The Romantic Cultivator

There were endless sands all around the Green Faction as they marched together.

Unlike the teams spreading strategies that were used for the deep forest, the different teams were now marching together instead.

Out of the three hundred plus cultivators that had started off from the Red Mansion, only two hundred plus now remained.

Nearly one third of the cultivators had either perished or had used their Escape Talismans.

Gong Xiaotian explained his strategies to Ji Yuan, Yun Chi, Ximen Wudi and to the other team leaders, "This desert is perilous and we need to move as a group. No one is to move recklessly without my orders."

With that Gong Xiaotian was now leading all the cultivators into the desert.

The sun was blazing hot as the cultivators moved into the desert cautiously.

Many of the cultivators were feeling extremely uncomfortable, including Ji Yuan as they dragged their foot in the sands.

Literally dragging their foot in the sand because many of the cultivators were cursing loudly that there were sands inside their boots!

Even though all the cultivators here were golden celestials and they did not need any water to sustain them but they were now expending their inner spiritual sea to sustain themselves. As a matter of fact, many of them were walking in a half-meditation state as they absorbed whatever little spiritual aura around them to replace their inner spiritual sea.

Ji Yuan is used to the cool mountains and he could not believe he was now walking in such a hostile place and he was cursing uncomfortably as he used ten times more spiritual energy than he usually was accustomed to and he is a great saint.

With every ten steps he had taken, he was cursing Yun Chi for bringing them into the desert; because she seemed unaffected by the fatigue that was brought upon by the blazing heat.

Other than Yun Chi, Bai Qianfeng was also not affected.

Ling Feiyue, Little Princess, Shui Xisi, Yu Jingjing and Feng Minyue had a lackluster look as they followed Ji Yuan.

Only Bai Qianfeng continued to walk in her usual spirited posture.

There was a reason why Yun Chi and Bai Qianfeng were unaffected; they had released their profound auras continuously to keep themselves cool.

Gong Xiaotian and many of the cultivators were shaking their heads when they witnessed what they were doing and were cursing them for their stupidity; the trek into the desert may take many hours and even days. These two maidens are exhausting their profound strength just because they could not bear the heat? Stupid…

After an hour in the hot blazing desert, Ji Yuan walked backward as he approached Bai Qianfeng with a grin, "Qianfeng, shall we walk together? You are so lonely today."

The other maidens did not want to walk with Qianfeng because they had thought that she was hiding something from them.

Bai Qianfeng rolled her eyes before she giggled softly, "I don't want to."

Ji Yuan: …

Ji Yuan: …

Ji Yuan: …

Bai Qianfeng explained with a soft chuckle, "If you want to keep yourself cool, use your own profound force."

"Haha…" Ji Yuan laughed sheepishly; his little scheme was exposed. He had thought of cooling himself within Qianfeng's profound aura.

Although he could release his own profound force to keep himself cool for a while but he was a man of pride. It would be awkward to his face if he were to release his profound aura just to keep himself cool.

Actually Ji Yuan was not the only man that was thinking the same.

Many of the men were also thinking the same as Ji Yuan and they were resisting the urge to release their profound auras like Yun Chi and Bai Qianfeng lest they would appear as feminine in the eyes of the other cultivators.

Instead, they would rather curse Yun Chi and Bai Qianfeng in their hearts to pass the time.

All of a sudden an unfortunate cultivator in front of them was swallowed by a sand pit!

Ji Yuan gulped when he saw what was happening; he could well imagine he was the one.

Before everyone knew what was happening, dozens of golden scorpion-like desolate monsters had appeared from the golden sands dunes all over the place.

Gong Xiaotian shouted all of a sudden, "Careful! Ambush!"

"Sixth rank desolate profound monsters! Be careful!"

A sixth rank desolate profound monster is actually the equivalent of a saint cultivator in their profound animus but their profound strength is several times stronger than even a great saint. One wrong move and even a great saint will be ripped apart.

Immediately hundreds of cultivators began to display their profound auras with no holds as they battled the desolate golden scorpions that had appeared.

Ji Yuan had just sheathed his divine swords but before he could flash forward to do battle, the dozens of golden scorpions were mostly decimated by the vanguard teams.

There were excited look in their eyes and it seemed that their spirits were revived all of a sudden.

Ji Yuan thought; these cultivators were too fierce!

In a short time, dozens of golden scorpions were dead.

None of the cultivators had died except for the first cultivator that had triggered the ambush but there were eight cultivators that had used their Escape Talisman.

But all of a sudden he had noticed many of the cultivators had not withdrawn their profound animus back into their inner cultivation sea even though they were not facing any opponents.

He began to frown immediately because he had realized what had happened; the appearance of these desolate monsters had given the lame excuse to display their profound animus to keep themselves cool.

And no way would they want to withdraw their profound animus from this unbearable heat so quickly, including Ji Yuan.

Many of the cultivators were muttering;

"There may be more dangers around us…"

"It is better to maintain our profound auras in case of danger…"

"If that first cultivator had his profound force on in the first place, there is still hope for him…"

Many of the cultivators were agreeing with one another even though it drains them more spiritual energies in order to maintain their profound animus.

They would rather eat more profound pills to replenish their spiritual seas than suffer under this unbearable heat; after all they were all the sons and daughters of the heavens that have a silver spoon in their mouths. No way they would be a sucker and endure such mortal sufferings.

"Lame." Ji Yuan muttered almost incoherently as he withdrew his profound aura.

Gong Xiaotian and Ximen Wudi had also withdrawn their profound auras because it served their manly pride to do so.

But Ling Feiyue, Little Princess, Shui Xisi, Yu Jingjing and Feng Minyue had decided that enough was enough and that they were not going to suffer in this unbearable heat. Even if they were drained of their profound strength, they were all going to maintain their protective profound animus.

