Please Don't Call a Sword Cultivator Cute

"Pfft!" Ning Xi laughed, nodded with an air of solemn importance, and lifted her chin. "Exactly. You actually figured it out.

I am my aunt... pah, pah!

That came out wrong. I am myself, and I'm here to gain experience.

Good that you know. From now on, follow obediently behind me, and you'll get your share of the benefits!"

Hearing this, Li Yang turned toward Lu Feng, still bent in a bow.

"I already told you. What could I do if you refused to believe me?" Lu Feng clasped his hands behind his back. "Since you're awake, both of you come with me."

"Where?"

"Where else? You've established your foundation, so naturally, you need to light your Soul Lamp in the Fate Soul Hall. Ning Xi, you might as well come along too."

Only then did Li Yang remember.

He had spent over a decade in the Qi Refining Realm, unqualified to light a Soul Lamp. Every drop of soul blood extracted would damage his fundamental essence. Only after reaching the Foundation Establishment Realm and condensing his soul could he separate out soul blood without harming his foundation.

Soul Lamps allowed the sect to monitor whether its disciples were alive or dead.

As for Lu Feng's talk of "legacy and responsibility" and "honor and belonging" along the way, none of it sank in.

The Fate Soul Hall stood on the cultivation peak where the Mystic Heaven Sword Sect's ancestor resided. It was far too important.

If someone maliciously destroyed the Soul Lamps, everyone in the sect, including the sect master, would suffer grievous injuries.

Normally, the sect master or the inner sect's grand elder would arrange for disciples to light their lamps together, preventing unforeseen incidents caused by frequent comings and goings.

There were exceptions, however-

Such as now. The sword talent Li Yang had displayed was enough to warrant special treatment.

Otherwise, never mind other sword cultivation traditions and factions-even within the Mystic Heaven Sword Sect, plenty of elders wanted to poach him.

"Hmm? Someone else is here?" Lu Feng was somewhat surprised.

Usually, only he, the inner sect's grand elder, and the sect master had the authority to enter and leave the ancestor's Mystic Heaven Peak freely.

"What a coincidence." Sect Master Ling Wujie had just emerged with a handsome young man whose eyes shimmered with innocent moisture.

"A new disciple of yours?"

Ling Wujie nodded, a smug smile on his face. "You said my Sect Master Peak had too many women and too few men. Now I have two male disciples too. He possesses the rare seven-aperture exquisite body and established his foundation in a hundred days."

He emphasized "a hundred days."

How could Lu Feng fail to hear the dig at Li Yang for spending over a decade in the Qi Refining Realm?

In truth, Ling Wujie did not normally belittle disciples. Rather, Li Yang was so outstanding that he envied Lu Feng for having such an exceptional disciple.

One was the sect master, the other the inner sect's grand elder. They were indeed good friends.

But precisely because they were friends, they felt the urge to compete.

"Our Mystic Heaven Sword Sect is a sect of sword cultivators. What good is cultivating quickly? Can he compare to that Dao physique at the Supreme Truth Jade Radiance Palace?"

Li Yang bowed to Ling Wujie, his gaze settling on the young man.

He was prettier than a woman, like the perfect product of Sakura Nation's emasculation program.

Delicate and dainty, the sort who looked as though he would whimper and cry over a little scrape.

Someone like that stood out far too starkly among a crowd of iron-blooded sword cultivators.

Still, he seemed like the type women would adore.

Li Yang found him deeply off-putting.

The way this fellow looked at Ning Xi was nothing like the gaze a normal sword cultivator should have.

It was not exactly lecherous, but possessive.

Yet he quickly replaced it with a smile brimming with youthful vitality. He even knew how to hide it.

"You must be Senior Brother Li? I've long heard of your great reputation!"

Never mind women-even Li Yang found his refined features charming.

But the instant that feeling arose, killing intent replaced it.

Something was wrong with this person!

He could actually alter my perception without my noticing!

Could this be a special property of the seven-aperture exquisite body?

Li Yang glanced sideways at Ning Xi.

He found that her gaze remained utterly calm as she looked at the young man, as though she was not affected at all.

That only puzzled him further.

Even he, who had begun condensing a sword heart, was affected, yet Ning Xi remained composed despite being a girl.

Was she Ning Qingfeng's incarnation or not?

