Sword Sect Outer Sect

Chapter 274 Xiao He's Thoughts

After leaving the forbidden area, Song Yan rushed back to his cave at Wiping Sword Peak.

Earth character 21.

He was not in a hurry to cultivate. The demonic cultivators in Dragon Pool Mountain were causing chaos, and the situation was tense. He had just escaped death.

It would be too hasty to start practicing at this point.

He walked straight to the Wenchi Lingyan (a type of hot spring), took off his outer robe and inner shirt, and immersed himself naked in the pool.

The warm, spiritual mist seeped into my limbs and bones in wisps and strands.

Song Yan felt his body and mind, which had been tense for dozens of days, gradually being soothed and softened by this continuous, comforting force.

Look out the window.

It was nearly dusk, and the sea of ​​clouds above Dongyuan Sect was dyed golden-red by the embers of the setting sun, while waterfalls splashed in the twilight.

Although his mind was clear after the inner demons were gone, Song Yan felt a vague sense of mental fatigue for some reason.

"Perhaps it's time to take a few days off."

Song Yan closed his eyes, and the scenes that had occurred in Longtan Mountain silently appeared and then disappeared.

He sat in the pool for a long time until weariness took over, and then slowly got up.

He casually used some spiritual power to evaporate the water stains on his body, then collapsed onto the large jade bed in the inner quiet room.

I surrendered myself completely to a long-awaited slumber.

I slept soundly for more than six hours.

Cultivators could guide their spiritual energy to replace rest, so such a deep and sound sleep is truly a luxury.

In that instant, it seemed that all the bloody battles, the deceitful suspicions, and all the noise of the world had vanished from Song Yan's presence.

When I opened my eyes again, my mind wasn't clear immediately; it was like waking up from a hangover, feeling dazed and confused.

The inner demons have vanished, seemingly taking with them many intense things.

Previously, I had been tense and hadn't noticed it, but now that I've returned to the sect and my consciousness has relaxed, I feel empty and tired, and it's hard to replenish myself in a short time.

For the next seven days, Song Yan neither practiced swordsmanship nor cultivated his spiritual sense or sword energy.

Dressed only in a loose, plain robe, like a refined scholar recovering from a serious illness, he did not go out and lived a mundane life in his cave.

Sometimes I play chess with myself.

In one corner of the main hall of the cave dwelling, there was a low table made of paulownia wood, on which a chessboard was set up.

Song Yan would sit here for an hour every day, casually transcribing musical scores.

Sometimes it is magnificent, sometimes it is tangled and unpredictable, but most of the time it is a simple and unadorned layout, with each piece placed one by one.

Song Yan did not fully immerse himself in it; rather, he seemed to be observing it through a thin veil.

Thoughts flowed in a gentle rhythm across the chessboard, amidst its horizontal and vertical lines, its yin and yang, its advances and retreats.

Aimless.

More often than not, he stands in front of his desk.

Ancient bamboo Xuan paper and wolf-hair brushes are both ordinary stationery treasures.

Sometimes I would casually open an ancient book, pick out some peaceful and profound sentences or fragments, and write them down on my own.

The brushstrokes are sometimes rounded, concealing sharpness, and sometimes rugged, with occasional sharp edges.

Mental fatigue is invisible and intangible, yet it is everywhere.

Sometimes, when the game reaches the middle stage, there will be a sudden pause for a long time, with the player holding the chess piece between their fingers for a long time without putting it down.

Sometimes, halfway through a stroke, the wrist freezes in mid-air, motionless for a long time, with the ink droplet hanging from the tip of the brush, about to fall.

After more than seven days of mental cultivation, I finally managed to dispel that feeling of emptiness and dullness.

Song Yan also slowly resumed his cultivation.

After a few days of adjusting my breathing, I felt much smoother.

On this day, he sat cross-legged in his quiet room and swallowed a healing pill.

His blood and qi surged throughout his body, emanating a faint milky-white spiritual light, and his face was pale.

