Rise of the Sword Son-in-Law

"Buzz!" A whirlwind of disorientation enveloped him. Xu Ping'an quickly found himself in a new realm. This place was actually a wasteland. Looking around, Xu Ping'an realized that this world was not small; it spanned at least a hundred thousand square kilometers. With such a vast area, it could be considered a sizable small world. "Interesting, the spiritual energy here is much denser than the outside world; however, the space is somewhat unstable, not suitable for a long stay," Xu Ping'an mused to himself. He began to gain some understanding of this small world. The richness of the spiritual energy here might allow for the growth of some heavenly and earthly treasures. "Eh, is that the hundred-year Third Rank medicinal herb, Jade Fragrance Grass?" A look of surprise flashed in Xu Ping'an's eyes. He hadn't expected to come across a Third Rank medicinal herb just upon entering. This herb was an excellent item for stabilizing meridians. "The dense spiritual energy in this small world means there are indeed many medicinal herbs. Even my Li Family only opens the ancestral land once every ten years, so there are quite a few heavenly and earthly treasures here," Li Qingyi said. Xu Ping'an nodded and collected the herb. Then he looked towards Li Qingyi and asked, "Where is the Blood Crystal you're looking for? Shall we head there now?" "No rush, the Blood Crystal is in the core area of this region and can only be accessed on the last day. It's futile to go now. Besides herbs, there is another good thing here that can help you," Li Qingyi said, looking at Xu Ping'an. "What is it?" asked Xu Ping'an. "Spiritual Marrow!" replied Li Qingyi. "Spiritual Marrow?" Xu Ping'an was taken aback and then showed an astonished expression. This place actually had Spiritual Marrow? Spiritual Marrow, as it was known, was a liquid formed by the condensation of the spiritual energy of heaven and earth. Such a substance was extremely valuable, with a single drop equivalent to a Lower Grade Spirit Stone. The key was that the Spiritual Marrow contained not only spiritual energy but often also life force. This life force could strengthen the flesh and bones, transforming them completely, akin to a purification of the essence and marrow. Thus, the value of Spiritual Marrow exceeded that of Fourth Rank Elixirs. He was greatly interested in the Spiritual Marrow. "Where is this Spiritual Marrow? Surely it won't be easy to obtain?" Xu Ping'an asked. "Indeed, there is a huge Spirit Gathering Array to the east. At the center of the Great Formation, there is a small cauldron with the Spiritual Marrow inside. However, the entire area around the Spirit Gathering Array is covered by a very powerful Killing Formation. Its might is no less than the attack of a Third Rank expert. A slight misstep could lead to death by the Killing Formation," Li Qingyi explained. "Killing Formation?" Xu Ping'an nodded. It seemed the Li Family's ancestors were ruthless enough to lay down a Spirit Gathering Array to condense Spiritual Marrow for their descendants to collect. Yet, they also installed a Killing Formation to prevent the unworthy from obtaining the Spiritual Marrow. It was clear that the Li Family's ancestors were ruthless figures. "Let's go and have a look!" declared Xu Ping'an. Li Qingyi did not hesitate and led Xu Ping'an directly to the east. To Xu Ping'an's surprise, there were Demon Beasts in this small world, and quite a number of them, too. However, most of these Demon Beasts were Second Rank. Therefore, Xu Ping'an and Li Qingyi barely faced any obstructions, easily slaying any Demon Beasts they encountered on their way. And it was mostly Li Qingyi who took action. Observing her, Xu Ping'an realized that Li Qingyi was also very strong, and her mastery of swordsmanship had reached an extremely proficient level. It seemed her talent in swordsmanship was quite formidable as well. Soon, the two of them arrived at the Array Altar to the east. But they were not alone—two others had also arrived. Li Tianqi and Duan Tianyu. In front of them stood a square platform, each side roughly a hundred meters long. Surrounding the platform were four massive stone columns, with densely packed formation patterns carved upon them, embedded with hundreds of Spirit Stones. Fifth Rank Spirit Gathering Array! Xu Ping'an recognized the array at a glance; it was the key to condensing Spiritual Marrow. Additionally, there was another array enveloping it from all directions, which contained a very strong killing intent, likely the Killing Formation mentioned by Li Qingyi. Approaching within a hundred meters of the stone platform would trigger the array. "Qingyi, I didn't expect to see you here. I thought you would choose another location," Li Tianqi said with a light chuckle upon seeing Li Qingyi and Xu Ping'an. "The medicinal garden to the south was almost completely harvested last time; there was nothing good left. The Spiritual Artifacts from the Western Sword Casting Pool had all been taken during the last few openings, and while the Northern Scripture Pavilion has many treasures, they are mostly Combat Skill Techniques," said Li Qingyi indifferently. Although she was speaking to Li Tianqi, her words were actually intended for Xu Ping'an to hear. And Xu Ping'an immediately understood. Clearly, Li Qingyi knew that his cultivation technique was strong, and he was not lacking in combat skills, so she had brought him directly to the Spiritual Marrow Pool. In fact, if Xu Ping'an had to choose for himself, he would also have come here. "In that case, big brother and second brother must have gone to the Scripture Pavilion. Since you're here, fourth sister, why not cooperate with us to break the formation?" Li Tianqi suggested with a smile. "Each to their own. You work on breaking the formation from the east; we will take the west," Li Qingyi dropped this comment and proceeded to lead Xu Ping'an to the west. "If fourth sister is unwilling to join us in breaking the formation, then let us go to the west," Li Tianqi said after giving Li Qingyi a glance, then quickly led Duan Tianyu to the west. Li Qingyi didn't object but slightly furrowed her brows. And this expression, as seen by Li Tianqi, only confirmed that she had made the right choice. Xu Ping'an found it amusing inside. "I didn't expect you to be so cunning. I thought you were a harmless fairy," Xu Ping'an whispered with a laugh. Upon hearing this, Li Qingyi's face turned red. Fairy? Was this a compliment? "You can see through it?" Li Qingyi asked Xu Ping'an in surprise. "Yes, a Third Rank formation. If I couldn't even spot its weakest points, wouldn't that mean I've been wasting my time?" Xu Ping'an said smilingly. In fact, he had also taken a quick look earlier. The formations surrounding them. The formation to the east was the weakest, while the one to the west was the strongest. Li Tianqi thought she had gained an advantage, but in reality, she had been tricked by Li Qingyi. That's why Xu Ping'an said Li Qingyi was cunning. "Do you dislike it when women are manipulative?" Li Qingyi suddenly turned to ask. Xu Ping'an gave a slight smile, and a glint of sharpness flashed through the depths of his eyes as he said, "I don't mind, but I don't like it when others try to manipulate me." Zhou Mengyue was like this, and Ling Qingyao from his past life was the same. Having been betrayed twice, he wouldn't easily trust someone again. In this life, Xu Ping'an only trusted his aunt. As for Li Qingyi in front of him, he didn't fully trust her either. Li Qingyi's brows furrowed slightly, suddenly feeling a sense of distance between her and Xu Ping'an. This distance had always been there, not just appearing now. Xu Ping'an had not shown it before, but during that moment, it was quite evident. She was not yet acknowledged by Xu Ping'an. This realization made her feel slightly disappointed. Of course, her feelings for Xu Ping'an were not yet at the stage of genuine affection. "Let's go, break the formation. If I'm not mistaken, this formation should be called the Four Symbols Jade Sword Formation, which is an extremely powerful Third Rank formation. It won't be easy to break through," Xu Ping'an said with a smile. Li Qingyi nodded, no longer dwelling on the matter. She took the lead and walked into the formation.