This was only a brief interlude. Li Yang and Ning Xi soon lit their Soul Lamps in the Fate Soul Hall.

Somewhere beyond conscious perception, Li Yang sensed a bond forming.

He had heard that once a disciple lit their Soul Lamp, their destiny merged with the sect's, giving them somewhere to belong.

Lu Feng brought them back to Crane-Cry Peak and introduced Ning Xi to its senior brothers and sisters.

Aside from the eldest senior brother and sixth senior sister, everyone was on the peak.

Li Yang had hoped to glean some clues from Ning Xinyao's attitude toward Ning Xi.

Instead, he discovered that Ning Xinyao, previously only at the seventh level of Foundation Establishment, had now reached the Golden Core Realm!

"Junior Brother, you look surprised." Ning Xinyao wore an ambiguous smile. "You've only been at Crane-Cry Peak for two or three years. Did you think everyone else joined recently too?

Did you know that even your seventh senior sister is at the Golden Core Realm? I've been at Crane-Cry Peak for two sixty-year cycles. How could I still be at Foundation Establishment?

That's what you get for spending your days like an idle cloud and a wandering crane, with both ears shut to everything happening on the peak.

I cultivate the Ning Lineage's supreme cultivation method-the Nine-Turn Reincarnation Scripture. I went from the first level of Qi Refining to Great Perfection, then returned to the first level, repeating that cycle nine times before establishing my foundation.

Then I cultivated to Foundation Establishment Great Perfection, fell back to the first level of Qi Refining, and repeated that another nine times.

I'm now on my eighth Golden Core cycle.

During my sixth cycle, you gave me some profoundly unforgettable memories~

Especially those principles of yours. Even my face burned from them."

Her words carried a double meaning.

Li Yang truly had not expected Ning Xinyao's cultivation method to be so outrageous.

"Senior Sister, I..."

Ning Xinyao interrupted him, appearing before him in a flash.

"Stand still. Hold out your face."

Li Yang did not mind.

He did not care about that anyway.

If a slap could settle the matter, that was fine.

"You really held it out?" Ning Xinyao raised a hand and pinched his cheek, smiling. "All right, I'll stop teasing you. I never realized our little junior brother had such a cute side."

"Please don't use 'cute' to describe a sword cultivator, especially a male sword cultivator," Li Yang corrected her.

"All right, all right. Enough fooling around," Lu Feng said.

"I summoned you here for two reasons. First, to introduce your little junior sister, Ning Xi. Second, the Ancient Immortal Secret Realm in Immortal Relic Province is scheduled to open in twenty-eight days.

According to the Dao Alliance's investigations, it should be an immortal's former abode, containing the legacy of their Dao tradition.

However, the cultivation method they practiced is obscured by immortal-severing power. Fortunately, the dangers within are relatively mild, while the opportunities are even greater. It is suitable for you to explore."

The second senior brother brightened at this and asked:

"I assume there must be restrictions on cultivation?"

Lu Feng nodded.

"Naturally. Secret realms containing ancient immortal legacies have their own independent rules for selecting the most suitable inheritor.

According to inside information from our supreme elder who works at the Dao Alliance:

This secret realm's rules are extremely unusual-prodigies at the Nascent Soul Realm and below may enter, but every participant's cultivation will be suppressed to that of a mortal. They must cultivate again from the beginning, so those who cultivate quickly will have an absolute advantage."

If the old Li Yang had heard that rule, he would have turned around and left immediately.

Wasn't that purely a contest of talent?

But now that his body had undergone rebirth, even if his cultivation could not advance a thousand miles a day, a hundred miles was still within reach.

I could go in and take a look.

He had never been to Immortal Relic Province. He only knew that enormous secret realms frequently opened there, producing one peerless talent after another whose names resounded throughout the Nine Provinces.

Those still alive had all become major figures in the Nine Provinces, such as Ning Qingfeng.

Lu Feng's gaze settled on Li Yang, and he looked somewhat troubled.

"There are limited places for this secret realm, and we already submitted the names. We didn't expect you to establish your foundation so suddenly."

Li Yang was speechless.

You never paid any attention to the old me. What the fuck could you have expected?

"Then why did you summon me here, Master?"

If he did not intend to take him, why call him over?

He was not desperate for their place anyway. As long as places were available, he was confident his strength was more than enough to secure one.

