Cohabitation with Sword Spirit-Chapter 118 - 97: Respecting Elders and Caring for the Young (Part 1)

Li Tingshu's plan to motivate the Inner Sect Disciples with charm, although fraught with twists and turns, eventually moved steadily forward. Despite their slightly stiff expressions, the disciples settled down seriously to cultivate, and the results were remarkable.

Li Tingshu couldn't help but sigh. The impact of a person's hairstyle on their looks is almost decisive. Clearly, it's the same person, but with a different look, there's a world of difference.

Back when he was sporting the bald look, no matter how strict the discipline in the Inner Sect, students wouldn't dare to feign compliance, but during cultivation, the internal unwillingness and resistance would inevitably reflect in their practice.

Yet today, after training ended, Li Tingshu unexpectedly discovered that, even those who cried and howled saying they'd gouge out their eyes or suffered memory loss, showed training results one-tenth stronger than yesterday...

This must be the insincerity of kids; they've actually accepted his new look, but are unwilling to admit it verbally.

Thinking about this, Li Tingshu secretly sighed.

After all, his old self suddenly indulging in youthful frenzy — using wigs and grooming eyebrows — for these children, he as the Inner Sect instructor truly let go. In normal circumstances, even killing him wouldn't make him do such embarrassingly explosive things.

Thankfully, the students lived up to his sacrifices, advancing further. Though it's only been a day of intensive training, on the spot two youths broke through their previous realm and advanced successfully way ahead of schedule. This explosive power is simply incredible.

Li Tingshu, carrying some complex emotions, slowly left the Inner Sect Training Ground, deciding to keep up the current pace without rushing to execute the next step — originally in the plan, if wigs and brow grooming weren't enough to motivate the students, then he'd reluctantly have to resort to deep cosmetic surgery, starting with double eyelid cuts...

On the other side, after Li Tingshu left, the children at the ground collapsed onto the floor.

"Oh my, he's finally gone."

"My, my eyes, my eyeballs feel like they're about to explode."

"Exploding together... What did Baldhead eat wrong, playing with such a spooky look!?"

"Luckily today we practiced hard enough. It seems to have temporarily stabilized him... If this continues, tomorrow he might cut double eyelids."

"Stop, I've already started imagining his double eyelids, I can skip dinner today."

"Me too... I can't take it anymore, I need to go back and drink calming tea to repair my Divine Sense, the mental trauma today is too heavy."

"I'm also retreating quickly, really feeling utterly exhausted, it's just too terrifying..."

Meanwhile, as the boys lamented incessantly, the girls had different voices.

"Honestly, don't you all think the instructor looks somewhat handsome like this?"

"...Qingshuang, wake up."

"I'm not joking, I'm serious. Although it clashes with the usual concept of handsome, I think a real man should have more masculine beauty. Can't be beautiful like a girl, right?"

"Yes, Sister Qingshuang is right. I also think the instructor is quite handsome today."

"Junyi, you wake up too! You two must have been fed some unknown drug by that freak Baldhead, blinded both of you!"

"Come on, what's wrong with you guys! Your aesthetics have no inclusivity at all!"

...

No matter what these youths thought, the cultivation efficiency indeed improved significantly. Especially the two current key figures, Li Qingshuang and Li Junyi, seemed very pleased with Li Guangtou's new look, showing noticeable improvements in cultivation efficiency. Particularly, Li Qingshuang, who was in a bottleneck phase theoretically needing one to two months of accumulation, showed signs of bottleneck loosening after today's practice.

Following this pace, three days later, the combination power of Li Qingshuang and Li Junyi will increase by over twenty percent — seemingly not much, but in actual combat, that two percent advantage is enough to create a crushing scenario. With Li Chaolu's current strength, Li Tingshu couldn't conceive how she could have even a slight chance!

However, just when Li Tingshu was eagerly planning to continue his training proposal, he was unexpectedly interrupted by a group of uninvited guests.

On the morning of September 5th, 2017, led by Elder Shouyi from Lingshan City, an Elder Council group of thirty-three arrived at the Inner Sect Training Ground, diligently observing the Inner Sect Disciples' cultivation.

Upon seeing this group of old folks, Li Tingshu felt as if a thousand birds and beasts roared within his heart.

Damn, the idle fish gang at the Li Family Mansion!

Like any immortal cultivation clan with centuries of legacy, the Li Family isn't short on venerable old grandpas. In their youth, these elders were often overshadowed by the most outstanding talents among their peers—such as Li Qianhai from a century ago, Li Tianya from the previous generation, and Li Fengyun from the current generation, all of whom were geniuses that outshone their contemporaries. However, fundamentally speaking, these non-genius Li Family members are elite cultivators, well-traveled and of notable realms, who haven't had much opportunity to shine before aging away. Naturally, they're somewhat discontented with this fate, so they seize every chance to make the most of their lingering potential; if they can't accomplish grand feats, they can at least refine the trivial matters at home!

