CHAPTER 314: CHAPTER 309: FINDING FAULT

After the Demon Slaying Summit, the cultivators who participated stayed at the West Emperor Palace to cultivate, gaining access to some cultivation techniques in the Scripture Pavilion.

For a while, the West Emperor Palace became quite lively.

With the gathering of all these cultivators, sparring and exchanges were inevitable. During this process, the Sword Cultivators from West Flame Island shone particularly bright, overshadowing the others. Despite the numbers of cultivators at the West Emperor Palace, they clearly lacked in quality compared to those from West Flame Island.

It seemed like the Sword Cultivators from West Flame Island were intentionally using this opportunity to restore their reputation. After all, during the Demon Slaying Summit, West Flame Island lost face because of Li Fan’s presence.

Even though Li Fan was also cultivating at the West Emperor Palace, he was extremely quiet, not stepping out of the gates, and focusing on closed-door cultivation, waiting for movement from the West Emperor Palace.

Lu Yuan and Yue Qingqiu remained the same, staying quietly by Li Fan’s side, cultivating in silence.

Especially Lu Yuan, after learning the details of past events, Li Fan could see she had more on her mind, yet her cultivation became even more diligent, eager to break through to the Condensed Core Realm swiftly.

Li Fan had reached the Solidifying Pill stage some time ago, but she had yet to step into the threshold of Condensed Core. If this continued, the gap would only widen, her battle power unable to keep up, but at the very least, her realm must not fall too far behind.

Without advancing to the Condensed Core Realm, when could she uncover the truth about her parents’ death?

Her father, at the time of his demise, had the peak cultivation in the Sixth Realm.

In the courtyard, Li Fan was in meditative cultivation, surrounded by Sword Intent. In his mind’s sea, a Sword of the Great Tao resonated with a steel-like hum, with countless sword lights surging into it.

This sword would sometimes devour thunder, sometimes shine with starlight, sometimes appear as resplendent as gold, seeming to contain many forms. On the sword’s body, the light of runes flickered, as if ready to leap from the sword into the sky, each character resembling a sword itself.

"My Sword Seed is getting more refined and stronger. Now, with the emergence of the Sword Seed, I can instantly kill within the same realm." Li Fan thought to himself. The Sword Seed is the life-bound sword of a Sword Cultivator, growing with the Sword Cultivator.

Li Fan opened his eyes and stopped cultivating, hearing a muffled groan not far away, turning to see Lu Yuan.

"What’s the matter?" Li Fan asked.

Lu Yuan turned to look at Li Fan, her eyes slightly dim, seemingly disappointed in herself.

Seeing Lu Yuan’s gaze, Li Fan understood that she was trying to break into the Ning Dan Realm but couldn’t succeed.

"Lu Yuan, haste will not lead to success." Li Fan said, "For a Sword Cultivator, clear understanding of Sword Heart is paramount. No matter what burdens your mind, do not let it disturb your state of mind. Let it be your motivation, a driving force forward."

Lu Yuan gently nodded, realizing that the more anxious she was, the more mistaken she became.

Indeed, she had grown somewhat impatient, with her state of mind unstable.

"When I was in Li Mountain Sword Valley, my master taught me what it is to be a Sword Cultivator. A Sword Dao must have its own Sword Dao, with a firm grasp of one’s state of mind. No matter what you wish to do, do not let it unsettle your sword. You must wield your sword fearlessly to cut through everything, slash inner demons, slash distractions, slash what you fear, and slash what you dread."

"Lu Yuan, you’re the disciple of the Li Mountain Sword Leader, once the finest Sword Cultivator of Li Mountain. Your sword should traverse the heavens and earth. Don’t forget your original heart." Li Fan advised.

He had spoken with Lu Yuan before, encouraging her to move past the defeat at the Peak of Li Mountain. Perhaps being by his side, Lu Yuan hadn’t regained her confidence.

And now, knowing her detailed background, she felt urgent and powerless, which affected her state of mind. If she couldn’t walk out of it herself, all of this would hinder her Sword Dao.

"What you think and ponder, do not resist, but integrate it into your Sword Dao to sever everything. Lu Yuan, you can do it." Li Fan continued.

