"That's a lot,"
Lin Zhao scratched his head and said, "I currently only have two Sword Cultivation Lakes, and my treasured sword already has a spring. I don't seem to need too many sword embryos. Taking them would be a waste. How about... giving them to Xiao Jiu'er?"
"No need."
Yan Beichen smiled indifferently and said, "Although these five swords are considered immortal swords by the cultivators on the mountain, they are still somewhat inferior to Xiao Jiu'er's flying swords in terms of tier. Moreover, I'm not giving you these five swords to refine them into your natal flying swords. My intention is that you, Lin Zhao, will eventually advance further and become a Nascent Soul Sword Cultivator. Once you refine your Nascent Soul, your ability to wield flying swords will skyrocket. These five flying swords don't need to be refined into natal items; a simple refinement, making them mid-grade or low-grade items, will suffice. Once refined, although their killing power won't match natal flying swords, they will still enhance your strength considerably. Besides, where does a sword immortal ever limit himself to only natal flying swords and treasured swords?"
"That's true."
Lin Zhao recalled Su Jiu's ten demon soul swords. Those ten demon soul swords were not Su Jiu's natal items, but merely mid-grade items. Yet, who would dare say those ten demon soul swords were not powerful? It could be said that with these ten demon soul swords alone, Su Jiu was almost invincible among all eleventh-realm cultivators. And when Su Jiu eventually broke through to the twelfth realm, the ten demon soul swords would still be an indispensable part of her arsenal.
"I understand."
He nodded joyfully, "Brother Yan, thank you!"
"What's there to be polite about?"
Yan Beichen smiled and said, "Lin Zhao, these swords all have their own names: Chi Xin, Guo Ke, Xian Chen, Feng Ling, and Gu Cheng. After you refine them slightly, you can engrave their names on the sword bodies. You are a disciple of Mr. Qin, and you possess the cultivation of a Confucian disciple. It would be best if you engrave the names on the sword bodies yourself."
"Mhm!"
Lin Zhao was overjoyed and pocketed all five immortal swords. He only had two Sword Cultivation Lakes, which were occupied by Ming Yue and Hao Ran. Therefore, these five immortal sword embryos had to be stored in his inventory. In a sense, if Lin Zhao were to die, these five immortal swords could be dropped. Once dropped, they would be flying sword embryos that players dreamed of!
He steadied his mind. It was time to work harder, break through to Golden Core, and become a Nascent Soul Sword Cultivator. According to the information revealed by Yan Beichen, once one reached the ninth realm of sword cultivation, they could then refine flying swords other than their natal flying swords into mid-grade or low-grade items. At that time, like Su Jiu, with a sweep of his sword intent, a scene of flying swords ravaging the battlefield would not be far off.
He frowned. These five swords were gifted by Yan Beichen, so he would not consider them for now. When he had the opportunity to obtain such immortal-grade sword embryos in the future, he should consider Ding Chi, Zhang Jun, Lu Han, Bu Su Li Ren, and Shen Lan Zhi Ren. Their flying swords were not of high quality. Some were common goods bought from the system mall, while others were minor treasures dropped from bosses. However, those Earth-grade, Profound-grade, and Spirit-grade immortal sword embryos were clearly incomparable to immortal-grade flying swords.
That's right, and then there was Miss Leng. She also deserved a few suitable immortal-grade flying swords!
...
The next morning.
Su Qing Jiu went to the small pavilion in the center of the lotus pond in front of Tian Ran Ju early in the morning. She sat down on the ground and began to refine the new flying sword, Bai Yu. Lin Zhao was also not idle. He carried a small bamboo basket on his waist, called the young man Chen Ben, and together they went to Bai Yu Creek to catch over a dozen loaches. Then, they boiled water and simmered them. The loach meat was taken out, shredded, drizzled with sesame oil, and a few bowls of shredded loach and scallion oil noodles were prepared early in the morning.
Xiao Jiu'er smelled the aroma and came back, her face full of joy.
