Lu Yu sat alone by the campfire in silence, the outside world devoid of any sound, as if everything that had happened was just a dream.
Just then, a figure appeared outside the door.
She was an extremely beautiful girl, who could rank highly even for Lu Yu, an Earthling well-versed in beauty.
She was dressed in a gorgeous silk long dress, her thin garments accentuating her graceful figure, so beautiful it seemed beyond this world. Her large, captivating eyes were full of enchanting gazes.
"Kind sir, may I rest here for a moment?" the girl asked in an ethereal voice, crisp like the song of a hundred birds.
Gazing at the pitifully charming beauty, Lu Yu felt no inner turmoil. To be honest, if he hadn't been walking the mountain road for so long, he wouldn't have imagined anyone maintaining such pristine clothes in the wilderness, untouched by a speck of dust—she was either a fairy or a demon.
"Sure, this temple isn't owned by my family!" Despite realizing something was off about the girl, Lu Yu decided to stick to the script; angering the demon out of embarrassment would have been a foolish loss.
Although the girl was a bit surprised by Lu Yu's response, she still happily sat next to him.
At that moment, Lu Yu felt a deep malice, as if he were being stalked by a starving tiger, making his skin crawl.
This was a spiritual alarm, a result of the fusion of two souls that gave Lu Yu such sharp intuition.
"Sir, are you perhaps cold? I see you shivering all over!" the girl said as she slowly moved closer to Lu Yu.
"Miss, please have some self-respect. I, Lu, am a gentleman of integrity. In these wild hills, I implore you to maintain your dignity!" Lu Yu struggled to suppress the fear in his heart as he continued to wildly ad-lib.
"How could I be one of those self-disrespecting women? My mother passed away early, and after my father remarried, he and his new wife would beat and scold me. I had no choice but to flee from home. Seeing that you, sir, are an honest and dependable person, I allowed myself the thought of offering to share my company in your rest. I hope you will not disdain me for being alone and helpless and take pity on me, allowing me a place to stay."
Lu Yu looked at the demon in shock; he really hadn't expected his first encounter with a demon to be with such a drama queen, with such a remarkable talent for storytelling.
But he also knew the demon was running out of patience. Frenetically, his mind searched for a way to survive. When he saw the overturned incense burner behind him, he suddenly had an idea.
"Where has this fortune come from that I should receive such favor from the miss!" he exclaimed, his face betraying a lecherous expression.
The demon seemed just as surprised by Lu Yu's drastic change; moments ago, he had been sitting upright like a man of honor, but now he'd transformed into a glutinous lecher.
But at this point, she was out of options, the prey already on the hook; she wouldn't be fussy.
The girl's lithe body fell into Lu Yu's arms, and he was met with the sight of a stunning face. But Lu Yu was very clear that this was no amorous encounter; he was more like a prey being admired by a clever hunter, and Lu Yu was unfortunately the food that could no longer escape.
"Ah!" What followed was not an erotic scene, but a piercing scream.
In just the blink of an eye, the two who had been gazing into each other's eyes with seemingly tender affection had completely torn off their masks. Before the hunter could enjoy her catch, the prey had already begun its counterattack.
A handful of incense ash hit the demon squarely. The incense ash, an offering to the gods, had been permeated with divine power over a long time, naturally carrying the characteristic to dispel evil.
For the demon, this incense ash was like burning charcoal. Entering its body, it caused unbearable pain, and she couldn't help but howl in anguish.
"Damned scholar, I'll flay you alive!" What was once a beautiful face had transformed into one covered with bark-like features, aged and gnarled; her clear voice had turned raspy and unpleasant. Her delicate fingers had become black branches, lunging at Lu Yu.
Gazing at the terrifying sight before him, Lu Yu no longer felt fear. People never know just how brave they can be until the very end. He watched with interest as the branches came at him, silently lamenting that his first intimate encounter with a demon would end like this.
"Monster, face my sword!" In that critical moment, a robust voice came from outside the temple, sounding to Lu Yu like heavenly music—it was Yan Dan who had rushed over.
A sword light flashed, piercing the demon with speed faster than thunder, and the seemingly sturdy woody exterior crumbled like paper under the sword light, offering no resistance.
The demon's body seemed to split open, bright light shining through the cracks, and in a short time, the demon was dissipated by the light.
Lu Yu stared blankly at the branches turning to powder before him, secretly relieved. Had Yan Dan arrived even a moment later, Lu Yu would have been done for there and then.
"Brother Lu, I'm truly sorry. I was lured away by the demon's ploy, almost letting you fall prey to its malice. Yet you are truly extraordinary, to have inflicted such harm upon the demon!" Yan Dan said, looking at Lu Yu with amazement. He truly hadn't expected this seemingly frail scholar to achieve so much.
"You flatter me, you flatter me. It was Brother Yan's flying sword that was impressive—it annihilated the demon in an instant. That is truly formidable!"
Lu Yu also curiously sized up this brother he had just met, genuinely surprised to find that he was the legendary Sword Immortal. That dazzling sword light earlier, even to the untrained eye, was obviously extraordinary, and the seemingly powerful demon was cut down as easily as paper beneath the flying sword.
