Chapter 054 - White Robes Gifted by a Beauty
"In this world, great demons with a millennium of cultivation can form a Demon Core, equivalent to an Origin Core," Zhao Xuanran began, her voice a murmur amidst the whispering winds. "Slay the demon, seize its core, and embed it within the Sword Soul to form a ring-shaped aura, known as the Sword Ring."
"The Sword Ring enhances the Sword Soul's lethality and imbues it with demon magic'" she continued.
"Demon magic?" Yun Xiao blinked in confusion, his brow furrowing like a plowed field.
"For example, the current Demon Emperor of the Northern Wastelands is a fox, adept in illusionary demon magic. If you slay it and seize its thousand-year-old Demon Core, embedding it into your Sword Soul, your sword will carry a hint of illusionary attributes when it strikes, as if layering demon magic upon each thrust," Zhao Xuanran explained, her words flowing like a gentle stream.
"So besides the Sword Soul grade and Sword Aura, the Sword Ring is the third factor determining the Sword Soul’s killing power?" Yun Xiao's eyes lit up with understanding, like stars breaking through the clouded night sky.
"Exactly! The power of the Sword Ring firstly depends on the Demon Core's cultivation years and secondly on the number of Sword Rings. And the number of Sword Rings that can be socketed is innate, also related to the grade of the Sword Soul," Zhao Xuanran elaborated, her words painting a vivid picture before Yun Xiao's eyes.
"How so?"
"Sword Souls at the Comet grade or below can only be embedded with one Demon Core, forming one Sword Ring. Apparently, Moon and Planet grade Sword Souls can be embedded with two Demon Cores, forming two Sword Rings and carrying two kinds of demon magic," Zhao Xuanran laid out, her voice steady and reassuring.
"And once a Demon Core is embedded, it cannot be changed for a lifetime?" Yun Xiao asked with a child’s curiosity.
"No, a Demon Core can be taken out and replaced with a better, stronger one at any time," Zhao Xuanran patiently explained.
"Understood!" Yun Xiao nodded. He still had no idea about the grade of his Heaven Burial Sword Soul. It seemed to grow as he absorbed demon bones and Sword Souls, continuously evolving like a tree reaching for the heavens.
"Ye Guying's Upper Comet grade Sword Soul evolved into a Mid Planet grade Sword Soul because of the Rank Ten Azure Kite, showing that the evolution and enhancement of the Sword Soul, although rare, is still possible," Yun Xiao mused aloud.
"While Ye Guying’s Sword Soul evolved once, mine is different. My Sword Soul is not just increasing in Sword Aura. Its grade should be continuously improving!” Yun Xiao mused.
Sword Aura could be seen, but the grade was something intangible.
"If I get my hands on some Demon Cores in the future, I wonder how many can be embedded to form Sword Rings?" Yun Xiao wondered.
Demon bones and Demon Cores! Back when Yun Xiao was the mortal emperor of the Cloud Nation, what he despised the most was demons! Villains could be executed, but crafty demons were difficult to extinguish. They blended into society, devoured living infants and bewitched the masses, bringing about untold calamities.
The Immortals did nothing about this! Even if they tried, their hands were tied anyway. Having witnessed the misery of countless citizens, even now as a Sword Cultivator, beyond the mundane world, the impotent hatred still simmered in Yun Xiao's chest like a never-ending blaze. A straightforward man like him carried the unwarranted blame of harboring demons that harmed the people, a stain that still sullied his ancestors’ name, a shame unscrubbed.
How could Yun Xiao not burn with a fierce fire, yearning to bring those two heads back to Cloud Nation to account for the tragic deaths of its citizens? How could he forsake his Yun ancestors who founded the country?
Yun Xiao was a mortal! His thoughts were simple. Demons, and those who consorted with them, would all die!
"Senior Sister Zhao, do you know why I am willing to fight for the Sword Pavilion?" Yun Xiao suddenly asked earnestly, his voice echoing like a resonant bell in the silence.
"Why? Tell me," Zhao Xuanran said softly.
Yun Xiao's gaze turned decisively towards the man in azure robes, "He's why. A man like him who's forged ahead in the same path as me.... He's someone I'm willing to die alongside!" A man who'd slain tens of thousands of demons and returned with a shattered sword!
Yun Xiao admired the Sect Master! A lord was open and upright, while the petty were always filled with anxiety! In life, one should not seek endless wealth, but a clear conscience!
Yun Xiao's resolve set a fierce fire in Zhao Xuanran's eyes, blazing in her heart.
"Mhm!" She nodded gently and said, "I see, go rest."
"So that's it! I thought Creator was just desperate to get into her panties again!!" Red Moon whispered sneakily.
"Nonono, that is his real purpose. The words he said were all to crush the prey's inner defenses. To sow seeds, you must first break the defenses! Understand?" Blue Star said seriously.
"Wow, that's pretty high level!" Red Moon admired.
Yun Xiao was left baffled and speechless by the little black creature's exchange with itself. Then he shook his head. "Forget it. I'll rest first, then practice the sword tomorrow!"
