My father is the main character, but the female leads want to kill me.

Meng Qing didn't try to hide, letting Lin Ran snatch the face back.

Watching Lin Ran turn her back and try to put the mask back on, Meng Qing remained calm and composed, but her words carried a hint of a smile as she said, "This kind of low-level face-changing mask is unusable once it's damaged. But should I call you Jiang Ran, or something else?"

Looking at the unusable mask in her hand, Lin Ran felt utterly hopeless. It was highly likely that the mask had been damaged when she was breaking through the bronze gate, and then Meng Qing had noticed something amiss and torn it off. Now that he had seen her true face, wasn't that just sending her away?

……

Chapter Thirty-One: An Impossible Test (Please add to your favorites)

"Sigh, see? See? I guess I'm just unlucky!"

With a "what the heck" attitude, Lin Ran threw the mask into her spatial ring, not bothering to hide it, and let Meng Qing see her true appearance.

Meng Qing smiled faintly, moved a little closer to Lin Ran, and whispered, "Are you so afraid of me seeing your true colors? Are you afraid of being hunted down by me for revenge?"

"With my Spirit Core Realm strength, why would I be afraid of your Spirit Transformation Realm? Besides, you must have concealed your appearance. I don't believe you really look like that!" Lin Ran retorted.

“A Spirit Core Realm cultivator certainly won’t be afraid of someone like me who’s only at the Spirit Transformation Realm, but aren’t you afraid of the power behind me?” Meng Qing calmly pinched her cheek and said, “Unlike you, I don’t secretly hide my appearance. I’m not wearing a mask.”

"You must have used a more advanced way to conceal your appearance. I don't believe you look like this ugly monster!" Lin Ran's intuition told him that Meng Qing's hateful face must have been manipulated, but he had no proof.

Just as Meng Qing was about to respond, a loud laugh rang out: "You two are like sworn enemies, arguing as soon as you wake up."

"who is it!"

The two looked in unison toward the source of the sound. At the entrance of the courtyard, a middle-aged man dressed in an ordinary blue long gown walked over. His temples were slightly gray, and his face bore the marks of time.

Although he was middle-aged, he was still lean and handsome, with sword-like eyebrows that reached his temples, and his eyes seemed to hold a hint of frivolity and cynicism, like a romantic and amorous swordsman.

The sight of this middle-aged man startled Meng Qing and Lin Ran slightly, but considering their current location within the inheritance space, they both stood up simultaneously and respectfully greeted the man before them, saying, "Greetings, Senior Sword Saint!"

"No need for formalities!" The Azure Spirit Sword Saint waved his hand and laughed, "I don't know how many years I've waited, but today I've finally welcomed my successor. Originally, I was going to disappear from this world completely in a while, but your arrival has given me some hope. Change your clothes and come find me!"

After saying that, the Sword Saint disappeared from the spot, leaving only Lin Ran and Meng Qing in the courtyard.

The two looked at each other, then walked out of the pool and changed their clothes. At this moment, Lin Ran also noticed that his face looked younger than before, like a young man in his early twenties.

Moreover, with the help of the pool water, he naturally stepped over the fourth-level Spirit Core Realm, which he had been just one step away from. Looking into his dantian, he saw four exquisite patterns on the spiritually abundant dantian, which meant that he was now at the fourth-level Spirit Core Realm.

"Is this pool water really that magical?" Lin Ran looked at the emerald green water in the pool. It not only transformed his body but also helped him break through to the fourth level of the Spirit Core Realm. Even Meng Qing seemed to have undergone many changes.

The woman was changing clothes without any attempt to conceal his presence, treating him like he wasn't human, showing him everything so openly. As a result, he saw quite a few beautiful sights: her already fair skin now shone with a radiant glow, and her already large breasts seemed even bigger.

After Meng Qing changed into a white dress, Lin Ran couldn't help but take a few more glances. This woman's elegant and refined temperament was truly unique, as if she were shrouded in a light mist, seemingly real yet illusory, like a fairy from heaven. Even her ordinary appearance was enhanced by her cool and aloof temperament.

"Let's go, stop looking, what's so interesting about an ugly monster!" Meng Qing fastened her belt and glanced at Lin Ran.

Lin Ran looked away, caught red-handed, and coughed awkwardly a few times: "Ahem, sorry, sorry!"

After saying this, Meng Qing walked ahead at a leisurely pace, and Lin Ran quickly followed.

The two walked out of the courtyard one after the other, only to find that there was a vast and boundless sea outside. The tide was rising and falling. They followed the stone steps to the beach and could see bamboo houses not far from the sea.

The Azure Spirit Sword Saint sat in front of the bamboo house, watching Lin Ran and Meng Qing walk side by side. Pointing to the azure sea before him, he laughed loudly, "How about this beautiful scenery?"

