บท 43: Chapter 43: Mother, Are You Running a Fever? A Sword Opens the Gates of Heaven
The lush greenery carried the fresh scent of grass and earth, filling the serene and picturesque valley. A crisp and youthful voice broke the tranquility.
"Mother!"
Xiao Wu skipped merrily into the house, her steps light and lively, but there was no sign of Yan Rou.
"Where's Mother?"
"Why isn't she back yet?"
Three large question marks seemed to hover above Xiao Wu's head. Yan Rou was fond of quiet and usually stayed within the valley, rarely leaving.
Unlike Xiao Wu, who was too restless to remain indoors for long.
"I'll go look for her!"
Bored of being home alone, Xiao Wu spun on her heels and left the valley to search for Yan Rou.
Ten li from the valley, a winding brook flowed gently. The clear waters rippled as small fish occasionally darted about.
By the stream stood a massive willow tree.
"Its emerald branches reach toward the heavens, draping countless green ribbons.""Who carves such delicate leaves? The February breeze wields scissors of spring."
A soft breeze swept through, and the willow branches, like a woman's gentle hands, brushed the stream, stirring delicate ripples across the water's surface. The stream, as clear as a polished mirror, reflected the towering willow and faintly revealed two overlapping figures leaning against its trunk.
Time passed unnoticed.
Suddenly, the forest erupted with startled birds taking flight.
It seemed that a fearsome Soul Beast had roared in the distance.
Yan Rou's delicate face was flushed as she slid weakly down the willow tree, leaning against Zhou Yi. Her gaze was alluring, her fingers lazily tracing his skin. Beneath the tremor of her satisfaction was a hint of nervousness.
"You little rascal. How are you so strong? You wore me out for so long."
As she spoke, Yan Rou cast a teasing, flirtatious glance at Zhou Yi, exuding charm.
Such was the allure of a mature woman, a grace far beyond what Xiao Wu could possess.
"Little rascal?"
"Am I little?"
Feigning displeasure, Zhou Yi smacked her lightly and snorted.
"Do you really not know how little I am?"
"Hmph!"
Yan Rou whimpered in protest, giving him a pitiful look before leaning down and biting his shoulder in playful revenge.
There was no denying Zhou Yi's physical strength.
Even she found it overwhelming.
After venting her frustrations, Yan Rou's hands wandered, admiring Zhou Yi's firm muscles with a hint of obsession.
During the earlier battle against Da Ming and Er Ming, Yan Rou had already realized Zhou Yi's power was terrifying.
Even the Titan Giant Ape and the Sky Azure Bull Python, both known for their unparalleled strength among hundred-thousand-year Soul Beasts, were no match for Zhou Yi, who had tossed them around like ragdolls.
But experiencing his strength firsthand brought a whole new level of admiration—an intoxicating allure.
It was like being a small boat adrift on an endless ocean, battered by wave after wave…
Zhou Yi's chest pressed against Yan Rou's soft and delicate figure. His large hand gently stroked her jade-like back as his gaze lingered on the distant scenery, calm and unperturbed.
Suddenly, Yan Rou's body tensed, as though startled.
"Oh no, Xiao Wu is coming!"
She tried to sit up but lacked the strength, panicking as she urged Zhou Yi, "Hurry and leave! Don't let Xiao Wu see you!"
Zhou Yi chuckled, leaning down to kiss her lightly. "Alright, I'll leave. I'll visit you and Xiao Wu again soon."
Without hesitation, he withdrew and disappeared from Yan Rou's sight in the blink of an eye.
"That scoundrel!"
Yan Rou groaned softly, her body aching. Sensing Xiao Wu's approach, she forced herself to quickly tidy up her appearance.
"Mother!"
Xiao Wu dashed over, her worry evident as she saw Yan Rou sitting beneath the willow tree, her cheeks flushed red.
"Mother, what's wrong? Are you running a fever?"
"Ah! You're burning up!"
Xiao Wu touched Yan Rou's forehead and cheeks, exclaiming in alarm, "Mother, you really have a fever! Let me take you home!"
She swiftly scooped Yan Rou into her arms and raced back toward the house.
"It is a fever!"
From a distance, Zhou Yi's figure appeared. Watching Xiao Wu and Yan Rou disappear into the valley, he stroked his chin, murmuring thoughtfully, "But I've already given her the fever shot. She'll recover soon enough."
Calming his thoughts, Zhou Yi began to reflect on the rewards of this venture into the Star Dou Forest.
