This Sword Cultivator is Somewhat Dependable

Lu Qingshan, along with the Western Rat King and Mimi, a man and two beasts, swiftly moved through the forest towards Qingqiu.

"Are you feeling unwell anywhere?" Lu Qingshan noticed that along the way, Mimi kept occasionally shaking its head as if it was feeling quite uncomfortable.

"Ee-ee-ah-ah!" Mimi weakly cried out.

"Mimi says it feels like there's something in its head, very uncomfortable," the Western Rat King translated.

Upon hearing this, Lu Qingshan furrowed his brows slightly, a bad premonition rising in his heart, "Could it be that something has injured its brain?"

Thinking this, Lu Qingshan placed his hand on Mimi's forehead and sent out his Divine Sense, inspecting Mimi's body all around.

But apart from the injuries that had been discovered long ago, there were no other new findings.

"It might be some subtle internal injuries, it's still best to hurry back to Qingqiu and have the Mountain Lord take a look," Lu Qingshan said.

.......

While Lu Qingshan was taking Mimi away, in a hidden place, a beautiful middle-aged woman with almond-shaped eyes and peach-like cheeks sensed something, opened her eyes, and murmured softly, "Have they finally come?"

Although the woman was middle-aged, she radiated a glowing beauty, exceptionally graceful, which was rare among the generally early-aging sorceress cultivators.

"Yun Meng, if not for your desperate struggle back then, I would not have discovered the secret of the Three Thousand Great Mountains...." Her gaze drifted as if recalling something, a strange and ferocious smile appeared on her graceful face.

Then, the woman stood up, her figure transformed into a beam of Escaping Light, and she flew off into the distance.

....

Two days later.

The sight of the fiery red vegetation covered Qingqiu Mountain came into view.

This time, when Mimi saw the Qingqiu that it had previously grown a bit tired of, a wave of indescribable emotions surged in its heart.

It was like a child eager to leave home to see the world, who, after wandering outside and enduring society's harsh realities, suddenly realizes that home is indeed the warmest place.

Lu Qingshan, barely having entered the territory of Qingqiu, saw a very bright silver-white shadow flash across the sky, joyfully bounding out.

It was the young deer Yaoyao.

The control of Qingqiu by the Qingqiu Mountain Lord was beyond imagination, so the moment Lu Qingshan entered Qingqiu, he sensed that Lu Qingshan was bringing Mimi back and immediately informed the extremely anxious Yaoyao.

"Ee-ee-ah-ah!" Yaoyao circled around Mimi, looking at the emaciated Mimi, her large eyes brimming with tears. The words she initially wanted to scold Mimi with were silently retracted, leaving only deep compassion.

Mimi cocked its head and carefully rubbed Yaoyao's antlers with its own, as if comforting Yaoyao that it was not in great trouble and telling her not to be too sad.

Under Mimi's comfort, Yaoyao, originally tearful, suddenly had a determined look as if realizing she was the older sister, making noises, "Ee-ee-ah-ah!"

Mimi obediently nodded its head.

"Ee! Ee-ee-ah-ah!" Yaoyao then turned her small head and called out to Lu Qingshan in a soft, somewhat shy voice, as if confiding something.

Then, a beam of cyan light suddenly appeared, enveloping the two little deers and, carrying them, quickly vanished from Lu Qingshan's sight.

"That silly stag said, it needs to urgently take Mimi back to Grandpa Qingqiu for treatment and will go ahead first, asking us to follow later.

"Additionally, the Qingqiu Mountain Master has something for you as a reward for helping retrieve Mimi," explained the King of the Western Mice.

Lu Qingshan nodded. "Then let's go and find the Qingqiu Mountain Master."

....

By the time Lu Qingshan arrived near the peach tree, he saw Mimi coiled motionless under the tree, her whole body glowing as if she was insulated from all external sensations.

Above Qingqiu Mountain Master's true form, an exceedingly divine radiance overflowed, merging into a glow that transformed into a divine dawn, enveloping Mimi's entire body and nourishing her physical form.

Mimi's body, covered in wounds that were hard to heal, healed rapidly under the nurture of the divine light, and her physical body even emitted a crystal-clear luster.

Atop her head, the two golden antlers, which were already nearly withered, were also now restored, shining brilliantly and resplendently.

Most importantly, not only were the injuries on Mimi's physical body healed, but the nearly divine strength was also nourishing her spirit, restoring her essence.

Lu Qingshan stopped in his tracks, silently waiting for the Qingqiu Mountain Master to heal Mimi.

Unexpectedly, the Qingqiu Mountain Master, while healing Mimi, still had spare strength to engage in conversation.

His massive true form's trunk once again manifested his human face, "This time Mimi could return, I must thank you, young friend."

"It was just a small effort," Lu Qingshan did not take pride in his action, having no intention of asking for credit before the Qingqiu Mountain Master who had saved his life.

"How did Mimi get so seriously injured? What exactly happened, can you tell me in more detail?" asked the Qingqiu Mountain Master gently.

Lu Qingshan hesitated for a moment but eventually did not conceal the truth. He organized his words and relayed everything that Mimi had encountered in the White Flower Snake Village, and he reassured, "Mountain Lord, rest assured, anyone who plotted against Mimi has already been punished by me."

"Human Race…" But unlike the expected furious reaction, after knowing the details, the Qingqiu Mountain Master just sighed softly.

Having lived through countless ages as a spirit-transformed flora, the Qingqiu Mountain Master had a much clearer view of the world's ugliness than others.

After a pause, the Qingqiu Mountain Master slowly asked, "When I initially saved you, it was because I sensed a familiar aura on you. However, do you know what that aura specifically is?"

Lu Qingshan somewhat understood.

When he was leaving the Flame Spirit Realm with the Spirit, suddenly a vibrant green globe full of vitality appeared in the Longevity River. It silently merged into his body.

Following that, there was also a very brief message, a message from the Longevity Whale.

"The vitality I gift, the affection I offer."

According to Lu Qingshan's speculation, his act of taking the Spirit seemed to have helped the Longevity Whale a great deal.

Thus, the Longevity Whale gifted him a globe of vitality.

However, why the Longevity Whale did not release the Spirit itself and what exactly the purpose of this globe of vitality was, he still had no idea.

Now, seeing the Qingqiu Mountain Master bringing up the past, Lu Qingshan was startled, shook his head, and respectfully asked for guidance, "The junior is unaware, please enlighten me, Mountain Lord."

The Qingqiu Mountain Master then seriously asked, "Then, do you know about the divisions of Intent?"

"I do know a bit about that," nodded Lu Qingshan. After pondering for a moment, he said, "The Intent comprehended by cultivators is divided into three levels: weak, unity, and perfection. The higher the level, the greater the power of the Intent."

Raising the level of Intent is extremely difficult; even though the trip to the White Flower Snake Village gave Lu Qingshan some insights, his current Slaughter Sword Intent still remained at the weak level.