Chapter 47 047 If you want to choose a sword, why did you choose him and not me? ...

In Mount Shu, only the Sword Sect makes swordsmanship a compulsory subject; disciples of other sects are not required to carry swords. However, almost every Golden Core cultivator carries a sword. After all, in the world of cultivation, a sword is not only a weapon but also an important means of transportation. A cultivator without a sword is like a magician without a broom—inconvenient to travel.

In this respect, the benefits at Shushan are quite good. As long as a disciple has formed a Golden Core, they can go to the Sword Inquiry Hall of Shushan to choose a suitable sword.

Of course, the swords from the Sword Inquiry Hall are only considered standard equipment in the beginner village. To modify them into a shape more suitable for oneself, refinement is required, which involves investing a lot of materials.

As for those legendary swords that can cut off 9.99 million HP in a single strike, they basically only drop in high-difficulty quests. Duan Lansheng's sword, named Duan Shui, comes from there.

At this hour, there was no one else on the mountain path leading to the Sword Inquiry Hall. The roadside trees stood tall and shady, and the cicadas chirped incessantly. As Lu Yuanyuan walked to the gate of the Sword Inquiry Hall, she happened to see a tall, slender, and upright young man exchanging words with two disciples on duty.

It was Qi Chang who was saddened.

Hearing footsteps, Qi Chang turned his head to look.

Lu Yuanyuan smiled and said, "Lord Qi, what a coincidence!"

Qi Chang gazed intently at the girl walking towards him in the sunlight. Since the incident at Floating Pagoda Valley, perhaps feeling a rare pang of guilt towards mortals, he had been keeping a close eye on Lu Yuanyuan's studies for the past three years. He had initially thought she was just an ordinary mortal girl, but unexpectedly, she had formed her Golden Core so quickly. Furthermore, her major cultivation direction was the same as his, and she might very well become his junior sister. He couldn't help but feel a sense of appreciation for her talent. Seeing her approach, he gave a gentle nod: "Are you here to choose a sword?"

Lu Yuanyuan blinked: "Daojun, you know all this?"

Qi Chang smiled and waved his hand, signaling the two disciples on duty to step back: "Since we've met by such a coincidence, would you like me to help you choose?"

Choosing a sword is like buying clothes; it's always better to have an experienced person help you make an eye. Lu Yuanyuan nodded eagerly, "If Daoist Qi doesn't mind the trouble, of course that would be great."

"Go in."

The Sword Inquiry Hall was a huge stone cave. The uneven stone walls were devoid of lamps, yet it was as bright as day. Looking up, clusters of light streamed through the air, and countless sword shadows floated, a magnificent and beautiful sight. They were clearly all sheathed swords, their blades concealed, yet the chilling, deadly aura unique to cold weapons still permeated this silent space.

Qi Chang flicked his finger, and the circle of longswords at the bottom spun and flowed towards the two of them, coming within their reach: "Draw your sword and try it."

Lu Yuanyuan calmed herself down and, relying on her intuition, chose a sword. She gripped the scabbard, hilt facing outwards. A wisp of spiritual energy flowed from her fingertips, and suddenly, the sword trembled, sheathed itself, and flew out. The two of them looked up at the same time, watching it fly back and forth in the cave before returning to the scabbard in her hand.

The force of the impact as it was drawn back into the sheath was so strong that Lu Yuanyuan's hand and elbow were numb from the shock. If she were still a mortal, her hand bones would surely have been broken in two.

As she took a step back, a warm, large hand supported her back.

Qi Chang had clearly seen many sword selection scenes before. After she steadied herself and withdrew her hand, she calmly said, "This sword is not suitable for you. Continue trying."

Lu Yuanyuan pursed her lips and drew another sword.

...

With Qi Chang's help, Lu Yuanyuan chose a sword that suited her well. Afterwards, the two walked out of the Sword Inquiry Hall together. Lu Yuanyuan hugged the sword to her chest, her eyes shining: "Thank you for today, Daojun."

Qi said sadly, "It's nothing, you don't need to thank me so many times."

Lu Yuanyuan exchanged a few pleasantries with the other person, watched them disappear at the end of the mountain path, then lowered her head and fiddled with the new sword in her hand. Turning around, she suddenly saw someone standing in the distance.

Duan Lansheng stood under a tree near the Sword Inquiry Hall, watching her.

His face was dappled with tree shadows, and his eyes were clouded with a thin mist, making them dark and unfathomable.

In fact, Duan Lansheng wasn't a newcomer. He had been standing there for a long time, ever since she walked out of the Sword Inquiry Hall carrying a new sword and chatting and laughing with Qi Chang.

Lu Yuanyuan was taken aback. She slung her sword behind her back, strode over, and stood in front of him: "Lansheng, what are you doing here?"

Duan Lansheng's eyelashes were very dark, making his face appear even whiter. He stared straight at her and asked, "If you want to choose a sword, why did you choose him instead of me?"

