Chapter 248: Chapter 248 Sword Heart 73
"Brother Wei, this kid’s girl isn’t half bad, huh?"
The Spicy Scholar revealed a grin.
The preciousness of the Jade Heart Orchid could be described as priceless. At least, in his ten years of wandering in the Martial World, this was his first time seeing it. For now, he had to divert Wei Yan’s attention to avoid adding further complications.
Simultaneously, the Spicy Scholar sent Shi Xiaole a concealed message, "Kid, keep the news about the Jade Heart Orchid to yourself and I’ll let you go."
Right now, he had to pacify this kid. After getting his hands on the item, he would find a chance to finish him off to prevent word from leaking out.
Giving the Spicy Scholar a glance, Shi Xiaole brought out the Jade Heart Orchid, illuminating the dark abyss.
"Jade Heart Orchid!"
Wei Yan’s eyes shone brightly.
In contrast, the Spicy Scholar’s face turned ashen, wishing he could slaughter Shi Xiaole on the spot.
"Hahaha, kid, throw the item over here. I assure you, you will survive."
Wei Yan gripped his sword.
The Spicy Scholar was wary of him, and he was likewise wary of the Spicy Scholar. Despite being a bit stronger, the Spicy Scholar was known for his deception and tricks, necessitating caution.
But as long as he obtains the Jade Heart Orchid, he reckoned the other party couldn’t do anything to him.
"You both want it, what should I do?"
As Shi Xiaole toyed with the Jade Heart Orchid, a nervous Ye Yiyi couldn’t even breathe deeply. Both the Spicy Scholar and Wei Yan were treacherous, Shi Xiaole was playing with fire.
Wei Yan declared loudly, "Kid, I, Wei Yan, always keep my word. Hand it over to me. Nobody can kill you, I assure you."
The Spicy Scholar also said, "Kid, quickly come over to me. I swear I won’t kill you."
As they spoke, both men pushed their martial abilities to the brink.
"Alright then."
Seeming to have made a difficult decision, Shi Xiaole, alongside Ye Yiyi, started to head towards Wei Yan.
"Go to hell!"
The moment they began to move, the Spicy Scholar attacked, launching a grinding wheel-like force from his Mixed Element Palm, bearing down on Shi Xiaole’s head, sending a chill wind billowing.
Whoosh.
A red sword light burst forth just in time, cleaving the force of the Mixed Element Palm in two. At the same time, Wei Yan lunged out seemingly to protect Shi Xiaole.
Shi Xiaole sneered coldly as he abruptly threw the Jade Heart Orchid into the air.
"This kid is indeed cunning."
Wei Yan gritted his teeth, forced to alter his position and lunged towards the Jade Heart Orchid. As he was mid-air, he suddenly caused his left arm to transform into a sword, and struck out a red sword light towards Shi Xiaole.
"I anticipated this."
With the green sword in his hand, Shi Xiaole swung with full force toward the front. The Vortex of Wind instantly shattered Wei Yan’s sword light. Right then, Wei Yan and the Spicy Scholar lunged simultaneously toward the Jade Heart Orchid.
Releasing Ye Yiyi, Shi Xiaole’s hand suddenly bore a small cylindrical device, the mechanism activated.
Whizz whizz whizz.
Countless fine needles rushed forth, as a huge storm assaulted Wei Yan and the Spicy Scholar. The two men did not dare to use their internal power in retaliation for fear of damaging the Jade Heart Orchid, they bore the pain and retreated.
"Now’s the time."
Pulling Ye Yiyi with him, Shi Xiaole pushed his Bird Crossing Skill to the limit. Almost instantly after the downpour of needles, Ye Yiyi, responding to Shi Xiaole’s instructions, caught the Jade Heart Orchid, Shi Xiaole then swung his sword fiercely at the opposite rock wall.
Boom!
A massive amount of crushed rock exploded like bullets. The gusts within the abyss swept them up, blotting out the sun and obscuring Wei Yan and the Spicy Scholar’s vision.
Shi Xiaole had already sighted a hole at the top of the abyss, he made a quick dart into there and emerged from the other side, sprinting at full speed.
"Son of a bitch, I swear I’ll kill you if it’s the last thing I do!"