"This secret realm is too high-level. The sect decided to select participants from among its Golden Core and Nascent Soul members," Lu Feng added.

That blocked Li Yang's fallback plan too.

Still, he could understand.

For example, if a Foundation Establishment cultivator and a Nascent Soul cultivator both started cultivating again as mortals, anyone could tell that the Nascent Soul cultivator would crush the other in every respect.

Thus, this arrangement also protected the sect's Foundation Establishment prodigies.

"Then I simply won't go."

Lu Feng stroked his beard.

"No hurry. Although Crane-Cry Peak has no places left, Sect Master Peak still has one.

Sect Master Ling has seven direct disciples: five senior sisters and one junior brother, with the last being Ye Zhihan, whom you met today.

Your other junior brother reportedly accompanied one of his senior sisters back to her lineage to enter a secret realm. They are obtaining precious spiritual materials for refining pills so she can break through to become a fourth-grade master alchemist, leaving his place vacant.

I have already spoken to the sect master. He can give you that place, but you must disguise yourself as that disciple to enter this secret realm.

You should understand that the elders of the other peaks are all watching.

If someone gives up their place, a struggle for it is inevitable. You haven't formed your core yet, so you aren't even qualified to compete.

Therefore, you must disguise yourself as that junior brother, Qin Feng, to enter the Ancient Immortal Secret Realm smoothly."

Li Yang nodded. As long as he could get in, that was enough. He had never been to Immortal Relic Province before.

"All right, everyone else may leave. Li Yang, stay behind."

After the other disciples left, only Li Yang and Lu Feng remained in the hall.

"Do you know why I kept you here alone?"

Li Yang shook his head. "Just don't give me another assignment. It'll be enough if you stop screwing me over."

Lu Feng choked on his words.

He truly had let Li Yang down over the Yongning Commandery incident.

"Ahem." He gave a dry cough to hide his embarrassment. "Then I won't keep you in suspense."

Lu Feng made a startling declaration. "Because I believe you have a very good chance of obtaining that immortal's legacy in the Primordial Immortal Secret Realm!"

"Me?" Li Yang frowned. "There are well over a million prodigies in the Nine Provinces. You think far too highly of me, Master."

"I didn't say it was certain. Senior Yuan Hua gave me this information and asked me to pass it on to you-that immortal very likely cultivated the slaughter Dao."

Li Yang's heart jolted.

If it was the slaughter Dao, I really might have a chance.

After all, sensing killing intent and fighting bloody battles were precisely the talents that set him apart from ordinary people.

"And then?" Li Yang asked.

"The slaughter Dao is not the demonic Dao, but it treads a red line, just as the demonic Dao dances along the edge of the evil Dao.

If someone righteous obtains it, they can vanquish demons and defend the Dao. If someone wicked obtains it, they will surely poison all living beings.

It would be best if you obtained it. But even if this immortal opportunity is not yours, you must not let it fall into the hands of evil fiends.

Especially a traitor from our main sect, the Xuanyuan Sword Sect. He has fallen to become an evil sword cultivator. In pursuit of the ultimate attack, he has not only slaughtered innocents but even sacrificed fellow disciples to his sword."

"Is he strong?"

Lu Feng pondered for a moment. "He ranks first on Qian Province's Golden Core Heavenly Prodigy Ranking! He possesses an innate sword embryo and naturally resonates with all sword pellets. The spark that led to his defection from the Xuanyuan Sword Sect was his sacrifice of fellow disciples to refine a dangerous Slaughter Sword Pellet-the very sword pellet with which the Ancestor Xuanyuan once slew an immortal!"

Li Yang fell silent.

The pressure really was immense. It felt like the Nine-Headed Beast telling Benbo Ba, "Go eliminate Tang Sanzang and his disciples."

He had not even made the top ten thousand on Kun Province's Foundation Establishment Heavenly Prodigy Ranking, yet he was being told to deal with the top-ranked Golden Core cultivator in Qian Province, the province with the greatest overall strength-and without being given any treasures or trump cards?

"I'll do my best..."

"Don't be afraid. The Primordial Immortal Secret Realm has unique heavenly Dao rules to ensure fair competition. He's human, and so are you. He has a sword, and so do you. What is there to fear!" Lu Feng kept fanning the flames.

Li Yang's mouth twitched. He did not want to dignify that with a response.