Next time, I have to be brave. I have to find my courage

"Who exactly is fighting?"

On the bank, several men with extraordinary bearing exclaimed in surprise.

"That move should only be possible at the Void Insight Peak Stage, shouldn't it?"

They kept discussing it.

A man in a wheelchair came over, steering his chair.

"Young Master Su is here too."

"Young Master Su."

The men hurriedly greeted Su Nan.

Su Nan returned their greetings one by one, looking at the river, the shock on his face lingering for a long time.

"Young Master Su, do you know who's fighting Uncle Jian?"

Someone asked Su Nan.

Su Nan was just about to answer.

Crack!

A furious thunderclap instantly resounded.

He hurriedly looked toward the water.

Several thick lightning serpents intertwined there, obscuring the figure within.

The terrifying web of lightning made the Crimson River gleam with an unbroken stretch of clear light.

It instantly swept toward the other man opposite him.

"Could... could this person possess a Thunder Spirit?"

"A Thunder Spirit is a supreme treasure of heaven and earth. How could we encounter one so casually?"

"Perhaps he has a special constitution and awakened a thunder spiritual root?"

The men hurriedly offered guesses, unable to hide their astonishment.

No one noticed that Su Nan's mouth had fallen open and remained that way for a long time.

Only now did he abruptly come to his senses.

Something occurred to him, and his breathing quickened.

"Li Xin, what do you think of his sword momentum?"

Su Nan asked a man beside him who held a sword with his eyes closed.

Everyone else looked toward the man too.

They all knew who he was.

Because this man had once left his name on the Azure Sword Stele.

He possessed sword intent.

"Not bad. Much stronger than I used to be."

The swordsman with his eyes closed, Li Xin, spoke indifferently.

Though he belittled himself, he seemed utterly unconcerned.

Everyone was startled by Li Xin's words.

Then they all laughed.

"Brother Li Xin, you're far too modest."

"Indeed. Brother Li possesses sword intent. How could mere sword momentum catch his eye?"

"Haha, Brother Li is both the most woman-loving and the most modest sword cultivator I've ever met."

"True enough. Brother Li swept all before him last night, taking on ten alone. You have my admiration!"

The sword cultivator with his eyes closed frowned slightly, disdaining to explain.

Only Su Nan remained deeply shocked.

Li Xin was a close friend of his, and they had known each other well for a long time.

As far as he knew, Li Xin never lied.

Meanwhile, atop a roof's eaves.

Ziwei was just as astonished as Su Nan.

She stood utterly alone, as though the loneliest soul in the world.

"Zhenwu's lightning must have come from the Kui Bull's blood essence!"

"Ah, such a wonderful opportunity, and I actually chickened out."

"Why? Why?"

She murmured, feeling the pain.

Her heart ached.

"Next time, I have to be brave. I have to find my courage!"

Ziwei clenched her fists, as though she had made an enormous decision.

A long time later.

Inside a room in the pavilion.

"Big Boss Zhenwu, you're amazing!"

His face full of fawning smiles, Ziwei served tea and water to Lin Tian, who sat in a chair.

Lin Tian took the tea from Ziwei and gently sipped it.

At the time, he had already unleashed the power of lightning within his body.

He had become locked in battle with Uncle Jian.

But as they fought...

Uncle Jian stopped fighting.

Ultimately, it had only been a test of strength.

There was no mortal enmity between them.

His opponent was at the Void Insight Ninth Layer.

He was actually no match for Uncle Jian.

"It really is great hanging around Big Boss Zhenwu."

Ziwei kept talking beside him, every word dripping with flattery.

Knock, knock, knock.

Someone knocked on the door, and Ziwei hurried over to open it.

"Oh, isn't this Young Master Su?"

Ziwei said flatly.

Su Nan gave a bitter chuckle and steered his wheelchair into the room.

He bowed sincerely to Lin Tian with his hands clasped:

"I was blind earlier. I hope neither of you will take it to heart."