"Alas! I can't yet consider myself a true Sword Immortal, I have merely stepped onto the path," Yan Dan said with a slight sigh.
"This isn't considered a Sword Immortal?"
"A real Sword Immortal nurtures an Immortal Sword, capable of beheading from a thousand miles away with a flying sword. If such a person encountered this demon, there'd be no need to unsheathe their sword; a mere wisp of Sword Qi would suffice to scatter its soul to the winds!"
"Could Brother Yan enlighten me further?" Inside, Lu Yu was filled with anticipation about the ways of the Sword Immortal.
"The path of the flying sword values sincerity above all, with cultivation focusing on nurturing and honing."
"To nurture a sword is to gradually enhance its Spiritual Nature through the Contemplation Technique, until it responds to one's will."
"Once its Spiritual Nature is fully developed, the flying sword gains various marvelous uses. Thereafter, one must hone its edge through battle, strengthening its Sword Qi. When that is achieved, one will be able to behead from a thousand miles away and also fly with their sword."
Yan Dan slowly shared what he knew about the cultivation of flying swords, and Lu Yu listened with an ardent heart. Becoming a Sword Immortal was indeed what he aspired to be.
As the two conversed and walked, they soon saw a towering tree standing before them, shooting up into the clouds, its entirety pitch black. A pile of white bones lay under it, creating quite the fearsome sight.
"Goodness, how many people have been devoured to create such a pile of bones." Lu Yu's eyes widened as he stared at the enormous pile of bones and exclaimed in shock.
"This demon is cunning by nature and excels at beguiling travelers. I had heard of its notoriety and came to slay the demon. Unexpectedly, the demon was overly cautious and dared not face me. Had it not been for Brother Lu's incense ash, I might not have been able to harm the demon's soul."
Just then, the two suddenly saw a red-beaked crow fly out from the tree. Yan Dan quickly drew his sword to strike it, but the crow dodged and flew off toward the northwest.
"What a sly monster, hiding a part of its soul in that crow. I wasn't careful and let it escape," Yan Dan said, clutching his flying sword, grinding his teeth. After speaking, he shot Lu Yu a strange look.
"Why is Brother Yan looking at me like that?" The look in Yan Dan's eyes gave Lu Yu the creeps, prompting him to quickly ask the reason.
"I won't hide it from you, that demon hid part of its soul in that red-beaked crow. I was careless and let it get away. This demon is vengeful and will certainly seek out trouble for the both of us in the future. I'm not worried for myself, but you..." Yan Dan trailed off.
"What should I do then? Could I become your disciple and learn the art of the flying sword?"
Yan Dan looked speechlessly at Lu Yu, who wore an expression full of hope, and said, "Our Sect doesn't accept disciples lightly, and besides, I am not yet qualified to take on disciples!"
"I see, then let's forget about it. But you must come up with a solution for me; otherwise, sooner or later, I'll fall to that demon!" Lu Yu did not insist, knowing that Yan Dan, so young, likely did not have the authority to take him as a disciple.
"Don't worry, I have thought of a way for you. Although I can't impart to you the fundamental Great Dao, our Sect has documented many subsidiary Techniques. I will teach you a Technique of offense, which will surely leave that demon with no way to retreat!"
"You should not underestimate these subsidiary techniques. While they may not lead directly to immortality, their lethal force is in no way inferior to the Taoist Laws!" Yan Dan explained.
However, he was actually overthinking it. Where would Lu Yu know the difference between these things? To him, Yan Dan's willingness to teach was a favor, and his choice not to was proper. Lu Yu was clear about that distinction.
"Brother Yan, don't underestimate me. To be taught by you is a fortune beyond measure. How could I, Lu, be so greedy? It's just, what exactly is the difference between these so-called subsidiary techniques and the regularly mentioned 'righteous paths'?" Lu Yu asked about his own doubts.
"The biggest difference between subsidiary techniques and the righteous path of cultivation is that although the former has many marvels, it still does not lead to eternal life or prolonged vision. At most, they extend one's lifespan. Moreover, the majority of those techniques pursue quick success, thus harboring many hidden dangers!"
"The technique I will pass to you actually originates from the way of the flying sword. In terms of offense alone, it ranks among the top of these subsidiary techniques. Its only drawback is that, lacking a fundamental Law, it cannot extend lifespan or be used for long durations!"
After explaining, Yan Dan went on to detail the cultivation technique, which excited Lu Yu immensely. The pathway of the flying sword truly dominated in terms of offensive power—even a flying sword cultivated through this subsidiary technique had many marvelous uses. The only issue was the absence of a path to immortality. No matter how astutely one practiced, they could not extend their lifespan. Instead, excessive use could harm the Spiritual Nature of the flying sword, requiring one's Essence Blood for ritual refinement and risking damage to the very foundation!
But Lu Yu understood that Immortals surely had restrictions on taking disciples; otherwise, the world would already be overflowing with Cultivators. Thus, he was unwilling to plead any further with Yan Dan, to avoid straining their relationship.
"You're in luck. The main body of this demon is a tree, and its tree heart is a rare material imbued with Spiritual Nature. A flying sword forged from it will certainly be replete with Spiritual Nature, and with its Five Elements belonging to wood, it has the wondrous effect of nourishing the body!"