Chapter 340: One Heart, One Life

Don’t get hard! Ye Guan felt slightly embarrassed when he heard what the Adjudication Sword Master said. He also didn't want it to get hard, but it was out of his control.

The Adjudication Sword Master glared at Ye Guan and shouted, “What are you thinking about?!”

“Stop nagging!" Cirou interjected and said, "Big Sister's books mentioned something about his reaction and that it's completely normal.”

The Adjudication Sword Master redirected her glare at Cirou.

“You’re just as bad as he is,” she said.

Cirou was rendered speechless.

The Adjudication Sword Master went silent and continued rubbing the ointment all over Ye Guan. She pretended to be calm, but her trembling hands betrayed her.

Ye Guan's dirty thoughts had vanished when the heat had gotten too much for him to withstand. He felt like flames were raging inside of him. Cirou was helping him suppress the flames, but it didn't seem to be effective. The burning sensation became stronger and stronger, and he felt like his organs were going to melt.

After a while, the Adjudication Sword Master stood up and stepped aside with a frosty expression.

Cirou placed her right hand on top of Ye Guan’s belly and pressed down gently.

Boom!

A powerful energy burst out of Ye Guan, and it transformed into a thin film of energy that enveloped him.

Cirou got up and smiled. “It’s done.”

Ye Guan slowly stood up. He looked down at the thin film that stuck to him.

He then turned to look at Cirou.

Cirou's smile deepened, and she said, “Activate the Divine Tree of Nature.”

Ye Guan nodded, and a burst of the Divine Tree of Nature's Force of Nature enveloped him in the blink of an eye, bringing about a refreshing and cool sensation all over him.

"Now that we're done with the preparations…" Cirou said, “Let’s start.”

Cirou looked up and started channeling with both of her hands in the air.

A few moments later, she pointed at the skies and shouted, “Open!”

Whoosh!

The skies opened up, and a purple lightning bolt descended.

Cirou and the Adjudication Sword Master retreated at the same time.

Ye Guan jumped into the air and took a stance with his sword.

Cirou shouted, “Don't fight it!”

Don’t fight it? Ye Guan froze, and the moment it took him to ponder over Cirou's words was enough for the lightning bolt to close in on him and hit him. A crackling noise pervaded the air as innumerable arcs of lightning burst out of Ye Guan.

Ye Guan fell to the ground. The purple lightning bolt had scorched him, but a dark green energy burst out from within him and enveloped him in the blink of an eye, along with the Divine Tree of Nature's Force of Nature.

Moments later, he was completely healed!

Cirou heaved a sigh of relief and said, “Thankfully, you have the Divine Tree of Nature. Otherwise, something really bad would have happened.”

The Adjudication Sword Master glanced at her, but she didn't say anything.

"Go and continue!" Cirou shouted and summoned another purple lightning bolt.

Boom!

A piercing shrill suffused Ye Guan's ears when he was struck by the lightning bolt, but he recovered in just a few moments.

He repeated his new routine over and over again. It was a rather primitive method of strengthening his fleshly body, and it wasn't that exhausting as well. He didn't need to do anything aside from sitting cross-legged and letting the lightning bolt hit him.

However, it was an excruciatingly painful training method, but Ye Guan would gnash his teeth every time he was hit and refuse to let out even a groan. He had no qualms about going through such hardships so long as he would emerge stronger from it.

Ye Guan’s fleshly body was being tempered like a piece of metal, and Ye Guan eventually realized that his fleshly body was going through a qualitative change, albeit it was slower than his sword intent.

Ye Guan had noticed his improvement upon realizing that the lightning bolts were no longer that painful. In addition, the lightning bolts could no longer wreak havoc throughout his body; he would twitch uncontrollably for a few seconds upon getting hit, but that was about it.

A month later, Ye Guan's fleshly body became strong enough to withstand the purple lightning bolts. Shockingly, lightning arcs would occasionally jump out of his fleshly body and orbit him, creating a terrifying sight.

He had attained the Lightning Tribulation Body!

Crackle!

A lightning bolt rushed toward Ye Guan.

Ye Guan stood up and stomped before taking off to the skies in one fluid motion.

Heavenrend Quickdraw—sixty at once!

Slash!

The lightning bolt shattered and exploded into a myriad of tiny lightning bolts that scattered in all directions.