"The scenery is beautiful, and it would be even better if there were delicious food and wine!" Lin Ran exclaimed. Although the Spirit Pill Realm no longer needed to eat to sustain life, Lin Ran, being an ordinary person, had never been able to give up his craving for food.

"You sure know how to enjoy yourself, kid!" The Azure Spirit Sword Saint stood up, brushed the sand off his body, and a glint of light flashed in his cloudy eyes as he stared at the two people in front of him.

At that moment, both Lin Ran and Meng Qing felt as if they had been seen through, and that they had no secrets.

After a while, the Azure Spirit Sword Saint couldn't help but sigh, looking at Lin Ran with a hint of regret, and said, "You're quite to my liking, but your talent is really mediocre, and you're cultivating the Azure Emperor's techniques, which only adds more difficulty to your life. It's too difficult to change now."

Lin Ran was surprised that the Sword Saint could discern his talent and cultivation technique simply by looking at him. He quickly cupped his hands and said respectfully, "Please, Senior Sword Saint, show me the way. I have indeed been stuck at the third level of the Spirit Core Realm for a long time. If it weren't for Senior Sword Saint's medicinal pool, I'm afraid I would have had a hard time breaking through to the fourth level of the Spirit Core Realm."

"It's difficult, so difficult!" Qingling Sword Saint sighed. "Your foundation is solid, and you must have been diligent in your cultivation. If you had used other techniques, you wouldn't be stuck at the Spirit Core Realm. But Qingdi's technique is the most demanding in terms of comprehension and innate talent, and you also need to comprehend the Dao... If you cultivate his technique with your mediocre abilities and without any opportunities, I'm afraid you'll only reach the early Nirvana Realm at most in this lifetime."

Although Lin Ran had thought about it herself, when a top expert actually saw through it in one sentence, Lin Ran still felt frustrated, and there seemed to be a bit more bitterness in her mouth.

Meng Qing looked at Lin Ran beside her, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes. Clearly, even she hadn't expected Lin Ran to be in this situation. She possessed top-tier cultivation techniques, but her talent for cultivation was rather mediocre. Knowing in advance that she could only reach the Nirvana Realm in her lifetime, she must be feeling quite bad.

"Kid, don't be discouraged. I'll say something a little impolite!" The Azure Spirit Sword Saint wasn't exactly a respectable person either. He patted Lin Ran on the shoulder, pointed meaningfully at Meng Qing beside him, and said with a smile, "If you can win over this girl, that would be a great opportunity."

Meng Qing calmly replied, "The Sword Saint is joking. He wouldn't even look at an ugly freak like me!"

"Haha, are all the girls who cultivate the Pure Tranquility Scripture like this?" The Azure Spirit Sword Saint casually mentioned the cultivation method Meng Qing was practicing, and continued, "If the two of you could be together, it would be of great benefit to both of you, whether in cultivation or in battle. However, this is a matter for you juniors, so I won't say any more."

"I originally intended to pass on the Azure Spirit Sword Technique, the culmination of my life's work, to the inheritors who came here, and to give them some pointers."

"But neither of you is actually suited for cultivation. Besides talent and comprehension, you've both already developed your own paths, so switching to my Azure Spirit Sword Technique wouldn't be appropriate." The Azure Spirit Sword Saint was somewhat helpless. He'd finally found someone, but neither of them were suitable, which was truly a headache.

Although Lin Ran was somewhat curious about the Tranquil Scripture that Meng Qing cultivated, feeling that it sounded somewhat familiar, he was still concerned about the Azure Spirit Sword Manual for his son. Hearing the Azure Spirit Sword Saint's words, he suggested, "Senior Sword Saint, um... I have a friend's child with exceptional cultivation talent. If possible, could I pass on your Azure Spirit Sword Manual to that child for cultivation?"

Meng Qing suddenly said from the side, "That friend wouldn't be you, would it?"

The Azure Spirit Sword Saint was quite interested in this and nodded with a smile: "Speak freely. I originally intended for you to take my Azure Spirit Sword Manual out and pass it on to someone with the right destiny. I hope that in future generations someone will carry on the name of my Azure Spirit Sword Saint and make me famous for generations to come, and once again make a name for myself on the Nine Provinces Continent."

With the permission of the Azure Spirit Sword Saint, Lin Ran briefly explained Lin Chong's situation to him. Meng Qing, who was listening in, seemed somewhat concerned about Lin Ran's wife. Having a child so early—what did she see in this guy? Was she shameless? Wasn't she afraid of spoiling the child for this unreliable man? Wouldn't the child also have a terrible personality?

