Zhao Ying clenched her teeth and tried her best to hold on, but she was getting more and more desperate. Blades were coming at her from all directions, and they could kill her at any time. Senior Brother Chu was here as well. Were they going to die here?
She tried hard to clear her mind of distracting thoughts and focused on her swordsmanship. She looked for an opening to attack and held on for as long as she could.
"Senior Martial Brother, you go first!" she shouted.
Chu Li sighed and unsheathed his sword. He pressed on the saddle and leaped into the air. He dove down like an eagle, his sword flashing like lightning.
"Ahhhh!" Screams of agony could be heard one after another. Zhao Ying felt the pressure on her suddenly lessen. She quickly turned her head to look. Chu Li's body was like a ghost and his sword was like lightning. Every time he flashed, someone would fall.
In the blink of an eye, before she could even use her third move, everyone had already fallen to the ground. Other than the two of them, no one else was left standing.
"Senior Brother …" Zhao Ying was surprised.
Chu Li leaned on his sword, his face turning pale. He smiled bitterly and said, "Let's go, we shouldn't stay here for long!"
"Alright!" Zhao Ying nodded.
This time, she did not need Chu Li's reminder. She raised her sword and stabbed the people on the ground one by one. Then, she helped Chu Li onto the horse. The two of them galloped away and finally left the territory of the Raging Tiger Ridge.
Once they left the Raging Tiger Ridge, Zhao Ying let out a long sigh of relief and turned to look at Chu Li. Chu Li's complexion did not improve, he was still as pale as a sheet.
"Brother Chu, let's find a place to rest. Now that we've left the Ferocious Tiger Mountain, there won't be any more robberies."
"Let's go further. Be careful, they might catch up."
"Can you hold on?"
"No problem." Chu Li smiled. "I'm fine. I'm just tired from channeling too much."
Zhao Ying shook her head. Even if he was tired, he couldn't be this tired. He must have been injured. He must have activated a secret technique that stimulated his potential, and the aftereffects were acting up. Especially just now, he must have used a secret technique for the second time, which worsened his injuries.
Thinking of this, she blamed herself. She was too useless. Her martial arts were too weak. Not only could she not fulfill her duty as a guard, but she was also a burden. This was simply a disgrace!
Chu Li smiled. "Junior Sister Zhao, don't blame yourself. The strength of your martial arts is not up to you. Just focus on cultivating."
"Yes." Zhao Ying lowered her head.
Chu Li said, "You haven't fully understood the profoundness of the Swallow Sword Technique. It's best if you observe swallows or see how other birds fly. I'm sure you'll be inspired."
"That's right!" Zhao Ying raised her head and revealed an excited expression. "I should observe the Flying Swallow!"
Chu Li smiled. "There will be a chance."
As the two of them talked, they ran for another dozen li and finally rested in a forest.
It was already evening. Zhao Ying jumped onto a tree and looked around. She shook her head. "Senior Brother Chu, we may have to sleep in the wild tonight."
"I'm not that delicate." Chu Li smiled.
He sat cross-legged on a thick layer of withered leaves. An endless stream of inner energy surged into his body from the ground, nourishing his body. His meridians were like dry land that had received rain, recovering rapidly.
After his meridians recovered a little, he circulated the Minute Pulse Cleansing Technique to speed up his recovery.
Zhao Ying looked at Chu Li's expression.
Chu Li smiled. "I'm really fine. I'll be fine after some rest."
"It's all my fault …" Zhao Ying whispered.
Chu Li said, "Junior Sister Zhao, you're asking for trouble if you think that way. I can only blame myself for not being skilled enough."
Zhao Ying shook her head.
Chu Li smiled. "Junior Sister Zhao, do you know how to cook?"
"Of course!"
"Then let's make a delicious meal!"
"Okay!" Zhao Ying nodded vigorously. "Only when you're full will you have the strength to heal!"
She turned around to gather some wild vegetables and mushrooms. She was very proficient with mushrooms. Most of the mushrooms in the wild were inedible. One careless mistake and one would be poisoned. However, most of the mushrooms in the wild were delicious.
In the end, she used jerky and rice, along with the wild vegetables and mushrooms to cook a pot of porridge. After cooking for four hours, the aroma filled his nostrils.
After Chu Li drank it, his whole body was steaming hot. It was indescribably comfortable. Her porridge was cooked to perfection. It was especially delicious when he was so tired.
The moonlight was like water. Chu Li sat quietly and cultivated. Zhao Ying sat three steps away from him. She listened to his long and deep breathing. She suddenly felt at ease.
She stole a glance at Chu Li. Chu Li's face was solemn. It was as if he was one with heaven and earth. He exuded an inexplicable majesty and momentum.
She quickly closed her eyes, afraid of being discovered by Chu Li. Thinking of the humiliation during the day, she suddenly became energetic. She had to cultivate desperately. Under the circulation of her inner energy, her meridians stabilized. She completed one cycle after another. Usually, she could only complete ten cycles. Now, she had completed twenty cycles!
In this way, it was no different than doubling her cultivation speed. How amazing was this!
She also felt that her meridians were stabilized during the day. However, she did not expect it to be this amazing. The effects of the medicine had only been completely exhausted now.
She glanced at Chu Li again and lay down to sleep.
When she woke up in the morning, she turned around and did not see Chu Li. She quickly jumped onto a tree. The two horses were still there, but Chu Li was nowhere to be seen. She was about to call for him when footsteps were heard. Chu Li walked out from the depths of the forest with two deer.
