Chapter 36: Try It and You’ll Die

Perhaps because Ye Li was watching from the side, Luo Xing practiced with exceptional seriousness today.

Before the morning session even ended, he had successfully gathered enough experience to upgrade [Swordsmanship] .

Just like the skills before, he faced the same choice: strengthen the original skill or choose a derivative skill.

Luo Xing thought for a moment and chose the derivative skill. Since [Swordsmanship] was far too vague, he couldn't even tell if it was an offensive or passive skill.

He urgently needed to identify a skill that could save his life and then go all in.

[Sword Catch: 0/10]

Just by hearing the name, this skill was clearly related to swords, but...

Luo Xing wasn't sure what this skill actually did. There wasn't even a skill description or anything.

Sword Catch?

Did it mean he could catch sword strikes?

So it was a defensive skill?

Hiss...

He wasn't sure...

Just as Luo Xing was racking his brain, his gaze suddenly drifted to Ye Li beside him.

She was lazily leaning against the wooden table, her long, shapely legs crossed. One hand propped up her forehead, her brows gently closed, looking half-asleep, completely at ease and carefree.

What if...

He asked her to test it?

"What's wrong?" Ye Li asked indifferently without even opening her eyes. "Tired already?"

"Uh... no... not at all."

"Then why did you stop?"

Luo Xing hesitated for a moment before deciding to go for it. After all, this was still the "newbie village" training ground, the perfect place to test his skills.

If he waited until things got real, he wouldn't have the chance to say, "Hey! Why doesn't my hero have a Q-skill?"

"Ahem... uh... Master..." Luo Xing steeled himself and asked tentatively, "Could you... lightly swing a sword at me?"

Whether it was an active or passive skill, offensive or defensive, one test would reveal everything.

The moment he said that, Ye Li's feigned sleep slowly opened her eyes, meeting Luo Xing's nervous gaze.

"Nothing too powerful!" Luo Xing added instinctively, driven by his survival instincts. "Just a shallow, light swing."

'As long as it's not that sky-splitting ultimate move from before, a basic attack should be fine...'

But before he could finish his thought, everything around him came to a standstill. Then his vision turned blood red.

Thud!

The next moment, Luo Xing collapsed to the ground, his face pale as paper, his eyes trembling with terror. Cold sweat erupted from his body.

"Ah... ahhh!"

Luo Xing then frantically checked himself all over, as if realizing something belatedly, but found nothing.

He sat on the ground, gasping for air, replaying what had just happened.

One moment...

Just now, in that single instant, he felt as if an invisible sword had cut into him.

And not just once—many times. He could still feel it: his throat, his heart, his shoulders and neck, his waist and abdomen, his wrists, his ankles... every part of his body had been struck by that sword.

But the sensation wasn't painful. It wasn't like the searing pain when he was hit by sword energy in the Sword Tomb. Instead, it was an indescribable, bone-deep cold numbness.

And what was he doing during that moment?

Nothing.

Not because he didn't want to, but because he couldn't. He couldn't even raise his hand to block or dodge.

In that instant, he was like a lamb waiting to be slaughtered, bound to the ground, forced to watch the "butcher" slice him alive.

"How was it?"

Only when Ye Li's voice reached him did Luo Xing snap out of his daze and look at her.

Ye Li elegantly poured herself a cup of tea, lowered her eyes, took a delicate sip, then looked at Luo Xing. "Satisfied now?"

"M-Master..." Luo Xing trembled as he pushed himself up. "D-did you just... swing your sword?"

Ye Li let out a light, scoffing laugh. "Are you sure... you really want your master to swing a sword?"

Luo Xing immediately understood her meaning and waved his hands frantically. "N-no! No need! No need!"

'I can't afford this!'

'I asked you to use a basic attack so I could test my skill!'

'And you hit me with your ultimate?!'

"If you're done fooling around, keep practicing." Ye Li withdrew her gaze. "I'll give you one month. If you don't meet my requirements... you know the consequences."

'Damn!'

'She's threatening me with my past again!'

Luo Xing could only force a smile, tuck away his stray thoughts, and continue practicing with his sword.

