CHAPTER 527: CHAPTER 527: STAYING OVERNIGHT AT TAOHUA VILLAGE

They chatted about the sword refining technique, as well as the cultivation of Sword Dao.

Yan Hongxia cultivated the Sword Pill, while Xu Yihong and Lu Zheng both cultivated the Flying Sword, which shared more commonalities.

Although not very strong, he shared some little tricks with Lu Zheng that were not in the scriptures but passed down through word of mouth.

These tricks weren’t secret teachings; they were often developed through exchanges among the various sects at Huilong Mountain, and they greatly benefited Lu Zheng.

He treated him to a meal at noon and then took him to the Liu Family for dinner in the evening.

Then he took his leave the next day to continue his journey in search of sword refining materials and to uphold justice.

...

"Sword refining is a bit troublesome."

"Why, has Lu Lang set his mind on cultivating the Sword Dao again?"

In the Peach Grove, Shen Ying walked with Lu Zheng, surrounded by autumn leaves. Even the peach trees in Peach Blossom Plain had started shedding leaves.

"Lu Lang, with the White Cloud Temple’s cultivation technique as his foundation, has cultivated so many techniques, each leading to the great Dao. The Sword Dao, though sharp, is inferior to the White Cloud Temple in Qi cultivation, inferior to Jinhua Sect in Refining Spirit, inferior to Thunder Technique in attack. So why place such importance on Sword Control?"

"You don’t understand..."

In this world, Sword Dao is just one of many paths of cultivation. How could Shen Ying know the status of demon-slaying with the sword in Lu Zheng’s world in Hua Country?

It’s a childhood dream!

"Alright, I don’t understand," Shen Ying smiled slightly, not arguing.

Lu Zheng’s talent is so astonishing that even spending some time refining swords wouldn’t affect his cultivation, as long as it doesn’t pull her further away from him.

What Shen Ying worried about was...

"If Lu Lang wants to refine swords, wouldn’t he have to travel the world in search of sword refining materials?"

Mortal soldiers are easy to come by, but magical treasures are hard to seek.

A flying sword is considered a special magical treasure, requiring materials naturally cleansed by Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi over millions of years, imbued with spiritual qi.

These are called spiritual materials.

This stuff is hard to find and often in famous mountains and rivers, remote and unpeopled places.

Different spiritual materials have different uses, and of course, the flying sword Lu Zheng wants to craft requires metal spiritual materials.

Mind you, Lu Zheng has been living here for quite a while since crossing over and hasn’t seen any metal spiritual material.

Well, actually, it’s just been over three years, and most of the time was spent staying in Tonglin County, so it’s normal not to have seen much, right?

Though those well-known big shots Lu Zheng knows probably have spiritual materials. However, at the time, it seemed he didn’t need them, so no one would chase after him to offer them, right?

So, if Lu Zheng really acquired the sword refining technique, wouldn’t he have to leave to find materials?

That’s what Shen Ying worried about.

It’s because she hasn’t entirely freed herself from the confines of the old peach tree, making her even more attached to Lu Zheng.

It’s not that she wants to see Lu Zheng every day, but just knowing that he’s not far away sets her heart at ease.

Or maybe it’s because once Lu Zheng leaves, when something happens, she feels helpless. This provides both motivation for her cultivation and often leaves her feeling regretful.

Hearing Shen Ying speak, Lu Zheng immediately understood her meaning.

"No need, I’m not in a hurry. By the time your Divine Soul is purified, we’ll go traveling together, wandering through mountains and waters, wouldn’t that be delightful?"

"Hehe!" Shen Ying smiled and hugged Lu Zheng, "Lu Lang, just wait a bit longer. Very soon I can free myself from the cage, and then I’ll stay with Lu Lang both in heaven and earth."

Lu Zheng raised an eyebrow, "Very soon?"

Shen Ying nodded, "My Divine Soul is inherently human; it was a hindrance before, but will be an advantage afterward, making it even easier to purify it than for pure vegetative lifeforms."