Lu Yuan looked at Li Fan, her eyes like bright moons suddenly revealing a radiant smile, dazzling to the extreme.

"Li Fan, I envy you." Lu Yuan said with a radiant smile.

"Envy me?" Li Fan pointed at himself, puzzled.

"Yes." Lu Yuan nodded, "Back then, in Li Mountain, everyone had a bias against you, they looked down on you. But wasn’t it because they envied you? Envied that you had Senior Sister Ye’s and Senior Brother Wen’s care, even when you hadn’t yet shown your brilliance. But they were already resplendent and dazzling, just like you said. They all had absolute confidence, believed they could do anything, and dared to draw their swords against Li Mountain for you."

"Maybe because of this, you are now like them too. That’s great."

Lu Yuan’s smile was radiant; she indeed envied Li Fan.

"Yes, Senior Sister and Senior Brother, they had absolute confidence. They dared to do anything and believed they could achieve it." Li Fan said with a smile, "But Lu Yuan, do you remember what they went through? My childhood experiences don’t need repeating; you are well aware. Senior Sister was once the most noble princess of Da Li, yet overnight, she lost everything and went to Li Mountain. Senior Brother’s father was the Li Mountain Sword Leader, but his father died in the demon turmoil, making his personality turn obsessive. It’s also this obsession that made him the Senior Brother."

"What you’ve gone through, we all had similar experiences. Senior Sister and Senior Brother both integrated their beliefs into their Path, advancing unfalteringly. That’s how they became who you see today. Lu Yuan, can you not do it?"

Lu Yuan was stunned by Li Fan’s words, a profound realization dawning upon her.

Yes, nobody’s life is smooth sailing. The inner demons she encountered, Ye Qinghuang and Wen Ruyu too had faced.

Li Fan had also faced them.

Yet, they remained bright; their swords forged onwards.

"Thank you." Lu Yuan said with a radiant smile, the shadows dispersing like smoke.

"Lu Yuan, no one can help you, only your own sword." Li Fan responded with a smile.

"Yes." Lu Yuan nodded earnestly.

"You go on cultivating; I’m going out for a walk." Li Fan said, rising and heading outside, arriving before the White Jade Palace. Yue Qingqiu looked at him and asked, "What were you talking about with her just now?"

"Didn’t understand?" Li Fan smiled.

"Yes." Yue Qingqiu nodded. She was always striving to learn everything about the human world.

"In human cultivation, inner demons may arise, and Lu Yuan is currently facing her inner demons. She must overcome them to move forward." Li Fan looked at Yue Qingqiu and asked, "Don’t your kind face bottlenecks in cultivation?"

"Our cultivation mostly depends on innate talent, as if it’s innate, determining which realm we can achieve." Yue Qingqiu replied.

"I see." Li Fan understood that whether human or demon, talent is extremely important in cultivation. Demons rely more on innate talent than humans do.

Humans have diligence, magical treasures, opportunities, and understanding, but for demons, their lineage determines everything from the outset.

At this time, a figure hurriedly approached—it was Sun Zhao.

"Qingshan." Sun Zhao called out. Though he knew Li Fan’s real name, outside, he still addressed him by his alias.

"What happened?" Li Fan frowned, seeing Sun Zhao’s condition, for Sun Zhao was injured.

In recent days, he had instructed everyone not to leave him to avoid retaliation, but at the West Emperor Palace, there shouldn’t be any danger.

Yet at this moment in the West Emperor Palace, Sun Zhao was actually injured!

"We had a conflict with people from West Flame Island. They intentionally picked a fight, injuring several of our people. Now, two of them are still held back there." Sun Zhao reported.

Li Fan’s expression changed sharply, his eyes flashing with a cold glint. Previously, the West Flame Island suffered disgrace at the Demon Slaying Summit, but couldn’t outright trouble him anymore.

Now, after so long, West Flame Island dared to cause trouble at the West Emperor Palace.

"Let’s go."

Li Fan leaped into the air, Sword Aura whistling around him. A flying sword appeared under his feet. Li Fan rode his sword, moving forward with Sun Zhao following behind him.