Chapter 224: Riding on the Protagonist’s Power

Chapter 224: Riding on the Protagonist’s Power

Zhao Zhou seemed to have some knowledge about the lore of dual swords and couldn’t resist sharing his insights every time he saw Lin Nuo and Su Kexin’s Phoenix Twin Swords.

Now he revealed a secret that Lin Nuo didn’t know about.

And this secret seemed to explain why using the Phoenix Sword granted him such peculiar power.

Yes, this Phoenix Sword, which he had hidden under his bed, when taken out for use, unleashed extraordinary effects.

Not only could he fly gracefully with his sword, but as a third-tier rookie in the Spiritual Realm, he also managed to successfully navigate through a raging storm and reach Zifeng Valley.

How intriguing! There must be some profound mystery behind this.

Lin Nuo, filled with curiosity, asked, “What’s going on here?”

“Little brother, don’t be modest; you must know,” Zhao Zhou replied.

“Why do you think I would know…”

Lin Nuo sighed; he understood a lot of things, but not much about dual swords.

What was the point of researching these when he had been operating solo?

“You don’t know? Impossible! I’ve heard from Kexin that you are incredibly knowledgeable, and since you’re willing to practice the Phoenix Twin Swords with her, you should have insight. I know you have a low profile, but this is merely an academic exchange; there’s no need to hide.”

Zhao Zhou smiled, having subconsciously formed a favorable impression of Lin Nuo through Su Kexin’s tales of his exploits: powerful yet humble.

Therefore, Lin Nuo’s claim of ignorance was basically regarded as an act.

With no way out, Lin Nuo could only go along with Zhao Zhou: “Alright then, I know. I just don’t fully understand the Phoenix Twin Swords; we can discuss it.”

“Great! There’s a wooden table; let’s sit down and chat.”

With that, the two took their seats at the wooden table. Zhao Zhou raised his hand slightly, conjured a spirit pouch, and cast a spell, transforming it into tea utensils and tea leaves.

Having witnessed this, Lin Nuo found himself increasingly amazed by the wonders of this immortal technique; it was an essential asset for home or travel—just a wave of the hand and voilà, a house could appear!

Zhao Zhou brewed the tea and poured Lin Nuo a cup. A mist rose, and the fragrant aroma filled the air, refreshing his spirit.

However, Lin Nuo remained cautious; he wasn’t about to hastily sample the immortal tea from Zifeng Valley, unsure if there might be adverse effects.

He feigned touching the teacup, quickly withdrawing his hand, claiming to have been burned by the hot tea, and refrained from tasting it.

Inspecting the teacup closely, he noted that it was fine china and that the quality of the tea set was superb, far superior to anything at Xuanyun Sect.

These immortals had wooden plaques at their residences that read: “This is a humble chamber, but my virtue is fragrant.”

Goodness! To an unaware observer, it might seem they were extraordinarily frugal with nothing but clean breezes as their companions, but little did they know that their spirit pouches could probably conjure a mansion!

Invisible tycoons—he felt utterly humble!

Zhao Zhou took a sip of tea, letting out a breath, its subtle fragrance lingering in his mouth, offering a profound aftertaste.

“Little brother, let’s continue discussing the earlier topic. Kexin said that after obtaining the Phoenix Sword, following her battle at the Sacred Altar, her strength saw a qualitative leap. Ultimately, it’s due to her sword; you must know, with her usual training methods and intensity, such a leap would be challenging.”

“…”

You know nothing! She relied on the explosive power of the moment, what does that have to do with the sword?

Maybe it had a tiny bit to do with it, but compared to the moment of explosive change, it was utterly trivial!

Lin Nuo responded smoothly: “Perhaps, since that sword possesses a spirit, over time, it might assist her in her cultivation.”

“While the Spirit Sword deserves some credit, the swordsman deserves more. The Phoenix Twin Swords were initially blank slates, requiring both wielders to fill them in together—they are a unit. If one sword improves, the other will likewise adjust. That’s the brilliance of the Phoenix Twin Swords: they cultivate together, doubling the effectiveness, requiring joint effort.”

“Indeed.”

Lin Nuo nodded calmly, inwardly noting that he really knew nothing.

So, this sword getting stronger was due to Su Kexin?

Wow! He was indeed leeching off the protagonist’s power!

Zhao Zhou continued with a smile: “Thus, Kexin’s rapid growth is thanks to you. Though her talent is remarkable, she hasn’t wielded the sword long enough; relying solely on her would’ve made it difficult to reach her current level. You must have been guiding her with the sword’s practice, contributing to her rise.”

“…”

What have I practiced? I merely tossed it under the bed, hardly using it. Does it somehow break through by absorbing bed energy?

“She mentioned a noticeable difference in the sword’s spirit before and after the Sacred Altar battle, right?”

“Yes, indeed! It was only after that battle that a qualitative leap occurred. It’s possibly because of the practical battle; she was previously cultivating alone at Tianling Mountain. Only after the fight did the power you brought awaken.”

Cool. So it was her explosive growth that let me, Lin Nuo, watch the protagonist get slaughtered!

Things were clear; the Phoenix Twin Swords had spirit and could level up alongside their wielders, if one grew, the other did too.

Whether they shared the affluence equally remained to be seen.

Didn’t expect that as the ultimate villain, he could leech off the protagonist’s power—how delightful!

That protagonist’s explosive power-up was indeed remarkable; even a third-tier rookie like him could break through storms with the Phoenix Sword without crashing.

Although his own cultivation hadn’t advanced, the sword completely made up for his shortcomings.

This was practically parallel to a cultivation boost; after all, he had mastered a plethora of sword techniques, just lacking the spiritual energy to wield them.

But the Phoenix Sword solved this problem—it had both spirit and spiritual energy and consumed very little, allowing him to use high-tier sword techniques.

Alright! This discovery meant he had found a way to get stronger before becoming demonic! With that sword practiced well, he’d definitely be able to sweep the world and contest Su Kexin early!

However…

He realized a significant issue.

This was a paradox.

He lacked the ability to practice the sword himself; he had no choice but to rely on Su Kexin. If she practiced and improved the sword, only then could he become stronger.

So what was he getting strong for? Wasn’t it to eliminate the protagonist and dominate the world?!

If he got stronger early, Su Kexin would also get stronger early, which meant he would perish even faster!

How to break this deadlock?

Zhao Zhou continued, “Little brother, while it’s amazing to empower the Phoenix Twin Swords, I hope you could give Kexin some space. After all, she doesn’t want to be your burden; she’s working hard on her cultivation as well. The path of advancement for these two swords cannot rely solely on one person.”

As for others, Lin Nuo was doubtful, but when it came to Su Kexin, no one understood the protagonist better than him.

“Is she cultivating now?” Lin Nuo asked.

“Yes, she is.”

“Where? Can you take me there?”

“Sure! Follow me!”

And with that, Zhao Zhou led Lin Nuo to find Su Kexin.

Amid the steep peaks and valleys, a girl with peach blossom-like beauty danced with her long sword, the sword shadows and lights bursting forth with resounding echoes.

“Still not good enough,” Su Kexin sighed, feeling like she hadn’t made any progress in days.

Suddenly, her Phoenix Sword flickered with spiritual light, seemingly sensing the approach of the Phoenix Sword.