The Romantic Cultivator

Shui Qingqing gasped. “Li Yuan, are you sure about this? Let’s get out of this place while we are still alive, alright?”

She was now anxious for him.

Ji Yuan shrugged his shoulders as he grinned back. “As long as I can evade the array attacks then I will be alright so there is nothing to be worried about.”

He swung his sword arm first as he prepared himself to charge into the center of the array. It was because after he had blocked off the profound energies attack in the earlier cavern and was forced to take three steps back, he knew that the killing array here will only be more formidable and not lesser.

He was a now great saint with a celestial sword in his hands and even he was not able to block off the array profound energies with ease. Therefore he knew that he had to fully focused his willpower into his reflexes.

Without a word more, Ji Yuan had suddenly dashed toward the epicenter of the cavern where the celestial sword was!

Both Shui Qingqing and Bai Qianfeng were both gasping silently, afraid that even their soft gasps would distract him.

The instant that Ji Yuan had dashed into the invisible formation array, several profound energies had appeared around the hovering celestial sword to shoot at him.

He quickly evaded past the profound energies but as he got nearer to the epicenter of this huge center, dozens of profound energies were now shooting at several weird angles around him!

He had narrowly managed to evade all the attacks except for one which he used his sword to block it. However the attempt caused him to stagger five steps behind and this caused more profound energies beams to be generate in his direction!

Ji Yuan dared not block or receive the profound energies beams anymore and he quickly flipped his body nimbly to avoid the profound energies beams which were shooting nonstop in his direction.

Shui Qingqing and Bai Qianfeng could not believe what they were seeing as Ji Yuan displayed his swiftness and lightness profound art at the same time. If they were not seeing it, they really could not believe what they were seeing now; how could anyone evade these profound energies beams like he did?

Ji Yuan was extra sensitive to the presence of profound energies because he was a sword energies practitioner with hundreds of years of practice. The instant that the profound energies beam was generated, he knew roughly where it would be coming from.

Although there were dozens of profound energies beams shooting at him from all multiple angles, Ji Yuan was like a slippery flying snake that were evading left and right with astonishing speed.

In no time he was inhaling heavily as he reached the epicenter of the array. He was safe now.

“Whew! This isn’t easy at all.” He had never evaded so wildly before and his entire body was now aching from over exerting himself. He was definitely not going to try it ever again. One mishap and he would be dead…

It was a lucky thing that he had managed to reach the epicenter of the array just before his vital breath cycle had ended. It was because even though he just needed a single blink of an eye to recover his vital breath cycle but this would slow down his speed considerably and it would be fatal for him.

He was smiling however as he thought. “It is a lucky thing that I have picked the Divine Heart Recite…” From this intricate heart formula, he had actually mastered three profound arts; the Awakened Seventh Sense, Profound Energies Attunement and Three-in-One Reflex.

Shui Qingqing and Bai Qianfeng were stunned that except for the one time that Ji Yuan had used his sword to block the profound energies beam, he had actually evaded the dozens of profound energies beams that were flying like a net all around him.

His amazing reflexes had completely stunned Shui Qingqing and Bai Qianfeng because they know that they were not able to evade the way that he did…

Ji Yuan was now looking at the hovering celestial sword in front of him now. Even though he knew nuts about arrays but he knew that all arrays are always powered by heavenly relics and divine swords. For this celestial-step divine sword to be in the epicenter of the array, he knows that this divine sword was being used to support this immortal array.

He did not reach out to take the celestial sword immediately even though he knew that he had the profound strength to wrest it from the immortal array.

Rather he suddenly had an amusing thought as he took out a mortal-step divine sword that was given to him by Ling Feiyue after his duel with Patriarch Moon Elder Chen Yi. She had said to him, “You need another sword since you had broken the precious sword that I had given you.”

Inhaling deeply, he imbued the divine sword with his profound strength that was in his hand to match the aura strength of the hovering celestial sword before he switched the two divine swords in split second.

Seeing that he had successfully switched the two divine swords, he began to grin. This immortal array may still be useful in the future. Although it is now powered by a lesser divine sword but it is still nevertheless a powerful killing array.

The new celestial sword that was in his hands were extremely heavy, almost doubled the weight of his own celestial sword.

