Unlocking Volume Two: Primordial Sword Body!

Time flowed like water, slipping away without a sound.

In the blink of an eye, another month had passed.

It was the winter solstice in Jiangning City. The bitter wind blew through the parasol trees lining the streets, making their leaves rustle.

Inside the small room in the tea house's rear courtyard, Jiang Yuan sat cross-legged. His breathing was long and steady as true qi slowly circulated through his body, flowing through his meridians like a stream before finally gathering in his dantian.

Suddenly!

Jiang Yuan opened his eyes, a sharp glint flashing through them.

"Qi Condensation, fifth layer!"

In just one short month, he had broken through from the first layer of Qi Condensation to the fifth. His cultivation speed was simply terrifying.

Yet Jiang Yuan soon discovered that while his cultivation speed had increased seventyfold, his spiritual qi consumption had also become seventy times that of an ordinary Qi Condensation martial artist!

He had collected twenty low-grade spirit stones from the City Lord's Manor, thinking they would last him for a while. In the end, they had been used up in less than five days.

Over the past month, he had spent most of his days cultivating solely by absorbing the spiritual qi of heaven and earth. The efficiency was slow as a snail's crawl; otherwise, he would at least have advanced another two or three minor realms.

"Alas, I still don't have enough cultivation resources."

Jiang Yuan shook his head helplessly.

Late Bloomer might be a cultivation cheat, but it was also a massive money-devouring beast. It would not allow him to lie flat and coast through life.

It seemed it was time to find an opportunity to leave this place.

Huddling in one corner of the world, he would ultimately find it hard to achieve anything.

Just as he was thinking this, a line of golden text suddenly appeared before his eyes—

[Two months have passed. The conditions to unlock Volume Two of the Longevity Scroll have been met!]

[Volume Two unlocked. You have obtained "Primordial Sword Body"!]

[Primordial Sword Body: You possess a Primordial Sword Body. Cultivating the Sword Dao comes as naturally to you as a fish takes to water, with virtually no cultivation bottlenecks. You are unquestionably a genius of the Sword Dao!]

[Additional reward obtained: Evergreen Sword!]

As the rewards were bestowed—

Jiang Yuan immediately felt a flash of enlightenment. He subconsciously picked up the storyteller's fan from the table and flicked it casually.

Bang!

The next instant, a faint sword qi lashed out from the fan and struck the floor, leaving behind a shallow sword mark.

"Sword qi?"

Jiang Yuan stared in utter disbelief. He had never practiced the sword, yet he could actually unleash sword qi?

And wasn't this a damn fan?

Could this be the legendary innate sword intent?

It was said that peerless geniuses of the Sword Dao could produce sword intent the moment they touched a sword, and could easily wield sword qi that ordinary people might fail to cultivate even after years of bitter training.

Then what did that make him?

He had not even touched a sword yet!

With a thought from Jiang Yuan, a longsword appeared out of thin air in his hand.

The sword gleamed with an icy jade-green radiance from end to end. Its blade was three feet and three inches long, its lustrous sheen flickering. At a glance, it was clearly no ordinary weapon.

This was the Evergreen Sword.

"I have sword intent, and I have a sword. Now all I lack is a suitable sword technique."

Jiang Yuan looked at the longsword in his hand, feeling strangely moved.

Ever since childhood, he had listened to tales of martial arts and dreamed that one day he too could become a swordsman.

He had never expected that dream to come true today.

Sword qi stretched thirty thousand li, one blade chilled the fourteen provinces with frost!

Just thinking about it made his blood surge.

[Name: Jiang Yuan]

[Age: 70]

[Realm: Qi Condensation, fifth layer]

[Cultivation Technique: Everlasting Spring Technique]

[Martial Skill: Five Animal Fist (Mastery)]

[Talent: Late Bloomer, Primordial Sword Body]

[Treasure: Evergreen Sword]

[Condition to unlock the next volume: Six months later]

"Six months later..."

Jiang Yuan drew a deep breath, his eyes brimming with excitement.

This Longevity Scroll was simply heaven-defying.

However, judging by the unlocking conditions, each time a new reward was unlocked, the time before the next volume opened would be extended somewhat.

He had to live longer.

Time flew by.

In the blink of an eye, another three months had passed.

As usual, Jiang Yuan was passionately telling stories in the tea house that morning, and not a single seat below was empty.