After listening to Lin Ran's description, the Azure Spirit Sword Saint readily agreed, intending to make it even better and have Lin Ran take back her many years of experience and insights to her child, so that the child could avoid some detours in cultivation.

This weighty inheritance made Lin Ran want to kneel down and express his gratitude. The ancient powerhouses were all at that legendary level. Their insights and experiences from their cultivation journey were priceless treasures. Giving them to Lin Chong along with his cultivation techniques was like giving him a top-tier cheat code. After he grew up, he would surely be able to kill indiscriminately.

"However, don't be too happy yet. If you want to take the Azure Spirit Sword Manual from me, you still have to go through some tests. You two will need to work together to pass them smoothly," the Azure Spirit Sword Saint said loudly.

"cooperate?"

Lin Ran and Meng Qing spoke in unison, clearly curious about what kind of test they would have to go through that required their cooperation.

"You'll see when you follow me!" The Azure Spirit Sword Saint smiled and led the way.

Lin Ran and the other person exchanged glances and followed behind the Azure Spirit Sword Saint. They walked on the fine white sand beach for a long time before a large forest appeared ahead. The forest was quiet, but the leaves rustled in the sea breeze. Something seemed off about this forest, as if there were pairs of eyes watching from the shadows.

"arrive!"

The Azure Spirit Sword Saint stopped outside the forest and pointed to the grove, saying, "This will be your trial grounds soon, but let me tell you what the trial is first!"

"What you need to do is use the sword techniques I have taught you to escape from this forest, which contains many puppets at the Spirit Core Realm."

They have only one goal: to hunt you down. You can only use the sword techniques I have taught you to fight them. If you use any other techniques, it will be considered a failure, and you will have to start all over again.

Even movement techniques are not allowed. There is no limit to the number of times you can try again. No matter how badly you are injured, I will save you. This is a good training opportunity. Do you want to try? If you don't complete this test, you will lose the Azure Spirit Sword Art! The Azure Spirit Sword Saint laughed a few times, looking at the two people in front of him with a profound look.

He felt that the two people would definitely accept the test, even if it sounded like an impossible task. But if the two people could cooperate sincerely and bring the swordsmanship he had taught them to its fullest potential, they would pass the test easily!

……

Chapter Thirty-Two: Practicing Sword Techniques (Please add to your favorites)

"Sword Saint Senior, we accept this test!" Meng Qing agreed decisively as soon as the Azure Spirit Sword Saint finished speaking.

Seeing this, Lin Ran couldn't help but tug at Meng Qing and ask, "Aren't you going to think about it more? You just agreed right away?"

“You can keep trying, you’ll succeed eventually. Aren’t you still thinking about your child? What, are you planning to run away at the last minute?” Meng Qing turned to look at Lin Ran, frowning as she asked curiously.

"No, it's just that I'm not very good with a sword. I'm afraid I won't be able to learn swordsmanship and will hold you back!" Lin Ran scratched his head sheepishly. It would be incredibly embarrassing if he held back his team while working on problems with a top student.

"I'll teach you!" Meng Qing said nonchalantly. "I don't believe you're really so stupid that you can't learn a sword technique. To reach a high level, you do need comprehension and talent, but to master it, it's not difficult, is it?"

The martial arts cultivation in the Nine Provinces Continent is also divided into eight levels: Beginner, Proficient, Master, Minor Success, Major Success, Peak, Perfection, and Reaching Excellence.

It really depends on how well you master this martial art. Usually, the higher the level of the martial art, the more difficult it is to reach a high level. The highest level, reaching perfection, means that you have mastered this martial art to an extraordinary degree, and even have your own superior understanding that surpasses that of your predecessors. At this point, the power of this martial art can also reach its peak.

If your martial arts skills are too shallow, you will suffer a great loss when facing an opponent of similar strength. Some powerful martial arts skills, or even those that have been mastered to perfection, may help you defeat powerful enemies of a higher level.

It's like playing a video game. If you only focus on strengthening yourself but lack the means to fight your opponent, they'll unleash a cool combo, and you'll only be able to use basic attacks. In the end, you're the one who suffers.

So when Lin Ran heard Meng Qing say that reaching the Great Perfection realm wasn't difficult, he was a little at a loss for words. Was this the difference between a slacker and a top student? He had been practicing the Dragon Fist martial art for so many years before he had barely reached the Perfection realm.

To learn the sword techniques taught by the Sword Saint in this space in a short period of time, to cultivate them to a level sufficient to fight against the horde of Spirit Core Realm puppets chasing them in the forest, and to successfully escape the forest—that's a bit... too difficult for a slacker!

"Let me teach you swordsmanship first!" The Azure Spirit Sword Saint smiled and casually flicked out two beams of azure light that swiftly entered the space between the two men's eyebrows.

