A figure emerged from the doorway, stepping out into the center of the crowd's focused gaze. He staggered forward and slowly raised his eyes.
"Er—"
As their eyes met his, every person present held their breath, standing as still as wooden statues.
Xu Xian’s Adam’s apple bobbed. He shuffled two steps forward as if he had exhausted every last bit of his strength. Then, like a kite with a snapped string, he crashed forward. The man in green reacted first, catching Xu Xian steadily the instant before he hit the ground.
The rest of the crowd rushed over in the blink of an eye, surrounding him completely.
"Little Martial Uncle!"
"Little Grand-Uncle!"
"Little Junior Brother!"
Amidst the hazy, chaotic noise ringing in his ears, Xu Xian forced his eyes open and scanned the area. All he saw were unfamiliar faces.
Finally, his gaze landed on the only familiar person there, Ye Xianyu. Using every ounce of strength he had left, he raised a hand.
"Senior Sister."
Ye Xianyu hurried forward and knelt halfway before Xu Xian. Grabbing his palm, she said worriedly, "Little Junior Brother, I’m here. What is it?"
Xu Xian’s lips parted slightly, and he rasped out a single word.
"Hungry..."
Ye Xianyu froze.
The Ancestors were stunned.
The Pavilion Elders looked at each other in bewilderment.
After saying that, Xu Xian promptly passed out.
The Ancestors exchanged looks, their expressions filled with confusion and helplessness.
"Senior Brother, what do we do?"
"Is Little Junior Brother alright?"
The man in green said in a low voice, "He’s fine. He’s likely just starving. I’ve stabilized his mind with spiritual energy. Once he wakes up and eats something, he’ll be fine."
Hearing this, everyone finally let out the breath they had been holding.
A short while later.
The five Ancestors personally escorted Xu Xian away first. Ye Xianyu left a single command behind.
"Disperse. Do not spread word of today’s events."
Then she, too, departed.
Li Qingshan followed closely behind.
He knew now that Xu Xian was out of danger, but he still wanted to know whether Xu Xian had actually retrieved a divine sword.
This was a major matter involving three million merit points.
As for the others, they shared the same curiosity. However, with the boy taken away by the Ancestors, they could only stare blankly. All they could do was discuss and speculate among themselves.
"Phew... Thank goodness he’s okay. The heavens are truly protecting our sect."
"It’s a pity he fainted from hunger. We still don’t know if Little Martial Uncle reached the Fifth Sword Heaven, entered the Divine Sword Pool, or pulled out a divine sword."
"Exactly. The suspense is killing me."
"When Little Martial Uncle came out just now, his hands were empty. Could it be he got nothing at all?"
"Impossible. At the very least, he must have obtained an immortal sword."
"Should we follow them and take a look?"
"Forget it. I can't handle the pressure of being around the Ancestors. We’d better wait for Qingshan to return and ask him."
"True..."
"How could he faint from hunger, though?"
"Nonsense. Why don’t you try staying in there for four months while in the foundation establishment stage? You might not even last two."
"Well, at least it was just hunger..."
"Disperse, disperse. Everyone go back."
The months of dry waiting vanished in an instant. Though they hadn't received their answer in the end, Xu Xian’s four-month stay in the Sword Mound was enough for the Wendao Sword Sect's records to dedicate a special entry to him.
It would read: In his youth, Xu Xian reached foundation establishment in ten months. He entered the Sword Mound to seek a blade and did not emerge until four months had passed.
So it was recorded.
With no predecessors to compare him to, it was left to time to see if any successors could ever surpass him.
When the full light of day arrived, Zhujian Peak returned to its usual tranquility.
In the immortal estate atop the summit of Sword Inquiry Peak, Xu Xian lay fast asleep on Ye Xianyu’s bed.
Standing before him, six figures were huddled around a thick, heavy sword, examining it closely.
From time to time, they clicked their tongues and offered their thoughts.
"Little Junior Brother looks so refined, yet he chose such a massive heavy sword. It's quite a contrast."
"Didn't Xiaoyu say he was born in an isolated village? He spent his childhood hunting and fishing—he’s a child of the mountains. It makes sense for him to have a bit of a rugged side."
"Sixth Senior Brother is absolutely right."
"I remember this sword. I saw it back when I went to retrieve Zhuque. Though it’s a bit ugly, it is the first among a hundred swords."
"I have some memory of it as well. A pity, though. It would have been great if Little Junior Brother could have pulled out a divine sword."
"Perhaps the Divine Sword Pool doesn't even exist. Being able to retrieve the leader of immortal swords is already far better than any of us did."
"Indeed..."
After a while, seeing that Xu Xian was fine but not yet awake, five of them departed first. They worried that staying would put too much pressure on him when he woke up. Before leaving, they instructed Ye Xianyu to take good care of him.
As for the events within the Sword Mound, if their Little Junior Brother was willing to talk, they would record it for future generations; if he wasn't, no one was to press him or interfere.
The Wendao Sword Sect established itself through the sword, but it was also built on its people.
They respected the privacy of every disciple, especially when it concerned personal fortuitous encounters.
Ye Xianyu happily agreed.
After the five left, Li Qingshan finally dared to enter. He checked on Xu Xian’s condition first, his face full of worry. "Why hasn't he woken up yet?"
Ye Xianyu smiled. "He just drank the Jade Liquid Celestial Dew. He hasn't finished absorbing it yet. It’ll be a while."
Li Qingshan was shocked and teased, "Jade Liquid Celestial Dew? I remember you only had one drop. You wouldn't even let me, your own disciple, catch a whiff of it. Why so generous this time?"
Ye Xianyu sat at the head of the bed, her eyes half-lidded. "What do you think?"
Li Qingshan rolled his eyes. "How should I know?"
Ye Xianyu gestured toward the heavy sword lying on the table. "Look. That’s the sword your Little Martial Uncle brought out."
Only then did Li Qingshan notice the sword. He walked over and studied it closely. He reached out to touch it, only to feel the pressure of the sword’s spirit surging toward him.
He couldn't help but praise, "Such overbearing sword aura."
Ye Xianyu said with a smile, "No matter how overbearing it is, it’s still just an immortal sword."
Li Qingshan grumbled, "'Just' an immortal sword? You make it sound so simple. How many immortal swords even exist in Fanzhou? This sword will surely make the rankings now that it has appeared."
Ye Xianyu held out her small hand. "Don't play dumb. Hand it over."
"What?"
"I won. My one million merit points."
Li Qingshan curled his lip, still unwilling to give up. "How about another round?"
Ye Xianyu took the initiative to refuse. "No. We agreed that was the last one."
Li Qingshan looked away...
Ye Xianyu urged him.
"Hurry up."
Extremely reluctantly, Li Qingshan pulled out his dao jade. "I guess I owe you."
Having received the merit points, Ye Xianyu was in a great mood. She didn't forget to taunt him. "Hmph, those who bet must be prepared to lose. Don't be a sore loser, man."
Looking at his empty dao jade, Li Qingshan felt like his heart was being twisted. Even though this wasn't the first time, it still hurt.
Having achieved her goal, Ye Xianyu shooed him out. "Alright, you've seen the person, seen the sword, and settled the debt. You can leave now."
Li Qingshan gave the snoring Xu Xian a deep look before returning to Zhijian Peak with a belly full of grievances.
Several days later.
Xu Xian woke up feeling as if he were drunk, his head throbbing painfully. Looking up, he saw red silk curtains and a carved jade mirror. He grew even more confused.
A ridiculous thought suddenly popped into his head.
'Wait... Did I... lose my virginity?'
Rate on N.U.