But he couldn't stop wondering. What kind of skill was this Sword Catch?

Defensive?

But he hadn't caught Ye Li's "sword" at all just now.

Offensive?

But the name didn't sound like an attack skill at all.

Luo Xing didn't understand, but he also didn't dare to try again.

At least, not with Ye Li.

'Try it and you'll die... that's the truth.'

On the other side, Ye Li watched the shaken Luo Xing, a playful smile curling at the corner of her lips.

'Little guy...'

'You've only trained for a few days and you dare to spar with me? If I don't teach you a lesson, you might actually think you're some kind of genius.'

...

Time always flies when you're focused. As the sun was slowly swallowed by the western mountains, Luo Xing's training for the day came to an end.

[Swordsmanship: 5/10]

[Sword Catch: 0/10]

Luo Xing sheathed his Spirit Sword and turned to look at Ye Li, who was still sitting on the chair, pretending to sleep. Remembering yesterday's events...

"Uh... Master..."

"Hmm?"

Luo Xing asked tentatively, "Is there any dish you particularly like to eat?"

Ye Li raised her eyes with a smile. "How amusing. You're the one who wants to eat. Why ask your master?"

Luo Xing: "..."

'Got it.'

"Ah, I was just thinking of showing some filial respect to my master." Luo Xing chuckled ingratiatingly. "Your disciple doesn't have any real achievements yet, so the only thing I can do is take care of the little things for you. On the very first day, didn't you teach me to respect my teacher?"

After spending a few months with Ye Li, Luo Xing had basically learned the ropes of dealing with her.

If Ye Li made a mistake, the one who had to apologize was always someone else.

If Ye Li had a request, someone had to rush to serve her.

'Tch...'

'Why does this dynamic sound so familiar?'

"Mmm... you do have some filial piety." Luo Xing's "obedience" earned a satisfied smile from Ye Li, who didn't mention yesterday's incident at all. "Your master isn't a picky eater. Just make a few simple dishes."

Luo Xing: "..."

'Why do women always have an obsession with the word "simple"?... If I just make something simple and you're not satisfied with it...'

...

One hour later.

Three dishes were ready: Farmhouse One Fragrant Bowl, Scallion Stir-Fried Meat, and Garlic Stir-Fried Choy Sum.

Luo Xing didn't make soup today because he had almost completely used up the spirit fish in the pond.

[Cooking Lv1: 11/20]

[Knife Skills: 9/10]

[Farming: 2/10]

He had gained the Farming skill experience when he watered that potato plant. But when he tried watering it a second time, he didn't get any more experience.

'Tch...'

'Still can't exploit the system.'

Even though he still didn't know what the Farming skill was for or what derivative skill it might unlock, following the principle of "keep growing it and see," Luo Xing wasn't planning to abandon it. After all...

'What if...'

Once the dishes were served, Ye Li didn't stand on ceremony and directly picked up a piece with her chopsticks. After all, this was her disciple's offering, and he should be thanking her.

Her brows slightly furrowed. Ye Li quietly picked the green, blocky object out of her mouth.

"What is this?"

"Huh?" Luo Xing, who had just brought over his rice bowl, hadn't seen what Ye Li had just done, nor did he notice the teeth marks on that green pepper. "Oh, that's a green pepper, Master."

Ye Li looked at the green pepper, silently placed it back on the dish, and considered how long it would take her alone to eradicate all the green peppers on the Qingyu Continent.

Seeing this, Luo Xing's expression suddenly became very interesting.

'Ye Li...'

'Doesn't like green peppers?'

'Oh ho ho ho!'

'This is an even bigger discovery than Newton discovering gravity, Mendel discovering genetics, or Columbus discovering the New World!'

'This setting was never mentioned in the original story!'

Feeling like he had discovered Ye Li's weakness, Luo Xing's mood soared and his appetite increased. He picked up a piece of green pepper and shoved it into his mouth.

But Luo Xing didn't know that the green pepper in his mouth was the exact same one Ye Li had just put back on the plate.

The one that had also just come out of her mouth.