This Sword Cultivator is Somewhat Dependable-Chapter 1683 - 36: Remaining Time

Time passes.

It's been half a year since Lu Qingshan and Xia Daoyun returned from the Abyss to the Human Realm.

During this half year, three significant events have occurred for the Human Race.

The first event, naturally, is Xia Daoyun reaching the Sword Immortal Realm.

This is not only good news for the Sword Sect and Yumen Pass but also a momentous event for the entire Human Race.

After the fall of two out of three Sword Immortals, the Human Race was left with Chu Mu being illustrious and solitary at the top. Now, finally, a new Sword Immortal has emerged.

Moreover, it's the unprecedented emergence of a female Sword Immortal.

Luo Shen Sword Immortal, the first female Sword Immortal in the history of the Human Race.

Most importantly, the time Xia Daoyun spent achieving Sword Immortal status didn't exceed six hundred years.

— She is also the youngest Sword Immortal in the history of the Human Race.

What does this signify?

This signifies that although the brutal wars have caused many older cultivators to sacrifice their lives, the new generation of cultivators is rising and surpassing the previous generation's achievements. The Human Race is becoming increasingly powerful.

The second major event, which is still related to Xia Daoyun.

After months of fermenting, the news of Xia Daoyun boldly breaking into Jian Luo King City and forcibly taking six Warfare Stele from the Wilderness has spread.

People are unaware of when Xia Daoyun entered the Burning Moon Domain, how she managed such a feat, and returned safely to the Human Realm afterward, but she did achieve it.

To the Human Cultivators, who have been accustomed to passive defense and being beaten for twenty thousand years, this news is extremely morale-boosting.

Even though the combined strength of the Demon Race surpasses the Human Race by far, they still suffered a considerable loss.

The Demon Race is not as invincible as imagined and is definitely not unconquerable.

The third major event is also good news.

The war between Guangling Pass and the Black Armor Domain of the Demon Race is raging, with the situation becoming more intense by the day, and both sides suffering significant losses.

Knowing that the Burning Moon Domain is on the brink of battle, with the possibility of war breaking out at any moment, Lu Qingshan indeed doesn't have the resources to support Guangling Pass further.

However, Lu Qingshan is confident that with Luo Qiantuo's injury at the time, he absolutely cannot recover his combat power and reappear on the front lines in the short term.

In this regard, his expedition to the Abyss at least resolved one Asura King for Guangling Pass and relieved them of a significant amount of pressure.

This is already the limit of Lu Qingshan's capabilities; for the remainder, Guangling Pass cultivators will have to rely on themselves.

Yet three months after Lu Qingshan's return to the Human Realm, a piece of news spread unexpectedly.

Luo Qiantuo, the Asura King of the Asura Clan, went missing while returning to the Black Armor Domain to deal with the mysterious Human Cultivators causing chaos in the rear, disappearing inexplicably, and likely perished at the hands of Human Cultivators.

Even Lu Qingshan himself, upon hearing this news, found himself deeply puzzled.

Wasn't Luo Qiantuo saved by Luohu's incarnation at the time? How did he go missing?

What actually happened after he and Xia Daoyun left?

Lu Qingshan was shocked by Luo Qiantuo's illogical disappearance, while other Human Cultivators lacked knowledge of the secrets involved, yet were simultaneously delighted by Luo Qiantuo's misfortune and curious about the identity of that Human Cultivator.

Compared to Lu Qingshan's puzzlement, this mystery was soon resolved.

Sect Master of the Sword Sect, Lu Qingshan.

The news released by the newly appointed Sword Immortal Xia Daoyun couldn't be even slightly falsified.

Xia Daoyun was, of course, aware that Luo Qiantuo didn't perish at that time.

But she also knew that Luo Qiantuo had lost the ability to resist, and if Luohu's incarnation hadn't appeared, he would inevitably die at Lu Qingshan's hands.

Therefore, this statement was not considered exaggeration.

....

Across the Human Race's Seven Domains, from Foundation Establishment cultivators to those at the Honorable Realm, anyone who learned of this news found themselves holding their breath, stunned.

Luo Qiantuo is no small fish but an Asura King who commands countless Demonic Cultivators to bow before him; he fell beneath Lu Qingshan's sword?

Initially shocked, they followed up with genuine joy and excitement, joyful for Lu Qingshan, and even more joyful for the Human Race having Lu Qingshan.

"Just the Tribulation Crossing Realm, yet radiating such brilliant light, able to stride across the Demon Domain like Luo Shen Sword Immortal, defeating an Asura King with Eighth Realm cultivation!" This is the view of most lower-realm cultivators.

"So powerful, how is it done... how..." This is the opinion of high-realm cultivators; with their higher cultivation and broader perspective, they better understand the fearsome level of this achievement.

Luo Qiantuo, the Asura King, is among the mightiest of Demon Lords, with less than a handful of humans daring to claim assured victory over him, now...

A Sword Cultivator who hasn't even reached the Ninth Realm managed to kill Luo Qiantuo?

Can Tribulation Realm cultivators truly have such capabilities?

Unheard of.

"Lu Qingshan? Killed an Asura King?" Even Qi Butian's expression changed upon hearing this news.

Having seen countless Sword Cultivators and defended a city alongside the most powerful Sword Cultivators of the Human Race for so many years, he had never witnessed such a feat, never imagined such a Sword Cultivator would exist.

"Could you have achieved it when you were at the Tribulation Crossing Realm?" he asked Chu Mu.

"No," Chu Mu replied with an unwavering answer.

"Then how did he do it? Stronger than you?" Qi Butian couldn't understand Chu Mu's calm demeanor.

