“I won’t tell you. Maybe once you meet her, you won’t want to annul the engagement,” Shang Shuyu said.
Since Shang Shuyu didn't say, Qin Chu didn't ask further. He mainly felt that knowing or not knowing didn't make much difference, as the engagement already existed in name only.
After resting for a night, Qin Chu and Shang Shuyu no longer Advanced horizontally, but instead charged directly towards the Level 9 area of Sky Sword Peak.
“The Level 9 Sword Intent area, outside of Sword Intent eruption periods, it seems no one in the entire Saint Martial Continent can enter it!” Shang Shuyu exclaimed.
“Senior Sister, do you mean there are no Cultivators whose Sword Intent has reached above Level 9?” Qin Chu asked, looking at Shang Shuyu.
Shang Shuyu nodded, then shook her head. “It’s not that there aren’t any, it’s just that no one knows. Without a battle of equal strength, even if some powerhouse has reached Level 9 Sword Intent, no one would know, so it’s an unknown.”
“Then what is Lingtian Sword Su Mu’s cultivation level?” Qin Chu asked, looking at Shang Shuyu. If Shang Shuyu were merely a Disciple of the Azure Cloud Sect, Qin Chu wouldn’t ask, as it would be useless, but Shang Shuyu had another identity: she was a member of the Azure Dragon Saint Clan.
“I don’t know, but his reputation is extremely strong. Although he is a Loose Cultivator, no power dares to provoke him. He once challenged all kinds of experts across the world with just one sword, and never lost!” Shang Shuyu told Qin Chu.
Qin Chu thought for a moment. “Senior Sister, there are some things I won’t hide from you anymore. I met Su Mu a few months ago and we drank together; I saw him a second time a few days ago, and he said if I obtain more than three Spirit Intent Grass, I should give him one, and he will protect me.”
“This is a good thing! Giving it to him after you have more than three, his request doesn’t cut off your Opportunity. He’s trading with you without hindering your development, which is the Dao of a gentleman. With him protecting you, the White Tiger Saint Clan and the Blazing Thunder Saint Clan won’t provoke you.” Shang Shuyu felt much more at ease. She had always worried about Qin Chu’s safety when leaving Sky Sword Mountain, and now that problem was resolved.
“After leaving Sky Sword Mountain, you and Granny Yu should leave quickly. This chaos is huge and will be a bloodbath,” Qin Chu told Shang Shuyu.
Looking at Qin Chu, Shang Shuyu thought for a moment. “Granny Yu and I will leave for a while, but later, I will come back to find you.”
Qin Chu nodded. Sky Sword City would be chaotic for a while, but after the battles, it would stabilize.
Chatting, Qin Chu and Shang Shuyu arrived at the stele in the Level 9 Sword Intent area.
Qin Chu closed his eyes, then reached out and touched the stele. “This time I entered by a trick; next time, I will stand before you with my own strength.”
“Junior Brother, you can do it!” Shang Shuyu patted Qin Chu’s shoulder. She had witnessed Qin Chu’s rise in the Azure Cloud Sect and knew that with Qin Chu’s determination, perseverance, astonishing Bloodline, and outstanding talent, his achievements were unpredictable.
Taking a deep breath, Qin Chu led Shang Shuyu into the Level 9 Sword Intent area. As soon as he entered, Qin Chu felt an intense suppressive force, which made him want to retreat.
Gritting his teeth, Qin Chu activated his Saint Blood. Instantly, his aura changed, becoming profound and vast!
Shang Shuyu, who was beside Qin Chu, also activated her Azure Dragon Saint Blood. Her already tall figure grew a bit taller, almost the same height as Qin Chu. Although her body became a bit taller, it was still curvaceous.
“Senior Sister, are you still okay? If not, we’ll withdraw!” Qin Chu asked, looking at Shang Shuyu.
“It’s fine. If we can’t, we’ll find a pit and lie low there to recover; that way, the pressure will be reduced,” Shang Shuyu told Qin Chu.
