Chapter 13: Have You Ever Heard of the Land Sword Immortal?

“Senior Brother Lu, I recall you have a Sword Spirit Root?” Tao Yaoye’s gaze fell on the ancient sword hanging from Lu Yang’s waist, then on the calluses on his thumb-forefinger web, clearly formed from prolonged sword practice. The rapid changes in just one year were testament to his dedication.

Lu Yang nodded, humbly remarking, “You could say I’m barely a sword cultivator.”

Depending on their specialty, cultivators are categorized as Pill Cultivators, Talisman Cultivators, Formation Cultivators, Body Cultivators, Sword Cultivators, and so on. Among these, Sword Cultivators boast the strongest offensive power; in battles of the same realm, no one wishes to contend with one.

Sword Cultivators are renowned for their technique "One Sword Breaks All Spells," meaning no matter how profound one's spiritual arts, they can be shattered with a single stroke. Conversely, Dao Method Cultivators are known for "Ten Thousand Spells Break One Sword," implying that even the most formidable sword techniques can be overcome by diverse spiritual arts.

Beyond "One Sword Breaks All Spells," other famous Sword Cultivator techniques include "Sword Cleaves Heavenly Gate" and "Flying Sword."

Dressed in white like snow, riding a flying sword, soaring through the wind and waves — what a magnificent and unrestrained sight!

What do cultivators aspire to? Strength and style. Sword Cultivators perfectly embody both, leading countless aspirants to long for this path. Alas, without innate sword talent, many are simply not destined for it.

“So, Senior Brother Lu, what will you do once you've mastered flying on your sword?”

Tao Yaoye had never before heard of a Sword Cultivator who suffered from acrophobia. Other cultivators achieve freedom by soaring through the skies and burrowing underground. This Senior Brother Lu, however, seems more inclined to find freedom by burrowing *only* underground.

Lu Yang responded with a straight face, "Sword Immortals aren't solely defined by flight. Junior Sister Tao Yaoye, have you perhaps heard of a 'Land Sword Immortal'?"

Tao Yaoye paused, a little taken aback. Seeing Lu Yang's earnest expression and finding the term "Land Sword Immortal" vaguely familiar, she nodded instinctively.

“Who ever said immortals must always be lofty and remote? An immortal, after all, is still a 'person.' Immortals are in the heavens, but people are on the earth. Immortals traverse the entire cosmos, reaching for the stars and moon above, or delving into the nine abysses below, utterly unconstrained.”

“The very term 'Land Sword Immortal' demonstrates that a Sword Immortal doesn't just reside in the heavens; they can also walk the earth. With a single sword stroke, they can fell demons a thousand *li* away!”

“My goal is to become just such an existence: a Land Sword Immortal!”

Tao Yaoye was about to nod along with the dramatic mood, but fortunately, her accumulated composure kicked in, and she realized the issue: “No, wait a minute. I've only ever heard of 'Land *Immortals*.' Where did this 'Land *Sword* Immortal' term come from?”

Lu Yang silently gazed at Tao Yaoye for three seconds, as if millennia of profound secrets were brewing within him. Then, he slowly uttered.

“I made it up.”

“...”

His utterly sincere attitude rendered Tao Yaoye speechless.

Tao Yaoye didn't pursue the topic further. In just three days of acquaintance, the image of Senior Brother Lu she had held in her mind had completely crumbled.

During the first trial, she had personally witnessed Lu Yang's Sword Spirit Root manifestation. In her mind, at that moment, Lu Yang had been like an upright, world-cleaving sword—silent, yet utterly indomitable. After the second trial, she heard Lu Yang describe his unique method for passing, which made her think that Sword Cultivators possessed adaptable minds, perhaps promising greater future achievements. By the third trial, on Mount Questioning Heart, she was so exhausted she could barely keep her eyes open, convinced no one could ascend to the fiftieth step. Then she saw Lu Yang reach the fiftieth step and successfully complete the trial. His success instilled in her immense confidence, giving her the resolve to continue climbing and pass as well.

A year later, she encountered the acrophobic and remarkably talkative Senior Brother Lu.

