Chapter 111: All Converting to Sword Cultivators Now?
"Here are the spiritual herbs you requested."
Yun Suxin packed up all the herbs listed and shot a sideways glance at Li Qingran and Yue Qianchi, snorting coldly. "Thatâll be eighty thousand low-grade spirit stones. How do you plan to pay?"
Sitting in front of his phone, waiting for his Meridian-Opening Technique to break through while watching the story unfold, Chen Huaiâan was not happy.
The hell? I already cleaved your sect in halfânow you still want money?
[Please choose how to proceed:]
<1> Spend „4,000,000 to purchase 80,000 low-grade spirit stones for payment.
<2> Spend „88 to strike again and one-shot Yun Suxin.
<3> This item and I are⊠fated.
âŠ
50 bucks for a single low-grade spirit stone, and youâre charging full price?
Chen Huaiâanâs mouth twitched. He picked option three.
No reasonâhe just liked forging connections.
â
Li Qingranâs ears twitched slightly, as if hearing something.
Her face turned a shade of pink as she stammered, "Um⊠My master just sent me a message to relay to youâŠ"
Yun Suxinâs scalp tingled. She instinctively took a step back. "What⊠what did he say?"
"He⊠he saidâŠ"
"These herbs and I⊠are fated."
Yun Suxin: "âŠ"
Yue Qianchi: "âŠ"
Li Qingran awkwardly averted her gaze, lowering her head, her earlobes flushed pink.
Everyone knew what that phrase meant.
No wonder Sword Pavilion was so proficient at robbery.
Turns out, it was a time-honored tradition.
Yun Suxinâs chest heaved violently, her delicate face turning as red as fire. Her beautiful eyes burned with barely restrained fury.
She inhaled deeplyâthen another deep breathâbefore barely suppressing her anger.
Gritting her teeth, she growled, "Fine! Your Sword Pavilion truly is ruthless!"
She shoved the bag of herbs toward them and turned away.
"Take them! Not a single spirit stone required! Satisfied now?! Tell your master never to 'forge connections' with Lingxi Valley again! We have no fateâweâll never meet again!"
Li Qingran carefully stowed the herbs into her storage pouch and nodded seriously.
"Lingxi Valley is renowned throughout Cangyun Realm. If I ever need more spiritual herbs, Iâll definitely return."
"âŠ"
Yun Suxin clenched her fists so tightly that her knuckles cracked.
Her teeth gritted audibly.
She repeatedly told herself to stay calmâto endure this humiliation.
That sword cultivator backing Li Qingran was too terrifying to provoke!
For her mother.
For Lingxi Valley.
She had to endure this disgrace.
She refused to say another word.
Only when Li Qingran and Yue Qianchiâs footsteps faded completely did she finally turn back.
To her surprise, there was a worn-out storage pouch left on the table.
It looked like it had been used for years, with frayed edges and exposed threads.
It was exactly Sword Pavilionâs style.
Inside, the pouch was filled with Sword Pavilion specialties.
Although the total value didnât quite reach 80,000 spirit stones, it was close enough.
Yun Suxinâs expression softened slightly.
She picked up the pouch and hmphed under her breath.
"At least your Sword Pavilion has some conscience left."
This was already the best possible outcome.
The illusion array was broken, requiring repairs.
The sectâs entrance was sliced in two, needing reconstruction.
They couldnât let outsiders see Lingxi Valley in this state.
Just thinking about the expenses made her exhausted.
Yun Suxin let out a tired sigh.
Suddenly, her motherâs voice echoed in her mind.
"Suxin, come to the back mountain."
â
Lingxi Valley â Back Mountain
Sect Master Yun Baiyu had changed into fresh robes, seated beside the massive sword scar.
This was the deepest cut, spanning twenty meters wide.
Sword intent still surged from within, sharp currents of sword qi bursting out at intervals, leaving countless marks on the surrounding rock walls.
Yun Suxin stared into the abyssal scar, her spine chilled to the core.
What truly terrified her was thatâ
The swordsman had already left.
And yet, his sword intent lingered, imprinted into the scar without fading.
"Suxin, this is an opportunity."
Yun Baiyu gazed at the sword scar, a hint of excitement in her expression.
"This personâs sword mastery⊠I have never seen its equal in my life. Even True Martial Holy Landâs strongest sword cultivator, Zhang Yibai, is far inferior!"
"Really?!"
Yun Suxinâs eyes widened in shock.
Zhang Yibai.
Master of True Martial Holy Land.
Rumored to be at the peak of Void Refinement Realm, hailed as the strongest sword cultivator in Cangyun Realm.
"Could this mysterious swordsman truly be stronger than Zhang Yibai?!"
"Not necessarily," Yun Baiyu replied, pulling her daughter to sit beside her.
She shook her head.
