Celestial Dragon Sword Venerable-Chapter 84: Life and Death Talisman, Controlling Ouyang Ruoxue

Chapter 84: Chapter 84: Life and Death Talisman, Controlling Ouyang Ruoxue

"I’m planning on taking a maid with me when I leave. However, that will depend on which of you performs better over this next month."

Ye Tianling said coolly.

"So you’ll take whoever performs best?"

Ouyang Ruoxue asked, her interest piqued.

"I’ll take whoever performs the worst. After all, I might need someone to warm my bed out there. So, if you don’t want to go with me, you’d better treat your Senior Brother a little better."

Ye Tianling replied.

"Ugh... All right, I understand."

Ouyang Ruoxue gave Xu Hanyan a helpless look.

Compared to Xu Hanyan’s gentle, humble, and adorably naive nature, she felt she’d be judged the inferior one without any need for a test.

Ouyang Ruoxue also found it strange. ’I don’t know her well, but I know some things about her.’

’In front of outsiders, Xu Hanyan is clearly a cold and aloof young woman. Why is she so respectful and reverent before Ye Tianling, as if gripped by a bone-deep fear?’

’This is too bizarre. Could it be that what happened with Ye Tianling and Wang Yufei—that he took her innocence—is what frightened Xu Hanyan so badly?’

’Thinking it over, Ouyang Ruoxue felt that must be it. Otherwise, what else was there to fear about this Ye Tianling?’

...

Back in the Medicinal Garden, life settled into a stable routine.

Ye Tianling settled his mind and got to work. Every night, he used Profound Crystal Stones to lay out a Nine Palace Eight Trigrams Formation and a Chaotic Stone Array, then practiced his Martial Arts inside.

Ye Tianling had gradually come to understand the Great Prohibition Talisman and could now disable it at will, but he chose not to.

Despite the Imprisonment of the Great Prohibition Talisman, Ye Tianling could mobilize his Sword Soul Power by simulating the motion of chopping a tree.

When his Sword Soul Power was activated, the Great Prohibition Talisman would almost instantly fail.

This was the Ability he had used to slay Zhang Qingyuan.

In addition, every night Ye Tianling would watch the Blood-Colored Crescent Moon that had once again begun to manifest in the sky.

As he watched, he could see a faint, blood-colored figure within the crescent moon, still chopping a tree. Each swing of the axe contained a mysterious principle of the Dao.

At these times, within the Ninety-Ninth Layer Treasure Tower Celestial Ladder between his brows, the Dragon Blood on the Fifth Layer would often stir with activity.

Ye Tianling had abandoned his Cultivation of the Sword Dao and was instead focusing on mastering Huaxia Martial Arts.

With the help of the Profound Crystal Stones, Ye Tianling converted all the True Qi in his body into True Essence within a month.

The True Essence flowed like water through his body.

All of his Twelve Main Meridians and Eight Extraordinary Meridians were now completely unblocked.

He had even opened all one hundred and eight unique acupoints of the Three Great Martial Veins, a crucial step for the cultivators of this World.

Though his Realm had not advanced, his other abilities were now no different from those of a cultivator at the Sword Spirit Third Heaven.

But in accomplishing all this, Ye Tianling had merely laid a solid foundation for his Cultivation.

His progress with the *Golden Bell Shield* and *Iron Cloth Shirt* was slow over the past month; he had only managed to cultivate them to the Fourth Layer.

When the two techniques were combined, his body had no discernible weaknesses. Every part of him had been tempered.

Inside his Chaotic Dantian, that wisp of Samadhi True Fire had also grown more condensed, and its tempering effect on his body was similarly excellent.

The Elixirs and other resources he had looted from the corpses of Zhang Qingyuan and Guan Xiaofeng were once again completely depleted.

After cultivating for another two days with almost no results, Ye Tianling knew it was time for him to leave his seclusion.

He wouldn’t make any more progress by continuing his Cultivation in the Medicinal Garden.

In this ever-changing Sword Dao World, geniuses were encountering great opportunities and fortuitous encounters every day. If his progress remained slow, his enemies would only pull further ahead, widening the gap between them.

Ye Tianling retracted his aura, stood up, and walked out of the Medicinal Garden.

The medicinal herbs outside the garden were growing exceptionally well.

Previously, Cultivators would come to this place to steal herbs through trickery and force. But ever since Ye Tianling’s arrival, and especially since Zhang Qingyuan and Guan Xiaofeng were beheaded, the area had become utterly peaceful.

When Ye Tianling emerged, the sun was bright and the weather was beautiful—a clear, refreshing day.

"Senior Brother Ye."

Su Qingyun and the five others were all nearby. Sensing Ye Tianling’s appearance, they immediately came over and bowed with utmost respect.

Their posture was so deferential, they might as well have been worshiping him as an ancestor.

For the past month, they had lived on eggshells, but it had made them exceptionally diligent in their duties. Their constant caution had become a habit, helping them avoid many mistakes.

As a result, they not only feared Ye Tianling but also held him in the highest respect.

Moreover, throughout the month, Ye Tianling had never made things difficult for them or nitpicked their work, even though he had caught them making mistakes on several occasions.

"Mm. Continue managing the Medicinal Garden. I’m preparing to leave."

Ye Tianling said.

’Finally.’

Ouyang Ruoxue rejoiced internally.

"Senior Brother Ye, everyone outside is saying..."

Su Muye hesitated for a moment before continuing, "They’re all saying that you carved out your fearsome reputation by relying on your Fiery Sun Sword. They say your sword is a first-rate treasure, possibly Earth Tier Top Grade or even Celestial Tier Lower Grade. So..."

Ye Tianling nodded slightly. "So, many people are green with envy and want to kill me for my treasure, right?"

Su Muye and Ye Zhengyun immediately nodded.

"Then let them come. If I’m meant to die, then even if they don’t kill me now, I’ll be killed eventually."

Ye Tianling’s casual reply was filled with a domineering confidence, yet also a bone-deep indifference to his own life that was both startling and shocking.

"Ouyang Ruoxue, your performance this past month was very good, so I’m impressed. You will come with me," Ye Tianling said, looking at her.

Hearing this, a trace of disappointment flickered in Xu Hanyan’s beautiful eyes. It was clear she had also wanted to go with Ye Tianling.

Ouyang Ruoxue was a little surprised. She glanced at Xu Hanyan and thought, ’Shouldn’t it have been her?’

Despite her thoughts, Ouyang Ruoxue still bowed. "Yes, Senior Brother Ye."

Ye Tianling said, "My Sword Essence Power is sealed, so I can’t use Sword Flight. You fly and take me with you."

Ouyang Ruoxue smiled to herself for some unknown reason, but quickly replied, "All right."

She then summoned a very ordinary Profound Tier Middle Grade longsword, activated it with her Sword Essence Power, and stepped onto it.

The longsword, now three to four meters long, emanated a hazy, cyan aura.

Ye Tianling leaped up, landing right behind Ouyang Ruoxue. At the same time, he gathered True Essence infused with Ice Power in his hand and gently wrapped his arm around her waist.

"You—! Senior Brother Ye, what are you doing?"

Ouyang Ruoxue shivered, a jolt running through her body from the touch of his icy hand. Her face immediately flushed crimson as she exclaimed indignantly.

"I’ll fall off if I don’t hold onto you."

Ye Tianling said coolly, though he had already retracted the Ice Power, merely making his hands feel cold to the touch.

Unseen, a True Essence Life and Death Talisman, formed from the Celestial Mountain Six Yang Palm, had once again been implanted into Ouyang Ruoxue’s body.