Chapter Thirty-One: The Teacher Goes to Slay the Immortal!

After leaving the Exchange Hall, Yun Yi stored the Azure Rock Eagle in his Spirit Beast Bag and headed straight for Lei Ling'er’s residence.

Upon arriving, he didn't even have to call out before someone fetched her. As a rising star of the new generation, Lei Ling'er’s relationship with Yun Yi was well-known to many.

"Brother Yi!"

Before Yun Yi could react, a figure emitting a faint, delicate fragrance rushed into his arms, embracing him tightly.

"Hahaha, Ling'er, your cultivation progress is quite impressive!" Yun Yi stroked her hair, smiling as he caught the sweet, pure scent of her.

"Hmph, is that all you have to say? Haven't I changed in any other way?" Lei Ling'er pouted, her expression both indignant and adorable.

"Hahaha, of course you have! You’ve become even more beautiful and lovely than before!"

At his compliment, Lei Ling'er’s face flushed, looking as cute as a delicate dumpling.

"Oh, by the way, Ling'er, I have a gift for you!" Yun Yi said, summoning the Azure Rock Eagle from his storage bag.

Lei Ling'er stared at the massive bird in stunned silence. "This... this must have been very expensive! Do you still have enough contribution points?" She shook her head, muttering, "This is too precious, Brother Yi, I... I can't accept it!"

Seeing her worry about his contribution points first warmed Yun Yi’s heart. "Hahaha, Ling'er, this was a gift given to me, not something I bought! Besides, what’s mine is yours! We’re a pair, aren't we? I’ll come to see you every day, and we can fly together!"

"Really?"

"Of course!"

Excited, Lei Ling'er kissed him on the cheek.

"Come on! Let’s go for a flight!" Yun Yi said, wrapping his arms around her slender waist and leaping onto the back of the Azure Rock Eagle.

"Screech!"

With a sharp cry, the eagle spread its wings and soared into the sky with them. Feeling the wind whistling past his ears, Yun Yi looked at the exhilarated girl beside him, his eyes filled with tenderness. He wished he could live like this forever, but the world would not allow it.

Happy times are always fleeting. As dusk fell, Yun Yi returned Lei Ling'er to her home. Amidst her lingering reluctance, he leaned in to kiss her before departing.

...

The night passed uneventfully. The next day, before Yun Yi could resume his cultivation, a familiar sound announced that the drunkard had returned.

"Master!" Yun Yi greeted the disheveled, intoxicated Jian Chuan with respect.

"Yun Yi, tell me... what do you think a sword is?" Jian Chuan swayed, took a heavy swig of wine, and looked at Yun Yi with bleary, reddened eyes.

Sensing the man's lingering sorrow, Yun Yi pondered for a moment before speaking with conviction.

"I believe that when I have someone to protect, my sword is a shield, a blade meant solely for their defense. When I encounter injustice, my sword is a weapon of righteousness, cutting through thorns and brambles. When I face a powerful enemy, my sword is an instrument of slaughter, a blade meant to fell all who stand against me."

Jian Chuan remained silent for a while before asking, "If your sword cannot strike down your enemy, would you... still study the sword?"

"Hahaha!" Yun Yi laughed aloud. "My sword exists only for me—to protect what I hold dear and to strike down those who oppose me!"

"Even if gods and demons block my path, I shall cut them down with a single stroke! If one stroke is not enough, then a thousand, ten thousand! If a god stands in my way, I will kill the god! If a Buddha stands in my way, I will kill the Buddha!"

As he spoke, Yun Yi looked up toward the heavens. Sword energy surged from his body, his aura霸氣 and his intent sharp and unyielding!

"Kill the god... kill the Buddha..." Jian Chuan murmured these words repeatedly. The haze in his drunken eyes began to clear, replaced by an increasingly brilliant light.

"Hahaha!" Jian Chuan suddenly burst into laughter, startling Yun Yi. "Take this 'Nine-Nine Return to One' manual and practice hard. I must go, but I shall return!"

With a casual flick, he tossed a sword manual to Yun Yi. Then, with sword intent radiating from his body, Jian Chuan soared into the sky and vanished.

"Is this... an epiphany?" Yun Yi wondered, puzzled. But upon seeing the manual, his eyes lit up, and he immediately began to study it.

...

At the Yingtian Academy, an old man and a middle-aged man playing chess were startled, looking at each other in shock.

"He has stepped out," the middle-aged man said, his voice filled with surprise.

"Check!" The old man captured a piece, looked into the distance, and stroked his beard with a smile. "It was time for him to step out. After all... it has been ten years."

Following the old man's gaze, the middle-aged man hesitated before asking, "Is he... truly one of those people?"

"Hahaha! Heavenly secrets! Heavenly secrets must not be revealed! Let him grow as he will!" The old man laughed, pointing at the board. "You are about to lose!"

The middle-aged man sighed bitterly. "Headmaster, that’s one thousand games, and I haven't won a single one! It’s no fun at all!"

...

Five days passed in the blink of an eye.

Inside the Yanhuang Jade, Yun Yi was completely immersed in the profound "Nine-Nine Return to One" technique, practicing with a fervor that left him breathless for five days straight.

"Nine-Nine Return to One, First Sword!"

"Break!"

A shout echoed through the tranquil space of the Yanhuang Jade!

"Boom!"

A violent explosion erupted. As the dust settled, a smile appeared on Yun Yi’s face. He collapsed onto the ground, gasping for air, and began circulating the Yanhuang Technique to replenish his spiritual energy.

"That strike is truly powerful! But it’s also life-threatening," he muttered with a wry smile. He could only manage the first strike, the "One to One," but he was certain that even if an opponent were at the fifth level of Foundation Establishment, he could kill them with a single blow. The price, however, was the total depletion of his spiritual energy.

Before he could fully recover, he sensed someone outside and quickly exited the Yanhuang Jade.

"Screech!"

Before he could react, an arrow whistled through the air, aimed directly at his arm. Yun Yi’s eyes narrowed; he shifted his footwork and dodged instantly. The arrow grazed his arm and embedded itself in the door. Despite his evasion, a thin line of blood appeared on his skin.

"Boss! I can't believe that didn't hit you!"

As expected, it was one of his own. Seeing Qian Mo’s melancholy expression, Yun Yi said helplessly, "Your aim is decent, but your speed is too slow!"

"Boss, I’m already very impressive! I mastered the Thousand-Cloud Bow in just three days!"

Before Qian Mo could finish, a surge of spiritual energy manifested, and a figure landed before them, startling them both.

"You are... Master?"

Yun Yi stared in astonishment. The man before him had his hair tied high, his features were handsome, and instead of a wine gourd, he carried a long sword at his side.

"Yun Yi, I apologize for not having taught you much. This jade pendant contains one strike from me; keep it for your protection."

Jian Chuan tossed the pendant to Yun Yi, turned, and stepped into the air, walking away into the sky.

He had come in haste and left in haste. Puzzled, Yun Yi shouted toward the heavens:

"Master, where are you going?"

"I am going... to slay an immortal!"