"It's fine. What do you think now?" Lin Tian asked indifferently.

"Naturally, I'm inviting you both to join the team."

Su Nan hurriedly replied.

"Mm."

Lin Tian nodded, neither pleased nor displeased.

Delighted to see Lin Tian agree, Su Nan continued:

"Since you've both agreed to join, it's time I showed my sincerity."

Then Su Nan took out two small boxes and placed them on the table.

Lin Tian opened a box, and a mist of spiritual Qi instantly wafted into his nose.

"An earth-grade spirit herb. I hope Young Master Wenren and Miss Wenren will accept them."

"These two spirit herbs are both mystic spirit grass. Consuming them improves the mind and nourishes the body. They can be taken regardless of what you cultivate."

Ziwei had still been somewhat dissatisfied, but the moment he saw Su Nan take out the spirit herbs, his dissatisfaction vanished.

Lin Tian nodded, outwardly neither servile nor overbearing.

"Now that I've shown my sincerity, could you two show me your true faces?"

Su Nan continued, instantly making Ziwei's expression stiffen.

Su Nan stared at Lin Tian and continued:

"I just had someone investigate the Wenren Clan in Yanjing. The information I received said that there is indeed a Wenren Clan, but no one in it is skilled in using lightning."

Lin Tian frowned.

This was not the Extreme Realm's fault.

The Extreme Realm had originally assigned this mission to Ziwei alone.

But his addition had created a flaw.

At this point, Ziwei also frowned, considering how to answer.

"In that case." Lin Tian hesitated no longer.

He pressed one hand to his face, and a red mask appeared.

"This is my true face. Are you satisfied, Young Master Su?"

Su Nan's pupils contracted, and his right hand resting on the wheelchair involuntarily clenched.

"So you're Zhenwu of the Extreme Realm. No wonder, no wonder. With your help, I imagine there won't be any problems."

As Su Nan spoke, a smile appeared on his face.

Then the Zhenwu Mask vanished from Lin Tian's face.

"Zhenwu, you..."

Ziwei was stunned, not expecting Lin Tian to reveal his identity just like that.

"Young Master Su, now that you know who I am, shouldn't you show some sincerity of your own?"

Lin Tian said indifferently.

That was not actually the case; he could sense that Su Ming bore no ill will.

Perhaps this had something to do with his sword heart.

Su Nan nodded, a trace of bitterness unconsciously appearing on his face as he said:

"This contest in the Fire Nether Forbidden Land is actually a contest for the position of Su Clan head."

"Four people are participating in total. Apart from me, there's my younger brother and my two younger sisters."

"We'll each bring ten retainers into the Fire Nether Forbidden Land. Whoever has the most retainers survive in the end..."

"Will become the next head of the Su Clan."

He spread his arms and said somewhat helplessly:

"As you can see, I'm a cripple."

Su Nan smiled bitterly and continued:

"But I'm unwilling to let the position of clan head slip past me just like that."

Finally, Su Nan respectfully bowed to Lin Tian and Ziwei with his hands clasped:

"Brother Zhenwu, and this..."

"Ziwei... the Great!" Ziwei said.

Ziwei pursed his lips, and the flame mask on his face flickered for an instant.

"Brother Ziwei, I, Su Nan, don't ask you to die for me, but if I become the head of the Su Clan, I will reward you generously!"

Su Nan spoke emphatically, his tone utterly sincere.

Lin Tian nodded but said nothing.

A trace of a smile appeared on Su Nan's face. He bowed once more with his hands clasped, then left the room.

Lin Tian glanced at Ziwei and said indifferently:

"Tell me about the Sword Capital."

An hour later.

Ziwei left the room.

Lin Tian sat cross-legged on the bed and began cultivating.

As for the Sword Capital...

By now, it had essentially been destroyed in one fell swoop.

The two Kui Bulls had severely wounded Li Shangjue and even destroyed the Sword Capital's Azure Sword Stele outright.

