How impressive!
As primordial energy poured in, in an instant, a surge of electricity leapt from the sword's blade, shooting out three yards. A nearby sapling was struck by lightning, scorched black and smoking.
“How powerful!”
“And I can actually wield a cultivator's magical weapon!”
Li Miao cried out in astonishment twice, his heart filled with joy. He had originally thought that primordial energy and spiritual power were entirely different, and hadn’t even considered the compatibility between magical artifacts and primordial energy equipment. Now it appeared both were energy in nature; with proper application, they could be transformed interchangeably.
“Interesting. If that's the case, perhaps I can study the physical cultivation techniques of this world as well.” The Purple Sword was of exceptional quality, far superior to his Coldsteel Blade, and might prove very useful. Yet he wasn’t fond of swords, believing that the wide, sweeping motions of a blade suited him better. When he found a better blade, he’d give this sword to Guo’er.
On the hilt of the Purple Sword were two small characters, reading “Purple Jun,” likely its name.
Li Miao walked out of the woods. Seeing the small town nearby, he knew he had returned to Wu’an Village, where he had first met Yi Chi. The battle at Qianyuan Mountain had been devastating—thanks to the Sword Essence, nearly all the human cultivators had been wiped out, leaving only Li Miao, Lin Jue, and a handful of others. Even Elder Zhe Mei, Chu Yu and the Guo brothers of Scarlet Dawn Sword Sect had perished, a tragedy beyond words.
This left Li Miao somewhat reflective, lamenting the dangers of cultivation—that those who laughed and joked at dawn could by nightfall be mere souls in the underworld.
Even more striking was fate’s irony: he, who had merely sought a fight to satisfy his craving for battle, had become the greatest beneficiary—gaining not only the celestial Sword Essence but also a precious sword.
Additionally, he had learned of the Jade Butterfly, and understood why Master Tianyang Yan had appeared at the Hundred Herb Sect. Spirit butterflies attract each other—an important discovery! Until he was strong enough, he would not use primordial energy to stimulate the spirit butterfly. But once powerful, he could use the method to find other butterflies.
“The Void Divine Tomb, a forgotten Sword Immortal… This world is becoming more and more fascinating.”
The corners of Li Miao’s mouth lifted. He placed the Purple Jun Sword into his microcosmos, glanced toward the setting sun, and sped westward.
On his way to the Hundred Herb Sect, Li Miao’s feelings were complicated. The events at Qianyuan Mountain had caused upheaval far beyond what he’d imagined. He thought the monsters were nothing serious—that a few low-level cultivators might die but the threat could be handled. Reality, however, was brutally harsh: both humans and demon cultivators were nearly annihilated, precious few surviving.
After this battle, the spiritual energy in Longling County and its surroundings had suffered greatly; all major factions were severely weakened and would not recover soon.
More importantly, the twin sword beams unleashed by the Cloud Pattern Tiger had attracted many powerful figures, turning Qianyuan Mountain into the eye of the storm.
Those strong ones must now be wondering: who released that formidable aura, and where had they gone?
The survivors would inevitably become targets for their interrogation!
At this moment, in the dimness of night, the northern sky looked different from the others; strange flashes periodically appeared—sometimes white, sometimes blood-red, sometimes bright yellow.
Uninformed people might think it merely a natural phenomenon, but Li Miao knew better: those must be battles between the arriving powerful cultivators, fighting over the vanished, earth-shattering sword energy.
Yet he couldn’t concern himself with all that, and could only hope Daoist Yi Chi had handled the aftermath well, so he wouldn’t be exposed by the survivors.
Decisive and clear-headed, Li Miao recognized the situation’s risks. Qianyuan Mountain was now chaos; though Yi Chi had transported him away, not all traces were erased. Lin Jue knew him, and Xu Yong knew he had gone there—if either survived, he could be discovered.
Thus he dared not linger. He planned to leave the Hundred Herb Sect quickly, taking Guo’er away from the perilous Longling County.
Night had fallen.
A cool evening breeze blew, and the moonlight was cold and clear.
