Chapter 702: No Blade, No Form, Only the Hilt

Outside the small wooden house, Huai Jing covered his swollen cheeks with a helpless expression. As he recalled the carefree days he once enjoyed in the Great Leiyin Temple, he could not help but sniffle.

I even took a beating for you, Fei Yu...

Huai Jing sighed deeply as he listened to the soft voices inside the house. Slowly, he tried to reduce the swelling.

Inside, Lin Yun looked slightly embarrassed. She whispered, "I did not realize he was a reincarnated arhat of the Buddhist sects. I've gone too far."

Beside her, Yaoyun did not know whether to laugh or cry. She had been a moment too slow in stopping her.

Thank goodness it wasn't Wang Sheng who had come along.

Lin Yun was definitely a Golden Immortal, but she was already on the verge of a breakthrough.

"Around four or five hundred years ago, I do not know why, but the bottlenecks that had long held me back began to give way one after another. Perhaps it was all destiny preparing me for your arrival."

"Aunt Yu, the Heavenly Palace has fallen, and the Jade Pool cannot be restored. We are old friends. There is no need for you to refer to yourself as a servant anymore."

With a serious expression, Lin Yun replied, "Your Highness, that goes against proper order. The laws of heaven and earth follow their own structure, only through which can the Three Realms remain stable and all living beings flourish. Since the Heavenly Court stands as the overseer of all life, it has to serve as an example. Even in hardship, these rules still have to be followed."

A trace of sorrow touched Yaoyun's smile. She softly reiterated, "Aunt Yu, the Heavenly Court is already gone."

Lin Yun's brows knit slightly as she looked at Yaoyun. She seemed unchanged from her days at the Jade Pool. However, instead of grand immortal palaces and pavilions, she now only had this rundown wooden house.

Lin Yun sighed. "You're right. The Heavenly Court lost its chance to rise again along with Emperor Ziwei's death."

"Aunt Yu, there are many things I wish to take my time to talk to you about, but the purpose of this visit is to ask for your help. Do you still remember the Realm of Exiled Immortals? The Fire Seed planted there has already begun to take root. The Heavenly Court is not without hope of restoration."

"Your Highness, without someone like Emperor Ziwei, how could we—"

"My sword master is His Imperial Majesty's sole successor, and he has already taken hold of the Heavenly Court's heavenly fate. In less than a thousand years of cultivation, he has reached the Heavenly Immortal Realm. I have also personally witnessed him rise from nothing and comprehend the Heavenly Tribulation Sword Intent on his own.

"Moreover, he has become the successor of Lu Dongbin and earned the support of Emperor Qinghua, who has returned from death itself and started governing the Great Dao of Death. He is the key to the Heavenly Court's restoration. I'm asking you to come out of seclusion now because we have to ensure that he reaches the Golden Immortal Realm."

"

Oh?

" Lin Yun frowned. "Is he truly that great? Still, how could you recognize him as your master?"

"What is wrong with that?" Yaoyun's gaze softened. "Becoming his sword spirit is a good thing. At the very least, I can remain by his side."

A flicker of understanding flashed through Lin Yun's expression. "Your Highness, what is he like?"

Yaoyun thought for a moment. "He can be a little indecisive at times, but aside from that, he has few flaws. He respects the old and cares for the young. He even put in considerable effort to resolve a major matter concerning Chun Yangzi's happiness in his later years."

Lin Yun covered her mouth and laughed softly. "

Pfft!

That notorious wanderer actually settled down?"

Yaoyun smiled. "Not quite. We can talk about all this on the way, but he merely guided someone who had long been devoted to Chun Yangzi, helping her become someone capable of standing as his equal in matters of the heart."

"

Hiss—

He truly is a remarkable person!"

Outside, the refined monk who had been rubbing his face rolled his eyes.

After listing so many of Fei Yu's talents and exceptional insight, none of it seemed as convincing as that story.

Come to think of it, that story seems worth listening to along the way.

Half a day later, Lin Yun finished tidying the wooden house. She gathered the nearby mortal families she had been living with, gave them some gold and silver along with local currency, and told them to move to a mortal city instead of remaining in this remote place.

Afterward, Lin Yun summoned a white cloud, checked her appearance several times, then set off with Yaoyun and Huai Jing toward a primal qi passage.

Although she was a Golden Immortal and could travel quickly through the air, she was not skilled in the Dao of Heaven and Earth. It would still take her about a year to return to the eleven qi planets.

Once inside the primal qi passage, Yaoyun shared various stories about Wang Sheng. In a year, she had to change any bad impressions Lin Yun had toward Wang Sheng and help her accept that the thirteenth princess had already become his sword spirit.

Otherwise, if they met and Lin Yun responded with a slap, they would be in serious trouble.

***

On an illusory arena in the Great Dao Sword Case, Wang Sheng's Primordial Spirit battled more than a dozen Asura phantasms before him. They looked strange, yet every part of their bodies seemed made for killing. Moreover, they were astonishingly powerful in combat.

Having already reached the thirty-sixth floor, Wang Sheng found the battles becoming increasingly difficult. Still, the more pressure these intense sword duels placed on him, the more his understanding of the Dao of the Sword deepened.

