Early morning, Fusu Great Wall.
A streak of crimson sword light flashed across the sky, and Fusuo landed directly on the Sword Pavilion. A group of sword cultivators and martial artists on the city wall looked up, but paid little attention. The Sword Pavilion was the residence of City Lord Lin Wanhua. Ordinary people would not dare to land directly on it. Since the City Lord had not drawn her sword to attack, the cultivators guarding the Great Wall had no reason to intervene.
On the city wall, a sword cultivator in white, Qin Yu, the eleventh-realm sword cultivator of Fusu Great Wall and a Heaven-born Sword Seed, sat cross-legged on a desolate battlement. He recognized the person descending into the Sword Pavilion as Lin Zhao at a glance. No one else would have had the audacity. Even the thirteenth-realm Great Sword Immortal Jing Chu of the Confucian Academy would not dare to force his way into the Sword Pavilion. Only Lin Zhao had such special permission.
Qin Yu frowned. His cousin, Lin Wanhua, and Lin Zhao indeed shared a deep connection. From Lin Zhao's past life to the present, Lin Zhao had unknowingly become a concern in his cousin's heart. Perhaps in the near future, he would also become an obstacle to her breakthrough, becoming the most indelible inner demon in her heart. The inner demon of the strongest sword cultivator in the human world was naturally quite troublesome.
After some thought, Qin Yu couldn't help but mock himself. What right did he have to worry about his cousin? He should worry about himself, an eleventh-realm sword cultivator. He had been stuck at the Great Perfection of the Gui Zhen realm for decades, with no sign of his bottleneck loosening. Qin Yu was anxious in his heart, but there was nothing he could do. As for his cousin Lin Wanhua, she did not seem anxious, but she clearly hoped that Qin Yu could break through.
Was it proper for the dignified Fusu Great Wall to be guarded by only one thirteenth-realm cultivator, Lin Wanhua? Below her, the younger generation had a drastic drop to the eleventh realm. The strongest among the younger generation below Lin Wanhua was only eleventh realm? It would be a huge joke if it were known. Would they still need the previous generation's old sword immortals like Han Fang to hold the fort in future wars? Therefore, Qin Yu, Ye Lin, Liu Xilong, and others were under great pressure, all hoping to reach the twelfth realm, but breaking through was incredibly difficult, a fact only they truly understood.
...
Sword Pavilion.
Lin Wanhua, clad in snow-white robes, stood in the main hall and said with a smile, "You're here?"
"Mm."
Lin Zhao walked forward, flicked his sleeve, and instantly two bowls of steaming hot eel noodles appeared on the tea table. He was quite proud and chuckled, "I brought breakfast. You definitely didn't expect this, did you?"
Lin Wanhua couldn't help but laugh, "Indeed, I didn't expect it."
"While it's hot, let's have breakfast."
"Mm."
After they finished their noodles, Lin Wanhua said with a serious smile, "You wouldn't come without a reason. When you arrived, I knew what you were here for. Sect Leader Wei has already given you the five immortal swords from the Central Refining. Since that's the case, then the twelve flying swords from the Minor Refining shall come from me."
She flicked her sleeve, and twelve ancient swords appeared, spanning across the room. She smiled, "They are the same as before, twelve Great Wilderness ancient swords. They are almost identical to the previous twelve, all discovered in the same Great Wilderness ruin. Perhaps they were crafted by the same swordsmith."
"Good, thank you!"
Lin Zhao smiled joyfully. As a return gift, he took out a jar of Dongting Purple Bamboo Wine and three jars of Dongting Red Bamboo Wine from his bag. Lin Wanhua enjoyed drinking, so Lin Zhao brought her the best quality wine. He wouldn't bring out the inferior Green Bamboo Wine. Four jars of wine were enough for Lin Wanhua to drink for a long time. Thus, Lin Wanhua did not stand on ceremony and happily accepted all four jars of wine.
"Gu Yanshu?" she asked.
"Killed."
Lin Zhao frowned, "If he were still alive, I wouldn't be able to explain myself to the spirits of Liu Xingshu, Xiao Cong, and other human cultivators. However... Gu Yanshu gave me one last karmic connection, helping me break through to the Star River realm."
"Indeed."
Lin Wanhua's lips curved slightly, and she smiled, "Since it's early and there's nothing much to do, would you accompany me on a walk around the city?"
"Mm, okay."
Lin Zhao patted his bag and said with a smile, "Tell me what you want to eat. My treat today."
Lin Wanhua smiled with dimples.
Not long after, this pair, considered a divine couple in people's eyes, appeared on the streets of Fusu Great Wall. Lin Wanhua carried her sword, and Lin Zhao carried his on his back, walking side by side. The morning streets were already bustling with an early market. Many vegetable vendors from the small town south of Fusu Great Wall had entered the city, bringing their home-grown vegetables to sell to the cultivators on the mountain, making a hefty profit.
Lin Wanhua, as the City Lord, was inspecting the city. Lin Zhao had nothing to say and just followed, looking around at the liveliness within Fusu Great Wall. When some young martial artists in the lower five realms were sparring in an alley, Lin Wanhua wanted to leave, but Lin Zhao grabbed her sleeve and said, "Let's watch... watch, observe, and sharpen our Dao hearts."
"..."
Lin Wanhua gave him a resentful glance. You, who are one step away from becoming a fifth-realm Sword Immortal, are watching children fight here?
However, Lin Wanhua stayed and, with Lin Zhao, peered into the alley at two young boys sparring. They only left after one of the boys was beaten until his nose bled and he cried back to his mother.
