Chapter 123: Forging the Sword

Chapter 123: Sword Refining
Chapter 13: The Cold Waves of the Sea of Emotions; The Slender Shadow Finds Ancient Treasures in the Mysterious Immortal Abyss Cave (Part 8)

Ye Hua was not surprised. After observing for a moment, he swiftly emerged from the cave entrance and waved his hand. A silver light flashed, and the two strange spirits were instantly severed from their heads! In the blink of an eye, two milky white long stones appeared. Ye Hua was stunned and suddenly understood: “So that’s it. These strange spirits were actually formed from the white stones I saw before! No wonder that after I left and returned, I could never find them! These two white stones are sentient. Even so, their material and spiritual power must be extraordinary!” He waved his hand again, and a glow like rosy clouds emerged. The white stones and dozens of small banners vanished.

Ye Hua then slowly returned to the mountain hollow, swallowed several pills to restore his vitality, sat cross-legged, and began to meditate. After a moment, his body emitted a faint white light. The spiritual energy of heaven and earth was gradually drawn in, flowing through the 361 acupuncture points of his body, slowly merging into his twelve meridians and fifteen collateral vessels. Following the yin and yang meridians of his limbs, the great circulation of energy proceeded, reaching the Ren meridian, Danzhong, Qihai, and the Dantian, where it was carefully stored.

Ancient Chinese medical texts describe the internal organs as the “Five Zang and Six Fu.” “Zang” means “to store,” and “Fu” means “a residence,” implying accumulation and gathering. Ye Hua gradually stored the heaven and earth’s primal energy together with the pill power inside his internal organs. He felt his entire body growing increasingly comfortable and light, as if about to soar into the air. Due to his cultivation of the Six-Primal Wonderful Heaven method, his extraordinary meridians were infused with internal energy. Today, after absorbing a considerable amount of pure ghostly energy from the skeletal fiend, the energy flowed into his Dantian and Qihai. A warm current circulated like the sun’s winter rays, bringing an involuntary smile of joy to his face.

After several days and nights, Ye Hua slowly opened his eyes and exhaled a cloud of murky breath. Rising to his feet, he felt refreshed and full of energy. He knew that though his internal energy had not fully recovered, it was almost complete. Glancing toward the deep cave, he heard the fierce howling of the wind, realizing it was not yet time to venture forth. He would have to wait for a moment of calm.

Waving his hand, a radiant glow appeared before him, revealing two milky-white stones, shimmering as if alive—these were the strange spirits’ true forms. Ye Hua bent down and gently touched one; a chill ran along his fingertip, refreshing his spirit. He smiled inwardly, thinking, “Though I do not know the exact material, its icy golden nature matches well with my Red Crow Dagger and might be forged into it.” Then, after a moment’s thought, a silver light flashed in his hand, revealing several broken blades—these were fragments of the spiritual knife taken back by the skeletal monster.

Ye Hua felt great sorrow. He had used that single-edged knife for some time; its immense power had saved him from many dire situations. By its grade, it was already at the peak of Upper Yuan spiritual treasures, nearly reaching the Lower Profound spiritual treasure realm. For a disciple at the Seven Treasures stage, it was a precious weapon. He had examined it carefully before: it was mainly composed of white crystal, interspersed with Azure Yuan stone, and seemed infused with trace amounts of other strange energies, though their nature was unknown. The reason for its formidable power was somewhat mysterious.

No wonder, he thought. White crystal was rare but not exceedingly so; Azure Yuan stone was difficult to obtain. A treasure forged from their fusion, though powerful, would not be so extraordinary. The key was the presence of another substance—an extremely small quantity of Five-Color Divine Soil.

Legend held that the Five-Color Divine Soil from Gongwei was one of twenty-four earthly artifacts. The aura it emitted, though not true Five-Color Divine Soil in the strictest sense, was exceedingly rare and powerful. Even a trace of it embedded in a weapon greatly increased its might! Ye Hua, however, did not fully understand the principles behind this.

“Azure Yuan stone could be useful to me, but the white crystal might not have much use. As for that strange substance, I wonder if it can be integrated into my Red Crow Dagger,” Ye Hua mused, staring at the broken blade in his palm. After a long moment, hearing the wind still howling fiercely, he sat down again to begin refining the strange spirit stones and the broken blade.

Concentrating for a moment, Ye Hua opened his eyes and looked at the broken blade. He silently thought, “Brother Sword Spirit, though you did not perish by my hand, your death is because of me. Now I shall help you transcend. Please bless me! Young strange spirits, though you lack consciousness, you possess awareness in the underworld. To follow me and roam the world is a joy of life! I hope you bear no resentment.” Whether he could escape the cave was not yet on his mind.

He pointed his finger, causing the broken blade and milky stones to float before him. Several streams of crimson-golden fire shot from his fingertips—primordial golden flames—engulfing the blade and stones. The flames flickered red and white, but the sword and stones showed no change except a faint reddish glow. Time passed, punctuated by occasional popping sounds from the fire. Ye Hua sat cross-legged with eyes closed, focused in meditation, paying little attention.

Eventually, the blade and stones glowed a deep red, like embers ready to melt. Ye Hua suddenly moved his hand, drawing the Red Crow Dagger out quickly. A fiery line wrapped around it as the sword hummed softly and trembled lightly, then fell still.

After some time, Ye Hua exhaled a line of blood energy and clasped his hands in a formation. The fiery blade and stones flared intensely, transforming into several crimson threads that shot toward the rotating Red Crow Dagger. The dagger’s form flickered and changed into a glowing green-blue orb about the size of a coiled rope. The crimson threads entered the orb, which spun swiftly, showing only a faint reddish tint but no other alteration.

