Chapter 333

Chapter 333: The Name of This Sword (4000 words)

After Shixin had knocked Xu Ming unconscious, she recounted all the events that occurred in the illusion without exaggerating a single word to ensure Xu Ming could make the most accurate judgment.

Upon hearing Shixin’s account, Xu Ming fell into deep contemplation, realizing this world was far more complicated than he imagined.

However, for now, he hadn’t reached that level yet, so it wasn’t currently his concern.

Of course, this was only temporary.

The higher his realm became, the deeper his understanding of this world would grow, and eventually, everything he was destined to encounter would come to pass.

Xu Ming slowly stood up and looked at the three treasure chests and the longsword towering high on the stone mountain before him.

Approaching them, Xu Ming opened each treasure chest one by one.

In the first chest, there were over a thousand silver-white iron pellets.

Xu Ming picked up an iron pellet, examined it briefly, and felt it resembled a soldier pellet.

These soldier pellets were a type of warrior jointly created by Mo family cultivators and Yin-Yang sect practitioners. Powered by spiritual energy, they never tire, have no thoughts of their own, and only follow orders.

Such soldier pellets are usually quite expensive.

Even the cheapest one costs as much as a top-grade spirit stone.

Xu Ming tossed the pellet onto the ground.

Sure enough, upon exploding, it transformed into a warrior clad in silver-white armor standing before Xu Ming.

The armored warrior held a spear, looking almost identical to what Xu Ming had seen in the “illusion” earlier.

“Come here,” Xu Ming commanded.

The armored warrior walked toward Xu Ming.

Xu Ming casually picked up a sword from a nearby corpse, weighed it in his hand, then said to the armored warrior, “Grip your spear tightly, use all your strength, and charge at me.”

The armored warrior obeyed, charging with full force. Xu Ming blocked with his sword, deflecting the spear tip with his spiritual energy.

“Good,” Xu Ming nodded approvingly and continued issuing commands, “Now take a defensive stance. I’ll strike you with my sword, and you block with all your might.”

“Are you ready?” Xu Ming asked.

The armored warrior crouched into position, spear pointed at Xu Ming, and nodded.

Xu Ming swung his sword down, and the armored warrior blocked with his spear.

The armored warrior was hurled a hundred meters away, crashing violently into the rock wall.

But soon, the armored warrior shook its head, extricated itself from the rock wall, and returned to stand before Xu Ming.

Xu Ming approached, inspecting the armor and patting it approvingly.

Xu Ming was very satisfied. The armored warrior was equivalent to a martial artist of the Golden Body Realm, possibly even stronger.

Moreover, this armored warrior possessed some kind of “Peak Breaking” ability. The spear thrust earlier had startled even Xu Ming.

Besides attack power, its defense was also outstanding.

This should be due to the spear and armor they wielded.

Their spears and armor clearly weren’t cheap goods.

Imagine having three thousand Golden Body Realm warriors clad in mysterious armor, who don’t know fatigue or pain, and only follow your orders.

That’s quite terrifying.

Xu Ming stored fifteen hundred soldier pellets into his storage pouch and left the rest for Shixin: “Take them. They’re all yours.”

“I don’t need these,” Shixin shook her head.

Xu Ming chuckled: “On the contrary, you really do need them. You won’t kill others, will you just wait for others to kill you? When you’re in danger, scatter these fifteen hundred soldier pellets, and anyone would tremble twice.

“Moreover, these spoils belong to both of us, and you have the right to take half.

“At that time in the secret realm, the Buddhist golden light you added for me was pretty important too.”

Shixin felt a bit guilty: “But in the end, you didn’t win either…”

Xu Ming twitched his brow: “You shouldn’t say that.”

“But I really don’t need them,” Shixin refused again.

“Take them if I tell you to. I hate people who hesitate.” Xu Ming grabbed an empty storage pouch, packed the soldier pellets inside, and threw it to Shixin.

Shixin wanted to say something else but feared angering Xu Ming, so she silently closed her mouth.

Xu Ming opened the second box.

Inside the second box was a fire seed.

This fire seed was the famous Three Realms Fire.

In this world, the Three Realms Fire is renowned alongside Chaos Fire.

Ancient texts record: “Three Realms Fire, heart is the sovereign fire, also called divine fire, named upper essence; kidneys are ministerial fire, also called essence fire, named middle essence; bladder, which is the qi sea below the navel, is civilian fire, named lower essence.”