Yan Beichen, who had been refining swords on an isolated island in the East Sea for years, had never experienced such good living. Naturally, he was also very happy. Even Ding Mu Chen couldn't enjoy this treatment. He had to have a good meal. Holding his chopsticks and picking up noodles, he felt incredibly happy. The young Chen Ben was full of energy and had a large appetite. After eating three large bowls in one go, he burped and went down the mountain with his master to practice boxing. In fact, Chen Ben had already learned the essence of Mu Gua's battlefield boxing technique, so there was nothing more to teach. The master and disciple were almost at the point where they could spar with each other on boxing intent and boxing principles, which was a little awkward.
Early in the morning, Lin Zhao rode his sword down North Mountain. He didn't join the team of Chen Xue, Shen Xing Chen, Luo Man, and Mo Chen Xue. He went to the north of Jiu Zhang Yuan alone to solo. With his current strength, it would be a waste not to solo. Moreover, the Flame Demon Wolves gifted by Luo Man and Mo Chen Xue needed to level up, to catch up to their master's level. In the future, when they transformed into armor, their attributes would truly explode.
Yan Beichen bid farewell to Lin Zhao and went south on a beam of sword light to find another peak twelfth-realm sword cultivator.
These two people had suppressed their cultivation for many years for his sake. In fact, Yan Beichen felt guilty towards them. He had given Su Qing Jiu a nearly perfect sword embryo to refine the new flying sword Bai Yu, so he should also compensate Lin Wan Hua.
Fusang Great Wall, the wind was biting cold.
Lin Chengzhu, dressed in white as snow, sat in a corner of the city wall. Beside her were a few small white flowers. She was quietly nurturing her sword intent and healing her injuries. Just as a beam of sword light arrived from the northwest, Lin Wan Hua stood up and respectfully cupped her fists, saying, "Lin Wan Hua of Fusang Great Wall, greetings to Sword Immortal Yan!"
Yan Beichen flickered down and stood on the city wall, also respectfully cupping his fists and saying, "Yan Beichen of the East Sea, greetings to Sword Immortal Lin, City Lord Lin!"
Lin Wan Er smiled charmingly.
"The great battle is imminent, so let's make this brief."
Yan Beichen lightly stepped on the ground, and a not too large but truly isolating barrier was erected, separating heaven and earth. Even if a fourteenth-realm great cultivator approached to investigate, they would not be able to perceive anything. He looked at Lin Wan Hua and said, "After I go to fight the Water-Fire Bureau, Sword Immortal Lin can start considering breaking through. The human race needs a thirteenth-realm sword immortal to stand guard, otherwise, it will still be unstable."
"Ah?"
Lin Wan Hua frowned and said, "This might not be appropriate. The Wen Lin, the Military Family ancestral court, and the Mohist ancestral court all agreed that there should not be thirteenth-realm cultivators in the human world. Once there are too many thirteenth-realm cultivators, they will monopolize the destiny of a region. At that time... the number of upper-fifth-realm cultivators in the human race will be very few, and the hope of the human race in the mountains will be completely extinguished."
"Circumstances have changed."
Yan Beichen said, "In this battle, I can at most kill one of the Water-Fire Bureau members. The other will still remain in the human world. If there isn't a human thirteenth-realm sword immortal to stand guard, do you think the empire of the Great Shang Dynasty can remain stable? Moreover, Mo Xu, from the Mohist school, and I have already considered this matter. Even if Sword Immortal Lin breaks through, it will not harm the sword dao destiny of the human world. Xu Shuo has promised that once Sword Immortal Lin enters the Ascension realm, he will lead the best craftsmen of the Mohist school to Fusang Great Wall to build a sword pavilion for you alone. This sword pavilion will be sealed with sword dao formations and can serve as Sword Immortal Lin's residence. When Sword Immortal Lin is within the sword pavilion, she will not take any of the world's destiny."
"..."
Lin Wan Hua gave a bitter smile and said, "Is this trying to confine me to a designated area?"
