Chapter 127: The Sword Sacrifice

"The White Angelica Immortal Sword blocked the stone of the Red-Haired Ape Demon, and the ape finally perished. We lingered on Ape Duke Mountain for a few more days before returning. I am sorry to have caused you seniors such worry," Zhou Qian said, a hint of apology in his tone.

"It is nothing, nothing at all. Crunch, crunch—" He Qi and He Hua replied, their mouths full as they munched on the peaches, persimmons, apricots, plums, oranges, and sugarcane that Lu Xiaoxian had brought back. Nourished by the mountain’s spiritual essence, the fruits remained fresh and crisp, their flesh sweet and juicy despite having been picked seven or eight days prior.

"It seems you two have truly gained quite an opportunity this time. This Heavenly Demon Meteorite is a rare treasure even within the Demon Sect. If it were to appear in the world, one can only imagine how many ancient monsters and giants would scramble for it. It is a pity, truly a pity—" Qin Yu sighed as he held the meteorite.

"What is a pity?" Lu Xiaoxian asked curiously.

"Our righteous sect rarely uses such items for sword forging; it is like casting pearls before swine."

"That is simple enough, isn't it? We could just steal a secret manual for sword forging from the Demon Sect," Lu Xiaoxian suggested innocently.

"It is not that simple. Setting aside the fact that we cannot drive the malevolent swords of the demonic path with our immortal arts, their forging methods are cruel and violent, violating the harmony of heaven." Qin Yu paused, noticing a change in Zhou Qian’s expression, and asked, "Junior brother, what are you thinking?"

After a moment of hesitation, Zhou Qian revealed that he had obtained the Profound Yin Sword Manual from the Tomb of the Qin Emperor. His words left the others astonished.

"The Profound Yin Sword Manual contains seven secrets for forging magical flying swords. Three of them are sword-forging incantations: the Hundred-Beast Divine Light Sword, the Heavenly Demon Blood-Transforming Sword, and the Desire-Slaying Sword."

"Junior brother!" Qin Yu’s tone turned uncharacteristically stern. "The various methods of the Demon Sect are best at bewitching the heart. Do not be tempted by their power and stray from the path, lest you cause strife within our sect and drive a wedge between brothers!"

The atmosphere suddenly grew heavy. After a long silence, He Hua broke the tension with a laugh. "Don't listen to your eldest senior brother. He is always making a mountain out of a molehill and clinging to rigid doctrines."

"If you dare bully the junior brother, I’ll beat you up, Xiaoxian!" Lu Xiaoxian huffed, waving her fists.

"Rest assured, Eldest Senior Brother, I will not," Zhou Qian said solemnly.

Seeing the sincerity in his voice, Qin Yu finally relaxed. "I only wish to prevent you from taking a wrong turn, Junior Brother. If my words were offensive, please forgive me."

"It is fine. I can distinguish between good advice and ill intent, Senior Brother."

"Furthermore, our immortal sect’s flying swords possess various divine powers that are no less formidable than those of the demonic path. Since you have reached the second level of your cultivation, you may begin forging your own unique immortal sword."

"Oh? It is rare for you to be so generous, Senior Brother! Our junior brother is quite fortunate. Tell us, what kind of flying sword do you intend to forge?"

"Me?" Zhou Qian was taken aback. "I know nothing of the art of forging; I have no idea how to proceed."

"Then let our junior brother make a choice first!" He Qi and He Hua chimed in. "Immortal swords come in many forms—sword implements, sword pellets, sword wraiths, or even flying needles. Our eldest senior brother forged a 'Wutu' sword pellet, which can turn gold into mud; it is a celestial-grade artifact of great perfection. Or consider a set of swords; we three brothers practice the 'Three Yang One Breath' sword, and the Zhou boy from Morning Sun Peak uses a Five Elements sword. Sword wraiths are even more ferocious, infusing sword energy and baleful qi into forbidden techniques—a very powerful supernatural ability, though you lack the cultivation to learn it yet. As for flying needles, the most formidable in our Qingcheng Sect is Uncle Cold Moon’s 'Taiyi Bodhi Divine Needle,' consisting of 3,654 needles, each of celestial grade. Then there is Senior Sister Liu’s Profound Ice Needle, which is also..."

"Seniors! Both of you!" Zhou Qian quickly interrupted them. "I would prefer to forge a standard sword." This choice stemmed from his instincts as a martial artist of the pugilistic world.

"Then what type of flying sword do you want? Consider the Five Elements attributes, the forging materials, the texture and sharpness of the blade, the speed of flight, what kind of demon beast soul to seal within, what supernatural powers it should have, what arrays to engrave, its potential..."

Zhou Qian felt dizzy and disoriented under the barrage of He Hua’s questions. Fortunately, the experienced Qin Yu stepped in, silencing the others. "Do not listen to Junior Brother He’s nonsense. Just tell us what kind of sword you like."

