Toujian Mountain was an extremely tall and steep mountain, with no large trees to be seen.
Instead, a type of grass called "Dragon's Tongue" or "Sword Grass" was everywhere.
The roots of this grass could be used to brew alcohol, said to increase its potency.
Cheng Xinzhan planned to pick some before leaving and add it to the already strong "White Blade" liquor to test its effects.
If it worked well, he could plant some in front of Wuyou Cave.
The wind on Toujian Mountain was dry and sharp, stinging the face.
Cheng Xinzhan squinted as he landed on the dock with his cloud.
He was very familiar with Toujian Mountain, having visited many times, so he didn’t need to ask for directions like he did when going to Shuji Mountain.
He headed straight for the Sword Vault.
The Sword Vault was a massive cave, guarded by an elder of Toujian Mountain with white hair and beard.
The elder was lying on a large reclining chair.
He was a third-realm cultivator, highly respected on Toujian Mountain, and one of the few elders who often interacted with low-ranking disciples.
"Elder Jingsi," Cheng Xinzhan approached and bowed.
Though they had only met a few times, Elder Jingsi remembered him and smiled, "Ah, it's Yunqi. Are you here to look around again?"
Elder Jingsi remembered Cheng Xinzhan for two reasons: he was a registered disciple of Mingzhi Mountain, and he had visited the Sword Vault several times, always looking but never buying.
Cheng Xinzhan smiled back, "Elder, I’ve now opened my own residence and am a true disciple of Mingzhi Mountain. My Dao name is Xinzhan. This time, I’m not just here to look—I’m here to buy."
With that, he took out a pill bottle and handed it to Elder Jingsi with both hands, saying, "Elder, my master asked me to give this to you. It’s a Small Corpse Dissolution Pill, in exchange for a magical sword."
As soon as he finished speaking, Elder Jingsi suddenly vanished from his reclining chair and appeared in front of Cheng Xinzhan, staring at the pill bottle.
"A Small Corpse Dissolution Pill?"
Elder Jingsi was usually calm and composed, as if he could smile even if the sky fell.
But this was the first time Cheng Xinzhan had seen him lose his composure.
Cheng Xinzhan pushed the bottle forward slightly, "Yes, it’s a Small Corpse Dissolution Pill."
Elder Jingsi’s hand trembled slightly as he took the bottle, "This time, I owe Mountain Lord Wen a great favor."
Elder Jingsi tightly held the bottle and said, "Toujian Mountain owes Mountain Lord Wen a great favor."
A flash of sword light appeared, and suddenly, a man in his thirties or forties stood beside Elder Jingsi.
He wore a black robe and had an ordinary appearance, neither tall nor short, neither ugly nor handsome.
If you saw him on the street, you wouldn’t give him a second glance.
The only thing that stood out was his straight posture, like a pine or bamboo.
"Mountain Lord," Elder Jingsi greeted the man with a slight nod, not surprised by his sudden appearance.
The man was Ying Jingsong, the Mountain Lord of Toujian Mountain.
Cheng Xinzhan quickly bowed to the man, "Cheng Xinzhan of Mingzhi Mountain greets Mountain Lord Ying. May the Mountain Lord live a boundless life."
The man smiled kindly at Cheng Xinzhan, "Xinzhan, since you love swords, feel free to visit Toujian Mountain often. Our sects are like branches of the same tree—don’t be too formal."
Cheng Xinzhan nodded in agreement.
The man looked at Cheng Xinzhan, as if seeing through him with just a glance, and said, "Xinzhan, you’re young but have already inherited the true teachings of Mingzhi Mountain. No wonder Mountain Lord Wen values you so much. In the future, you should spar and discuss swordsmanship with the younger generation of Toujian Mountain."
"You flatter me, Mountain Lord," Cheng Xinzhan replied.
He could tell that the Mountain Lord wasn’t intentionally probing him—it was just a casual glance that happened to see through his cultivation.
But he wondered why the Mountain Lord had appeared so suddenly.
"Xinzhan, after you’ve chosen your sword, please inform Mountain Lord Wen that Toujian Mountain is deeply grateful to her."
Cheng Xinzhan agreed.
The man smiled, nodded to Elder Jingsi, and then vanished in a flash of sword light.
Cheng Xinzhan was surprised.
Did the Mountain Lord appear just to ask him to deliver a message? This made him realize just how valuable the Small Corpse Dissolution Pill was.
Elder Jingsi carefully stored the pill bottle and led Cheng Xinzhan into the Sword Vault.
The Sword Vault was enormous, a cylindrical cavern with countless small alcoves carved into the walls.
Some alcoves were half a person’s height, while others were twice as tall.
