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

"Are you alright?" After dealing with the spirit puppet and being temporarily safe, Meng Qing bent down and looked at Lin Ran on the ground.

"That spirit puppet's power is terrifying! It even broke my leg!" Lin Ran channeled spiritual energy into her left leg to stabilize the injury. With Meng Qingdi's help, she stood up, though she could only walk with a limp.

“Those spirit puppets, though powerful, also have obvious weaknesses. Their bodies are fragile, and if you use sword energy to unleash the Autumn Rain Sword Technique, you can destroy them in an instant,” Meng Qing said after pondering for a while with his head down.

She observed very carefully. Those spirit puppets were powerful and had a strong fighting spirit, but their bodies were very fragile. The "Mountain Without a Mound" she used just now was not at full strength, but it destroyed two spirit puppets at the Spirit Core Realm. This was enough to show that the weakness of the spirit puppets lay in their fragile bodies.

“You’re right, but what if we’re in this situation? How should we deal with it?” Lin Ran pointed ahead, and Meng Qing looked up in the direction Lin Ran was pointing. One after another, wooden spirit puppets sprouted up in the forest like bamboo shoots after a rain.

"Use the Autumn Rain Sword Technique to deal with it. You take the lead, and I'll look for an opportunity on the side!" Meng Qing instructed on the tactics to deal with the enemy. Lin Ran didn't expect that his mediocre skills would be used to deal with the enemy head-on. He had no choice but to raise the Autumn Rain Sword and use the "Moonlit Waterfall" defensive sword move from the Autumn Rain Sword Technique to resist the spirit puppet that was eager to attack.

While the spirit puppets were focused on Lin Ran, Meng Qing used the treacherous moves of the Autumn Rain Sword Technique to send away one spirit puppet after another with her Autumn Rain Sword.

However, the sheer number of spirit puppets made it increasingly difficult for the two to resist. Just as they finished dealing with one wave, another wave of spirit puppets came up. Lin Ran was not very skilled in the Autumn Rain Sword Technique, and in her haste and confusion, she made many mistakes. Once the spirit puppets found an opening, she was instantly attacked by their horde.

Lin Ran didn't even have a chance to resist before she was beaten unconscious by the spirit puppet. Meng Qing, after losing Lin Ran, was under immense pressure and, due to the depletion of her spiritual energy, was unable to use her sword techniques. She was also beaten unconscious by the spirit puppet, vomiting blood.

After both of them fell into a coma, the spirit puppet did not make another move. The Azure Spirit Sword Saint then appeared in the forest, threw the two of them back into the pool full of life, filled the pool with medicinal liquid, and looked at the two disheveled people. He couldn't help but shake his head and said softly, "The dual sword technique has been completely destroyed by the two of you."

With a soft sigh, the Azure Spirit Sword Saint decided to give them some proper guidance after they woke up. They had already been beaten so badly at the entrance of the forest. If he didn't give them more guidance, he estimated that they wouldn't be able to get through it in a few more years.

……

When Lin Ran woke up, she found herself back in the pool brimming with life force. Her horrifying injuries had completely healed, and even her strength had improved slightly. However, the excruciating pain of being beaten by the spirit puppets reminded her of it, and she couldn't help but shudder.

Searching for Meng Qing's figure, he found Meng Qing lying next to him, but somehow her face was sleeping on his lap.

Lin Ran shook Meng Qing and called out, "Meng Qing, wake up!"

A long, languid moan escaped from Meng Qing's rosy lips. She sat up straight, stretched, and her clothes, soaked with water, clung tightly to her skin, revealing her proud and voluptuous curves.

Meng Qing rubbed her eyes, her vision still blurry, and asked, "Where is this?"

"We just arrived at this place!" Lin Ran had just said when she heard the voice of the Azure Spirit Sword Saint: "You two, change your clothes and come find me over here in the bamboo house."

Meng Qing obviously heard the voice as well. After saying something to Lin Ran, she came out of the pool and changed her clothes on her own.

After quickly changing their clothes, the two arrived at the bamboo hut below. The Azure Spirit Sword Saint sat in front of the bamboo hut, looking at the two who came side by side, and couldn't help but shake his head and sigh, "Do you know why you failed?"

Lin Ran and Meng Qing exchanged a glance and said in unison, "My question!"

"You're quick to admit your mistakes, kid. Come on, tell me what you did wrong!" Qingling Sword Saint said, pointing at Lin Ran.

"My talent is as stubborn as a rock, my swordsmanship is not proficient, and I am not calm enough in the face of the enemy, which dragged her down!" Lin Ran felt that he was the one who had the bigger problem in the previous attempt. He was beaten half to death by the spirit puppet not long after entering, and later he was so flustered that he used sword moves to defend himself that he was directly ganged up on and eliminated.

"And what about you, little girl?" Qingling Sword Saint asked Meng Qing again.

