Volume One: The Emperor's Sword Chapter 159: Only Missing a Lightning Spiritual Root

The lingering-life pill is a medicinal concoction that inflicts severe damage on the human body, forcing out the last remaining vital energy through its potent effects. Once swallowed, Wu Dachuan might regain consciousness, but he would not even survive another day, likely drawing his final breath after uttering only a few words.

Without taking it, he has at least three days left.

Taking it means certain death today.

"Could our junior brother still be thinking of saving him?" Ma Yong asked, puzzled.

"Even the Sword Chief believes his doom is sealed and beyond recovery. Let it go," Niu Buchai sighed.

"I will think of another alternative. If all else fails, I will feed him the lingering-life pill in two days," Yun Que said in a low voice.

Luo Xiaoyu stood nearby, wiping away tears continuously.

The senior brothers and sisters she had come to know upon entering the Northern Courtyard had all treated her with great care. Now faced with the agony of eternal separation, sorrow welled up in the little girl's heart, and her tears flowed without stopping.

If Senior Brother Dachuan died, who would drink the medicinal brews she prepared?

The mere thought that no one would ever taste her culinary masterpieces again made Luo Xiaoyu cry even more bitterly.

"Prepare for his funeral," Xue Ziyi sighed heavily, turning to leave first.

Ma Yong and Niu Buchai went off to handle the subsequent arrangements, such as ordering a coffin and preparing for burial.

Upon returning to his quarters, Yun Que took stock of his gains from the trip to the transformation realm.

He had handed over the spiritual materials, receiving a total of three thousand one hundred sword tassels that he had yet to exchange.

As for the storage pouches he had plundered, he certainly hadn't turned them in.

Including those belonging to the disciples annihilated by the blood-feathered spiders, Yun Que possessed well over five hundred storage pouches!

After a rough calculation:

Spirit stones amounted to over sixty thousand in total!

Eleven top-tier magical tools!

Over two hundred superior-tier magical tools!

As many as five hundred middle-tier magical tools!

Twelve hundred inferior-tier magical tools!

More than three hundred spiritual talismans and nearly a thousand spiritual herbs!

Over fifty kinds of miscellaneous materials!

Spirit-origin pills, blood-coagulation pills, foundation-establishment pills, and inferior-tier antidote pills totaled over a thousand pellets combined!

The grand total of all his spoils reached a staggering fortune of one hundred thousand spirit stones!

When added to the sixty-odd thousand spirit stones he already possessed, the harvest from this expedition to the transformation realm could be described as astronomical.

A truly exorbitant price!

The three hundred flying swords wagered in his bet with Qian Yuxiu were valued at ten thousand spirit stones—a sum Qian Yuxiu could never produce. She preferred to humiliate herself by imitating a cat's cry rather than shoulder such a crushing debt, which showed that Yun Que's wealth had reached a terrifying, jaw-dropping degree.

Even several elders of the Sword Palace might not possess such a bountiful net worth!

Yun Que took a deep breath and nodded with satisfaction.

With so many magical tools and flying swords, he could finally feel much more at ease. At least before reaching the Foundation Establishment stage, he would no longer need to worry about the consumption of flying swords.

Even if he broke through to the Foundation Establishment realm, these should last him for quite a long time.

Among the various materials, Yun Que discovered about a pound of locust-wood crystals.

Just in time; he would visit the Clear Talisman Pavilion auction in a month and use this to approach the "wealthy individual" who had been collecting locust-wood crystals.

Because he had accumulated too many items, Yun Que's storage ring was packed almost to the brim and desperately needed clearing out.

The flying swords naturally had to be kept. Talismans and spiritual pills did not take up much space, and though spirit stones were numerous, they were simple to store and stacked neatly without wasting room. The large bulk of spiritual components and miscellaneous materials would best be disposed of.

"I need to take a trip to Sister Nan's place."

When it came to disposing of materials, the first person Yun Que naturally thought of was Si Ruonan.

Acting on the thought without delay, Yun Que set off immediately.

Before leaving, he also brought Wu Dachuan along.

Since remaining at the Sword Palace meant merely waiting for death, he might as well ask Si Ruonan if she had any way to extend Wu Dachuan's life.

Just as he stepped out, Zhou Yuanliang came looking for him.

"How is Qingyao doing?" Yun Que asked.

"Knowing you'd be worried, I came specifically to report the news. Rest assured, after Master Junior Sister ingested the Master's spiritual pill, her injuries have stabilized. Aside from her dantian, she is largely out of danger."

Seeing that Yun Que was about to leave, Zhou Yuanliang said, "Coincidentally, I need to head home as well. Where is Lord Yun going? We can travel together."

The two left the Sword Palace, hailed a carriage, and proceeded along the broad avenues of the imperial capital.

"How much does the young master know about a person named Yan Xu?" Yun Que inquired from inside the carriage.

