Chapter 89: Earth

With the last drop of stagnant blood squeezed out, the wound in his chest healed rapidly, and the aura about Ji Huo surged higher and higher until he touched a barrier.

That barrier was unimaginably hard. No matter how violently his strength crashed against it, it would not break.

After several attempts, Ji Huo could only give up in dejection.

When he opened his eyes again, he felt as though the whole world had changed. Sunlight, air, the grass, trees, bamboo, and stones outside all seemed far clearer than before.

Most of all, the ground beneath his seat gave him a strange sense of intimacy.

The first layer of the Elemental Codex bore only the simplest name: earth. Ji Huo felt that he had only learned half of this earth; the second layer was likely meant to complete the other half.

"You've reached grandmaster?" Xia Ningshang asked in confusion. She could tell that something about Ji Huo had changed, yet he did not quite feel like a grandmaster.

Ji Huo shook his head. "Reaching grandmaster is truly difficult. I merely made a breakthrough in martial study."

Xia Ningshang said enviously, "A breakthrough in martial study was enough to dispel a sorcerer's curse outright. You've already surpassed many in this world."

Ji Huo smiled. He was now in perfect condition, and with the Elemental Codex in hand, he still had no idea what this technique was really for. There was not even an instruction manual or any moves inside it; it was all rather baffling.

He reached to his waist and drew out the Emperor's Sword, first glancing at the cloth wrapped tightly around it, then shifting his eyes toward Xia Ningshang, while she looked up at the cave ceiling as if something interesting were there.

Ji Huo untied the cloth, then grasped the hilt and pulled hard upward.

The sword trembled violently, flashing with dazzling golden light, yet the hilt remained wedged fast in the blade, not budging in the slightest.

A trace of astonishment crossed Ji Huo's face as he looked oddly at the ground.

The Emperor's Sword not coming out was within his expectations. What he had not expected was that, as he exerted himself, a force from the ground seemed to surge straight into his body, making him unleash far more strength than before.

Within the element... so that was what it meant.

But it still would not let me break through to grandmaster! I was already endlessly close before, and now I'm still just close! There's still a half-step grandmaster waiting for me outside! How am I supposed to fight someone who has comprehended the Dao, damn it!

Is this the technique worth two million cultivation points?

Damn it!

Refund me!

Ji Huo was filled with resentment. To obtain this Elemental Codex, he could be said to have drained every point he had saved up, and only with a lucky streak on top of that did he finally scrape together the two million cultivation points needed to learn the first layer.

Right now, he could be described as exceedingly poor, like a wage slave who had just received his paycheck, splurged on a feast, then gone excitedly to a health retreat and even paid for an extra hour, only to wake up the next day so broke he could afford nothing but plain noodles in clear broth.

He let go, and the Emperor's Sword dimmed at once, as if exhausted.

Ji Huo blinked, then suddenly seized the hilt again and yanked hard once more.

The Emperor's Sword lit up again, the blade trembling anew, but the scabbard still clung fast. It could not be drawn.

Ji Huo released it, and the sword dimmed again.

Then Ji Huo very quickly seized the hilt again and pulled once more. The Emperor's Sword immediately erupted with even brighter light, clamping tightly onto the scabbard.

Xia Ningshang: "..."

For some reason, she felt as if this fool were teasing the Emperor's Sword.

"Fine." Ji Huo lost interest and tossed the Emperor's Sword to the ground. It flopped twice, its light less than a tenth of what it had been, and lay there as if barely alive.

"Miss Xia, how are your injuries now?" Ji Huo asked.

Xia Ningshang shook her head. "Better than before, but if you want me to deal with Sword Maniac, don't even think about it."

Ji Huo hesitated for two seconds, then asked tentatively, "How about I try healing you?"

Xia Ningshang looked at him with a smile that was not quite a smile. "Are you sure?"

Those words carried many meanings. More or less: you know how I got injured, I know that you know how I got injured, you know that I know that you know how I got injured...

Ji Huo smiled frankly. "The two of us are already tied to the same rope. What is there to be sure or not to be sure about?"

He was being quite sincere. In any case, once they got out, Xia Ningshang could nurse herself back to health in any random corner, so there was no need to worry about losing even this little time.

"If that's so, then come on." Xia Ningshang turned around, facing away from him, and swept her long hair forward, revealing her back and the slender, smooth line of her neck.

