Jiang Huai’s eyes were innocent and serious.
When Ji Shi Zhenren guided him through the memories of his past enlightenment on the sword, showing him scenes of his sword strikes, Jiang Huai had been completely focused, imprinting everything into his mind.
In most cases, due to different experiences, each person’s understanding of Sword Dao differs. Even if sword techniques can be passed down, the sword intent is almost unique to oneself and cannot be easily comprehended by others. Just as Chu Xianning’s Silver Ray, Jiang Huai could teach Wen Wanwan the moves of Silver Ray, but he couldn’t teach her Chu Xianning’s sword intent.
Sword intent is generally something that cultivators at the Seventh Realm can comprehend, touching upon the power of the laws of heaven and earth. Besides the moves, the true core of Chu Xianning’s Silver Ray’s sword intent is that once unleashed, it hits its target and cannot be dodged by any means. Even if one teleports, becomes instantaneous, or flees to the ends of the earth at extreme speed, this sword strike lands on the target the moment it is unleashed.
However, Jiang Huai learned Chu Xianning’s Silver Ray in just three days. It was only because he didn’t have the cultivation level of the Seventh Realm and couldn’t wield the power of the laws of heaven and earth, nor could he achieve the “hit-or-be-hit” precision of Chu Xianning. But his sword had become incredibly fast.
The scene he had just witnessed was Ji Shi Zhenren’s Primordial Chaos Life and Death Sword.
The Primordial Chaos Life and Death Sword was a sword technique Ji Shi Zhenren learned after abandoning Alchemy and switching to Sword Dao. After healing that evil cultivator, Ji Shi Zhenren truly felt the helplessness of relying solely on Alchemy. Therefore, he abandoned Alchemy for the sword, gradually integrating his understanding of Alchemy into his Sword Dao. When he drew his sword, he used himself as the pill furnace and his sword as the pill fire. After the sword strike landed on another, he could absorb the opponent’s lifespan for his own use, or convert his own lifespan into death energy and infuse it into the opponent’s body.
He cultivated the Primordial Chaos Life and Death Sword for three hundred years. Ultimately, he converted all the life force accumulated over these three centuries into death energy, decapitating the evil cultivator. He himself was severely injured and on the verge of death, preparing for his own funeral.
That evil cultivator had almost destroyed everything he had. After killing the evil cultivator, his heart felt no sorrow, only exhilaration. Yet, after his great revenge was exacted, he felt a sense of emptiness.
He had lived for a thousand years and knew he had no chance of Ascension. Thus, he merged the Dragon Burial Valley with his Small World, transforming it into his Inheritance Ground, waiting for a destined person to arrive.
“Swing your sword,” Ji Shi Zhenren said.
Jiang Huai turned his head and discovered that the Yening Sword had also been brought to this Secret Realm by Ji Shi Zhenren. Jiang Huai gently grasped the hilt of the Yening Sword. Yening was currently drowsy because merely transporting him here had depleted all the Spiritual Qi she had accumulated over the past half-year.
Yening was one of the rare Spirit Swords that could accumulate Spiritual Qi on its own, and its Sword Spirit was not ordinary.
Holding the sword in his hand, Jiang Huai recalled all the scenes he had just seen and swung his sword in the Void. The Spiritual Qi at the sword’s edge faintly revealed a hint of gray. This strike cost him three months of his lifespan. The sword’s movement created a ripple in the space.
“Huh? Isn’t this Uncle Ji Shi’s Primordial Chaos Life and Death Sword?” Yening murmured softly from the side. “Master, you learned it just like that?”
“I’ve grasped a little.”
“Didn’t I tell you, Uncle Ji Shi?” Yening’s voice was sweet and charming.
“He has learned thirty percent,” Ji Shi said after a long silence. A piece of jade fell in front of Jiang Huai. Jiang Huai heard him continue, “This jade stone contains all my understanding of the Primordial Chaos Life and Death Sword. I’ll leave it for you to comprehend after you exit the Secret Realm.”