Li Miao returned to the Hundred Herb Sect, silently heading toward Tideview Residence.
He found Guo’er still awake, earnestly practicing the boxing technique he had taught her in front of the bamboo house. Each punch and kick was full of vigor, accompanied by childish exclamations.
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She seemed not to have rested all day, working harder than when he was nearby.
Li Miao nodded quietly, pleased with Guo’er’s diligence.
What surprised him was Yan Chengxue’s presence, sitting on a stone, playing with a green leaf and watching Guo’er’s practice with interest.
After a while, Guo’er stopped, a little unhappy, and said, “I’m going to rest now—aren’t you leaving?”
Guo’er had little fondness for Yan Chengxue, because a few days earlier at breakfast, the latter had tried to embarrass Li Miao. Though Yan failed and only embarrassed herself, the incident left Guo’er with a bad impression.
Yan Chengxue wasn’t angry at being shooed away, but smiled, “I’m not leaving, I’ve been so bored lately, with no one to talk to. Guo’er, who knows when your thief uncle will return? Why not let me stay and play with you these days?”
“No!” Guo’er frowned, annoyed. “You’re not allowed to call uncle that way.”
“What did I call him? Oh, thief… Hmph, he is one, running around naked in broad daylight, shameless!”
“You… you’re lying!”
“I’m not lying, I was there…”
“Ahem…”
As they argued, Li Miao suddenly cleared his throat and came to the bamboo house.
“Uncle!” Guo’er called joyfully, running over to hug him.
Yan Chengxue was surprised, “Thief, why are you back? Where are my senior brothers?”
Li Miao pinched Guo’er’s cheek, instinctively channeling a stream of primordial energy to her, then said to Yan Chengxue, “Something strange happened at Qianyuan Mountain. Sensing danger, I left early. They chased the monsters deep into the lair… I fear their chances are slim.”
He had wanted to be direct, but worried Yan Chengxue might not handle the loss of three close friends well, so he opted for a softer explanation.
Sure enough, Yan Chengxue didn’t believe him at all, snorting, “You coward, probably wet yourself and ran from the monsters! My seniors Yun Zhi and Yun Yi aren’t like you—they’re elite disciples of Scarlet Dawn Sword Sect; a few monsters wouldn’t trouble them!”
Guo’er pouted, clearly displeased at Yan’s insult toward Li Miao.
Li Miao, unfazed, shrugged, “I am indeed timid. I heard the Sun family is hunting me everywhere; I don’t want to sit and wait to die, so I plan to hide elsewhere for a while.”
“Huh?” Yan Chengxue was dumbfounded.
She asked, “Thief, aren’t you usually so capable? Why are you such a coward today?”
Li Miao pursed his lips, “Because today I saw true power, and realized how insignificant I am.”
This was the honest truth—after witnessing Shen Xunyan’s Sword Essence and Yi Chi, he felt small and powerless. Had the Cloud Pattern Tiger’s sword energy been directed at him, he’d be a corpse now.
But Yan Chengxue didn’t understand, thinking he’d become insecure after meeting the other experts, and mercilessly jabbed, “Of course! You only act big with girls like me—out there, strong ones are everywhere, you’re just a little grasshopper.”
Li Miao chuckled, unbothered.
He picked up Guo’er, looking at her unhappy face, smiling, “Everyone starts weak; becoming strong is a process. I admit I’m insignificant now, but someday, I’ll be a true peerless expert—like a Sword Immortal, a God-King, or… master of the cosmos.”
Guo’er’s eyes shone bright. Clever as she was, she knew the words were for both him and herself.
She nodded firmly, whispering, “We will!”
Yan Chengxue snorted, unimpressed.
“Tell your master I’m leaving.”
Li Miao spoke, carrying Guo’er and turning away.
Yan Chengxue called, “Hey, thief—at least let Guo’er sleep; leave in the morning! The Sun family may be powerful, but this is the Hundred Herb Sect—they won’t dare harm you!”
“Thank you. But since I’m fleeing, midnight is safest. Thank you for your sect’s hospitality; if fate allows, I shall repay it someday!”
