txolops Chapter 82 Three Years Have Passed
Chapter 82 Three Years Have Passed
Seeing Xiaoqing and Xiaobai crawl back to their cave, covered in blood and barely breathing, you were filled with rage. They still clutched the healing fruit they had given you, their pure snake eyes filled with resentment.
[You immediately bend down, your palms radiating a gentle magical light, and carefully transfer it into the bodies of the two snakes.]
Wherever the spiritual energy passed, the wounds on their rolled-up scales began to stop bleeding slowly, and their disordered aura gradually calmed down.
Feeling your healing, Xiaoqing and Xiaobai affectionately rubbed against your wrist.
Once their injuries had stabilized somewhat, you asked in a deep voice, "Take me to the person who hurt you." The two snakes shook their heads and wagged their tails in unison, their eyes revealing fear, indicating that the matter should be dropped.
But as you looked at their wounds, which hadn't fully healed, your gaze grew increasingly cold. Only under your firm stance did the two snakes reluctantly lead the way.
As you traversed the Misty Canyon and stepped into the central area of the Tianyun Mountains, more than ten figures surrounded you.
The leader was a young cultivator dressed in brocade robes. His eyes were greedily fixed on the little green and white creatures on your shoulder, and he sneered:
"So these two little beasts who stole the medicine have an owner? They just stole my spirit fruit. As compensation, hand over these two spirit snakes, kneel down and kowtow three times, and I might consider sparing your lives."
You sneered, not even bothering to exchange a word with him. Sword energy flowed naturally around you, and more than ten cultivators died instantly before they could even react.
After killing them, you put Xiaoqing and Xiaobai into your sleeve, and with a flicker of your figure, returned to Xuan Ce City.
The city streets haven't changed much since you left, only the faces of the passersby are much more unfamiliar. When you step into Huanzhu Tower, Yue Chi is sitting in the main seat, handling internal affairs.
Upon seeing you suddenly appear, he abruptly slid off his chair, fell to his knees, and tearfully recounted the events of the past three years.
[After hearing this, you were filled with emotion. You never imagined that you would be gone for three years, that Huanzhulou would be taken over by the Zhao family while you were away, and that Leng Qiuyi would die at the hands of the Zhao family's new manager.]
[You immediately asked Yue Chi who killed Leng Qiuyi. When Yue Chi described the victim's appearance, you paused for a moment and immediately drew the young man from before.]
Upon seeing him, Yue Chi immediately identified him as the person in question. You sighed, never expecting that this unexpected turn of events would lead to revenge for Leng Qiuyi.
[The other person's life or death is unimportant to you. If they were truly a core member of the Zhao family, they would surely possess a life-saving treasure and would not have perished so easily. Since you were able to kill them so easily, it indicates that their status within the Zhao family is ordinary, and their life or death is insignificant.]
You strolled along the familiar streets, and before you knew it, you arrived at the small courtyard where you lived with Ling'er. You pushed open the door, and dust settled in a flurry.
You then realized that you had failed to help her overcome her fate, and an indescribable sense of loss welled up in your heart.
Memories flooded back, and your Dao heart underwent tempering at this moment. The bottleneck of the eighth level of Qi Refining quietly loosened, and spiritual energy spontaneously gathered around you, allowing you to break through to a higher realm naturally.
You turned and arrived at the Tingyu Pavilion branch. Mu Chunfeng was so excited to see you that she almost spilled her teacup.
You waved your hand to stop his small talk and went straight to asking about your past with "Li Qingyi".
He lowered his voice and told him: After Lu Zhenxuan abolished the Green Puppet Sect, a woman who claimed to be a true disciple of the Zhengyang Immortal Sect tried to help him escape.
Lu Zhenxuan refrained from killing him due to his identity, but killed Qingkui on the spot just in case.
After that, he opened a charity clinic in the north of the city, and the woman was soon taken away by the Zhao family of Zichuan.
Hearing this narration, a cold glint flashed in your eyes. Now, you have achieved minor success in the second level of "True Explanation of Sword Dao," and your cultivation has broken through to the eighth level of Qi Refining.
