May.
The green shade was lush, and a faint smile played on his lips as Xu Xian stepped out of the Extreme Cold Ice Plains, heading south.
It had been over two full months since the incident in Yecheng had concluded.
During this time, Xu Xian had consumed the snake core, drank the snake blood, and chewed through the Nine-Turn Spirit Lotus, spending over a month fully absorbing them.
His core had formed.
He had broken through.
He was now in the core formation stage.
Furthermore, he had gained an epiphany from the Nine-Turn Spirit Lotus, attaining a strand of Extreme Cold Sword Intent.
A single strike from his sword could now summon wind and snow, freezing a hundred meters of mountains and rivers.
Along the way, he had also comprehended the third move of the Green Lotus Sword Song.
[Sword Qi Transforms Into Lotuses]
This move was not an offensive killing strike. Instead, it used sword qi to grow green lotuses that bloomed around his body to neutralize an opponent's attacks.
Among the three sword moves, this was the only defensive one. When paired with the Extreme Cold Sword Intent, the blooming ice lotuses produced a miraculous effect, allowing for both offense and defense.
Xu Xian now felt that he was terrifyingly strong.
Once he returned.
After he built the first floor of the Sword Tower, his realm would soar straight to nascent soul.
In the future, when he summoned the Sword Tower and drew the first divine sword, he would truly be a force to be reckoned with.
To be honest.
He was already starting to feel a bit impatient.
After leaving the extreme cold lands, Xu Xian did not head directly back to the Wendao Sword Sect.
When he had set out for the Yecheng mission, he had also picked up a Grade B mission on the side.
It was to dig an irrigation canal for a village called Luoxia Village.
This was a great deed that benefited both the land and the people.
Since it happened to be right on his way back, he had no reason not to earn those merit points.
Following the mission's guidance, Xu Xian first found the city that Luoxia Village belonged to, then located the next-level county from there.
The city governing Luoxia Village was called Mang City, situated deep within the mountains north of the Wendao Sword Sect.
Unlike the prosperity of Yecheng, Mang City was more like an ancient dynasty's place of exile—spacious but sparsely populated, with backward commerce.
Among the 108 Cities of the Northern Borders, the further north, east, or west one went, the more desolate it became and the fewer people lived there. This was not surprising.
Moreover.
The north, east, and west were the areas where incidents frequently occurred according to the Mission Hall of the Wendao Sword Sect.
Demons, devils, and beasts emerged in an endless stream, often harassing the inhabitants.
The north was relatively fine.
The extreme cold ice plains were essentially a forbidden zone for life.
The great beasts of the North Sea lived on the water; while they weren't exactly friendly with the human race, they at least held no deep-seated grudges.
The great beasts within rarely set foot on the continent. On the contrary, cultivators from Fanzhou often formed groups to delve deep into the North Sea in search of rare treasures.
As for the west and east.
One bordered the Demon Abyss, while the other bordered the Great Desolation.
Demons and beasts were the mortal enemies of the human race. Even though the Wendao Sword Sect had beaten them into submission and established treaties of non-aggression, a piece of paper was better than nothing but far from absolute.
Large-scale movements were rare, but small skirmishes never ceased.
The powerhouses on both sides seemed to have a tacit agreement: the big players wouldn't move, but the small fries could fight to the death as they pleased.
Conflicts between humans and beasts, in particular, had never stopped for ten thousand years.
While at Zhijian Peak.
Xu Xian had heard Wen Qingxue mention in passing that to the east, bordering the Great Desolation, there was a vast expanse of ravines where mountains overlapped, yellow sand filled the sky, and deathly silence reigned.
It was a purgatory rarely seen in the human world.
Called the Demon Suppression Abyss, it served as the boundary line between the Northern Borders and the Great Desolation.
Inside the Demon Suppression Abyss, there was a city that was not counted among the 108 Cities of the Northern Borders.
This city was called Demon-Slaying City.
There were no civilians in the city. Instead, it was a gathering place for cultivators and outlaws who made their living by hunting beasts.
There were rogue cultivators.
Members of the Three Sects.
People from thousands of sects and ten thousand clans were there.
Naturally, there were also people from the Wendao Sword Sect.
They called themselves demon hunters.
Wen Qingxue also said that in the Central Plains, over ninety percent of beast hides, bones, and essence blood came from the hands of the demon hunters in Demon-Slaying City.