As Meng Qing spoke, she glanced at Lin Ran and said indifferently, "There's a problem with how I taught her."

The Azure Spirit Sword Saint said, "Alas, you two fools. These are not the key issues. Dual swordsmanship emphasizes cooperation. How well do you cooperate? How much of the intricacies of swordsmanship do you understand? You only know how to follow the script, rigid and inflexible. You don't even understand the 'dual' aspect of dual swordsmanship. How can you pass the test?"

Lin Ran reacted quickly, bowing deeply at a ninety-degree angle and saying, "I hope Senior Sword Saint can give me some guidance!"

Meng Qing, standing to the side, reacted differently from Lin Ran. She stared intently at the Azure Spirit Sword Saint and stubbornly asked, "Where is there a problem with my swordsmanship?"

The Azure Spirit Sword Saint glanced at Meng Qing and couldn't help but burst into laughter: "This girl who cultivates the Tranquility Scripture seems to be a troublemaker!"

"Bring me the sword!"

Lin Ran was very quick-witted and immediately handed the sword in her hand to the Azure Spirit Sword Saint. She looked at Lin Ran and the other person with a serious expression and said, "Now watch carefully and see what kind of Autumn Rain Sword Technique I will use."

"First move, the first strike: 'Mountains may crumble,' just watch!"

The Azure Spirit Sword Saint roared, his Autumn Rain Sword trembling with a hum. The Sword Saint used the same powerful and sweeping style as Shan Wuling, but unlike Meng Qing's style, the Sword Saint first raised his sword and then followed with a heavy and powerful slash. Before the sword move could mature, he quickly followed up with Shan Wuling's treacherous move, thrusting his sword diagonally. However, this thrust contained a hundred variations. In an instant, the Azure Spirit Sword Saint thrust out countless times. The sword energy was hidden in the previous move. At the same time, as the sea was cleaved open, several explosions were heard, and water splashed everywhere.

But this was only the first move. The Azure Spirit Sword Saint then unleashed his next sword techniques at the turning point: Heaven and Earth United, Flowers and Moon, Waterfall Under the Moon, Drinking in a Bamboo Pavilion, Gardening Chrysanthemums in a Small Garden, Painting Eyebrows with a Colorful Brush, Raising the Table to Eyebrows...

In sequence, the Azure Spirit Sword Saint executed each move of the Autumn Rain Sword Technique with seamless transitions, each containing countless variations, making the audience feel intuitively comfortable and amazed.

After finishing the entire Autumn Rain Sword Technique, the Azure Spirit Sword Saint looked at Meng Qing and smiled, "Girl, are you dissatisfied?"

Meng Qing knew that she had been too arrogant this time, so she quickly cupped her hands and said, "I'm sorry, Senior Sword Saint, I was too arrogant."

"It's alright, you have much higher comprehension than that kid, and you've already learned very well!" Qingling Sword Saint laughed.

Lin Ran didn't expect to be tagged like this, but he seized the opportunity to approach the Azure Spirit Sword Saint, rubbed his hands together and said, "Senior Sword Saint, could you please give me some pointers? I have some good wine here that you can use to quench your thirst."

Lin Ran produced a flask of fruit wine, gently uncorked it, and the enticing aroma filled her nostrils. The Azure Spirit Sword Saint's eyes lit up, and he looked at Lin Ran with a smile, jokingly scolding, "You little rascal, your flattery is far more skillful than your swordsmanship. Go on, practice swordsmanship with that girl, and I'll guide you from the side!"

"Alright, thank you, Senior Sword Saint!" After handing the fruit wine to the Azure Spirit Sword Saint, Lin Ran took back the Autumn Rain Sword and returned to Meng Qing's side.

As soon as he returned, he heard Meng Qing transmit a message: "Sycophant!"

Lin Ran raised an eyebrow, leaned close to Meng Qing's ear, and whispered, "So, are you going to learn or not?"

Meng Qing glanced at Lin Ran, then turned her head away to create some distance between them. However, Lin Ran did hear the words transmitted through spiritual energy: "Learn!"

Lin Ran couldn't help but smile. It seemed that although Comrade Meng Qing was stubborn, his actions spoke louder than words.

Lin Ran focused intently on his practice, determined to master the swordsmanship as quickly as possible and pass the test. His two children at home might get worried if he hadn't returned for a while.

……

Chapter Thirty-Five: How Can One Remain Calm When Encountering Love? (Please Add to Your Favorites)

With the guidance of the Azure Spirit Sword Saint, the two made far greater progress than when they practiced on their own. With the Azure Spirit Sword Saint's shrewd insight, he naturally understood Lin Ran's problem: Lin Ran's problem stemmed from her extremely poor technique in using spiritual energy, which caused her sword energy to fly erratically and her sword moves to be completely harmless.

