The Good-For-Nothing Cultivator

He did not actually spent time on his martial or cultivation practice during the past two weeks and instead he was trying to purge out the Starforge Substances that he had accidentally swallowed.

For the past two weeks, he had been busy trying to concoct various pills to weaken or to negate the effects of the Starforge Substances.

Although he did not know why Qin Keqin was so insistent on giving him the Starforge Substances from time to time, he did not actually blame her.

He thought, "Can it be that Keqin has mistaken the Starforge Substances for something else? Her alchemy skills are just so and so. Even a great saintess can sometimes make a mistake…"

For two weeks, he could take the many "antidotes" that he had concocted and to circulate with his profound energies so as to purge out the negative effects of the pills that he had taken. All pills had a side effect and moreover, he was using the effects of the pills to counter each other.

It was a good thing that he had already reached the energy level of the fourth realm cultivation level and could use his profound energies to weaken the effects of the pills that he had taken.

He noticed something weird though. His profound strength seemed to be much stronger than it had been during the trial compet.i.tion. How was it possible?

He did not seem to do anything. Or could it be that Keqin"s pill was actually special?

It was said that after a difficult tribulation, a person"s cultivation strength would actually improve by itself naturally. After all, the trials that Fragrance Herald Yufeng had set was really too difficult for many.

He did not think that he would actually succeed in clearing the trials…

Today he would be reporting to the main Heaven Ridge hall as this was the day that he would depart from the Heavens Ridge Villa. He wondered what kind of an arrangement that the elders would be making for him?

He was light spirited when he had arrived at the Heaven Ridge Hall and was startled to see Elder Yin Shisi and Grand Elder Ouyang Xue.

Other than the two of them, there were no others.

He stammered when he saw Yin Shisi, "Elder Yin…why are you here…"

Yin Shisi smiled as her lovely voice answered him, "You do not welcome me?"

"Not that…" He said awkwardly.

That day after he had received so many handkerchiefs, he was a little curious. How come everyone seemed to be giving him the same gift? It was not as though he needed so many nor did he had any strong preferences for collecting handkerchiefs.

So he did a quick research and found out that if a maiden likes a man, she would give him a scented handkerchief. It was only then did he realize that Yin Shisi may have liked him. But to her, he had only felt l.u.s.t and it was not love.

This caused him to be in a fine fix as he had just accepted so many handkerchiefs. What would his Keqin think if she knows about it?

He quickly tried to change to another topic, "Where are the elders? I mean the elder that I"m supposed to meet today and erm…my escorts."

He had been informed that there would be an entourage of ten that would be escorting him to safety to the perimeter of the Moon Demon Forest and that was the meeting place where he was supposed to go.

Ouyang Xue smiled, "You have finally arrived. There are no others and only the two of us."

Lu Qingyun asked curiously as he returned a weak smile, "I will be going there alone?"

Yin Shisi gave him a beautiful smile before she said, "With the two of us with you, is there any need for the others?"

Lu Qingyun was startled, "The two of you will be going with me?"

"You think that we are not enough for your protection?" Yin Shisi chuckled softly.

"Of course not. With you around, is more than enough." Lu Qingyun quickly said. Yin Shisi was a sixth realm golden supremacy. Naturally it was more than enough.

Ouyang Xue said gently as she gave him a melancholy look, "So you think that I am not needed anymore?"

Lu Qingyun was startled and he quickly said, "Of course not. I mean with Yin Shisi around to protect the two of us, it is more than enough."

Ouyang Xue sighed softly, "I am here to protect you and not because I need Elder Yin to protect me. Do you understand me?"

Lu Qingyun was smiling weakly as he nodded, "Of course I understand." But he was thinking, "Actually what am I saying?" He was so nervous in front of Ouyang Xue that he was just saying anything to pacify her.

Ouyang Xue and he had gone a long way since they had met. And they had almost engaged to each other. He knew that Ouyang Xue was avoiding him on purpose and he was actually trying to do the same.

That was why he was quite startled that this time round Ouyang Xue was actually going with him to the Moon Demon Forest.

He muttered, "It is so good to have a friend to talk with on this trip…"

Ouyang Xue chuckled softly as she interrupted him, "Who knows if this may be your last trip back alive so I may as well accompany this friend of mine for his very last trip."

Lu Qingyun: …

He laughed weakly, "You can"t be serious…"

Ouyang Xue returned a faint smile as she stole a glance at Yin Shisi. Actually she was serious…

The Moon Demon Forest was a dangerous place for the cultivators. Although Ouyang Xue was very young, she had an intelligence and maturity that even many of the older cultivators could not match. She knew that this expedition for Lu Qingyun was extremely dangerous or else why would Fragrance Herald Yufeng created such a difficult trial for everyone?

The way she had a.n.a.lyzed the situation was that in order to qualify for this upcoming expedition, the cultivators must have the endurance, wits and luck in order to succeed.

Some of the older and wiser cultivators like the grandmaster of the Flying Armament also had a bad foreboding and were already preventing their precious core protégés not to go to the Moon Demon Forest.

Yin Shisi said quietly to Lu Qingyun, "There is still time for you to change your mind. It is not too late. In the meantime, we will accompany you."

Lu Qingyun was startled that the two maidens were suddenly looking at him with such solemn expression.

But he replied quietly and firmly, "If I am always living under the shelter and protection of the others, I will not get stronger. It may even be detrimental to my future advancement. The more smooth sailing is my cultivation, the greater the danger it is to me when I am about to overcome my life and death cultivation limitations."

Yin Shisi and Ouyang Xue were forced to nod. It was because without difficult trials, his danger sense and critical reactions would never be homed. When it was time for him to face his life and death divine calamity alone, it would be extremely difficult for him to survive through it.

Lu Qingyun was wise to know all these and even Qin Keqin was forced to agree with him.

"I will survive the expedition to the Moon Demon Forest. Trust me on this.��� He said firmly.