For the next few days, there was no further movement.
Lu Changsheng slept beneath the old pine tree, silently digesting the lingering pain.
He had originally been waiting to see when the people from the Profound Heaven Sect would leave, but instead, they simply settled in, showing no intention of departing at all.
Zhou Qingyu cultivated as usual, unwavering through wind and rain. Ye Tianyi, recalling how he had nearly harmed his Junior Brother, refrained from disturbing him these past few days and focused on his own cultivation.
After all, the Cangyun Secret Realm was about to open, and they needed to make ample preparations.
On the other hand, Ning Yuxin came every day without fail. She did not disturb him, though a look of hesitation lingered on her face.
It wasn’t until Lu Changsheng had fully recovered and returned from the old pine tree to Qingyun Peak that she finally approached him.
“Senior Brother Lu, do you have a moment?” Ning Yuxin asked.
“Is something the matter?”
Lu Changsheng looked over.
He watched as she walked up to him and took a seat.
After spending some time together, she had grown familiar with Lu Changsheng and was no longer as reserved as before.
“Did your Sword Intent stop growing, or has your Senior Brother failed to notice you?”
“No, my Sword Intent has been growing, and quite rapidly at that. Senior Brother Zhou has also been paying close attention to me, often coming over to discuss the Dao of the Sword!”
Lu Changsheng asked in confusion, “Then what is this about…”
Finally, Ning Yuxin spoke up, “Ever since I began cultivating the Dao of the Sword, I feel like something has gone wrong!”
Hearing this, he perked up. He was a seller with a conscience, treating his follow-up guidance with the utmost seriousness. If a problem arose, it had to be resolved. He could not let his reputation be ruined.
Ning Yuxin said, a little sheepishly, “It is about my physical changes…”
“Irregular? Has it stopped entirely? Or has your Senior Brother already…”
Before he could finish, Ning Yuxin’s face had already flushed crimson. Frowning, she cried, “Senior Brother, what nonsense are you spouting? I just… I just…”
“Ah, so it is difficult to speak of!” Lu Changsheng nodded in understanding. “How about I check your pulse?”
“You know how to check a pulse?”
“I know a little!”
Ning Yuxin extended her hand. She was too embarrassed to say it out loud, so if he could deduce the issue from her pulse, it would save her the awkwardness of explaining.
Yet, the moment Lu Changsheng laid his fingers on her wrist, he nodded thoughtfully and said, “Oh, so it’s a stifling feeling in the chest, accompanied by pain, with a tearing sensation of swelling!” Read the latest chapters at novelping.com.
“You…”
At those words, Ning Yuxin’s face turned even redder, the flush reaching all the way to her ears. She glared at him with wide, almond-shaped eyes, feeling deeply mortified.
Wasn’t the whole reason she remained silent because she was embarrassed? He clearly understood that, which was why he offered to check her pulse. Yet the moment he finished, he blurted it out anyway! Then what was the point of taking her pulse?!
However, she was also quite astonished. Lu Changsheng’s reputation was terrible, to the point of being considered utterly useless. Yet, he was capable of guiding others in the Dao of the Sword, and he even knew how to take a pulse to diagnose ailments, identifying the root of the problem in an instant.
Lu Changsheng withdrew his hand, his brow furrowing.
He understood the issue.
Fundamentally speaking, Ning Yuxin’s Sword Intent had been derived and separated from his own.
He had erased his own aura from it, allowing it to be nurtured within her body until it became her own Sword Intent.
In essence, however, this Sword Intent was still identical to Lu Changsheng’s. The Sword Intent he cultivated was exceedingly overbearing; an ordinary constitution simply could not withstand it.
Therefore, as it grew and surged through Ning Yuxin’s meridians, her body failed to endure the strain, resulting in internal damage.
“What is wrong?”
“It is not a major issue!” Having pinpointed the cause, Lu Changsheng waved his hand dismissively.
“What is happening to me?”
“Specifically, the Sword Intent you have cultivated is too overbearing, making your body unable to withstand it. Certain areas have been torn, causing them to swell!”