The Sword-Forging Tower had a total of forty-nine floors. The final thirteen grew harder with each floor. According to the tower spirit's earlier estimate, Wang Sheng's Primordial Spirit should have only been powerful enough to reach the twenty-ninth floor. However, with multiple sword intents supporting him, Wang Sheng kept pushing past the old man's expectations.

At last, after three days and three nights of fierce battle on the thirty-sixth floor, Wang Sheng was forced to stop. Since his Primordial Spirit could not break through his opponents' defenses, the tower spirit pulled it out of the Sword-Forging Tower.

The spirit earnestly persuaded, "Young Master, do not push yourself too hard. It would be bad if you damage your primal qi for no reason."

Wang Sheng smiled and nodded, then sat down to regulate his breathing and meditate.

He had noticed that his Primordial Spirit recovered much faster within the Great Dao Sword Case. Moreover, it seemed closer to his own Dao in here.

The tower spirit sighed softly as he watched Wang Sheng, who was in quiet meditation.

Judging from the potential that Wang Sheng had shown, reaching the forty-ninth floor of the tower and obtaining the complete Myriad-Slaying Sword Intent was already all but certain.

That sword intent's greatest flaw was that its incomplete version was often difficult to control. A slight lapse could easily send it into a frenzy. However, Wang Sheng had completely gotten rid of that problem. After all, he had the wooden sword firmly suppressing it. Moreover, his Heavenly Ziwei Sword Intent and Heavenly Tribulation Sword Intent, which were equal to the Myriad-Slaying Sword Intent, further restrained it.

From here on, as long as Wang Sheng steadily improved his cultivation realm, his Primordial Spirit would naturally grow stronger.

Based on the tower spirit's judgment, once Wang Sheng reached the peak of the Golden Immortal Realm, he would be able to obtain the complete Myriad-Slaying Sword Intent and restore the Dao of Slaughter's might.

The thought made the tower spirit feel a surge of emotion. He looked at Wang Sheng with a hint of... affection.

Half a day later, Wang Sheng had fully recovered. As soon as he opened his eyes, he prepared to leave the Great Dao Sword Case, but the tower spirit called out to stop him.

"Young Master, please wait. There is something you should take with you for protection."

Slightly puzzled, Wang Sheng asked, "What is it?"

A trace of mystery lingered in the old man's smile. He beckoned into the distance, and what looked like a wooden stick flew over. On closer inspection, it was a sword hilt covered in dust.

Without hesitation, Wang Sheng took hold of the hilt. He immediately felt his Myriad-Slaying Sword Intent stir with a rhythm it had never shown before.

The tower spirit gently explained, "If you encounter danger, you can channel your sword intent into this hilt. It will help you turn calamity into fortune."

Wang Sheng extended a respectful gesture. "Thank you."

𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

He had never been one to refuse a gift.

Before the tower spirit could say more, Wang Sheng heard Lishang calling him from outside.

"Someone is calling for me. I will head back first."

Holding back what he wanted to say, the old man bowed. "Take care, Young Master."

Wang Sheng returned the salute as he slowly faded.

Upon getting out, he instinctively looked down at the sword case and saw that a hilt had appeared on it out of nowhere. It had a silver-white base, with two pale purple fittings of unknown material.

When he tried gripping it, he immediately felt his Myriad-Slaying Sword Intent grow restless. His Heavenly Abode became exceptionally clear, his senses sharpened, and his immortal power surged with sudden vigor.

From illusion to reality?

Wang Sheng clicked his tongue in quiet amazement. He could not understand how the scabbard had appeared so suddenly. The sword intent was easier to explain, since it was part of his Primordial Spirit and could move with it. Moreover, this scabbard was a solid object.

When he released his grip, it returned on its own to the surface of the Great Dao Sword Case and settled back into place along the silver-white sheath, which made it look like a complete treasured sword.

Lishang asked from the side, "What's wrong?"

"Did you see how this scabbard appeared?"

"I just saw a silver flash, and out of nowhere, that appeared. Is there a problem?"

"No." Wang Sheng put away the Great Dao Sword Case together with the hilt. He then flicked the hem of his Daoist robe and rose to his feet. "Why were you calling for me?"

Lishang frowned slightly. She whispered, "The Fengli Sect member who came looking for you before has returned. She has already found our location and is waiting nearby."

Wang Sheng thought for a moment, then whispered back, "I'm afraid they come with ill intent."

"Do you want me to send her away?"

"No, she's probably someone important. If I do not meet her myself, it probably won't end well. She might have even been the one who took away the Fengli Sect's two qi stars."

Lishang's expression shifted slightly. She nodded. "Then I will go with you."

Wang Sheng smiled. "Good diplomacy brings prosperity."

The look in his eyes grew more thoughtful.

The tower spirit suddenly gave me this hilt. Could he have sensed something? Now that I think about it, the higher I climb in the Sword-Forging Tower, the more respectful he becomes. Once I clear all its floors, maybe I won't just obtain the complete Myriad-Slaying Sword Intent, but also an old steward as a bonus.

Wang Sheng chuckled, his mood lightening.

As the saying went, "Block the floods with soil; stop enemy soldiers with the general[1]."

Having already faced powerful beings before, he found it hard to feel any real tension now.

1. A Chinese idiom that means to handle each situation as it arises. Instead of worrying ahead of time, it's better to adapt to whatever challenge comes your way. ☜