"You said it yourself; he's the one who breaks boundaries," Chu Mu reasonably replied, retorting: "If he wasn't stronger than me, why would he be the one to break boundaries?"

.....

Chu Mu's reasoning was so compelling that Qi Butian couldn't find an angle to refute it. After a moment of silence, he spoke again, "The situation in Guangling Pass isn't optimistic."

A heavily weighted message.

Even without Luo Qiantuo, the overall situation on the Guangling Pass battlefield hasn't been significantly affected.

"How much longer can it hold?" Chu Mu Shen asked.

"Five years." Qi Butian provided an answer.

Facing the full-force attack of the Demonic Cultivators from the Black Armor Domain, Guangling Pass can hold for at most another five years. Adding the year that has already passed, it's a total of six years.

"So fast." Chu Mu Shen frowned.

Defeat was expected, but the rapid breaking of the pass was unexpected.

"Because it seems that the Black Armor Domain is willing to spend all its war potential to break the pass as soon as possible," Qi Butian said.

He couldn't understand this either.

With the current posture of the Black Armor Domain Demon Race, even if they break the pass after five years, their foundation will be severely depleted.

Although Guangling Pass is the most important line of defense in the Central Martial Domain, the vast Central Martial Domain cannot have just this one defense line. The most prominent example is the Central Spirit Domain—Dragon City Pass was broken, yet the Central Spirit Domain ultimately held firm.

After expending much of their resources at Guangling Pass, the occupation of the Central Martial Domain will become arduous.

More importantly, for the Black Armor Domain, the enemies are not just the Human Race but also the other Seven Great Holy Demon Clans.

Spending all their forces to quickly seize the Central Martial Domain, even if they succeed, what will it achieve? They'll only be making wedding clothes for others.

"Guangling Pass cannot be broken." Chu Mu Shen thought and stated decisively.

"It's too far. From Heavenly River City to Guangling Pass takes about twenty days back and forth. Once you leave Heavenly River City and appear in Guangling Pass, Northern Barbarian will not hesitate to start a war." Qi Butian was very rational, understanding the implications of Chu Mu Shen's words, and promptly advised against it.

Chu Mu Shen cannot leave Heavenly River City.

Because leaving wouldn't only mean losing the most powerful combat force in Heavenly River City; more critically, it could precipitate the outbreak of the Dao-Demon War.

As long as Chu Mu Shen remains in Heavenly River City, the fear he instills in the Northern Barbarian will prevent them from starting a war easily, buying more time for the Human Race.

"The timing of the second Dao-Demon War should be postponed as much as possible, by even just one day," Qi Butian said firmly, flashing a sparkle in his eyes: "Lu Qingshan... we must secure more time for him."

The news that Lu Qingshan defeated Luo Qiantuo head-on boosted Qi Butian's confidence in Lu Qingshan to unprecedented heights.

Given time, perhaps another Ancestral Realm is not just a dream.

"Even if he can't reach the Ancestral Realm, at least we must delay until he becomes a Sword Immortal." Qi Butian insisted.

Lu Qingshan, in the Tribulation Crossing Realm, already possesses such combat power. Regardless of how he achieved it, one can imagine that once such a figure becomes a Sword Immortal, he will stand alongside Chu Mu Shen as pillars of the Human Race.

Chu Mu Shen was silent.

He had no solution.

He's powerful, but ultimately he's only one person, unable to transform into thousands.

Chu Mu Shen sighed, eventually choosing not to act willfully and heeded Qi Butian's advice.

"Deploy a batch of cultivators to support Guangling Pass."

This was all he could do, though he knew it's merely a temporary fix, not a cure for the problem; it doesn't assist the overall situation, but might allow Guangling Pass a few more months.

Five years...

Chu Mu Shen felt helpless.

.......

Qingshan Palace.

Six months after returning to Yumen Pass, Lu Qingshan left the palace for the first time, appearing before the cultivators at Yumen Pass for the first time.

"Sect Master..."

"How is it possible?"

"This.... "

Everyone who saw him was stunned.

That head of white hair, disparate with his age, revealed much more information.

In just half a day, Lu Qingshan's condition spread throughout Yumen Pass.

They finally understood what price Lu Qingshan paid to defeat Luo Qiantuo.

"To defy the heavens and defeat Luo Qiantuo across three ranks is far more challenging than we imagined." Cang Xiu couldn't help but sigh upon hearing the news.

"Sect Master Lu is truly an unparalleled Sword Cultivator!"

"Leaving such severe aftereffects, will it affect his cultivation?" Some began to worry, fearing Lu Qingshan might never reach Sword Immortal status after this battle.

"Lu Qingshan..." Zang Xiaojian, coincidentally also at Yumen Pass, even became anxious and went to personally inquire about Lu Qingshan's condition.

Other than that head of white hair, Lu Qingshan appeared unchanged from before, but those with higher cultivation could sense his current situation was not optimistic.

Everyone knew he had been in retreat for six months.

Having been in retreat for six months without recovery must mean the injury damaged his source. Can he really recover?

This question passed through everyone's mind, fearing that defeating Luo Qiantuo was Lu Qingshan's last glory.

"Really, I'm not lying to you."

Lu Qingshan looked helplessly at Zang Xiaojian's anxious face.

Zang Xiaojian wanted to say more but seemed hesitant.

"Seeing you all worrying, thinking too much," Lu Qingshan laughed: "Indeed, it injured the source, but it won't affect my cultivation. Coming out before the injuries have fully healed is because the remaining injuries can't be resolved by retreat; they need time to naturally heal."

It takes a hundred days for major injuries to heal, same principle.

"How much longer until full recovery?" Zang Xiaojian asked bluntly.

"Four to five years, I suppose." Lu Qingshan thought and replied.