From a distance, they looked like a honeycomb or an ant nest.
Each alcove was lit by glowing stones, illuminating the swords within.
Some swords were simply placed inside, others were covered with silk, and some were so bright that their light outshone the glowing stones, making it impossible to see their true forms.
Spiral wooden walkways were built along the walls, leading upward.
Elder Jingsi led Cheng Xinzhan up one of these walkways, the light from the swords casting colorful reflections on their faces.
"This Small Corpse Dissolution Pill is of great use to me," Elder Jingsi said as they walked.
"My Golden Core has been tempered six times, but I still can’t form a Dao Embryo. I’ve been stuck at the third realm for nearly two hundred years. When I first tempered my core, I was full of ambition, determined to temper it nine times.
By the third tempering, I was still confident, thinking six would be enough. But by the fifth, I grew anxious and barely survived the tempering tribulation. By the sixth, I was filled with fear and despair.
When the tribulation passed and I still hadn’t formed a Dao Embryo, I nearly gave up, cursing the heavens for letting me temper my core six times without success, while others with weaker foundations succeeded after just five."
"My seventh tempering tribulation should come in forty years, but my lifespan only has thirty years left."
Elder Jingsi’s steps were steady as he spoke, "So I won’t live to see my seventh tempering tribulation. My Golden Core won’t reach perfection, let alone form a Dao Embryo. When my thirty years are up, I’ll die without a doubt."
Cheng Xinzhan was shocked.
He hadn’t realized Elder Jingsi had tempered his core six times, nor that he was facing death due to his limited lifespan.
"But now, with this Small Corpse Dissolution Pill, I can take it before my lifespan ends. It will put me in a state of suspended animation, locking my vitality and shielding me from the tribulation’s detection. When the pill’s effects wear off after thirty years, the tribulation will return, but I’ll have gained thirty more years to prepare.
If I’m lucky and pass the seventh tempering, my Golden Core will reach perfection, and I’ll form a Dao Embryo, entering the fourth realm—a whole new world. Even if I don’t form a Nascent Soul, surviving the tribulation will extend my lifespan by another sixty years, giving me more time to linger.
If I fail the seventh tempering, it will be a release—turning to ash and returning to the heavens and earth."
At this, Elder Jingsi suddenly laughed, a mix of longing for the fourth realm and a bitter smile of resignation.
"For you young ones, this Small Corpse Dissolution Pill is of no use yet. But for an old man like me, clinging to life day by day, it’s a lifesaving treasure."
"And as far as I know, since the 21st Mountain Lord of Mingzhi Mountain passed away, no one has been able to refine a Small Corpse Dissolution Pill. That means this pill is a rare treasure for your sect as well—once it’s used, it’s gone."
Cheng Xinzhan suddenly understood.
No wonder the pill was so precious, and why Mountain Lord Ying had come to express his gratitude.
A pill that could extend life and shield one from tribulations would be sought after by anyone.
Even if it put the user in a state of suspended animation, as long as they were alive, there was hope—a chance to change fate.
He felt even more grateful to his master.
No one would turn down such a pill, as it could truly save one’s life.
Yet his master had given it up to exchange for a magical sword for him.
"So, both I and Toujian Mountain owe Mingzhi Mountain a great debt. That’s why the sword you choose today should naturally be the best in this Sword Vault. The Mountain Lord’s appearance also made that clear."
As Elder Jingsi spoke, they reached the top of the walkway.
"For a magical sword, you should choose a sword blank. You can shape it with your own spiritual power and carve the runes yourself. That way, it will be perfectly attuned to you, and you’ll be able to wield it with ease."
Cheng Xinzhan agreed.
His body sword and flying sword were both ready-made, so crafting his own magical sword would be ideal.
Soon, they reached the highest level of the Sword Vault.
The swords here seemed alive, emitting various sounds and lights.
If not for the restrictions in the alcoves, they might have flown away on their own.
Inside Cheng Xinzhan’s body, his "Peach Capital" sword was also restless, eager to come out and compete with the swords here.
Cheng Xinzhan had to suppress it to keep it from bursting forth.
Finally, at the end of the walkway, Elder Jingsi stopped, and Cheng Xinzhan followed suit.
"Here are six sword blanks, the best in the Sword Vault. Three are unsuitable for body swords, two for flying swords, and two for magical swords. I’ll explain them to you, and you can choose."
"Thank you, Elder," Cheng Xinzhan said.
First, Elder Jingsi pointed to the first alcove on the left.
Cheng Xinzhan looked inside and saw what appeared to be a cluster of starlight.
Elder Jingsi sent a pulse of spiritual power into the starlight, and a sword’s hum echoed through the air.