Cultivating swordsmanship requires extremely precise and sharp control over sword energy. Sword energy is actually a technique for using spiritual power, but it demands a higher level of skill. It involves transforming spiritual power into sword energy through incantations and mental techniques, following the flow of specific meridians, and then unleashing it.

The Azure Spirit Sword Technique is also a type of cultivation technique. However, it differs from other techniques in that it contains methods for converting spiritual energy into sword energy. Each school has its own methods, but they are generally consistent, although the efficiency and direction may vary.

After mastering the method of converting spiritual energy into sword energy, the more difficult part is how to apply it in actual combat and release sword moves. This requires extremely powerful spiritual energy usage skills.

This is why many people don't choose to use swords. They may look cool, but they require a high level of talent and comprehension. Once you reach a high level of skill, you must comprehend your own way of the sword to have room for further improvement and development.

Meng Qing herself was trained in swordsmanship and had a good foundation. Moreover, she was also highly perceptive. For her, the most difficult thing was to cultivate the Autumn Rain Sword Technique to a high level.

For Lin Ran, passing the test and learning something is enough; the main focus is on participation.

What followed was basically a tedious training session. Lin Ran felt like she had returned to the ascetic training she used to hate the most. She didn't even need to sleep anymore. After practicing to a certain extent, she went directly to the test to see how strong the two of them were. She was knocked unconscious by the cruel reality and waited to be resurrected in that pool.

Neither of them noticed the passage of time; they were focused solely on practicing their swordsmanship, hoping to pass the test as soon as possible.

Although the two were new to the Autumn Rain Sword Technique and had not yet grasped its intricacies, with continued practice, they seemed to gradually understand the meaning of the two-person sword technique. In battle, they could understand each other's thoughts simply by exchanging glances. They were no longer bound by the original fixed moves of the Autumn Rain Sword Technique, but instead came up with ingenious and spontaneous combinations.

Having thoroughly grasped the eight golden words of "flowing like clouds and water, going wherever one pleases" taught by the Azure Spirit Sword Saint, one's research into the Autumn Rain Sword Technique has become even more profound.

The dual swordsmanship they now use is already faintly reminiscent of the sword saint and his wife's style back then. They are of one mind and work together seamlessly, dancing gracefully in battle, with beautiful sword moves concealing deadly intent.

From being unable to even leave their homes at the beginning, they can now fight their way into the depths of the forest. Although there is still a long way to go before reaching the exit, this is already a huge improvement.

During this arduous training, Meng Qing reached the critical point of the Spirit Transformation Realm and could break through to the Spirit Core Realm at any time.

Outside a secluded room, Lin Ran and the Azure Spirit Sword Saint were drinking and chatting. There was a lot of food in front of them. For Lin Ran, a common person, it was necessary to keep some things in his spatial ring to satisfy his cravings.

After getting to know the Azure Spirit Sword Saint, Lin Ran also learned his name was Ye Qiu.

The name sounds like a protagonist, and the life of the Azure Spirit Sword Saint is also very protagonist-like. He fought his way through all obstacles, slaughtered indiscriminately, and finally became a Great Emperor. However, I still prefer the title of Sword Saint, since Sword Emperor doesn't sound as good.

"Senior Ye, if I had met you earlier and you had given me even a pointer, I wouldn't be at the Spirit Core Realm now. These juniors, who are so many years younger than me, are already advancing to the Spirit Core Realm. I feel quite ashamed," Lin Ran said, taking a bite of dried meat and glancing at the tightly closed door of the secret chamber.

"It's fate that you and this girl came here together. Fate is something you can't force. Our meeting now is the most opportune time. A moment earlier or a moment later, and it might not have happened at all," Ye Qiu said with a smile after taking a big gulp of wine.

"That's absolutely true!"

Lin Ran nodded, agreeing with what Senior Ye said. If it weren't for Meng Qing, the academic genius, he wouldn't even have been able to find the entrance to this inheritance. But why was such a powerful person not described much in the original story?

Ye Qiu sensed the strong fluctuations emanating from the secret chamber and couldn't help but say, "That girl is about to break through. She's so steady. She's adjusting herself to her best condition before attempting to break through to the Spirit Core Realm. She won't allow herself to fail because of a small mistake."

Lin Ran chimed in, "After all, the failure rate for breaking through to the Spirit Core Realm is quite high. Many people fail to condense a Spirit Core and even suffer from spiritual backlash, causing their cultivation level to regress. There are quite a few of them!"

"You kid, didn't you ever fail back in the day?" Ye Qiu laughed.

"Thank goodness, I have a good wife who helped me successfully reach the Spirit Core Realm!" Lin Ran couldn't help but say that she was really lucky. Back then, she had the powerful Mu Qiqin protecting her, who had considered all the possible factors that could lead to failure, so she could just follow her instructions and pass the test.