He circulated his internal energy to refine the medicinal properties, slowly healing the injuries within his body.

He had been "killed" once before by Xinshan Sanren. Although he was protected by the Qiankun Secret Technique, he was not seriously injured, but his body was still slightly damaged.

It's just that Song Yan forcibly suppressed it before, and it didn't show up.

Suddenly, Song Yan spat out a mouthful of black blood, and then his tightly furrowed brows gradually relaxed.

After circulating his energy and regulating his breathing for a while, his complexion became rosy again.

After a short while, he slowly finished his practice.

Song Yan exhaled a breath of stale air and opened his eyes.

Now that the hidden ailment in my body has been mostly healed, there is no need for deliberate treatment. As long as I continue my normal cultivation, I should be able to return to my full strength soon.

"Ok?"

Suddenly, Song Yan had a thought, and a jade talisman floated in from outside the cave.

Someone is visiting.

A young girl stood on the stone steps outside the cave, wearing the outer sect robes of the Dongyuan Sect, a brand-new moon-white dress with sleeves that were a bit too long.

She was thin and her body had not yet fully developed, still carrying the childishness of a young girl, but there was already a sense of determination and composure in her eyes.

It was Xiao Ju.

Sensing Song Yan's divine sense, she quickly took a step back, lowered her head, and respectfully bowed: "Disciple Xiao Ju has come to pay respects to Master."

"I was cultivating in my cave for the past few days and did not come out. I was unaware that Master had returned to the sect. I hope Master will forgive me."

"I wonder... if Master has rested peacefully?"

Before he finished speaking, the restrictions on the cave naturally opened.

Xiao Ju subconsciously looked up and immediately saw Song Yan standing at the entrance of the cave.

He seemed to have just gotten up, wearing only a plain-colored shirt, his dark hair casually tied up, with a few strands falling in front of his forehead.

He was completely devoid of any sharpness, and was more gentle and serene than she had ever met him before, which inexplicably eased her tense nerves a little.

"come in."

Song Yan said gently, "It's my own master's cave, why be so polite? It's not like I've never been here before..."

Xiao Ju followed behind Song Yan somewhat shyly, occasionally stealing glances at him.

In the first few days, she was unaware that Song Yan's life lamp had been extinguished.

She only learned about this when news spread that her "grandmaster" Qin Xijun, whom she had never met, had caused a scene in the Elders' Council.

Fortunately, he stayed at home and focused solely on cultivation.

Before she could even grieve upon hearing the news, Elder Xu Ziqing, who had returned from Longtan Mountain, brought back good news.

This also relieved her.

She didn't even want to imagine the possibility that Song Yan might have died.

She told herself that her master was incredibly powerful and wouldn't die so easily.

"What are you looking at?"

Song Yan sat down at the table, casually brushed the jade chessboard, gathered the scattered chess pieces, and gestured to a futon next to him.

But he found that Xiao Ju was a little dazed, staring blankly at him, and waved her hand.

Xiao Ju snapped out of her daze and hurriedly knelt down.

"Don't be so reserved," Song Yan's gaze swept over her somewhat timid face, "Are you settling in well at Lianyou Peak?"

"I'll get used to it," Xiao Ju nodded quickly, her speech becoming a little faster, and a blush rising on her cheeks.

"Although the cave is small, it is full of spiritual energy, and the senior sisters on Lotus Peak take good care of me."

"The steward heard from Uncle Gu that I am your disciple, and the tasks assigned to disciples are... not too tiring."

Since becoming Song Yan's disciple, Xiao Ju has truly felt one thing.

Perhaps the world is seen by different people in completely different ways.

In my past self, the world seemed dark and painful, with no hope in sight.

But now it's completely different; everyone is kind and friendly to me.

The world seems to have become vibrant and bright again.

Xiao Ju knows the source of all these changes.

His own master, or rather, his strength and the terrifying potential he displayed.

