I began to understand the myriad things by chopping wood

Chapter 179 Protection
Seeing the extremely swift sword wind whistling down, Xie Yuan gritted his teeth and pulled Situ Qin to rush back as fast as possible.

He pushed the Yunlong Step to its extreme and in the blink of an eye he leapt several feet high.

No wonder the rock on this part of the cave that turns upward is so hard, and even harder than diamond at the bend. It turns out they are facing such sword winds!
Xie Yuan looked at the bend ahead. As long as he turned this bend, the sword energy would be absorbed and weakened by the rock walls here, and the remaining energy could be resisted!
But as the bend was just ahead, he could already feel the sharpness behind him.

The sword energy is as fast as the wind and the tide, and its speed is beyond human control.

It seemed too late... Xie Yuan gritted his teeth, his eyes fixed, and he dragged Situ Qin's hand and swung it violently, preparing to use all his strength to throw her over.

He had only swung his hand halfway when his hand suddenly loosened and he lost strength.

At this time, Situ Qin actually let go of his hand.

Xie Yuan was shocked and turned around to look, only to find Situ Qin standing in the middle of the passage with her arms wide open, her slender body blocking him.

"what are you doing!"

Xie Yuan shouted.

However, before he could finish his words, the sword energy had already arrived in front of him, and the huge whistling sound covered his voice.

The fierce sword energy like a dragon's roar poured straight into the ground like a hurricane, and the aftermath of the sword energy spread and penetrated into the passage and appeared in front of the two people.

A clear jade-colored light suddenly burst out, blocking Situ Qin like a huge shield, completely covering the passage.

The sword energy hit the clear light barrier like a tide hitting a thick dam. It was unable to break through and suddenly rolled back, causing rubble to fall from the top of the cave.

After a moment, the sword wind gradually subsided, and the jade-colored barrier flickered a few times, and the light gradually dimmed until it disappeared.

Xie Yuan stared at this scene with eyes wide open, and saw Situ Qin retract her hand, standing there coquettishly, turning around and smiling:

"Thank you, Escort Captain. Why do you have to act like we're parting forever? Are you going to put on an opera?"

Xie Yuan opened his mouth and said awkwardly:

"This... this... I didn't know you had such a powerful treasure..."

"Why would I go out without anything?"

Situ Qin smiled, jumped over, and said with a smile:
"You're so worried about me? Are you afraid that I won't be around? Huh? Right?"

Seeing Situ Qin staring at him with a smile, Xie Yuan looked very amused, and turned his head away uncomfortably:
"Didn't you expect that you have such powerful skills that can block a Grandmaster's attack?"

"It's no big deal."

Situ Qin glanced at the jade pendant on her waist as if nothing had happened. It was covered with cracks and was already ruined.

But she didn't care, she just stared at Xie Yuan with blinking eyes:

"You haven't told me yet! Are you worried about me? Huh? Well, it's okay if you don't tell me. I know it in my heart."

Xie Yuan's face turned red when he saw her sparkling eyes, and he pulled her forward:
"It's not advisable to stay here for long. Let's leave first."

The two of them walked back quickly in the passage hand in hand. Situ Qin was behind, looking at Xie Yuan's back and holding her hand, her eyebrows gradually curved.

"By the way, Xie Escort, did you want to send me away and cover the rear just now?"

Situ Qin asked in a gentle voice.

Xie Yuan did not even turn his head. He led the way and said:
"At that time, I felt it was too late and could only use the force to send one person away."

"Then why don't you go by yourself?"

Situ Qin blinked.

"That's impossible."

Xie Yuan replied without even thinking.

Situ Qin lowered her eyebrows and spoke in a soft voice:

"In such a critical moment, you still think of me... I am very grateful for your kindness and very, very happy.

"But next time, don't do this."

Xie Yuan heard her words that hinted at her anger and said without comment:

"We'll talk about it next time. Well, there better be no next time."

Situ Qin glared at him from behind, but Xie Yuan couldn't see:
"That's right! Your cultivation is not higher than mine, and you have fewer means and treasures than me. At times like this, I should be in the front! This is the rule when we go on an adventure together. Whoever is stronger should take the responsibility."

Her tone was serious and earnest. Although the content was as tactful as possible and there was nothing wrong with it, Xie Yuan was still speechless and felt a little frustrated.

He was silent for a moment, then said:
"You're right. When encountering similar dangers, let the most capable ones go first.

"But if it's still like just now, I can't hide behind you."

Situ Qin nodded slightly after listening to the first half, but frowned when she heard the latter part, and said in dissatisfaction:
"Why are you trying to be so brave? What's wrong with hiding behind me?"

"How can I, a man, hide behind a woman's skirt?"

