"Men are divided into good and evil," Lu Tong stated. "The same is true for sword spirits. Take the Crimson Blood Demon Sword, for instance. Although it possesses a spirit, it is not subject to the wielder's control; rather, it controls the wielder's thoughts and will. Furthermore, the spirit of the Crimson Blood Demon Sword aims purely for slaughter and destruction. Therefore, the spirit of the Crimson Blood Demon Sword is inherently evil, and such a spirit must never be allowed to exist." Lu Tong continued, "Beyond the Crimson Blood Demon Sword, artifacts like the Overlord's Blade, the Blade of Fate, the Blade of Prayer, and the Dragon-Slaying Cleaver each have their own sword or blade spirits. However, these spirits only grant immense power to their wielders without manipulating their thoughts or wills. Thus, these are considered good sword spirits."

"I recall hearing something similar from you before, Senior," I finally remembered, recalling how Lu Tong had instructed me on the nature of sword spirits in the past.

"I don't know why a spirit has manifested on your Dragon Shadow Sword now," Lu Tong confessed, "but at this moment, I sense the spirit on the Dragon Shadow Sword is still extremely weak—one might say it has only just attained sentience."

"Only just attained sentience?" I asked, perplexed.

"Indeed. The spirit on your Dragon Shadow Sword now is feeble, like a newborn infant," Lu Tong explained. "Just like people, we cannot discern whether a newborn child is good or evil. Only as the infant grows will its true nature gradually emerge, and then its alignment, good or evil, can be clearly distinguished."

"I see. But I recall the legendary Crimson Blood Demon Sword caused all weapons to shatter and spirit swords to moan lowly the moment it was forged. It seems nothing like my Dragon Shadow Sword, which can't even distinguish between good and evil," I said, grasping the concept but quickly recalling the fearsome power and immediate recognition of its evil nature when the Crimson Blood Demon Sword first emerged from the forge.

"The growth of sword spirits varies greatly," Lu Tong elaborated. "The Crimson Blood Demon Sword was forged at the cost of the life of the late Master of the Artisan Sect, Lu Zhi, using a special Spirit Forging technique. When the sword was complete, the spirit was complete; thus, the spirit's power was immense right from the moment it left the forge." As he spoke, Lu Tong unconsciously glanced toward the Dragon Shadow Sword. "However, some weapons gain sentience through a unique, chance encounter—this is what we call Spirit Nurturing."

"Spirit Nurturing?" I repeated, still not entirely sure I understood.

"Yes. Spirit Nurturing refers to sentience that is not present from the beginning, as with a spirit sword, but is cultivated later. That is Spirit Nurturing," Lu Tong affirmed. "The drawback is that when these sword spirits first gain sentience, they are extremely weak, just like newborn babies. But as time passes, this sword spirit will gradually grow, eventually evolving into a powerful sword spirit."

"So sword spirits can grow," I finally understood.

"Naturally," Jian Li interjected. "The Dragon-Slaying Cleaver was originally just an ordinary broadsword. It only became a powerful divine weapon with a blade spirit after an ancient, mighty warrior slew a colossal demon dragon with it and then used a special method to lock that dragon's soul within the blade, thus creating a blade spirit."

"So that is the origin of the Dragon-Slaying Cleaver," I remarked, hearing the tale of its beginning for the first time.

"Yes. The broadsword earned the name Dragon-Slaying Blade because it once killed a demon dragon," Lu Tong said, a distant look in his eyes. "However, legend holds that the Dragon-Slaying Blade was not very powerful when it first gained sentience. It only became the renowned divine weapon it is today through continuous inheritance in the hands of warriors across generations, undergoing countless battles and absorbing vast amounts of vital blood and the souls of the living."

"Good heavens, does this mean the growth of sword spirits and blade spirits must be accompanied by slaughter and bloodshed?" I asked, startled.

"Weapons are inherently tools for killing," Lu Tong sighed. "There are no strict definitions for good or evil; it fundamentally depends on who wields them. But one thing is certain: the spirits within weapons are divided into Positive Spirits and Evil Spirits."

"Positive Spirits and Evil Spirits?" I asked curiously about the distinction.