"Not much. Yan Xu kept a very low profile, had an eccentric temper, and possessed few friends. The only one who ever walked the same path as him was perhaps Xuan Wenyan," Zhou Yuanliang replied.

"Would you happen to know Yan Xu's age?" Yun Que asked.

"I am not entirely clear on his exact age, but he certainly cannot be over twenty-five. Of that, I am certain."

Zhou Yuanliang explained in detail, "Because the year I entered the Sword Palace, Yan Xu became the chief sword-child of the Eastern Courtyard at less than twenty years of age. It has been exactly five years since I entered the Sword Palace, so Yan Xu is definitely under twenty-five this year."

"Twenty-five?" Yun Que frowned slightly.

Yan Xu's spiritual root was definitely abnormal.

In the transformation realm, what Yun Que had observed through the Spirit-Reflecting Mirror was a spiritual root belonging to someone at least over forty years of age.

If Yan Xu was only twenty-five, then his physical body severely mismatched his spiritual root.

Another artificially constructed spiritual root!

Yun Que inwardly lamented what a pity it was.

Since Yan Xu had perished in the transformation realm, it could be said there was no evidence left to confront, and this line of inquiry was broken.

Parting ways with Zhou Yuanliang at Longliu Street, Yun Que brought Wu Dachuan to the smithing workshop.

Upon catching sight of Wu Dachuan's condition, Si Ruonan was immensely shocked.

"What happened to him? How did he end up in such a state?"

"Wu Dachuan had all the bones in his body shattered by someone inside the transformation realm, and he was soaked in a rain of swords for an entire day. The Sword Chief was powerless—Sister Nan, is there still any saving him?"

Yun Que briefly recounted the sequence of events.

With a solemn expression, Si Ruonan conducted an examination, carrying it out with utmost seriousness and meticulous care.

Wu Dachuan had frequently come to assist her, making him practically half a disciple to Si Ruonan. If there was any way to help, she would certainly lend a hand.

Yun Que waited in silence on the side.

Before long, Si Ruonan locked her brows tightly together and said:

"His bone injuries are relatively manageable. With bone-mending pills and stasis-resolving pills for recuperation, there is a chance they can heal. The troublesome part is his internal injuries; his viscera are nearly pulverized. Unless the miraculous healing medicine known as the Vast-Origin Pill is employed, there is perhaps still a chance to rescue him."

Hearing this, a glimmer of hope sparked within Yun Que.

However, turning around, Si Ruonan added:

"Actually, his fatal wound is not superficial. What is truly lethal is the chaotic sword qi left behind by the sword rain. And that is no ordinary sword qi; it contains the aura of thunder and lightning. It is precisely this thunderous sword qi, penetrating deep into his marrow and internal organs, that is destroying Wu Dachuan's remaining vitality."

"Is there no way to dispel it?" Yun Que asked.

"External force can no longer accomplish it. Unless he can absorb this sword qi by himself, he will have no chance of survival. Otherwise, all medical treatments are in vain," Si Ruonan stated.

Yun Que nodded heavily.

Si Ruonan's assessment aligned with that of the Sword Chief; neither believed Wu Dachuan could continue to live.

"Although I do not possess the miraculous healing Vast-Origin Pill here, bone-mending pills and stasis-resolving pills I do have. I will first treat his skeletal injuries."

"Thank you, Sister Nan. I will go out for a walk."

Yun Que departed silently, walking alone down the cobblestones of Longliu Street.

He knew that Si Ruonan's administration of medicine was merely intended to soothe the sorrow in their hearts, holding not a shred of practical use in saving Wu Dachuan.

With a heavy heart, Yun Que walked out of Longliu Street and stepped into a quiet, secluded alley.

His pace was very slow. As he walked, he pondered deeply.

The thunder sword qi carried within the sword rain ought to be related to the Thunder Tribulation Sword Spirit. Since external forces could not expel it, how on earth could a dying Wu Dachuan be made to absorb it himself?

It was far too difficult.

It was practically an impossibility.

Unless Wu Dachuan possessed a rare thunder spiritual root, he would have no opportunity to absorb the thunder sword qi inside his body on his own.

He was lacking only a thunder spiritual root...

A thunder spiritual root...

At this thought, Yun Que halted his steps.

Simultaneously, talismans lit up one after another along the surrounding walls!

Illusory beams of sword light emerged, forming a sword prison that trapped Yun Que squarely in the center!

From the end of the alley, a figure emerged, wearing a ferocious grin as he spoke: "Fellow surnamed Yun, do you know what I am thinking about right now?"

The newcomer was none other than Huan Zhi!

Seeing Huan Zhi appear alone in a deserted alley, Yun Que gradually began to smile.

"Then do you happen to know what *I* am thinking about right now?"

Yun Que smiled with utter delight.