Others claim that the Three Realms Fire has ties to Buddhism.

Ancient texts state: “Single-minded observation of Buddha’s features, or single-minded observation of the true nature of Dharma (these two refer to visualization meditation), or single-minded chanting of Buddha’s name (chanting meditation), cultivation method, is called the Samadhi of Mindfulness of Buddha. This is the practice-based Samadhi of Mindfulness of Buddha.”

In the mythology of Blue Ocean Star, the Three Realms Fire seems more inclined towards a spell, emitted from the eyes, nose, and mouth, refined from essence, energy, and spirit into the Three Realms.

But in this world, the Three Realms Fire more often refers to innate fire seeds.

Xu Ming opened the third box.

Inside the third box was a sphere.

The sphere sealed a strange entity. It looked like a canine, four-legged without claws, with wings, and round and plump.

“Could this thing possibly be the malevolent beast Chaos???”

Xu Ming suddenly thought.

It looks incredibly like Chaos!

Xu Ming was a bit confused.

If this thing really was a young Chaos, Chaos was famously a malevolent beast—could he dare accept it?

But the issue was, since the other party gave it to him as a treasure, it meant this “Chaos” was likely different and might become an asset.

Otherwise, the other party wouldn’t harm him.

“So cute…”

Just as Xu Ming was pondering how to handle this creature, Shixin softly spoke beside him.

“You think it’s cute?” Xu Ming asked.

Shixin nodded.

Xu Ming took another careful look.

It did seem somewhat cute.

“But have you considered that this thing is Chaos?” Xu Ming chuckled.

Shixin: “…”

Naturally, Shixin knew what Chaos was.

Xu Ming continued, “Chaos is inherently a malevolent beast. What if it causes calamity among humanity later?”

“But the abbot said that all things should not be judged by appearances. As long as we sincerely guide it, it can remain virtuous,” Shixin faintly guessed what Xu Ming intended to do.

However, Shixin believed it hadn’t done anything wrong and deserved a chance.

To judge someone who hasn’t committed evil as someone who will inevitably cause calamity and thus eliminate them… Isn’t such behavior akin to that of demons?

“Alright then, you take the Three Realms Fire and this little Chaos.” Xu Ming was merely scaring her a bit earlier and also giving her a warning.

Actually, this Chaos should differ from the conventional impression. Moreover, if Shixin took it to Thunderclap Temple, under the watchful eyes of renowned experts in the world, it wouldn’t be able to stir up any trouble. Likely, it would be suppressed by one of the abbots of Thunderclap Temple before causing any harm.

“I… I can’t accept it,” Shixin hastily waved her hands. “I haven’t done anything. All of this belongs to you.”

“Are you sure?” Xu Ming glanced at the little Chaos with a half-smile.

Shixin lightly bit her thin lips: “Then… Then I’ll keep it for you temporarily. Once I’ve taught it well, I’ll return it to you.”

“Whatever.” Xu Ming didn’t care. He hadn’t planned to reclaim this Chaos anyway.

If this Chaos could truly be well-trained, upon reaching adulthood, it might reach the upper limit of the fifth realm, potentially becoming a good guardian for Shixin.

Although Shixin was indeed a “benevolent mother,” women as pure and innocent as her, clean as snow, were exceedingly rare.

“And this fire, you take it too. As for the sword, I’ll take it.”

As Shixin was about to speak, Xu Ming continued.

“Don’t say you don’t want it. This Three Realms Fire should benefit your cultivation of Buddhist teachings. It’s useless to me. That sword probably already possesses the Three Realms Fire.”

What Xu Ming said was true.

Being both a martial artist and a sword cultivator, all his techniques should serve his fists and sword. He only trusted his fists and sword skills.

Therefore, the Three Realms True Fire and Chaos were indeed not particularly useful to him.

Moreover, that sword already came with the Three Realms Fire.

But this Three Realms Fire might help Shixin’s Buddhist teachings grow, as in some legends, the Three Realms Fire has connections with Taoism and Buddhism.

As for why Xu Ming kept those fifteen hundred soldier pellets, he planned to give them to Wu Yanhan.

These fifteen hundred elite warriors within elites would undoubtedly greatly assist Wu Yanhan in crucial moments.

