Forty Millenniums of Cultivation

It was not rare for someone to grow into a famous expert after accidentally finding an ancient residence and receiving the heritage of a great pioneer. At least, it was much easier to accept than explaining to them, ‘As a matter of fact, I’m an alien.’

Of all the Nascent Soul Stage Cultivators there, quite a few had experienced their own lucky encounters and boasted their own secret residences.

However, it was indeed an amazing experience to have found an ancient residence from the age of the Great Zhou Dynasty more than eighty thousand years ago, which was almost the beginning of the history of the Ancient Sages Sector.

The Nascent Soul Stage Cultivators, even though a bit suspicious earlier, calmed down and listened on.

“Yan Zhu left almost a hundred methods to manipulate the sword and thirty-six volumes on sword forging,” Li Yao declared proudly. “I spent seventy years understanding and absorbing all of them. Now, I am more or less Yan Zhu’s successor.

“The hundred methods in sword arts were all stolen from the experts of other sects in the Great Zhou Dynasty by Yan Zhu. Their quality is not very good.

“The thirty-six volumes of books on sword forging, on the other hand, were his life’s work. They are all invaluable techniques!

“Therefore, when it comes to the sword arts, I may not be as excellent as many heroes in the world, but in terms of examining and forging swords, I have every faith in myself. If even I cannot renew your sword, it will truly be hopeless!”

The few sword forgers of the Purple Pole Sword Sect looked rather awful while they whispered to each other.

They had thought that the visiting elder from the Southland of Sorcerers was a pure warrior, but he claimed to be an unparalleled expert in sword forging. Was it true?

Yan Liren’s eyes suddenly glittered. He stepped forward and said, “How exactly are you going to help me renew the sword? Tell me about it!”

“Alright!” Li Yao nodded and cleared his throat before he said unhurriedly, “First of all, I will have to stay close to you. We will train together and even sleep on the same bed so that I have a deep understanding about your character, your mind, your beliefs, and your Cultivation. I will be the one most intimidate to you who grasps every detail of your life!”

“Oh?” Yan Liren’s eyes quickly shuddered.

He had seen a lot of top sword forgers in the Purple Pole Sword Sect over the past hundred years, but he had never heard of such a weird forging method before.

However, the approach seemed rather analogous to the way that he practiced his sword. On second thought, it did make some sense!

“The process will take three months to one year,” Li Yao said solemnly, “because I will have to calculate every tiny movement when you are walking, breathing, and attacking, including the rhythm of your heartbeat and the constriction of your pores, all to build an impeccable sword!”

“It is also why I’m willing to work as a visiting elder in the Purple Pole Sword Sect for a year. Only such a long time will be enough for me to figure out everything about you!”

Of course, he did not entirely mean what he said.

How could Li Yao let go of such an unparalleled tough man?

If he could train with the guy and examine all his details from a close distance, it would be a great help for Li Yao to improve his own combat ability.

He would also be able to take the opportunity to rope the guy in before he knew it!

Besides, as long as he stayed close to Yan Liren, if the scouts from the Imperium of True Human Beings had arrived at the Sector, they would probably come to the ‘great sword forger’ when they visited Yan Liren because he was equally worthy of being recruited. That way, he would have access to the Imperium’s scheme!

“Anything else?” Yan Liren asked, giving neither approval nor disapproval. He tilted his head, as if he were really considering the possibility.

“Also,” Li Yao said, “I will warm myself up with the marvelous weapons in the best refining field in the Purple Pole Sword Sect so that my soul will gradually blend with the environment of the refining field before I reach my peak state!

“I estimate that a year and a half is enough for me to learn every detail of the refining field here and adjust myself to the most perfect state!”

Deep in thought, Yan Liren nodded slowly.

“Moreover, I want you to prepare a thousand of the most famous eccentric flames of the Ancient Sages Sector, as well as a thousand buckets of water collected from the best rivers and natural paradises. I will test them one by one until I figure out the best fire and water for the refining task!”

Yan Liren narrowed his eyes and said, “The most famous eccentric fire and water sources of the Ancient Sages Sector can all be found within the Purple Pole Sword Sect. Their features have long been studied. You can learn them by reading the documents.”

“What I want to know is not the features of the eccentric fire and water sources but their indescribable nature hidden in their deepest parts!” Li Yao said casually, “The fire and water in the world are just like the people in the world. Their personalities and tempers are different.

“The brooks that flow from the top of mountains have an air of pride and loneliness around them, while the earth fire that has burnt for a thousand years without dying in the desert is mixed with an intimidating killing intent that feels like a sweeping sandstorm! What I’m looking for is the most ‘harmonious’ fire and water for your sword!”

Yan Liren’s bald head suddenly glittered. “It explains a lot. Thank you for your enlightenment!”

“Lastly, and most importantly,” Li Yao said, “what you have is a sword that kills people. So, I will have to see how you really kill people that deserve to be killed! Only after I have witnessed the momentary brilliance that will be as splendid as a shooting star will I be able to craft a sword that is enough to accommodate your whole life!”

