Chapter 116 - 95: Mid-Period of Foundation Establishment, Chu Xianyu’s Illness, and the Past Events of the Sword Tomb_2
Therefore, he straightforwardly took an Earth-grade elixir, the Blood Essence Creation Pill, that all Foundation Establishment cultivators yearn for.
Obtaining this elixir was not easy, and he was only able to refine one.
The reason is simple, he cannot cultivate the medicinal ingredients himself and had to purchase them. After making the elixir, only one was produced.
After taking the elixir and breaking through to the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment, it all fell into place naturally.
His Qi Sea’s magic power surged with a “boom”, his strength increased a notch, successfully advancing to the next stage.
He exhaled a breath, slowly opened his eyes, and saw an extremely beautiful woman in a white dress sitting on a swing made of old tree vines. The shoes she wore were embroidered with soft pink plum blossoms, her legs were crossed, she exuded an effortless grace, like she was detached from this mundane world.
Chu Xianyu sat still. As the swing swayed back and forth, her slender jade hand grasped the swing rope. She gazed blankly at the illusory mountain range in the distance.
Unbeknownst to her, Han Ye had come to her side and softly said,
“Miss Chu, shall we go for a walk?”
Returning to her senses, Chu Xianyu replied with a light, delicate smile,
“Sure.”
In the sparse shade of the trees, the black-eyed spiritual bird on a branch turned its gaze to the two people walking side by side below.
“Miss Chu, do you remember what I said?”
“What?”
“After returning to the sect, I will treat your illness.”
Han Ye stared at her face, speaking earnestly.
“How to treat it?”
“First, you need to remove your veil and get used to the feeling without it.”
The man and woman strolling among the bamboo trees and grass suddenly stopped.
Chu Xianyu clasped her hands tightly, lowered her head, her face slightly red, seemingly contemplating something.
“Don’t be nervous. There’s always a first time. Once you get used to it, everything will be fine.”
Han Ye stood facing her, unable to suppress a chuckle. It was just removing a veil, yet she was incredibly apprehensive.
Just as he was about to reach out to lift her veil, a chilled small hand touched his. The owner of the small hand shook her head at him, her eyes pleading,
“It’s okay.”
Han Ye reassured her softly, then took the initiative to slowly pull off the veil.
Chu Xianyu immediately lowered her gaze, her rosy lips lightly pursed, wanting to speak but hesitating.
Han Ye was left dumbstruck for two seconds.
Her features were charming; her skin as white as snow and her lips full and round like cherries. She was breathtakingly beautiful.
Even though he had already seen her face twice, it still left him in awe every time.
Quickly withdrawing his gaze, Han Ye laughed lightly, “See, there is no problem.”
“Take the sword!”
He retrieved a red spiritual sword from his storage ring and forcefully shouted out.
Without saying anything, he knew that she’d understand once she used his Candle Flame sword.
“Clatter!”
To Han Ye’s surprise, Chu Xianyu reached out to catch the sword, but she was a beat too slow and didn’t catch it. The sword fell to the ground with a clear, sharp sound.
“You’ve got to be kidding.”
Han Ye walked over and gently picked up the sword and handed it to her.
“Here, take it and demonstrate the sword technique.”
Chu Xianyu carefully took the Candle Flame and began to swing it, attempting the Purple Phoenix Startling Swan Sword Qi yet failing to execute any of the correct forms, let alone projecting any power.
It all looked weak and uncoordinated.
“Unite your spirit and sword, integrating the sword into your body. Isn’t this what you taught me?”
“While swinging the sword, have you lost even the most basic spirit?”
Watching this left Han Ye utterly dumbfounded. He quickly grabbed Chu Xianyu’s hand, sensed it carefully, and discovered that her previously raging magical power was swiftly weakening.
“How could this happen? It shouldn’t…”
Han Ye walked around her in bewilderment, unable to understand what was happening.
Chu Xianyu responded helplessly: “I’ve tried many times privately, it’s useless.”
Han Ye fell silent.
When he was practicing the sword technique, he spent a lot of effort. Without Chu Xianyu, a genius who was constantly pushing him, he wouldn’t have possibly been able to master sword qi. Now, he had received Chu Xianyu’s True Inheritance and was just a step away from understanding Sword Intent to further his swordsmanship.
But what the heck was happening now?
After a long silence, he decided to conduct an experiment.
“Here, put your veil back on.”
Han Ye returned her veil.
Chu Xianyu’s beautiful eyes flickered for a moment. She obediently complied and skillfully tied it back on.
“Draw your sword.”
Han Ye, with arms crossed and leaning against a tree, motioned with his eyes.
Boom
Under the dome of the sky, a thunderbolt exploded from the heavily overcast clouds, startling Han Ye on the spot.
