With experience, Lu Li knew how to handle the next ascent.
Although she didn’t use the sword often, her Sword Spiritual Root was genuine.
Every time the blades crossed, she could faintly grasp a trace of Sword Intent, then incorporate it into her own sword techniques.
After several exchanges, Lu Li was able to understand the sword golem’s patterns and counter them accordingly.
“Huff… but every single move is at the level of Qi Refining 13th Layer.” Lu Li panted heavily, staring at the pile of debris that had been the sword golem.
“I really wonder how Liu Qingyun managed to fight a Foundation Establishment stage sword golem.”
“Ah, once this trial is over and I’m back in my male body, I need to practice swordsmanship properly.”
After replenishing her depleted True Yuan, Lu Li exhaled a mouthful of turbid air and stepped onto the stairs.
Whenever danger loomed, Lu Li instinctively wanted to activate the Bewitch Heart technique or some Yin Yang Sect cultivation methods.
Admittedly, in real combat, the sect’s techniques were extremely useful.
‘But from another angle, if I could cultivate both techniques simultaneously, I’d be able to attack and defend.’
Thinking this, Lu Li’s mood improved significantly.
‘Time to face the twelfth floor’s sword golem.’
The moment she pushed open the door, a faint pressure blew her hair back.
Even though the sword golem stood motionless, Lu Li instinctively raised her long sword to block her chest, her gaze fixed firmly ahead.
“Impressive… just the Sword Qi radiating from it makes my skin ache.” Lu Li tightened her grip on the long sword. “How did Liu Qingyun defeat it?”
“Ask, your, heart.” The sword golem heard Lu Li’s words and opened its stiff mouth to utter a few words. “Why, draw, sword.”
“To survive.” Lu Li raised her long sword. “Come…”
The sword wind surged. Before Lu Li could react, a tremendous force struck her chest directly, like a sea or a gale, traveling along her arm and exploding behind her back.
“Urk…” Lu Li’s throat tasted sweet, and warm blood splattered onto the sword golem’s body. At the same time, a distinct bloody gash appeared on her entire arm.
“Pain… the muscles on my back are probably injured too.” Lu Li watched the sword golem return to the center of the platform.
“I didn’t expect the gap between Foundation Establishment and Qi Refining to be this huge.”
“You, lost.” The sword golem lowered its sword and stood still.
“Send, you, away.”
“That’s—ptoo—too early to say.” Lu Li gritted her teeth and planted her feet on the ground.
“I didn’t expect to use this here.”
“Can, not, com, pre, hend.”
“Of course not.” Lu Li forced a difficult smile. “Because getting injured and spitting blood was also part of my plan.”
The sword golem seemed to sense something, but the chill emanating from the surrounding ground slowed its movements.
“Snow Character Art.” Her footsteps landed softly, and the pool of blood on the ground condensed into a crimson long sword that fell into Lu Li’s hand.
At the same time, the blood covering the sword golem seeped into its joints, sprouting countless red ice spikes.
“Although I can’t directly use my Charm Spiritual Root, in my female state, my blood and True Yuan carry Primordial Yin Qi.” Lu Li thrust her sword through the sword golem’s chest.
“And recently, I’ve absorbed who knows how much extra Primordial Yin.”
“Combined with the final move of Flowing Wind and Returning Snow, it’s enough to freeze the sword golem.” Lu Li watched the golem’s body disintegrate piece by piece, transforming into faint arcane light that seeped into the forehead ornament between her brows.
‘I’ll check this after I get out.’
A gentle suction appeared above the sword tower. As Lu Li’s mind moved, her body was rapidly pulled upward, and the world before her expanded.
In an instant, she was back in the secret realm.
“Miss Lu, which floor did you reach this time?” Liu Qingyun had already finished meditating, watching Yuan He reluctantly release the snail.
“Twelfth floor.” Lu Li swept her Divine Sense over her body but found no injuries.
Just a bit of True Yuan depleted.
“Truly worthy of having a Sword Spiritual Root.” Yuan He watched the snail disappear into the distance. “But Benefactor Lu, what are you scrutinizing?”
“I’m marveling at the wonder of the sword tower. Even though I was severely injured inside, I came out unscathed in one breath.” Lu Li looked at her dress and smoothed the hair behind her back. “As expected of a Nascent Soul tier artifact.”
“The artifact is indeed marvelous, but our recovery isn’t thanks to the sword tower.” Liu Qingyun explained.
“We entered the sword tower with our souls, while our bodies were temporarily protected by the sword tower. So naturally, when we leave… Hm, Miss Lu, why does your complexion look strange?”
“Ah… nothing… I just realized that soul and body were separated, and I felt a bit… belated shock.” Lu Li closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
“That can be a little startling. At our Qi Refining stage, the soul and body can’t be separated yet.” Liu Qingyun nodded.
“Then please rest for a moment, Miss Lu.”
“Yes…” Lu Li sat cross-legged, then once again realized she was wearing a woman’s green dress and could feel the strands of hair falling when she closed her eyes.
But…
When had her soul become a woman’s?
The moment Lu Li thought of this, a chill ran down her spine.
Thinking carefully, it had only been two months since she entered the Yin Yang Sect.
One of those months, she had spent as the Saintess, learning etiquette every day.
Moreover, the senior and junior sisters within the sect addressed her as Senior Sister or Saintess.
‘Could it be that in this unnoticed way…’ Lu Li thought, feeling troubled.