Ning Yuxin glanced down at herself and murmured, “Overbearing Sword Intent?”
“It is partly my fault for failing to remind you beforehand that this type of Sword Intent is different.”
“No wonder Senior Brother marveled at my talent, claiming my Sword Intent was extraordinary!” Ning Yuxin seemed to reach an understanding before asking, “Then what should I do? I feel as though I am on the verge of breaking through to the second level of the Dao of the Sword, but the pain only continues to worsen!”
Hearing this, Lu Changsheng looked her over and fell into deep thought.
“Junior Sister, this matter can be resolved, but it is just a bit…”
As he spoke, his gaze drifted back to her figure.
This look caused Ning Yuxin’s brow to tighten, and she instinctively prepared to stand and back away.
“Senior Brother, a bit what?”
As she spoke, she had already made up her mind: if he tried anything inappropriate, she would immediately turn and flee.
Yet Lu Changsheng simply said, “A bit expensive!”
“Ah? Expensive?”
“Indeed. This kind of overbearing Sword Intent requires a robust physical body to house it. Moreover, your cultivation base is slightly lacking, so you need to achieve a breakthrough as well.”
Ning Yuxin breathed a quiet sigh of relief, though doubt lingered in her voice. “Are you saying I need to temper my physical body and elevate my cultivation?” Find the original chapter at g.com.
“Correct!”
“But I am not a body cultivator, and raising one’s cultivation is not an overnight endeavor. I can feel my Sword Intent nearing the second level, growing autonomously with each passing day…”
Lu Changsheng nodded. “That is why I said it will be quite expensive. You will need Spirit Stones to purchase spiritual herbs and materials. It will not be a small sum!”
“So as long as I have the wealth for it?”
“As long as you have the wealth!”
He replied without a sliver of hesitation.
Was that even a question? What in this world couldn’t be solved with enough Spirit Stones?
As long as the price was right, he would gladly draw his blade and hack at the Profound Heaven Sect Leader. What did a trivial matter like helping her temper her body and raise her cultivation count for?
Ning Yuxin hesitated no longer.
“Then how much does Senior Brother require?”
“I am not entirely certain myself. We will have to check the exact prices in Cangyun City. The cost of certain materials is always fluctuating. As you well know, I do not intend to make a profit off you!”
“Alright, then I must trouble Senior Brother to accompany me to Cangyun City tomorrow.”
Ning Yuxin now held a fair amount of trust in Lu Changsheng.
After all, from the initial establishment of her Sword Intent to its subsequent growth, there had been no mishaps whatsoever, and the results were exceptional.
She had reported her progress back to her clan. Upon learning that she had cultivated Sword Intent and was nearing the second level, her father had been absolutely thrilled.
Especially when he realized that she had improved so vastly while spending so few Spirit Stones. It was an incredible bargain, to the point where he was currently scheming to send his son over to be nurtured as well.
In his eyes, this was the true definition of spending a pittance to accomplish great deeds!
“I suppose that works.”
Lu Changsheng said nothing more as he watched Ning Yuxin depart.
However, once she was gone, he raised an eyebrow.
“Could it be she realized I skimmed some wealth off the top, so she wants to buy the items herself this time? That shouldn’t be the case!” Lu Changsheng felt a sudden twinge of a guilty conscience.
After all, last time he had only spent a meager three Spirit Stones refining a pill for her.
At this thought, he sank into deep contemplation. She was a steady stream of Spirit Stones; he absolutely could not let her slip away. It was time to display his true skills.
Ning Yuxin returned to her room, but her thoughts kept drifting back to Lu Changsheng, leaving her in a daze.
The more they interacted, the more she realized he was completely different from the rumors. Previously, his poor reputation had left a knot in her heart, but that feeling had completely faded. It seemed that spending time with him was not as repulsive as people claimed.
The rest of the night passed without a word, and all of Qingyun Peak remained completely silent.
It was not until the crack of dawn the following day that Lu Changsheng stood waiting outside, ready to take Ning Yuxin to Cangyun City.