Chapter 23

Huang Laoliu strode into the Sword Pavilion from outside, then grabbed Han Muye by the collar.

"I even told Sister Mu that you were severely injured, possibly on the verge of death, and might do something out of character."

"I could feel that the girl was reluctantly willing to accept it."

"But you—"

Huang Laoliu's aged face was full of pain.

"You betrayed such a good girl and turned around to hook up with this one."

"A person like you doesn't deserve Sister Mu; you're only fit to find a firefly that can stay for three nights on a piece of spirit stone in the mountains below."

What does that mean?

Han Muye blinked a few times, taking a while to understand.

It seems that Mu Wan's earlier coyness was because Huang Laoliu had said something to her.

Is this guy trying to set me up with Mu Wan?

That girl is nice, but we've only met a few times; it's not that serious yet, right?

Han Muye pried Huang Laoliu's hand open and looked at him with a smile. "Brother Six, I want to ask about the thing with the spirit stone for three nights."

Huang Laoliu was taken aback, his old face suddenly turning red. "That, I heard, I heard..."

Han Muye laughed heartily, took out two jade bottles containing solid pills, and placed them in front of Huang Laoliu. "Brother Six, whether it's with Sister Mu or with that White Shopkeeper, I am innocent."

"These are the pills Sister Mu gave me," he paused, then said softly, "She didn't give them to me for free; I earned them with my own abilities."

"This stuff is useless to me, so I'm giving it to you." Han Muye's face showed a smile. "To settle the debt."

With that, he straightened his clothes, turned around, and went up to the second floor of the Sword Pavilion.

"This—" Huang Laoliu looked at the jade bottles in front of him, opened one, and saw ten pills inside.

Two bottles, twenty pills, all high-quality solid pills.

Worth six hundred spirit stones.

His lips moved, and he finally let out a long sigh.

"Brat, with your abilities and wealth, you still claim to be innocent."

"Are you saying you're not capable?"

Han Muye, who was already on the second floor, almost stumbled.

You're the one who's not capable!

When I'm capable, even I'm scared of myself.

On the second floor, Han Muye composed himself, stood at the stairs leading to the third floor, and bowed. "Ancestor, Han Muye seeks your help to save his life."

His voice was loud, and Huang Laoliu on the first floor was startled.

"Brat, you really have some guts..."

Huang Laoliu muttered, a look of hope appearing on his face.

On the second floor, Han Muye stood bowed.

After a moment, with no response, he called out again, "Ancestor, Han Muye begs for your help to save his life."

This time, a voice came from the third floor.

"Brat, I can't save you."

"As a Sword Observer, if you can't withstand the sword qi entering your body, you will die."

"No elder in the Nine Profound Sword Sect will help you to regulate your meridians."

"This requires the expenditure of a sword intent that has been condensed over decades."

"Do you think you're worthy enough for them to act?"

Can't be saved.

No one in the Nine Profound Sword Sect will help.

Although Han Muye had expected this result, his heart still sank a little.

Lifespan, though invisible and intangible, is real.

Female cultivator Jin Yuan said he had only seven days left, and he didn't dare to take the risk.

Jin Yuan had mentioned three paths: cultivating the body to the ninth level of Yuan Qi, taking longevity pills, and having an elder regulate his meridians.

Now that the path of an elder's help is blocked, there's still a chance with longevity pills.

And cultivating the body to the ninth level of Yuan Qi, though difficult, can't be abandoned.

Taking a deep breath, Han Muye bowed. "Thank you, Ancestor, for your guidance."

With that, he glanced at the sword artifacts around him and turned to leave.

In the third floor, the old ancestor of the Sword Pavilion, sitting cross-legged, had a glow in his eyes.

"If he survives the sword qi entering his body, the Sword Pavilion might have its next leader..."

——

In the afternoon, Han Muye left the Sword Pavilion and went to the Outer Sect's Transmission Hall.

Lin Shen, the instructor of the Outer Sect's Transmission Hall, who had taken a liking to him, sought him out.

He wasn't there to thank Lin Shen, but to ask if there was any way to cultivate his body to the ninth level of Yuan Qi in a short time.

Seven days to reach the ninth level of Yuan Qi.

At the Transmission Hall, many disciples were still practicing their martial arts.

In just a few days, some of them had really improved.

But to Han Muye, their martial arts were still quite poor.

"Han Muye." Lin Shen, carrying a large sword, walked over from the side of the stone square.

Han Muye bowed.

Seeing Han Muye, Lin Shen frowned. "Why do you look so bad?"

As he spoke, he suddenly remembered that Han Muye was a Sword Observer and lowered his voice. "Brat, the Sword Pavilion is a strange place. Don't be a Sword Observer anymore; come and cultivate in the Outer Sect."

Cultivate in the Outer Sect?

If I had the qualifications to enter the Outer Sect, I wouldn't have thrown myself into the Sword Pavilion and reduced my lifespan to seven days...

Han Muye shook his head, looked at Lin Shen, and said softly, "Instructor Lin, I came to ask if there's any quick way to cultivate the body to the ninth level of Yuan Qi."

"Cultivate the body to the ninth level of Yuan Qi?"

"Quick way?"

Lin Shen was taken aback, then shook his head. Just as he was about to speak, someone beside him said, "Cultivating the body is all about accumulation; there's no quick way."

Han Muye turned to see a young man in his thirties wearing an inner sect white robe, with a cold and severe face and a sneer on his lips.

"Is this the person with great insight that you, Brother Lin, spoke of?"

"What good is insight if you can't settle down and cultivate properly? You'll be a waste all your life."

When he said "waste," he suddenly smiled. "Brother, I'm not talking about you; you're willing to draw your sword millions of times, building up strength gradually."

"All the disciples under our master admire your perseverance."

Lin Shen sighed and shook his head without speaking.

The young man didn't even look at Han Muye, turning around and saying, "Brother, there are many things to do in the Inner Sect; I won't waste time in the Outer Sect."

With that, he left the stone square.

"Han Muye, my junior brother Xu Ming, though arrogant, is highly skilled and ranks within the top three hundred in the Inner Sect."

"Originally, I wanted to recommend you to cultivate under him."

Lin Shen said regretfully in a low voice.

Han Muye was a bit surprised by his words.

After just one meeting, Lin Shen was willing to recommend him?

"The path of cultivation is difficult; who wouldn't want to meet a benefactor when they are still lowly?"

Lin Shen patted Han Muye's shoulder and smiled bitterly. "Unfortunately, I'm not your benefactor."

Han Muye understood his meaning.

He truly valued Han Muye's insight and wanted to help him, hoping that in the future, when Han Muye achieved greatness, he could return the favor.

But Lin Shen didn't know about Han Muye's current predicament; without solving the lifespan issue, there would be no future greatness.

"In the Outer Sect, the one who understands the cultivation of the body to the ninth level of Yuan Qi the best is probably Mo Yuan, the top disciple of the Outer Sect."

Lin Shen suddenly spoke.

"He lives in the Outer Sect's quarters by the Clear Stream. You can seek him out."

Mo Yuan!

The old man who taught him the technique of a thousand swords converging.

Han Muye nodded, bowed to Lin Shen, and turned to leave.

He had only taken a few steps when he stopped.

"Instructor Lin, drawing the sword a million times to split rocks and shatter mountains is wrong."

As Han Muye spoke, a violent aura rose from Lin Shen.

"Impossible!" Lin Shen's eyes turned red, and he gritted his teeth.

"For this one sword, I have drawn my sword 8,357,561 times, each time with all my strength."

"I only need to draw the sword a million times to master the mountain-shattering sword technique."

"How dare you question my cultivation method?"