Adding to this the Netherworld God-Slaying Talisman in your storage ring and that sinister magic weapon—you decide to immediately go and settle old scores with Lu Zhenxuan.
People come and go in front of Jishetang, while you hide at the opposite alley entrance, watching the gray-robed monk who is seeing patients inside.
The moment he bent down to grab the medicine, you unleashed the resentment crystal shrouded in ominous black energy, and the wails of 300,000 dead souls transformed into an invisible shockwave that rushed straight towards you.
Lu Zhenxuan's body trembled violently, the pestle in his hand fell to the ground, his eyes instantly filled with bloodshot veins, and a violent aura began to emanate from his body.
After successfully striking, you immediately retreat and leap onto a distant rooftop to observe.
Lu Zhenxuan had completely lost his mind; his Foundation Establishment stage power erupted in full force, and with a single palm strike, he leveled the entire street. Cries and screams filled the air, and in just a few breaths, the northern part of the city was reduced to ruins.
Suddenly you remembered something and immediately turned and fled.
In the last simulation, you slaughtered an entire city. Not long after, Genmi came looking for you. Fearing a repeat of the past, you immediately ran as far away as possible.
[You flee towards the cave where you previously secluded yourself. You'll be safe once you cross that misty canyon in front of you.]
Just as the mist was within reach, a chill ran down your spine. In the far distance, Master Xuanmi, dressed in simple clothes, was coldly watching you.
"What a brilliant escape plan." His voice wasn't loud, but it rang clearly in your ears. "What a masterful display of patience for three years, a triumphant return for revenge."
Facing the Purple Mansion Immortal, you dared not harbor any illusions. You hastily bowed and attempted to explain the cause and effect of the situation.
Unfortunately, he had no intention of listening to your explanation. With a flick of his sleeve, a gust of wind arose, and your consciousness vanished.
[You died. Rewards are being calculated.]
Li Qingyi: "I was careless..."
Li Qingyi couldn't help but complain:
"This Foundation Establishment cultivator is too outrageous; he was able to raze half a city to the ground in just a few breaths..."
This was completely beyond his expectations.
Even if you were to unleash your full firepower in a simulation, you couldn't achieve that level of performance.
"The difference between Foundation Establishment and late Qi Refining is like an insurmountable chasm."
"And then there's Master Xianmi... I tried my best to escape, but he still locked onto me in an instant. The supernatural powers of Purple Mansion cultivators are truly unfathomable."
"Why……"
Li Qingyi sighed, and the simulator's rewards arrived as scheduled.
[Reward 1: Qi Refining Level 8 cultivation. After extraction, you can break through to Qi Refining Level 8.]
Reward Two: All insights gained from the second level of "True Understanding of Kendo"...
Reward Three: After years of quiet cultivation, the extracted tranquil state of mind will lead to an extremely calm state, enhancing comprehension and talent.
Reward 4: Special title - Xu Xian of Cangling Domain. After extraction, all snakes will greatly increase their favorability towards you.
Reward Five: Your ashes after death...
Upon seeing reward four, Li Qingyi was immediately stunned.
"Even Xu Xian from the Azure Spirit Realm has come... Please don't tell me that Xiao Bai is the White Snake Lady..."
He covered his face, somewhat embarrassed to look at the reward.
I've only lived with two snakes for three years, how come I'm getting this kind of reward?
He skipped the third and fifth rewards, his gaze shifting back and forth between "eighth level of Qi Refining" and "comprehension of swordsmanship".
If it were just about advancing one level, Li Qingyi would choose reward two without hesitation.
But now it's two layers, and after extraction, it directly breaks through to the eighth level of Qi Refining.
If one can directly advance to the eighth level of Qi Refining, the next simulation will likely see a breakthrough to the ninth level of Qi Refining, and perhaps even a glimpse of the Foundation Establishment opportunity...
Thinking about it this way, Li Qingyi's heart also warmed up.
But soon, reason prevailed.
He calmed down immediately when he thought of Lu Zhenxuan's earth-shattering strength.
"If he possesses such strength even while in a delirious state, how terrifying would he be if he were fully conscious and unleashed his full power?"
Li Qingyi dared not think about it.
