Chapter 17: Have You Heard of the Terrestrial Sword Immortal
“Senior brother Lu, I remember you’re a Sword Spirit Root?” Peach Blossom Leaf glanced at the ancient sword hanging on Lu Yang’s waist and the calluses formed from long-term sword practice on his palms. The transformation in just a year was enough proof of Lu Yang’s dedication to sword training.
Lu Yang nodded modestly, “Barely a sword cultivator.”
Cultivators are categorized based on their specialties, such as Dan (Pill), Fu (Talisman), Array, Body, and Sword cultivators. Among these, sword cultivators possess the strongest offensive power. No one in the same realm wishes to face a sword cultivator in battle.
The most famous attribute of sword cultivators is ‘one sword breaks all laws’ – regardless of how profound your techniques are, they can break them with a single sword strike.
The counterpart to sword cultivators are technique cultivators, who believe that regardless of your sword skills, they can counter with a myriad of techniques.
Sword cultivators are renowned for their moves such as ‘Sword Opens the Heavens’ and ‘Flying Sword’, all legendary sword techniques.
Picture a figure in white as snow, standing on a flying sword, slicing through the wind, what a dashing figure it paints!
What do cultivators seek? Strength and charisma. Sword cultivators perfectly embody these qualities, making many wish to become one. Unfortunately, without the talent for the sword path, one cannot become a sword cultivator.
“So, what will you do after mastering the flying sword, Brother Lu?” Peach Blossom Leaf had never heard of a sword cultivator who was afraid of heights.
Others cultivate to fly and wander freely, but it seems Brother Lu cultivates to stay grounded.With a serious expression, Lu Yang replied, “Being a sword immortal doesn’t necessarily equate to soaring the skies. Have you, Junior Sister Peach Blossom Leaf, ever heard of a Terrestrial Sword Immortal?”
Peach Blossom Leaf was momentarily stunned, and seeing Lu Yang’s earnestness, the term ‘Terrestrial Sword Immortal’ seemed familiar, so she nodded along.
“Who said immortals have to be high and mighty? After all, ‘immortal’ includes the word ‘mortal’. Immortals roam between heaven and earth, can grasp stars and moons, or dive into the deepest abyss, unbound and free.”
“The term ‘Terrestrial Sword Immortal’ indicates that sword immortals are not just in the heavens but can also traverse the land. A sword strike can behead demons from a thousand miles away!”
“My goal is to become an existence like the Terrestrial Sword Immortal!”
Peach Blossom Leaf was about to nod along with the atmosphere but then realized the flaw in the logic: “Wait a minute, I’ve heard of Terrestrial Immortals, but where does ‘Terrestrial Sword Immortal’ come from?”
After silently observing Peach Blossom Leaf for three seconds, as if harboring ancient secrets, Lu Yang slowly spoke.
“I made it up.”
“…”
His sincere attitude left Peach Blossom Leaf speechless.
Without further discussion on the topic, Peach Blossom Leaf’s image of Lu Yang, formed during their three days together, shattered completely.
At the first test, she witnessed Lu Yang being identified as a Sword Spirit Root. Back then, Lu Yang appeared to her like an upright and indomitable sword, silent but invincible.
After the second test, she admired Lu Yang’s unique approach to passing and speculated his future achievements might be even higher.
During the third test, exhausted near the peak of Mount Wenxin, she believed no one could reach the fiftieth step. That’s when she saw Lu Yang reaching the fiftieth step and passing. His success gave her great confidence, encouraging her to continue climbing and successfully pass the test.
A year later, she met a high-fearful but talkative Brother Lu.
She learned what ‘distance makes the heart grow fonder’ truly meant.
“It’s about time to disembark.”
Lu Yang spread a detailed map. It meticulously outlined the Dao Seeking Sect, the Great Xia Dynasty imperial city, famous mountains and rivers, important cities, and blessed lands.
It was one-eighth of the Central Continent map.
A tiny red dot was moving very slowly on the map. If you didn’t pay close attention, you’d think the dot was stationary.
The red dot marked their current location on the map. This wasn’t just any ordinary map; it was an essential magical artifact for travel. Despite its sophistication, the map wouldn’t detail a place as small as Taiping Village; it was impressive enough that it even mentioned Qu River County.
The flying boat wouldn’t stop at small places like Qu River County. If it stopped everywhere, it would greatly reduce its speed, making its efficiency barely better than a horse carriage. The boat only stopped at major transport nodes like the Dao Seeking Sect, Qingyun City, Tongtian Valley, Fulong Mountain, and the Imperial City.
Lu Yang had heard from his senior sister that to disembark, one simply needed to jump off. This fact made his eyes twitch. Similar to airplanes in his previous world, the boat was incredibly fast and prioritized efficiency. The biggest difference was that passengers in his previous world had to wait for the plane to land before disembarking, while in the world of cultivation, passengers could jump off whenever they wanted, highlighting their freedom.
This was Lu Yang’s first time ‘jumping off the boat,’ and he was quite excited, though it manifested in trembling legs. After all, it was from a height of ten thousand meters.
“Do you know how to get off the boat, Brother Lu?”
“Of course,” Lu Yang replied confidently, his chest puffed out proudly. He would plummet straight down from ten thousand meters up, and even a cultivator in the late stage of Foundation Building would be reduced to mush upon impact.
Lu Yang had asked his senior sister how to disembark. She didn’t answer but told him not to consult books or ask others, encouraging him to think independently and develop good habits. And so, Lu Yang had successfully figured out how to get off the boat and made the necessary preparations.
Apart from Lu Yang and Peach Blossom Leaf, seven or eight strangers were also preparing to disembark. They all stood at the edge of the deck in a line. The strangers pulled out standard-issue paper umbrellas, while Peach Blossom Leaf held a carefully cultivated red paper umbrella.
Lu Yang, on the other hand, took out a parachute.
“Hmm?”
Lu Yang felt somewhat out of place. Why was everyone else’s equipment different from his? Just as he wondered what they were planning to do with their umbrellas, a black-clothed middle-aged man holding an umbrella jumped off the boat. He plummeted like a cannonball, his speed increasing rapidly. Calmly, he infused spiritual energy into his umbrella. The light energy, like a dexterous green snake, coiled around the umbrella ribs.
The umbrella seemed to come to life, awakening from hibernation and stretching out. The middle-aged man’s descent slowed, and he landed gently and safely. He released the umbrella, which turned into a streak of light and returned to the flying boat.
The umbrellas weren’t personal belongings but were temporarily lent to passengers by the flying boat.
The seven or eight strangers and Peach Blossom Leaf turned to look at Lu Yang, even Peach Blossom Leaf’s eyes filled with puzzlement.
They held umbrellas in preparation to jump off the boat, so what was Lu Yang doing with a backpack?
On the surface, Lu Yang was unflappable, facing their puzzled looks with a radiant smile, as if he wasn’t the odd one out. Internally, however, he was in turmoil, not knowing where to begin his rant.
All his thoughts condensed into one sentence—Senior Sister, you’ve misled me!