Chapter 6: Light Cloud Sword Spirit

Shi Hu's Golden Armor Xuan Gang Body, while quite remarkable, is a top-tier external martial arts technique. After practicing for twenty years, ordinary swords and blades find it difficult to injure him

What Zhuang Wudao truly fears is the figure behind Shi Hu

Although the dwelling he chose is remote and surrounded by few inhabitants, today there were still around sixty to seventy people who witnessed this battle. They were mostly destitute miners, a crowd of chatterers who could easily sell him out for a bit of silver.

Zhuang Wudao could not help but blink. A master for a thousand years? In other words, this Light Cloud Divine Sword has not chosen only him as its master? Then what about the previous sword masters? Where are they now?

However, today, for some reason, the young girl appeared to be in a daze, and then began to murmur to herself.

At this moment, what Zhuang Wudao desired was a few days of buffer time, allowing him the opportunity to handle everything.

He does not wish to kill to silence others, nor is he capable of doing so, and he is certainly not deranged. Therefore, he must consider alternative strategies. Soon, he will likely need to summon his brothers to supervise these individuals as they leave the city by water. He does not dare to hope for too long; keeping the news suppressed for three to five days, or even just one or two days, would suffice

Zhuang Wudao was even more perplexed in his heart; what exactly was the origin of this decayed sword in his hand

Zhuang Wudao let out a soft sigh, his eyes filled with sorrow. However, he soon took the decayed sword from behind him into his hand, lost in thought as he examined it closely

Zhuang Wudao remained silent, fully aware in his mind that the words of this cloud were, in fact, not incorrect

It is even more astonishing that ancient texts claim that divine swords possess spirits, and that these sword spirits can possess their own intelligence, much like humans, and it turns out to be true.

Ignorance

The traces of battle here can also be easily destroyed. The most troublesome aspect, in fact, lies with these mine slaves; they cannot simply be dismissed with a bit of silver.

Blade & Soul

It is me

However, in the grand scheme of the city, he is merely a minor character. His death will not stir up any significant turmoil. The authorities will not care; what the garrison truly concerns itself with is the eastern part of the city, where wealthy merchants and prominent families reside. The lives and deaths of ruffians and underworld figures like him will hardly attract anyone's attention

After a moment of hesitation, Zhuang Wudao began to attempt to communicate with the young girl in front of him

It is unclear whether it is due to the recent act of saving his life or the presence of the sword spirit, which takes the form of a beautiful woman, but the aversion in Zhuang Wudao's heart has somewhat diminished. With a hint of curiosity in his eyes, he continues to inquire: "Why is it that you are able to speak today?"

Yun'er nodded slightly and said, "You are the Light Cloud Sword Master I have ultimately chosen in these thousand years. If you were to die, I would have to wait another thousand years to choose the next master, which is truly too troublesome. Do you understand, my master?"

At this point, Yun'er glanced at Zhuang Wudao's expression and coldly said: "If you are averse and unwilling, then in the future, without your active consent, I will never control your physical body again! In fact, there is no need to worry; at that time, your thoughts and battle intent will resonate with mine, allowing this to happen. At other times, I do not possess this ability."

Yuecheng is rich in various mineral resources, which has attracted countless forces from within Dongwu, intertwining throughout the city. Within the city, there are at least over 300 masters in the Qi Refinement realm.

The young woman, approximately fifteen or sixteen years old, already has a clearer appearance. Although her features are not distinctly visible, just from the outline, she is undeniably extraordinarily beautiful

With a heavy heart, Zhuang Wudao shook his head and set the matter aside. He then cautiously asked, "If you want me to learn swordsmanship from you, I wonder where I, Zhuang Wudao, should begin my studies?"

Zhuang and the bookless Dao recalled his own decayed sword. He thought to himself, indeed, there is a connection between these two. The woman before him is the spirit within that sword

However, at this moment, he was devoid of the impatience and panic he had displayed in previous days, and instead, he curiously observed the girl floating in mid-air

***

It is the essence of the sword! The intention merges with the sword

The core members of the Qingyi Hall number over ninety, while the peripheral members exceed four hundred, managing a street approximately half a mile long. They wield considerable influence in the northern part of the city, commanding respect and authority.

Similar to the Eastern Wu Kingdom, which has a Golden Elixir Ancestor presiding over the royal family, it has thus become a subtle hegemon in the southeast

So, who are you

The death of Shi Hu is bound to incite turmoil and competition among the surrounding forces. However, the attitude of the individual behind the Qingyi Hall remains uncertain; whether they will seek revenge for Shi Hu is still unknown

Zhuang Wudao was momentarily taken aback, finding it somewhat hard to accept. In his impression, a cultivator at the Qi Refinement stage above the sixth level was already a significant figure.

However, this inexplicable will that had just emerged undoubtedly saved his life. One would think he should be grateful, but the suddenness of it, coupled with the process of it stealthily taking control of his body, was even more terrifying

In fact, there are also countries around that possess national strength comparable to that of Eastern Wu, yet due to the absence of alchemical practitioners, they can only rely on the favor of the Eastern Wu state

Harmony of spirit, unity of meaning

Sword intent? What does it mean to merge intent with the sword? What is the true significance of this?

There is also Wu Xiaosi

The young girl finished speaking and calmly asked, "Are you willing to practice swordsmanship with me?"

So just now, were you controlling my body? And why is that

Who am I? I am Wuyá—no, I am the Sword Spirit! I am Luo Qingyun, the Sword Spirit of the Light Cloud Sword; you may call me Yun'er—" and the book.

