Mortal: Fifteenth Realm Sword Cultivator

Fan Jingmei seemed to have given up entirely, her fingertips tracing the rim of the teacup.

"They keep two beauties in their household, so they must be lusting after me. If all else fails, I'll just swallow my pride and offer myself. That should make it easier to whisper sweet nothings in their ear, right?"

Zi Ling simply shook her head slightly at this absurd suggestion, which was almost a joke, her voice carrying a hint of helplessness.

"Sister Fan, there's no need for such words. If it were truly that simple and effective, why would we need to trouble you two? I... would have gone myself long ago."

Zi Ling's gaze swept over Fan Jingmei and Zhuo Ruting, her tone carrying a clarity beyond her years as she sighed.

"In this world, what kind of 'pillow talk' can sway a Nascent Soul cultivator?"

Upon hearing this, Zhuo Ruting smiled and replied, "In twenty years, no, ten years from now, ha, with the sect leader's appearance, even we would feel ashamed in comparison. By then, what Nascent Soul cultivators... well, that's hard to say."

Zi Ling chuckled softly, "Sister Zhuo, please stop teasing me. We can't count on them for now. What we're waiting for is an opportunity."

The opportunity she mentioned was that the Sixth Elder of the Star Palace was about to go into seclusion.

According to the usual practice of the six elders of the Star Palace taking turns in power, when the two saints are not present and the six elders are in seclusion, it is the turn of the eldest elder, Jin Kui, to take charge of the entire Star Palace.

Miaoyin Sect... or rather, there was a subtle connection between her father, Wang Heng, and the Grand Elder, Jin Kui.

Perhaps that will be the turning point.

Fan Jingmei then said seriously, "Miss previously instructed us to investigate those involved in the Kuixing Island incident, and the whereabouts of most of the people on the list have been found. However..."

She paused, then continued, "The Foundation Establishment cultivator surnamed Li, whom I specifically instructed to pay close attention to, and the cultivator surnamed Qu, do exist, but they have vanished since the incident and have never been seen again."

Upon hearing this, Zhuo Ruting seemed to ponder, "The sect leader is paying special attention to these two; could it be that they are involved in something?"

Zi Ling shook her head slightly, her expression obscured by her veil. "It's not that we're involved, but on the day of the incident, this cultivator surnamed Li acted suspiciously. As for the one surnamed Qu... he was just traveling with him. Now that they've both disappeared, either they're hiding their whereabouts, or..."

The sentence was left unsaid, but the unspoken meaning was clear.

Either they perish in the beast tide.

Fan Jingmei sighed softly, "Miss must also know that Miaoyin Sect seems to have developed well in the past few years, with its sphere of influence expanding by about 10% or 20%. But if I may be frank, most of these growths are superficial and not stable. With this sudden change, I'm afraid this growth will vanish in an instant. Miss needs to be mentally prepared."

Zi Ling nodded slightly, naturally understanding the deeper meaning behind Fan Jingmei's words.

The increased trade share of Miaoyin Sect in recent years, by one or two percent, is entirely due to her; she has been consistently heading towards the fiftieth floor for the past few years.

Now that his parents have passed away and his cultivation has vanished, that Nascent Soul cultivator has yet to make a clear statement or offer any assistance.

As time goes on, all parties, especially the four major business alliances that had their share taken away, will inevitably become restless and want to regain their lost profits.

Zhuo Ruting nodded slightly, agreeing with these words. "The most urgent task right now is to stabilize the existing core business routes and prevent the foundation from being shaken. As for those floating assets, they should be given up when necessary; they cannot be forced. I will do my best to negotiate with Left Envoy Fan, but the situation is beyond our control, so I hope the sect leader will not have too much hope."

Zi Ling raised her hand and gently removed her veil.

Compared to more than half a year ago, her appearance has also changed subtly. Not only has it not deteriorated in the slightest, but it has become more refined, like a piece of raw jade being gradually carved and becoming more and more perfect.

Although she was only a little over ten years old, her beautiful face was already in no way inferior to Fan Zhuo and Fan Qiong across the table.

"Don't worry about these matters, sisters. I already have a plan. The most important thing right now is to stabilize the situation. If Miaoyin Sect loses its composure because of Zhao Zheng, it will only make outsiders look down on us more. As for the other side..."

She paused slightly, a hint of undisguised resentment appearing in her delicate features.

"Let's put it aside for now. I'm not going. Asking for help? I can't just beg and plead with them."

His voice was clearly filled with resentment.

After several encounters with the Nascent Soul cultivator surnamed Lu who had given her the name, Zi Ling's goodwill towards him had long since vanished.

Even towards Xin Ruyin and Yan Ruyan, he inexplicably felt less close and at ease, and the sense of freedom that once allowed him to visit them at any time seemed to have quietly faded away.

Is this what it feels like to be implicated?

Or perhaps, this is... the price of growing up.

Fan Jingmei and Zhuo Ruting exchanged a glance, both seeing surprise and a hint of barely perceptible heartache in each other's eyes.

Looking at the youthful yet already captivating face before me, I saw a clarity and decisiveness beyond her years, along with a hint of grievance and resentment that she could not fully conceal.

Fan Jingmei opened her mouth, wanting to say something comforting, but in the end, she only let out a soft sigh: "It's very good that Miss thinks this way. In the end, you have to walk your own path steadily before you can feel at ease."

Zhuo Ruting was even more direct. She picked up her teacup, her gaze still sharp: "Since the sect leader has made his decision, I will naturally obey. The foundation of the Miaoyin Sect must not be lost!"

Zi Ling nodded and turned her gaze back to the window.

If I don't want to go, then I won't go.