Ye Qiu glanced at the secret room and said meaningfully, "Looks like your wife is pretty formidable. You dare to have affairs outside? Aren't you afraid of getting beaten up by your wife?"

"Senior Ye, my wife... left more than ten years ago. Of course, she didn't pass away. After we got together, we had a child not long after. I guess I violated the rules of the forces behind her."

Then she gave me a good scolding, told me to take good care of the child, and left. Now I don't know where she is. She just told me to raise the child well and let the child come find her later. More than ten years have passed, and I haven't heard from her at all." Lin Ran said with a bitter smile.

Ye Qiu was somewhat surprised and said, "I see. If what you said is true, the power behind your wife is not simple. You've got some luck with women, managing to get in touch with people who are like successors cultivated by these powerful forces. Do you know the background of that girl?"

After listening to Ye Qiu's words, Lin Ran thought for a moment and said, "She said she came from the Central Region Heart State, and is probably a core trainee of a super power there. She has a lot of treasures, and her strength, talent and comprehension are top-notch. Senior Ye, did she really do something to her face? I can't tell that she has a hidden appearance."

Lin Ran thought that if Meng Qing really had a hidden appearance, then he might actually be the Sword Sect Fairy Shangguan Mengqing.

At such a young age, he was only around the Dao Yuan Realm back then, while this person was almost at the Spirit Pill Realm. Even in the Central Region, such talent and strength would definitely be among the best. How could it be a name he had never heard of?

"I don't know about that, or you can ask that girl!" Ye Qiu smiled and didn't say anything more.

Seeing that Senior Ye didn't say anything, Lin Ran didn't expect that Meng Qing would answer if she asked. She guessed that it would be the same old story, with a calm expression saying something like, "I'm not like some people who use a mask to hide themselves."

The two continued drinking and eating, while the spiritual energy fluctuations inside the secret room became increasingly turbulent. It could be felt that the spiritual energy in the inheritance space was being drawn to the secret room, making the spiritual energy outside the secret room exceptionally dense.

Ye Qiu glanced at the secret chamber from time to time, as if he could see through the thick stone walls and see what was happening inside. He said, "It's time to condense the core. Whether we can succeed depends on this step."

Lin Ran also looked towards the secret chamber. He didn't have Senior Ye's formidable strength, but he could sense the surging spiritual energy fluctuations inside. He also hoped that Meng Qing could break through smoothly without any mishaps.

However, sometimes things don't go as planned. Ye Qiu had been watching Meng Qing's situation inside for a while, then suddenly frowned, shook his head, sighed, and said, "We were just saying that there's a high probability of failing when breaking through to the Spirit Core Realm, but I didn't expect this girl to suffer a qi deviation at such a crucial moment."

"What do you mean by going into qi deviation?" Lin Ran didn't react for a moment. How could breaking through a cultivation level lead to going into qi deviation?

"There's no time for further explanation!" Ye Qiu stood up, flicked a beam of azure light that merged into Lin Ran's brow, and said, "This is a dual cultivation technique. Your cultivation method and that girl's are from the same source. At this moment, she has suffered a qi deviation, and her spiritual energy is extremely chaotic. Her life is in danger at any time. A decline in her cultivation level is a minor matter; at worst, she may lose her life."

Once you're inside, your first step is to transfer her to the Extreme Ice Spirit Jade. Then, use this dual cultivation technique to fully take control of the chaotic spiritual energy within her body, allowing her to rebuild her strength for a breakthrough to the Spirit Core stage.

"Wait... Senior Ye, I haven't even finished understanding what you're saying..." Before Lin Ran could even get a clear picture, Ye Qiu grabbed him with his large hand, flung open the thick door to the secret chamber, and threw him inside.

"bump!"

Lin Ran stumbled into the secret chamber in a disheveled state, and the thick stone door closed once again. Even now, Lin Ran was still in a daze.

"You... how did you get here?" Meng Qing, who was sitting cross-legged on the stone bed, slowly opened her eyes, looked at Lin Ran on the ground, and said weakly.

Lin Ran looked up at Meng Qing in front of her. Meng Qing was not in good condition at the moment. She was breathing heavily and her face was flushed. Suddenly, she clutched her chest and spat out a mouthful of blood. Her face turned pale instantly.

"Cough cough..." In this state, Meng Qing seemed to be extremely unstable in her emotions, and crystal tears even slid down her cheeks.

Lin Ran had never seen Meng Qing shed tears before, and knowing that she couldn't delay, she quickly took out the Extreme Ice Spirit Jade and formed it into a stone bed that emitted a white chill. She then led Meng Qing to sit cross-legged on the stone bed made of the Extreme Ice Spirit Jade.

With the suppression of the Extreme Ice Spirit Jade, although Meng Qing's face was still pale, at least her breathing was not as disordered as before.