Chapter 352: 352, [Swordsmanship Aptitude: 7]

Days went by one after another, with life on the back mountain remaining peaceful and tranquil. Everyone stuck firmly to their daily routines.

Every dawn, Ji Li would join Gu Xiaoman in the bamboo forest to commune with nature. Whether the bamboo forest concealed some sort of mystery or Gu Xiaoman had a unique teaching method, Ji Li’s cultivation base had been improving significantly these days, nearly doubling its usual pace of growth.

“It seems that the Second Senior Sister, albeit not talkative, is adept at instructing disciples,” Lu Xun mused.

Just yesterday, the master had examined Ji Li’s Qi Sea after dinner.

Her Qi Sea also leaned towards the fire element, consistent with her physical constitution.

The master had previously explained that the attribute of one’s Qi Sea should be prioritized over physical constitution, except that most people were unable to discern their mysterious Qi Seas.

Therefore, Ji Li could continue to focus on cultivating the Fire Technique.

The master only gave her a booklet, which recorded a type of respiration method. She was instructed to practice it at noon every day, which would aid in her cultivation technique.

As for swordsmanship, the Second Senior Sister would teach it to her.

Poor Ji Li, therefore, had started following Lu Xun’s old path, beginning to experience the agony of being Enveloped in Sword Intent.

Every night, she would be killed by the Sword Intent in her dreams, waking up panting and startled.

Fortunately, Lu Xun was roomed next to… her neighbor. Rounding up, it felt as if they were sleeping together. This reassured Ji Li and she was able to sleep soundly.

Lately, Lu Xun had been paying close attention to the information inside the forum.

The forum served as his information network, and he could learn about the conditions of the various regions of the Heavenly Dust Continent from the players’ chatter, without leaving the comfort of his home.

With so many chatterboxes, he might as well utilise them.

The seven Great Sects were decisive and did not conceal the news of the Foreign Race, not only maintaining vigilance in their respective regions but also notifying other large and small sects.

Moreover, with the silly players all receiving their mainline missions, they were now effectively in a state of war readiness.

However, while the residents of the Heavenly Dust Continent were nervous, the silly players were excited, one after the other.

This signified that they were about to leave their beginner phase and welcome the real plot!

At the same time, the players were closely monitoring Lu Xun’s every move.

Despite practically staying in the back mountain without much movement, many players still posted: “Please, brothers of the Demon Sect, share any updates about the Purple Palace in the forum!”

It was a natural consideration since Lu Xun’s identity as the World Protagonist had deeply rooted itself in people’s hearts.

Since the main storyline was about to begin, the World Protagonist must be the center.

His actions would influence the main plot!

Gleaning such information proves beneficial for the development of their guilds and clubs.

“It’s time,” Lu Xun said as he closed the forum and opened his character panel.

He prepared to add points to his Swordsmanship Aptitude.

“First, I’ll increase my strength and then go down the mountain to carry out the planned task,” Lu Xun thought.

After opening his character panel, he clicked to add points.

Then, slowly, he closed his eyes.

In the bamboo forest, Ji Li was practicing swordsmanship under the guidance of Gu Xiaoman.

The Wind Stabilizing Wave was in her hand, a red glow swirling inside its gemstone, like a roaring flame dragon!

Suddenly, the glow in the gemstone was no longer restrained but dazzled with a bright red light!

A sword’s cry rang out, as if a dragon were roaring!

Ji Li looked at the change in the dagger in her hand, puzzled.

She looked up at the gaunt Taoist Nun on the boulders, wanting to ask her master if there was some problem with her sword practice.

But then she noticed the wooden hairpin in her master’s hair was slightly trembling.

Though the movement was small, it couldn’t escape the observation of a cultivator.

Ji Li knew that was Gu Xiaoman’s sword.

A wooden sword.

But she didn’t know its name.

Shouldn’t it also be named after a Song Dynasty poem, following the convention of the back mountain?

Second Senior Sister sat on the rock, with an expression that remained calm.

