Chapter 33: Sword Cultivator (Please keep reading)

Chapter 33: Sword Cultivator (Please keep reading~)

"Zhirui, why are you so optimistic about that girl?" Li Shiqing asked with some curiosity.

Li Zhirui grinned and said, "A feeling!"

"Clan Leader, I'm heading back to refine pills now." Ignoring the astonished gazes of the crowd, Li Zhirui walked straight out of the main hall.

Li Shiqing frowned slightly. He didn't believe Li Zhirui would leave such a meaningful remark just because of some vague feeling, but he also didn't believe Li Zhixuan would achieve much in the future.

Because in the three hundred-plus years of the Li family's heritage, a Foundation Establishment cultivator with four spiritual roots had never appeared!

Li Zhirui ignored the thoughts and speculations of others. After returning to his small courtyard, he began refining Pulse-Strengthening Pills.

Perhaps because he was in a good mood, he actually succeeded after a few attempts!

Li Zhirui opened the green jade pill furnace to see a single, smooth Pulse-Strengthening Pill floating in the spiritual water.

To remember this sensation, Li Zhirui refined several more batches. There were successes and failures, but as he continued, his success rate grew higher.

Li Zhirui wanted to keep refining, but unfortunately, his materials had been exhausted, leaving him with no choice but to stop.

"Why are you hungry again?" Before Li Zhirui could even clean the pill room, he heard Da Qing's cries and spoke with great helplessness.

Li Zhirui couldn't understand it; Da Qing was clearly far from a breakthrough, yet lately, he had been getting hungry very quickly, his appetite doubling compared to before!

He had even suspected if Da Qing was sick, but after several careful examinations, Li Zhirui found no issues, and Da Qing didn't seem to feel unwell himself.

"It's a good thing it's me. If it were anyone else, they wouldn't be able to feed a glutton like you!" Li Zhirui said irritably as he piled over a dozen spiritual fruits in front of Da Qing.

"Ji ji—"

Da Qing let out two dissatisfied cries, devoured the spiritual fruits like a whirlwind, and then looked at Li Zhirui expectantly, looking as if he hadn't eaten enough.

"You want more?" Li Zhirui froze, then said, "You aren't actually sick, are you?"

Da Qing shook his head and cried out repeatedly, urging Li Zhirui to bring more spiritual fruits.

Left with no choice, Li Zhirui complied, only to watch helplessly as Da Qing ate more than fifty spiritual fruits.

"You should rest well at home." Li Zhirui was truly worried now. He rushed toward the Scripture Pavilion to see if he could find the reason for Da Qing's sudden voracious appetite.

Currently, aside from Li Zhirui, no other member of the Li clan raised turtle-type spiritual beasts. Although they had long lifespans, their growth was too slow, so he could only turn to the Scripture Pavilion for answers.

*A Few Facts About Turtle-Type Spiritual Beasts*, *How to Raise Turtle-Type Spiritual Beasts*... Li Zhirui borrowed every manual that contained the word "turtle." Regardless, he had a large amount of contribution points on hand.

After browsing through a vast amount of literature, Li Zhirui finally found the reason, but he was utterly bewildered by the result. Da Qing was preparing to molt?! Turtle-type spiritual beasts could actually molt?!

"As turtle-type spiritual beasts continue to grow, their shells do not change and cannot accommodate their increasing body volume...

When a Spirit Turtle molts, it falls into a deep sleep and thus needs to accumulate a large amount of spiritual energy to avoid falling into danger due to insufficient energy...

Each time a Spirit Turtle molts, it lasts anywhere from a month to half a year or even a year."

Knowing this was a normal phenomenon, Li Zhirui felt relieved, even though he still couldn't quite grasp the concept of a turtle molting.

As for the dangers a Spirit Turtle might encounter during molting, Li Zhirui didn't take them to heart, as he had enough spiritual fruits and pills to satisfy Da Qing's needs.

Upon returning to the courtyard, Li Zhirui piled a large amount of spiritual fruits in front of Da Qing and said, "If you're hungry, eat them yourself."

