Chapter 64

Chapter 64: Pulling a Scam

Ye Zhao Zhao was still stunned.

The disciples who had recorded the Sword Qi Purification Method had also read the jade slip. One disciple said: “It’s true. If you are careful, this method will not harm the Sword Spirit. At most, your own meridians might get a little damaged, but with Ye Zhao Zhao’s cultivation, recovery won’t be hard.”

Another disciple nodded: “Senior Sister Li used this method back when she was at the Golden Core Stage. She controlled it well and didn’t injure the Sword Spirit at all. Junior Sister Ye is already at the Nascent Soul Stage, so it should be even easier for her.”

A third disciple added: “Also, Junior Sister Ye and Long Yan signed a Master-Servant Contract. Your minds are linked, so clearing the turbid qi will be even simpler.”

Everyone kept talking.

Ye Zhao Zhao’s face kept shifting. She didn’t even know how to turn spiritual power into a sword, and even if she did, she didn’t want to hurt her own meridians for Long Yan. She gritted her teeth in anger. Now she understood why Li Shuang had given that hard earned method away for free to any disciple who needed it: [So you were waiting for me to fall right into this.]

Li Shuang urged her, speaking calmly: “Junior Sister Ye, look at Long Yan. He’s about to fail. What are you still hesitating for? If you don’t hurry, he really will reach Reversion to Void. He betrayed me, so I shouldn’t care, but since you all knelt and begged me, I’m willing to guide you the whole time and try to help you suffer less.”

Long Yan looked at Ye Zhao Zhao, his eyes full of longing. If he could keep a real body, who would want Reversion to Void? Li Shuang had done it when she was only at the Golden Core Stage. Ye Zhao Zhao was already Nascent Soul. She should be able to expel the impure qi even better.

Sheng Yuan found that reasonable and said in a steady voice: “Junior Sister, Senior Sister Li’s cultivation is indeed limited right now. Since Senior Sister is willing to guide you, you should try.”

Ye Zhao Zhao’s lips trembled as she forced out an excuse: “I… I spent too much spiritual power in today’s match. I’m afraid I can’t.”

Li Shuang raised her brows and replied without mercy: “Today’s fight kept everyone suppressed at the Foundation Establishment Stage. How much spiritual power could you have lost, Junior Sister Ye?”

Ye Zhao Zhao bit down and tried again: “I don’t have any experience…”

Li Shuang waved that off, then paused as if remembering something important: “This method isn’t hard. You can learn now and use it right away. The biggest side effect is possible damage to your own meridians.” She looked straight at Ye Zhao Zhao and asked in a mild tone: “Junior Sister Ye… could it be you don’t want to take this risk for Long Yan?”

She tilted her head and pressed on: “He abandoned everything for you. Now you just need to do a little thing for him, and you refuse? He is your Sword Spirit.”

Shen Yue studied Ye Zhao Zhao, confusion flashing in his eyes as he asked: “Junior Sister?”

He truly didn’t understand what there was to hesitate about.

Chang Le An couldn’t hold back and snapped at Li Shuang: “What do you mean by that, forcing Zhao Zhao to save Long Yan? If she wants to save him, she will. If she doesn’t, she won’t. You don’t get to force her.”

Li Shuang smiled thinly and asked in return: “Really? Then why are you all kneeling here? Weren’t you forcing me to save Long Yan? He betrayed me, and my cultivation fell all the way to the Qi Refining Stage, yet you forced me to help him. Now it’s Ye Zhao Zhao, who has Nascent Soul cultivation and is also Long Yan’s Master. Isn’t it even more reasonable for her to act?”

Her words were clear and sharp. Chang Le An was struck speechless.

Every gaze fell on Ye Zhao Zhao.

Long Yan clenched his teeth. No matter what, he didn’t want Reversion to Void. He didn’t want to become a total waste. He lowered himself and pleaded: “Master, save me.”

A chill spread through Ye Zhao Zhao. She had wanted to make things hard for Li Shuang, but the one truly trapped was herself. She whispered, shaking: “I… I’ll try.” She was afraid she had no other choice.

She swept her divine sense across the jade slip, and irritation rose in her chest. [Turn spiritual power into a sword… I can’t even do the first step.]

[This Long Yan is pulling a scam.]

[Where is the peerless Sword Spirit I was promised? He’s just a troublesome Defective Sword Spirit!]

Li Shuang’s light voice drifted over as if by accident: “Junior Sister Ye, don’t tell me… you don’t know how to turn spiritual power into a sword?”

Ye Zhao Zhao’s body went stiff. Sword Qi was a required skill for Sword Sect disciples after initiation. If she couldn’t use it, the whole sect would laugh at her.

Li Shuang said evenly: “If it really won’t work, use a sword stone to assist you. Sword Qi produced through a sword stone is harder to control, but right now we have no other choice.”

“I still have a sword stone,” said Sheng Yuan as he took one out.

Then a trace of shame crossed his face. This stone had come from First Senior Sister’s resource pool long ago. Things he once took for granted, after becoming First Senior Brother and handling countless matters himself, he finally understood: nothing is truly “of course.” He had felt things were obvious only because he wasn’t the one paying the price. He glanced at Li Shuang. Her expression stayed plain, without any special ripple at the sight of the sword stone. That made the tightness in his chest worse.

Ye Zhao Zhao resisted and asked in a small voice: “First Senior Brother… such a precious sword stone, is it really okay to waste it here?”

“Saving Long Yan matters more,” said Sheng Yuan, steadying himself. “Junior Sister, hurry.”

With no way out, Ye Zhao Zhao accepted the sword stone. She carefully sent a thread of spiritual power into it. Her power moved through the stone and, when it returned to her body, it carried a sharp, cutting aura. If she sent it out, it would become Sword Qi.

It sounded simple, but this was her first time doing it. As soon as that sharp force flowed back into her meridians, she cried out in pain, and her face went white.

Several people rushed toward her, calling out at once: “Zhao Zhao!” and “Junior Sister!”

Chang Le An glared at Li Shuang and demanded: “Was it you? What did you do to Zhao Zhao?”

Li Shuang answered with an even face: “What could I do? It’s only a bit of sharpness. Which Sword Cultivator hasn’t experienced the baptism of Sword Qi?”

Sheng Yuan hurriedly checked Ye Zhao Zhao’s condition, and his expression grew complicated. It was such a tiny, insignificant injury, yet Zhao Zhao was screaming like this. For Sword Cultivators, this level of pain was everyday life.

Luo Ming Yue came to watch and sneered: “Ye Zhao Zhao, if you don’t want to save Long Yan, just say so. You thought he was a peerless Sword Spirit and tricked the Dragon Roar Sword into your hands. Now that he’s a Defective Sword Spirit, you want to throw him away? If you keep ignoring him, this time the turbid qi leads to Reversion to Void. A few more rounds of that, and he’ll fall back into sleep. Then you’ll have a reason to change to a new sword.”