Chu Xianyu stood sword in hand, her long, black hair flowing in the wind. At this moment, the world around her fell suddenly silent.
She seemed to have become someone else entirely, an inexplicable transformation, yet it was real and it was displayed right before his eyes.
Zing
The sword light shot out, flashing blindingly with a green glow that overpowered the brilliant thunderbolt in an instant.
The sword qi danced and twined around the sword, tearing through the air as it followed the sword’s point.
The powerful sword qi sliced halfway into a hill, severing the large trees at their waists. The treetops fell on a downward slope, landing into the valley below.
Han Ye was left stunned at the sight of it.
“Why is that…?”
“It’s truly incredible.”
He clicked his tongue, rendered utterly puzzled by the spectacle.
“Try swinging your sword again. Don’t think too hard about it this time, just put in about ten percent of your usual effort.”
“Alright.”
Chu Xianyu inhaled deeply, agreeing to his request, and raised her sword once more.
Her stance was less imposing than before, but the green sword qi still soared into the sky, converging at the sword’s tip.
However, in that moment, Han Ye swiftly moved forward, tugging off the veil of Chu Xianyu’s face with one swift pull.
He looked at the spiritual sword, hoping to witness the emergence of the sword qi.
But the originally imposing sword qi, in a sudden moment, dwindled away, just like a burst balloon dissipating into nothingness. All that was left was Chu Xianyu, staring blankly at him with bewildered eyes.
Han Ye massaged his temples, feeling the onset of a headache.
It was over, the trial was a failure, he could not cure her for now.
“I’m sorry, I was too hasty. Your condition is quite severe, it requires a more gentle treatment approach.”
He didn’t give up, but instead realized that he was approaching it wrong. He should start by understanding the root of her condition.
“Sit.”
Han Ye patted the space next to him, intending to have a heart-to-heart talk with her.
Chu Xianyu did as told, smoothed down her skirt, and sat down.
Han Ye suddenly realized that taking off her veil had another advantage; Chu Xianyu had become more obedient, she no longer argued or quarreled with him over trivial matters, and had become a bit gentler.
He thought for a moment and asked, “Apart from your father, do you have any other family members in your clan? I’ve never heard you mention about your mother.”
“My mother was driven away by my father.”
It seemed Chu Xianyu was reminiscing something unpleasant, her eyes turning gloomy.
“I have several younger brothers in my family. The talent of my second brother is actually higher than mine. This year, despite being only fifteen, he became one of the top geniuses of the Fuyao Sword Palace.”
“Out of the eight immortal swords from the ancient ruin, our Chu family controls two. One is with me, and the other is with my brother Chu Liuching, a violent sword named ‘Raging Flame’.”
Seeing her like this, Han Ye sighed, “So, is your brother more loved and cherished by the family than you?”
“Yes, how did you know?”
“Speaking from experience.”
Han Ye gave a bitter smile.
Chu Xianyu stared off into the distance, a nostalgic look in her eyes. “Since I was a child, no matter what I did, I’d never received any praise. This is because my brother could always do better than me. He received the ‘Raging Flame’ when he was only eight, but at that time, I was still diligently practicing in the Sword Tomb.”
“What are the rules of your family’s Sword Tomb?”
Han Ye asked in confusion.
Upon hearing his question, Chu Xianyu began to explain. “Our Chu family is a sword cultivation family. Every family member, upon reaching eight years old, must participate in the family ritual, choosing a Flying Sword in the Sword Tomb. If you don’t find a suitable Flying Sword, you’re not allowed to leave the Tomb. After a year, if you still haven’t found a Flying Sword, you won’t be given any more food and you’ll be left to fend for yourself.”
“I was there for eight years.”
Han Ye exclaimed in astonishment, “How did you manage to survive?”
Chu Xianyu indifferently said, “Drinking dew and eating wild fruits, year in and year out, in the company of ancient swords left behind by our ancestors.”
After hearing her story, Han Ye could not help but sigh.
Such a deeply ingrained problem is really difficult to cure.
“Miss Chu, is there someone you care about?”
Han Ye felt that he could only start working on other aspects.
“Yes.”
Chu Xianyu glanced at Han Ye, her gaze shifting towards the calm lake in front of her, and said in an unnatural tone, “It’s not something that should be spoken about lightly.”
Han Ye also realized that his question was a bit abrupt. He scratched his head and switched to another question: “What is your goal in cultivation, or what is the thing you want to do the most?”
“Naturally, it is to become the strongest sword immortal in the world and make my father and my clan look at me with new eyes.”
“Sword Immortal…”
Upon hearing this lofty goal, Han Ye couldn’t help but murmur.