74: Crazy money, crazy upgrades!

Xu Jing woke up slowly, and upon opening her eyes, she saw Mo Fan's smiling face.

Realizing she was lying in Mo Fan's arms, Xu Jing's pretty face flushed red instantly, and she struggled to get up.

"Don't move, you just woke up. Wait until you've recovered some strength before getting up," Mo Fan said seriously.

"O-okay..." Xu Jing's voice was as soft as a mosquito's.

Soon, she seemed to remember something and quickly asked, "D-did I pass?"

"You passed, and you almost lit up five stone tablets in one go. It's a pity your luck was a bit poor; you fainted at the crucial moment," Mo Fan said with a smile.

"N-no, it wasn't bad luck, it was my strength..." Xu Jing shook her head, wanting to explain, but Mo Fan didn't let her speak.

"Don't talk for now. You're too weak right now. Wait until the Foundation Establishment Pill takes effect and your Qi is replenished before saying anything else."

Speaking of which, Mo Fan seemed to think of something and quickly pointed to Liu Xiyan on the side:

"You fainted earlier due to excessive mental exhaustion. Fortunately, the Elder was here to regulate your chaotic spirit and gave you a Foundation Establishment Pill, which is why you were able to recover so quickly."

Liu Xiyan nodded, a rare smile appearing on her icy face, and she looked at Xu Jing kindly:

"No need for formalities, and no need to say more. From now on, you are a Disciple of the Sword Pavilion, and also my, Liu Xiyan's, True Disciple."

"Th-thank you, Elder," Xu Jing quickly thanked her.

Liu Xiyan smiled slightly, said nothing more, helped up Chu Qian, who was still lying on the ground, and turned to leave the backyard.

"You two should have a good chat. Once you become a Sword Pavilion Disciple, you won't be able to leave the mountain easily."

"After you're done catching up, remember to come find me on the seventh floor."

Mo Fan watched Liu Xiyan's figure disappear into the backyard, remaining silent.

After a long while, he said to Xu Jing, "The Sword Pavilion is very dangerous. Cultivating in the Sword Pavilion easily leads to problems, and you won't live long—"

Before Mo Fan could finish, Xu Jing said, "I-I know."

Mo Fan was stunned and continued, "Then do you still want to stay in the Sword Pavilion? Why don't you come down the mountain with me and honestly Cultivate the Martial Dao?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Mo Fan felt himself being watched by a resentful gaze.

He looked up and saw a stunningly beautiful figure standing by the window lattice on the seventh floor.

"Uh—" Mo Fan scratched his head awkwardly.

"I want to, I want to stay in the Sword Pavilion to Cultivate," Xu Jing said firmly.

Mo Fan glanced at her.

He was not surprised by this answer.

The Sword Dao was Xu Jing's pursuit.

How could she be scared off by a mere short life?

Thinking of this, Mo Fan had to nod: "Alright then, you should Cultivate well in the Sword Pavilion from now on."

He paused and added, "When you feel a bit better in a while, I'll head down the mountain."

"Oh right, when you have a chance in a few days, ask for leave and come find me in the Outer Sect."

"We can catch up properly then. Asking for leave just after joining shouldn't be a problem; the Elder won't be that petty."

Mo Fan deliberately raised his voice when saying this.

"Okay," Xu Jing just nodded without asking further.

A few minutes later, the Foundation Establishment Pill began to take effect. Xu Jing's complexion started to recover slowly; her face was no longer terrifyingly pale and had a slight rosy tint.

"I-I'm fine now..." Xu Jing said, blushing.

"Alright, then try to see if you can get up," Mo Fan said.

Xu Jing nodded and climbed out of Mo Fan's arms.

At first, she was a bit shaky and couldn't stand steadily.

But soon she was moving freely.

"I-I'm fine."

"You've recovered well. It's about time for me to go down the mountain," Mo Fan said.

"Mm." Xu Jing lowered her head, a flash of reluctance in her eyes.

"You go find the Elder. Wen Buyan is still waiting outside. I'll have him arrange my accommodation. When you want to find me, just ask him."

After giving instructions, Mo Fan turned and left.

Watching Mo Fan's back disappear into the backyard and feeling the lingering warmth quickly dissipate, Xu Jing felt a sense of loss.

However, she quickly adjusted herself and walked towards the Sword Pavilion stairs with a determined expression.

...

After leaving the Sword Pavilion, Mo Fan hadn't walked many steps before he saw Wen Buyan sitting in the grass waiting.

