Outside the carriage window, the stunning scenery of the Qingyuan Mountains rolled by in reverse.
“I can consider myself a swordsman too!”
“From great success to transformation.”
“Eighty years, huh….”
Little Li was half excited and half calculating if his expenses had gotten a bit too high.
After adding it all up, he realized he’d spent over a hundred years on martial arts insights regarding swordsmanship.
If it weren’t for Ice Chunk hand-holding him through the process, he would have spent even more.
It felt somewhat like spending a fortune on a high-end computer last life, only to let it gather dust because he had no time to use it.
Okay, maybe not that dramatic.
The transformation sword technique was definitely way more powerful than the punches he could throw.
“Martial arts insights should still last for a bit.”
“With a hundred and ten years left, I’m not afraid of getting lost with any new martial arts.”
Li Mo did some quick math and decided not to overthink it.
“Ah, Divine Edge Cave, that’s where you can check out the Crimson Sky Sword.”
Ying Bing gently sipped her tea.
“Sounds good.”
Li Mo went along with it.
In fact, he was genuinely prepared to give the Crimson Sky Sword a go.
It wasn’t that he held a grudge for getting beaten by a sword thirty years ago and was now seeking revenge.
The Crimson Sky was fire attribute, paired with the Fire Heart Lotus technique, its power would double, making it a perfect fit for him.
This boost might not be obvious in the bl**d Qi Realm, but once he hit the Internal Breathing Realm, it would be undeniable.
At this point, the sound of iron being struck echoed from outside the carriage.
Stepping down, they found a bustling crowd in front of Divine Edge Cave.
As soon as Ying Bing showed up, the talking quieted down considerably, and gazes filled with awe were thrown at her.
The oppressive aura of Ice Chunk.
She was not just the true successor of the sect leader but also the future of the sect.
Not only among her peers, but in the history of Qingyuan Sect, she was quite the standout.
“Brother Li!”
“Junior Brother Li!”
Two voices called out from the crowd simultaneously, only to be met with surprised looks at one another.
Murong Xiao and Xiao Qian exchanged glances and nodded slightly.
They had both done well in the sect’s trials, having had a bit of an acquaintance.
“Brother Li, you actually took first place; as expected of you.”
Murong Xiao praised.
“I was shocked when I heard!”
Xiao Qian’s aura felt much stronger than before.
Having passed the trials, he was now back in the Inner Sect.
What surprised him was that Junior Brother Li’s aura was even stronger than his now.
He was busy rebuilding his power under the guidance of his teacher, after all.
Junior Brother Li’s progress was truly astonishing.
“What sort of weapon do you plan to get today, Junior Brother Li?”
“My sword skills have made some minor achievements recently.”
“Hmm, Junior Brother Li should have no problem picking a famous weapon.”
“That just shows Xiao Brother doesn’t know enough about Brother Li….”
After some pleasantries, they mostly chatted about recent events.
Murong Xiao had completed his Body Refining and had met Elder Han He’s expectations, meaning he could start to learn the forging techniques passed down from Shenbing Peak.
Xiao Qian not only regained his position in the Inner Sect but was even valued by an Elder, with a chance of becoming a true successor in the future.
Everyone had bright prospects ahead.
Seeing those he had invested in rising like this filled Little Li with a sense of accomplishment.
Ding, ding, ding—
Suddenly, a gong sounded at the entrance of Divine Edge Cave.
The Inner Sect disciple keeping watch came out:
“Time’s up!”
Every year, Divine Edge Cave would briefly calm down before erupting once again.
Disciples who weren’t of high rank would generally choose their weapons during this time.
The crowd instinctively parted ways.
Ying Bing looked down and entered Divine Edge Cave.
However, as soon as she reached the middle of the first level, she stopped, gently raising her pure hand.
Just as the crowd was perplexed…
Clang—
The sound of swords echoed, and over a dozen white streaks of light soared through the air, hovering before Ying Bing for her selection.
Each one was a renowned sword.
“Umm….”
Why are they so massive?
Li Mo watched, feeling like he had just stepped into a cat café full of cats.
He wasn’t too surprised, though; others were in absolute shock, exclaiming left and right.
“Renowned weapons, all of them!”
“I can’t believe I’m here earning the acclaim of renowned weapons, and they all just flew out from the third level for me to pick!”
“Didn’t they say renowned weapons have their own spirits and are aloof? Usually, they wouldn’t give anyone a glance; what’s going on today?”
“Absolutely terrifying…”
“Wait, what are those two?”
As the discussions heated up, two more streaks of blue and white flew in, pushing the nearby renowned swords aside.
One was blazing hot, and the other was as cold as ice.
To Li Mo, they were all old friends.
Crimson Sky, Tian Shuang.
Just a friendly reminder: the page has functions like “switching between simplified and traditional characters,” “adjusting font size,” and “changing background color.”