After deep reflection, Zhou Qian replied, "If I am to have my own sword, it must possess three qualities: first, a hard and sharp texture; second, extreme flight speed; and third, it must fully facilitate my sword techniques. Other benefits are not strictly necessary."

Qin Yu laughed. "Junior Brother has high ambitions indeed, wanting to defeat enemies solely through sword technique."

"Does such a strange sword even exist?" He Hua asked, puzzled.

"It might just," Qin Yu mused. "I recall my master mentioning that he once formed a deep friendship with a master of an unorthodox sect in the Western Sea. That master gifted him a unique sword-forging method. It has been a long time, and I cannot recall the details clearly, but I will search the Tree Pavilion tomorrow. I do faintly remember the name of the sword..."

"What is it called?" the group asked in unison.

"The Hundred-Spirit Sword!"

For the disciples of the Yuxu Sect, it had been over a month since they last met, and the long conversation was a delight. As evening approached, they took their leave. The He brothers did not stand on ceremony, packing up all the mountain fruits Lu Xiaoxian had brought without leaving any for their eldest senior brother. The junior sister, however, lingered, having grown close to Zhou Qian and feeling quite reluctant to part.

"Junior brother, you mentioned you obtained a sword manual on Ape Duke Mountain?"

"Yes, the manual was created by the ancestor of the old white ape. It is called the 'Ape Duke Sword Manual,'" Zhou Qian replied.

"Listen to me: there is no need to practice the Ape Duke Sword Manual. Focus entirely on our sect’s own sword techniques."

Zhou Qian was stunned and asked, "Why?"

"The way of the sword is vast and profound; it values specialization. If you spread your efforts too thin, you will likely find it laborious and unrewarding. I know you learned swordsmanship in the mortal world and might think you can gain deeper insights by drawing parallels, but the two are fundamentally different. Mortal swordsmanship emphasizes the variation of moves, while the sword immortals prioritize the enlightenment of forging and cultivation. Consider our sect’s 'Azure Cloud Sword Thunder,' 'Taiqing Sword Qi,' 'Thousand-Fold Sword Net,' or the 'Nine Heavens Divine Firmament Sword Array'—which of these does not require years, even decades, of contemplation and the arduous collection of rare materials to forge? Not to mention the sword-transcending supernatural powers like 'Body and Sword as One' or 'Sword Qi Manifestation,' which can only be evolved after reaching a deep level of mastery. And that is not even counting the six great sword powers, which no one can master without world-class talent. Given all this, do you truly think you can master two different sword manuals simultaneously?"

Zhou Qian felt as if he had been struck hard. Was he really wasting his efforts as his senior brother suggested? If not for the warning, Zhou Qian had actually planned to study the Profound Yin Sword Manual as well. Had he truly been walking down a crooked path?

"Cultivating the Tao is a personal journey. Teachers and seniors can only guide, not act on your behalf. I have seen your diligence and hard work, Junior Brother; I only wish for you not to stray." After offering his advice, Qin Yu departed, trusting that Zhou Qian’s intelligence would lead him to understand his intentions.

Zhou Qian spent the night sleepless, carefully weighing his gains and losses. He realized that to achieve true success, specializing in the Qingcheng sword techniques was indeed the safest path. Yet, could he really abandon the Ape Duke Sword Manual and the Profound Yin Sword Manual? He remained uncertain.

The next morning, Zhou Qian emerged from his White Jade Cave to see the rising sun. All things were waking, the great waterfall roared ceaselessly, and the morning glow filled the sky. His heart felt refreshed, and he had a sudden inspiration—perhaps there was a way to have the best of both worlds.

A familiar streak of light descended, and it was Qin Yu. He tossed an object to Zhou Qian, who caught it to find a jade scroll. Opening it, he saw the various methods for forging the Hundred-Spirit Sword.

"How is it? Does it meet your expectations?" Qin Yu asked with a smile.

"If it is as described, it is truly a magnificent blade!" Zhou Qian said with a wry smile. "But the materials are too demanding. I have the Heavenly Demon Meteorite and the thousand-year-old spiritual wood, but where am I to find the Essence of Five Metals, the Spirit-Void Qi, and the saliva of a hundred birds? Not to mention the seven or eight other treasures I have never even heard of—"

"Do not worry, search slowly. Your Senior Brother Song’s 'Immortal Flood Dragon Sword' took him nearly a hundred years to complete. However, I have a piece of the Essence of Five Metals left. If you can find the other materials, you might be able to cast the sword embryo first. As for the Spirit-Void Qi, I know where it is—somewhere on the peak of Five Dragon Mountain—but you must first master the art of sword flight. As for the saliva of a hundred birds, you can begin collecting it now; it will also serve to temper your sword skills."

"Saliva of a hundred birds? Does it have to be from any specific bird?"

"Naturally, it must be from the divine birds of the immortal realms—"