novelraw Chapter 11: He's clearly blond! Yet he's so innocent! That's too much!
Chapter 11: He's clearly blond! Yet he's so innocent! That's too much!
[Ding! You have successfully practiced the Tranquil Sword Technique once!]
[Tranquil Sword Technique, Favorability +1]
[A total of 4 drills have been conducted.]
[The Tranquil Sword Technique has witnessed your efforts and secretly thinks you're not as bad as you seem. However, compared to Xiao Bai, you're still far behind...]
Dong Mo ignored the arrogant words of the sword technique, and after a short rest, he once again swung the wooden sword in his hand.
At this moment, with the blessing of the Double Pupil Divine Power, Dong Mo was already immersed in his own rhythm.
.........
As the sunlight gradually slanted westward through the guest room windows, the sea of clouds surrounding the spirit boat changed from golden to orange-red.
Time passed amidst the flashing sword light, and he completely forgot about his physical exhaustion.
However, maintaining the double pupil divine power for a long time and concentrating on searching for flaws in his own movements still caused beads of sweat to appear on Dong Mo's forehead.
Clearly, the mental energy drain caused by the double pupils was already taking a toll on Dong Mo.
Dong Mo didn't care about that; he just kept recalling the crucial and mysterious sword move he had used to defeat Song Qiuyu.
[Ding! You have successfully practiced the Tranquil Sword Technique once!]
[Tranquil Sword Technique, Favorability +1]
[A total of 17 drills have been conducted.]
[After getting used to the Tranquil Sword Technique, you idiot don't seem so annoying anymore.]
Looking at the system pop-up window in front of him, and feeling the throbbing pain in his arms and forehead, Dong Mo gritted his teeth and decisively began a new round of drills.
And so it went, 18 times, 19 times, 20 times...
Time flew by, and a crescent moon climbed over the mountain.
As time went by, Dong Mo's sword techniques became more and more perfect.
That ordinary wooden sword seemed to come alive in his hands; the transitions between sword moves were as natural and smooth as breathing.
Finally, when the sword technique was practiced for the 50th time...
Dong Mo took the final step and thrust his sword out. A sharp sword aura suddenly burst forth from the tip of the wooden sword, accompanied by an extremely piercing whistling sound, heading straight for the wooden door of the guest room.
Upon seeing this, Dong Mo's pupils contracted, and he hurriedly withdrew his attack. The chilling sword energy dissipated just three inches from the door panel.
The door panel vibrated and hummed from the residual force, and a wisp of wood chips fell from the crack in the door.
The second level of the Tranquil Mind Sword Technique is complete!
Dong Mo let out a long breath, as if all his strength had been drained in an instant. He collapsed onto the floor, panting heavily.
At this moment, Dong Mo was in a terrible state, and he didn't even have the strength to lift his wrist.
The familiar pop-up page reappeared before Dong Mo's eyes.
Seeing your diligent and hardworking figure, and feeling the sword strike you unleashed that resonated with her heart, the Tranquil Sword Technique's resolve wavered slightly...
[He looks like he has blond hair, but his swordsmanship and Daoist heart are so unwavering and pure. This is just too unfair...]
[How can I develop such feelings for someone outside the Xiao family, when my sword technique is clearly a family heirloom?]
[The Tranquil Sword Technique has succumbed...]
Current progress: 23%
Current favorability level: Familiar
[The Tranquil Sword Technique proficiency has been increased to level two.]
[Because the affinity with the Tranquil Mind Sword Technique has increased to Familiarity, the host is hereby rewarded with: Tranquil Mind True Understanding - Sword Breaking Style.]
【Tranquil Mind True Understanding - Sword-Breaking Style: A deadly sword move created by the Sword Saint Xiao Hongchen, containing the essence of the sword, and said to be able to break all sword styles in the world.】
At the same moment the system notification sounded, Dong Mo felt a profound and mysterious understanding of swordsmanship surge into his mind like a wild horse.
Then countless exquisite sword moves unfolded in Dong Mo's mind, like a beautiful painting, each stroke containing a sharp edge that could shatter all sword techniques in the world.
"So that's how it is, this is the Sword Breaking Style..."
After speaking, Dong Mo, having digested the Broken Sword Style, suddenly opened his eyes.
He then gripped the wooden sword, ready to strike while the iron was hot and deduce the true Tranquil Sword Technique, which was the second move of the Tranquil True Understanding mentioned by the system.
However, just as he assumed the starting stance for his sword technique, a new prompt popped up in front of him.
[Her mind was in turmoil as she practiced the Tranquil Mind Sword Technique. She decided to stop there for today and get some peace and quiet.]
Upon seeing the slightly shy remark from the Tranquil Sword Technique, Dong Mo was taken aback.
"Huh? Why did it stop so soon? Did the succubus ability the system gave me not work?"
But upon further reflection, Dong Mo felt relieved.
As a master of Gal games, Dong Mo understands the importance of strategy and the principle that one should not rush things.
When dealing with an arrogant opponent like the Tranquil Sword Technique, the more you pester her, the more likely she is to develop a dislike for you.
Conversely, taking a step back at the right time and giving the other person enough breathing space can allow their goodwill to quietly develop during the quiet process.