She was well aware that none of these things belonged to her.

The only right path is to seize such opportunities and time, and to become someone who is treated kindly by the world.

"Um……"

Song Yan nodded, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.

Given his current prestige within the sect, an outer sect cultivator bearing his disciple's name would naturally attract a lot of attention.

Seeing that she was doing alright, he was somewhat relieved of his worries.

She paused, her face flushing even deeper, and said in a slightly embarrassed voice, "Also... there are many fellow disciples on Lotus Peak who have come to inquire about Master's marriage."

"When asked if Master has a sweetheart or a Daoist partner... this disciple dared not say more."

Song Yan chuckled: "...Just answer truthfully."

Anyway, I'll be heading to the main battlefield after a few more days of recuperation, so it won't bother me.

"Yes." Xiao Ju nodded.

"Is there anything else you need from me?" Xiao Ju then remembered the purpose of her trip and took out a small wooden box from her Qiankun bag.

Inside was a small porcelain bottle and an oil paper package.

"Master," she said, placing the small porcelain bottle on the table with both hands and pushing it in front of Song Yan, her face full of seriousness.

"I heard that Master encountered danger in Dragon Pool Mountain. I have nothing else, but these are Qi Nourishing Pills that I exchanged with spirit stones."

Inside the porcelain bottle were five Qi-Nourishing Pills, their colors dull and their spiritual energy scarce.

Without waiting for Song Yan's response, she picked up two more slightly more delicate oil paper packages, her voice even softer.

"This... was given to me by Uncle Liu from Lianyou Peak. I heard that this disciple had become your disciple, and he secretly gave me some spirit beast meat, and... uh, spirit grain. This disciple dares not keep it all to myself."

After she finished speaking, she lowered her head slightly, her ears turning red.

"..."

Song Yan's gaze fell on the items on the table, his expression unchanging.

For him, the Qi-Nourishing Pill was like dust compared to a mountain—utterly useless, even a burden.

But it's already quite remarkable that Xiao Ju (Ju Jingyi) cares about her like this.

He was well aware of the treatment given to those in the outer sect; resources were scarce to begin with, yet she clumsily gathered what she had, things that might be considered "precious" to her, and presented them to him.

The silence lasted only a moment.

Song Yan slightly raised his hand, and a condensed sword aura silently emerged, so fast that it was almost impossible to catch.

At the same time, the five pills in the bottle suddenly flew out and hovered in the air.

A spherical field of sword energy appeared out of thin air, with five pills slowly swirling within it.

Almost instantly, the wisps of mixed energy inside the pill vanished without a trace, as if dust had been wiped away.

The sword energy dissipated, and Song Yan put the four pills back into the bottle.

He held the last one in his hand.

"These things are of little use."

Song Yan raised the one he had left in his hand: "But I accept your sentiment."

"Take these back with you, and be mindful of the frequency when taking the pills."

"Those spiritual foods and materials are your destiny, so keep them for yourself. Improving your cultivation as soon as possible is the most important thing."

He raised his hand to stop Xiao Ju from speaking, "Is there any stagnation in the flow of spiritual energy? Do you have any doubts about entering meditation?"

Xiao Ju paused for a moment, then immediately straightened her back, composed herself, and recounted in detail the doubts she had encountered during her cultivation over the past few days.

Song Yan listened patiently, and only after she finished speaking did he offer his guidance.

There are no lengthy explanations; every sentence is concise and to the point.

"Focus on cultivation; sitting idly is useless."

"If a thought arises in your mind, regard it as a sword aura that is disrupting your path. Do not fear or pursue it, but simply step aside to let it pass, and then continue forward."

In just half an hour, Xiao Ju suddenly understood many things that she had not understood before.

"Thank you for your guidance, Master!"

"Let's go back." Song Yan lowered his eyes.

Having received guidance, one should naturally strike while the iron is hot and continue practicing and consolidating one's skills.

Xiao Ju quickly stood up, bowed, and took her leave.