The next moment, a large amount of information suddenly surfaced in her mind. After digesting all of this information, Lin Ran's expression became somewhat strange. She glanced at Meng Qing beside her, but coincidentally, Meng Qing also turned her head to look at Lin Ran. Their eyes collided in mid-air, and they both saw the doubt and confusion in each other's eyes.

They both turned to look at the Azure Spirit Sword Saint, and exclaimed in unison, "Senior Sword Saint, why is this a two-person sword technique?"

The Azure Spirit Sword Saint crossed his arms and laughed loudly, "The two of you have such a strange tacit understanding, which is quite suitable for my sword technique."

Don't underestimate this sword technique. It's the Autumn Rain Sword Technique, which my wife and I created together years ago. It combines my Azure Spirit Sword Technique with my wife's Tranquil Sword Technique. When the two swords are combined, their minds are in perfect harmony, resulting in immense power!

Meng Qing didn't have many objections, but Lin Ran was more concerned about the time and couldn't help but ask, "Senior Sword Saint, is the passage of time the same here as outside?"

The Azure Spirit Sword Saint shook his head and smiled, "Three or four years in this space is only equivalent to half a year outside, so there's no need to worry too much about the time."

When I built this inheritance space, I intentionally altered the flow of time. This way, I'll have ample time to guide the inheritors who come here. You must seize this opportunity. Oh, and these two swords are for you!

Two orbs of azure energy exploded in front of Lin Ran and Meng Qing, revealing two longswords hidden in their sheaths, standing before them.

Lin Ran picked up the longsword in front of her. As soon as the sword was drawn, she felt a chill. The sword was green, like jade, and shone with a crystal-clear luster.

Meng Qing also drew his sword. The sword was exactly the same as the one in Lin Ran's hand, in the same size and length.

Strangely, these two longswords had no sharp edges, only rounded tips and blunt sides. They were more like thin wooden whips than longswords.

Lin Ran flipped over the longsword, which had a single character engraved on it: "Autumn". Meng Qing's sword had a single character engraved on it: "Rain". This corresponded perfectly to the "Autumn Rain" double sword technique taught by the Sword Saint.

"These two swords are named Autumn Rain. They were the swords my wife and I used when we were young, and we are giving them to you as a gift."

The rest of the time is up to you to do as you please. I'll only offer occasional guidance, or if you fail, I'll take you out of this forest and wait for you to regroup before facing the challenge again. Good luck!

After saying this, the Azure Spirit Sword Saint strode away, and his figure disappeared after taking a few steps.

On this beach where the tides rise and fall, in the blink of an eye, only Lin Ran and Meng Qing remained.

"Let's start practicing swordsmanship. Once we've practiced enough, we'll go into the forest and test it out!" After finalizing the plan, Meng Qing immediately pulled Lin Ran to begin practicing the Autumn Rain Sword Technique. But this nightmare had only just begun…

Meng Qing herself was trained in swordsmanship, and the Qingjing Sword Technique incorporated into this Autumn Rain Sword Technique was actually from the Qingjing Scripture she cultivated. With such a foundation, coupled with her excellent talent and comprehension, she was able to master this two-person Autumn Rain Sword Technique very quickly.

He had only practiced the Autumn Rain Sword Technique a few times from beginning to end, and it already looked quite powerful, as if he had reached the minor mastery level.

Lin Ran, who was watching from the side, couldn't help but wipe his sweat. He was under tremendous pressure!

He practiced a few times, but at most he barely got the basics down, or even that. He was just copying what he was doing, and his swordplay looked somewhat decent, but compared to Meng Qing's light and agile movements, it was far inferior, and compared to the Qingling Sword Saint's, it was several universes behind.

Seeing how poorly Lin Ran practiced, Meng Qing couldn't bear to look at her. So he simply started teaching Lin Ran from scratch, making sure she understood the concepts and basics first. Once all this preparation was done, he would start teaching her the Autumn Rain Sword Technique. But Meng Qing ultimately underestimated Lin Ran's comprehension.

"This move, 'Mountain Without Peaks,' requires you to circulate your spiritual energy, following the mental techniques within the sword technique, and channel that energy through specific meridians to unleash sword energy, swinging your longsword straight down... Let me demonstrate it for you!" Seeing Lin Ran's clear, foolish eyes, Meng Qing decided to demonstrate it herself.

Meng Qing circulated the spiritual power within her body and poured it into the Autumn Rain Sword in her hand. The sword emitted a buzzing sound. With a soft shout, the Autumn Rain Sword in Meng Qing's hand burst forth with dazzling light. She elegantly swung the long sword and slashed straight down at the sea in front of her. The sharp cyan sword energy suddenly cleaved through the seawater in front of her, actually creating a huge trench in the seawater.