Of course.
Unlike the Wendao Sword Sect, the cultivators in that city cared more about profit.
They killed beasts.
Mostly to make money.
...
Xu Xian's map of the Northern Borders did not have a specific marker for Luoxia Village.
Naturally, he didn't know where it was, so he went to the local Prefecture Office.
When the official learned that a celestial from the Wendao Sword Sect had arrived, he was incredibly enthusiastic, nearly kowtowing to Xu Xian on the spot.
He insisted on hosting a banquet for Xu Xian.
Xu Xian, of course, remained his usual self.
With a solemn expression, he declared that he wouldn't take so much as a needle or a thread from the people, urging the official not to force him to make a mistake.
The official naturally didn't dare to force a celestial.
After some pleasantries, he summoned a bailiff to accompany Xu Xian to Luoxia Village.
After thanking him, Xu Xian set off that very day.
He flew over the mountains and forests on Wait, quickly finding Luoxia Village, a small mountain village nestled among the peaks.
It was very similar to Houdao Village.
But it was slightly larger.
The accompanying bailiff explained:
"There was originally a spring in Luoxia Village. The spring water flowed out to form a small river. But a few years ago, an earthquake occurred nearby, collapsing many houses. Since then, the spring has stopped flowing."
"The villagers dug many wells, but they couldn't hit water. During the rainy season, it's fine since they can collect rainwater. But once autumn arrives, they have to trek over two mountains just to carry water back, let alone water their crops."
"At the end of last year, the old village chief of Luoxia Village sent someone to the Prefecture Office to report the situation. After my colleagues verified it, they lit a stick of spirit incense to request a celestial from your noble sect to open a water canal. It's been several months now; we thought the matter was too small and no one was coming. We didn't expect a celestial to arrive today."
"The people of Luoxia Village are truly blessed..."
Hearing this, Xu Xian lowered his eyes and immediately adopted an expression of concern for the people, blaming himself, "This is my fault. I should have come two months ago, but I was delayed by matters involving beasts. Sigh... I hope the people of Luoxia Village do not resent me."
The bailiff hurriedly said, "The celestial is kind and generous. To have a celestial personally make the trip for such a small matter is already an immense grace. You must not say such things."
Xu Xian said with righteous indignation, "That is where you are wrong. In our Wendao Sword Sect, the affairs of the people, no matter how large or small, are of the utmost importance. We dare not be the least bit negligent."
"The celestial is truly righteous. It is the fortune of the Northern Borders and the fortune of the people."
The bailiff bowed with cupped hands, the admiration in his eyes flowing like a river.
Xu Xian found this flattery quite pleasant.
After all.
Who doesn't like hearing a few good words?
When away from home.
He represented the Wendao Sword Sect.
As the Little Grand-Uncle, it was his duty to uphold the reputation of the Wendao Sword Sect.
Arriving at Luoxia Village.
The celestial landed his sword outside the village. They encountered children chasing and playing, their faces smudged and noses running.
The children stared at the two of them intently.
One of the braver ones stepped forward to ask.
Where did the guests come from?
The bailiff stepped forward to handle the interaction, telling them to call the village chief and saying that a celestial from the Wendao Sword Sect had come to dig a canal for Luoxia Village.
The children were overjoyed.
They ran off stumbling, shouting as they went.
"The celestial is here! We have water to drink!"
"The celestial is here! We have water to drink!"
The remaining group of children followed slowly, keeping pace and stealing frequent glances at the young man...
The celestial was so handsome.
The celestial looked so good.
Xu Xian felt a deep sense of kinship with Luoxia Village, especially these children, who reminded him so much of his childhood playmates.
His own younger brother should be about this age by now.
He took out some candies.
He distributed them to the crowd.
"Here, have some candy!"
The children gathered their courage to take the candies and eat them, their faces lighting up with sweet smiles as they surrounded the youth and sang a nursery rhyme.
'A young man came to the village, his pockets filled with candy...'
Before long.
The village chief led the villagers out to greet them. They were incredibly polite and respectful.
They said every good word possible and exhausted their flattery.
Xu Xian smiled brightly and got straight to the point. "No need for pleasantries. This is part of my duty. Come, take me to see the spring in the village."
"This way, Celestial!"
"Please!"
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