LGHTNOVELBOOK 23: A Secret Rendezvous?
Qiu Xiude couldn’t understand what she was trying to do. He only saw Chu Sang approach the barrier, examine it for a moment, and casually make a few gestures.
The next second—
The barrier opened!
All the cultivators present were stunned. Were the younger generation this formidable now?
“Junior Sister, how did you unlock it?” Tantai Ming’s eyes widened.
“Just like this, like that… Qin Xixue demonstrated it once earlier, so I remembered it.”
She spoke with utter ease, as if it were as simple as drinking water or eating. Tantai Ming was so shocked he couldn’t speak for a moment. He had always known his junior sister had an exceptional memory, but at this moment, he suddenly felt that he had… underestimated her.
The other side had only demonstrated once, and at a speed that normal people couldn’t even see clearly. Yet she was able to remember it in such a short time and replicate it without a single error.
This was no longer just a matter of good memory.
It was freakish.
Qiu Xiude snapped back to reality in fear, never expecting Chu Sang to actually be able to unlock the barrier.
His face twitched violently, his teeth clenched, and a dark light suddenly flashed in his eyes as he shouted, “Did everyone see that? This person can unlock the barrier. Whoever catches her can enter the inheritance site!”
These words stirred up huge waves. Qin Xixue’s earlier action had been too unexpected, and people hadn’t reacted yet.
But this time was different. As long as they could capture the red-clad young woman before them, they could make her reopen the barrier and let themselves enter the inheritance site!
A late Foundation Establishment cultivator made the first move, and seeing this, other cultivators didn’t want to fall behind.
Even though their speed was as fast as lightning, before they could touch a single strand of the girl’s hair, they were struck down by a powerful and terrifying blade energy.
“Everyone, please be quiet. Do not disturb my junior brother and sister.”
Ling Yu smiled apologetically, his voice gentle and pleasant like a spring breeze, yet he unhesitatingly drew out a large cleaver, sending one flying with each strike, showing no mercy.
At the same time, he released the pressure of a peak mid Golden Core realm. Weaker cultivators immediately fell to their knees, while the other few Golden Core cultivators could barely resist this pressure, breaking out in cold sweat and unable to move, let alone attack.
…This person looked so gentle and weak, why was he a blade cultivator?!
Weren’t blade users usually burly, uncouth men?
Mo Qingchen’s situation was slightly better, but the hand gripping his sword hilt was still white with force. His face dark, he looked at Ling Yu. What was this person’s background?
With such strength, how had he never heard of him before?
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With Second Senior Brother suppressing the situation outside, Chu Sang felt at ease. After entering the barrier, she found the internal space wasn’t large, resembling an ordinary study. However, the desk was covered with a thick layer of dust; the owner hadn’t been here for a long time. It should be a cave dwelling left by some ascended expert.
“How did you get in?”
Hearing footsteps behind her, Qin Xixue turned to see the two. Her expression changed, and she instinctively gripped the soft sword in her hand.
“How did you get in? We got in the same way you did.” Chu Sang smiled friendly at her.
Tantai Ming wasn’t so polite, shouting, “Make way, make way, let this young master see if there are any treasures here!”
These two had no noble sense of first come, first served. Like bandits, they barged in, pushing Qin Xixue aside. She was so angry her face twisted, clutching the handkerchief in her hand, almost unable to maintain the proper smile on her face, “…This place is just an ordinary study, nothing special. Even if you came in, you won’t get anything.”
“Is there really nothing here?” Chu Sang flicked the dust on the desk, finding that they were indeed just ordinary paintings and calligraphy, the writing already blurred. With a forceful touch, they would even turn to dust and dissipate in the wind. It indeed didn’t seem special.
However, since the female protagonist was here, this place must be extraordinary.
Chu Sang looked around twice, finally resting her gaze on half a scroll that Qin Xixue was barely hiding with her body.
Qin Xixue’s expression changed slightly, and she shifted again, trying to block her gaze.
This attempt at concealment was all too obvious.
“Little Junior Sister, look at how she’s trying to hide it. It must be something good. Let’s go snatch it!” Tantai Ming, this once upright child, had been gradually led astray, showing no knowledge of what conscience was.
“Ahem, we are disciples of the righteous path, not some mountain bandits. How can we talk about snatching and grabbing all the time?” Chu Sang seriously corrected his grammar error, “Unclaimed items belong to those who can take them. This is called taking fair and square.”
As long as she had no shame, no one could morally bind her.
“I found this first, it’s mine, you can’t snatch it!” Qin Xixue could no longer maintain the calm on her face, her voice becoming shrill. She turned, trying to grab the scroll first.
Unclaimed items, yet so protective.
Claimed items, used so skillfully.
Chu Sang clicked her tongue, inwardly sneering.
“Hand it over.” Just as Qin Xixue was about to touch the scroll, her entire body suddenly suspended in mid-air. She looked terrified and furious. Chu Sang walked out from behind her, patting her hands, and handed the golden rope to Tantai Ming.
Chu Sang approached the desk. The moment her fingers touched the scroll, it rippled like water, and the scene seemed to come alive in an instant.
A bright light flashed, and the three people in the cave dwelling disappeared, instead entering the scroll.
It actually contained an internal dimensional space!
Chu Sang took a deep breath, her small face showing a look of wonder, “The spiritual energy here is so rich!”
The spiritual energy outside the barrier was already abundant, but unexpectedly, the true inheritance site was within this scroll. The spiritual energy here was tens or hundreds of times more concentrated, and even purer, without a trace of impurity, almost condensed into liquid.