He was neither as old nor as long-time in the sect as Qi Chang, but in the world of cultivation, different professions are like different worlds. A sword cultivator and a pill cultivator are incomparable in their choice of swords. Without a doubt, the sword cultivator, who deals with swords every day, is more proficient in this art.

“I ran into him at the door.” Lu Yuanyuan bent her knuckles and tapped the sword sheath: “Although Qi Daojun is a pill cultivator, he is actually quite good at this as well.”

Duan Lansheng frowned and said in a hard voice, "I am better than him."

Lu Yuanyuan looked up at him with some surprise, having rarely heard him speak so competitively.

Duan Lansheng pursed his lips.

He knew he had spoken out of turn. Lu Yuanyuan considered him a friend and certainly wouldn't want him to be like this. However, when he realized he wasn't Lu Yuanyuan's first choice, he became agitated, as if a sense of hostility and resentment was swelling in his chest, making him unable to control himself and utter those words that contradicted Qi Chang's.

No, he didn't intend to compete with Qi Chang, nor did he have any other intentions. He simply wanted to be Lu Yuanyuan's best friend, nothing more.

“I went to see my master last night and only came out this morning. I went to Danqing Peak to look for you, but you were still asleep then. When I went there again, you were no longer at Danqing Peak, so I knew you had come here.” Duan Lansheng turned his face away and did not continue the previous conversation. He said softly, “I prepared a sword for you. You don’t actually need to use the sword from the Sword Inquiry Sect.”

He couldn't remember when it started, but no matter where he went, he wanted to share anything good with Lu Yuanyuan. Ever since she went into seclusion, he had been thinking about choosing a sword for her.

Hearing Duan Lansheng's words, Lu Yuanyuan curiously followed him to the Sword Sect and arrived at his residence. Duan Lansheng took out a sword wrapped in silk from his storage ring and handed it to her.

The sword's blade emitted a faint green light; it was lighter and smaller, but this did not diminish its sharpness in the slightest. The hilt was just the right size for Lu Yuanyuan to grip with one hand. Just by looking at the gleam of spiritual energy flowing through the blade, one could tell that this was no ordinary weapon, far superior to the beginner equipment of the Sword Inquiry Sect.

Lu Yuanyuan stared, but did not reach out.

Seeing her hesitant reaction, as if she were somewhat distant, Duan Lansheng placed the sword in her hand and said, "Give it a try."

Lu Yuanyuan thought for a moment and decided that there was no need to turn away good things: "Thank you in advance."

Seeing that she accepted it, Duan Lansheng's expression softened.

Lu Yuanyuan drew the sword and tested it; it was indeed a fine sword. Duan Lansheng, being a professional, quickly spotted some flaws that didn't suit her. Seizing the opportunity, the two went to the forging room and began refining and modifying the sword that very day.

The temperature in the forging room was hotter and more stuffy than outside, like a small steamer. While waiting for the sword to take shape, the two simply went outside to wait. Lu Yuanyuan patted the dust off the stone steps, sat down, and only then did she have time to ask Duan Lansheng what he had gone to do after leaving the sect: "I didn't ask last night what the sect leader asked you to do this time? You actually went to report the results to him overnight."

Duan Lansheng looked at her, hesitated for a moment, and then said, "There has been an unusual movement in the Ghost Realm."

Lu Yuanyuan was taken aback: "What did you say?"

After hearing Duan Lansheng's explanation, she learned what had happened in the two months she had been isolated from the world—the Ghost Realm had been sealed away many years ago, remaining stagnant and inactive for all these years. However, in the last six months, turmoil had broken out in the Spirit Treasure Realm, its outer perimeter. Some demons and monsters that had been living peacefully there had collectively fled and built demon caves dozens of miles away from the Spirit Treasure Realm.

This is highly illogical. Just three years ago, the cultivators went to the Spirit Treasure Secret Realm and killed a large number of local bullies. Logically, that place should have been peaceful for a long time, and a new batch of local bullies shouldn't have formed so quickly, much less have fled en masse in such an unusual way. It's as if something inside scared them away.

Therefore, the sect leader of Shushan was worried and sent a group of disciples to investigate the situation. Duan Lansheng, being a half-demon and one of the most powerful young spiritual beings, was indispensable for entering the demon cave.

After listening, Lu Yuanyuan felt her hands and feet were ice-cold, even though she was sitting under the summer sun.

The reason she was so surprised was that, in the original story, the strange events in the Ghost Realm, on the surface, were a sign of the Ghost Emperor's resurrection and return to the world, but in reality, they were a prelude to Duan Lansheng's ascension.

In other words, it doesn't appear until much later in the original story!

At that time, there were only one or two years left before Duan Lansheng attained enlightenment and ascended to immortality.

Duan Lansheng, who is sitting next to her now, is only twenty years old and is still a long way from ascending to immortality.

How could such a landmark event as the anomaly in the Ghost Realm occur so quickly? This is nothing, it's faster than a rocket launch!

