Ignoring Qin Chu, Shang Shuyu picked up the teapot and poured herself a cup of tea.
After drinking water, Qin Chu continued to practice his sword, feeling the Sword Intent and understanding what it was all about.
After resting in place for three days, the group continued on their journey, but before setting off, Liu Xue dealt with Sha Han.
For the past three days, Bai Yu, Zheng Qiu, and others had brutally beaten Sha Han.
Conspiring with others to harm and humiliate one's Senior Sister and Junior Brother was a despicable act that all Cultivators disdained, and no one would tolerate it.
"Junior Brother Qin, how are your injuries?" Liu Xue asked Qin Chu as they advanced. That day, she had personally seen a deep, bone-visible wound on Qin Chu's back, and Liu Nan's longsword had penetrated deeply into his abdomen. Yet, for the past two days, Qin Chu had continued his sword practice as if he hadn't been injured at all.
"It's nothing, I'll be fine after a few days of recovery!" Qin Chu said.
As they advanced, when Yao Beasts appeared, Qin Chu would step forward to deal with them, using his newly comprehended Sword Intent.
"Junior Brother Qin, where are you from?" Zheng Qiu asked as he collected the Yao Beast's crystal core that Qin Chu had just killed with a single sword strike.
"I don't know, from deep in the mountains!" Qin Chu wiped the longsword in his hand and reinserted it into the scabbard on his back.
"How did you live deep in the mountains? Were your parents hunters?" Liu Xue asked.
Qin Chu let out a breath and shook his head, "I don't know, I've never seen them, but they shouldn't be hunters. I think they must have been very capable."
After speaking, Qin Chu continued forward, leaving Liu Xue and the others looking at each other. Qin Chu's simple words contained a lot of information.
After two days of travel, the group arrived in the Baishenglou region. As Qin Chu studied the map, Shang Shuyu came to his side, "My map has this area marked. Thank you for the tea along the way."
After speaking, Shang Shuyu turned and left.
"You don't have to leave," Qin Chu called out, looking at Shang Shuyu's retreating figure.
Shang Shuyu paused for a moment, then continued forward.
"Thank you for helping me improve my Dao of the Sword, be careful!" Seeing that Shang Shuyu had no intention of staying, Qin Chu called out again.
Turning back and nodding at Qin Chu, Shang Shuyu sped up and left.
"This is the Baishenglou region. Next, it's time to look for Opportunities. Will everyone act together, or split up? And then gather again when it's time?" After watching Shang Shuyu leave, Qin Chu turned to Bai Yu and the others and asked.
Bai Yu was silent for a moment, "I'll go explore on my own. I can't always just follow you around in the Jianghu."
Zheng Qiu and the others felt the same. After the events of the past few days, they realized the gap between themselves and Qin Chu. Qin Chu was at the second-stage Cultivation, not yet at the third-stage, but his combat ability was already at the fourth-stage level. Additionally, they had witnessed Shang Shuyu's power, which made their desire to become stronger very intense.
"Alright then, we'll meet back here in five days!" Qin Chu said to them.
Cupping their fists at Qin Chu, Bai Yu and the others dispersed, entering the Baishenglou region.
After a moment of thought, Qin Chu also left the spot and walked towards Baishenglou.
If there was an Opportunity, he had to seek it. As for the Azure King Token, Qin Chu didn't hold too much hope. Countless years had passed, and the Azure King's ancient ruins had appeared several times. If the Disciples of the Azure Cloud Sect hadn't found the Azure King Token before, how could he find it? Qin Chu wasn't that arrogant.
As he advanced, Qin Chu didn't encounter any Yao Beasts.
Continuing forward, Qin Chu arrived in front of an ancient and simple pavilion. He knew this was one of the Baishenglou.
In front of the pavilion was a stele, detailing the life of a Cultivator named Saber Maniac. The Azure King had challenged him and killed Saber Maniac with his sword.
After watching for a while, Qin Chu entered the pavilion. Inside the pavilion was a sculpture of a man carrying a battle saber.
Qin Chu knew that this sculpture was Saber Maniac, and what was recorded here was one of the Azure King's hundred victories.
After circling the pavilion and finding nothing, Qin Chu planned to leave.
As he was about to go, Qin Chu felt that the battle saber on the sculpture's back was very imposing, so he stepped forward and touched it.
As Qin Chu touched it, finger marks appeared on the battle saber; Qin Chu's fingers had wiped away the dust, and beneath the dust was a battle saber glowing with a faint light.
It was real! It was a real battle saber, not a sculpture.
Qin Chu took the battle saber from the sculpture's back. After blowing off the dust, he found it was a good saber, which also made him a little regretful, because he Cultivated swordsmanship, and a good saber had no meaning to him.
Putting the battle saber into his Storage Ring, Qin Chu left the pavilion and walked towards another pavilion in the distance.
Before he reached the place, Qin Chu saw sword light crisscrossing. A person and a beast were fighting. He recognized one of the white figures as Shang Shuyu; her opponent was a Violent Ape. Qin Chu couldn't discern its Cultivation, but its Aura was much stronger than Shang Shuyu's, even stronger than the Yao Tiger he had killed.
Bang!
The Violent Ape's palm struck Shang Shuyu's longsword, sending Shang Shuyu flying. The retreating Shang Shuyu crashed into the pavilion wall, and crimson blood appeared at the corner of her mouth.
At this moment, Qin Chu moved. His longsword left its sheath and slashed towards the Violent Ape's path. After all, Shang Shuyu had helped him, and he couldn't just stand by and watch her die.
The Violent Ape's long arm swung, incredibly fast, directly striking Qin Chu's longsword, sending Qin Chu, sword and all, uncontrollably retreating.
"Break!" With a delicate shout, Shang Shuyu's longsword, carrying a bloody light, flew past Qin Chu and then pierced into the Violent Ape's forehead. However, Shang Shuyu was also struck in the abdomen by the dying Violent Ape's claws, sending her flying backward.
Qin Chu's body flickered, and he caught Shang Shuyu, but the Violent Ape's strength was too great. Although Qin Chu caught Shang Shuyu, his body was still flying backward, crashing directly into the pavilion wall, then sliding to the ground.
His throat tasted sweet, and Qin Chu spat out a mouthful of blood, completely devoid of strength.
Shang Shuyu, leaning on her longsword, climbed up from Qin Chu's lap where he was sitting on the ground. She took a Medicinal Pill and then sat down to meditate.
Qin Chu took out a healing Medicinal Pill given to him by Lei Yin and ate it. His back hitting the pavilion building had caused internal organ tremors, and the wound on his back had reopened.
After resting for half a day, when Qin Chu opened his eyes, he saw Shang Shuyu standing not far in front of him.
"What are you doing? You're not going to give me a sword strike, are you?" Qin Chu said after standing up.
"When doing things, you should act within your capabilities. You are too irrational!" Shang Shuyu said, looking at Qin Chu.
"You helped me, I can't just watch you get hurt and do nothing!" Qin Chu said.
Shang Shuyu said nothing more. After a moment of thought, she pointed to the eastern area, "There's a pavilion over there. I intended to approach it, but this Violent Ape desperately blocked me. There must be some secret there."