"A Positive Spirit is one that obeys the master's will and grants the master immense power," Lu Tong explained. "Only such spirits can be controlled by humans." Lu Tong’s expression grew grave. "The so-called Evil Spirit is one that cannot be controlled by the master. These spirits are usually incredibly powerful—so powerful they can manipulate a person's mind and consciousness. Even more terrifying is that the sole objective of such a spirit is destruction and slaughter."

"Just like the spirit of the Crimson Blood Demon Sword?" I asked, aghast.

"Precisely," Lu Tong confirmed. "The spirit of the Crimson Blood Demon Sword is an uncontrollable Evil Spirit. In the ancient era, the art of swordsmithing was beyond what people today can imagine. Top master smiths of that age could forge weapons imbued with spirits, but most relied on the Spirit Forging technique for direct infusion. Weapons forged this way often housed spirits that were inherently uncontrollable—Evil Spirits. Only a very small number could become Positive Spirits that humans could command."

"Does that mean they relied purely on luck?" I wondered, astonished.

"Yes. A powerful divine weapon requires a controllable Positive Spirit," Lu Tong murmured. "However, weapons forged using the Spirit Forging technique have spirits whose nature is largely uncontrollable. Therefore, if the spirit contained within a newly forged weapon turned out to be an uncontrollable Evil Spirit, that weapon would be utterly destroyed."

"..." This was the first time I heard there were so many subtleties to spirit forging.

"Since the spirits created by the Spirit Forging technique depended heavily on chance," Lu Tong continued, "forging a sentient weapon demanded not only astonishing wealth but also sacrifices of spirit and willpower from the smith that are hard for ordinary people to imagine. Even then, the resulting weapon might not be one humans could wield. Thus, the Spirit Forging technique was gradually abandoned by the ancient smiths, and they developed another method for forging spirits."

"Do you mean the Spirit Nurturing technique?" I asked, curious.

"That's right, the newly developed method was Spirit Nurturing. Just like human infants, if they are educated well from a young age, the child will grow up to be obedient and well-behaved. The principle behind Spirit Nurturing is similar: when a spirit first gains sentience, it is at its weakest and purest. At this stage, the spirit's growth largely depends on the master's cultivation and trials. While such a spirit starts weak, one that grows alongside its master will never defy the master's will. This entirely prevents the emergence of Evil Spirits. Consequently, the Spirit Nurturing technique eventually replaced the Spirit Forging technique and has been adopted by master smiths across generations."

I hadn't realized there was such profound knowledge behind the forging of spirits.

Lu Tong also looked wistful before letting out a helpless sigh. "It is a tragedy that the Spirit Nurturing technique was lost after the collapse of the Divine Dragon Empire, along with the disappearance of the court smiths. Only a small, incomplete portion remains."

"Ah! The Spirit Nurturing technique is lost?" I exclaimed in shock. "What about the Spirit Forging technique?"

"The Spirit Forging technique is similar; only fragments remain. However, compared to the Spirit Nurturing technique, the surviving remnants of Spirit Forging are more complete," Lu Tong murmured. "Master Lu Zhi used this incomplete Spirit Forging technique to create the Crimson Blood Demon Sword."

"Master Lu Zhi, a genius unparalleled, managed to reconstruct the ancient Spirit Forging technique from the heavily fragmented texts. Yet, he disregarded the explicit injunctions left in the records and commenced the forging of a divine weapon, ultimately creating the Evil Spirit Sword—the Crimson Blood Demon Sword."

I had witnessed the devastation caused by the Crimson Blood Demon Sword with my own eyes, but I never imagined such astonishing secrets lay behind its creation!

The memory of Blood Tiger Luo Jiang, madly wielding the Crimson Blood Demon Sword, still sends shivers down my spine. And the earth-shattering battle between Jidu with the Blade of Fate and Blood Tiger Luo Jiang remains vividly imprinted in my mind.

"What method was used to forge the Blade of Fate and the Blade of Prayer?" I asked instinctively.

"The Blade of Fate and the Blade of Prayer were also forged using the Spirit Forging technique," Lu Tong said with a wry smile. "My father and older brother learned from Master's mistake. Fearing they would create another Evil Spirit Sword like the Crimson Blood Demon Sword, they were extremely cautious during the forging process. For added security, they used a special method to suppress the spirit's power, ensuring that even if an Evil Spirit Sword was created, it could be easily destroyed. After several attempts, they successfully forged the Blade of Fate and the Blade of Prayer—weapons with spirits that humans could control."

