Proofreader & Editor: Lotas
When the woman arrived at Li Guanqi's room, her eyes still held a proud sheen, yet her expression had softened considerably.
Li Guanqi didn't understand why she had become so gentle all of a sudden.
Looking at her, he smiled slightly and teased, "What's the matter? Can't get enough of me?"
The sight of that smug grin on Li Guanqi's face made the woman want to stomp it into oblivion. However, recalling the old man's threat and considering her current predicament, she abandoned the thought.
Taking a deep breath, she spoke softly, "We can talk this out."
"I can return all the Primordial Energy I absorbed from you."
Li Guanqi sat down on a chair, his face expressionless, and gestured for the woman to sit as well.
Seeing her unmoved, he chuckled, "Sit down, let's talk."
Once the woman was seated, Li Guanqi asked directly, "Who are you?"
The woman didn't hide anything, her thin lips parting as she whispered, "Sword Spirit."
Li Guanqi frowned and asked, "The Sword Spirit from the Sword Box?"
The woman didn't deny it, and after Li Guanqi pondered for a while, he asked softly, "How many swords are there inside the Sword Box?"
The woman slowly extended three fingers.
Li Guanqi nodded silently, then inquired, "Do you have a name?"
At his question, the woman's body stiffened, then she shook her head and said softly, "You're not yet worthy to know my name."
"If you need to call me something, just Sword Spirit will do."
Although the woman repeated her earlier statement, Li Guanqi sensed that her words weren't meant to provoke him.
It seemed more like… stating a fact?
Li Guanqi didn't dwell on it; he was more curious about the three swords inside the Sword Box.
The woman, as if reading his mind, said softly, "With your current strength, you can't handle any of the swords."
"Perhaps when you reach the Golden Elixir Realm, you might barely manage to control the first sword."
"As for me… heh, don't even think about it."
Li Guanqi shrugged and after a moment's thought, he asked softly, "What benefits can you offer me by staying by my side?"
The woman pointed at herself.
Before she could speak, Li Guanqi muttered to himself, "Sheesh… she's quite beautiful, but if I can only look and not touch, it feels like a loss."
Hearing this, the Sword Spirit's face turned ashen with anger!
She had never encountered someone so shameless. Back in the day…
"Hmph! In your dreams!" the Sword Spirit retorted, her graceful figure leaning back in the chair as she spoke softly, "I mean that I will guide you in your cultivation."
"I already have a master," Li Guanqi replied with a shrug, feeling her offer was meaningless.
The Sword Spirit glanced at him and said emphatically, "I am not like him!"
"A mere Golden Elixir, even if he once broke through to the Elemental Infant, is nothing special!"
"What I can teach you, no one else in this world can!"
But Li Guanqi just parroted the last part of her statement in a mocking tone, thinking to himself, "Could this Sword Spirit be defective? She seems a bit off."
"Maybe… I should just let her go?"
The Sword Spirit closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and with a wave of her hand, a Spirit Light formed in front of Li Guanqi.
He immediately realized that the figure made of Spirit Light was demonstrating a technique from the incomplete cultivation method he practiced.
The circulation pattern of the Spirit Light was completely different from his own!
Li Guanqi was shocked to discover that this method could increase his cultivation speed by a full thirty percent!
And beside it appeared many unfamiliar incantations.
Li Guanqi raised an eyebrow and exclaimed in surprise, "Is this the continuation of that incomplete cultivation method?"
The Sword Spirit nodded casually and pursed her lips, "Such a trashy method is too easy to deduce the continuation for."
"But it does suit your Spirit Root well, so there's no rush to change methods before Divine Transformation."
Li Guanqi clicked his tongue but didn't retort, only scoffing inwardly, "She looks down on it but doesn't offer me a higher-grade method."
However, he kept these thoughts to himself, knowing that memorizing the incantations and the method's circulation pattern was what truly mattered.
Moments later, the Spirit Light dissipated.
The Sword Spirit glanced at the contented young man and asked softly, "Any other questions?"
Li Guanqi waved his hands with a smile, "No questions, of course no questions now."
"But… I just wanted to ask, will you absorb my Primordial Energy again in the future?"
The Sword Spirit slowly stood up and said softly, "No, but if you could share some with me, that would be better. Whether you share or not is up to you."
Li Guanqi's expression changed as he asked, "Truly no more?"
The Sword Spirit in the red dress pondered for a moment and then said softly, "I can no longer forcibly absorb your Primordial Energy. This time was only because I needed some power to awaken."
"But… I hope that after you establish your Foundation, you can share some Primordial Energy with me. I need it to keep my spirit from dissipating."
"Only if you share your Primordial Energy can I slowly regain my strength."
Li Guanqi finally relaxed; in two months, the first sect assessment would take place.
If she continued to absorb his energy, his cultivation speed would significantly decrease.
However, just as the Sword Spirit was about to leave through the door, she suddenly turned her head to look at Li Guanqi.
Li Guanqi instantly tensed up, not wanting to provoke the Sword Spirit's anger again.
To think she could effortlessly modify an Earth-tier cultivation method!
And she was just the spirit of a sword!
How powerful must that sword be?
"One day, I'll have her… cough cough… in my grasp!"
The Sword Spirit watched Li Guanqi for at least three breaths, then spoke with a weighty voice.
"No matter what, don't die!"
After saying that, she transformed into a streak of light and entered the Sword Box.
Li Guanqi stood there, stunned for a long time.
"What did she mean by that? What does 'don't die' mean?"
"From her level of realm, she's definitely something extraordinary…"
"She wouldn't say something nonsensical, so what does it mean?"
"Could it be that she's been overwhelmed by my dominance and fallen for me in such a short time?"
Li Guanqi shook his head, vainly smoothing back his hair.
A mysterious force emerged within him, and his aura climbed steadily, quickly recovering to the mid-stage of the fifth layer of Qi Refining.
It was slightly inferior to his previous peak state.
Suddenly!
The door to the courtyard was burst open by an old man.