As she reached the door, she paused and quickly glanced back.

But then she saw Song Yan looking at her with a smile.

"By the way, I will be heading to the demonic cultivator battlefield in six months at most."

"If you have any questions during your cultivation, you can come to me."

"Thank you Master!"

Xiao Ju left quickly, as if she were running away.

The cave was sealed off by the protective barrier.

Song Yan looked at the Qi-Nourishing Pill in his hand, a look of reminiscence flashing in his eyes.

"Qi-Nourishing Pill, hehe..."

He chuckled and put it into his Qiankun bag.

He got up from the table, intending to go back to his quiet room to cultivate.

But they saw Snake Baby sitting by the window of the cave, resting his head on his hand in a daze.

"Ok?"

Song Yan let out a soft "hmm." The usually carefree and playful little snake had become sullen since returning from Longtan Mountain.

She stopped playing with her toys altogether.

"Xiao He, what's wrong?"

He walked up behind Snake Treasure and asked with concern, "Why are you so unhappy?"

"No...nothing."

"Ok?"

Song Yan pinched her chubby cheeks: "Heh, you've grown up, you have little secrets now, don't you?"

"You're allowed to have it, but I'm not?"

Snake Baby huffed, "We grew up together! I... I might even be older than you."

"Too."

Song Yan simply sat down next to Xiao He: "Don't be so stingy, tell me about it."

"Well……"

Xiao He paused for a moment: "I think what Sister Bai Qi said seems to make sense."

"Oh? What did she say?"

"I am a demon, and by staying by Yan Yan's side, I cannot cultivate properly."

"It won't become very powerful, and it won't be of much help."

"If one day you really encounter something dangerous, Xiaohe can only watch helplessly."

The baby snake's innocent face was now filled with worry.

She suddenly sighed, her toes curled up, and she fell backward into Song Yan's arms, looking at him upside down.

Song Yan also lowered his head, looking at the snake upside down, waiting for her to speak.

"Yanyan, what do you think? Should I go to that place called 'Mountain and Sea' with Sister Baiqi?"

"Um……"

Song Yan pondered for a moment.

Song Yan hadn't had much contact with Bai Qi, this demon cultivator, but judging from her current actions, she didn't seem like she would harm Xiao He.

He was both teaching the methods of demon cultivation and secretly guiding Xiao He's cultivation.

I haven't done anything out of line.

Otherwise, given her late-stage second-tier strength, let alone the Dragon Pool Mountain incident, even before Song Yan had established his foundation, he was no match for her.

As for Xiao He, Song Yan was naturally reluctant to part with her.

We grew up together, and he can be considered the closest person to me besides my grandfather.

However, Song Yan never considered Xiao He as his possession.

He himself yearned for freedom, so of course he wouldn't restrict Xiaohe's freedom.

She was originally a free-spirited little monster.

If staying with the demon cultivators would truly lead to a better path for demons, then what's wrong with separating for a while?

It's not like we're separated by life and death. As long as we cherish each other in our hearts, there will always be a day when we meet again.

Song Yan's only worry was that Xiao He's cultivation level was only at the late stage of the first rank.

Even with Bai Qi taking care of him, he was still worried about Xiao He's safety.

"Xiao He, you're a monster. If you want to go, of course I'll support you."

"After all, you and I are the best of friends, aren't we?"

Snake Baby nodded.

"However, I'm really worried about you without you by my side. At least wait until your cultivation reaches the second level, okay?"

Song Yan also wanted to give himself some time to see if he could figure out Bai Qi's background.

"it is good."

Actually, Xiaohe hasn't decided yet either.

Admittedly, she longed for very large mountains and to see little monsters like herself.

They also longed to become a mighty monster.

But every time I think about leaving Yan Yan, I feel terrified.

"I……"

Snake Baby's head rested on Song Yan's two hands, but she was still afraid.

"I...I'll think about it some more."

"it is good."

(End of this chapter)