The Romantic Cultivator



6th Empyrean Warrior Labyrinth level of the final trial.

A gigantic looming 7th rank profound beast 25m in height with armor as thick as the length of a sword and also spikes 3 times the length of any swords on it, were chasing a group of 3 cultivators. 

These 3 cultivators were running away from their dear lives as this gigantic profound beast suppressed them with its profound aura, causing them to struggle in running away from it. 

The 3 cultivators were Shen Qin, Li Ye and Guo Taiming.

Even though Shen Qin was a holy saint but he was still being suppressed by the profound aura of this gigantic profound beast. As a matter of fact, his profound strength was no better than Li Ye who was a 5th realm cultivator due to his 'less hardworking' efforts in cultivating.

Li Ye was a strong cultivator and also an ascended cultivator who had come from the lower mortal realm, hence he was stronger than most other cultivators of his same cultivation realm as he had to face the ascended tribulation which would also strengthen him. 

As for Guo Taiming, he was a 6th realm cultivator and he was considered to be the weakest of the trio.

But even if there were 30 of them, they would not be able to fight off this 7th rank profound beast together and they were all running away from their dear lives, and barely surviving. 

Luckily for them, the monster was too big and there were many small crevices in the mountains for them to tunnel through like rats.

They were now lamenting why they were so unlucky in encountering a dangerous profound beast in this wilderness.

Shen Qin reminded them bitterly as he ran like he had never ran before, "We have to use our golden talismans. This monster… keeps draining… our profound strength…. with its intense profound aura and… we are near exhaustion…"

As for Li Ye and Guo Taiming, they could not even answer him because they had no strength to answer him and they merely hummed to agree with him. 

But all of a sudden, they were the profound beast wailed thunderously and had suddenly turned around.

This startled them as they were all on the brink of exhaustion.

When they looked up again after the shadow of the profound beast was gone, they were quite startled and delighted to see that it was Maiden Ding Xiaoxiao that had appeared.

Shen Qin gasped with great delight, "Maiden Ding Xiaoxiao! It is you again! Where did you go all this while?"

Then he panicky shouted to her, "Get away from here while you can! Did you see that terrible profound beast earlier? It may still return! Run while you can and don't bother with us!"

Guo Taiming and Li Ye were also prompting her to do the same, "Maiden Ding, please get away from here! It is dangerous!"

The three of them were trapped in the valley below while Ding Xiaoxiao was up the cliff, so she may still escape from here.

But Ding Xiaoxiao merely smiled as she jumped down from the cliff, startling Shen Qin, Guo Taiming and Li Ye.

Guo Taiming stammered, "Maiden Ding, why did you jump down for? Now you are as screwed as us… we are all going to die here…. Do you still have your golden talisman?"

Li Ye said heroically, "If you have used up yours, then I shall give you mine and I will run alone!"

Shen Qin mustered the courage to say too, "Take my golden talisman! I shall be the one that should do the running!"

They had all thought that Number 1 Ding Xiaoxiao was only a 5th realm golden celestial and she had purposely displayed her profound animus as such.

Ding Xiaoxiao smiled gently, "The monster won't be returning anytime soon. I saw it going after an easier target when I was up there. We are safe for now."

The truth was that she had stabbed it hard with one blow of her scabbard from behind and this freaked the 7th profound beast away. 

Because Ding Xiaoxiao did not use her full profound strength, the 3 of them did not sense her profound attack. 

If Ding Xiaoxiao wants to, she can easily kill this 7th rank profound beast with a single blow but this was something that she had restrained to.

Shen Qin sighed as he looked at her with a woeful look, "Maiden Ding Xiaoxiao, why did you leave us that night?"

Number 1 Ding Xiaoxiao smiled, "I didn't want to bother anyone of you. So, I've decided to look for Ji Yuan on my own."

"You have found my Brother Ji Yuan or did not?" Shen Qin asked curiously.

Ding Xiaoxiao smiled as she nodded lightly, "I have indeed found him in one of the trials. But I have left the trial halfway…"

Li Ye quickly said to her encouraging, "Don't worry. There is always a next time. The trials here are unsuitable for 5th realm cultivators like us."

That was why Li Ye, Guo Taiming and Shen Qin did not dare to enter into any of the portals and they were showing their faces just in case they would meet a cultivator from their celestial fraternity so that they could show off later that they had indeed been to the final level of the Empyrean Warrior Labyrinth.

Unfortunately for them, they were unlucky today to have met with a powerful profound beast in the wilderness today and they were not even trying to pluck any spirit plants! 

Guo Taiming seized the opportunity to say, "I'm not surprised that you can't stand Ji Yuan in the trial and had to leave halfway. Even I can't stand him when I am taking a trial with him. He is so suspicious of anything and he is a pure trouble maker. You have no idea how many powerful cultivators that he had offended during a trial with his mindless big mouth. He can be more arrogant than even the arrogant young masters sometimes. Muhahaha…"

When Shen Qin had heard him, he was smiling bitterly.

It was because he was that arrogant young master except that he did not meet Ji Yuan inside a trial but in a city. 

At that time Ji Yuan had even force him to pay for his purchases but this was not the end of the story; next Ji Yuan was crazy enough to make him and his celestial sect to attack all the other major unorthodox sects in the city as well. 

As Shen Qin did not want to offend Ji Yuan, he had become his 'Brother' instead.

Shen Qin asked her with a weak look, "Maiden Ding Xiaoxiao, erm… will you group with us now that we have met you again?"

Ding Xiaoxiao smiled as she nodded lightly, "I've been looking for you all after I've found Ji Yuan."

When she had said this, Shen Qin, Guo Taiming and Li Ye were all delighted.

Number 1 Ding Xiaoxiao had told Ji Yuan that before she left, she would return to the Empyrean Warrior Labyrinth to look for a group of friends. But she had neglected to mention to him that Ji Yuan also knows her 'friends'.

It was easy for her to find them because she had actually planted her profound tracker on them and they did not realize it. 

The reason why Number 1 Ding Xiaoxiao is back to this group is because they had helped her along the way and she had a good fight with Ji Yuan. 

The least that she could do is to ensure that they would be safe in the Empyrean Warrior Labyrinth while she is also here. 

She did not want to owe anyone anything so she considered this a debt that she has owed to them for helping her inside the Empyrean Warrior Labyrinth. 

Shen Qin had suddenly said to her with an awkward look, "I wonder if Maiden Ding is willing to come with me to the celestial sect… to be my consort? I can better take care of you and even give you all the cultivation resources for you to continue cultivating. I may be an unorthodox cultivator but I am a good man."

Number 1 Ding Xiaoxiao was startled, "Huh?!"

She was not the only one that was startled; this included Li Ye and Guo Taiming as well. 

-----------------------------------

1. I'd really appreciate it if the readers can contribute power stones to this story as a show of support even if you are reading from other websites. Your spirit stones are crucial for motivations and releases. Also, it means alot me/ story, Many love and thanks! ლ(⌒▽⌒ლ)

2. This ending for this chapter is rather open. Will Number 1 Ding Xiaoxiao accepts or rejects Shen Qin will be left hanging for some time. Or Shen Qin is just committing suicide when he makes this request.