Ye Guan was beyond thrilled. He had just confirmed that his Heavenrend Quickdraw had become stronger by more than ten times than before!

At this point, even Great Time Sovereign wouldn't be able to withstand his Heavenrend Quickdraw anymore! As for a Great Destiny Sovereign, he wasn’t sure, but he felt that they would have to exert some effort to withstand it.

Ye Guan seemed to have recalled something as he suddenly appeared in front of Cirou and Cijing. He looked at them and asked, “Can I keep on strengthening my fleshly body?

Cirou shook her head and replied, “Not at the moment.”

Ye Guan said in a serious tone, “I’m not afraid of pain.”

"I know." Cirou smiled and explained, “But your fleshly body has reached its utmost limits. If you want to strengthen it any further, you need to be tempered by that crimson-colored lightning we call blood lightning. Unfortunately, your fleshly body is still too weak to withstand it."

Blood lightning? Ye Guan went silent. He could still remember how even the Adjudication Sword Master and Cirou had struggled against those blood lightning bolts. Surely, he would perish if he were to take them on.

The Adjudication Sword Master suddenly said coldly, “Are you not going to wear any clothes?”

Ye Guan's expression stiffened, and he blushed upon hearing her words. Moments later, he waved his hand and changed into a clean and plain blue robe.

Ye Guan's demeanor seemed to have changed now that he was wearing clothes. He was tall, and his posture was as straight as a spear. He was smiling lightly after becoming stronger, so he seemed less fierce and more elegant.

Ye Guan was a swordsman, but the fierce side of him had always been quite restrained. Anyone would think of him as a very gentle person at first impression; he gave off an air similar to scholars rather than swordsmen.

Cirou smiled and praised, “What a fine and handsome young man.”

The Adjudication Sword Master examined him from top to bottom and said, “What’s the point of being handsome when he’s dumb?”

Ye Guan had long gotten used to the Adjudication Sword Master's insults, so he wasn't offended at all. He made a sidelong glance at Cirou and asked, "Lady Cirou, I remember you mentioned that there's a Lightning God Imprint here. Is it still here?"

Cirou smiled and exclaimed, “I knew you would say that!”

She opened her hand, revealing a gold imprint that rushed to the skies. The sky split open, and an imprint the shape of a lightning bolt and the size of a fist appeared.

It was none other than the Lightning God Imprint.

Ye Guan was taken aback. The imprint filled his heart with dread, and it contained a terrifying amount of lightning energy!

Cirou explained, “You're staring at an unranked divine item. If you manage to conquer it and get it to merge with you, you can use it to strengthen your fleshly body and sword every day."

Ye Guan was shocked. “Really? I can do that?”

"Yes." Cirou nodded and said, “It doesn't have a spirit yet, so if you manage to conquer it before its spirit is born, you'll become its first master. And becoming its very first master is important."

"It's important?" Ye Guan asked, “Why?”

“Yes, it's just like a girl's first crush. Her first crush will always be the most memorable to her, regardless of how many men she meets in the future," Cirou explained.

Ye Guan’s face darkened.

The Adjudication Sword Master’s expression turned cold, but she didn't say anything as she unleashed a sword move toward the Cirou.

Cirou’s expression changed drastically; she didn't expect that Cijing would attack her all of a sudden. Cirou waved her sleeve, and a multi-colored light rushed to meet the Adjudication Sword Master's sword in mid-air.

Boom!

The multi-colored light shattered, but Cirou was still blasted a few kilometers away.

"What the hell is wrong with you?!" Cirou yelled.

“Your face pisses me off!” the Adjudication Sword Master roared.

Cirou frowned, and her expression turned to that of bewilderment as she asked, “I noticed it, but I haven't mentioned it yet. Why have you been acting so strange lately?”

The Adjudication Sword Master retracted her gaze and ignored her. When she saw that Ye Guan was looking at her, she snapped at Ye Guan and shouted, “What are you looking at, huh?!”

Ye Guan promptly looked away. He didn't want to fight her at all.

His gaze fell on Cirou, and he asked, "How can I conquer it?”

“It’s simple. Do it by force.”

“By force?”

“Yes.”

“Let me try," said Ye Guan before turning into a ray of sword light that took to the skies.

“Suppress the lightning tribulation around the lightning imprint,” Cirou said.

The Adjudication Sword Master didn't move nor say anything in response.