Ji Huo sat cross-legged behind her and pressed a hand against her back. Even through the fabric, he could still feel the warmth of her body and the softness beneath his palm.

Suppressing the stir in his heart, Ji Huo circulated his power and probed into her body. At the same time, he once again felt the strength of the earth flowing endlessly from beneath him into his own body, then into Xia Ningshang's, rapidly healing her injuries.

What kind of martial art was this Elemental Codex, exactly? It was absurd beyond reason... Ji Huo marveled inwardly.

Then he sensed a trace of resistance, the sword intent attached to the wound—a sword intent so upright, majestic, irresistible, and unstoppable.

That sword intent coursed through the other meridians and veins, like countless tiny blades constantly slicing through her body and obstructing healing.

Was this the furious strike of the Sword Saint? Truly terrifying... Ji Huo was astonished, and his gaze fell on Xia Ningshang's smooth neck.

If an ordinary person had taken this injury, every step would have been agony. Yet she had actually endured for so long as though nothing were wrong, even fighting on my behalf all this time. Such resolve is rare indeed.

"Why is Young Master Ji looking at me?" Xia Ningshang did not turn back, but her soft voice drifted over with a strangely unreal quality.

Ji Huo smiled. "I was only admiring how Miss Xia could suffer such a grave injury and still roam about everywhere. If it were me, I'd be lying in bed for half a year to recuperate."

Xia Ningshang's lips curved faintly. "That's just you wanting to slack off and lie flat. The women of our Dragon Kingdom have always been strong and independent, unlike your men from the Central Plains, who can groan and pant for ages over the slightest arousal."

I keep feeling as if you're implying something... Ji Huo was a little embarrassed and subconsciously asked, "Then what about the men of your Dragon Kingdom?"

Xia Ningshang fell silent for two seconds, then muttered, "The same."

So they are strong and independent too... Ji Huo thought.

He steadied his mind, blended his inner power into the sword intent of the Sword Saint, and tried to drive it out. Unexpectedly, upon sensing Ji Huo's inner power, that sword intent hesitated for two seconds, then withdrew on its own, dissolving with ease.

It was as if Sword Saint Bo Bo had agreed for me to do this... Strange. Before, both the Sword Saint's strike Huo Baixi gave me and the one I released with the jade pendant made me feel as though the Sword Saint's consciousness had personally descended.

Could it be that all of Sword Saint Bo Bo's sword intent is linked to his true body?

Is that a characteristic of the Heaven's Will Sword Art, or can grandmasters all do such absurd things?

Ji Huo was not entirely sure. He simply used his inner power to quickly heal Xia Ningshang's injuries. With the earth's help, the speed of recovery was not quite as fast as when he healed himself, but it was still astonishing.

A day later, Xia Ningshang opened her eyes. A streak of black light flashed and vanished within them. After all the torment, her injuries were finally healed, and even her strength had fully recovered.

She tried sensing that barrier and—well, it was still indestructible, impossible to cross.

Ji Huo withdrew his inner power. After an entire day of healing, he did not feel the slightest fatigue; even his inner power was continuously being replenished from the earth.

"Thank you, Young Master Ji." Xia Ningshang rose and stretched lazily and comfortably, her complexion already returned to normal, then gave Ji Huo a bright smile.

Ji Huo smiled and looked toward the cave entrance.

"Since Miss Xia has also recovered, let us head to the edge of Heavenly Desolation Mountain. The two of us together may not be able to defeat Sword Maniac, but escaping should not be a problem."

Xia Ningshang asked, "From here to the edge of Heavenly Desolation Mountain takes about a day. Before, we were injured, and the paths out of Heavenly Desolation Mountain were all steep and hard to climb, so we had no choice but to hide here.

"Now that we've both recovered, we have the strength to cross the mountain range. If we were to climb over Heavenly Desolation Mountain, it would only take three or four days at most. Why still fight Sword Maniac?"

Ji Huo smiled at her. "First, Sword Maniac delights in slaughtering the innocent. If we can take him out while we have the chance, that would be for the best; otherwise, if we meet on the battlefield in the future, it will be troublesome."

"Second, I also want to see what a half-step grandmaster truly looks like."

"Would Miss Xia be willing to accompany me on this journey?"

A spark of battle intent also flashed in Xia Ningshang's eyes, and she smiled.

"In that case, this little woman shall risk her life to keep a gentleman company."