The starlight dissipated, revealing a black iron rod with golden-blue speckles.
"This is forged from a single piece of meteorite iron. It’s agile, tough, attuned to the stars, and compatible with the five elements. It can reside in your acupoints and be refined into a body sword, magical sword, or flying sword."
Next, Elder Jingsi moved to the second alcove, which contained a small phoenix tree, half a person’s height, with yellow branches and green leaves.
Elder Jingsi activated it with his spiritual power, revealing a sword blank with a yellow hilt and green blade.
It looked like wood, but the yellow and green parts were seamlessly integrated, naturally forming the hilt and blade.
"These phenomena are reflections of the sword blank’s spiritual nature. Top-tier treasures often have such manifestations," Elder Jingsi explained.
As soon as he finished speaking, Cheng Xinzhan’s "Peach Capital" sword transformed into a small peach tree in full bloom, with a white-feathered, red-crowned rooster perched among the branches.
Cheng Xinzhan was surprised.
He hadn’t expected "Peach Capital" to be so spirited.
He silently praised it, and the peach tree swayed its branches, scattering glowing petals.
"This is made from an ancient phoenix tree that died and was buried underground, eventually compressed and refined by the mountain’s spiritual energy. It’s neither wood nor ore, but a unique treasure. It’s attuned to wood and earth, suitable for cultivators of those elements. It’s light yet heavy, though not very tough. It’s best for a magical sword, not a body or flying sword."
The next sword blank’s phenomenon was a hibiscus flower, and its true form was a stone sword shimmering with water-like light.
"This is a piece of lake stone from Poyang Lake. It’s attuned to earth, metal, and water, but it’s brittle. It’s suitable for a magical sword, not a flying or body sword."
The next sword blank’s phenomenon was a pulsating golden orb, glowing with a metallic sheen but moving like liquid.
Its true form was a slender sword.
"This is made from liquid gold and wind dew. It’s extremely agile and sharp, perfect for a flying sword."
The next sword blank’s phenomenon was a coiled yellow serpent, and its true form was a broad, heavy sword.
"This is forged from earth jade and lunar metal. It’s attuned to earth and metal, extremely heavy, and unsuitable for a magical sword. It’s best as a flying or body sword."
The final sword blank’s phenomenon was a purple light and a silver light chasing each other, like two dragons fighting over a pearl.
Its true form was mostly purple, with black patterns resembling characters, though they were just natural markings.
The blade and tip were a bright silver, like frost.
"This is forged from a piece of ore found at the junction of a purple copper mine and a moon silver mine. It’s attuned to thunder, fire, and metal, agile yet tough. It’s suitable for a flying sword, magical sword, or body sword."
After Elder Jingsi finished explaining, he let Cheng Xinzhan choose.
Cheng Xinzhan thought for a moment and said, "Elder, I intend to craft a thunder weapon, and my first opened residence is the heart residence, with the metal residence next. The last sword blank, made from purple copper and moon silver, seems the most suitable."
Elder Jingsi nodded, "You want to craft a thunder magical sword? Then this one is indeed suitable. Purple copper is also called thunder script copper, said to have formed from the writings of ancient thunder deities that fell to the mortal world. Look at these patterns—don’t they resemble thunder runes?"
Cheng Xinzhan looked closely and saw some resemblance, though it might just be his imagination.
If someone had said they looked like cloud script, he might have agreed.
"Moon silver is a currency in the mountains, but it’s also highly attuned to thunder. In ancient times, finding places struck by lightning was a way to locate moon silver mines."
Elder Jingsi took out the sword blank and handed it to Cheng Xinzhan.
Cheng Xinzhan accepted it with both hands.
It felt cool to the touch, with a faint tingling sensation, as if struck by lightning.
Though the sword blank was only vaguely sword-shaped, Cheng Xinzhan was already pleased, imagining how it would look once fully crafted.
"Give it a name," Elder Jingsi said with a smile.
"I’ll record it. This is the last task I’ll handle as the Sword Vault’s keeper. Thanks to Mountain Lord Wen, I won’t be dying anytime soon, so I can’t just lie around waiting. Once this is done, I’ll start preparing for my tribulation."
Cheng Xinzhan thought for a moment and said, "Since this sword is meant to be a thunder weapon, and thunder is the highest power of heaven and earth, I’ll name it 'Gao' (high). Thunder is also the purest spiritual energy and the primal form of heaven and earth, so I’ll add 'Zhen' (true). Let’s call it 'Gao Zhen.'"
End of Chapter
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*This chapter includes two hand-drawn bonus illustrations: one of Wuyou Cave and one of the Sword Vault.
They’re a bit rough, but I hope you enjoy them!*
(Chapter End)