Chapter 292: Chapter 235: A Pleasant Surprise
After their lovemaking, Song Mingyue pillowed her head in Ling Xiao’s embrace. Her skin was fair and delicate, her waist slender and her hips full. A pair of long, powerful, and shapely legs were draped over Ling Xiao’s waist. Beneath them was a pile of clothes Ling Xiao had taken from his ring. Her lazy expression was like that of a cat basking in the sun.
"Ling Xiao, I never thought my first time would be in a place like this. I think that no matter how many years pass, when I look back, I’ll find it... mm, very memorable!" Song Mingyue’s slender fingers traced idle patterns on Ling Xiao’s chest. She then chuckled, "Tell me, you wouldn’t have died even if we hadn’t used this Dual Cultivation method, would you? Hmph. It’s only now that I realize I’ve been completely fooled by you, even though I always thought I was so clever!"
"That’s not true," Ling Xiao flatly denied. ’Even if there had been another way—and there really wasn’t—Ling Xiao would never admit it. Every man likes a pretty girl, especially one like Song Mingyue who was not only beautiful but also intelligent. What’s more, she was the first woman Ling Xiao had ever been with, in this life or his last!’
’Though there was an element of chance to it, a fact was a fact, and nothing could change that.’
Ling Xiao’s hand gently caressed Song Mingyue’s smooth back as he said, "Be my woman. I just hope you won’t regret it. My life is destined to be anything but peaceful."
"I’ll never regret it!" Song Mingyue said with a determined look. "Now that I’m with you, I’m yours. No matter what happens, Ling Xiao, I’ll face it with you!" As she spoke, she intertwined her fingers with Ling Xiao’s, and the two shared a smile.
Just then, they suddenly heard a faint sound from outside the cave. After the marrow-cleansing effects of their Dual Cultivation, Song Mingyue’s body had actually converted her Inner Strength into Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi! As long as they continued their Dual Cultivation, it was only a matter of time before Song Mingyue’s power broke through. When that time came, Ling Xiao could help her reach Foundation Establishment and begin her life as a cultivator!
However, all of that would have to wait until they overcame the present crisis!
The two quickly dressed. Song Mingyue, having just experienced this for the first time, felt a bit awkward in her movements. As for Ling Xiao, only after putting it into practice did he realize the benefits of Dual Cultivation. Not only had his injuries completely healed, but his strength at the Early Heartbeat Stage also showed faint signs of a breakthrough!
’He was overjoyed, but he also knew that a Dual Cultivation Technique yielded the greatest benefits during the very first session! Afterward, progress would stabilize. But generally speaking, before the Nascent Soul Stage, Dual Cultivation was at least twice as fast as cultivating alone!’
"Stay here. I’ll go check it out." Ling Xiao left the Avoiding Earth with Song Mingyue, he said softly. Then he turned, and his body shot out like a bolt of lightning!
Song Mingyue pressed her lips together slightly and followed him out of the cave. Although walking felt a little strange, she could clearly feel that her strength had risen by more than just a single rank!
Once outside, Ling Xiao’s sharp eyes spotted an enormous, hideous monster lying on the bank! More than half of its body was still in the deep pool!
The monster’s body was covered in rough, sharp, and menacing plates, making it look terrifying. Its head resembled that of a deer! On top of which grew two long, forked antlers!
Each of its eyes was nearly as large as Ling Xiao’s entire body!
At the moment, the monster’s eyes were half-open, and its body was trembling slightly. Evidently, the poison from Song Mingyue’s arrow was about to wear off. Still, the fact that it could take down such a behemoth was a testament to how potent the poison on her arrow was!
Seeing Song Mingyue follow him out, Ling Xiao asked, "Do you have any more of those arrows? Hit it again!"
Song Mingyue shook her head with a wry smile and said, "I only had one! It was an heirloom, passed down from my ancestors. I don’t even know what kind of poison it is."
’Ling Xiao stared at the enormous creature. He wasn’t confident that another Fleeting Light Strike would be enough to kill it! If he failed to kill it and only managed to wake it up, the consequences would be disastrous!’
As he was thinking, Ling Xiao suddenly felt the Demon Blood Red Lotus Sword in his hand begin to tremble violently. He was suddenly reminded of the time the Demon Blood Red Lotus Sword had absorbed blood. Ling Xiao leaped high into the air, landing on the massive monster’s head. He raised the Demon Blood Red Lotus Sword, which was now emitting a long ray of red light, and plunged it fiercely into the creature’s skull!
ROAR!
The sound startled Song Mingyue so badly that she shot into the air, jumping incredibly high! Only then did she realize with astonishment that she could actually leap such a great distance!
An incomparably shrill, miserable howl echoed out. The monster’s eyes snapped open, and the chill in the air suddenly intensified!
To Song Mingyue’s surprise, snowflakes began to drift down around her!
Flakes of snow swirled through the air, just like a winter day in the Northern Lands!
The monster’s body began to convulse madly, its agonizing shrieks echoing throughout the entire subterranean pool. The Demon Blood Sword, however, only accelerated its absorption of the monster’s Essence Blood.
Ling Xiao’s feet were planted firmly on the monster’s head. He remained completely unmoved as it thrashed its head wildly. ’He had absolutely no memory of this kind of monster!’
