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Chapter 53: Chapter 53 Sword Tomb
Centered around Li Qian, the rolling Heaven and Earth Essence Qi converged towards him, following his breathing, drilling into his body and merging with his blood, spirit, and energy, transforming into new Innate True Qi.
He had taken a Qi Blood Pill in advance, constantly replenishing the quickly depleted Qi and blood.
A strange glow flashed around his body, with streams of Sword Qi roaming about.
However, under his control, these strands of Sword Qi were restrained within a certain range, ensuring the girl at the stairway was not injured.
After a while, the Innate Internal Qi finally accumulated to a certain level, and the third strand of Lifebound True Qi finally formed within his Qi Sea and Dantian.
The structure of the three strands of Lifebound True Qi became more complex, entwining with each other yet never intersecting.
This was the effect of the formation of the Three Talents Qi Field.
Once the structure of the True Qi completely stabilized, the breakthrough would be concluded.
Whew!
Li Qian opened his eyes, exhaling a breath of turbid air.
Feeling the stronger Innate True Qi within his Qi Sea and Dantian, he casually tested its power, finding it much stronger than that of the Middle-stage True Qi Realm.
Suddenly, he felt a notion in his heart, summoning the system interface to check the latest information.
Host: Li Qian.
Cultivation: Innate True Qi (Late Stage 1/100).
Sacrificial Artifact: Chen Bell (Power 2431/10000).
Martial Arts: Sword Stabbing Fist (Perfect), Heartless Sword Technique (Perfect), Pure Sword Body (Perfect), Soul Chasing Sword Skill (Great Success 47/100).
Martial Intent: Heartless Sword Intent (Illusion 22/100).
Secret Skill: Ten Thousand Transformation Sword Qi, Blood Burning Technique.
....
The Soul Chasing Sword Skill has also reached 47 points in Great Success. In a few months, it should be able to attain perfection.
Sword Intent at the Illusion Level is very difficult to enhance and can only be improved over time.
But there is no rush.
He has plenty of time to slowly cultivate and improve his strength.
Li Qian sheathed his sword, walked over to the child, took her hand, and brought her back into the house for a wash.
Then it was time to wait for the porridge to cook for breakfast.
....
After striking the bell at Chen hour, Li Qian took the child down the mountain.
He planned to send the child to Lijian City to find someone to take care of her.
Since no one was willing to adopt her and she was so young with no self-care ability, he could not just abandon her.
A living person, as a transcender, Li Qian naturally could not be so heartless.
After all, raising her wouldn’t cost much.
It was like doing a good deed and accumulating virtue.
With money paving the way, things proceeded quickly.
The house was arranged.
The nanny was also hired.
"Ning Ma, she is now in your care, please take good care of her."
Li Qian instructed.
The nanny was two middle-aged women in their thirties, looking quite weathered. According to Li Qian’s observation, they seemed to be decent people.
After all, the girl was a bit simple-minded, and he was worried that the nanny might not care for her properly.
"Sir, please rest assured, I will take good care of the young lady," said the nanny, Ning Ma, hastily.
"Girl, you just stay here, and Ning Ma will take good care of you... I’ll come and see you after a while,"
Li Qian walked up to the girl, touched her head, and spoke softly.
The girl looked at Li Qian blankly, without uttering a word.
"Ning Ma, I’ll leave her in your care,"
Li Qian said to the nanny and then turned to walk away from the house.
The girl simply watched Li Qian walk away until he was about to leave the house when her originally blank and stupefied face suddenly showed panic, and she burst into loud tears, running after Li Qian.
"Miss..."
Nanny Ning Ma hurried to catch her.
The girl ran fast, and Ning Ma could not grab hold of her.
Seeing the girl crying and catching up with him, Li Qian couldn’t help but stop.
The girl rushed over and clutched Li Qian’s clothes tightly, as if afraid that Li Qian would go away, her wooden face still with tears rolling down.
Li Qian was helpless.
Did the little girl recognize him as her guardian?
Ning Ma came over and looking at the girl’s expression, she said, "Sir... the young lady behaves like this, probably because she has been through a great shock, which is why she is so dependent on you..."