As soon as they left the alley, figures could be seen gliding through the air. It was a group of young people from Fusu Great Wall who had just returned from training in the Northern Territory. The highest realm among them was a Golden Core maiden, about eighteen years old, wearing a fiery red dress. Behind her followed several seventh-realm youths, including a seventh-realm martial artist, all acting like the maiden's lackeys. Each of them carried one or two demon heads. The seventh-realm martial artist youth even carried four demon heads.
They flew past in a hurry, heading to the place within the city to exchange for military merits and calculate their achievements. The way of survival at Fusu Great Wall had always been like this. To obtain abundant cultivation resources, one could only rely on killing demons and earning money through risking their lives. Therefore, every day, a large number of young prodigies headed north to kill demons, for the world, and for themselves.
"That's great."
Lin Zhao watched the young figures flying past in the sky and said with genuine joy, "Fusu Great Wall has successors."
"Snow Domain Heavenly Pool is the same."
Lin Wanhua smiled softly, "Although Tongyu is my disciple, she ultimately belongs to the Mountain Peak Villa. With Tongyu's talent and cultivation, she will undoubtedly surpass the younger generation of Fusu Great Wall in the future. Perhaps... she will become a thirteenth-realm Sword Immortal in the human world after me."
Lin Zhao nodded. Tongyu's talent was indeed terrifying; even he, the Mountain Lord, had to admit it. Young talents like Tongyu needed time, continuous accumulation of foundation, and constant tempering. After all, no top-tier Sword Immortal in the world appeared out of thin air; each one had to toil in the martial world for many years before achieving prominence.
Until noon.
Lin Wanhua said, "Stay for lunch?"
"No, thank you."
Lin Zhao shook his head and smiled, "After taking your twelve flying swords, how could I have the face to stay for a meal?"
"You know that too," Lin Wanhua chuckled.
Lin Zhao laughed heartily. Trading four jars of wine for twelve Great Wilderness ancient swords was indeed a bit unfair, but there was nothing he could do. After all, his friendship with Miss Lin was deep. And with the connection through Tongyu, it was like they were related.
Not long after, Lin Zhao bid farewell to Lin Wanhua and returned to the Snow Domain Heavenly Pool.
...
In the afternoon, after lunch at the Mountain Peak Villa, Xiao Jiuer returned.
Lin Zhao specially served another large bowl of rice, fearing that Xiao Jiuer wouldn't have enough. He pressed the rice down forcefully, almost cracking the bowl, and then covered it with a thick layer of dishes, including braised chicken with potatoes, stir-fried pork with green peppers, and braised crucian carp. Xiao Jiuer sat down and started eating without a word, her chopsticks flying into her mouth at a speed comparable to sword strikes. After eating half a bowl, her pair of watery eyes looked at Lin Zhao, "Brother Lin Zhao, the soup..."
"Okay."
Lin Zhao happily got up and served a large bowl of leftover white fish soup from lunch to Su Qingjiu. In a moment, the large bowl of rice and dishes disappeared, and the large bowl of fish soup was also gulped down. Afterward, this beautiful twelve-realm peak Great Sword Immortal of Changming Mountain patted her belly, leaned on Lin Zhao's arm, and said, "Home-cooked meals are still the best!"
Lin Zhao suppressed a smile. It seemed that Xiao Jiuer also had a talent for eating. Her appetite was not small when she was young, even comparable to that of the martial artist Xiao Shitoux. Thinking of her childhood, Lin Zhao felt a sense of longing. Although life was difficult then, with the three of them relying on each other, it wasn't truly hard.
It's just a pity that Xiao Shitoux, perhaps having suffered too much in his childhood, no longer wanted to endure hardship after joining the youth camp. He yearned for worldly wealth and power, for supreme strength and authority, things that Lin Zhao could not give him.
"Alright, let's talk business."
Lin Zhao took out the Xunlu Sword from his bag and presented it with both hands, "Gu Yanshu was the previous owner of the Xunlu Sword, so I did not presume to wield this sword without permission. Gu Yanshu personally said before he died that he was gifting this Xunlu Sword to you. Xiao Jiuer, from today onwards, you are the owner of the Xunlu Sword. Are you not going to accept the sword?"
"Yes!"
Su Qingjiu immediately stood up, her slender and graceful figure standing straight, her posture as solemn as when she accepted a candied haw from Lin Zhao as a child. Her beautiful eyes showed seriousness. After accepting the Xunlu Sword, she gently drew it from its scabbard. Instantly, the entire aura of the Mountain Peak Villa seemed to slightly sink. The heavy killing intent on the Xunlu Sword reappeared in the human world.
"Hmm?"
Su Qingjiu frowned slightly, and golden light flickered in her eyes. She used her Sword Heart Communion with the gods briefly, and immediately the killing intent on the Xunlu Sword was all retracted into the sword. Although this sword was one of the Ten Great Swords in the world, in the hands of ordinary cultivators, the Xunlu Sword might control its owner. However, in the hands of a twelve-realm Great Sword Immortal like Su Qingjiu, the Xunlu Sword could only obey obediently.
"Refine it as soon as possible."
Lin Zhao said, "What do you plan to do with the heavy killing intent within the Xunlu Sword?"
"Nothing."
Su Qingjiu's lips curved slightly, "What's wrong with strong killing intent? When I kill demons, this sword will be even more formidable. Brother Lin Zhao, you don't need to worry. In Xiao Jiuer's hands, this sword is just a sword; it cannot be arrogant."
"Good, then I can rest assured."
"Mm."
Su Qingjiu smiled slightly, turned to look at 杦栀, and said, "Sister 杦栀, Brother Lin Zhao gifted me the Xunlu Sword. So, before I came, I discussed it with my fellow disciples. Changming Mountain has received such a generous gift of the Xunlu Sword from the Mountain Peak Villa, so we must respond. It's the rule of the martial world, reciprocity."
As she spoke, she waved her hand, and five immortal swords appeared before her chest.