I Don’t Want to Get Hurt, So I’ll Max Out My Defense

Chapter 650: Chapter 651 Minor Achievements
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Time flew by.

In the Illusionary Realm, in the blink of an eye, more than ten days had passed, during which neither Li Xiaobai nor Long Xue ever left again, staying in the abandoned village the entire time.

Day after day, Li Xiaobai practiced his sword technique. On the one hand, he wanted to seize this opportunity to enhance his strength, but most importantly, he wanted to see how much reward such diligent study and practice could actually yield.

This was different from the proficiency that came with the System; only by personally mastering it could he unleash the sword technique’s power. Over these days, Li Xiaobai had memorized the moves of the Demon Sealing Sword Technique so well that they were second nature to him, and even his internal energy had increased slightly.

However, he was only using the most basic sword moves; the Demon Sealing Sword Technique was somewhat different from ordinary sword techniques.

Beyond the Basic Sword Technique, there were no other specific moves. This sword technique leaned more towards freehand. The concept was essentially encompassed in the two words ‘Demon Sealing’. As long as one comprehended what the ‘demon’ was and which kind deserved to be sealed, Sword Intent would naturally emerge.

To use the words from classic texts, ‘No technique is superior to technique’, from a state of nothingness, one was more likely to comprehend Sword Intent.

Once a martial artist comprehended Sword Intent, he would no longer need sword techniques, or rather, anything he executed could be considered a sword technique. Each move was a natural epiphany between heaven and earth, aiming straight for the essence of swordsmanship.

It is precisely because of the uniqueness of this Cultivation Technique that Li Xiaobai now knew no moves other than the basic ones. Although he practiced very diligently, his combat power might actually be weaker than other martial artists at the same level, which was quite an issue.

However, Li Xiaobai had no intention of giving up this sword technique; it was a treasure, possibly a cultivation technique as formidable as the Spirit Realm Technique.

Because both the Cultivation Technique and Sword Technique were top-tier, the improvement in his strength was quite satisfactory, with a notable increase in both the proficiency of the sword technique and his internal energy. However, he was still in the Essence Refining stage.

The kidneys are where essence is stored, and the fundamental place where a martial artist establishes his foundation and cultivates his vital energy. ‘Essence Refining’ refers to the refining of the vital energy between the two kidneys, accumulating it in the Dantian in the lower abdomen.

Once the Dantian is filled with enough internal energy, it can be guided to circulate throughout the body, starting from the spine to open up the governor vessel, then following the conception vessel to return to the Lower Dantian, forming a closed loop named the Meridian Circulation. Once one successfully opens the governor and conception vessels, allowing the internal energy to complete a circuit, he would break through the Essence Refining stage and step into the Spirit Refining realm.

However, this step was still a bit out of reach for Li Xiaobai at the moment. The internal energy he had accumulated in his Dantian was about the size of a basketball, but compared to the vast expanse of the Dantian, it seemed somewhat insignificant.

According to the experience of walking around the Immortal Spirit Continent and seeing geniuses over the years, if one could fill the entire Dantian with internal energy, that would definitely be an unrivaled genius.

If one could achieve this step, they would, at the very least, be unparalleled among their peers.

To others, accumulating internal energy to fill the Dantian might be a fanciful dream, but for Li Xiaobai, it wasn’t difficult. With the Divinity Transformation Technique in hand, capable of absorbing the internal energy of all things, it could save him a lot of hard work.

“Brother Li, in just over ten days, you have become stronger. Both your inner strength and swordsmanship have significantly improved. At this rate, you’ll soon become a master in the martial world!”

Long Xue said excitedly,

“Heh, I’ve hardly made it anywhere yet. There’s still a long way to go to reach the next stage. It’s been more than ten days; I suppose the heat has died down quite a bit. We need to find a place to hunt some large beasts.”

Li Xiaobai said, considering that using martial artists to absorb their power could easily cause disturbances, and he didn’t want to kill the innocent.

Larger beasts and birds had more energy than ordinary livestock, which for Li Xiaobai in the Essence Refining stage was sufficient.

“Yes, it’s been more than ten days, those government officers surely haven’t found us. Going out now probably won’t lead to anyone discovering us. We haven’t been out for a long time, Brother Li, where do you want to go?”

Long Xue looked a bit excited, her initial fear now recovered, and her demeanor was lively and vibrant.

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“We should head to the marketplace first and catch some chickens or ducks along the way to exchange for some pocket change,”

Li Xiaobai suggested. The marketplace was bustling with people moving to and fro, an ideal place to blend in. Merely purchasing a few animals shouldn’t attract the attention of anyone looking.

“Alright, I’ll go get ready now!”

Long Xue ran off joyfully but at that moment, Li Xiaobai suddenly reached out to stop her.

In her perplexed gaze, he made a shushing gesture. With his slightly improved strength, Li Xiaobai could hear sounds within a radius of dozens of meters. Just before, his ears twitched involuntarily, alerted by a rustling in the bushes.

“Someone’s coming!”

“Not just one, there are eight in total. Their footsteps are steady and light. They must be government officers!”

Li Xiaobai whispered as he listened, a heaviness settling in his heart. There were eight of them, and the abandoned village offered little cover, which made escape difficult.

“Brother Li, they’re here to capture us!”

Long Xue said nervously, clutching the sleeve of Li Xiaobai’s robe without realizing it.

“Yes, it was my oversight. Although this village is abandoned, it isn’t too far from the city. It was bound to be discovered sooner or later. We’re in danger now.”

Li Xiaobai’s expression turned frosty as he quietly drew his longsword, preparing to fight his way out.

But at that moment, Long Xue suddenly tugged at him, “Brother Li, you run. I’ll distract them!”

“What…?”

“Little junior sister, why would you…”

Li Xiaobai was stunned, having not expected Long Xue to make such a decision.

“Brother, there are eight of them, and with your current Essence Refining Realm, you’re no match for them. But given time, with your cultivation technique, you could become a top-tier master. Then, you can come to save me!”

“They need me to lure you out and to discover the whereabouts of the second half of the cultivation technique. They won’t do much to me before they capture you,”

Long Xue said with a determined look in her eyes.

Without a second thought, Li Xiaobai nodded, “That’s a better plan. I will write to the officials regularly to ensure they treat you well.”

At that moment, he was still in control of his own consciousness, not fully merged with the hot-blooded young man from the Illusionary Realm World.

He was fully aware that this was the safest move. Long Xue wouldn’t die, and he would have more time to become stronger. That was enough.

Moreover, if Long Xue died, it wouldn’t affect him much; after all, his goal wasn’t to earn her favor. He might have chosen a different approach had this been the real world, not letting the woman take a risk, but in the Illusionary Realm World, there was no need for such considerations.

And he was betting that the Old Dragon King wouldn’t kill Long Xue, even in the Illusionary Realm.