A murderous glare flashed across Wei Yan’s face. Never before in his life had he been so disrespected by a youngster. Tracing Shi Xiaole’s residual energy, he too dove into the hole.
At the other end, the Spicy Scholar wasn’t just furious at Shi Xiaole but also at Wei Yan for spoiling his plan. Otherwise, the Jade Heart Orchid would have already been his.
"Luckily, I came prepared."
The Spicy Scholar suddenly smirked, a strange insect appearing in his hand.
Few knew that he had once trained under a master from Miaojiang, learning some Gu insect spells, one of which was a tracking spell. As long as Shi Xiaole did not get farther than 200 meters from him, losing track was unlikely.
...
After emerging from the other end, Shi Xiaole planned to fly out of the abyss and immediately flee the Silver Snowfield.
However, Ye Yiyi said, "Young Master Shi, not too far from here is a Three Purities Flower. It can greatly improve your cultivation efficiency. It’s a once in a century opportunity; you should go pick it."
Shi Xiaole looked at her in shock.
"I won’t hide from you, Master Shi, Ye Yiyi has a unique ability to sense the unique aura of medicinal herbs from a great distance."
Ye Yiyi only recently discovered this secret, to the point that even her parents didn’t know. The leaf of the Three Purities she gave Shi Xiaole previously was obtained this way.
Ye Yiyi knew clearly that exposing this secret would get her on the radar of some nefarious individuals, she would lose her freedom from then on.
But she was more disinclined to deceive Shi Xiaole.
The latter had refused to abandon her even in the face of danger. What did sharing this secret with him matter?
Shi Xiaole didn’t say much. Guided by Ye Yiyi’s directions, he plucked the Three Purities Flower. Then, hoisting Ye Yiyi, he rapidly climbed up the mountainside.
An hour later.
The two hid in a cave within the Silver Snowfield.
Shi Xiaole’s internal power was nearly all consumed. If he didn’t recover, he may face danger should he encounter any others from the Martial World. Hence, the moment he entered the cave, he began to meditate and rest.
Ye Yiyi sat on the other side, also using her internal energy to ward off the biting cold.
Outside, a storm was blowing fiercely.
"Dammit!"
Following the guidance of his Gu insect, the Spicy Scholar roamed around like a headless fly, his eyes filled with ominous determination.
He hadn’t expected that the chilling winds of Silver Snowfield could confuse the insects’ perception. The original range of 200 meters had been reduced to less than 100 meters.
Now all he knew was the general direction of Shi Xiaole. But Silver Snowfield was so vast, where should he start looking?
When a group of martial artists passed by not far from him, Spicy Scholar had a flash of inspiration and came up with an idea.
...
After a painstaking three 2-hour periods, Shi Xiaole finally restored his internal power. For some reason, perhaps because it had almost been exhausted, he found that his internal power had slightly improved.
That was a really close call. If it weren’t for the Storm Pear Blossom Needles, he and Ye Yiyi would have only had one way out – death. As for his lethal abilities, he had used up almost all the martial arts techniques that he could offer for sacrifice, and couldn’t exchange them now.
"Young Master."
Ye Yiyi’s voice awakened Shi Xiaole. She softly reminded him, "The Three Purities Flower doesn’t last long. It’s only effective for three days and then it will be useless. However, the leaves of the Three Purities can last for a very long time."
She actually wanted to have a chat with Shi Xiaole, but she knew how to prioritize things.
"Only three days?"
The Three Purities Flower is a strange flower that evolves based on the Three Purities leaf, with only a one percent chance of occurrence. It’s said to be capable of temporarily increasing a person’s vitality by several times.
If he missed the timing due to a misunderstanding and failed to use it, even the temperament of Shi Xiaole would lead him to regret and wish to kill himself.
"Thank you for the reminder, Miss. In that case, could you please act as my Protector."
Shi Xiaole apologized. He wasn’t one to be ungrateful, and acknowledged her sincerity in reminding him.
"Rest assured, I’ll notify you if anything happens."
Ye Yiyi nodded approvingly, feeling that she was finally able to repay him.
The Three Purities Flower looked very ordinary, but its effect was extraordinary. When Shi Xiaole sniffed it closely, his mind immediately felt an explosion, his thoughts were dramatically activated, and many of the problems that had been plaguing him became extremely simple.