He turned toward to Bai Qianfeng to grin in her direction. Qianfeng, look! I have got you the celestial sword. I know that you had ended up destroying your celestial sword because of me but you don’t have to worry now, this is your new replacement…

When Shui Qingqing saw Ji Yuan grinning in her direction, she flushed even more shyly, not realizing that he was actually smiling to the nine-tail spirit fox instead of her.

Ji Yuan was once again displaying his astonishing reflexes as he dashed from the epicenter of the array again.

Although this time his reflexes had slowed down by 30% due to the earlier exertions but the profound energies beams were weaker and less numerous than before. Therefore he had made it back to where Shui Qingqing was standing.

The instant that he was back to the safe zone, Shui Qingqing had flown straight into his arms as she gasped. “You are too foolish! You really don’t have to get the celestial sword for me. You are just endangering yourself and why did you put a divine sword back into the array center for? Do you want to kill yourself?”

As Ji Yuan had exhausted his vital breath, he was unable to answer her. He could only smile weakly at her while he was inhaling heavily. Although he could not speak but he could still say silently; Erm…I’m afraid that you have misunderstood. This celestial sword is for my Qianfeng and not for you….

Even Bai Qianfeng looked a little amused when she saw that Shui Qingqing had flown into Ji Yuan’s embrace…

Just as Ji Yuan was about to protest that he was only fetching the celestial sword for his Qianfeng, Shui Qingqing said to him. “It is not right for me to take a stranger’s sword. You have risked your own life for this celestial sword therefore you ought to keep it for your own use. Moreover…”

She inhaled softly as she averted her eyes shyly. “Even if you can fetch the moon for me but my heart belongs to Ji Yuan. I am terribly sorry about it. You are a good man and I hope that you can understand it.”

Ji Yuan: …

Ji Yuan: …

Ji Yuan: …

Then why are you in my embrace?

Shui Qingqing inhaled melancholy, “Maybe if we have known each other earlier, I might have given you a chance but…”

She looked up at him with woeful eyes. “But my heart cannot accommodate two men. I do hope that you can understand. Even if he is going to be an enemy of the orthodox fraternity but I still hope that I can one day persuade him to leave Ling Feiyue and turn to the righteous path.”

She emphasized again. “You are really a good man. I’m really sorry…”

Ji Yuan was smiling bitterly with a perplexed look. She had given me two good man cards and had rejected me. But when did I say I am wooing her in the first place?

Shui Qingqing had really totally misunderstood that ‘Li Yuan’ was trying to impress her and was attempting to woo her. Therefore she had made her heart known to him first.

Ji Yuan could only mutter, “Erm…that is alright…I won’t take it to heart.”

Then she lit a faint smile. “Don’t be too sad alright? I can promise you that other than Ji Yuan, I may one day consider you seriously.”

Ji Yuan: …

I am not sad at all…

He quickly said, “Let us go back to the surface.”

Shui Qingqing nodded. “Yea. I don’t want to stay in this place anymore.”

Bai Qianfeng divined whispered to Ji Yuan, “This maiden seems to be infatuated with you. Why don’t you tell her that you are Ji Yuan?”

Ji Yuan smiled bitterly. As he did not know any Divine Whispering Skill, he could not reply to Bai Qianfeng and he could only shake his head. This maiden was really too innocent and he did not want to hurt her in any way. Moreover she had also helped him to purge the wanton profound energies out of his body earlier, saving him two weeks of agonizing pain.

Hours later, they had finally exited the dragon cave.

It took them a few more hours to climb up the mountains before they could exit the desolate mists.

As they walked along a steep path, Ji Yuan could suddenly hear loud cries from the top.

“Palace Mistress, we have finally found you…”

Ji Yuan looked up and saw that it was the same group of female cultivators that were with Shui Qingqing earlier.

Shui Qingqing took a forlorn look at him before she said ruefully. “I may be grounded for a long time for violating the rules of the Water Melody Palace. Moreover I had caused the deaths of my protectors due to my reckless behavior. If there is a next time, I hope to see you again. No matter what, we will always be friends.”

Ji Yuan nodded and said, “Yea, we are good friends.”

Shui Qingqing inhaled softly, “If you really want to win my heart, you ought to grow a beard then you will look more manly.”