"I have a feeling that... even someone at the ninth level of Qi Refining, or the Great Perfection of Qi Refining, or even someone at the half-step Foundation Establishment stage might not be even one-tenth as strong as Lu Zhenxuan."
Upon thinking of this, Li Qingyi suddenly realized that breaking through to the Foundation Establishment stage might be extremely difficult.
Unlike the novels I read in my previous life, breakthroughs aren't something you can achieve easily.
Moreover, Li Qingyi had a feeling that if she broke through to the late stage of Qi Refining, the difficulty of cultivating the second level of "True Explanation of Sword Dao" would skyrocket.
After all, as one's cultivation level increases, the quality of sword energy within the twelve meridians will become higher and higher.
If one were to break through to the late stage of Qi Refining, how absurd would the quality of the sword energy that wasn't dispersed into the Eight Extraordinary Meridians be?
At that time, the difficulty of cultivation will likely increase exponentially.
Ultimately, he set his sights on the second reward.
"Won't I faint from the pain?"
Recalling the excruciating pain he experienced when he first received the enlightenment of swordsmanship, he couldn't help but shudder.
This thing infuses all the pain into the body and mind at once, and Li Qingyi couldn't even imagine how painful it would be.
But after achieving minor success in the second level, the mysterious flow of sword energy filled him with longing once again.
"The cricket is in pain, but I am a cultivator, I can just endure it!" Li Qingyi gritted her teeth, hardened her heart, clenched her fists, and roared:
"Reward Two!"
As soon as he finished speaking, a vast and profound understanding of swordsmanship, along with the painful memories of three years of arduous training, surged into his sea of consciousness.
He felt as if he could personally experience the countless times he had convulsed and convulsed in the cave due to the tearing of his meridians, and he could feel the sword energy traveling through his eight extraordinary meridians like sharp blades...
"ah--!!!"
A piercing scream echoed in the quiet room. Li Qingyi's vision went black, and she fell straight backward.
Before falling into a coma, in order to prevent Qingkui from exhibiting mechanical behavior and revealing a weakness, he ordered Qingkui to go into seclusion for cultivation.
……
As dusk deepened, the upturned eaves of Xuan Ce City were bathed in a dark gold hue.
On the long bluestone slabs of the street, the shadows of pedestrians returning home late are stretched long and thin.
Qin Xiyue stood outside the gates of Xuan Ce City, covered in dust from three days of non-stop travel. Her white robes were now stained with some dust.
But her clear, cold eyes were sharper than the first stars in the sky.
On her way to Xuan Ce City, she had already gathered all the information related to Li Qingyi.
With each piece of intelligence she read, the furrow between her brows deepened.
"Personal instruction from the Master of Tingyu Pavilion? Stirring up trouble? Li Qingyi... what role are you playing? Or have you become a pawn on someone else's chessboard?"
Various speculations collided with memories of past lives, yet no clear answer could be found.
This feeling of being out of control made her feel frustrated, and even more so, a sense of inexplicable anxiety.
Following the information, she walked through the increasingly deserted streets and alleys and arrived at a relatively secluded courtyard in the south of the city.
The courtyard gate was ajar, and faint sounds could be heard coming from inside.
Without hesitation, she pushed the door open and entered.
Ling'er was sitting on a stone bench in the courtyard, resting her chin on one hand and idly idly playing with a few withered yellow leaves on the stone table with the other. Her expression was languid, with a hint of barely perceptible sorrow.
Upon hearing the voice, she suddenly looked up at the uninvited stranger at the door, her eyes immediately filled with wariness and suspicion.
"Who are you?" Ling'er stood up, her voice clear but carrying a distinct sense of estrangement.
She sized up Qin Xiyue. Although the other person's face was unfamiliar, her otherworldly temperament showed that she was no ordinary cultivator.
Qin Xiyue did not answer. Her gaze passed over Ling'er and went straight to the window of the main room in the courtyard.
Through the half-open window, one could clearly see a young man in a blue robe sitting cross-legged on the bed, his eyes slightly closed, surrounded by a faint aura of spiritual energy, as if he were cultivating.
Seeing this, Qin Xiyue's lips curled up, and a look of understanding flashed through her mind.
"Your clever, underhanded maneuver was truly ingenious."