"So that's how the Blade of Fate and the Blade of Prayer were made," I remarked, "No wonder their power is less than that of the Crimson Blood Demon Sword."

"Indeed," Lu Tong sighed. "It is fortunate that the Crimson Blood Demon Sword was ultimately destroyed. And my father left a final instruction: if the Crimson Blood Demon Sword were ever destroyed, my Artisan Sect would never again attempt to forge any other weapon using the Spirit Forging technique, lest a second Crimson Blood Demon Sword be created."

"Heh, that makes sense," I said seriously. "These divine artifacts have always been ill-omened objects, causing countless disputes. The Artisan Sect's decision is correct."

"Hahaha!" Lu Tong laughed heartily. "I am impressed that Your Highness can see reason in this; it is truly commendable."

"Heh," I chuckled awkwardly. "Uncle, you flatter me, but it is a shame that you possess such supreme skill in swordsmithing yet can never forge another peerless divine weapon."

"A peerless divine weapon?" A strange light flashed in Lu Tong's eyes as he looked at the Dragon Shadow Sword. "That may not be so. Did I not forge the Dragon Shadow Sword? Although I don't know why a sword spirit manifested on it, I believe that in Your Highness's hands, the Dragon Shadow Sword is destined to grow into a true peerless divine weapon. A century from now, even the descendants of the Artisan Sect will only speak of it as: the peerless divine weapon, the Dragon Shadow Sword, forged by Artisan Sect Grandmaster Lu Tong."

"..."

Ha! That counted as a success? Jian Li and I looked at the suddenly exuberant Lu Tong, speechless. Yet, both Jian Li and I could clearly sense the profound sense of fulfillment and release in Lu Tong, as if a lifelong desire had finally been met.

Perhaps this was for the best!

However, mentioning the Crimson Blood Demon Sword suddenly reminded me that the Dragon Shadow Sword sometimes behaved strangely and eerily—a feeling almost identical to the Crimson Blood Demon Sword in its prime!

Could there be some connection between the Dragon Shadow Sword and the Crimson Blood Demon Sword? Thinking this, I instinctively recalled a strange light that seemed to strike the Dragon Shadow Sword in my hand at the very moment Jidu destroyed the Crimson Blood Demon Sword with the Blade of Fate.

I hadn't paid it any mind then, but looking back now, it seemed incredibly peculiar.

Suddenly, I seemed to understand something!

Could the inexplicably manifested spirit in the Dragon Shadow Sword be the spirit of the destroyed Crimson Blood Demon Sword? And that strange light, the spirit itself?

Reincarnation through another body!

Heavens, could it truly be a case of borrowing a corpse to revive the soul?

Honestly, if I hadn't experienced such bizarre events firsthand, I would never have imagined that such an unbelievable miracle could exist in this world.

But then again, considering my own reincarnation—crossing over to the Mafa Continent—it seemed entirely plausible that the destroyed Crimson Blood Demon Sword could have allowed its soul to depart and find refuge in another body.

Thinking closely, the forging materials of the Dragon Shadow Sword were almost identical to those of the destroyed Crimson Blood Demon Sword. This was like the perfect replacement arranged by Heaven!

Could it be that the spirit of the Crimson Blood Demon Sword wasn't destroyed but instead attached itself to the Dragon Shadow Sword?

I was nearly stunned by my own deduction! Cold sweat erupted uncontrollably. If this were true, it was too terrifying!

The Dragon Shadow Sword was the rebirth of the Crimson Blood Demon Sword!

"What's wrong? Your face is so pale," Lu Tong observed. "Did you remember something?"

What should I do? Should I tell Lu Tong my speculation?

As the thought crossed my mind, I instinctively clenched the Dragon Shadow Sword in my hand!

I was certain that if Lu Tong learned the spirit of the Crimson Blood Demon Sword hadn't been completely destroyed but was residing in the Dragon Shadow Sword, his disposition would lead him to destroy it utterly without hesitation.

But just then, I felt a faint fluctuation from the Dragon Shadow Sword in my grip—neither Qi nor magic. I couldn't describe the sensation.