She now understood the true meaning of "distance lends enchantment."

“Judging by the time, it's almost time to disembark.”

Lu Yang unrolled a large, highly detailed map. It meticulously marked the Ask Dao Sect, the Great Xia Dynasty's Imperial City, renowned mountains and rivers, major cities, and various blessed lands. This particular map covered one-eighth of the Central Continent. A small red dot on the map moved so slowly that one might mistake it for being stationary if not paying close attention. The red dot indicated their current position.

This was no ordinary map; it was a crucial magical artifact for travel. Despite the map's sophistication, Taiping Village was too small to be depicted; it was already rare enough for Quhe County to be even mentioned. The flying boat journeyed tens of thousands of *li* from Ask Dao Sect to the Great Xia Dynasty's Imperial City. At such a vast distance, not only was Taiping Village too insignificant to appear, but even Quhe County was merely a tiny, barely discernible dot on the map.

The flying boat wouldn't stop at minor locations like Quhe County. If it were to make stops everywhere, its speed would drastically decrease, rendering its efficiency little better than that of a horse carriage. This particular flying boat only docked at major transport hubs such as Ask Dao Sect, Qingyun City, Tongtian Valley, Fulong Mountain, and the Imperial City.

Lu Yang recalled his Senior Sister telling him that to disembark from the flying boat, one simply had to jump off.

This made Lu Yang's eye twitch.

Flying boats were similar to airplanes from his previous life—extremely fast and prioritizing efficiency. The key difference was that in his past life, passengers had to obediently wait for the plane to land before disembarking, whereas cultivators in this world could jump off whenever they pleased. It truly emphasized freedom and openness.

This was Lu Yang's first time jumping from the vessel, and he felt a surge of excitement. This excitement, however, manifested as trembling legs. They were ten thousand meters up in the air.

“Senior Brother Lu, do you know how to get off the vessel?”

“Of course,” Lu Yang replied, puffing out his chest with a hint of pride.

From ten thousand meters up, without a clever technique, a straight fall would turn even a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator into a splattering mess. Lu Yang had asked his Senior Sister precisely how to disembark, but she hadn't answered directly. Instead, she'd told him not to consult books or ask others, but to figure out a method himself, to cultivate the good habit of independent thought. Lu Yang had then successfully devised a method for disembarking and made his preparations.

Besides Lu Yang and Tao Yaoye, seven or eight other strangers were also preparing to disembark. Lu Yang, Tao Yaoye, and the seven or eight strangers stood in a line at the edge of the deck.

The seven or eight strangers produced standard paper umbrellas.

Tao Yaoye brought out her meticulously refined red paper umbrella.

Lu Yang, meanwhile, pulled out a parachute.

“Hmm?”

Lu Yang felt decidedly out of place. Why were everyone else's preparations so different from his own?

Just as Lu Yang pondered what they were about to do, an impatient middle-aged man in black, umbrella in hand, leaped from the flying boat. The black-clad man plummeted like a cannonball, his descent rapidly accelerating. Without haste, he calmly infused spiritual energy into the paper umbrella. The nimble energy, light as silk, coiled around the umbrella's ribs from the handle, like a lithe green serpent. The paper umbrella seemed to awaken from slumber, unfurling like a living thing. The black-clad man's descent gradually slowed, allowing him to sway gently down and land safely.

The man released his grip, and the paper umbrella swiftly closed, transforming into a streak of light that wove through the sea of clouds, returning to the flying boat. The paper umbrella was not his own; it was a temporary loan from the flying boat for its customers' use.

The seven or eight strangers and Tao Yaoye all simultaneously turned to stare at Lu Yang. Even Tao Yaoye's eyes were filled with confusion. They were holding umbrellas for jumping. What was he doing carrying a bag on his back?

On the surface, Lu Yang maintained a composed demeanor, his face unreddened and his heart calm. He met their bewildered gazes with a brilliant smile, as if he weren't the one who stood out. In truth, however, his mind was a tempest, filled with a torrent of unspoken grievances. All his myriad thoughts condensed into a single lament: *Senior Sister, you've led me astray!*