“Okay, but Senior Sister, stay closer to me. Don’t push me away again,” Qin Chu told Shang Shuyu.
A blush appeared on Shang Shuyu’s face. Qin Chu’s words implied there was still a possibility of him holding her.
Qin Chu led Shang Shuyu forward. The surrounding Sword Intent energy continuously surged skyward, the energy wrapped in Sword Intent tearing the air apart, with sword marks crisscrossing in the sky.
Leading Shang Shuyu, Qin Chu kept away from the area where Sword Intent energy crisscrossed. He was extremely careful, because if hit by Sword Qi energy, there would be no possibility of defense; he would be directly torn apart and dismembered!
Shang Shuyu was also extra cautious, pressing close to Qin Chu as they Advanced. The eruption of Sword Intent energy was irregular and unpredictable. Qin Chu could move within Sky Sword Mountain relying on his Sword Spirit Realm; she did not have this ability, so she had to follow Qin Chu closely.
After advancing for half an hour, Qin Chu harvested a Spirit Intent Grass. Because of the high consumption, Qin Chu led Shang Shuyu into a pit where Sword Intent had just erupted. The two leaned against the edge of the pit, stopped activating their Saint Blood, and began to recover.
Because the Sword Intent surged skyward, Qin Chu and Shang Shuyu, being in a relatively deep pit, did not experience much impact.
“This place is terrifying. What kind of strength is needed to enter here normally!” Qin Chu said after tidying the long hair on his forehead.
“It's not about strength, but the high requirements for Sword Intent. Normally, this place has Level 9 Sword Intent impact, but no energy. So, as long as one’s Sword Intent is mature enough, they can come here, but it’s too difficult! In the Saint Martial Continent, many possess Level 5 or Level 6 Sword Intent, but those who reach Level 7 Sword Intent are few and far between. This is because Level 1 to 3 Sword Intent is Elementary Sword Intent, Level 4 to 6 is Intermediate Sword Intent, and Level 7 to 9 is Advanced Sword Intent. Each level of the nine-level Sword Intent is like a heaven; it is very difficult to possess Advanced Sword Intent. Some outstanding individuals can Cultivate Intermediate Sword Intent, but it is very difficult to reach Advanced Sword Intent!” Shang Shuyu explained to Qin Chu what she knew.
“Elder Mo mentioned it to me back then. Let’s take it slow! Who knows what the future holds!” Qin Chu wasn't discouraged by knowing more things.
After Qin Chu and Shang Shuyu rested for an hour, they reactivated their Saint Blood power and continued on their way. As soon as they left, Sword Intent erupted again from the original large pit. A verdant green light shot out, and Qin Chu activated his Saint Fire Wings, sweeping up the Spirit Intent Grass into his hand with a quick dash.
Qin Chu handed it to Shang Shuyu, but Shang Shuyu didn't take it. “You keep it! My harvest from this trip is already great enough. Granny Yu and I both have some, which is already very good.”
“Then I’ll keep this one and bring it back to Senior Mo Daozi in the future. He never comprehended Sword Intent in his life, only having the Sword Spirit Realm, the old man is quite tragic,” Qin Chu put away the Spirit Intent Grass. At this point, he already had quite a few Spirit Intent Grass; enough for Su Mu, enough for himself to use Sword Intent Grass, and he had also prepared some for Qin Longxuan and Qin Lingxi.
As they Advanced, Qin Chu and Shang Shuyu's harvest also grew. The Level 9 Sword Intent area was closer to the core region of Sky Sword Mountain, so there was more Sword Intent Grass.
Seeing Qin Chu's abundant harvest, Shang Shuyu only took two more stalks, because she had parents. After that, she refused to take any more, knowing that greedy women were disliked.
A day later, Qin Chu saw another stele. This stele was taller than previous ones, with two words on it: Forbidden Zone!