With just a thought, the wooden hairpin left her hair and floated in front of her.

Gu Xiaoman stroked it with her finger, but the wooden sword returned to calmness.

With the wooden hairpin gone, her once coiled up black hair spread out in the air, resting on her shoulders, back, or the deep hollow of her collarbone.

Since she was facing away from Ji Li, Ji Li didn’t see the faint smile on her face.

Though the smile was light, it had a sense of melting ice and snow.

Gu Xiaoman began to speak: “It’s …it’s fine. Our little junior brother has just had a… breakthrough.”

Upon hearing this, Ji Li gave the Wind Stabilizing Wave a stunned glance, then looked toward the small study at the top of the mountain.

“Has Lu Xun made another breakthrough?”

“This sudden breakthrough… actually affected the Immortal Level Wind Stabilizing Wave!”

“That’s amazing…” Ji Li couldn’t help expressing her awe in her heart.

But in the past, when Lu Xun had made a breakthrough, didn’t all the swords within the Demon Sect resonate?

Why didn’t she hear it this time?

Because she was on the back mountain, she was unaware of the magnificent scene unfolding outside the mountain.

In the outer sect of the Demon Sect, Lu Xun’s sword-serving child, Li Zuole, was casually chatting with Cai Jiangjiang and others.

Li Zuole was sitting cross-legged there, his longsword resting on his lap. He thought it looked cool like this.

However, in the next moment, his longsword suddenly unsheathed itself and flew out!

Li Zuole: “???”

He watched helplessly as his weapon ran away.

Fortunately, it didn’t fly far, just landing on the vacant ground nearby.

The blade of this sword was pointing towards the direction of the Demon Sect’s back mountain, with the tip embedded in the ground.

Standing still there, Li Zuole’s commands to control the sword were completely ignored by it.

“Has it been hexed?” Li Zuole got up and went to the sword, gripping the hilt, trying to pull it out. No matter how hard he tried, the sword just wouldn’t budge!

“Was your sword taken by someone else?” Xiao Guangming joked from the side.

Li Zuole’s complexion turned a bit ugly.

He looked towards the distance, then frowned and said, “Stop sitting around, come take a look!”

Cai Jiangjiang and the others immediately got up, went over to Li Zuole, and looked around.

Upon witnessing the spectacular scene before them, they couldn’t help but take a deep breath, then unculturedly blurted out:

“Holy shit!!!”

Many sword cultivators in the outer sect were standing next to their swords with strange expressions, all their swords stabbed into the ground, not moving.

And every sword’s blade was pointing in the direction of the back mountain!

It was like a pilgrimage!

Cai Jiangjiang tiptoed to get a better look in the distance, then looked towards the back mountain and said, “Is this related to the Purple Palace?”

“It probably is.” Li Zuole said with a shocked expression.

Everyone turned to look at the back mountain of the Demon Sect. Wang Gangtie opened his mouth and said: “Doesn’t anyone else feel that the sky is lower today?”

Xiao Guangming looked up and said, “Huh, the clouds are that low today?”

But, after a few seconds of looking up, they discovered that it wasn’t the sky that was low, but the clouds were actually falling!

It began slowly, but very soon started to fall faster and faster!

In fact, not just them, but also Shen Yan and others on the main peak had come out of the Demon Sect Main Hall, standing at the entrance, looking up at the sky.

“It seems our little junior uncle has broken through again.” Luo Wanqiu said with a smile.

They were all great cultivators with vast experience, but they had never seen such a strange celestial phenomenon before.

Clouds rolling in and out were normal. The coming and going of the fog was not unusual. But clouds falling from the sky, that was totally unheard of.

With the back mountain of the Demon Sect as the center, clouds spreading nearly a hundred miles were all falling!

Clouds a hundred miles away were floating in the sky, but the ones within a hundred mile radius were descending, creating a clear contrast between high and low.

This shocking scene brought an incredibly strong visual impact!

It was as if the sky was falling!

In just a few moments, the clouds had fallen from the sky, covering everything around them.

Clouds filled the whole world.