Chapter 334: Chapter 332: Great Sun Celestial Furnace Sword
The Ice Soul Sect’s sphere of influence extended beyond the Ten Thousand Miles Icefield, but due to a shortage of manpower, they had only occupied a single commandery near the icefield’s edge.
However, many Core Formation Level factions had flocked to their side, choosing to become vassal forces.
The Celestial Principle Sect made few moves and had no intention of accepting any underlings.
It was only heard that Sect Leader Shi Chengdong had visited a Nascent Soul True Monarch of the Nine-Forged Sect in the Frost Country and reached a cooperation agreement. Subsequently, a countless supply of Spiritual Materials was shipped over.
In the hands of the Celestial Principle Sect’s cultivators, large, roughly refined crystal blocks were transformed into components for Floating Battleships.
Their departure from the Central Domain had been costly. Not only had they lost two Floating Battleships, but the remaining three were also severely damaged.
The Blood Demon Sect, on the other hand, was frantically clashing with multiple sects, leading to major wars.
Whether the opposing side offered treasures and ceded territory for peace talks or surrendered unconditionally, the Blood Demon Sect ignored them all.
It was as if they had fallen into a demonic frenzy, with slaughter to the bitter end as their only path.
Of the original Demon Path Five Sects, the Fragrance Sect had been annihilated by the Celestial Principle Sect, which seized their mountain. The Ghost Spirit Sect had been swept into the dustbin of history by the Qingfeng Sect.
The Joyful Union Sect, under the leadership of Fairy Lianyu, had surrendered entirely to the Ice Soul Sect.
This left only the Corpse-Driving Sect as a loyal subordinate, attending to their every need.
However, the complete defection of their former greatest rival, the Ten Thousand Beasts Sect, was a jaw-dropping development for all.
With the addition of the Ten Thousand Beasts Sect, their power was more than enough to compensate for the loss of the other three Demon Path sects.
The entire Cultivation Realm of Liang Country was gripped by panic, with every sect fearing they would be the Blood Demon Sect’s next target.
These sects either huddled together for warmth or sought powerful patrons.
The Celestial Principle Sect maintained a lofty, detached attitude, while the Ice Soul Sect was far away in the Ten Thousand Miles Icefield. Unless one was willing to abandon their homeland, their distant aid couldn’t quench a nearby fire.
And although the Holy Lotus Sect was a shadow of its former self, it was still a force to be reckoned with. It had enough strength to protect itself, but it lacked the power to protect others from the Blood Demon Sect’s ferocious onslaught.
In the past few years, at least ten Core Formation Level sects had, either openly or secretly, made overtures to the Qingfeng Sect, seeking protection.
Although the Qingfeng Sect had no Nascent Soul True Monarch in residence, their feat of slaying a True Monarch with a sword meant that no one dared to underestimate them.
In response, the Sect had not given a clear answer to any of them.
After all, the two Ancestors were still in the Core Formation Realm. How could they possibly confront the Blood Demon Sect for the sake of some unrelated factions?
The correct path was to use this time to focus on internal development and increase the Sect’s overall strength.
’They’ve already annihilated so many sects; Blood God True Monarch should have more than enough to form his Blood River... For the Blood Demon Sect to continue this rampage, are they truly trying to become the public enemy of the Cultivation Realm?’
Bai Zichen mused as he read the latest intelligence report. The Righteous Sect, which had once been the leader of the Righteous Dao and had formed the Righteous Alliance, had officially had its Mountain Protection Array breached.
Two Core Formation Disciples and two Core Formation Guest Elders under Blood God True Monarch, along with Fang Tiancheng himself, had led the charge. The Ten Thousand Beasts Sect had mobilized thousands of Spirit Beasts, an overwhelming force that blotted out the sky.
Among them were as many as four Tier Three Spirit Beasts.
Faced with such a force, the Righteous Sect still held out for half a year, until their Mountain Protection Array drained the last of the Earth Vein Primordial Power and collapsed with a deafening BOOM.
Over a thousand disciples of the Righteous Sect collapsed the moment their sect was breached. They had all been channeling their Magical Power to sustain the array, and they had been drained until they were utterly spent.
Many of them had hair as white as snow and bodies as withered as dried wood. At least half of this thousand had fallen into an eternal slumber.
The remaining Righteous Sect disciples, with none surrendering or begging for mercy, used the terrain and smaller Array Restrictions to continue their resistance.