Jiang Huai carefully put away the jade stone and looked at the pure white energy before him, asking softly, “The fourth trial… what is it?”
“It’s a promise.”
The space in front of Jiang Huai suddenly rippled for a moment, and a hazy, indistinct figure quietly appeared before him. It was a male cultivator dressed in white. Although Yening had been calling him “Uncle Ji Shi” all along, the male cultivator appeared handsome, especially young, with remarkably deep eyes.
“Having passed my three trials, you have proven yourself worthy of inheriting all that I possess. However, there is one wish I have not fulfilled in my life, and I want you to promise me one thing.”
“Please, speak,” Jiang Huai replied.
“Yao Miao has always preferred solitude. Her Legacy Secret Realm can only be entered by cultivators at the Spirit Transformation tenth layer. The Secret Realm of Dragon Burial Valley is about to end, and I will give you the activation spirit seal for Dragon Burial Valley. I hope that when you are free in the future, you can travel to the Southern Region, meet Yao Miao’s residual soul for me, and ask her… if she is willing to see me. If she is not, you will return to Dragon Burial Valley and inform me.”
“That’s… all?”
“That is all.” Ji Shi’s eyes were calm, devoid of any sadness, but also without any joy.
“I agree,” Jiang Huai said with a slight nod. “I have no Spiritual Qi at the moment to make a Dao oath, but this is something within my capabilities. A drop of kindness should be repaid with a gushing spring. Today, Ji Shi Zhenren saved my friend, and I will definitely not let Ji Shi Zhenren down. When I reach Spirit Transformation tenth layer in the future, I will surely deliver Ji Shi Zhenren’s message.”
Ji Shi Zhenren chuckled lightly. “You are willing to go to such lengths for your friend; how could I have any reason not to believe you?”
Jiang Huai let out a long sigh and said softly, “Please, Ji Shi Zhenren, tell me the method to heal my friend.”
“That Dragon Crystal is the way to salvation.” Ji Shi Zhenren raised his hand and presented Jiang Huai with a emerald green ancient book. “On page 372, the method to heal her is recorded. Who is your Alchemy Master?”
“True Master Qian Yuan from the Qian Yuan Realm. I learned a lot from his ancient Alchemy scrolls.”
“Qian Yuan, huh? Did he Ascend? Or did he die of old age?”
“He died of old age.”
“Hahahaha, that fellow was also a close friend of mine. We once discussed the Dao of Alchemy day and night without rest. It seems we all could not escape the constraints of the Heavenly Way.” Ji Shi’s voice carried a hint of emotion. In an instant, he raised his hand, and a blood-red fruit appeared before Jiang Huai.
“To refine the Dragon Crystal using yourself as a pill furnace, you first need to temper your body to a degree where it can accept the Dragon Crystal. You and she will each eat half of this Dragon Blood Spirit Fruit, and then you can use the method recorded in the emerald green scroll to heal her injuries. Alright, next, I need to study your Pill Formation. I will not spy on you two. After you have healed her, use this Spirit Jade to activate the Inheritance Secret Realm and come find me.”
With that, the space before Jiang Huai distorted, and he was teleported back to the cave where he had first arrived.
***
Jiang Huai opened the Emerald Jade Scroll.
The Emerald Jade Scroll was Ji Shi’s Alchemy inheritance. It also contained many of his personal insights and experiences. Jiang Huai didn’t have time to look at anything else and flipped directly to page 372, where Ji Shi had mentioned, and found the method.
Previously, Ji Shi Zhenren had wrapped Bai Li with the True Spirit of Emerald Jade, but the True Spirit could only provide her with vitality. The Instant Death Command within the Dragon Crystal was continuously destroying her vitality. To completely heal her, Bai Li needed to refine that Dragon Crystal. As Bai Li was of the half-dragon race, the Instant Death Command would naturally have no effect on her.