“When I was young, I heard our sect leader lecture about how the cultivation world experienced an era of declining spiritual energy ten thousand years ago. Not only did many sects become extinct and various classics lost, but even the spiritual energy on the Spirit Abyss Continent was depleted by more than half, and became contaminated with impurities. Cultivators relying on spiritual energy for cultivation could no longer ascend.”
“From the era of declining spiritual energy until now, no one on the continent has ascended in ten thousand years,” Tantai Ming explained. “It seems this barrier must have been left by a powerful expert from ten thousand years ago. Otherwise, the spiritual energy inside couldn’t be so pure.”
As the two continued inward, they saw a large lotus pond.
“The water in the pond is Buddha’s Tear Water, which can cleanse the body of impurities.”
Buddha’s Tear Water, and top-grade spiritual energy.
This place was truly a cultivation holy land.
After entering the scroll, the two no longer paid attention to Qin Xixue. She broke free from her restraints and came to the center of the lotus pond, overjoyed. This place was indeed a sacred inheritance site as the old man had said. As long as she could cultivate here for a few days, cleansing her body of impurities while absorbing top-grade spiritual energy, she could break through to Golden Core in just a short time.
The imagination was beautiful, but reality was harsh.
Chu Sang and Tantai Ming acted as if no one else was there, not even glancing at her as they passed by. They sat down by the lotus pond to meditate, expelling impurities and absorbing spiritual energy.
Qin Xixue almost lost control of her gentle female protagonist persona and cursed out loud. Her expression changed repeatedly. No longer caring about anything else, she quickly sat cross-legged to meditate, frantically competing with the two for spiritual energy.
Qin Xixue was, after all, the female protagonist, the daughter of heaven’s will. Spiritual energy naturally surged towards her.
Chu Sang’s spirit root hadn’t been fully repaired, and they were close to each other. Naturally, the spiritual energy on her side was all snatched away by Qin Xixue.
Qin Xixue inwardly sneered, working even harder to snatch the spiritual energy, not leaving a bit for Chu Sang.
Just as she felt she was about to break through her bottleneck, the spiritual energy suddenly swirled, completely leaving her body and going in another direction.
Qin Xixue abruptly opened her eyes, nearly going into qi deviation. She saw that all the surrounding spiritual energy was being absorbed towards that young man.
At this moment, he was like a human vortex, with all the spiritual energy in the space unable to escape.
Tantai Ming held Chu Sang’s hand with one of his, sharing half of the spiritual energy with her.
Why?
How could this be?
What was this young man’s identity, why would all the spiritual energy gather towards him?
Qin Xixue had no time to think carefully. Seeing that the spiritual energy was about to be robbed clean by these two bandits, she hurriedly focused her mind and competed for the spiritual energy even more desperately.
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Outside the barrier, the cultivators were all closely watching the activity inside. After a full five days, the three came out, all with greatly increased cultivation levels.
Chu Sang and Qin Xixue’s cultivation had risen to mid Foundation Establishment.
Tantai Ming was already at the peak of late Foundation Establishment, just one step away from entering Golden Core.
He could have actually formed his golden core inside, but forming a golden core requires experiencing the golden core tribulation. With so many cultivators eyeing them covetously outside the barrier, it wasn’t safe here. So he suppressed his realm for now, deciding to return to the sect and enter seclusion to form his golden core.
Qin Xixue was so angry she felt her lungs would explode. Originally, she could have directly stepped into Golden Core, but because these two had snatched away most of the spiritual energy, her realm only rose one small stage, barely advancing from peak early Foundation Establishment to mid Foundation Establishment.
Chu Sang had also risen to mid Foundation Establishment and was very satisfied.
After all, her spirit root was damaged, and she was like a leaking balloon. Fortunately, Seventh Senior Brother, with his innate spirit body, had shared half of the spiritual energy with her, allowing her to get a sip of the soup. Being able to rise to mid Foundation Establishment was already quite good.
Cultivation level was secondary. A few years ago, she had been severely injured by spirit beasts and had her spirit root dug out. The old injuries had never healed, causing her body to accumulate many impurities.
The spirit root determines how much spiritual energy one can absorb, but the physical body is the true vessel for digesting spiritual energy. Even with a top-grade celestial spirit root, if the body has too many impurities, cultivation speed will still be very slow.
This time, she had cleared the impurities from her body in one go, which would greatly benefit her future cultivation.
The gazes of those Tianyan Sect disciples not far away seemed to bore holes in her back, but Chu Sang was shameless, so she didn’t care at all.
As night fell, they hadn’t slept for days while slaying magic beasts. Chu Sang decided to pitch a tent and rest for the night. After they set up their tents, the nearby cultivators, seemingly not having thought of this approach, began to follow suit.
This place was at the edge of the beast forest, considered a relatively safe area. There was almost no need to worry about magic beast attacks, just leaving a few people on watch was sufficient.
The Tianyan Sect group discussed for a while and also decided to set up camp and rest for the night.
At night, Chu Sang was awakened by a slight movement. She was always a light sleeper. She got up and lifted the curtain to walk out.
Thinking there might be some magic beasts or spirit beasts passing by, she was surprised to see it was Qin Xixue.
What was the female protagonist doing, sneaking out in the middle of the night?
She attached a concealment talisman to herself and followed.
Unexpectedly, she had the fortune to witness a scene of a clandestine romantic encounter.