"A great shock? How do you know?"
Li Qian looked at Nanny Ning, asking curiously.
"I used to take care of a young master in a wealthy family, who was originally bright and clever, but suffered great trauma from an accident... I feel that Miss’s situation is quite similar to that young master’s."
Nanny Ning hesitated for a moment, then said.
"Can she recover?"
Li Qian inquired.
This girl’s village was massacred, her relatives died before her eyes... Even a mature adult would collapse mentally under such a catastrophe, let alone such a small child.
"I don’t know... Anyway, after I took care of that young master for a few days, it was very difficult... because he wouldn’t listen to me at all and would only trust people he believed in, being very resistant and scared of other strangers..."
Nanny Ning said.
Hearing this, Li Qian’s brows furrowed.
This girl’s behavior, as described by Nanny Ning, was strikingly similar.
But he couldn’t possibly have a dependent by his side; that would be too much trouble.
"Nanny Ning, it’s still up to you to try and take care of her."
Li Qian thought for a moment before speaking.
If Nanny Ning couldn’t manage by herself, then he would find more people; after all, it wouldn’t cost too much money.
Then, Li Qian glanced at the girl and gently pressed on an acupoint at her neck, immediately causing the girl to fall asleep quietly.
Nanny Ning quickly picked up the girl.
"Don’t worry, sir, I will take good care of her."
"Alright, thank you for your trouble."
Li Qian nodded and then turned to leave.
On his return to Chen Bell Platform, he just happened to run into his master Zhou Buping.
"Have you finally sent her away?"
Zhou Buping noticed that the girl was no longer with his disciple.
"Yes, I’ve hired someone to take care of her in Lijian City..."
Li Qian briefly explained the situation.
"That’s right, issues of the mind are not like physical injuries; they are far too complex and difficult to resolve. Having her with you definitely would affect your training, and she can’t take care of herself, being just a burden. You can’t possibly bring her along every time you go out, right?"
Zhou Buping nodded as he spoke.
He was used to solitude and found children, especially those who were a bit daft, to be very troublesome.
"Master’s words are sound; that’s what I was thinking too."
Li Qian said with a smile.
"Good that you understand."
Zhou Buping waved his hand.
With that, he turned to go back to his own cabin.
But after only a few steps, he stopped, "Oh yes, I almost forgot to tell you something very important."
"Master, what is it?"
Li Qian was about to enter his room, but stopped immediately upon hearing his master’s words.
"The True Inheritor selection is starting again, and once the results are out, the Sword Tomb will be opened once. You’ve never been inside before; this is a good opportunity for you to go."
Zhou Buping said.
"Master, do I still have this opportunity?"
Li Qian was quite surprised.
He had thought it was hopeless for him.
"You participated in the True Inheritor selection, so you already have the qualification. Since the Sword Tomb is quite special, it opens every few years. All Official Disciples had been allowed in a few years ago, so it wasn’t open after the last True Inheritor selection... otherwise, you should have gone in after that."
Zhou Buping said with a smile.
"I thought only True Inheritors were eligible for the Sword Tomb."
Li Qian said.
"That was indeed the case, only True Inheritors had that privilege... However, in recent years, to accelerate the development of new power for the sect, the higher-ups decided to relax the conditions for entering the Sword Tomb."
Zhou Buping explained.
"Master, why were such strict conditions set before? Wouldn’t letting more Inner Sect Disciples in foster more martial arts experts?"
Li Qian was full of curiosity.
"The Sword Tomb is quite special, as it is the resting place of our sect’s ancestors. How could we allow people to disturb the souls of our predecessors lightly? Besides, the Sword Tomb also needs time to recuperate. If it is opened too frequently, it would cause irreversible damage."
Zhou Buping shook his head.
"Master, is the Sword Tomb even more special than the Sword Grinding Cave?"
Li Qian couldn’t help asking.
"Of course, you’ll know the specifics once you go in."
With a smile, Zhou Buping finished speaking, and without waiting for Li Qian to ask more, he left leisurely with his hands behind his back.
"Sword Tomb..."
Li Qian watched his master leave, his curiosity about the Sword Tomb intensifying.
....