Without the other party, is the Miaoyin Sect really unable to support itself?

The blood debt of their parents remains unpaid, undercurrents surge within the family, and covetous eyes lurk outside...

She clenched her small hand in her sleeve, her nails digging slightly into her palm.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Another half year has passed.

Xin Ruyin and Yan Ruyan broke through the barrier one after the other.

The two of them had not even scratched the surface of the "Five Thunder Orthodox Method" and the "Sword Throwing Technique" that Lu Jianghe had taught them.

Xin Ruyin exerted all her strength, but could only urge a slight blue-white lightning arc, and could not even condense a decent magic seal.

Yan Ruyan fared slightly better. Using her natal magic weapon "Phoenix Feather" as a base and supplemented by the Sword Shadow Splitting Technique, she was able to barely magnify the sword shadow projection to the size of an ordinary zither case.

However, compared to Lu Jianghe's colossal sword, which could easily reach tens or hundreds of feet and blot out the sky, there was still an insurmountable chasm between them.

They never expected that a single period of seclusion for enlightenment would consume more than half a year.

However, they were all taken aback to find that two strange women had appeared in the cave at some unknown time.

But then, with Zhuang Huayi's explanation, the two gradually understood the cause and effect.

Upon learning that the other party was a Nascent Soul cultivator and that they also had to abide by their agreement with Lu Jianghe to protect Xin Ruyin for three hundred years, the two were even more shocked.

Especially Yan Ruyan, although she tried her best to keep her expression calm and even deliberately showed some indifference, the fleeting fluctuation in the depths of her eyes could not escape the keen perception of the Nascent Soul cultivator.

That intensely suppressed, almost unbalanced emotion was like an undercurrent suddenly stirred beneath a calm lake.

Zhuang Huayi took in all of this.

interesting.

Both of these women secretly harbored feelings for Mr. Lu.

What's even more amazing is that they were completely unaware of this, each keeping their secrets buried deep in their hearts, thinking that no one knew.

Little did they know that, under Zhuang Huayi's Nascent Soul perception, those hidden ripples and subtle tremors had already been revealed in the slightest detail, leaving them nowhere to hide.

One is aloof and self-possessed, the other proud and stubborn, yet neither can escape the entanglement of love.

Especially since the person in question is Mr. Lu, whose thoughts are unpredictable and whose swordsmanship is profound.

She couldn't help but wonder if Mr. Lu, who was single-mindedly devoted to the Dao and whose sword intent was so pure as to be almost ruthless, had ever, or would ever... notice this quietly lingering affection.

If he notices, how will he react? Will he ignore it, or...?

Thinking of Lu Jianghe's indifferent gaze and nonchalant attitude, Zhuang Huayi could almost foresee the answer.

Zhuang Huayi suddenly felt that this three-hundred-year agreement to protect the Dao might be more interesting than she had expected, and not too boring.

Zhuang Huayi took out two round jade pendants from her sleeve as a gift from the senior to the two juniors.

The jade pendant is pure white with a cool luster, and is engraved with the eight characters "福禄安康，荣华吉昌".

The other one is a warm orange-red color, engraved with the words "May all your wishes come true, and may the fragrance of orchids be shared across a thousand miles".

These two jade pieces are not treasures for attack, but rather wondrous objects specifically for protection.

The white jade pendant can ward off cold and water. When worn in extremely cold icy areas or dangerous deep waters, the cold air and water pressure are blocked, and a warm current naturally flows around the body, protecting you from harm.

The orange-red jade pendant is adept at repelling fire and warding off heat. When placed in a sea of ​​lava or a scorching hot place, the intense heat cannot penetrate it in the slightest; instead, a cool sensation surrounds the body.

In case of danger, cultivators can actively activate the power of the jade pendant.

The white jade pendant can form a solid water curtain, while the orange-red jade pendant generates a blazing ring of fire. Such a barrier is strong enough to withstand a full-force attack from a Core Formation cultivator without collapsing.

What's particularly mysterious is that these two jades can have an even more miraculous effect when facing an opponent who specializes in water and fire magic.

The white jade pendant has a natural ability to restrain water-based magic, while the orange-red jade pendant has a natural ability to restrain fire-based supernatural powers, greatly weakening their power.

When the wearer competes with other cultivators of the same level, this jade alone gives them a significant advantage.

Zhuang Huayi handed the white jade pendant to Xin Ruyin and the orange-red jade pendant to Yan Ruyan, saying gently:

"These two jades are named 'Frosty Soul' and 'Yang Marrow'. I obtained them during my travels in my early years. They are quite effective against water and fire. These items can be used for self-protection."

The two exchanged a glance and bowed respectfully.

If they were just casual acquaintances, they might have declined such a generous gift.

But upon learning that the other party was doing this because of Senior Lu, they no longer had any intention of refusing.

As the saying goes, one can gain honor because of someone, but conversely, one can also suffer loss because of that person; this is the way of the world.

Zhuang Huayi also noticed that Xin Ruyin seemed to have entered the stage of pseudo-elixir cultivation.

He then took out a dust-reducing pill from his storage bag.

For Baibishan, which has a history of thousands of years, this item is not particularly rare or valuable.

She twirled the longan-sized pill, which shimmered with a jade-like luster, between her fingers, her gaze fixed on Xin Ruyin.

"The transformation of spiritual energy into solidified energy is a sign of the imminent formation of the elixir. This elixir is called 'Dust-Clearing Pill,' which has the effect of cleansing the Qi Palace and stabilizing the Dantian. Taking it during the formation of the elixir can increase the chances of success by 20%."

Let reading always be a chapter faster than others.