoy her, I fear you won't even have the chance to see her again in the future!"

The white-haired elder gave a soft huff.

"Elder, you misunderstand. I didn't intend to say anything crude about 'negative distance.' In fact, if you just swap two words in your answer, you'll have the correct one."

Lu Li explained.

"Oh? Speak quickly!"

The white-haired elder's eyes lit up.

"It's very simple. The correct answer is that the closest distance in this world should be a woman's legs resting on a man's shoulders, until the ends of the earth."

Lu Li stated his answer.

"Hmm?"

The white-haired elder was stunned for a moment after hearing this.

Then, his eyes flashed with brilliant light.

"Damn it, Ghost Demon True Person really struck gold by taking you as a disciple; you're a freak of talent!"

As he spoke, he tossed a jade slip over casually: "The cultivation essentials for the Heavenly Demon Twenty-Three Swords are all in here. Cultivate well. Also, promote to Foundation Establishment as soon as possible and become the chief disciple. Once you are the chief disciple, True Lord Yellow Spring and the others won't dare to touch you!"

As soon as his voice fell, with a boom, he tore through the void and vanished.

Only ripples remained, spreading out in the surrounding air.

He moved with such haste, it felt as if he had a stunning beauty at home, draped in nothing but a sliver of silk, waiting for him to return and pay his dues.