"Not entirely."
Yan Beichen smiled casually, "It's just a place for Sword Immortal Lin to cultivate. Outside of this, Sword Immortal Lin can go wherever she pleases. Wen Lin, the Military family, and the Mohist school will not have any objections. This plan, in the final analysis, is to keep a thirteenth-realm sword cultivator to guard the human race. Moreover, Sword Immortal Lin has already begun to merge with Fusang Great Wall. On Fusang Great Wall, she can possess most of the divine abilities of a fourteenth-realm sword cultivator. Lin Xing Chu of Xi Jian River has been driven into the depths of the earth, his life and death unknown. Now, the human race's strongest defense line has been pushed from Xi Jian River to Fusang Great Wall."
"I understand."
Lin Wan Hua nodded, "Regarding the matter of breaking through, Lin Wan Hua is willing to follow arrangements."
"Mhm."
Yan Beichen nodded and smiled. Then, he analyzed the situation in more detail. After talking with Lin Wan Hua for a little longer, he cupped his fists and bid farewell. "Since that is the case, we shall part ways here. Yan Beichen is going on this journey. Perhaps I will ascend, perhaps I will die, but undoubtedly, I will be able to break through the Water-Fire Bureau and do something for the human world."
Lin Wan Hua cupped her fists, "Then Wan Hua wishes Sword Immortal Yan all the best in advance."
"Farewell."
...
Yan Beichen turned around, his left hand behind his back, and stepped onto his flying sword, exuding boundless sword immortal grace. His white robes fluttered as he left Fusang Great Wall and then arrived at the area of Luoxia Valley and Huiwu Mountain. As he looked down at the land, his pale golden eyes were filled with emotion. What he saw was the spectacle of countless human warriors fighting to the death over hundreds of years to resist the invasion of the four northern tribes, their souls transforming into heroic spirits to guard the mountains and rivers after their deaths.
"Magnificent, the mountains and rivers of my human race!"
He suddenly looked up at the sky and laughed heartily, "Yan Beichen will give his all in this battle. I wish to borrow the blades of all of you to fight alongside Yan Beichen. Are you willing?"
It was broad daylight, but with a wave of Yan Beichen's long sleeve, the sky was instantly obscured.
On the ground, countless human heroic spirits rose from beneath the stone peaks, from the canyons, and from the grass. They let out mournful cries, looked up at the fourteenth-realm sword cultivator whose aura was vast and powerful, and then raised their weapons, shouting in unison—
"As long as the Xia Dynasty endures, the human race will live forever!"
"As long as the Xia Dynasty endures, the human race will live forever!"
"As long as the Xia Dynasty endures, the human race will live forever!"
...
Yan Beichen was moved and said in a deep voice, "I ask all of you to lend me your swords!"
Instantly, those Xia Dynasty heroic spirits drew their swords from their waists and backs. The next moment, those swords, which had already become scrap copper and rotten iron, rusty, or broken, ascended into the sky and formed a long river. At this moment, these withered ancient swords, bathed in Yan Beichen's flawless sword intent, all emitted seven-colored light.
"Thank you!"
Yan Beichen cupped his fists and bowed to the heroic spirits on the ground. Then, he raised his hand and said in a deep voice, "Northward, accompany me to kill the demons!"
For a time, the world was filled with the rumbling sound of the Great Dao of the Sword. At least a hundred thousand ancient swords merged into a long river of light. Yan Beichen, with his left hand behind his back, stepped on the long river, guiding the hundred thousand ancient swords northward together. Along the way, figures of human heroic spirits appeared. They drew their swords and threw them into the sky almost without hesitation, and those flying swords ascended and merged into the long river.
As a fourteenth-realm cultivator, Yan Beichen could clearly hear the cries in the hearts of every heroic spirit and feel their loyalty. His eyes reddened slightly, and his killing intent naturally grew even stronger.
This battle is for no other reason.
May the Sword Dao endure forever, and may the human race last for eternity!