Ye Hua pressed his palms together again and injected more pure blood energy. The orb rolled faster and faster until sudden crackling sounds emerged. Its surface shimmered with countless fine bolts of lightning. At that moment, high above the Forgotten Abyss, the gray mist suddenly roiled. Thunder rumbled, and several bolts of gray lightning struck down from the clouds, hitting the orb. The orb’s brightness fluctuated wildly.

Ye Hua’s expression changed sharply. He shouted a spell: “Azure Sovereign Emperor, True King of the Heavenly Realm! Fusang Sun Emperor, Western Moon Sovereign! Four True Energies, bind the azure radiance. Seal the three fields, harbor the True Sovereign within. Swallow the sun’s essence, ascend in golden light. Sun and moon in motion, the Dantian’s emerald chamber. Breathe into the jade body, absorb the divine glow. Banish demons, destroy the three corpses. Attain the energy of nine and three, pay respects to the Immortal King. Swiftly, as the supreme Heavenly Jade Clear King’s decree!”

A white light flashed above his head, releasing a misty pillar of light that bent sharply about a foot away, shooting straight at the glowing orb. The orb blazed with radiant light, displaying shifting hues of five-colored clouds. A thunderous crack echoed, and the orb transformed into a hundred-foot-long golden beam, breaking through Ye Hua’s blood energy seal and shooting into the sky like a rainbow piercing the heavens. Ye Hua’s face paled as he looked upward.

In midair, a brilliant radiance shimmered like a cluster of auspicious snow, racing through the purple clouds and mist with dazzling speed. The sky was suffused with splendid light, unmatched in beauty. Silver-gray lightning bolts rained down relentlessly, blinding to behold.

Ye Hua’s heart trembled with unease. After watching for a while, he saw the fierce thunder gradually cease. The long sword still danced and hovered in midair, shifting restlessly. With his left hand forming a seal, his right hand suddenly gestured. A cold light shot toward him like lightning, startling Ye Hua. He felt a heavy, icy chill in his right hand. Looking closely, he saw a long sword clasped there, its moonlight steady and flowing with shifting colors, its auspicious glow shimmering gently.

Ye Hua’s heart brimmed with joy.

The sword was just over a foot long, with a ridged blade adorned with delicate natural patterns like a constellation. Its cold light flowed like rippling water. The hilt featured a diamond-shaped opening circled by a purple-gold ring. When lightly flicked, the sword emitted a clear, melodious tone, like the roar of dragons and tigers. It bent gracefully like a hook yet rang with a sharp, resonant sound when struck, then straightened like a string.

Seeing this, Ye Hua was suddenly struck by a thought: “Is this not akin to the ancient Dragon Spring sword of Li Ningyue from Dragon Spring Temple? This sword would rival even the famed legendary spiritual swords!”

After pondering for a moment, he made a slight hand seal and softly commanded, “Go!” Instantly, a golden light like a banner flashed forth, darting like lightning. The sky was filled with brilliant radiance and colorful brilliance, dazzling beyond compare, twisting toward the stone wall. Ten thousand points of azure fireflies fell like rain. Then Ye Hua flicked his hand, and the purple light stretched like a long rainbow, soaring like a divine dragon, twisting and turning in the air like silver snakes darting about.

With a slight motion of his right hand, the spiritual sword descended like a white rainbow. His hand grew heavier, revealing a dazzling, cold-mist-tinged short sword, shimmering with a blue-green radiance.

Ye Hua’s heart swelled with joy as he fondled the sword. After a moment, he glanced behind and saw the milky white stones and broken blades had turned to dust. Listening carefully, he heard the fierce wind in the deep cave gradually subside. Smiling inwardly, he thought, “Now that everything is prepared, it’s time to go and investigate!”

Sheathing the spiritual sword, he moved forward. In moments, he reached the black cave entrance. After a careful look, he lightly descended into the abyss and peered inside. Within, dozens of feet of black mist swirled and danced.

Fearless, Ye Hua concentrated, heightened his vigilance, and filled his body with internal energy. Silver light flashed beneath his feet as he rode his sword into the bottomless abyss. The cave was shrouded in black mist, the depths unseen. The dense fog twisted and turned, descending hundreds of feet before reaching the bottom. When Ye Hua’s feet touched solid ground, he relaxed somewhat.

Advancing another dozen feet or so, he suddenly spotted a faint, thin light. Surprised, he emerged from the dense fog. The sword’s light illuminated the scene: the rocks on either side formed a low arch just tall enough for a person. Ahead was a broad cavern, damp and humid, filled with a foul stench that nearly made one retch. The faint light came from the cave ceiling.

Ye Hua was greatly astonished. The stone cave was at least seven or eight yards wide, tens of yards long, impressively spacious. Mists swirled within. Stepping forward cautiously, he saw a stone door at the far end. His heart leapt with joy—someone truly dwelt here.

Boldly, Ye Hua approached. The black mist sealing the door was two or three feet thick. Though it smelled strangely pungent, there was nothing else unusual. With the Red Crow Dagger blazing brightly in his hand, he sliced at the stone door. A person-sized opening appeared. He lightly stepped through and looked inside.

There were five naturally formed stone chambers in a row, with several beds and alchemical furnaces arranged solemnly. The stone walls were smooth and jade-like. In the center room was a stalactite barrier…

End of excerpt.