Xie Yuan said boldly:
"Besides, you are so small that you can't cover me."

Situ Qin was angry and amused when she heard his jokes. She almost wanted to kick him:
"What's wrong with you, girl? My cultivation is higher than yours! And what's wrong with me being a little smaller... No, I'm not that small! With my cultivation, I can hold off a big, stupid guy like you!"

She laughed and scolded for a while, then her expression softened, knowing that Xie Yuan meant that he would not abandon her at the moment of life and death. But she still shook her head and said firmly:
"Let's make a deal today. If, if, we really encounter that kind of situation, you are not allowed to act on impulse. There is no distinction between men and women in cultivation. Since we are companions, the one with higher cultivation should protect the one with lower cultivation. I am definitely not the kind of person who lags behind others... Hey!"

Xie Yuan suddenly stopped, and Situ Qin was unable to react and bumped into him on the back, groaning:
"Why did you stop suddenly?"

Xie Yuan turned back and said in a deep voice:
"Then you just wait until my cultivation level surpasses yours, and I will protect you in the future."

Situ Qin looked at Xie Yuan's extremely serious expression, was stunned for a moment, and smiled softly:
"Ok, I will wait for you."

Although she didn't believe that Xie Yuan could surpass her, she was still slightly touched and her expression softened.

Xie Yuan said nothing more, and pulled Situ Qin out of the sword energy cave and came to the edge of the cliff.

The two looked back. This crack on the cliff was inconspicuous. There were cracks everywhere on the cliff. Who would have thought that there was a different world inside?

Having just encountered danger and gained a lot, the two men had no intention of exploring further. They quickly turned around and returned to the guesthouse halfway up the mountain along the same route.

When they finally sat back in the room, Xie Yuan and Situ Qin calmed down a little, drank a sip of hot tea, looked at each other, exhaled at the same time, and were both stunned.

Situ Qin smiled and said:
"Why are you imitating me... Hey, what on earth is that?"

Xie Yuan was also a little hesitant, it seemed that this should be the source of the strangeness of the sword, but he was not sure if it was the Black Book.

The Bagua Lotus is magnificent and fantastic, ever-changing, and contains endless mysteries, but it does not have that kind of momentum.

Is the difference between the Black Heavenly Book on the sword's blade and the Eight Diagrams Lotus so huge? He has no idea what form or power it has.

"Peerless divine sword? Immortal relics?"

Situ Qin did not expect Xie Yuan to answer, and guessed for a while with great interest, then said:

"Anyway, that should be the biggest secret of the Yunshan Sword Sect. The source of the sword's tip filled with sword energy is within the belly of the mountain. The aftermath alone is enough to make us suffer. The power at the core is so strong that even I probably can't withstand it." Xie Yuan nodded silently, his eyes flickering.

The core was beyond their ability to detect, but as long as they didn't turn that corner, the traces of the passage ahead proved that the overflowing sword energy was stable and within his tolerance.

Well, even if he can't go to the back hall of the main peak in the future, won't he still have a place to gain enlightenment?

Peeping at books through cracks in rocks is also a method!
The two discussed for a while, and Situ Qin chattered with great excitement. This kind of exploration adventure, where she could get a glimpse of secrets, was very interesting to her. Her little face flushed and she kept talking.

It was not until it was getting dark that Situ Qin reluctantly said goodbye to Xie Yuan and asked him to come early tomorrow to continue chatting.

After Xie Yuan disappeared from the winding mountain road, a graceful figure suddenly appeared beside Situ Qin and asked softly:
"Miss, why is your jade pendant broken?"

Situ Qin retracted his gaze, picked up the cracked jade pendant, and said nonchalantly:
"I encountered a little trouble today..."

Aunt Hong waited for her to finish, and her voice became a little more serious:
"There is such a place? Um... Miss, you must not be so playful and adventurous in the future."

"Auntie Hong, I know what's going on."

Situ Qin nodded.

Aunt Hong said helplessly:
"You always say that. Now that the jade pendant is broken, it's time to go back."

"Ah? Wait two more... Oh, okay."

Situ Qin wanted to cheat, but when she saw Aunt Hong's determined look, she knew it was useless and nodded helplessly.

She glanced at the mountain path which was already deserted, pouted, and turned back to her room.

On the morning of the second day, Xie Yuan looked up at Jianfeng from the back hall of the main peak, and his mood was different again.

"There is a big secret here."

He was thinking to himself, a little distracted.

Feeling the powerful aura coming towards him, Xie Yuan suddenly felt a little unmotivated. The sword intent contained here was much worse than that in the cave, which made him not want to come again.

"People just get tired of the old and love the new."

Xie Yuan muttered.

At noon, he came to the courtyard again with a lunch box.