"Brother Chu!" She quickly called out.
Chu Li lifted the two deer and smiled. "I'm in luck!"
"You should have told me!" Zhao Ying landed in front of him. She rolled her eyes at him and took the deer. "Are your injuries better?"
Chu Li smiled. "I'm fine now!"
Zhao Ying smiled. "That's good. What do you want to eat?"
"Sister's specialty." Chu Li smiled.
Zhao Ying had small and exquisite pots and bowls on the saddle. This was a necessary equipment for a Protector. It was very risky for a Protector to eat other people's food when they were outside. Even if they had silverware to test for poison, it was not safe. It was best to eat their own food.
"Watch me!" Zhao Ying smiled.
The two of them ate a meal of boiled deer meat. The aroma of the meat and the mushroom mixed together to form a rich, unique aroma that made people salivate. The two of them continued their journey after the meal.
The rest of the journey was smooth. There were no more robberies. In the evening, they arrived in front of a valley.
This valley was very hidden. It looked like a depression next to a small hill. After entering, they realized that it was a different world. The valley was deep and dense with lush vegetation. The land was fertile.
Chu Li was amazed. As expected of the House of High Dukes. They were so powerful that they could find such a wonderful and inconspicuous place here.
"This is the place?" Zhao Ying followed them into the valley. She looked at the dense trees and said helplessly, "No one has been here before, right?"
Chu Li nodded. "That's why it's so hidden. From today onwards, we can't leave the valley!"
"How long do we have to stay?"
"A month."
"What can we do in a month?"
"Planting Deity's Beard. You don't know about this thing, right?"
Zhao Ying shook her head. She had never heard of it.
Chu Li smiled and explained about the Deity's Beard. He then began to work. The three long knives were put to use. They cut down the trees like tofu. Chu Li and Zhao Ying cut down a few trees and built two wooden houses. It was simple but sturdy.
Deep in the valley, there was a pool under the stone wall. It was as clear as a mirror. They fetched water from there.
Zhao Ying was usually responsible for cooking and training. Chu Li cleared five acres of land to plant Deity's Beard and Nightmare Flower.
He found four stalks of Tendon Refinement Grass in the valley. He combined them with the Earth Dragon Grass and made sixteen Tendon Refinement Pills. The two of them divided them in half. The Tendon Refinement Pill was precious to others but it was easy for him to get.
Zhao Ying did not argue and happily accepted it. After taking it, she realized that her meridians had doubled. She could train from night to morning. Her inner energy had improved by leaps and bounds. Chu Li's speed was even faster.
In ten days, she had already broken through thirty acupuncture points. Six more acupuncture points and she would be able to complete the acquired stage. For a Protector, if her martial arts did not hinder her, she would be able to break through rank seven and become a rank seven Protector.
Unfortunately, there was a huge gap between the acquired stage and the innate stage. It was extremely difficult to break through the innate stage. Out of ten people who practiced martial arts, nine were blocked. It was like a carp leaping through the dragon's gate.
The key to breaking through the innate stage was still the cultivation level. If the foundation was solid and the talent was good, it would be easy to break through. If the foundation was not solid and the talent was poor, it would be forever stuck.
Early in the morning, Zhao Ying woke up and went out to wash up. She then began to practice the Swallow Blade. She recalled Chu Li's pointers from the day before and studied it repeatedly. Little by little, she corrected it. She only changed two minor parts, but the power of the Swallow Blade had increased a lot.
Chu Li's eyes were like lightning. He could always find the weakness of the blade technique. In just ten days, Zhao Ying felt that her blade technique had changed drastically. Her power was not the same as before.
After she finished her practice, she came to Chu Li's hut. Chu Li was practicing the Delusion Split. His movements were slow and leisurely, as if he was blindly gesticulating.
She shook her head. Zhuo Feiyang did not practice this sword technique this way. He practiced it as fast as he could. He said that in order to break the opponent's sword, the sword must be faster. Otherwise, if the weakness was found, the sword would not be fast enough. The opportunity would be fleeting, and it would be useless.
Now, she trusted Chu Li even more. Zhuo Feiyang was like a child, and his knowledge of martial arts was far from hers. There must be a reason why Chu Li was practicing so slowly. It was not a waste of time.
"Brother!"
"Oh, take the flower on the table and eat it."
"What flower?"
"I planted it for fun. It tastes good."
"You're not joking with me, are you?" Zhao Ying stared at him.
She realized that Chu Li loved to tease others. He loved to tease her. Sometimes, she did not know whether to laugh or cry. She wanted to lose her temper but she could not.
Chu Li laughed as he practiced. "It's good stuff. Don't regret it if you don't eat it!"
"If there's anything wrong with it, I'll make you pay!" Zhao Ying scoffed.
She walked to the square wooden table and opened the wooden box on the table. Inside was a crystal clear flower. It was like an ice sculpture. It was so beautiful that she could not bear to eat it.
"How do I eat it?"
"Just pluck the petals and eat it. It tastes good."
Zhao Ying looked at him worriedly. She steeled her heart and plucked one of the petals and placed it in her mouth. The sweet and refreshing taste flowed down her throat and into her heart. It was an indescribable comfort. She plucked another petal.
When she came to her senses, the flower was already gone. She looked at Chu Li embarrassedly.
Chu Li smiled. "This is the Nightmare Flower. It's good for women."
"What's its use?" Zhao Ying asked curiously.
She did not feel uncomfortable. Instead, she felt warm and comfortable.
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