Is it a coincidence? Or is the information that Shushan received wrong?

If it's just an error message, that's fine. But if it's true, then things are in serious trouble. First of all, her experience from her past life probably can't be used as a complete reference.

Secondly, she couldn't understand the reason for bringing forward the event's timing.

Could it be that the plot twisted somewhere she wasn't aware of, causing a chain reaction that shortened the timeline?

So what exactly is the variable that caused all of this?

Where exactly does the problem lie?

Lu Yuanyuan grew anxious, leaning forward and staring at Duan Lansheng: "Is the news reliable?"

“The news is true, but we don’t know the reason yet. I have already reported what I saw and learned to Master.” Seeing that her face was not good, Duan Lansheng paused and gently comforted her: “Don’t be afraid, it’s too early to say anything now.”

Seeing that her brows were still furrowed and she looked worried, he reached out and touched her brow as if by some strange impulse.

When they bumped into each other, they were both startled.

After a while, Lu Yuanyuan turned her face away first. Duan Lansheng seemed to come back to his senses as well, withdrew his hand, gently rubbed his fingertips together, and deepened his gaze.

The atmosphere was a little strange. Lu Yuanyuan coughed and forced a conversation, continuing the previous topic: "I'm not afraid. I'm just worried that if so many monsters run out together, it will affect many innocent people. This applies to the cultivation world and the mortal world as well. Even if only one or two run into the mortal world, it will be terrible."

System: "Unfortunately, you have indeed run down there. And it's a place you're very familiar with."

In Lu Yuanyuan's mind, a long-lost image of a heroic and arrogant young man resurfaced: "...Yong Kingdom?"

System: "Correct. To be precise, it's the border between the states of Yong and Yan. You should know that these two countries are at war."

Lu Yuanyuan knew, of course.

Although she had been in the cultivation world for several years, and the cultivation world wouldn't normally pay special attention to the conflicts in the mortal world, she still remembered that the reason she, a mortal, was brought to Mount Shu was because the Yan Kingdom disregarded her life as a hostage sent for peace, unilaterally broke the ceasefire treaty, and suddenly launched an attack on the Yong Kingdom.

At that time, it was Yue Hong, the third prince of Yong Kingdom, who spared her life.

The war between the Yong and Yan kingdoms, which began when she left the mortal realm, is still ongoing.

The battlefield was littered with corpses, a veritable hell on earth, and a breeding ground for evil spirits. If a powerful evil entity were to descend to earth, it would undoubtedly rush to the front lines of the war between the two nations, like hyenas drawn by the scent of blood.

The Kingdom of Yong values ​​martial prowess. In times of war, princes and nobles take pride in being the vanguard and never hide behind their soldiers. Although Yue Hong is the third prince, he is most likely on the front lines at this moment…

The strange movements in the ghost realm caused powerful beings to flee down there, which was truly unexpected. It remains to be seen whether he can escape this undeserved calamity.

However, Yue Hong is at least a potential male lead, and with the author's immunity, he shouldn't be in any danger. She should worry more about her own life.

Duan Lansheng didn't know much either, so to avoid arousing his suspicion by asking too many questions, Lu Yuanyuan lay on her knees, stopped talking, and closed her eyes to rest.

The sun shone brightly, a gentle breeze blew, and the air was warm and pleasant.

Lu Yuanyuan lay in the sunlight and actually slept for a little while.

I woke up because I heard footsteps.

"Yuanyuan, what are you doing sitting here? Oh, and Junior Brother Duan is here too..."

Lu Yuanyuan's eyelids twitched, and she opened her sleepy eyes. She looked up and saw several familiar people standing in front of her: Cen Fei, Zhou Que, Fu Xinguang... and Yin Xiaozhu behind them.

How did these people end up together? Lu Yuanyuan rubbed her eyes: "Fu Xinguang, Yuanjun... what are you doing here?"

Cen Fei said, "We were here refining something when we ran into Yuanjun on the way. But what about you two? Why are you taking a nap here?"

Lu Yuanyuan was about to answer when she realized her shoulders felt heavy. Turning her head, she saw Duan Lansheng's peaceful sleeping face.

Perhaps because he had been rushing back to his sect and hadn't rested all night, weariness washed over him on this afternoon, and he leaned on her shoulder and fell into a light sleep. Like two lazy cats curled up together for an afternoon nap.

Duan Lansheng seemed oblivious to the newcomers. Only by looking closely could one avoid missing them. When Lu Yuanyuan mentioned Fu Xinguang and the other people's names, his Adam's apple bobbed almost imperceptibly.

With so many people watching, Lu Yuanyuan naturally couldn't sleep. She sat up straight, shrugged her shoulders, and tried to wake Duan Lansheng.

It's strange, Duan Lansheng's hearing is much better than hers, so why is she awake but Duan Lansheng still not awake?

Not only has his hearing deteriorated, but he also seems unusually difficult to wake up today. He trembled a few times before slowly moving his eyelids and waking up groggily.