"In that case, let's call it a day."
"After all, there's plenty of time..."
Thinking of this, Dong Mo glanced at the sky outside the window.
Seeing that it was getting late, he collapsed onto the bed and fell into a deep sleep as if he were completely exhausted.
.........
As the moon sets and the sun rises, the earth gradually awakens. Bathed in the dim light filtering through the guest room window, Dong Mo slowly wakes up to the calls of his maid, Xiao Bai.
"Young Master Dong Mo, it's time to get up."
Xiao Bai's voice was soft and sweet, like a feather falling into his ear.
Dong Mo opened his eyes groggily and saw Xiao Bai standing by the bed with a copper basin in his hand.
The morning light streamed in through the window, casting a faint golden edge on Xiao Bai's white clothes.
"Young Master Dong Mo, the spirit boat is about to land. We need to hurry and prepare to disembark."
Dong Mo rubbed his eyes, sat up, and took the cloth Xiao Bai handed him, wiping his face haphazardly a few times.
After a quick wash, Dong Mo's groggy mind cleared up a bit.
After tidying up his disheveled clothes, Dong Mo took out two magical bamboo hats from his storage bag, which could conceal part of the user's aura, and put one of them on Xiao Bai's head.
"The area around Heming Mountain is a mixed bag, so keep a low profile."
Xiao Bai adjusted his straw hat and nodded obediently.
A moment later, the spirit boat landed with a roar.
A cacophony of sounds rose and fell outside the cabin: the boatmen's shouts as they unloaded cargo, the cultivators' conversations, and the whooshing sounds of various vehicles and magical artifacts cutting through the air, all blending into a noisy symphony.
Dong Mo and Xiao Bai followed the flow of people down the gangway. Looking at the luxurious dock with its endless stream of spirit ships, Dong Mo felt as if he had come home.
Heming Mountain City, along with the nearby Heming Mountain, is an important dungeon for leveling up in the early stages of the original game.
In his previous life, Dong Mo, who was a player, had run this route dozens, if not hundreds, of times.
You could say that if you blindfolded him and threw him here, he could find his way to the shop, the inn, the blacksmith's shop...
As Dong Mo was silently reflecting on his situation, the feeling of being watched and scrutinized that his double pupils occasionally transmitted brought him back to reality.
Clearly, the family's Nascent Soul cultivators were still keeping an eye on him and Xiao Bai.
However, Dong Mo remained completely unperturbed, because this Heming Mountain was not a native mountain of the Western Wilderness. According to the game's storyline, Heming Mountain was a fragment of a small world that fell from the void ten thousand years ago.
The space and rules inside are completely different from those outside.
Once any cultivator steps inside, regardless of their cultivation level, their magical power and divine sense will be forcibly suppressed, and they can only exert their Foundation Establishment strength at most.
Any cultivator who dares to use power beyond the Foundation Establishment stage inside Heming Mountain will be forcibly ejected from Heming Mountain by the strange spatial rules inside.
The reason this setting exists in the original game is mainly because this is the early-game beginner village, and it's a protection mechanism added to prevent high-level monsters from bullying the weak and blocking the entrance.
However, Dong Mo has now transmigrated to a real world of cultivation. Therefore, the settings in the game's plot naturally become the rules of reality.
It is precisely because of this special rule, coupled with the fact that Heming Mountain is located at the intersection of several major forces in the Western Wilderness, that Heming Mountain City has become a no-man's land where no single force can dominate and a place where all sorts of people mingle.
At the same time, the oppressive atmosphere here has also allowed a large number of independent cultivators, underground trading houses, and black market auction houses to take root and settle down here.
"Hmph... Once we get into the mountains, those worshippers won't be able to do anything to us."
Dong Mo lowered his straw hat, a slight smile playing on his lips.
"Xiao Bai, let's go."
"Yes, young master."
Xiao Bai hugged the Purple Nether Sword tightly and quickly followed Dong Mo's pace.
However, what Dong Mo didn't notice was that at the same moment he and Xiao Bai turned to leave, Song Qiuyu, whom he had publicly defeated yesterday, was standing on tiptoe, constantly looking around in the bustling crowd.
"Huh? That's strange... Where did that guy go yesterday?"
"Has that guy already gone far away...?"
Recalling the sword strike that defeated her yesterday, Song Qiuyu bit her lip in frustration.
Song Qiuyu wanted to find Dong Mo not because she wanted revenge.
Although Dong Mo did make her lose face, she cared more about the exquisite sword strike that defeated her yesterday, as well as his outstanding swordsmanship talent, than about losing face.
If I were to let him follow that irresponsible Golden Core female cultivator to cultivate, it would be an absolute waste of his talent.
Originally, Song Qiuyu planned to find an opportunity to talk to the boy from yesterday after entering the city, and take advantage of the fact that his master was suppressed by Heming Mountain to persuade him to switch to the Desolate Ancient Holy Land.
But now... they can't even be found.
"Sigh...were we destined to be apart?"
As soon as Song Qiuyu finished speaking, a slightly cheerful female voice exclaimed from behind her.
"Ah! Senior Sister Song, so you've been here."