Many of the female cultivators were all thinking of the same.

What if their beautiful skins will turn dark under the scorching heat?

That will be too terrible then!

Worse, the men may find them not beautiful anymore.

And so, yea, they've decided to maintain their profound auras like Yun Chi and Bai Qianfeng.

Bai Qianfeng can actually maintain her spiritual energies in an infinity circular loop because her cultivation realm is much higher and it is something that is effortless to her. She can maintain her profound aura without even losing her profound strength.

At her cultivation realm level, she is already immune to the elements.

Just as Ji Yuan was about to pretend to ask the maidens some questions so that he could make use of their profound auras to stay cool, he sensed a familiar aura from one of the cultivators nearby who was from Team 4.

There was a cultivator in black hood and there was something familiar about him.

At least his profound animus was something that was familiar to him.

As Ji Yuan approached him to take a curious look, the black hood cultivator began to walk away.

But all of a sudden Ji Yuan shouted jovially, "Saint Xiao Muhan? Is that you? Aren't you dead?"

Saint Xiao Muhan weakly turned around, "It is me."

Ji Yuan chuckled jovially, "I really thought that you're dead. How come you're here? Do you know how sad I was when I've heard that you're dead. Haha, I'm so glad that you're actually alive."

The two of them were the best of friends and they were known as the Two Great Brushes of the Desolate Celestial Fraternity.

The Two Great Brushes of the Desolate Celestial Fraternity naturally refers to the Great Poet Ji Yuan and the Great Painter Xiao Muhan.

Ji Yuan asked curiously, "Hey, are you still my good friend? How come you didn't tell me that you're here? We are even in the same faction together. You should have told me that you're here. You're not a good friend…"

Then he chuckled loudly as he rubbed his chin, "Is it because you've seen me with so many great beauties and you are envious of me? Haha."

Xiao Muhan said coldly, "Have you said enough? Now it is my turn."

Ji Yuan: ???

"First of all, we are not good friends anymore." Xiao Muhan slowly said.

"Secondly, I don't know you at all."

"Thirdly, farewell."

Ji Yuan: …

Ji Yuan: …

Ji Yuan: …

"Brother Muhan! What the heck happens to you?" Ji Yuan returned a perplexed look. "Of course we're good friends! Didn't you paint the 'Mighty Sword Saint Ji Yuan atop of the World, trampling his ultimate victory over his foes' for me?"

This painting was what Ji Yuan had seen when he had visited Ling Tianshui's abode; it shows a handsome bearded cultivator who was holding his long beard and he had a long sword in front of him as he stood on the edge of the cliff.

Xiao Muhan stroked his long beard as he said coldly, "You're nothing but trouble. Do you know how much that I've suffered when Xue Qianxue and Ling Feiyue had placed the dead or alive bounty on you?"

Ji Yuan: ???

Xiao Muhan continued, "You have disappeared for a hundred years while I've suffered for a hundred years because of the bounty that is on you."

Ji Yuan: ???

"What happens?"

Xiao Muhan hummed coldly, "Hmph! And you're still feigning ignorance. Everyone knows that we are the Two Great Brushes and are also the best of friends. Naturally they have all come knocking on my doors to seek your whereabouts. And I have to flee for a hundred years all because of you."

When Ji Yuan heard him, he looked a little sheepish.

But he soon laughed, "Well, you're alive now so that is a good thing. My Orthodox Sword Sect has suffered more than you do. Haha."

Xiao Muhan added even more coldly, "What did you do then? You hand over your leadership to Fairy Ye Chengxi and run away!"

Ji Yuan said solemnly, "I didn't run away. I was having my breakthrough to the sacred saint level. I've an epiphany and hence, I had entered into seclusion. They should wait for me until I am back from my seclusion-"

"Everyone knows that you are like a monkey and is almost never at the Orthodox Sword Sect. Instead, you prefer to spend your time drinking and reciting poems in my mountain." Xiao Mohan interrupted coldly.

Ji Yuan protested weakly, "That is not entirely true. I love trials and am mostly in the trials. Haha."

Then he rubbed his chin to look at his old friend, "You seem to have age a lot. Why is that so? Surely you can find somewhere to lie low for a while right?"

Xiao Muhan growled, "I am not as poor as you are to run when and wherever you want to. I have my own harem and beautiful palaces in my mountain."

"This is too personal." Ji Yuan protested. "Look at my robe. Do I look poor now? And I've two superior divine swords."

Xiao Muhan growled, "You are indeed not poor now. Farewell."

Ji Yuan quickly said, "Just exactly what happen to you? Aren't we good friends? Do you know how glad I am to see you again?"

Xiao Muhan said coldly, "If you are beaten up every year like me for a hundred years, will you feel happy like I do?"

"So that is why you have to fake your own death." Ji Yuan chuckled.

Then he patted Xiao Muhan on his shoulder, "Brother Muhan, you're my good friend. I am Saint Ji Yuan now. Great Saint Ji Yuan! Don't forget that I am also Sword Saint Ji Yuan. Now tell me who is the one that has been bullying you and I'll surely beat them up. I swear by my soul sea that I will right the wrong for you! In the future, no one will be able to bully you anymore! You've my word for it!"

There was a bitter look that was on Xiao Muhan's face before he said slowly, "Sacred Maiden Xue Qianxue and Dark Mistress Ling Feiyue."

Ji Yuan: …

Ji Yuan: …

Ji Yuan: …

Ling Feiyue had slowly approached them with a gentle chuckle, "Ji Yuan, you have a friend? Do you mind introducing your friend to me?"

Ji Yuan asked weakly, "Brother Muhan, do you mind going back to the grave once more?"

Xiao Muhan: …

Xiao Muhan: …

Xiao Muhan: …