Know this; back then, the Peach Mother Divine Tree had millennia of Dao practice, but its Divine Soul couldn’t stray far from the Peach Mother Divine Mountain.

Wansong Daoist could, but he was naturally fond of tranquility and unwilling to move.

"Moreover, once I can free myself from the cage, I’ll gain a new divine technique."

"What divine technique?"

Shen Ying said, "No matter how far away I am, I can instantly return to the Peach Blossom Plain with a single thought."

"That’s impressive!"

This is impressive; isn’t it equivalent to having an extra lifesaving skill?

"But, how do you know?" Lu Zheng was curious, as Shen Ying hadn’t reached that level yet. Did she feel it vaguely?

"Because I can already come back anytime within five hundred miles, you know," Shen Ying smiled.

Lu Zheng, "..."

Alright, I guess I was ignorant.

They strolled in the deserted Peach Grove for a long time before finally returning to Taohua Village.

As soon as they entered the door, Tao Ying and Tao Luo approached, "Fairy, we also detected the presence of unfamiliar ghosts around Tonglin County last night, but their actual bodies weren’t found."

Shen Ying nodded, "Continue tonight."

"Yes!" The two Peach Blossom Celestial Maidens bowed and then stepped back.

"What’s the matter?" Lu Zheng asked.

"Message from the City God Temple; more Netherworld Ghosts suddenly appeared in the mortal world, wandering about without a known source or purpose, hence the directive for Mountain Gods and Earth Gods to be vigilant and gather information."

"Brother Xin?"

Shen Ying shook her head, "Yizhou Prefecture City God."

"It’s quite a big deal?"

"Mainly because there’s no knowing how these ghosts appeared. Reportedly, several have been killed, but no information was obtained from them."

Ordinary ghosts from the Netherworld generally must traverse the Yin-Yang Road to emerge, and suddenly such a group appeared...

Alright, there are many possibilities.

"Isn’t the City God Temple mainly for dealing with ghosts from the Netherworld? Occasionally, one or two might surface, typically handled by the Anomaly Suppression Bureau, like that Black Wheel King last time?"

Shen Ying chuckled, "This time, quite a number showed up at once. Strictly speaking, it could be considered the negligence of the City God Temple."

Lu Zheng gave a thumbs up, "Well said! If you have the guts, say it in front of the state City God."

Shen Ying stuck her tongue out, "I wouldn’t dare."

Seeing Shen Ying stick out her tongue, Lu Zheng couldn’t help but swallow.

Shen Ying’s peach blossom eyes, touched with pink eyeshadow, raised gently, her tongue slid over her upper lip, her mouth slightly parted, "Lu Lang, stay another night, won’t you?"

Lu Zheng nodded decisively, "Okay!"

...

They had a meal at Taohua Village, and the Peach Blossom Celestial Maidens went out to work while Lu Zheng and Shen Ying naturally returned to their room to rest.

"Whew—"

Chatting after the event.

"Is the Incense and Candle Qi still sufficient?"

"More than sufficient; even though my cultivation is becoming higher and faster, the Incense and Candle Qi flows in continuously.

In the past two years, it seems quite a few Taohua Temples have been newly built, not only making up for the loss of Peach Mother Divine Mountain but also providing more."

"Doesn’t the Incense and Candle Qi get shared with you?"

"Yes, but the Incense and Candle Qi of the Taohua Temples themselves can be taken, while the Incense and Candle Qi arising from ’Peach Blossoms’ can’t be cut off."

"Which means, while there may be many Earth Gods of Taohua Temples, there’s only one Peach Blossom Fairy deity, which is you."

"Hehe, calling it a deity position sounds grand," Shen Ying chuckled, but after thinking about it, nodded, "That’s right."

At this point, Shen Ying’s eyebrows raised, and she suddenly looked back, her gaze piercing through the walls, looking toward the Peach Grove far away.