With these fifteen hundred troops who only followed orders, Wu Yanhan wouldn’t necessarily dominate the battlefield, but anyone trying to kill her would find it basically impossible.

“Alright, that’s settled. Don’t hesitate. Just take them.” Xu Ming directly made the decision for Shixin and put the two treasure chests into the storage pouch, tossing them to her. “As for how to refine the Three Realms Fire and raise this little Chaos, ask your abbot when you return. I won’t bother with that.”

Xu Ming looked up at the longsword embedded in the stone mountain.

That longsword remained motionless, emitting not a trace of spiritual energy or sword qi, as if it were a woman lying quietly, waiting for someone to awaken her.

According to what Shixin had said earlier, this sword carried many karmic ties. If he accepted this sword, he would likely have to bear the consequences of these ties.

This sounded indeed terrifying.

But Xu Ming strode forward without hesitation.

After great events, there must be great calamities.

Even if he didn’t take this sword, would the karmic ties of the masses not descend upon him? If he avoided it out of fear, he wouldn’t have come this far.

Xu Ming approached the longsword, extended his hand, and gripped the hilt.

The moment Xu Ming touched the hilt, searing flames burned his palm, followed by the hilt burning his divine soul.

Xu Ming felt as if his entire being, inside and out, was set ablaze.

But Xu Ming didn’t let go. He sensed a certain resonance forming between himself and the sword.

“Whoosh!”

Fiery flames erupted, plunging Xu Ming into a sea of fire.

Chaos Fire, Three Realms Fire, Purple Mist Fire, Three Pure Ones Fire.

The four main fires of this world intertwined.

Xu Ming furrowed his brows, wondering what kind of sword this was, capable of controlling the four main fires of the world! At Xu Ming’s forehead, the flame talisman flickered faintly.

The harder Xu Ming pulled upwards, the more fiercely the flames erupted.

“Have you truly decided?”

When Xu Ming had pulled the longsword three inches upward, a female figure appeared amidst the flames.

Xu Ming couldn’t clearly see the woman’s face.

But this woman had shoulder-length hair, and her voice exuded boundless vitality.

“When the great calamity descends and the world is reaped, you, holding this sword, will shoulder many responsibilities.”

“If I don’t draw this sword, will the calamity not fall upon me?” Xu Ming laughed.

“This is a heavenly calamity, and none can escape it. But… maybe you can lay low. After all, someone else might save you,” the woman smiled.

“Then forget it. I prefer to hold my fate in my own hands,” Xu Ming forcefully pulled. “And besides, she broke my sword, so she owes me one.”

“Zzzt!”

Xu Ming drew the longsword, flames forming a pillar that surged against the rock walls.

The thick pillar of fire continuously condensed, compressed, twisted, and formed a tornado.

“Boom!”

As if the flames had been compressed to their utmost limit and could no longer continue, the flames surrounding Xu Ming abruptly dissipated.

Fire sparks fell throughout the mountain cave, resembling a rain of fire.

The woman’s figure gradually faded, her smile lingering beneath the shadows as if she had finally lifted the heaviest burden from her heart: “Do you know the name of this sword?”

“The name of this sword is…”

Xu Ming held the sword before him, examining it closely.

No one had ever told Xu Ming the name of this sword, but Xu Ming felt an inexplicable connection, as if he was gradually coming to understand her.

This feeling grew stronger.

You have never met.

Yet, she resonates with your spirit.

“Red Sleeve.”

Xu Ming’s words fell.

A pillar of fire shot up into the sky above the Sama Cave, dispersing the clouds and dyeing the entire sky red.

In the Rootless Mystic Realm, everyone still alive looked up.

[These days, I’ve been stockpiling drafts, aiming to write ten thousand words daily. Now I’ve accumulated three chapters, and if I write two more tomorrow, I’ll achieve the goal.

Otherwise, saying I’ll write ten thousand words daily but never actually doing it makes me feel embarrassed.

Truthfully, work has been overwhelming lately. Every time I’m about to write, work interrupts, forcing me to rely on my stockpile.

Fortunately, work isn’t too busy recently, so I’ll try to maintain ten thousand words daily and write more. Otherwise, finishing this book at this pace would take forever… Hopefully, after achieving ten thousand words daily, more readers will join~]