Pondering for a moment, Yan Liren said, “Do the ‘Four Rapscallions’ count as people who deserve to be killed?”

Li Yao nodded. “Of course. As long as you find any one of them and have a fight with them, it will be enough for me to appreciate the splendor and finish the preparations for the sword forging!”

The Three Saints, Four Rapscallions, One Monk, and One Emperor were the group of true super experts of the Ancient Sages Sector according to Ling Lanyin. They were way above the Nascent Soul Stage Cultivators behind them.

From Li Yao’s friendship with Yan Liren and when he worked as the visiting elder of the Purple Pole Sword Sect, he would have opportunities to meet the Three Saints, One Monk, and One Emperor.

However, of the Four Rapscallions, except for Han Baling who had the connection of Han Yuantai, the other three would not go out and meet him easily, would they?

Now that Li Yao had announced the issue to the public, even if he went out to look for the Four Rapscallions with Yan Liren later, he would have a perfect excuse. Nobody would suspect him at all!

After he met the Three Saints, Four Rapscallions, One Monk, and One Emperor, he would easily be able to tell whether or not the scouts from the Imperium of True Human Beings were lurking around them conducting clandestine schemes.

Yan Liren was finally convinced after hearing that. Taking a long breath in relief, he bowed deeply to Li Yao and said, “I was so ignorant that I had never heard such incredible arts in sword forging before. I’m afraid that the deities and devils couldn’t have done any better when they forged the primeval treasures!

“However—”

He raised his big head, his eyes suddenly becoming sharp. “Master, are you not scared that after you renew the sword for me, it will be even easier for me to kill you?”

The Sword Maniac was indeed the Sword Maniac. After ascertaining that Li Yao was a target who deserves to be killed, he would not let go of the idea easily. Li Yao had taken such a detour, but he apparently had not forgotten it.

Amused, Li Yao touched his neck and casually said, “It is a tradition for ancient sword forgers to offer themselves to their swords. If I have to be killed, won’t it be the best ending for a sword forger if he can be killed by the sharp blade that he made?”

In reality, he was sneering to himself. Damn you, shorty. Don’t be so arrogant. Your sword may be fast, but you haven’t witnessed the formidability of the modern Cultivation civilization yet!

I was simply going easy on you today. Otherwise, if I had summoned the super Mystic Skeleton Battlesuit which has been strengthened by the string theory, hehehehe!

I would’ve triggered my power rune arrays to the maximum and run far away. Where can you catch me?

Li Yao had given it a lot of thought. Although Yan Liren’s fourth sword was horrifying, it was certainly not invincible.

If the two of them really engaged in a life-and-death battle, Li Yao had a tactic in mind.

Step one, put on his crystal suit!

Step two, activate the super-compressed crystal reactor and the power rune arrays to the maximum and flee!

Step three, summon the ground-oriented warships that had been parked in the planet’s orbit to launch a saturated bombardment on the zone that Yan Liren was in with all the main guns and ensure that the entire space was shattered!

After a one-hour bombardment was over, he would bring a hundred Grand Illusionary Soldiers and five hundred beast puppets to search the bombarded area. Hehe. Could the guy survive that?

Of course, if he did not have the fire support of an entire fleet, then…

Then he would rather not have a life-and-death battle with Yan Liren!

“Fine…”

Yan Liren, naturally, had no idea what Li Yao was thinking about. He was already deeply awed by the arts of sword forging that Li Yao had introduced!

The Sword Saint of the Great Qian Dynasty was shining more brilliantly than colored glaze as he solemnly said, “You are the second friend after Wang Xi that deserves me wasting my time in sword practicing to make. I will entrust my sword to you, Master!”

“Forging an invincible sword for an invincible swordsman is the most gratifying thing possible for a sword forger!” Li Yao burst into laughter. “On my very first trip to the central plateaus in my entire life, although I failed to make a name for myself, I have made friends with such an unparalleled man. The journey is definitely worthwhile. After you, Fellow Cultivator Yan!”

“After you, Master!”

The two of them smiled and bowed to each other before they walked to the Purple Pole Sword Sect’s banner, leaving the high-level Cultivators dumbfounded as if statues behind them.

All the high-level Cultivators felt that they were freaking out.

This—this—this doesn’t look right!

Qi Zhongdao clearly won the summit confrontation against Yan Liren. All three primeval swords were broken. It was not a victory with slim edge but a crushing one!

Shouldn’t the five major sects be on fire and the Purple Pole Sword Sect be lethargic?

Why is the ambience entirely reversed after the mysterious ‘heir of a sword forger from Great Zhou’ and Yan Liren had a seemingly sophisticated conversation?

They seemed to have suppressed everyone on the spot and made the audience the background of their chitchat.

Many thoughtful Nascent Soul Stage Cultivators, after looking at each other in wilderment for a while, came up with a possibility at the same time.

Did the two of them… prepare their lines in advance? Was that show a ruse?