Heavenly Heart Mountains?
When Elder Lin uttered these four words, Meng Fan was a bit bewildered.
He had never heard of this place before.
But Meng Fan’s ignorance was a fact; he had heard of very few places to begin with!
Under Elder Lin’s guidance, Meng Fan left the Shu Mountain Sword Sect.
As for the various affairs of the Sword Pavilion, they were naturally left to Senior Disciple Luo to manage.
After leaving the Sword Pavilion, Meng Fan followed Elder Lin on foot.
“Master, can you perform the legendary Sword Flight?” Meng Fan asked Elder Lin.
“I can!” Elder Lin said calmly.
Meng Fan immediately envied him. Sword Flight, how many people dream of such a wondrous ability?
“Then Master, why do we have to walk to the Heavenly Heart Mountains? Can’t we use Sword Flight?” Meng Fan asked.
Elder Lin looked at Meng Fan in surprise and said, “I can fly with my sword, but you can’t!”
Meng Fan said, “But Master, you can carry me!”
Elder Lin rolled his eyes helplessly and said, “Carry you with Sword Flight? What nonsense are you thinking? With your physical strength, if I carry you, do you think you’ll die fast enough?”
Meng Fan felt helpless. He knew he was weak, but he didn’t expect to be so weak that he couldn’t even be carried!
“Master, my body is indeed weak, but I can protect it with True Qi. If it really doesn’t work, could you please take the trouble to protect me?” Meng Fan shamelessly suggested.
Elder Lin smiled bitterly. The boy was still daydreaming, not realizing the essence of the matter.
“Not everything can be helped by others. Sometimes, you must be strong enough on your own.”
“If I carry you with Sword Flight, even if I protect you with my True Qi, you still won’t be able to withstand it.”
“True Qi can protect you from the impact of the air currents, but the sensation of tearing from your own high-speed movement can’t be protected by True Qi.”
“So, my boy, don’t aim too high. Only by being down-to-earth can you truly succeed!”
Elder Lin earnestly instructed Meng Fan.
“Understood, Master. Your disciple understands,” Meng Fan said honestly.
For seven days straight, the master and disciple traveled.
After seven days, Meng Fan followed Elder Lin to the Heavenly Heart Mountains.
Looking at the vast expanse of towering trees in the Heavenly Heart Mountains, Meng Fan felt an immense sense of awe.
“Disciple, there are many demons within the Heavenly Heart Mountains. The closer to the depths of the mountains, the stronger the demons that dwell there. Creatures like the Purple Thunder Pig are usually found on the outskirts, so try not to venture too deep into the mountains!” Elder Lin advised.
Meng Fan nodded. His personality was more cautious. Even if forced, he wouldn’t go deep into the mountains, let alone actively seek death by exploring the depths.
Shortly after, Elder Lin led Meng Fan to a thicket on the outskirts of the Heavenly Heart Mountains.
Pointing at a large purple wild boar ahead, he said to Meng Fan, “This is the Purple Thunder Pig. I found the first one for you to get acquainted with. From now on, you’ll have to find them yourself.”
“The Purple Thunder Pig is only a low-level demon. Under normal circumstances, Shu Mountain disciples at the seventh or eighth level of Qi Refining can kill such creatures.”
“Although you’re only at the fourth level of Qi Refining, you’ve mastered the Thunderous Sword Rhyme, and your strength is no less than that of disciples at the seventh or eighth level of Qi Refining.”
“Your mission in the Heavenly Heart Mountains is to slay one hundred Purple Thunder Pigs. You may return to the Shu Mountain Sword Sect once you’ve completed this task.”
Meng Fan nodded without any particular reaction.
Indeed, as Elder Lin said, his strength was not inferior to that of cultivators at the seventh or eighth level of Qi Refining, perhaps even stronger in terms of burst power.
His only weakness was True Qi, which was less enduring than those at the seventh or eighth level of Qi Refining.
But he didn’t need endurance. After killing a Purple Thunder Pig, he could rest and replenish his True Qi.
It’s not like he had to kill a hundred Purple Thunder Pigs in one go!
“Meng Fan, your disciple understands,” Meng Fan said to Elder Lin.
“Then this Purple Thunder Pig is yours to deal with. I won’t make a move; it’s all up to you. If you can’t even handle one Purple Thunder Pig, then you’ll greatly disappoint your master!” Elder Lin said sternly.
Meng Fan drew the Hong Qi Sword and approached the thicket.
This was his first time slaying demons!
He had sparred with fellow disciples of the Shu Mountain Sword Sect a few times before.
But facing a demon was truly a first.
However, facing a demon was actually easier than facing a cultivator, with much less psychological burden.
It’s like when you slaughter chickens or dogs, it doesn’t carry the same burden as killing a person!
The Purple Thunder Pig, sensing Meng Fan’s approach, slowly lifted its head.
Although not human, demons can sometimes be even more sensitive than humans.
For instance, at this moment, the Purple Thunder Pig clearly sensed Meng Fan’s malice.
So it immediately let out a roar at Meng Fan.
Demons, not only are they more perceptive than humans, but they are also often more decisive, not hesitating like humans with various considerations.
