Chapter 30
The commotion caused by Lyu Liang died down after a while. After all, many disciples of the Sword Character Immortal Palace disciples were geniuses, and it would mean high-profile breakthroughs happened all the time and generally everyone got used to witnessing these successes.
The reason today’s incident attracted such a big crowd was that it was indeed exceptionally prominent. Secondly, this was the first time such an incident happened in the back hills. Everyone knew that the back hills was where the herb garden was and only a handful of people lived there. Some were more curious to find out which genius disciple was cultivating himself at the back hills.
"Will all of you return to your respective cave residences! This is nothing to gloat over! It’s just something making a breakthrough in his cultivation!" A bellowing voice came through the clouds and the ears of all the disciples buzzed with tinnitus. In a short while, the disciples dispersed and peace and quiet returned to the Immortal Palace.
As Lyu Liang was overcome by embarrassment, Hunyuan Sword Immortal suddenly appeared in front of him, smiling approvingly. Simultaneouly Hunyuan Sword Immortal looked at him with admiration.
"Senior An… Ancester, please forgive me. I didn’t expect myself to cause such a great commotion…" Lyu Liang stuck out his tongue in embarrassment. As he turned around and saw the shattered cave residence, he felt even more ashamed and immediately hang his head.
"Haha, this is nothing to worry about. However, I would advise you to leave the cave residence the next time you feel a similar experience," Hunyuan Sword Immortal said. He did not think what happened was a big deal, so he gave Lyu Liang a wave and instantly, Lyu Liang’s clothes were replaced with a new set of white robe. At the same time, the cave residence behind him was restored as new.
After thanking Hunyuan Sword Immortal and sending him off, Lyu Liang returned to his cave residence and started to make an account of the incident.
At this time, the aura remaining around his body was only Primordial Qi. Earlier on, the strange aura which was neither Primordial Qi nor Devil Qi had disappeared the moment he made the breakthrough. Lyu Liang had the feeling that as long as it was his desire to combine the Primordial Qi and Devil Qi within him, he was totally capable of making it happen within a split second.
"Why don’t I name this Devil Immortal Qi? While it’s easy to trace the Primordial Qi, I truly can’t figure out where this Devil Qi originated besides the True Devil Qi from Shadow-devil Domain. Although my sword power is greatly enhanced by mobilizing this Devil Immortal Qi, if not for the True Devil Qi which was supporting it, I could at most last for half an hour," Lyu Liang thought as he frowned.
Half an hour would be sufficient to destroy a not-so-powerful enemy. However, if he were to fight with someone similar in capabilities, he would definitely need to last a much longer time in battle. If such sudden explosion of power could not be stabilized over a longer period of time, it would be useless for him.
"Where can we find a steady source of Devil Qi? Or how can I mobilize the Devil Qi more naturally and easily?" Lyu Liang pondered for an hour but could not come out with a good idea. Eventually he gave up trying to think up a solution, thinking perhaps one day, the solution would reveal itself in some coincidental circumstance.
Zhang Ran visited early the next morning. He was all smiles as he greeted Lyu Liang, saying, "Haha, congratulations, my big brother! Not only did you manage a breakthrough in your cultivation, you’ve even broken through in your sword skills! Don’t tell me you have some kind of demon present in you?"
"Huh, you must be kidding, I am not even fit to be called a genius. What happened yesterday was that I suddenly had an idea and wanted to give it a try, and you know what happened after that. Moreover, haven’t you ever seen a genius or a demon blow up his own cave residence?" Lyu Liang gave Zhang Ran a playful punch, and the two burst out laughing.
"I have made a trip here today firstly to congratulate you. Secondly, I have a piece of good news to to share with you, big brother." Zhang Ran put his hand to his forehead, seeming to have forgotten something, and he said, "It’s going to be the time when Sword Character Immortal Palace lift the ban. This happens every once in three months, and the entire event lasts two days. During these two days, disciples below the Gold Core stage in their cultivation are allowed to go out shopping."