"Junior Brother Mo, you're finally out!"

Wen Buyan hurried over, looking a bit excited:

"How was it? Did you pass the assessment?"

Mo Fan first nodded, then shook his head.

"Eh?" Wen Buyan was confused.

"Junior Sister Xu passed, but I didn't," Mo Fan explained.

"I see," Wen Buyan nodded, with no sign of surprise in his eyes.

"You knew this result beforehand?" Mo Fan asked curiously.

"That is natural."

Wen Buyan smiled and explained.

"Master told me that Junior Sister Xu possesses an incredibly strong talent for the Sword Dao and will certainly be able to achieve something in the Sword Pavilion."

Mo Fan nodded thoughtfully, identified the direction, found the path down the mountain, and walked towards it.

"I see. Let's go down the mountain. We can talk while walking, and you can arrange my accommodation."

"Alright, alright, it's getting late, it's time to head down the mountain," Wen Buyan quickly followed.

"By the way, do Sword Pavilion Disciples all not live long?" Mo Fan asked nonchalantly while walking.

Wen Buyan was silent for a moment, then shook his head and said:

"That is indeed the case. The Sword Pavilion has collected high-quality swords from Yuxu Academy for nearly four thousand years."

"Each one has experienced countless battles and has its own story. Most have birthed their own spirits, and they often go out of control once they are without an owner."

"Therefore, Sword Qi runs rampant within the Sword Pavilion's hidden swords. Cultivating inside makes one easily eroded by the Sword Qi, eventually leading to death and the dissipation of one's Dao."

"But at the same time, as long as one can refine this Sword Qi, their Sword Dao Cultivation will increase rapidly."

"The longer one stays in the Sword Pavilion, the stronger one's strength becomes. If one can persist for a hundred years, one can even directly become a Peerless Sword Immortal."

Wen Buyan looked full of longing when saying these words.

"Do Peerless Sword Immortals also not live long?" Mo Fan asked again.

"Mm, according to the records, it seems that no Peerless Sword Immortal in history has lived past two hundred years—" Wen Buyan said.

"So, just for that illusory Peerless Sword Immortal, they waste their youth, and even sacrifice their own lives?" Mo Fan couldn't understand.

"You don't understand. Those who yearn for the Sword Dao, how could they care about a mere few years of life?"

"If one can be as brilliant and dazzling as a meteor, even if it's only for a fleeting moment, that is happiness. At least it's not in vain to have walked this world."

Wen Buyan looked devout when saying these words.

He was someone who yearned for the Sword Dao.

Unfortunately, he had no talent for the Sword Dao.

He couldn't even touch the threshold of the Sword Pavilion.

Watching the devotion on Wen Buyan's face, Mo Fan said no more.

"Xu Jing is probably the same, right?"

As for the short life thing—

Mo Fan felt there might not necessarily be no turning point.

Because he had comprehended the complete version of the Sword Nurturing Art.

And the Sword Nurturing Art was highly likely the Legacy of the Sword Pavilion.

Of course, he was also not sure if the current Legacy of the Sword Pavilion was incomplete.

Nor did he know if the short lives of the past Sword Immortals were related to the incomplete Legacy.

But it was at least a chance.

"When Xu Jing comes down the mountain to find me, I'll be able to know the answer..." Mo Fan thought thoughtfully.

Going down the mountain was much faster than going up.

In less than an hour, the two of them ran down from Hidden Sword Mountain.

Under Wen Buyan's guidance, Mo Fan found his accommodation.

A small, ancient-style detached house with a courtyard. The environment was beautiful, filled with the sounds of birds and the scent of flowers, leaning against the mountain and near the water, with a large willow tree planted in front of the door.

"The environment is indeed much better than the Menial Service Yard. The only downside is that the Outer Sect doesn't have a free cafeteria, so I'll have to get my own food from now on—"

Mo Fan covered his forehead.

He still ended up mooching dinner off Wen Buyan.

Looking at the time, the sky was gradually darkening.

Unknowingly, another day had passed.

"Rest well today, tomorrow officially begins Outer Sect life. Time to properly make (Spirit) money (Stones) and madly level up!"

Mo Fan clenched his fists, full of fighting spirit.

Just then, his phone vibrated, and then an old-fashioned ringtone sounded.

"My dear little sister, please don't, don't cry—"

Mo Fan answered the call, and his daughter's voice immediately rang out.

"Dad, I have good news to tell you!"