’He hadn’t even seen it described in the Continental Bestiary in the Imperial Academy’s library. Furthermore, its Spiritual Power was even stronger than his! It was filled with countless negative emotions.’
’The path here had led from one of that Pharmacist’s rooms. And even though there was no mention of this thing in the Pharmacist’s notes, Ling Xiao had reason to believe this creature was very likely the Pharmacist’s own creation!’
’What was the point of leaving such an evil thing alive! Besides, it could so easily wield Water Elemental Energy and was so tyrannical in its strength. It looked like the Demon Blood Red Lotus Sword should be able to advance another tier!’
’This sword... it’s on the path to becoming an Immortal Sword! If this keeps up, it might even be possible to nurture a Sword Spirit!’
As Ling Xiao thought this, the giant monster below continued to roar and bellow, and the temperature of the surrounding space dropped lower and lower! Even one’s breath threatened to turn to ice. The Protective Spiritual Qi around Ling Xiao’s body condensed into a thick, eggshell-like barrier, protecting him from harm. Meanwhile, Song Mingyue was suspended in mid-air, watching the frenzied scene below.
The enormous monster’s body suddenly shrank back into the pool, dragging Ling Xiao, still on its head, in with it. Song Mingyue watched in alarm. Just as she was about to go down after them, she saw the monster’s body shoot high out of the water before crashing back down again. It smashed through the sheet of ice below, sending shards flying everywhere!
The struggle continued for more than two hours. Ling Xiao was even starting to feel exhausted. Finally, the giant monster’s struggles gradually ceased, and the Demon Blood Red Lotus Sword also stopped absorbing its blood.
When Ling Xiao pulled the Demon Blood Red Lotus Sword out, he was amazed to find that the Demon Blood Sword’s blade had returned to a pure, snowy white! A hazy cyan light swirled around it!
Ling Xiao infused his Spiritual Power into the Demon Blood Red Lotus Sword and softly uttered, "Shrink!"
The Demon Blood Red Lotus Sword instantly shrank a little. Ling Xiao controlled it with his mind, making it shrink further. Finally, the Demon Blood Red Lotus Sword became palm-sized and rested in Ling Xiao’s hand. Song Mingyue descended from the air, staring in disbelief at the shrunken treasured sword in Ling Xiao’s hand.
"Wh-what’s happening?" Song Mingyue asked, dumbfounded.
"Haha! An Immortal Sword! I finally have an Immortal Sword!" Ling Xiao didn’t answer Song Mingyue, instead letting out an excited roar. Then, as Song Mingyue watched, the small sword in his hand suddenly expanded, growing to over ten meters long and more than a meter wide!
The blade’s radiance exploded outward!
It was as if it were shrouded in a hazy blood-red mist! Demonic and alluring, yet incredibly beautiful!
Ling Xiao pointed at the massive, nearly dead monster floating limply in the cold pool, and commanded, "Sever!"
A flash of blood-red light streaked through the air.
Then, a line was drawn across the surface of the water.
The enormous water monster was decapitated! Immediately after, the overwhelming stench of blood filled the air, but not much blood actually flowed out. The Demon Blood Red Lotus Sword had just sucked nearly all of its Essence Blood dry! What was left was merely the blood near the surface of its body.
"Heavens! Is... is that a sword skill? Or something else?" Song Mingyue was shocked beyond words. She stared blankly at Ling Xiao and said, "Or... are you actually from the Holy Sanctuary?"
Ling Xiao smiled at Song Mingyue and said, "Don’t ask. But I can tell you this: before long, you’ll be able to do it too!"
"Really!" Song Mingyue exclaimed with pleasant surprise. "You’re my man, so you have to keep your word! You’re not allowed to lie to me!" ’As for why Ling Xiao wouldn’t tell her, Song Mingyue completely understood. Just as hidden clans had countless secrets, some things were better left unknown. Ignorance was bliss.’
"Of course!" Ling Xiao put away the Demon Blood Red Lotus Sword, his mood soaring. ’At his current Peak of Early Heartbeat Stage, he would have had a hard time injuring a Low-Tier Sword Sect cultivator in a one-on-one fight without using his Fleeting Light Strike.’
’But he hadn’t expected a mere accident to cause the Demon Blood Red Lotus Sword to advance! Of course, ’Immortal Sword’... was just a name he’d made up on the spot. But at the very least, the Demon Blood Red Lotus Sword was now taking steps on the path toward forming a Sword Spirit!’
’If the Demon Blood Red Lotus Sword truly formed a Sword Spirit, then, when he achieved unity of man and sword, there would likely be no one in this world beneath the rank of Sword Venerable who could be his opponent!’
’Although the Spiritual Power in his body wasn’t enough to sustain the Demon Blood Red Lotus Sword in aerial combat for long, if he used it for a sneak attack, he could probably even injure a Sword Emperor Powerhouse by catching them off guard!’
As Ling Xiao thought this, his spirits lifted even higher. He grabbed Song Mingyue’s hand and leaped, flying upward. When he reached the top, he pointed and shouted softly, "Break!"
The Demon Blood Red Lotus Sword flared with brilliant light, unleashing an immense, unstoppable force. It tore through the dark ceiling above with overwhelming force... and shattered it!
A burst of light instantly shone down.
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