With that, he quickened his pace, leaping away from the rear mountain.
Watching him depart, Yan Chengxue pouted, angrily kicking a green vine, muttering, “Annoying! I haven’t avenged myself and you’re gone! Hmph, next time I see you, I’ll teach you a lesson!”
The night was still, only a few crickets chirped in the grass.
Li Miao carried Guo’er down Qihuang Peak, heading south at a brisk pace.
Longling County lay just south of the Hundred Herb Sect, but it was not his destination.
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South of Longling County, tens of thousands of miles away, was Guo’er’s birthplace—Xinzhou.
Uncertain of his next destination, he took Guo’er’s goal as his own, journeying southward.
After leaving the sect for some distance, Guo’er, lying on his shoulder, asked, “Uncle, did something happen today?”
The little girl was shrewd; her ability to read people far surpassed Yan Chengxue. From his earlier mood, she sensed something was amiss.
Li Miao smiled gently.
If someone else saw through his thoughts, he’d frown, but with Guo’er, he felt reassured—her understanding brought him comfort.
He realized, unconsciously, this little girl had become profoundly important to him.
“Yes, something big happened,” Li Miao replied. “For a while, we may have to roam the world, fugitives. Guo’er, are you afraid?”
Without hesitation, Guo’er shook her head, “As long as you don’t leave me, I’m not afraid of anything.”
Li Miao was momentarily dazed.
He remembered when he first met Guo’er, she loved to cry; her house destroyed, her master fainted, seeing him “bullied”—she’d cry at everything.
But in just a few days, she’d matured greatly, both in words and actions, far more than when they first met.
People grow easily through adversity. The death of Xuan Zhenzi, and witnessing several battles and conflicts, had given her a stronger heart.
“Uncle, where will we sleep tonight?” Guo’er asked.
Before, she’d have already washed up, waiting for Li Miao to nourish her body before sleep. But now, they were on the road, with nowhere to rest.
Li Miao answered, “We won’t sleep anywhere. The world is our home. If you’re tired, sleep peacefully; when you wake, you’ll still be in my arms.”
For a long time to come, this might be their way of living.
Guo’er replied softly, tightening her arms around his neck, nestling her head on his shoulder, drifting into light sleep.
Li Miao held her with one arm, channeling primordial energy with the other, as usual, continuing to build her foundation.
He walked slowly, steady steps, barely stirring the air.
Guo’er’s constitution was improving, able to absorb more primordial energy. This time, the nourishment lasted over half an hour.
Afterward, Li Miao didn’t quicken his pace, maintaining a normal walking speed.
The night passed quickly.
When the eastern horizon began to pale, a teahouse appeared before Li Miao.
He’d traveled less than two hundred miles all night, still far from Longling County.
Guo’er was still asleep. He entered the teahouse, laid her on a bench, found a seat, and called out, “Innkeeper, bring some food and drink.”
“Right away, sir!” replied the plump old proprietor.
Three guests were chatting. Each radiated a strong aura of spiritual power—they were cultivators.
“Hey, have you heard? Something big happened yesterday at Qianyuan Mountain!” the goatee cultivator said to the others.
“I’ve known for ages. Elder Zhe Mei and two young heroes from Scarlet Dawn Sword Sect gathered fellow cultivators to wipe out the monsters at Qianyuan Mountain. That news has been around for half a month!” the bushy-browed man replied.
The goatee cultivator waved his hand, “I don’t mean that, but what happened just yesterday.”
“Oh? What happened?” the middle-aged female cultivator asked curiously.
The goatee cultivator said, “My elders told me—last night’s battle at Qianyuan Mountain saw nearly all demon and immortal cultivators wiped out, only rogue cultivator Lin Jue survived!”
“What!”
“That’s impossible!”
Both bushy-browed man and the female cultivator exclaimed, “I heard many powerful factions from Longling County and neighboring counties joined in, with more than ten True Essence experts. Elder Zhe Mei was a super master at the Return Origin Realm—how could it end like this?”
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