Lyu Liang’s eye came alive from this news. He had been thinking so hard about his problem and it seemed like now, the solution was right before his eyes! He was just worrying about where to find the supply for his Devil Qi, and was this not a good opportunity to go searching for it?
Lyu Liang still remembered that there were inexhaustible magic treasures in Tianshui Pavilion, the number one shop in Tianshui Country. The last time he visited that shop, he basically browsed through the merchandise without paying them much attention due to his limited resources and the absence of
"That’s great! I can’t wait to go out to have a look around the city! Are we not allowed to go out on normal days besides the two days when the ban is lifted?" Since they started talking about the ban, Lyu Liang wanted to clarify his doubts about the ban if he were to return to the Virtual Land ten years from now.
"This is how the rules in Immortal Palace work. The concept of lifting the ban was really for the disciples below the Gold Core stage of cultivation. Once a disciple reached the Gold Core stage, he is free to go out of the palace anyday, as long as he remains within Tianshui Country. Basically, there is no limitation to time he goes out of the palace. However, if he were to go beyond the country, there would be a time limit of a year. Which is to say, regardless of where he goes, he needs to report to Immortal Palace within a year of departure, failing which he would be thrown out of Immortal Palace, unless he was carrying out a particular mission for the palace." Zhang Ran was reasonably familiar with the rules since had been here for three years after all. He continued to say, "If one were to reach the Nascent Soul stage, there would be no such limitations. By then, the palace would keep a life card for him, which was needed for entering the palace."
"I see, thank you for your explanation, my brother! How about we go out together after three days?" By now, Lyu Liang already had a plan in his mind, which was to achieve the Gold Core stage within the next ten years. In this way, he could stay in Virtual Land for a year after that.
Zhang Ran immediately agreed to Lyu Liang’s suggestion as this was his intention from the beginning. The two continued chatting for a while more before Zhang Ran took his leave and Lyu Liang made a special trip to the herb garden.
On the previous occasion he visited the herb garden, Lyu Liang had brought Giant Tiger along and in just one meal, it had gobbled up a month’s worth of ingredients the old herb man had prepared. Lyu Liang had been feeling bad about it all this while.
When he arrived at the herb garden, the old herb man was dozing off on a self-made bench. However, he quickly woke up, as if he had sensed Lyu Liang’s arrival, and forced open his eye lids to smile at Lyu Liang.
"Old man, in three days time, the ban will be lifted and I will be going out with Zhang Ran. Would you like to join us?" Lyu Liang asked, as he began taking out 10 lower grade Primortdial Stones and placed them on the table.
The old herb man did not reject his offer, but shook his head and said, "Forget it, I’m getting old and I’m too lazy to move. You two go ahead."
"Oh yes, old man, there’s a question which I wanted to ask you since long ago. Why is there nobody who comes here to collect the Spirit Grass or to refine pills?" Lyu Liang finally ask the question which had been troubling him for a long time.
"Oh, it’s not time yet. The rule of the Immortal Palace is such that the disicples could only come ten days after the day the ban is lifted. I suppose when that time comes, you will be so busy going through the record scrolls that you will be cross-eyed! You had missed the last one, so I will let you have a try in this coming one," the old herb man said, laughing. This had made Lyu Liang start to worry.
After bidding farewell to the old herb man, as Lyu Liang was leaving the cave residence, he spotted Zhang Ran chatting excitedly with three people and Lyu Liang could hear them laughing from time to time. These three people were none other than the disiciples of the famous sects from Sishui Country. Lyu Liang greeted them from afar and walked up to them.
These three were here for the same reason as Zhang Ran. They were getting ready to go out on the first day when the ban was lifted. Unfortunately, not all three of them could go.
"My dear little brother, how I’m going to suffer! Tomorrow, Grand Master Fuyuan will take me away to kick start my training on cultivating talismans. This is going to last for half a month! Although I will be given two days leave to go out after that, I won’t be able to go out with you guys this time!" Yu Jun came over to Lyu Liang, held on to his arm and started complaining non-stop to Lyu Liang.
