This Sword Cultivator is Somewhat Dependable-Chapter 1677 - 33: A Man’s Innate Skill

A small pond filled with Purple Gold Lotuses.

The petals shimmered with gold against their purple hue, a breathtaking sight.

In the pond’s depths, a small fish swayed.

Despite its size, the fish’s scales were even more radiant than the Purple Gold Lotuses, gleaming with a golden light that filled one with an inherent sense of joy and opulence.

Lu Qingshan gazed intently at that golden little fish.

As if sensing Lu Qingshan’s gaze, the golden fish suddenly leaped upwards, attempting to escape the confines of this pond and reach a wider sky.

Yet some invisible force seemed to repeatedly buffet the golden fish back into the pond.

The golden fish, undeterred, continued its attempts, while Lu Qingshan watched with growing anticipation.

As he watched, a gentle breeze rustled the lotus leaves, escalating into a larger wind that churned the entire pond into chaos.

How could a golden-scaled fish be content in a pond?

Taking advantage of the wind, the golden fish made another unhesitating leap.

But before Lu Qingshan could see the final outcome, the scene shattered like a bubble.

Was it a dream or reality, as he lingered in a daze.

"You’re awake." A soft voice from nearby startled Lu Qingshan awake.

Where was the golden-scaled fish, where was the tumultuous wind?

Lu Qingshan looked up.

Xia Daoyun was similarly seated not far away, her eyes, clear as autumn waters, quietly observing him, her face showing little sign of emotion, while her three thousand strands of black hair cascaded like a waterfall down to her slender waist.

Unaccountably, Lu Qingshan felt a dryness in his throat.

"How long has it been?" He swallowed, then asked.

After choosing to rest temporarily in a cave, Lu Qingshan dared not delay his treatment any further. With the life force granted by the Longevity Whale, he calmed his mind to heal, falling into meditation until this moment when he returned to his senses.

After introspecting his condition, he let out a long sigh. Although still feeling empty and lacking, at least his meridians had begun to heal, which was a good sign.

"Two days," Xia Daoyun answered, her voice light and gentle.

Lu Qingshan looked at Xia Daoyun, somewhat surprised.

Even he had never seen her exhibit such a gentle demeanor, like water.

"How much has your injury recovered?" Xia Daoyun gently turned her head away, "ignoring" Lu Qingshan’s somewhat surprised gaze, and softly asked.

Upon hearing this, Lu Qingshan snapped back to reality, sensed his rather empty-feeling body, and shook his head, saying, "I can barely move on my own now."

The life force given by the Longevity Whale was miraculous, yet his injuries were too severe. To recover to this extent in just two days could already be considered a miracle.

"And you?" Lu Qingshan asked in return.

"Doesn’t affect my sword." Xia Daoyun tersely said.

"That’s good news," Lu Qingshan managed a smile and said, "Perhaps, we don’t necessarily have to pass through the Burning Moon Domain to return to the Human Realm."

"Hmm?" Xia Daoyun was puzzled.

"We can take a longer route," Lu Qingshan said, smiling, as he produced a scroll from his hand.

On the scroll, the dried yellow river ran through, shrouded in mist.

The Netherworld Kanyu Map.

The Crossing Worlds Divine Ability.

The Crossing Worlds Divine Ability of the Netherworld Kanyu Map was originally Lu Qingshan’s final retreat plan. After executing the Full Moon Slash and eliminating Luo Qiantuo, he was to swiftly use the Netherworld Kanyu Map to depart to the Netherworld and avoid disaster.

However, plans couldn’t keep pace with changes. Luo Qiantuo’s incarnation suddenly appeared, seemingly determined to destroy Lu Qingshan, giving him no chance to use the Crossing Worlds Divine Ability.

Fortunately, Xia Daoyun arrived shortly after and had recently ascended to the Sword Immortal Realm, which allowed them to narrowly escape together.

Yet, because Xia Daoyun had successfully advanced to the Sword Immortal Realm, Lu Qingshan’s prepared retreat actually became impractical.

Though the Crossing Worlds Divine Ability was powerful, it had numerous restrictions.

For instance, if there existed someone among the targets whose cultivation greatly differed from the caster, the Crossing Worlds Technique would be difficult to execute effectively.

Is the difference large between a Sword Immortal and a Tribulation Crossing Realm sword user?

An Eighth Realm, a Ninth Realm, naturally the difference is vast.

Crossing Worlds, he couldn’t bring Xia Daoyun along.

Hmm... That was Lu Qingshan’s initial thought.

Until just now, he abruptly realized he was caught in a habitual thought trap.

The Netherworld Kanyu Map was a Netherworld Magical Artifact, not a Life-bound Sword.

Since it wasn’t a Life-bound Sword, it meant it didn’t have a true owner.

Since Lu Qingshan could use it... Xia Daoyun could naturally use it as well.

He couldn’t bring Xia Daoyun across.

But Xia Daoyun could bring him across.

Although, if you insist on nitpicking, the fact that your cultivation is much weaker than mine should also be considered as a significant gap in cultivation.