However, honestly speaking, the ancient saying "Don't meddle in affairs outside your purview" holds true. No matter how passionate and capable you are, recklessly intervening in unfamiliar fields often results in twice the effort for half the success, or even backfires. Though the Li Family Mansion has thrived and evolved over millennia, often encountering unreliable patriarchs like Li Tianya and Li Fengyun, its regulations and systems are finely honed and not easy to change on a whim. These old timers busy themselves, but often end up being more of a hindrance than a help.

Now, Li Tingshu could bet on his hairline that these old timers coming here would be of no help whatsoever, only a waste of precious time!

Who knows why Lu Xin would even allow them to come!

In fact, Lu Xin too was quite exasperated.

This group of old timers approached her claiming they wanted to watch over and encourage the youngsters' cultivation, using their remaining time to make a positive impact. Initially, she refused, afraid they'd disrupt the children's training. Yet, these seasoned veterans have seen enough battles and quickly knew how to handle someone who appeared stern and impartial; wielding their unique tactics, it was simply a matter of time.

"No, no, we insist on going!"

"If we don't go, we'll die right here!"

"We'll do as we say!"

A group of idle old fish publicly coaxed and wheedled, even resorting to tantrums, leaving Lu Xin so annoyed that the Golden Crow Flame blazed fiercely, almost erupting from her seven orifices. She had to imagine herself wielding a Fire Sword to slash these stubborn elders, decapitating them by the dozen, before she could finally calm down.

Forget it, why be the villain yourself? As the matriarch, she should shift pressure onto others promptly, while sipping tea and reading the paper. Moreover, with a Celestial Sword Spirit in the Inner Sect, an elder among elders, it should easily handle these idle old fish.

"Alright then, if you want to go, go ahead, but don't come crying to me if you're disregarded there."

Then Lu Xin approved the old timers' request to visit, repeatedly emphasizing that they must not interfere with the regular order of the Inner Sect Special Training, while secretly resolving to teach a lesson to a certain shopkeeper who delegated all patriarch duties to his wife...

Unfortunately, no matter how severely Lu Xin beats Li Fengyun, it won't change the reality of these disrespectful old timers, charging into the training ground for young Inner Sect disciples, indeed, they were unstoppable.

This group of elders held extraordinary status and cultivation realms; among them, there were three on par with Li Shouyi in seniority, and five or six in the Mountain-Overturning Realm. There were even a legion of two dozen in the peak of the Rain Cover Realm. As they crowded around the Inner Sect Training Ground, their scrutinizing gaze stirred a suffocating heaviness across the venue.

But the old timers remained oblivious, chatting and laughing as they assessed the performances of the young cultivators.

"Haha, today's youth are truly incredible; look at that kid over there, just thirteen and already at the full Spirit Wind Condensing Cloud, on the brink of breaking into the Cloud Surge Realm."

"That one over there isn't bad either, although only in the later Spirit Wind stage, his Divine Sense is substantial and his swordsmanship formidable; his actual strength isn't something the True Essence Realm can measure."

"Look at that, fifteen years old, Cloud Surge Middle Realm, truly worthy of being the Inner Sect Chief."

"But...isn't he too fat for fifteen?"

"I always suspected he had a person concealed in his belly, hahaha!"

"Then why not let him dual train with a Mother and Child Fractal Sword, hahaha!"

Of course, besides compliments, criticisms weren't sparse either.

"Alas, what's with the kids nowadays? Rushing blindly to True Essence Realm, neglecting swordsmanship cultivation. Honestly, no matter how advanced your True Essence Realm might be, without a matching swordsmanship to channel the power, you're no more than livestock like pigs and cows, left for slaughter. Youngsters truly lack experience."

"The biggest concern should be the training intensity, right? Despite being a special training, the intensity is too high; most children are still growing and can't bear such strain. Who drafted the training plan—the instructor? Clearly lacking any compassion!"

"I've heard the instructor is Li Tingshu, last champion of the Cyan Cloud competition."

"Goodness, what was Lu Xin thinking, letting such a fearsome individual be the instructor, the kids will be terrified!"

"Exactly, that bald guy has no self-awareness; he's so highly cultivated, can't he find some time to get a makeover?"

Standing on the high platform, Li Tingshu's shiny forehead started dripping with sweat quickly, yet he was at a loss for words; even Matriarch Lu Xin had to rely on mental imagery to vent, what more can he, a live-in independent cultivator, do? Moments later, Li Tingshu silently conjured visions in his mind of him using his head to grind these stubborn elders into pulp, feeling instantly relieved.