Chapter 271 - Tianxiang Order
Shen Lian saw Zhao Xiaoyu"s expression and immediately knew what she was thinking. "I made it out by chance. If I were to do it all over, I have no confidence that I can bring her out either," Shen Lian replied softly.
Shen Lian turned to look at Young Ruoxi. She was like a little fairy and had no idea that a powerful lady was right outside.
"The fact that you can do what you did; it was already an unimaginable feat. If you could not attain Dao, then most immortal Zhenrens in the world would not be able to as well," Zhao Xiaoyu smiled softly.
"There is no need for comparison as such. The end game is still attaining Dao, regardless of the process, if one could not attain immortality means one simply could not. There is no purpose in saying that oneself triumphed over the predecessors who attained Dao," Shen Lian shook his head and replied. He was frank. He knew that he made it to where he was now partially by chance and partly by his own effort. Between success and failure, how could one claim that one had attained the supreme Dao and had lived a full life unless and until one was at the endpoint of cultivation?
"I think you have changed. You are more determined in your pursuance of Dao now, and you are seeing yourself in a clearer light. Your awareness seemed to have heightened after you stepped into the state of Pow.a.n.g and have since gained a different perspective on life. To be honest, I have always been impressed by this aspect of you. Regardless of whether it was intentional or accidental, you have always managed to positively influence your pursuance of Dao without needing a steel heart of Dao," she spoke candidly.
"Perhaps you are right. Anyway, you didn"t come here this late at night just to say these to me. What are you here for?" Shen Lian spoke.
"Why can"t I visit you without any reason?" Zhao Xiaoyu replied with depression.
Her expression changed immediately, and there were hints of sadness on her beautiful face. Even a heart of steel would have been melted by this sight.
Shen Lian could only marvel at her level of cultivation. Coupled with her beauty, she was really taking a toll on him. He had to exercise self-restraint in order to maintain his composure.
"I am really happy that you are finally acknowledging my beauty. Otherwise, I would be in constant self-doubt every time I see you," Zhao Xiaoyu smiled.
"Xiaoyu, sometimes it is unwise for a woman to be too smart," Shen Lian sighed. This woman was observant and enjoyed great influence. She had also taken a liking to him. Despite being enemies in the beginning, Shen Lian could no longer find a reason to hate her now.
"When I"m with you, I"m nowhere near being smart. Otherwise, why would I be losing every time?" Zhao Xiaoyu smiled.
"I have requested for your help to obtain the honorable t.i.tle of Daluo Saintess during the Daluo Devotion Ceremony. You have promised to help. Are you going to take that back?" She spoke with a serious tone.
"That"s in four years time, isn"t it?," Shen Lian replied.
"Yes, but Luoism has many different branches. I have to conquer a few branches that are capable of revolting against me in order to secure a greater advantage. Moreover, your ability to mask your aura is unrivaled in this world. It would not be hard for you to change your look completely, and it would not be too much of a ha.s.sle for you either. Since you are going back to Qing Xuan, how about doing me a small favor? As a reward, I will impart some skills unto this little girl. Even though the Nine Lotus Order could not compare to the intricacies of the Dao techniques of Qing Xuan, but there are some crooked ways that might be of great help to her in the future. After all, you cannot be protecting her for the rest of her life, right?" Zhao Xiaoyu spoke.
"Tell me the details; I might be able to help out for a bit. However, don"t have great hopes for me. Even though I have stepped into the state of Pow.a.n.g now, but I am also suffering from serious injuries," Shen Lian spoke with a low voice.
"You are injured? Why can"t I tell at all?" Zhao Xiaoyu replied in shock.
"If you could tell that I"m injured, I would not have made it through all these days," Shen Lian replied softly. His injuries were not something that could be healed by even the most miraculous elixir. A hint of killing vibes remained in his body when the Trapping of Celestial Sword Aura exploded in him. The nameless deity could not be operated unless it was a moment of life and death, and the only way he could deal with this hint of killing vibes was by eliminating it bit by bit with his strong mind and spirit. Though, this had more pros than cons. Clearly, the Trapping of Celestial Killing Vibes was beyond all of the techniques and supernatural powers found in this world. Eliminating it with his mind and spirit would be a good training, and his Deity Vanquis.h.i.+ng Sword would reach new heights in no time.
Perhaps, he might even be able to kill a powerful expert in a blink of his eyes after he had attained Dao. That would be a supreme technique of Sword of Heart.
However, he was shouldering pain all the time as well. Just as when a rock had slipped into an oyster"s sh.e.l.l, the oyster had no choice but to polish it with its flesh and blood until the rock became a pearl. At the same time, its flesh would become strong and tenacious.
"Since you are not feeling well, why don"t I escort you back to Qing Xuan?" Zhao Xiaoyu spoke in a serious manner.
She was serious and genuine. It would seem that she spoke out of her concern for Shen Lian.
Shen Lian was touched. Regardless, he would always remember their friends.h.i.+p.
"If I really needed to urgently nurse my injuries, I would have said no to your request in the first place. It really is fine; tell me what you need me to do. After stepping into the state of Pow.a.n.g, it doesn"t matter if I return to the mountains or not. I myself am not sure what creates the opportunity for me to break away from the whims and attain immortality. However, I do need to settle Ruoxi down and consult the elders about certain things," he replied slowly.
It was difficult to predict when one would be breaking away from the whims. Some people faced the wall for a hundred year and reached an epiphany; some tested their swordcraft against the world and eliminated all of their foes; some retreated back into the mountains and still did not manage to attain Dao; some died of old age in spite of their steel heart of Dao.
Shen Lian desperately wanted to attain immortality and rose into the ranks of land immortals. However, he could not rush things as well.
Still, there would always be opportunities for those who were ready. Regardless, he decided to work on himself and to make something out of it.
Moreover, befriending Zhao Xiaoyu was beneficial to Qing Xuan as well. The fact that Zhao Xiaoyu managed to track him down proved that the Nine Lotus Order was a lot more mysterious than he thought. The wide coverage of their influence would be helpful if he decided to go against Guangqing.
Moreover, after they had overlooked the differences in their gender, they had formed a beautiful connection with each other. It had nothing to do with procuring benefits; it was lighter than water and it was not deeply ingrained, yet it clearly existed.
"Alright then, it is not a treacherous mission. It is just that with you around, I can be sure that nothing will possibly go wrong. Recently, fifteen of my branches were taken down along with the area they were situated at. I found out that Tianxiang Order is the culprit behind this." Despite having lost fifteen of her branches, Zhao Xiaoyu did not seem too bothered at all. After all, she was destined for greatness and could forego her personal emotions easily.
"I thought Tianxiang Order had fallen a long time ago? The last time that someone in the Order had attained the state of Huandan was two hundred years ago. How do they have the guts to go against you?" Shen Lian asked out of curiosity.
Zhao Xiaoyu was a genius, and her speed of cultivation surpa.s.sed that of the all of her predecessors, the saintesses of Nine Lotus Order. She was akin to the reincarnation of Celestial that the legends spoke of. Even though Shen Lian had interfered with her plan to steal away the luck of Zhou Dynasty and defeated her in Xi Huang, but she seemed to have a strange encounter that led to the tremendous elevation in her level of cultivation. She would reach the state of Shenxian, sooner or later.
Shen Lian could feel the mysterious and unpredictable power lurking within her.