The most headache-inducing thing was that here in the secret realm, her subsequent plans still required her female identity.
Second, this was her third time turning into a woman, and she had to maintain it for a full nine days before she could revert.
‘Forget it. Dwelling on this is meaningless.’
As Lu Li breathed in and out, the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi eagerly surged into her body, transforming into abundant True Qi.
“Let’s go.”
“So fast?!” Yuan He had just taken out a flatbread from his storage bag when his Divine Sense swept over it, and it fell to the ground.
“Benefactor Lu, what’s your hurry?!”
“When in female form, running the Yin Yang Sect’s techniques gives me a unique perception of Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi.” Lu Li patted the grass blades off her skirt and looked at the others staring at her with envy, feeling helpless inside.
“But then again, there are gains and losses.”
“But it doesn’t seem like there’s any loss.”
“Maybe…” Lu Li smiled faintly and pointed in the original direction.
“We still need to look for the Mind-Clearing Tea.”
The search for Mind-Clearing Tea went much smoother than before.
The initial rumor was that Mind-Clearing Tea grew scattered around the sword tower.
Now it seemed that this snail carried the sword tower around as it crawled, and the places where it frequented had spirit seeds growing.
Everyone except Yuan He wore bright smiles.
If there was anything off, it was that the trial time was gradually ending.
Many cultivators were already heading to the evacuation points, but Lu Li’s group was still making their way to the Yin-Yang Boundary.
“We should make it in time, right?” Meng Fang carefully held the Gold-Seeking Beast in her arms.
“It’s getting really excited the closer we get, so there must be a valuable treasure.”
“A valuable treasure also means plenty of enemies.” Ye Tingfeng retracted the furball in his palm.
“Judging by this fluctuation of True Yuan, there are at least forty or fifty people. Going there now is dangerous.”
“If it’s really dangerous, I’ll protect you all with Buddhist Light.” Yuan He scratched his smooth head.
“I can definitely support your retreat to safety.”
“Thanks for that… but to be safer…” Lu Li spread her hand, and her bracelet moved slightly.
“This is our sect’s Recovery Pill. Hold it in your mouth, and it will continuously restore True Yuan.”
“Much obliged.” After a few words, everyone swallowed the pills.
“Senior Sister Lu, this Recovery Pill has a floral fragrance.” Meng Fang chewed it and showed a pleased expression.
“Later… well, after the trial ends, I’ll go to your sect’s market square and buy more.”
“No problem, but remember to buy them at the Drunken Fragrance Pavilion.” Lu Li’s pink pupils scanned the surroundings.
“But now isn’t the time to chat.”
“Hm? What’s wrong?” Meng Fang looked around.
They were walking along a vast riverbank; under the breeze, the grass and trees swayed.
“It seems we’ve fallen into a trap.” Yuan He’s pupils glowed yellow as he tightened the prayer beads in his palm.
“Old Liu, get ready.”
“Ah, as usual.” Liu Qingyun raised his long sword.
“The Saintess, Saint Son, and Buddha Son of the Three Sects of Southern Domain, all present.” Amid cheerful laughter, rustling sounds came from the grass over a dozen meters away.
One by one, groups of people emerged from underground and the water, slowly appearing.
A quick scan revealed nearly a hundred.
“I have to say, the Yin Yang Sect’s charm arts are truly extraordinary.” A young man in white at the lead clapped his hands.
“You’ve wiped out over a hundred of our people from Central Continent.”
“Zhou Xia, as Central Continent’s Saint Son, leading over a hundred people to surround us is beneath your dignity.” Liu Qingyun spoke up.
“Bring it on.”
“No, no, I’m not lowering myself.” Zhou Xia waved his hand, and two familiar figures were escorted to the front.
“Rather, I want to negotiate with the Yin Yang Sect’s Saintess.”
“Jiang Yuebai, Shen Zhaoxue?!” Lu Li frowned, but at this distance, her Divine Sense couldn’t check their condition.
“Don’t worry, they’re fine.” Zhou Xia spread his hands.
“Let your senior and junior sisters have a chat.”
“Senior Sister Lu…” Jiang Yuebai’s face was pale.
“It’s because we weren’t strong enough…”
“Lu Li, they temporarily sealed our True Yuan, but we’re unharmed.” Shen Zhaoxue said.
“We were caught when passing by Primordial Yang Lake. We were bathing… and didn’t expect to be ambushed.”
“It’s okay, I understand.” Lu Li let out a long sigh and pressed her lips together.
“It’s this senior sister’s lack of planning. We should have traveled together.”
“But your Saintess is truly formidable, setting all kinds of schemes along the way, costing us over three hundred losses across one continent and three regions.” Zhou Xia interrupted the conversation and waved to people behind him.
“So to thoroughly defeat you, I plan to use a trick too.”
“Among the storage bags you took, there was food that this lake’s spirit beasts love most. That food slowly emits a scent that ordinary cultivators can’t detect.” Zhou Xia smiled slightly.
The others formed hand seals, and a faint green light gradually enveloped the entire lake.
“Over three hundred storage bags—you shouldn’t have had time to search them.”
“Rest assured, this is just a small tit for tat. When the trial ends, I still look forward to a real battle with the Saintess.” Zhou Xia said as his figure passed through the transparent barrier.
“I’m curious to see how Saintess Lu will handle this.”
“Is that so…” Lu Li raised her head, watching the space gradually seal shut. Instead, a faint smile appeared on her lips.
‘Just as I planned.’