The corpses in the alley are quite easy to dispose of. There is a dry well nearby where they can be thrown in, and it would go unnoticed for a month or two.

Zhuang Wudao habitually pinched his own face. Without any sensation of pain, he realized that he was currently in a dream.

Zhuang Wudao was utterly perplexed, left to speculate on his own. Spiritual Harmony? Intent Harmony? According to legend, many extraordinary spiritual swords require cultivators to carry them daily and nurture them with spiritual thoughts in order to fully unleash their power. Some malevolent swords even demand daily infusions of vital energy and blood, yet their might is astonishingly formidable

That gaze turned back once more, and Zhuang Wudao felt an inexplicable chill throughout his body, as if a sword were pointed directly at his brow.

Still, words were precious, but Zhuang Wudao noticed that Yun'er had a vacant look in her eyes. It was clear that she was still pondering something. Evidently, this sentence was mostly just a subconscious response.

You are a rare talent in swordsmanship! If you practice swordsmanship with me, after at most ten thousand years, you could become an unparalleled immortal king

I wish to ask this cloud, why disregard his wishes and kill Wu Xiaosi. However, just as the words were on the tip of his tongue, Zhuang Wudao held back again

In fact, there was never any expectation that this palace-dressed girl would be able to respond. I remember in the dream three days ago, this woman came and went, repeating just this phrase—"You are a rare talent for swordsmanship! If you practice swordsmanship with me, after at most ten thousand years, you could become an unparalleled immortal king, and so on.

Shaken to the core, Zhuang Wudao shook his head again. Concepts such as primordial spirit, refining emptiness, merging with the Dao, returning to the source, and even immortals felt too distant from him, so he chose not to think about them! At present, he was still quite far from even reaching the Qi Refining stage required to enter the path of cultivation.

This is what he truly cares about the most; Zhuang Wudao does not wish for his body to be inexplicably taken away by someone one day.

However, the friendships forged over the past decade cannot be easily erased in their entirety

He had no response at all to his subsequent questions

The rumored Golden Elixir and Primordial Spirit realm is even more akin to that of deities. Just one individual possesses the power to destroy an entire nation

However, not having reached the Qi Refinement stage, it is still far from sufficient to establish a foothold in this city. Even Zhuang Wudao and his group of brothers rely on a Qi Refinement expert to manage two casinos and three taverns

The tone is utterly flat, as if discussing something completely ordinary

There is also Wu Xiaosi

What significance is there in blaming oneself at this moment? Wu Xiaosi is already dead. Moreover, at this time, one is completely powerless against this sword spirit known as "Luo Qingyun"

If not for the restraint and deterrence of other major powers, the Eastern Wu state would have long since swept across the Southeast and annexed the various nations

Above the primordial spirit you mentioned, there are five realms: refining the void, merging with the Dao, returning to the origin, the great vehicle, and ascending to immortality. After these five major realms, one can become an immortal and enjoy a lifespan of thirty thousand years! The so-called unparalleled immortal king, as the name suggests, is one who stands out among the immortals! If you follow me to practice the sword, if you can avoid death after six or seven thousand years, you will surely attain eternal life and freedom

He was almost certain that the will controlling his body originated from this decayed sword. It was also the culprit that had slain his closest friend

Zhuang Wudao looked around again, all shrouded in a thin mist, making it difficult to see the surrounding situation. Based on the experiences from the dreams of the past three days, no matter which direction he walked in, he could not find an end.

Yun'er, however, saw through his thoughts and let out a light snort, expressing her dissatisfaction: "The compassion of a woman! Since we have already severed ties and drawn swords against each other, why hold back? Moreover, what use is it to keep him? Are we to wait for this person to betray you in the future? Do you still consider him a friend? You are my sword master; if you were to encounter any danger due to a moment of weakness, Yun'er would once again fall into a deep slumber"

Could it be that it no longer exists in the world

Naluo Qingyun seemed to finally come to her senses, letting out a soft hum, and a chilling aura instantly enveloped the entire dream.

The sound of the clouds is like celestial music, yet after uttering these four words, there is no further explanation. The gaze is profound, as if contemplating something.

I am the Sword Spirit, the sword is my body, what use do I have for your body? Just now, it was merely a matter of urgency, and Yun'er took the liberty to make a decision, controlling others with the sword

Zhuang Wudao finally let out a sigh of relief in his heart, yet he still could not fully trust the situation. However, given the current circumstances, there was no choice but to proceed this way for the time being

During these seven days, he developed a deeper connection with this sword, forming a kind of "friendship". Thus, the spirit within the sword was able to converse with him and communicate with him

Then, Miss Yun'er, why have you chosen me? I practice boxing, not swordsmanship! My instructors at the academy all say that I am not suited for practicing weaponry, and I wholeheartedly agree with them.

It is still that elusive dream, where a young girl dressed in a red palace gown, bearing a long sword, gazes down from a high vantage point

I more or less understand, but Miss Yun, are you capable of seizing my physical body?

The confusion in his heart deepened, and Zhuang Wudao continued to ask: "You say that after I practice swordsmanship with you for ten thousand years, I can become an unparalleled immortal king. But how is it possible for a person to live for ten thousand years? As far as I know, even for those who have attained the primordial spirit, their lifespan only ranges from six hundred to one thousand years. Moreover, are there really immortals in this world?"

Could it be that he shares a similar situation with this sword? Just seven days ago, this sword had its first encounter with him. Thus, the girl in the dream could only say that one sentence