"The day for Hidden Sword Pavilion's visit is approaching, and the atmosphere in the sect has obviously become tense recently."

Xie Yuan said casually.

Situ Qin put down her chopsticks gracefully and wiped the corners of her mouth with a handkerchief:
"The Yunshan Sword Sect obviously takes this competition very seriously. If they can defeat the Hidden Sword Pavilion, their reputation will soar and they will become the world's top sect."

"Will that mean it can replace the Hidden Sword Pavilion in the Four Sects?"

Xie Yuan asked.

"That's impossible."

Situ Qin shook her head:

"The Cangjian Pavilion has a deeper foundation after all. Even if they lose a small battle this time, if Yunshan Sword Sect wants to shake the Cangjian Pavilion's position, I'm afraid they will need to fight several consecutive battles to prove themselves. Besides, I think it will be difficult for Yunshan Sword Sect to win this time."

"Appreciate further details."

Xie Yuan became interested. Every time Situ Qin talked about the stories of the underworld, he was very knowledgeable and sometimes gave inside information that was not normally heard.

"It's very simple. Just look at the rankings on the Hidden Dragon List and the Flying Dragon List. In addition to the head of the Yunshan Sword Sect, there is only one elder on the Flying Dragon List, which is less than the Hidden Sword Pavilion, and the ranking is even lower. On the Hidden Dragon List, although Qin Zhenyang is ranked 26th, He Jin, the eldest disciple of the Hidden Sword Pavilion, is ranked 7th. The gap is not small.

"As for those below the Hidden Dragon List, those who are at the Qi and Blood Transformation Stage, I haven't heard of any outstanding disciples becoming famous in Yunshan Sword Sect in recent years, but there are quite a few in Cangjian Pavilion, all of whom are newcomers who are expected to be on the Hidden Dragon List. Cangjian Pavilion is located in the south of the Yangtze River, and it has exchanges with several major families. Even if it is not as famous, it is much easier to recruit disciples. This is something that the sword sect in the remote Yunzhou cannot compare to."

Xie Yuan nodded slightly and said:

"The leader of Hidden Sword Pavilion ranks fifth on the Flying Dragon Ranking, which is better than the leader of Yunshan Sword Sect, Li Xingtuo, who ranks ninth. It seems that he is at a disadvantage in all aspects?"

Situ Qin tilted her head:

"I think the battle of the sect leaders is a more uncertain one. Although Li Xingtuo is in the Yunshan Sword Sect, he has made rapid progress in recent years, surpassing many famous masters of the top sects and ranking in the top ten of the Flying Dragon List. He has made another breakthrough this time, and no one knows how strong he is. He has even attracted the leader of the Hidden Sword Pavilion to challenge him. It is really interesting."

Xie Yuan also felt that what she said made sense. He had been looking forward to the fight between these top masters, and now he couldn't wait to watch the excitement.

"Such a grand event will begin soon. Will you stay until then?"

Xie Yuan asked with a smile.

Situ Qin said helplessly:

"I haven't told you yet, I should leave today."

"Huh? So suddenly..."

Xie Yuan subconsciously thought whether it was related to yesterday.

Sure enough, Situ Qin shook the broken jade pendant:

"The protective treasure is broken. I have to go back and change it."

Xie Yuan was silent for a moment, then bowed:
"A wealthy family."

Situ Qin laughed, her expression flickering:

"And yesterday I saw the sword energy coming towards me like a tide, so close that I realized something. I have to go back and study it. Thank you, Chief Escort. See you next time."

Xie Yuan was surprised when he heard this, but he also felt that it made sense. He could sense the sword energy, and with Situ Qin's talent, it was not surprising that he had some understanding when facing the surging sword tide yesterday.

"Okay, I don't know when we'll meet next time."

Situ Qin smiled and said:
"You miss me before we even parted? It's okay. If nothing unexpected happens, I will definitely come to watch the Yunshan Sword Contest in a month."

Xie Yuan smiled and said:

"That's great, see you then."

"Yeah, well, we've finished eating anyway... I'll bring something else up next time."

The two chatted idly until after dinner and tea, when Situ Qin packed up his things and said goodbye.

Xie Yuan bowed to Aunt Hong and waved goodbye to Situ Qin. This time it was his turn to watch Situ Qin and the other person walk down the winding mountain road and leave.

"I have gained a lot during this period, so I can summarize it. After a month of meditation, I should be able to make a breakthrough."

Although he traveled with Situ Qin every day, his cultivation did not fall behind under her guidance, and he gained a lot. In addition...

He touched his chest, where the last pill was still lying in the porcelain bottle.

After taking it, with this help, you should reach a new realm!

(End of this chapter)