What surprised Lin Tian was that the two Kui Bulls had actually left alive.

In a capital of the Great Qin Immortal Kingdom, no one had managed to keep the Kui Bulls there.

No matter how he thought about it, something was wrong.

He shook his head slightly.

Lin Tian gave it no further thought.

Sitting cross-legged on the bed, he produced a jade bottle in his hand.

Cloud Spirit Pills.

Then Lin Tian swallowed one directly.

Boom!

The Cloud Spirit Pill melted as soon as it entered his mouth, instantly transforming into terrifying energy that merged into his limbs and bones.

The energy surged brutally into Lin Tian's limbs and bones, constantly washing through his dantian, meridians, flesh, blood, bones, and marrow.

It continuously strengthened Lin Tian's physical power from the inside out.

Lin Tian's expression changed slightly. He truly felt pain throughout his entire body.

He sneered.

"It doesn't hurt at all."

Indeed, although the Cloud Spirit Pill brought Lin Tian pain compared to swallowing the Kui Bull's essence soul,

it was nowhere near as terrifying as last time.

Boom, boom, boom!

Surging waves of force kept bursting out around Lin Tian.

Without hesitation, Lin Tian swallowed the other Cloud Spirit Pill.

Whoosh!

His presence kept spilling outward, stirring ripples in the air.

Lin Tian's physique grew stronger and stronger.

Only one final shackle remained before he could break through to Broken Sword, the second level of the Sword Heart Body Refining Art.

Still not enough!

Lin Tian roared inwardly and took out the Mystic Spirit Grass Su Nan had given him earlier.

He pressed a finger against the Mystic Spirit Grass.

Spiritual Qi penetrated the Mystic Spirit Grass, forcing pure, emerald-green medicinal liquid out of it.

He then swallowed it.

Hum!

Lin Tian instantly circulated the Sword Heart Body Refining Art again.

He guided the medicinal power of the Cloud Spirit Pills and Mystic Spirit Grass into his entire body.

Time passed, minute by minute, second by second.

A vortex of air formed inside Lin Tian's room.

This was not Spiritual Qi, but air vibrating because of the tremors of Lin Tian's body.

The commotion grew louder, gradually drawing Ziwei's attention next door.

Time slowly passed.

Ziwei could no longer sleep at all.

She clenched her fists and listened closely to the sounds coming from next door, her heart filled with conflicting feelings.

Roar!

A clear dragon's cry rang out from Lin Tian's room.

Ziwei's eyes instantly widened.

"The strength of one dragon. Impossible, impossible."

She murmured under her breath.

A trace of sorrow appeared on her lovely face.

"I bought those Cloud Spirit Pills with three hundred mid-grade spirit stones."

"I was going to use that money to buy spirit ink. It would have lasted me a full six months."

"Now Zhenwu's reaped the benefits instead."

"Bastard."

As she spoke, endless misery rose in her heart.

"Next time, I'll definitely squeeze some fat out of Zhenwu. But he seems really poor."

"Damn it!"

Ziwei clenched his fists, feeling that he had suffered a tremendous loss.

[Zhenwu: I heard all of that.]

Zhenwu's message suddenly sounded in Ziwei's mind, startling him.

He instantly felt socially dead.

[Ziwei: Haha, Zhenwu, I was joking.]

Ziwei gave an awkward laugh.

Next door, Lin Tian fell silent for a while before speaking.

[Could I borrow some money tomorrow?]

Ziwei knitted his brows tightly, inwardly crying that this was bad.

Yet he could hardly refuse outright.

After all, Zhenwu was helping her right now.

[Ziwei: Zhenwu, what do you need to borrow money for?]

[Zhenwu: I want to buy a practical scabbard for my sword.]

[Ziwei: ??? You don't even have enough money for a scabbard?]

[Zhenwu: Are you lending it or not?]

[Ziwei: Yes, of course I am. Haha, Big Boss Zhenwu is the one I admire most.]