But generally, this significant cultivation gap only refers to moving upward—when it comes to the textual explanation of magic artifacts, if we delve deeply, it’s just the planner writing it. In most cases, it’s understood according to common situations, no need to insist on one hundred percent rigor.

"....Back in the day when I came to the abyss, this is how I returned," Lu Qingshan explained.

"So you’re saying, as long as we’re willing, we can leave the Demon Domain at any time?" Xia Daoyun reconfirmed.

Lu Qingshan nodded, then suddenly realized Xia Daoyun’s implied meaning.

"You want to?" Between the two, there’s been a tacit understanding that doesn’t need words, no one knows since when.

"This trip to the abyss, Sect Master Lu reaped plentiful results. As a Sword Immortal, since I came all the way, I can’t possibly return empty-handed and injured, right?" 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

At this moment, Xia Daoyun regained the decisive demeanor unique to Sword Coming Peak Master.

Since we’ve come all the way... This phrase isn’t to be used like this, Lu Qingshan savored Xia Daoyun’s reasoning and inwardly chuckled.

Lu Qingshan could not possibly not support Xia Daoyun’s idea, even though he knew it was risky.

"If you really intend to take action, you certainly wouldn’t be interested in regular targets, I happen to know a good place." He thought for a while, then spoke.

After all, he’s somewhat a local in the abyss, far more familiar than Xia Daoyun.

"A good place?" Xia Daoyun was intrigued.

Lu Qingshan slowly uttered a place name from his mouth, then took out a hairpin from the mustard seed, and reached out to tidy his hair.

Ready to go.

Having been disheveled for days, it was only now that he finally had the time and mind to tidy up a bit.

"Let me do it." Seeing Lu Qingshan’s casual movements, Xia Daoyun spoke naturally, she got up and shuffled to Lu Qingshan’s side, holding his hair with one hand, and taking the hairpin with the other.

She extended her fingers to meticulously comb Lu Qingshan’s hair, fingertips sliding down along his frosty white strands, finally gently caressing the whitening temples.

An inexplicable emotion flickered in Xia Daoyun’s heart.

The man before her was the youngest Taoist Sect Master in the history of the Human Race, the youngest Eighth Realm Cultivator, yet he bore this head of white hair that didn’t match his age at all.

Thinking like this, Xia Daoyun’s fingers trembled slightly for just an instant, before she continued to help him with his hair without missing a beat, yet Lu Qingshan completely captured Xia Daoyun’s subtle emotional changes.

All he could do was laugh it off.

Lu Qingshan naturally knew of his own hair’s change, yet these days he remained unchanged in demeanor, unfazed.

Black hair turned to white frost, a consequence of extracting thirty percent of his life essence in an instant.

The vitality granted by the Longevity Whale could quickly heal his injuries, but couldn’t replenish the lost thirty percent of life essence.

Therefore, this head of white hair would likely not turn back to black.

Lu Qingshan didn’t really mind.

It’s just hair color, after all; in his world, many young people even purposely dye their hair white.

Although this world isn’t so open, a youthful gray merely looks peculiar at most, not considered an aberration.

Moreover, given Lu Qingshan’s looks, even with white hair, it hardly appears odd, rather it bears a distinct charm, quite attractive.

Of course, the former part is Lu Qingshan’s self-mockery; after mentioning the latter, it’s not Lu Qingshan’s self-assessment, but Xia Daoyun’s opinion.

...

Once Xia Daoyun finished tying the hair and pinning the hairpin, Lu Qingshan slowly stood up and turned around, staring directly into her clear eyes, with an extraordinarily intense gaze.

For some reason, though she normally feared nothing, at this moment she seemed somewhat hesitant to meet his somewhat excessive fiery gaze.

"Daoyun?" Lu Qingshan tested with a call.

She uttered a small sound in response, without saying anything.

But her gaze no longer evaded, meeting his frankly.

Lu Qingshan’s face was close at hand.

This man, he was Qingshan, the only Qingshan beyond grass and trees.

She thought.

It seemed the two didn’t say anything.

Yet it seemed they said everything.

For some reason, in this indescribable atmosphere, the always aloof woman suddenly remembered a phrase "taught" to her by the female elder.

Thus, she took a step forward on her own accord.

Sensing the warm softness suddenly entering his embrace, for the first time witnessing such a scene, Lu Qingshan first froze for a moment, then became awkward, unsure where to place his hands.

After remaining stiff for a while, he awakened, gently wrapping his arms around her waist.

Thereafter, after a moment’s pause, his hands almost instinctively, quietly slid downward, finally pinching naturally.

It’s a skill men possess innately, no need to teach.

After lamenting inwardly the exquisite sensation that words couldn’t describe, he only belatedly realized what he had done, his entire body stiffening suddenly.

Xia Daoyun was quite tall in stature, so even in this position, Lu Qingshan only slightly lowered his eyes to meet the gaze of the aloof woman.

She also didn’t speak, just stared with wide eyes, quietly looking at him.