With the entire Three Purities Flower in his mouth, Shi Xiaole went straight into the state of emptiness.
Without realizing it, it grew dark outside.
Fearing discovery, Ye Yiyi didn’t dare to start a fire. The cold wind blowing into the cave was wet and harsh, forcing her to execute her martial arts routine every now and then to keep warm, and occasionally snack on some dry rations when she got hungry.
"I wonder what he will gain?"
Ye Yiyi had never used the Three Purities Flower herself; she had only read about its effects. In her opinion, given that the flower’s joint effect only lasts three days, it could perhaps leave Shi Xiaole feeling deflated in the end.
His mind wandering in the void, around Shi Xiaole was white as far as the eye could see. He seemed unwearied, sword in hand, and practiced continuously for twelve hours.
If Lian Chen were here, he would certainly be amazed.
Because the sword technique displayed by Shi Xiaole revealed an indescribable charm. Not only was his Sword Qi sharp, even the residual sword light hanging in the air seemed to be composed of countless Sword Qi, making it unbearable to look.
"Sixty-five percent of Sword Heart."
Shi Xiaole calm as ever, continued to immerse his senses.
The Three Purities Flower really was extraordinary. Although its effects were far from comparable to the inspiring winds outside of Wind Valley, it was several times more effective than the Inspiration Bridge of the Will Sect.
With the elevation of his comprehension abilities, Shi Xiaole’s enlightenment of one day was equivalent to several months in a normal state.
Of course, only Shi Xiaole could achieve so much. His soul, having gone through the fusion of two lives, was exceedingly sensitive. If it were someone else, the effectiveness of the Three Purities Flower would be greatly reduced.
One day passed.
Shi Xiaole’s Sword Heart reached a fulfillment level of sixty-eight percent.
On the second day.
The Sword Heart reached seventy percent.
...
Seventy-one percent.
Seventy-two percent.
The more he progressed, the more difficult it became for Shi Xiaole to enhance his Sword Heart even a bit more, as if an invisible wall was obstructing him.
Noticing subconsciously that the effect of the Three Purities Flower was almost over, Shi Xiaole’s pupils contracted to a massive degree, almost merging his thoughts into a single burning point.
Pop.
The barrier was broken.
A surge of Sword Qi, much stronger than before, rushed towards Shi Xiaole, instantly obliterating him.
Seventy-three percent.
At the last moment, Shi Xiaole’s Sword Heart successfully reached seventy-three percent. The moment he opened his eyes, a sharp sword light seemed to flash across the cave, disappearing as quickly as it appeared.
Understanding the Sword Heart is incredibly difficult. Conversely, even the smallest progress can lead to a considerable boost in strength.
Progressing from a sixty percent Sword Heart to a seventy-three percent one might not seem like a big leap, but Shi Xiaole’s current strength could not be compared to that of three days ago.
Bringing his fingers together, he lightly pointed forward, immediately punching a tiny hole about two inches deep in the stone wall three meters away.
"The strength has increased by about fifty percent compared to before."
Previously, Shi Xiaole, excluding the Soul Transfer Great Method, was just slightly inferior to the Spicy Scholar. Now, he didn’t have to worry about the other party at all.
Looking at Ye Yiyi, who had fallen asleep, Shi Xiaole shook his head with a chuckle. What a silly girl!
"Young Master, are you awake?"
Feeling like her heart had been pricked with a sword, Ye Yiyi woke up in a daze. Seeing Shi Xiaole’s eyes on her, she couldn’t help but blush.
"Miss Ye, I’m sorry for letting you suffer so much, let’s get out."
Shi Xiaole stood up.
"Okay."
Ye Yiyi had wanted to leave a long time ago and happily clapped her hands when she heard his words.
Silver Snowfield was so vast, she didn’t believe they’d run into Spicy Scholar and Wei Yan again. As long as they didn’t encounter them, Shi Xiaole should be able to handle the situation.
"Huh, those two people?"
As the two of them left the cave, they were immediately spotted by a few people in the distance.
"A young man in green and a young girl in white, handsome and beautiful, it must be them. Quickly, inform Spicy Scholar."