Today's tale was The Return of the Condor Heroes.

"Everyone, Yang Guo endured sixteen bitter years for his promise to Xiao Longnü. Yet his longing came to nothing, and the sorrow in his heart became impossible to suppress. With all hope extinguished, he threw himself into Passionless Valley!"

"That leap turned the winds and clouds pale, and made heaven and earth mourn with him!"

"Poor fated lovers, destined never to meet again!"

"Ten years, life and death lie vast and boundless; though one does not dwell on it, one cannot forget. A lonely grave a thousand li away, with nowhere to speak of one's desolation!"

"If you wish to know what happens next, listen in the next installment..."

Smack!

"That concludes this installment!"

Jiang Yuan brought down the storyteller's clapper, his voice rising and falling as he told this tragic love story with heartrending grandeur, leaving his listeners with endless lingering feelings.

The tea house patrons were utterly engrossed. Some had reddened eyes, while others sighed again and again.

"Wonderful! Wonderfully told!"

"Wuwuwu, what a pitiable pair of lovers! Why were there so many misunderstandings? And what did those worldly judgments even amount to?"

Everyone began discussing it fervently, and the atmosphere was exceedingly lively.

The young ladies in particular wept until they looked like pear blossoms drenched in rain, as though each of them were the pure and immaculate Xiao Longnü herself.

Standing behind the counter, Mei Lan too found her eyes reddening uncontrollably. From time to time, she lifted a handkerchief to wipe away her tears. There was even a hint of admiration in the way she looked at Jiang Yuan; she had truly been won over by his talent.

Old Master Jiang had changed completely lately.

His spirits were better, his complexion was better, and even his storytelling had gained more flavor.

Clop-clop-clop—

Just then, a burst of urgent hoofbeats sounded outside the tea house.

Immediately afterward, a hearty laugh rang out:

"Hahaha, we're here!"

The tea house's door curtain was abruptly flung aside, and four young people filed in.

At their head was a young man around twenty, dressed in a green sect robe with a longsword hanging at his waist. He was handsome, though his features carried a trace of arrogance.

Behind him followed two men and one woman, all dressed in the same green robes and possessing extraordinary bearing.

"Big Sis, I'm back!"

The young man shouted as soon as he entered. His gaze swept across the hall before finally landing on Mei Lan.

"You're Mei Lan, right?"

"Where's my big sister?"

"Big sister?"

Mei Lan froze slightly, then said in surprise, "Could you be... Zhou Yun?"

She had never met Zhou Yun. She had only occasionally heard her sister-in-law mention having such a younger brother, never expecting him to suddenly visit today.

"That would be me!"

Zhou Yun glanced at Mei Lan and casually slammed his sword down onto a table, startling the customers seated there into leaping to their feet in shock and anger.

"Who are you? You—"

"Hm?"

Zhou Yun turned and shot them a fierce glare. The few people immediately became too frightened to say another word.

His clothes were anything but ordinary, and he was clearly a martial artist.

Most of the customers here were common folk. Naturally, they did not dare provoke such a Baleful Intent, and all hurriedly rose and left.

In no time, seven or eight out of every ten customers in the entire inn had departed, afraid of getting dragged into trouble.

Only Zhou Yun and the young people beside him remained.

Seeing this, Mei Lan felt somewhat embarrassed, but she still forced a smile at Zhou Yun. "So it is Young Master Zhou. Sister-in-law is at home caring for my brother. I'll have someone call her over at once."

"Hmph!"

At that, Zhou Yun snorted coldly. "My big sister married into your Mei family, and it was just to care for that cripple?"

"From today onward, my big sister will not suffer even the slightest grievance here!"

"..."

Mei Lan was stunned and could not find words for a moment.

She had not expected her sister-in-law's younger brother to come with ill intent, showing her no respect from the moment he arrived.

He had driven away the customers, and now he was saying such humiliating things.

In truth, the Mei family had not mistreated his elder sister Zhou Lian these past years. They had merely asked her to fulfill her duty of caring for her husband. All the family's businesses, great and small, were handled by Mei Lan, the younger sister, who supported the entire household through her work.

Besides, if the Mei family had not helped them back then, the Zhou family's business would have gone bankrupt long ago.

What grievance had Zhou Lian suffered, exactly?