Chapter 316 The Hunter Who Killed Immortals (67)



"People can be horrible and cruel," Xu Lu whispered softly under her breath. She opened her mouth and slowly inhaled before letting out the stored air from her lungs.

The voice in her mind got a bit softer and then disappeared. The saintess focused on her breathing and did not move from the spot.

There was no easy fix for her current problem.

Possessing the original Xu Lu's body meant that she also inherited her lack of self-esteem and her hatred and fear about her appearance.

The saintess continued her walk towards the back of the sect and tried to take her mind off her current worries.

Maybe she could take up a hobby?

Cultivating and practicing her combat skills every day without rest wasn't exactly healthy for her mental state.

Should she take up something? But what?

Xu Lu looked around thoughtfully as she tried to think about different activities that could be relaxing and help her to destress.

Swimming?

Actually, that wasn't a half bad idea. 

Every time she went into the river that flowed through the fifth peak it was for the purpose of cultivating the painful Frozen Hell Art.

So… she had never just swum and played in the water.

Xu Lu nodded her head and made a mental note to do some swimming at least twice a week from now on.

The saintess stopped as she felt a sudden presence appear in the corner of her vision. Her right hand immediately drifted towards her sword as she prepared to fight.

"Good senses!" a kind elderly voice praised.

Xu Lu turned in the direction of the sound and saw an elderly man wearing a plain white robe not dissimilar in colour to her own and an iron circlet on his head.

Heavy wrinkles could be seen on his face and arms. 

He bore a striking resemblance to a friendly grandfather rather than an awe-inspiring immortal. 

Still Xu Lu knew immediately who he was and did not dare to underestimate him despite his feeble looking appearance.

"Sect Leader," Xu Lu politely spoke as she clasped her hands together and bowed her head respectfully.

"Please… you can forget the formalities," the sect master smiled as he waved his hands. 

"I am just here to talk. It has been a real shame that I have not gotten the opportunity before to personally meet my junior sister's apprentice."

"But as I'm sure you know… Lei Ying is very protective of you. In fact, I swear she would prefer to keep you locked up on the fifth peak in order to keep you safe."

"I will never forget what she has done to me… her 'kindness' will be repaid," Xu Lu spoke calmly as she hid her true emotions.

The sect master smiled again and held out his arm. He motioned for Xu Lu to hold his arm and the saintess obliged.

The pair walked slowly arm in arm. 

It was a scene that would make any observers think of a granddaughter escorting her elderly grandfather around.

Xu Lu frowned slightly as she could not detect even a single hint of cultivation coming from the sect leader's body.

It was almost like he was a mortal which meant that his cultivation level had reached the point where he was able to fully conceal his aura.

"So… your first two missions have not gone well," the sect leader remarked as he yawned sleepily.

"Yes, sect leader. I am ashamed to admit that I have failed both," Xu Lu replied in a seemingly low tone.

The sect leader opened his mouth and spoke with a hint of nostalgia in his eyes,

"No. Don't worry about it… when I was your age, I had half the cultivation level that you have and the only missions I took were the basic ones."

"I remember my first three-star mission… I almost lost my life! My master was so ashamed of my performance that he sentenced me to two years of closed-door training."

"You do not need to be concerned about your position. There is no one who can challenge you for the title of saintess."

"Thank you for your kind words," Xu Lu replied politely. The sect leader nodded his head and then pointed at the nearby forest.

There was a thin and narrow path of yellow sand leading deeper into the trees. Xu Lu led the elderly man onto the path and the pair continued their walk.

"There will be an important event happening soon," the sect leader spoke calmly as he stopped moving and turned his head to directly face the silvery grey mask covering Xu Lu's face.

"A meeting between all the sects on the righteous side to determine the distribution of cultivation resources."

"There will be a tournament held with the representatives of the younger generation of all the sects in order to determine their share of the resources."

"You will be chosen as our representative."

"It is an honour," Xu Lu spoke eagerly. 

She was surprised just how quickly those words slipped out of her mouth as if she was not the one who was in control of her body.

"I have faith that you will reaffirm our position as one of the top cultivation sects in the entire continent," the sect leader replied seriously.

"The meeting will be held two months from now and the tournament will start shortly after. You will go with me and some of the elders to the meeting."

"Of course, your master will be there as well."

Great… just great…

Xu Lu continued to hide her true feelings about Lei Ying and acted as though she was thrilled that her master would be going to the meeting with the rest of the envoy.

The pair walked for around twenty more minutes until they finally arrived at a large clearing in the middle of the forest.

The ground was covered in soft two-inch-tall grass and there were a few rocks scattered around the field.

Xu Lu looked around in confusion because she wasn't exactly sure why the sect leader had brought her to this place.

She didn't have to wait long for an answer as the elderly looking man easily slipped out of her grasp and walked in the middle of the field.

His wrinkled hands reached into the storage bag attached to his hip and he pulled out a plain wooden sword.

An unremarkable training sword that had several long scratches and traces of wear and tear running down the sides of its body.

"Draw your weapon," the sect leader spoke in an even tone as he adjusted his body slightly.

Xu Lu nodded and then without hesitation she unsheathed her blade. The plain longsword in her palm trembled ever so slightly… from excitement.

The sect leader was a strong opponent. Perhaps the strongest person that she had met since coming to this world.

And… she wanted to fight.

Xu Lu lowered her stance and waited patiently. The sect leader smiled when he saw that the saintess was not going to rush forward recklessly.

He took one step forward and the distance between them instantly shrank within a fraction of a second.

Xu Lu's eyes widened in surprise, but her body reacted faster than her mind. She swung her blade and barely managed to parry the attack.

"Impressive," the sect master laughed joyfully as he felt a surge of pride well up in his heart. The saintess… she was perfect.

He could see the future of the sect in her hands.

Still… there was more testing to be done.

He bent his knees and then pierced forward using the training sword in his palm. The shadowy aura of a large dragon appeared along the edge of his blade.

Dragon Swordsmanship Style- Twin Strike!

Xu Lu dodged the first blow by a hair's breadth but did not see the second strike which hit her directly in her stomach.

She flew across the clearing and crashed against a nearby tree with a heavy thud before sliding to the ground.

"Had enough?" the sect leader asked curiously.

Xu Lu winced and got up slowly. She tightened her grip on the blade in her hand and then rushed forward.

She was not done yet.