Chapter 74: Daily life inside the Endless Forest
"That long?"
"Yes."
"Is that alright? I mean, your illness. It's already pretty bad, right? And how do you plan on staying here? There are beasts everywhere."
"Yes. But, don't worry. I'm used to the pain. And, I don't mind waiting for a few months here, if it means I'll be able to cure this illness which has troubled me my whole life."
Having gotten close to Yu Yan over the past few days, Jian Shen couldn't help but sympathize with her when he saw that bitter smile on her face.
"I'll stay."
Listening to Jian Shen, not just Yu Yan, but the other two women were also stunned.
"What?"
"What?!"
"What?!"
"I'll stay."
"Why?"
"Why?!"
"Why?!"
Bearing with the fact that he was hearing the same question from the women, Jian Shen said, "Because I want to."
While Qingyu and Juewang didn't ask him anything else, Yu Yan didn't stay silent.
Clenching her fists, Yu Yan asked the question which she had been waiting to, for a long time.
"Why are you doing this? If you plan to sleep with me, by using this as an excuse, I have to say that it will not happen!"
"So, just leave!"
Blinking his eyes, Jian Shen chuckled and said, "That's fine. Though it does hurt a little when you said those words so directly, I still want to stay. That is, if you don't mind."
"You... Fine! Do whatever you want! "
Stomping her leg, Yu Yan turned around to enter the cave, while not knowing why she was feeling so frustrated.
Maybe it was because Yu Yan was unconsciously feeling that she was leading Jian Shen on, when she never had any interest of being with him.
"What are you doing, Jian Shen?"
"Do you seriously plan to waste three months to look after that stubborn woman, husband?"
"Yes."
"Why? Is it because she's beautiful?"
"No. It's not just that."
"Then what? Are you in love with her, husband?"
Shaking his head, Jian Shen chose to not answer that question.
"You two are thinking too much. It's not like I'm wasting my time, you know."
"I'll spend the mornings to learn the two new sword skills, which are related to the Ethereal Phoenix Sword, and the Scarlet Tailed Fox Sword."
"I'll home by battle skills by fighting against the surrounding beasts, in the afternoon."
"And finally, I'll spend the night by cultivating."
"Also, since I'll be staying in the same spot, we can finally use that array of yours to increase my cultivation speed."
Since, Jian Shen had made a decision, Qingyu and Juewang didn't say anything else.
And thus, began Jian Shen's life with Yu Yan inside the Endless Forest.
...
Having fought every single day, Jian Shen who was at the Peak Stage of Qi Liquification Realm, broke through and entered the Qi Condensation Realm.
And, pushing his body to the limits and using the Sword of Despair with two seals removed, further helped Jian Shen, by pushing his cultivation to the Beginning Stage of the Qi Condensation Realm.
Compared to the Qi Liquification Realm, in which the cultivator turned their Qi into liquid, in the Condensation Realm, the liquid Qi was further compressed and turned into a solid ball.
In the Early Stage, Jian Shen had a solid Qi ball which could be compared to the fist of an infant.
But after entering the Beginning Stage, the Qi core grew bigger, and was now comparable to a small melon.
Due to this, Jian Shen felt a desire to start fighting against Middle Grade Ancient Beasts while using the Sword of Despair which only had one seal removed.
However, before that, it was time to start training in two new techniques - The Devil Freezing Ice Slash, and The Total Decimating Slash.
These two techniques were similar to the God Slaying Inferno Slash, in the sense that they covered the sword in their own particular element when used.
That is, the Devil Freezing Ice Slash, surrounded the sword in a layer of almost invisible thin ice when attacking. While the Total Decimating Slash covered the sword in a crimson mist which destroyed everything it came in contact with.
From the very first day itself, Jian Shen split his morning into two halves to train equally in both the Devil Freezing Ice Slash, and the Total Decimating Slash.
Though, this way he would have to spend a longer time to learn either technique completely, Jian Shen felt that this way was the best way to improve his understanding over the sword.
After training in the new techniques, Jian Shen left to find any roaming beasts.
Once found, he'd directly engage with them by using the Myriad God Sword and the two new techniques to defeat them.
If he won, Jian Shen would bring back a huge beast for lunch and dinner. If he lost, he'd come back in a sorry state with wounds all over his body.
Luckily, with the number of medicinal herbs inside his World Crest, it didn't even take a few hours for him to completely recover.
Most possibly, because the herbs were of a very high level, and the one using them was a weak cultivator in the Mortal Realm.
And finally, after the sunset and Jian Shen finished eating the food which was made by Qingyu and Juewang in turns, he'd sit inside the array Qingyu set up to cultivate until the morning.
Turns out that Qingyu actually wasn't very proficient in laying down arrays. But since what she wanted to achieve was very basic, and only attract different types of Qi in a certain spot, she was able to do it easily.
Sitting inside the nine sided star, which had various coloured metals he had never seen before in the corners, and we're connected together by what seemed like powdered silver, Jian Shen could feel himself being drowned in the same elements he cultivated in.