However, Bai Li was currently severely injured and her aura was weak. Even after eating half of the Dragon Blood Spirit Fruit, she would not be able to refine the Dragon Crystal. Therefore, Jiang Huai’s assistance was needed.
This Dragon Blood Spirit Fruit before him would grant his body a trace of dragon qi, preventing it from being repelled by the Dragon Crystal’s aura. The Dragon Blood Spirit Fruit was a spiritual fruit that grew on the heart of a dragon corpse. Jiang Huai, while flipping through the ancient scrolls and confirming the steps, divided the Dragon Blood Spirit Fruit in his mouth into two halves. He brought one half to Bai Li’s lips, forcibly pried open her small mouth, and fed it to her. He ate the other half himself. His body quickly became scorching hot as the medicinal properties of the Dragon Blood Spirit Fruit began to take effect.
Jiang Huai then took out the Dragon Crystal and looked at the instructions on page 372: refine the Dragon Crystal, then use oneself as the pill furnace to refine the Dragon Crystal into absorbable Dragon Marrow, and infuse it into her body.
Wait, that’s not right.
Jiang Huai scratched his head.
What does “infuse” mean?
***
“Xiao Ning, Xiao Ning.”
“Huh? What is it?”
“Let’s go to sleep. Don’t wake me up if it’s nothing.”
“…Oh.”
The innocent and naive Sword Spirit obediently went back to sleep in the sword.
Jiang Huai suddenly seemed to understand what Ji Shi Zhenren had meant by going to study his Pill Formation and not spying on them.
Jiang Huai lowered his head and looked at the maiden, who had just eaten half of the Dragon Blood Spirit Fruit and had now transformed back from a White Snake into Bai Li. Her fair and tender skin still bore tear-like wounds, but they were immediately mended by the True Spirit of Emerald Jade. Her body trembled continuously, but thankfully, her beautiful eyes were still open, gazing at Jiang Huai without blinking.
“I… I found a way to save you.”
“That’s amazing,” Bai Li said softly, her voice trembling severely.
“It’s just… the method might be a bit strange.”
“What’s wrong?”
“Um… you should close your eyes and rest for a while.” Jiang Huai’s head felt a bit dizzy. Bai Li obediently closed her eyes.
Jiang Huai lowered his head.
He gritted his teeth. What should he be thinking about at this moment?
Bai Li, lying on the ground, was naked. Her snow-white, slender body was covered in bloodstains. He looked up at the dim cave, and his mind couldn’t help but wander. The first thing that came to mind was Chu Xianning, her delicate pink lips. But Chu Xianning didn’t seem to be that alluring. It felt sinful to think of Chu Xianning at this moment.
What should he think about instead? Jiang Huai suddenly remembered Luo Yueguan.
Luo Yueguan was quite alluring.
He had already taken out the Dragon Crystal. Following the method recorded in the Emerald Jade Scroll, Jiang Huai found the Dragon Crystal’s weak point and opened it. He reached his hand into the Dragon Crystal and began to refine its medicinal properties. Soon, one-tenth of the Dragon Crystal was refined into his body. However, even after eating the Dragon Blood Spirit Fruit, his human body still couldn’t perfectly bear the power of the Dragon Crystal. Even if he hadn’t been thinking wildly, his skin was already burning intensely, and his lower body was also reacting consciously. Jiang Huai lowered his head, feeling ashamed, but it seemed this was the only way to try at this moment.
After about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn.
Jiang Huai gently poked Bai Li’s cheek.
Bai Li slowly opened her eyes and looked at Jiang Huai’s hand approaching her lips.
Her eyes opened only a tiny bit, and then she whispered, “Is this medicine?”
“Yes.”
“Oh…”
Bai Li obediently extended her small pink tongue and gently licked up all the medicinal liquid, leaving not a single drop.
