The Divine Dragon saw Ye Chen show no hesitation in allowing the talisman to be infused into his consciousness, and its expression immediately softened. “This Divine Sword is the weapon of the great Emperor Huang from ancient times. It carries immense significance, having dictated the rise and fall of the entire Xuanyuan Clan. It must not fall into the hands of villains, which is why such drastic measures were necessary.”
Ye Chen nodded. “Where is the Divine Sword?”
The Divine Sword smiled faintly, gazing toward the pitch-black, solitary peak beside them. “This is the Divine Sword! Do not be surprised. This sword originated in the primordial era when Emperor Huang discovered a mountain made entirely of metal within the great ocean. He then extracted and refined it, mixing it with numerous rare cosmic metals. He enlisted the aid of the Fire God Zhurong, the Water God Gonggong, and many other divine figures to forge it. After eons of hammering and purification to remove impurities, it was finally reduced to its current size!”
Ye Chen stared at the thousand-zhang peak, momentarily stunned.
To use mountains and rivers as material for forging a weapon—what an astonishing feat of craftsmanship!
And what’s more...
With a blade of that magnitude, even in his Superhuman Mode, he doubted his own strength was sufficient to budge it, let alone wield it effectively in combat.
The Divine Dragon seemed to perceive Ye Chen's dejection and chuckled. “When you cultivate your body to godhood, and your flesh evolves to the divine level, you will awaken incredible abilities! This Divine Sword contains mysterious Origin Power, combined with rare terrestrial materials that arrived from space, such as Light Zinc Gold and Void Star Iron. These metals were forged into the blade, granting it power that confounds gods and ghosts. Furthermore, the sword is constructed with advanced memory metals and contraction metals—ordinary alloys capable of spontaneous reshaping. Even if broken, it can automatically restore itself!”
Ye Chen was astonished. “You mean this Divine Sword can shrink?”
The Divine Dragon smiled mildly. “This Divine Sword can both shrink and expand. Because its core is a divine mountain, it can shrink to a minimum of 10 zhang, and expand to a maximum of 1,280 zhang!”
Ye Chen understood the magic of contraction metals, but he never imagined such a drastic range of scale. After a moment of contemplation, he frowned. “Even at 10 zhang, given my height, I couldn’t even wrap my arms around the hilt, much less use it to fight an enemy!”
The Divine Dragon nodded. “That is natural. Although the Divine Sword’s volume shrinks, its weight remains unchanged—still 10 million g! Only by reaching the Ghost God Realm can one move it. To truly wield it for combat, to make it an extension of your arm, you will need to attain the Half-God Realm!”
Ye Chen knitted his brows. “Isn’t there another way?” In his previous life, Hua Bu Luo, who obtained this sword, had not yet reached the Ghost God Realm but could use it casually. Ye Chen felt a flicker of doubt regarding the Dragon’s words.
The Divine Dragon glanced at Ye Chen and smiled gently. “Relax. With your current strength, while you cannot yet use the main sword, you can use a projection of the Divine Sword! This sword contains Origin Power and was forged with various rare cosmic metals and meteorites, allowing it to differentiate a Sword Avatar!”
“With your current power, you can utilize a King-Grade Fifth-Tier Divine Sword Avatar! This avatar sword possesses roughly the same functions as the main sword, though its effects are attenuated a hundredfold. However, when wielded, it will make you unrivaled among peers of the same tier!”
Ye Chen was momentarily dazed. “The Divine Sword nurtures an avatar? Is it essentially biological?”
The Divine Dragon smiled. “This is largely credited to the Light Zinc Gold, Void Star Iron, and other cosmic metals. Combined with the Origin Power, they can produce this peculiar differentiation.”
Ye Chen shook his head ruefully. “If that’s the case, does the avatar sword possess the power to slay experts in the Ghost God Realm?” If the avatar sword couldn't harm Ghost God Realm powerhouses, it would lose its utility.
The Divine Dragon replied instantly, “Of course it does. If you nurture the Divine Sword Avatar well, this avatar will grow to become the main sword, much like a biological offspring. If nurtured properly, this descendant might one day surpass its ancestor!”
Ye Chen eagerly said, “Then please create an avatar sword for me.”
The Divine Dragon shook its head. “Not so fast. We are not certain you can wield the Divine Sword yet. There is a final test ahead; once you pass it, you will naturally be qualified to receive the sword!” Saying this, it exhaled lightly, and a golden scroll floated out of its mouth, unfurling slowly like a royal decree, suspended before Ye Chen.
“These are the Thirteen Swords of Xuanyuan. Once you master the first three forms, you will be qualified to control the Divine Sword! This sword is no ordinary weapon; it requires not only strength but also mental fortitude,” the Divine Dragon stated solemnly.
Ye Chen nodded and looked at the scroll. It was covered in vigorous, ancient characters that seemed to soar across the parchment. A vast, imposing will rushed toward him, giving the impression that the entire cosmos was scrutinizing him, pressing down with a suffocating intensity.
“First Form, Benevolence ()! Cultivation Method: Strike down enemies with a benevolent heart!”
“Second Form, Virtue ()! Cultivation Method: Strike down enemies with a virtuous heart!”
“Third Form, Truth ()! Cultivation Method: Strike down enemies with a sincere heart!”
The names of the first three sword techniques and their usage methods were instantly imprinted in his mind, but the names of the subsequent techniques were blurred and indistinct.
Ye Chen stared, momentarily transfixed. This was the first time he had ever encountered such peculiar names for sword moves, and cultivation methods that emphasized mental state entirely, rather than specifying concrete techniques.