Perhaps because he had accumulated enough spiritual energy, Da Qing fell into a deep sleep a few days later, beginning the first molt of his turtle life.

Li Zhirui checked on Da Qing every day to ensure no sudden accidents occurred, only then feeling at ease.

...

Inside the Linghui Courtyard, Li Zhixuan was training with gritted teeth under the surprised and puzzled gazes of the others, carrying a ten-pound blunt sword on her back.

This iron sword was something Li Zhixuan had found in the armory. She had taken an immediate liking to it, and because it was a blunt sword and she was young, the staff hadn't paid much attention, allowing her to take it out of the armory.

Before the age of eight, every clan member with spiritual roots needed to undergo physical training to temper their bodies and strengthen their meridians; this was exactly what they were doing now.

This type of training was extremely grueling. Every session left them exhausted, requiring herbal baths and sleep to nourish the body so they could recover their energy for the next day.

When Li Zhirui was at the Linghui Courtyard, even with his adult mindset, he had almost been unable to endure such devilish training, which showed just how terrifying it was.

Yet Li Zhixuan, a girl barely five years old, was actually carrying a ten-pound iron sword to perform this terrifying training!

The elder in charge of the Linghui Courtyard and responsible for teaching these children looked at Li Zhixuan with eyes full of gratification, but upon thinking of her aptitude, a hint of regret surfaced.

"Zhixuan, you are still young. Excessive training will not do you any good; instead, it will damage your meridians. Therefore, do not carry the iron sword while training anymore."

Seeing that Li Zhixuan remained silent, the gentle-natured elder said helplessly, "I will give this iron sword to you, but you may only carry it at other times. Otherwise, I will take it back."

"Okay!" Only then did Li Zhixuan obediently unbind it. After setting the iron sword aside, she ran back to continue her training.

Half an hour later, Li Zhixuan's group of children was the first to be dismissed. While the other five were still sighing in exhaustion, Li Zhixuan had already strapped the iron sword back on and was walking toward the cafeteria.

Although they were not yet cultivators, they were no longer eating mundane food, but rather the most peaceful first-grade low-rank spiritual rice and spiritual meals.

While they could not yet absorb the spiritual energy within, this energy would accumulate in their flesh and blood, helping them break through to the first level of Qi Refinement more quickly once they officially became cultivators.

"Zhixuan, why are you working so hard?" Li Yue asked curiously.

This group of clansmen had been living in the Linghui Courtyard for several days, but Li Zhixuan had always been a loner; this was the first time someone had approached her to talk.

"Because I want to live a better life," Li Zhixuan said before bypassing Li Yue and returning to her room to quietly wait for the medicinal liquid used for her bath.

After her herbal bath, Li Zhixuan returned to her bed and softly recited: "The wind blows the grass but does not break it; from extreme weakness, strength is born." She then began to ponder the meaning of these words.

Unfortunately, although the Linghui Courtyard taught them to read and write, the time spent was too short, and her knowledge was insufficient to understand the depth of the phrase.

Due to extreme fatigue, Li Zhixuan soon fell asleep.

The next morning, as the sky was just beginning to brighten, Li Zhixuan climbed out of bed. Holding her iron sword, she went to the martial arts field for some simple exercises. She remembered the elder's words from yesterday, so she did not carry the iron sword on her back.

More than half an hour later, Li Zhixuan left the martial arts field, washed up, went to the cafeteria, and finally entered the classroom just in time.

"Today, we shall discuss the most powerful combatants among cultivators: the Sword Cultivators." After entering the room, the elder announced the main topic of the lecture.

"The saying, 'Sword Qi traverses thirty thousand miles, and a single sword strike chills nineteen provinces,' refers to the powerful combat strength of Sword Cultivators..."

Under the elder's description, everyone present felt a sense of longing for the power of Sword Cultivators. Li Zhixuan, in particular, listened as if entranced, focusing intently, unwilling to miss a single word!

(End of Chapter)