The Romantic Cultivator

Ji Yuan was soon back to the Cathedral of the Songs.

Cardinal Harpy Li Yifen was only too glad to see that he was safe and sound or else it would be just a bad joke that her new lover was dead after a night of romance with her.

"Holy Harpy 4444, you are alive." She asked him in the great hall of the Cathedral of the Songs.

As there were dozens of maidens in this great hall, she had pretended to ask Ji Yuan politely.

Ji Yuan saw that the great hall had been turned into a place that accommodated the numerous wounded of the Cardinal Harpy.

All the wounded were actually from the Cardinal Harpy and many were in great pains. 

It ached Ji Yuan's heart to see so many beautiful maidens with tears on their faces and many had even lost their limbs. 

Unfortunately for the majority of those that had lost their limbs or had their organs injured, unless they had some heaven-defying profound treasures, they could not regenerate back their lost limbs or organs until they could reach the 5th realm cultivation. 

The aftermath of the battle was quite brutal against the abyssals of the Nefarious Blood Kingdom with numerous of the Ancient Race that were either dead or injured.

After all, the Great Abyssal Race and the other abyssals races were much stronger physically than the Ancient Race. 

The brief battle had been extremely brutal. 

Ji Yuan said, "I was swept aside by the battle and when I had awakened, I am in this state. But luckily, I found myself very much still alive and hurried back."

Li Yifen looked a little perplexed at Ji Yuan's answers; it was because he would not be this seriously injured and bloodied since by now she had already known that he was a high level celestial cultivator. So, he should have the means to defend himself when the cunning enemy abyssals had purposely attacked the back where the weaker cultivators of the Ancient Race were.

He had not seen Ji Yuan at the front line either. So how could he get himself so bloodied?

Then she was frowning to herself: This charlatan. He must be pretending again. Just like he had pretended to be a low level cultivator…

Li Yifen decided to ignore this for now. 

Instead, she smiled and asked to him, "Have you seen the mysterious masked man earlier? He is our Great Patriarch Sword Saint and he has single handed saved the day for us today. Do you think that he is impressive?"

Ji Yuan was startled by this question: Is she suspecting that this is me? After all, we are quite near to each other earlier. Even though I have also changed my robe, she can still recognize me?! Or is it just a test?

After deducting quickly, he had decided to play along first.

Ji Yuan answered her, "Well, he can do better than this."

Li Yifen: …

"Are you disrespecting our Great Patriarch Sword Saint?"

Ji Yuan: …

This is the wrong answer?

He weakly said, "Erm, he looks quite impressive?"

Li Yifen hummed coldly, "Only looking quite impressive? It seems that you can do better than the Great Patriarch Sword Saint instead. He is our hero. Even if it takes you a million years, you can never be like him."

Ji Yuan: …

I am actually him…

Li Yifen commanded him, "You may go and take a rest first since your injuries are not heavy."

Ji Yuan muttered weakly to himself: Actually my injuries are actually quite heavy and I can't cultivate in your world and can't recuperate…

Although he had said that, Aura the Divine Tree was actually drawing upon pure spiritual energies of the Golden Natal Divine Pearl to restore Ji Yuan's cultivation strength and wounds. 

Ji Yuan could feel that but he could not help protesting silently. 

He could see that Li Yifen was not in the best of mood now especially when so many of her protégés were either dead or wounded, so this was actually a best time for him to be alone and to look for Xuan Qiaoqiao.

So he hurried back to his personal room while Li Yifen continued to be in the great hall as she continued to receive reports after reports.

Once he was back in her personal room, he quickly took out the heart link necklace and sent Xuan Qiaoqiao a transmission, "You are there?"

After a while, a broken transmission could be heard and it was the halting voice of Xuan Qiaoqiao, "Ji Yuan! Are you alright? You are back to the Cathedral of the Songs now?"

Ji Yuan answered bitterly, "Indeed I am. It took me several hours to climb up again to the Nightfall Heights. Why did you all have to surround me earlier… do you really think that I want to jump down from the mountains…"

Xuan Qiaoqiao ignored Ji Yuan's complaints and instead, she was giggling softly. "Well, you are the old and mysterious Great Patriarch Sword Saint now. So you won't die so easily."

Ji Yuan could not see Xuan Qiaoqiao's countenance now but right now, she was actually blushing hotly as she said softly, "Thank you Ji Yuan for coming to my aid… and for my Ancient Race. Or today, I may just have to go with the Immortal Abyssal Gong Nephilim… I… ought to thank you personally…"

Ji Yuan frowned as he unromantically interrupted her, "There is no need to thank me. We have known each other for quite some time already and we are friends. I don't even know what is going on today. Who is this Great Patriarch Sword Saint?"

Xuan Qiaoqiao was reflecting on Ji Yuan's words: We have known each other for quite some time already. Does he mean that he is interested in me? 

But she quickly answered coyly, "He is the most powerful sword cultivator of our Ancient Race. And like you, he is capable of using sword domains. But I think he is long dead though. It is just that it is more convenient for you to assume his identity first."

Ji Yuan nodded as he said, "Right…"

Then he began to say bitterly, "Qiaoqiao, I'm sorry about Juan Xian'Er. We should not have left her in the royal city…"

Xuan Qiaoqiao said with a soft sigh, "I have check with the Cardinal Herald. It seems that the diplomatic mission was now uncontactable and presumably met with mishaps…"

Ji Yuan was startled and he was now sighing heavily, "Then Maiden Juan Xian'Er is captured as exactly as what that Immortal Abyssal Gong Nephilim had said and she was made into their… pleasure slave..." 

Xuan Qiaoqiao giggled softly, "She's alright. I have just talked with Juan Xian'Er through our heart link necklace and she has narrowly made her escape. Unfortunately for her diplomatic mission, most of them were either killed or captured. She is now on her way back now but she can't fly back as there are numerous flying drakes patrolling the skies. I've actually told her what happened today as well."

Ji Yuan was startled and he was instantly delighted, "Juan Xian'Er is alright? Haha… good, good…"

He had actually forgotten that Xuan Qiaoqiao was able to communicate with Juan Xian'Er with her other heart link necklace.

And his heart was pounding now because Juan Xian'Er was actually returning to the Nightfall Heights now and the image of her naked body in front of him began to flash in his mind…

  Xuan Qiaoqiao agreed and her eyes were bleary, "Yeah, it is good that Juan Xian'Er is alright. I was fearing for the worst earlier too."

Ji Yuan was suddenly in a good mood now, "Haha. Qiaoqiao, about last night… we are supposed to be discussing our next plans, right before we got interrupted."

"Oh yes. What about that?"

Ji Yuan asked her, "So what is the next plan of action?"

Xuan Qiaoqiao asked curiously, "You are asking me?"

Ji Yuan looked startled, "I am?"

Xuan Qiaoqiao curiously asked, "Aren't you the one that wants to look for the spy?"

Ji Yuan: …

He muttered weakly, "Well, I do have some questions about the hierarchy here and about the Cardinals. Maybe you can help me with some of my questions then."

"Sure… please ask."