It was like a strange living entity was communicating and resonating with my consciousness! The feeling was indescribable, yet I clearly sensed this consciousness originated from the sword in my hand, and it seemed to be conveying something!

Could it be that the spirit of the Crimson Blood Demon Sword dwelling within the Dragon Shadow Sword sensed my thoughts? As soon as I thought this, the faint fluctuation grew more rapid.

Heavens, how could this be? I could actually feel the consciousness within that fluctuation! Yes, it seemed to realize that I was aware of its existence, becoming active and urgent, as if desperately trying to draw my attention.

And thoughts of past events began flooding my mind involuntarily!

The battlefield of Yuncheng—first time wearing the Heavenly Demon Armor, first time facing Heavenly Demon warriors with the Dragon Shadow Sword.

Qila City—the Heavenly Rainbow Archmage who launched a surprise attack on the Coiling Serpent Legion.

Lingfeng Bridge—fighting the six Heavy Armored Generals of the Proud Heaven Legion with the Dragon Shadow Sword.

The chaotic, heart-pounding melee of the Battle of Mancheng.

Every scene flashed before my eyes, bearing the enigmatic, eerie blue and crimson light of the Dragon Shadow Sword!

Unknowingly, the Dragon Shadow Sword had become my most indispensable, powerful weapon!

On the first battlefield, fighting alongside the Cloud Thunder Knights against the Heavenly Demon warriors, it was the mysterious power from within the Dragon Shadow Sword that allowed me to effortlessly neutralize the paralyzing terror of facing battle for the first time, enabling me to fully utilize my potential.

Only now did I realize a long-ignored question: Why was I able to completely adapt to the high-intensity duels among Heavenly Demon warriors the moment I first donned the Heavenly Demon Armor?

After all, Bai Chuan Yintao and others had spent a considerable amount of time just adapting to and gradually mastering control over the power of the Heavenly Demon Armor. I had no such issue.

Even more remarkable was that sense of confidence and fierce fighting spirit when confronting enemies!

Looking back now! Whenever the Crimson Blood Demon Sword was in my grasp, I always felt as if I transformed into another person.

Powerful, confident, bloodthirsty, brutal—truly a born warrior.

This feeling was exactly like that of Blood Tiger Luo Jiang back then.

But unlike Luo Jiang, even in states of extreme excitement and rage, I could maintain basic discernment between friend and foe, never harming my comrades.

This is what the current Dragon Shadow Sword grants me.

In the past, I never realized what was happening. But Lu Tong’s appearance made me aware that the Dragon Shadow Sword I held was no ordinary blade! It was because of it that I possessed such immense power.

To me, the Dragon Shadow Sword is now a reliable partner, a comrade who shares life and death in battle!

Could I really bear to let Lu Tong destroy the Dragon Shadow Sword? After all, its soul was that of the Crimson Blood Demon Sword!

Do you want to destroy me?

Just as I was panicking over my discovery, I felt a faint intention echo in my mind! There were no words, no sounds, yet I clearly grasped the information contained within that intent: Destroy! No! How can that be? Perhaps the Crimson Blood Demon Sword caused too much slaughter, but it hasn't harmed anyone recently; instead, it has helped me. Should it be completely destroyed just because it once was the Crimson Blood Demon Sword?

Yes, you need me, and I equally need you!

A strange consciousness and fluctuation echoed in my mind again!

This sudden mental exchange left me dumbfounded.

Heavens, what was happening? I was communicating with a sword!

This was utterly inconceivable.

However, considering that even something as incredible as transmigration happened to me, it didn't seem that extraordinary for a spirit sword to possess its own consciousness and communicate with me in this unique way.

"Are you alright?" Jian Li's anxious voice broke my concentration, bringing me back to the present, where I saw Lu Tong and Jian Li looking at me with concern.

"N-Nothing, maybe I drank too much; I feel a bit dizzy now." I didn't know if my choice was right.

But I decided to conceal my discovery. Yes.

I don't know if this is the right course of action! But I absolutely cannot bring myself to destroy the Dragon Shadow Sword.

"It's getting very late," Jian Li suddenly realized we had been talking half the night and looked apologetic. "We should rest early."

"Mm," I nodded slightly, glancing apologetically at Lu Tong. "Uncle, let's discuss future matters tomorrow."

"Your Highness should rest well," Lu Tong also nodded slightly.