"Zhang Yibai hasnât drawn his sword in five hundred years."
"Five hundred years ago, he unsheathed his sword only three timesâ
And slaughtered the demon race from top to bottom.
Of the Nine Demon Emperors, four fell by his blade."
"That was five centuries ago."
"No one knows what his cultivation realm is nowâŠ"
"But in terms of sword mastery aloneâ"
"This swordsman⊠is stronger than Zhang Yibai was five hundred years ago."
"So what?" Yun Suxin grumbled, feeling increasingly unmotivated the more she heard about how terrifying this sword cultivator was. She pouted, "Sure, his sword mastery is incredible, but what does that have to do with us?"
Yun Baiyu pointed at the sword scar.
"Look."
Suddenlyâ
A streak of sword qi shot out from the sword scar.
Clang!
A nearby rock split open with a sharp crack.
Even though it had only been a glancing blow, the wind pressure alone made Yun Suxin break out in a cold sweat.
"For a sword cultivator, the most important thing is sword intent," Yun Baiyu said with a faint smile, her eyes gleaming.
"Comprehending sword intent is the key to improving swordsmanship. Right now, this sword scar is overflowing with sword intent that refuses to dissipate. Isnât this the perfect opportunity to study it?"
Yun Baiyuâs gaze sharpened as she continued,
"From now on, all Lingxi Valley disciples will study this sword intent. We will convert to sword cultivation. Our sect will still focus on medicine, but we will take up the sword as a secondary pathâso that when our disciples leave the sect, they will at least be able to defend themselves!"
Yun Suxinâs mouth hung open.
She felt likeâthis wasnât how things were supposed to go.
ButâŠ
She couldnât find a reason to argue.
After all, Lingxi Valleyâs combat ability had always been weak.
And it wasnât like they had the means to comprehend sword intent on their own.
Itâs not like they could just move into Sword Pavilion, right?
Even at Sword Pavilion, a sword scar imbued with sword intent like this would be considered a sect-defining treasure.
"That senior cultivator must have deliberately left this sword scar behind," Yun Baiyu murmured, admiration and regret in her voice.
"Sword Pavilion cultivators may be blunt and direct in their actions, but they have a sense of measure. They donât take more than they need, nor do they go too far.
You didnât truly harm those two Sword Pavilion disciplesâso in return, he shattered our protective formation and split our sectâs entrance in half as a warning.
But in the endâ
He left this sword scar behind as a parting gift.
And this gift is exactly what we need, arriving at the perfect time!"
"Are you exaggerating?" Yun Suxin looked skeptical.
"Itâs exactly as I say." Yun Baiyu sat upright, her tone serious.
"At this level of cultivation, every action carries meaning.
Go inform the entire sectâfrom today onward, everyone will spend three hours each day studying this sword intent!"
"Ugh⊠fineâŠ"
Yun Suxin scratched her head, still feeling that something was off, but she obediently went to deliver the message.
â
Not long after Yun Suxin left, Yun Baiyuâs breath suddenly hitched.
A rush of internal injuries surged up, and she coughed out a fresh mouthful of blood.
Her pale cheeks flushed with a sickly shade of pink, and the light in her eyes dimmed slightly.
"Old wounds⊠and now, new onesâŠ"
She muttered to herself, clutching her chest with a bitter smile.
"But⊠it doesnât matter. I was already dying. This just speeds up the processâŠ"
She closed her eyes and exhaled slowly.
At least before I die, Suxin and Lingxi Valley finally have a path forward.
Now⊠thereâs no need to seek help from Yaochi Holy Land.
At the thought of that place, Yun Baiyu shuddered involuntarily.
Three years ago, she had barely survived a visit to Yaochi Holy Land for treatment.
She had sworn thenâ
She would rather die than go back a second time.
â
â
"Boundless Heavenly Lord! My Meridian-Opening Acupuncture has finally reached perfection!"
After waiting forever, Chen Huaiâan finally saw his technique reach max proficiency by midday.
"âŠBut damn, Iâm almost broke."
He let out a helpless laugh.
Sure, pay-to-win upgrades were fast, but if his acupuncture technique turned out to be useless, he might actually cry.
Stillâ
No matter what, his situation was way better than before.
In the past, he had no idea how to make money.
Now, if he ever ran out of funds, he could just go take some demon-slaying missions at the Demon Slayer Bureau.
â
Chen Huaiâan washed his hands, disinfected his needles, and was just about to start acupuncture on his own legâ
When his hand suddenly froze.
Wait.
"âŠNo way. The first time I try this, I should be cautious."
His eyes darted around.
A person can open their meridiansâso why not a cat?
If I mess up the cat, I can still take care of it for life.
But if I mess up myself⊠is the cat gonna take care of me?
The moment that thought crossed his mind, his guilt vanished instantly.
"Alright, letâs try this on Baji first!"