Ji Yuan: …

Ji Yuan: …

Ji Yuan: …

I am not going to try to win your heart and I can’t grow my beard anymore…

“Li Yuan, I hope that you can be a hero and set yourself on the righteous path. It is not only for your own good but also for my sake, alright?” Shui Qingqing was suddenly looking with great melancholy at him.

Ji Yuan smiled weakly, “I always have a righteous heart.”

Shui Qingqing nodded, “I really hope so…” Because this fraternity was the fraternity of the unorthodox cultivators. But as she knew that it was pointless to persuade him to change his alignment in such a short time, she did not want to force him.

She had a final question for him before she left. “Where are you from? Your celestial clan of origin I mean.”

Ji Yuan replied awkwardly, “Erm, I’m from the Emperor Hall Sect.”

Shui Qingqing was really startled. “The Emperor Hall Sect? The same sect as that idiot Yuan Ji that dares to challenge the Divine Palace Master of the Hundred Flower Divine Palace?”

Ji Yuan: …

Ji Yuan: …

Ji Yuan: …

He replied weakly, “Yes, the same sect as that idiotic Yuan Ji.”

Shui Qingqing was smiling all of a sudden, “So you are an orthodox cultivator! I have thought that you are an unorthodox cultivator. Why are you in the territories of the unorthodox fraternity?”

Ji Yuan lied, “I’m actually here to join the crusade against the Spirit Blue Moon Sect but I am lost. Haha.”

“Palace Mistress, we got to go now…” The female cultivators above them were urging their Palace Mistress.𝐧𝞸𝑽𝓮𝓛𝑛𝑒xt.𝑐𝐎𝑚

Shui Qingqing took another forlorn look at him before she rejoined her group. “Good bye, my friend…”

Ji Yuan inhaled softly, “Good bye…”

This maiden is really such an interesting maiden…

When Shui Qingqing and her group were gone, he took out the celestial sword to give it to Bai Qianfeng who had now assumed her human form.

“My lord, this gift is really precious to me.” Bai Qianfeng was really very touched.

Ji Yuan embraced her tightly, “Qianfeng, I have promised to do three things for you. I have not forgotten.”

“You remember…” Bai Qianfeng cuddled in his embrace as she tightened her hands around his body.

Xiang Li had appeared next to them as she said. “I got a feeling that the array that we saw earlier is a trap.”

“Oh?”

Xiang Li explained, “Did you notice that none of the skeleton remains have any profound treasures, precious swords or divine swords?”

“Yea. Now that you have mentioned it, I have noticed it.” Ji Yuan said.

Xiang Li touched the celestial sword that was in Bai Qianfeng’s hands before saying. “This celestial sword is not always a celestial sword but is ‘grown’ by absorbing the profound treasures that accidentally entered into the array.

Bai Qianfeng nodded, “This is what I have suspected as well. Some powers have been using it to trap the cultivators inside to grow this celestial sword into an immortal-step saintly divine sword.”

Ji Yuan laughed, “Well, this is the least of our worries now. At least whatever powers it may be, he will not discover the theft so soon. Moreover I didn’t exactly steal it. It is in the middle of nowhere plus I had used my mortal-step divine sword to trade for it. So it is fair enough. Haha…”

Then he was grinning, “There is no way he will know who the thief is. Xiang Li, you know what to do, am I right?”

Xiang Li chuckled, “I can wipe away the profound signature from this celestial sword so that no one can track us down!”

“That is my Xiang Li, smart as always all the time.” Ji Yuan laughed.

–

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Time passed;

A dark cloak cultivator had suddenly appeared in the epicenter of the dragon cave when he had sensed a great disturbance in the epicenter of the Sleeping Dragon Immortal Array.

He was stunned when his celestial sword had suddenly become a mortal-step divine sword.

Immediately he had taken out a profound treasure to track down the stolen celestial sword but was again stunned that the profound signature of the celestial sword had completely disappeared.

He was now seething with rage. “Who is that joker that replaces my celestial sword with a lowly divine sword?!”

The reason why he was scolding the thief as a joker was because the thief can simply take the celestial sword and dismantle the array at the same time. But instead, the thief had replaced it with a low grade divine sword. The action was extremely bizarre!

“What is this joker trying to do?”