"Erm, actually I’m in the similar shoes as Elder Brother Yu. In two days’ time, Grand Master Tianfang will be starting me on the first moves of ‘Xin Lei Tian Gang’ Cultivation Method. In the same way, he would make up for my two days’ leave at the end. I won’t be able to go out this time too," stammered Qi Lin, the burly one.
A shy Lyu Xinyun, standing beside them, looked down and remained silent.
"So what’s the reason you are here, to look for me…?" Lyu Liang said, puzzled. He wondered why they came to him if they were unable to go out.
Stealing a glance at Lyu Xinyun who was looking down, Yu Jun pulled Lyu Liang closer and said in a whisper, "My good brother, let me tell you the truth." "We would like to request that you bring our little sister, Xinyu to go along with you, because a few days from now, she will be going to Xuan Nyu Sect. Moreover, there is this senior brother in the palace with special bodily constitution who is at the Gold Core stage in his cultivation, who intended to invite Xinyun to join him on the trip out. However Xinyun does not feel comfortable about it because she does not know him well. My suggestion is for you to accompany her instead, so she can politely reject his offer."
Having realized and understood Jun Yu’s intentions, Lyu Liang beat his chest and without any hesitation, he said, "Of course! I had initially planned to ask the three of you along anyways. Now that the two of you can’t make it, I’m certainly still going to invite our little sister, Xinyun to come along with Zhang Ran and me. That will make the three of us!"
Lyu Xinyun, who had been keeping her head low, lifted her gaze and smiled at Lyu Liang gratefully after hearing his kind words. Zhang Ran, who was standing beside them also nodded in agreement.
Lyu Liang thought Lyu Xinyun was his sister after all! Moreover, she would be going to Xuan Nyu Sect soon, and he had no idea when they would ever cross paths again, even though they were within the same country. Lyu Liang somehow did not feel comfortable with the idea of that strange senior brother in Gold Core stage of cultivation inviting Xinyun, as he felt protective over her. No way was he going to let this senior brother force his sister into something she was uncomfortable with!
At the same time the name ‘Xuan Nyu Sect’ was mentioned, the stunningly beautiful image of Shangguan Ying flashed across Lyu Liang’s mind. In that one month after they parted, Lyu Liang’s mind was filled the images of ‘Dance of the Immortal Into the Sky’ whenever he closed his eyes in the stone hall of the trial field.
"I wonder how is that girl?" Lyu Liang’s thoughts started floating away from reality…
…
At this moment in Xuan Nyu Sect, Shangguan Ying, who had reached the Middle-stage of Gold Core in her level of cultivation was talking to Xuan Nyu Fairy on top of a beautiful golden pavilion.
"Master, I have plans to visit Tianshui Pavilion three days from now. I would like to check if the Black Water Jade which I have ordered has arrived," Shangguan Ying told Xuan Nyu Fairy in a cautious tone.
"No problem, just go, but why in three days time and not today?" Xuan Nyu Fairy said with a smile.
"I… I want to spend these two days practising the Middle-stage Gold Core, which I had just learnt, so as to be more skilled in it!" Shangguan Ying said, blushing and gradually lowering her head.
"Alright, alright, then please quickly continue to practise. I will allow you to go to Tianshui Pavilion three days later," Xuan Nyu Fairy looked intently at Shangguan Ying’s blushing cheeks as she gave her permission.
"Thank… thank you Master! I will go practise now!" Shangguan Ying turned to ran down the stairs hurriedly.
"Now I remember, it’s going to be the once-in-three-months’ day that Sword Character Immortal Palace lifts its band…" Shangguan Ying could hear Xuan Nyu Fairy mumbling to herself. She made her stop for a second, then ran even more quickly down the stairs, as if she were running away from something.
Smiling to herself, Xuan Nyu Fairy looked at Shangguan Ying’s silhouette and mumbled, "My pathetic disciple. She’s so simple that she can’t even tell a lie. If that lad were to be with her in future, she would be bullied by him! Sigh!