Everyone felt like they could hardly breathe.
They were having dreams they’d dare not even dream of.
Even the disciples from Shenbing Peak felt a twinge of pain in their teeth. Many of them had entered the sect for years and had only heard about these two legendary swords, never seen them.
How could they recognize them?
Currently, the only two remaining renowned swords in Shenbing Peak were these two!
“Tian Shuang.”
Ying Bing extended her hand and grasped the sword, which was sinuous like a flood dragon.
The familiar sensation washed over her.
The Tian Shuang sword trembled gently, expressing extreme delight.
Then, without glancing at the other weapons, Ying Bing cradled the sword and made her exit.
As she passed by Ke Mo, she gave a slight nod—essentially a small gesture of encouragement.
Ke Mo: “… That was way too fast.”
By the time he looked again, the Crimson Sky sword had vanished from sight.
Looks like he still had to go the regular route to earn the right to accept the Crimson Sky Sword’s test.
“Brother Ke, I believe in you; you’ll definitely get a renowned weapon too.”
Murong Xiao patted him on the shoulder.
“Yeah.”
Xiao Qian nodded in agreement.
“Let’s go for it.”
Ke Mo chuckled and stepped forward.
Oh right.
At the bottom of Divine Edge Cave, there was that hammer calling out to him; that same feeling from earlier was still there.
By the way, since he could only take one weapon, should he choose the hammer or the sword?
This question lingered for just three and a third seconds before he opted for the hammer.
No joke, that was the “dad” of all renowned weapons.
Of course.
As long as he could wield it, Elder Han He would probably approve.
That hammer was the lifeblood of Shenbing Peak…
“Let’s take a look first.”
As Ke Mo pondered, the three of them descended through the three levels of Divine Edge Cave.
“Master said to judge the quality of a weapon, look at its material, forging techniques, and control of heat….”
Murong Xiao began to identify each one based on the knowledge from the forging master.
Xiao Qian’s gaze also carefully brushed over each famed weapon.
At that moment, his heart echoed with the voice of Qianxing Wuzun:
“Indeed, that girl Ying Bing has incredible fortune by her side, just as I said.”
“Is the weapon recognition really to her benefit?” Xiao Qian casually asked.
“Being her weapon is actually a blessing for that renowned item.”
Qianxing Wuzun was thoroughly entertained by his disciple’s perspective, remarking:
“What I’m saying is that it’s her inheritance.”
“Inheritance? You mean that dazzling light from a few days ago?” Xiao Qian’s curiosity piqued.
Just a few days ago, rays of light filled the sky, and everyone in the sect was abuzz about it.
One theory claimed that the sect leader’s true successor, Ying Bing, had acquired some incredibly fearsome inheritance.
It seemed that this theory might be correct.
The Master’s words had never been wrong up until now.
“Yeah, I once saw something like that in an ancient book about the avian tribe.”
The old voice didn’t deny it.
“That inheritance must be incredible!”
“Not just incredible.”
Qianxing Wuzun’s tone turned a bit nostalgic:
“The Nine Colors Original Phoenix possesses nine souls, each holding infinite mysteries; to obtain even one allows you to traverse the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths.”
“If all are gathered together, coupled with that little girl’s unique physique, there’s a chance to aim for that legendary realm…”
“Legendary realm?”
Xiao Qian scratched his head in confusion, shaking his head:
“I still think Brother Ke isn’t any weaker; he won’t fall short compared to Sister Ying Bing.”
“You little rascal… how about a bet?”
Qianxing Wuzun burst into laughter.
His disciple was something else—he had a one-track mind.
Martial arts required perseverance, but being overly stubborn wouldn’t do; it could lead to narrow-mindedness.
“Alright, Master, what’s the bet?”
“In the sect’s grand competition, if your Brother Ke can withstand just ten moves from the little girl, I’ll consider that a win for me. Then I’ll present you with a great gift. If I win… well, we’ll see when the time comes.”
Qianxing Wuzun spoke with great interest, showing no intention of losing.
Naturally, Xiao Qian agreed.
Then, under the guidance of his Master, he began selecting weapons.
…
Now, Little Ke had no idea about any of this.
If he knew, he’d surely want to ask, “Old Xiao, where’s all this ridiculous confidence coming from?”
He was now heading towards the fourth level.
His gaze earnestly fixed on the Crimson Sky Sword, bowing slightly in respect.
Buzz—
The Crimson Sky Sword began to vibrate gently, just like last time.
Of course, it trembled much less than when it was flying next to Ying Bing.
It seemed the sword found him a little less appealing.
“Hmph.”
“Thirty years in the East River, thirty years in the West!”
Ke Mo muttered to himself, a flame of competitive spirit igniting in his eyes.
He had to seize this opportunity today!
