Chapter 85 - 35: Nine Breath Qi Ingestion Technique Advancement, Automatic Operation

Chapter 85: Chapter 35: Nine Breath Qi Ingestion Technique Advancement, Automatic Operation

[You have adapted the Spring Rain Technique into a swordsmanship. You have gained +337 Clear Heart Swordsman EXP.]

[Your One Qi Sword Technique progress has increased by 113.]

[You have completed one full Circulation of Heaven. Your Nine Breath Qi Ingestion Technique progress has increased by 1.]

[Your Clear Heart Swordsman has leveled up. Current Level: 3/5]

Time passed as Jiang Xuan recited the Dao Scripture and Daoist Collection, and the class experience on his attribute panel continued to increase.

Throughout these few hours, Xia He had been quietly keeping him company.

This scene caused Meng Yingyue, who had visited the Scripture Pavilion a few times, to raise her eyebrows in surprise.

She knew her junior sister’s personality all too well. It was true that Xia He was cheerful and lively, but it was precisely this restless energy that meant she was never one to sit still.

For someone like Xia He to be able to sit quietly in the Scripture Pavilion and accompany a new junior brother for several hours... Meng Yingyue was not only surprised but also couldn’t help feeling the urge to tease her.

Walking over to Xia He, she whispered with a laugh, "Our Little Xia He is finally growing up."

How could Xia He not understand the implication behind those words? Her face instantly flushed red. She quickly grabbed Meng Yingyue’s sleeve and retorted in a hushed voice, "Don’t be ridiculous, Sister Yingyue! I just see Jiang Xuan as a little junior brother, and I thought I should look out for him a bit more, that’s all."

But even as she said it, she felt her own confidence waver.

’I know my own temperament very well. Normally, I couldn’t sit still for even half an hour, let alone several hours of sitting idly in the Scripture Pavilion. But today, next to Jiang Xuan, my Heart Spirit feels exceptionally calm and peaceful. This feeling is exactly like what those storybooks describe—how a Fairy feels when she meets the man she loves.’

The more she thought about it, the faster her heart beat, and the blush on her cheeks grew warmer.

But... she was overthinking it.

The tranquility she felt had nothing to do with romantic love. It was simply an aura of clarity and peace that Jiang Xuan naturally emanated, a result of the Three Purification Spell merging with his Heart・Sincerity (Sword).

Anyone, even burly men like Zhou Qing or Wu Shan, would find their minds involuntarily calming when near Jiang Xuan at this moment.

Unfortunately, Jiang Xuan was currently in the Self-Forgetfulness Realm. Even if he were lucid, he likely wouldn’t reveal all his secrets, which led Xia He to this baseless, romantic misunderstanding.

But none of this had anything to do with Jiang Xuan at that moment.

Oblivious to what others were thinking and sensing no danger, he kept his entire Heart Spirit poured into the Dao Scripture before him and the Sword Intent within his heart.

After an unknown amount of time, when a wave of intense mental exhaustion washed over him and a hollow hunger began to gnaw at his stomach, Jiang Xuan finally broke free from the Self-Forgetfulness Realm.

"Hah... so tired, so hungry..."

Having suddenly snapped out of his Heart・Sincerity (Sword) state, coupled with several hours of high-intensity use of his Divine Soul, Jiang Xuan felt dizzy and his mind was a jumbled mess. Furthermore, his body’s Blood Qi was significantly depleted from continuously circulating the Nine Breath Qi Ingestion Technique.

As the dual waves of mental and physical exhaustion hit him, he staggered the moment he tried to move.

Fortunately, a pair of soft hands reached out in the next moment and steadily supported his arm.

He turned his head and saw that it was Xia He holding him up. He breathed a sigh of relief, a small smile touching his lips as he began to thank her, "Thanks..."

But before he could finish speaking, Xia He snatched her hands back as if she’d been burned.

"Huh?!"

Jiang Xuan was baffled by this, completely unable to understand Xia He’s reaction.

But soon, he had no time to dwell on it.

After recovering some of his strength through Breathing exercises, Jiang Xuan looked outside the pavilion and was stunned to see that the sky had already grown completely dark.

"How long was I reading? What time is it?"

"You’ve been reading for four or five hours. It’s the Hour of the Pig," Xia He replied. Though she still felt a bit strange around Jiang Xuan after Meng Yingyue’s teasing, she was willing to answer his questions.

Hearing that it was the Hour of the Pig, which was past nine o’clock at night, Jiang Xuan was completely floored.

Seeing the wry look on his face, Xia He quickly composed herself and asked with concern, "What’s wrong? Did something happen?"

"It’s nothing major... I just had dinner plans with someone, and it looks like I’ve completely missed them now."

Realizing he wouldn’t make it, Jiang Xuan actually relaxed and stopped worrying.

Jiang Xuan followed Xia He out of Huangni Village, where the Scripture Pavilion was located. He first rested for the time it takes to drink a cup of tea to regulate his breathing. Once his physical strength and Divine Soul had recovered a bit, he followed Xia He into Four Seasons Valley and picked a large batch of Spirit Fruits and Spirit Grains.

Since he was now an official disciple, and because Xia He held him in high regard—seeing him as the hope for Four Seasons Valley’s restoration to glory—the produce Jiang Xuan picked was no longer the ordinary vegetables from his morning assessment.

This time, everything Jiang Xuan picked was a Spiritual Object.

Among them, there was even a ten-year-old stalk of White Ginseng.

Jiang Xuan performed a Feast Ceremony over the food. Once the ceremony was complete, being already ravenously hungry, he devoured all the Spiritual Objects.

GULP...

A vast amount of Blood Qi and Spiritual Qi surged into his body, causing his cheeks to flush crimson. He felt as if his entire body was on fire—this was due to the immense amount of Energy he had absorbed at once, causing the Blood Qi within him to churn wildly.