Just like this Purple Thunder Pig, upon sensing Meng Fan’s malice, it roared and charged directly at him.
It wanted to crush Meng Fan on sight!
Without any hesitation.
Meng Fan’s expression turned serious. This was his first battle with a demon, so naturally, he had to give it his all and not be careless!
Despite being just a pig, the Purple Thunder Pig was fast, charging like thunder.
Meng Fan stepped on the Willow Fluff on the Wind movement technique, dodging the Purple Thunder Pig’s charge.
In the instant he passed by the Purple Thunder Pig, Meng Fan swung the Hong Qi Sword, slashing fiercely at the pig’s neck.
Demon-Slaying Sword Intent erupted!
Thunderous Sword Technique—Thunder Blast!
The sword light flashed like lightning, and the sound of thunder exploded.
With the surge of the Pure Yang Thunder Cultivation Scripture within him, faint lightning flickered on Meng Fan’s Hong Qi Sword.
The Hong Qi Sword fell.
The next second, a pig’s head rolled to the ground, and dark purple blood sprayed everywhere.
Elder Lin believed Meng Fan could kill a Purple Thunder Pig, and Meng Fan also believed in himself.
But neither Elder Lin nor Meng Fan expected Meng Fan to kill a Purple Thunder Pig with a single strike.
Meng Fan, holding the Hong Qi Sword, stared dumbfounded at the Purple Thunder Pig.
Was slaying demons this easy?
To be honest, he had been a bit nervous before.
He even feared getting injured!
Although with Elder Lin present, he certainly wouldn’t be in mortal danger, but he thought some minor injuries were inevitable.
Turns out, this Purple Thunder Pig was way too weak, right?
It didn’t seem much more formidable than the pigs raised at home, all of which could be killed with a single stab.
“Elder Lin, this Purple Thunder Pig seems much weaker than I imagined!” Meng Fan turned around and said to Elder Lin, clearly a bit stunned.
To be honest, Elder Lin was also a bit stunned.
But he was used to absorbing such shocks internally, maintaining an expressionless face, as if nothing had happened.
Elder Lin said indifferently, “As my disciple, if you couldn’t even beat a Purple Thunder Pig, that would be the real problem, especially since it’s the lowest level of demon!”
To be honest, Meng Fan killing the Purple Thunder Pig with one strike was somewhat unexpected, but upon reflection, it made sense.
Firstly, Meng Fan had mastered the Demon-Slaying Sword Intent.
Secondly, he had mastered the Thunderous Sword Technique and even grasped the Sword Rhyme.
Demon-Slaying Sword Intent was terrifyingly effective against demons.
The Demon-Slaying Sword Technique was easy to cultivate, but mastering the Sword Intent was quite difficult.
Normally, even Shu Mountain disciples who reached the True Martial Realm would find it hard to master the Demon-Slaying Sword Intent.
Meng Fan, at the fourth level of Qi Refining, mastering both Sword Rhyme and Sword Intent, was truly exceptional!
Next, Elder Lin began teaching Meng Fan how to extract the Thunder Essence from the Purple Thunder Pig’s body.
The Thunder Essence resided deep within the pig’s heart.
Once extracted, it had to be absorbed immediately, or it would dissipate into the air.
Meng Fan followed Elder Lin’s instructions, extracting the Thunder Essence from the pig and absorbing it into his body.
“Thunder Essence will slowly dissipate within the human body, so after you’ve absorbed it, it’s best to immediately start Refinement with the Pure Yang Thunder Cultivation Scripture,” Elder Lin said after Meng Fan extracted the Thunder Essence.
Meng Fan, without hesitation, sat down on the spot and began to circulate the Pure Yang Thunder Cultivation Scripture.
If he were alone, he might have sought a secluded place first before cultivating.
But with Elder Lin present, Meng Fan could sit down and cultivate without worry.
Having someone to back you up means you can do as you please!
About half an hour later, Meng Fan stood up; the Thunder Essence had been completely refined by him.
His True Qi had also increased significantly.
If he absorbed three more Thunder Essences, Meng Fan felt he could break through to the fifth level of Qi Refining.
Elder Lin had indeed provided him with the most suitable cultivation path.
“How do you feel?” Elder Lin asked Meng Fan.
“Master, I feel great. Probably after absorbing three more Thunder Essences, I can break through to the fifth level of Qi Refining,” Meng Fan said excitedly.
“Very good!” Elder Lin nodded in satisfaction.
To be honest, ever since he took Meng Fan as his disciple, the boy had never disappointed him.
Only ever exceeding expectations!
“Next, you’ll have to find Purple Thunder Pigs on your own,” Elder Lin told Meng Fan.
Even Elder Lin deliberately hid in the shadows to train Meng Fan, making himself invisible to the disciple.
Only in such circumstances could Meng Fan gain the most authentic experience.
Meng Fan wandered through the Heavenly Heart Mountains in search of Purple Thunder Pigs.
Although his target was the Purple Thunder Pigs, the mountains were home to a variety of demons, and he couldn’t guarantee he would encounter them.
Then, the next demon Meng Fan encountered was indeed not a Purple Thunder Pig!
A giant snake as thick as Meng Fan’s calf blocked his path, hissing at him.