The Golden Bell Shield had reached perfection, not only significantly boosting his strength but also transforming his physical body. His cultivation level had risen to Rank 49.
If he consumed a Blood Bodhi and refined it, breaking through to Rank 50 would be effortless. With a suitable Soul Ring, he would ascend to become a Soul King.
But there was no rush.
Zhou Yi planned to visit the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well in the Sunset Forest. That location was brimming with countless medicinal treasures, a natural paradise for alchemy.
With his masterful medical skills, Zhou Yi was confident he could fully harness the potential of those herbs.
This trip would be worth it.
Zhou Yi had two objectives.
The first was to claim that place to prevent others from ruining it.
The second was to gather medicinal herbs for enhancing his cultivation and that of his women, as well as for nurturing the unborn child of Liu Erlong.
"Let's test out the Martial Technique Fusion Card first."
Zhou Yi turned his gaze to the reward he had obtained from completing Yan Rou's challenge in the system's inventory—a Martial Technique Fusion Card.
He decided to fuse Fourteen Deadly Swords, Nine Swords of Dugu, and One Sword to Part the World using it.
The Martial Technique Fusion Card allowed the fusion of up to three techniques.
Perfect.
Each technique had its unique strengths. In Zhou Yi's mind, countless variations began to unfold as if he had entered a world of swords. There, he ceaselessly practiced, comprehended, and fused the techniques.
Day after day.
Year after year.
The lethal sword intent of Fourteen Deadly Swords, the unparalleled sword intent of Nine Swords of Dugu, and the transcendent sword intent of One Sword to Part the World gradually merged and transformed.
A completely new sword intent was born.
This sword intent felt as though it could cleave the heavens.
Magnificent and boundless.
Overwhelmingly tyrannical.
When Zhou Yi opened his eyes, two beams of sword light shot out. The surrounding vegetation seemed to transform into divine swords, bowing in reverence toward him.
Within a kilometer radius, all living beings silently collapsed to the ground, as if pierced by countless invisible swords. Strangely, no visible injuries could be seen.
They were all slain by the sword intent Zhou Yi had unintentionally unleashed.
Heaven-Cleaving Sword Intent!
A single slash to open the gates of heaven!
"Unmatched power!" Zhou Yi exclaimed, gripping the Frost-Defying Sword tightly. A powerful urge surged within him—a longing to split the heavens with a single strike.
Possessing such a weapon naturally stirs the desire to kill.
"With the Twelfth-Level Perfection Golden Bell Shield, my defense is invincible!"
"With the perfected Heaven-Cleaving Slash, my offense is unparalleled!"
"Now all I need is speed!"
Zhou Yi glanced at the accumulated 6,000 experience points he had gathered over this period and allocated over 4,000 to the Ascending Immortal Steps.
Ascending Immortal Steps…
Perfected.
Zhou Yi summoned his attribute panel:
Host: Zhou Yi
Age: 22
Cultivation: Soul Ancestor (Rank 49)
Martial Soul: Divine Dragon Sword
Cultivation Techniques:
Sacred Heart Sutra (Perfected, 351/50,000)
Golden Bell Shield (Twelfth-level Perfection)
Soul Skills:
Flickering Light (520 years)
World Within Reach (1,001 years)
Gravity Domain (4,000 years)
Tiger's Roar and Dragon's Cry (15,000 years)
Skills:
Heaven-Cleaving Slash (Perfected, 551/10,000)
Grandmaster-level Medical Arts (Perfected)
Lingxi Finger (Perfected)
Ascending Immortal Steps (Perfected, 0/10,000)
Heavenly Palace Mirage (Minor Completion, 662/5,000)
Eye of the Calamity (Perfected, 253/10,000)
Light Wave Steps (Entry Level, 56/2,000)
Soul Bone: Wings of Wind and Thunder (External)
Special: Wheel of Reincarnation Technique
Inventory:
Bodhi Jade Tea
Blood Bodhi
Eternal Heart
Four Sacred Heart Absolutes
Four Sacred Heart Calamities
Seven Immeasurable Abodes
Sacred Heart Incantation of the Ocean
[TL/N: prev. as Sea Summoning Sacred Heart Incantation.]
Nine Yin True Scripture
Frost-Defying Sword
Solitary Yang Finger Technique
Experience Points: 1,856
"Not bad!" Zhou Yi nodded in satisfaction. Adjusting his belt, he executed the perfected Ascending Immortal Steps. His figure moved like lightning, ethereal like an immortal.
"The Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, here I come!"
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