Three months later.

Morning.

“Three whole months, and your Cicada’s Cry still hasn’t reached the level of Hundred Cicadas Crying in Unison. I am truly disappointed in you. If you show no progress next month, I won’t be using you to test my blade anymore.”

As Xu Taiping retreated from the blade realm, the blade ghost within let out a deeply dissatisfied roar.

“Got it, got it. See you next month.”

Xu Taiping weakly waved his hand at the blade ghost.

This was the fifth month since he returned from the Cloud Dream Marsh, and the fourth time he had emerged alive from the blade realm.

Although his entire body was in pain, just like three months ago, and his soul was on the brink of collapse, his current state could be described as “calm and composed” compared to two months ago.

During these three months, his relationship with the blade ghost had undergone a subtle change.

The blade ghost definitely still wanted him dead, but after witnessing Duan Tianya’s Demonic Severing Blade, it was now very eager to see the subsequent moves of the Demonic Severing Blade, so it couldn’t bear to let Xu Taiping die.

The instinct to kill Xu Taiping and escape the seal was natural.

The obsession to see more moves of the Demonic Severing Blade was a fixation.

Now, Xu Taiping’s existence in the blade realm, enduring torture while practicing his blade skills, was the result of the blade ghost’s instinct and fixation pulling against each other.

“Maintaining the balance between these two is the key to survival.”

This was the conclusion Xu Taiping had reached over the past few months.

To achieve this, he always hid some of his skills during each practice session with the blade ghost, so that the next time he entered the blade realm, he could pique the blade ghost’s interest and avoid being tortured to death immediately.

Just like this time.

“Old ghost, I’ve actually mastered the Hundred Cicadas Crying in Unison.”

Xu Taiping opened his left palm and grinned at the Ghost-Sealing Talisman that appeared.

Then, with a swift motion, he drew the Spring Tiger from his waist, supporting himself on one leg while raising the blade with both hands.

“Zhi zhi zhi!—”

The piercing sound of cicadas suddenly erupted.

It was like the scene of summer cicadas suddenly crying in unison as one passed through a forest on a summer night.

“Boom!…”

Amidst the cicada cries, a violent killing intent suddenly surged from the Ghost-Sealing Talisman in Xu Taiping’s palm.

Seeing this, Xu Taiping smiled happily.

He seemed to hear the blade ghost’s roaring curses from within the Ghost-Sealing Talisman.

“Old ghost, don’t be impatient. Next time we meet, I’ll definitely let you taste my Hundred Cicadas Crying in Unison.”

With that, he clenched his palm, and the killing intent that had been seeping out disappeared.

He had become increasingly proficient in controlling the Ghost-Sealing Talisman.

As long as it wasn’t a full moon night, he could completely seal the aura within the Ghost-Sealing Talisman.

Of course, the cost was accelerated blood and qi depletion.

As for defeating the blade ghost, he had long given up on that idea.

He had only been practicing the blade for three or four years; how could he compare to a monster that had been practicing for hundreds or even thousands of years?

Moreover, this monster’s mind was somewhat unstable.

Through these encounters, he discovered that the blade ghost, though seemingly lucid, was actually in a state of confusion.

Its thoughts had to be stimulated by external factors.

For example, the second time he entered the blade realm, if he hadn’t brought the Severing Water blade, which still carried Duan Tianya’s aura, the blade ghost wouldn’t have remembered the two blade intents of Duan Tianya.

This was also why he had just used the Hundred Cicadas Crying in Unison to provoke the blade ghost.

“Hiss…”

After struggling to move to the table, Xu Taiping couldn’t help but take a sharp breath due to the pain.

Tonight in the blade realm, because he had deliberately hidden the Hundred Cicadas Crying in Unison, he had only managed to injure the blade ghost three times before being skinned and dismembered by it all night.

“Gulp!…”

He skillfully opened a packet of Eight Treasures Powder, took out a Qi Preserving Pill and a Qi Boosting Pill, and swallowed them down with diluted Dragon Gall Wine.

These elixirs were indispensable for his prolonged endurance against the blade ghost.

Without them, he wouldn’t have survived the second entry into the blade realm, let alone had the opportunity to tease the blade ghost as he did today.

“But thanks to that blade ghost, otherwise it would have taken me three or four years to achieve the Hundred Cicadas Crying in Unison with the Demonic Severing Blade.”

Reflecting on his blade practice over the past few months, Xu Taiping felt a bit sentimental.

In these three months, aside from practicing swordsmanship at Moon Scooping Lake daily and steadily refining his qi to improve his cultivation, he had spent most of his time on the Demonic Severing Blade, to the point where it could no longer be called diligence but desperation.

But there was no choice; with the blade ghost chasing him relentlessly, if his blade skills didn’t improve, he would inevitably suffer the torment of being skinned and dismembered the next time he entered the blade realm.

Once or twice was bearable, but no one could withstand it continuously.

“By my calculations, Fairy Lingyue should wake up in the next few days, right?”

After his blood and qi had somewhat recovered, Xu Taiping put down the wine gourd and muttered softly.

According to the letter’s instructions, Fairy Lingyue should be in a deep sleep for six months, so if she were to wake up, it would be within these one or two days.

Although he now had a method to deal with the blade ghost, it was not a long-term solution.

No matter how hard he practiced, he couldn’t ensure progress in the Demonic Severing Blade every month.

Especially after the Hundred Cicadas Crying in Unison, to continue provoking the blade ghost, he would have to master new moves, which couldn’t be done in just one or two months.

So he still needed to consult Fairy Lingyue on how to further seal the blade ghost, at least to reduce the frequency of full moon nights.

Even once every six months would be acceptable.

Besides, he had many questions about the Ruins of the Cloud Dream Marsh in the Tai Xuan Sect that he wanted to ask Fairy Lingyue, questions that had been on his mind for a long time.

Of course, aside from all this, he also missed Fairy Lingyue a bit.

“I hope that injury didn’t affect Fairy Lingyue. As long as she’s okay, it’s fine if she comes out a bit later. I can hold on for another six months.”

After replenishing his depleted blood and qi, Xu Taiping stretched and stood up.

He still needed to wash up and head to Moon Scooping Lake to practice his swordsmanship.

“If Fairy Lingyue is really hurt, old ghost, you and I will truly be at odds.”

At this thought, Xu Taiping’s eyes revealed a rare intense killing intent.

“Taiping.”

Before Xu Taiping could lower his outstretched hand, a familiar voice suddenly came from the direction of the Qi Yue Pavilion courtyard.

Hearing this voice, Xu Taiping was first stunned, then broke into a happy smile.

“Fairy Lingyue!”

After a quick response, he didn’t even bother to wash up and rushed out of his room, sprinting towards the Qi Yue Pavilion courtyard.