Seeing Ye Chen’s perplexed expression, the Divine Dragon seemed to know his thoughts and smiled. “This is merely the general outline. The specific cultivation methods are on the cliff face beside us!” With that, it looked toward the dark, solitary peak that was formed by the original body of the Xuanyuan Divine Sword.
Relief washed over Ye Chen, and he turned his gaze to the cliff face beneath the peak, immediately spotting masses of faint text, as dense as ants. He walked closer, and at a hundred meters from the cliff, he felt a distinct pressure radiating from all directions, squeezing his body.
Ye Chen started, taking several steps back to escape the area permeated by the dangerous magnetic field. He turned to the Divine Dragon, his eyes flashing, and frowned. “Is this another test?”
The Divine Dragon smiled warmly. “The Xuanyuan Divine Sword cannot fall into the hands of the mediocre and weak. Your Fifth-Stage Realm of Mind does not necessarily equate to sufficient strength; state of mind and actual power are not proportional. This test is quite simple: to cultivate the first three forms, you must study the methods on the cliff face. The magnetic field near that wall is unusual. Once you can clearly see the cultivation method for the Third Form, it signifies that your strength is not weak. This tests both your power and your aptitude.”
Seeing the Dragon’s eager demeanor, Ye Chen gave it a sideways glance before composing his spirit. He turned back toward the cliff and immediately felt a heavy crushing force, like tidal waves crashing against him. His muscles bunched as he resisted the pressure, focusing his gaze on the cultivation methods inscribed on the rock.
The cultivation method for the First Form was extraordinarily simple. The characters shifted, forming a hazy silhouette holding a long sword, thrusting into the void. That single thrust seemed utterly unremarkable, yet it resonated like a clap of thunder from the heavens, cleaving through space, imbued with the very fabric of universal principles. It conveyed only two words: Perfection!
Ye Chen almost experienced a delusion: if he were the enemy, he would willingly accept this strike and feel no regret, perhaps even a sense of fulfillment.
The moment this thought arose, he snapped back to awareness, cold sweat instantly drenching him, terror flooding his eyes. A sword technique so perfect it could enchant the very enemy it killed—how flawless must it be? No wonder the form was called ‘Benevolence’!
To make the recipient feel that being slain by it was an act of mercy!
After observing the execution of this thrust, Ye Chen retreated several steps, leaving the immediate area. He clenched his palm, gathering the vital energy within him to condense into a substantial, phantom black longsword.
“Benevolence!” Ye Chen prepared to practice, but discovered that the vision of that perfect thrust had completely vanished from his mind. He stood motionless for a long moment before turning to the Divine Dragon with a helpless look, then walked back into the pressurized area, simultaneously resisting the force and attempting to train the sword move.
“Too perfect!”
“Thrust!”
Ye Chen swung his materialized hand-sword, concentrating deeply, and struck forward, yet it lacked the sublime grace of the original. He frowned, meditating intently, practicing repeatedly.
The Divine Dragon lay coiled nearby, watching silently.
...
Meanwhile, in the outside world.
On Dragon Emperor Island, atop Xuanyuan Peak.
Within the Divine Hall, the white-robed elder, the purple-robed elder, several other Hall Elders, and high-ranking Deacon Supervisors stood in the great hall, their expressions tense with anxiety. Before long, a figure streaked in from outside—wearing violet armor, it was the Island Master of Ziyun.
“What is the situation?” the white-robed elder and the others rushed forward to meet him.
The Island Master of Ziyun appeared pale, seemingly grievously wounded. He shook his head. “That anomalous man has mobilized countless magma monsters and has already occupied Xuanhuang Island, Zhetian Island, and Shenyin Island in the Central Sea region, expanding rapidly and engulfing many islands in the Outer Sea as well.”
The white-robed elder’s heart sank. “Over the past few days, I dispatched all the flying vessels from the island to evacuate the inhabitants of the islands in the Outer and Central Seas to the six islands of the Inner Sea and Dragon Emperor Island. We can barely house them for now. During this period, notify the Island Masters of the Six Paths not to venture out alone. We must secure the Inner Sea region first. Once the Dragon Emperor emerges, we can counterattack!”
The Island Master of Ziyun gritted his teeth. “Just now, Island Master Que Guang and I joined forces, but we were defeated by that man. We barely escaped back here. This individual is utterly arrogant and fearless. I suspect those magma monsters he commands originate from the Abyss of Buried Gods!”
“What?” The white-robed elder’s expression shifted dramatically. “You mean he went to the Abyss of Buried Gods?”
The Island Master of Ziyun clutched his chest, his lips white, and retorted, “If not the Abyss of Buried Gods, where else could so many magma monsters be found?”
The white-robed elder fell silent for a long moment, his expression fluctuating between dark and uncertain. “Let us hope he did not disturb the Dragon Emperor.”
The Island Master of Ziyun flared slightly in anger. “Why did the Dragon Emperor choose this moment for seclusion? Can’t you notify him?”
The white-robed elder sighed. “You know what sort of monster is suppressed at the bottom of the Abyss of Buried Gods. It is the demon who once fought our ancestor, Emperor Huang. Recently, the seal on the Divine Sword has weakened, and that demonic monster is causing trouble again. The Dragon Emperor must personally oversee the guard. If that demon were allowed to escape, the entire Xuanyuan Clan would face annihilation!”
The Island Master of Ziyun’s face changed, and he fell silent.
...
: Four updates today It’s the end of the month; things are a bit grim today. Please vote for an RO [Rolling Opportunity/Ticket].