It was widely known that the Blood Demon Sect took no prisoners after destroying a sect. Coupled with the century of conflict between the two Righteous and Demon Path sects, their hatred for each other ran as deep as the sea.
Many Righteous Sect disciples harbored even greater resentment for the Ten Thousand Beasts Sect, which had turned its back on its former allies to join the Demon Path. They specifically launched counterattacks and ambushes against the Ten Thousand Beasts Sect disciples.
It wasn’t until the fifth day after the Mountain Protection Array fell that the sounds of battle and the clash of Treasure Light finally ceased within the Righteous Sect’s grounds.
All that remained were countless severed limbs and rivers of blood. During the final assault on the Secret Vault, even one of the Ten Thousand Beasts Sect’s Tier Three Spirit Beasts was struck simultaneously by several Talisman Treasures and Forbidden Restrictions, causing half of its body to vanish instantly.
It ultimately succumbed to such grievous injuries and died within the Righteous Sect’s domain.
Throughout the entire war, the losses of the Ten Thousand Beasts Sect were several times greater than those of the Blood Demon Sect.
’The Ten Thousand Beasts Sect has thrown its lot in with the Blood Demon Sect without reservation, even cutting off contact with our Sect. Are they really determined to follow this dark path to the end... Or did Blood God True Monarch offer Fang Tiancheng something he couldn’t refuse, making him so willing to do this?’
Bai Zichen still felt a little worried. The Qingfeng Sect was currently at its peak in many respects, but in reality, it was strong in appearance but weak on the inside.
Of the two Ancestors who could truly face a Nascent Soul True Monarch, Master Ge Cang’s Five Crystal Glaze Body was crippled, and he was currently in seclusion nursing his physical body back to health.
Ancestor Bai had already used the Qing Emperor Longevity Sword. Without a Heaven and Earth Spiritual Object like the Spring and Autumn Cicada Exuviae, which involved the Power of Time, he would have to wait a full one hundred years for the sword to complete its "Hidden Sword" period before he could wield that Supreme Divine Power again.
If Blood God True Monarch lost his mind and decided to come to Black Mountain to test the mettle of the two Core Formation True Men rumored to possess the strength to fight above their realm, their true weakness would be immediately exposed.
The only option would be for Bai Zichen himself to step up and use the Pink Crystal Shattering Jade Technique.
Fortunately, his feat of slaying True Monarch Jiulian with a single, clean strike was so shocking that no Nascent Soul Cultivator dared to challenge him and test their life against his sword.
Suihan True Monarch and Shi Chengdong, in particular, had witnessed the River of Time flow past and the Time True Intent descend.
Unless one possessed a Great Dao True Intent of a similar level to counter it, or had reached a Late-Stage Nascent Soul understanding of the Great Dao, who would dare claim they could be immune to the mysterious and unpredictable Power of Time?
Shortening the "Hidden Sword" period for the Qing Emperor Longevity Sword was too difficult; even the Fish Dragon Sect hadn’t figured out how to do it after so many years.
And it was impossible to stumble upon a Spring and Autumn Cicada, one of the Five Great Strange Insects of the Cultivation Realm, every other day. The only way to increase their strength was to start with their own cultivation.
The Holy Lotus Sect’s list of reparations included twenty Nine Revolutions Jade Lotus Pills. Even Master Zhu of the Danxia Sect personally came to deliver a pile of precious elixirs.
He only asked that if the Danxia Sect were to face a great catastrophe, the Qingfeng Sect would lend a helping hand and protect a Hidden Vein of their lineage, so that the Danxia Sect’s heritage would not be severed.
Among the sects with the strength to do so, the Qingfeng Sect was the closest to the Danxia Sect. Furthermore, they prided themselves on their orthodox Daoist Family traditions, and their sect’s principles were upright and cautious.
With any other sect, Master Zhu would have worried that after making a promise, they would turn around and devour his sect’s entire legacy, swallowing the Danxia Sect’s ancestral heritage and the secret treasures meant for its restoration in one gulp.
When the matter was reported to Bai Zichen, he agreed after some thought.
Upon hearing the reply, Master Zhu was overjoyed and presented two more Tier Three Pill Formulas before departing.
With the help of these elixirs, Bai Zichen directly consumed Nine Revolutions Jade Lotus Pills and Guangling Pills until he reached his limit and developed Elixir Resistance.
This brought him to a point where he was only twenty-four years of cultivation away from the peak of the Mid-Stage Core Formation.