Meanwhile, the Lightning God Imprint seemed to have sensed Ye Guan's approach, as it suddenly hurled a hundred lightning bolts toward Ye Guan.

Ye Guan was stupefied. The lightning bolts had come from the lightning tribulation orbiting the imprint, but he didn't retreat in the face of them. In fact, he picked up the pace and slashed out with his sword.

Boom!

The lightning bolts shattered, but even more lightning bolts surged toward him.

Boom!

Ye Guan was blown away. Upon recovering, he looked down at his right arm and was shocked to find it numb. Thankfully, he had strengthened his fleshly body; otherwise, his fleshly body would have been obliterated.

Cirou looked at the Adjudication Sword Master and said, “Your sword can suppress those lightning bolts. Help him.”

The Adjudication Sword Master glared coldly at her.

Meanwhile, Ye Guan charged toward the lightning imprint.

Unfortunately, the lightning bolts coming from the lightning tribulation around the imprint were too fierce and numerous for him to vanquish with just his sword. He ended up plummeting to the ground with a loud explosion.

𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

He stood up quickly and was about to jump into the air when a dazzling ray of sword light fleeted across his vision and rushed toward the oncoming lightning bolts, shattering them in one fell swoop.

The dazzling sword light dissipated, revealing the Adjudication Sword Master's figure.

The Adjudication Sword Master's gaze was cold, and she stared at Ye Guan without a single word.

Ye Guan was moved, and he said, “Thank you.”

With that, he took to the skies once more.

Rumble!

The Lightning God Imprint shook violently, and a myriad of lightning bolts burst out of it. Ye Guan was stupefied, but the Adjudication Sword Master appeared next to him and waved her Adjudication Sword, suppressing the myriad of lightning bolts in the blink of an eye.

Ye Guan was shocked speechless.

The Adjudication Sword Master was annoyed. “What are you looking at? Hurry up and go!”

Hearing that, Ye Guan turned into a ray of sword light that made a beeline for the Lightning God Imprint. The moment he grabbed it, Cirou shouted, “Put it in your consciousness!”

Ye Guan obliged, and a thunderous boom echoed inside Ye Guan as a terrifying lightning energy pervaded his fleshly body in the blink of an eye.

It was a good thing that he had strengthened his fleshly body before all this.

Otherwise, the powerful jolt of lightning just now would have obliterated both his soul and fleshly body. Unfortunately, the excruciating pain was a different story. The Lightning God Imprint was resisting him, and it inundated his fleshly body with wave after wave of lightning bolts from the lightning tribulation around it.

Ye Guan felt like both his fleshly body and soul were about to explode as his consciousness grew hazy from the intense pain.

The Adjudication Sword Master frowned at the sight. She descended and cast her gaze at Cirou.

Cirou shrugged and said, “Don’t look at me. I don’t know what else we can do at this point. It all depends on him now.”

The Adjudication Sword Master was furious. “You know that he might die from this, right?"

"Accidents are commonplace in the world of cultivators," Cirou replied in a low voice.

“Accidents, my ass!” The Adjudication Sword Master roared, “Do you have any idea of how disgusting you are right now? You're all kind and gentle on the surface, but you’re actually a vile and manipulative bitch deep inside. He trusts you so much, and he treats you like his tutor, but—”

"We're enemies, and we've always been enemies!" Cirou interrupted, "Have you already forgotten that?!"

"Yes, he's an enemy, but we didn't have to resort to such a shameless and disgusting method to make him do our bidding!" The Adjudication Sword Master didn't relent and glared coldly at Cirou.

Cirou’s gaze turned cold. “I don't care how shameless a method is so long as it's going to help Big Sister. I don’t care if you get angry; I'm still going to make him withstand the Universe Tribulation in Big Sister’s place!”

“I strongly disagree with the method that you and Ba Wan have chosen,” said the Adjudication Sword Master with a shake of her head. Afterward, she rushed over to the trembling Ye Guan whose face was distorted in pain and said, "You fool! You have no idea that you're being deceived!"

She placed a finger on Ye Guan's glabella, and a myriad of lightning bolts from inside Ye Guan rushed toward her in the blink of an eye.

“One Heart, One Life!” she shouted.

"Are you crazy?!" Cirou was outraged. “You actually cast that ancient protection spell that Big Sister taught you on him?!”

One heart, one life. From now on, their hearts, lives, and destinies were one.

They would live together and die together.