This was the source of his confidence in being able to cultivate all the way to the Late-Stage Core Formation in one go; the gap was no longer that far.
He then summoned the Supreme Qingwei Sword Box, which hovered before him, and displayed the Flying Swords within one by one.
Although the Tier Four Moon Xuan Sword was the highest in grade, it could only take the second position in the Sword Box, falling behind the Ziwei Dazzling Thunder Sword.
Its Moonlight was restrained, spreading out faintly like a pool of silver Spiritual Spring.
Compared to its former Sword Embryo state in his Dantian Qi Sea, the awakened Ziwei Dazzling Thunder Sword was far more domineering.
Sparks of Thunder Radiance leaped about, nearly eclipsing the ball of Pure Qi within the Supreme Qingwei Sword Box.
However, with the Qing Emperor Longevity Sword’s power currently augmenting it, it was somewhat calmer, as if it had entered a state of hibernation.
But upon closer inspection, one could still see that the sword’s body was never truly still; it had merely sunk its power deep within.
’The Supreme Qingwei Sword Box is said to have the ability to slowly enhance the quality of Flying Swords, but it’s been decades and I haven’t seen any obvious increase in any of the swords’ power... Don’t tell me its definition of "slowly" is based on the time scale of the Upper Realm?’
He could ignore the other Flying Swords, as the difference between Tiers was like that between heaven and earth.
But the Ziwei Dazzling Thunder Sword had originally been a High-Tier Flying Sword that had fallen in grade. Logically, returning to its peak should be much easier than upgrading other Flying Swords.
Yet there was still no change, forcing Bai Zichen to doubt the time required by the Supreme Qingwei Sword Box to enhance a Flying Sword.
However, it wasn’t all bad news. His gaze swept past the White Bone Cold Light Sword and landed on the Qingfeng Sword.
With a light tap of his finger, the damaged Flying Sword leaped out and somersaulted twice in his hand.
After staying in the Sword Box for a dozen years, it had finally recovered a hint of Spiritual Qi, and the cracks on its body had faded considerably.
At the very least, it was no longer a dangerously fragile Flying Sword on the verge of shattering at any moment.
However, it was still a long way from being usable in combat.
’Count yourself lucky. To be able to recuperate and repair yourself here... back in the day, not even a Tier Four Flying Sword was qualified to enter this Sword Box...’
Bai Zichen saw that in the spot where the Qingfeng Sword had been, the ball of Pure Qi had been completely absorbed, leaving only a faint Cyan Radiance.
He knew that the Pure Qi had been consumed to repair the sword and would need time to regenerate.
Fortunately, the Supreme Qingwei Sword Box had plenty of empty slots. With his current number of Flying Swords, a single sword could occupy several balls of Pure Qi without issue.
His gaze shifted to the last spot, where a new member had appeared in the Supreme Qingwei Sword Box. A violent ball of fire was ramming back and forth, but it was bound within the Pure Qi.
The fire manifested various Fire Elemental Spirits, spewing flames that caused the temperature to rise continuously.
Bai Zichen slowly reached out and grasped the ball of fire. By the time it left the Sword Box, it had taken the form of a fiery red Flying Sword.
’The Great Sun Celestial Furnace Sword, a Tier Three Flying Sword... Forged from a piece of Outer Heaven Divine Iron gathered from ten thousand zhang in the sky, combined with Great Sun Celestial Fire, its Refining took a full thirty-three years. During the refining process, the Flying Sword was constantly irradiated by the Great Sun Celestial Fire Beam, giving it the power to manifest Celestial Fire, its blazing might like that of the Great Sun itself.’
Bai Zichen gripped the Tier Three Flying Sword from the Holy Lotus Sect tightly, and his palm actually emitted wisps of white smoke as the high temperature evaporated all the moisture from his skin’s surface.
’In terms of sheer power, the Great Sun Celestial Furnace Sword is among the best of the Tier Three Flying Swords, definitely superior to the White Bone Cold Light Sword... If not for a major flaw, the Holy Lotus Sect would never have put it on the compensation list, and it wouldn’t have fallen into my hands.’
In exchange for the Relic of True Monarch Jiulian, the Holy Lotus Sect had paid the price of one Tier Three Flying Sword, twenty Nine Revolutions Jade Lotus Pills, and one Curved Water Five-Eyed Bodhi.
The Tier Three Flying Sword was the main component of the compensation; the other items were merely extras added on during the negotiations.
As the victor, Bai Zichen naturally received all of the Holy Lotus Sect’s reparations.