A gentle breeze caressed the bright moon. The radiant moonlight bathed the great river. Among the Sword Pavilion’s mountains and rivers, the first hints of cloud and mist were born, filled with an upright and stern aura.
The Azure Spirit Cauldron stood firmly in front of the Grand Hall, absorbing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, taking the divine light of the sun and the moon, and forging the Sword Pavilion into an immortal landscape, with green mountains and clear waters, pure and natural.
On the contrary, the First, Third, Sixth, and Seventh Sword Peaks were surrounded by a foul stench, drowned in filth, with evil smells enveloping them! A night of dark tides surged!
That night, news of Yun Xiao brutally suppressing the three great Sword Venerables spread throughout Azure Spirit, shaking people's hearts. Others secretly spread the truth from three years ago! For a time, everyone examined their hearts.
“The sword is straight and upright, it would rather break than bend!”
"We Sword Cultivators control the heavens with a three-foot sword, how can we bow our heads to treachery, kneeling for glory and wealth?"
"Azure Spirit is a Sword Tomb, not a Demon Lair!"
In this vast world, who would stand for justice?
Yun Xiao slept. In his dream, he returned to the Cloud Nation, standing atop the palace walls, gazing upon the earthly realm where demons roamed free. "If I don’t slay the evil across the lands in this life, I might as well scatter my soul and spirit!" Having been given a second life, he intended to overturn the heavens! Otherwise, it's a life lived in vain!
The next day he woke up, morning mist condensed into droplets, enveloping his body. A burst of delicate fragrance surrounded him. Yun Xiao opened his eyes, and a woman in a black gown, her skin as white as snow, sat beside him. Her long hair fluttered in the wind, lightly brushing the world.
Yun Xiao awoke to see a hand extending a white robe toward him. "Your clothes are stained with too much blood. Change into this," she said with a soft insistence.
"Ah." Accepting the garment, Yun Xiao noticed its softness and the lingering fragrance it held.
"Junior Brother Yun, this was personally made by Senior Sister Zhao, who spent the entire night on it!" Qin Tong called from a distance, her face filled with mischief.
"Go away!" Zhao Xuanran scolded, her face stern.
"Made personally?" Yun Xiao felt the fabric, sensing an unusual warmth in it. Even in the mortal imperial palace, no one had ever crafted clothing just for him.
"Those who cultivate the sword maintain pure hearts and few desires. We don’t have much, and the material isn't of high quality. Please bear with it," Zhao Xuanran said, humble in her offering.
But inside, Yun Xiao wondered why Ye Tiance and the others wore such luxurious clothes, glittering with pearls and gems. Still, he had never imagined that in this lifetime, someone would make clothes just for him. Every stitch carried warmth. The world indeed had its beauties!
"Do you like it?" Zhao Xuanran asked, her gaze distant, her voice indifferent yet expectant. Silence fell, and no answer came. Turning, she was surprised to see the young man already flaunting the white robe in front of others.
"This little rascal..." A laugh escaped her lips. Did he like it? The beaming smile on Yun Xiao's face told her everything.
"Senior Sister Zhao, does it look good?" The youth stood before her, turning in circles, a grin lighting his face.
"You’re young and handsome. Even the simplest clothes appear like robes of gold and jade on you," Zhao Xuanran praised.
Recalling his own words on the way to the Sword Cloud Walk, Yun Xiao said seriously, "Then I’ll change back!"
"Why change?" Zhao Xuanran asked, an eyebrow raised in question.
"I want to keep it," Yun Xiao declared.
"Wear it! No hiding it away," Zhao Xuanran said, a mix of laughter and tears in her voice.
"I fight every day. What if it gets torn or stained with blood?" Yun Xiao, unwilling to let harm come to the robe, protested.
"I’ll make you a new one!" Without a second thought, Zhao Xuanran answered.
"Really?" Yun Xiao's eyes brightened.
"Of course," Zhao Xuanran affirmed.
"That’s exactly what I was waiting to hear!" Yun Xiao laughed.
Zhao Xuanran only sighed. This child really knew how to wear one down!
The Creator Immortal? No! Yun Xiao was but a young man who had lost his parents early, ruling and pacifying the world alone. Any affection from the human world was precious to him. So indeed, he cherished this white robe beyond measure. In his eyes, no treasure of heaven and earth could match its worth. He was as happy as a child. Of course, being only sixteen, his youthful vigor was at its peak.
"Cultivate the sword," Zhao Xuanran said, pulling out a thick, ancient blue-covered book. This was the First Sword of Azure Spirit.
"Senior Sister Zhao, does it include techniques for the Flying Sword, Palm Sword, and Sovereign Sword?" Yun Xiao leaned in to ask.
"Hmm." Zhao Xuanran nodded, flipping open the first page. "I will take you through the overview, the chants, and the key points, then demonstrate for you."
"Thank you, Senior Sister Zhao," Yun Xiao said.
Zhao Xuanran sat on the edge of a cliff, and Yun Xiao leaned beside her like a pair of studious siblings.
"What does it say here?" Yun Xiao's gaze fell upon the page, seeing numerous different handwritings left there.
"These are the names of those who have mastered this sword technique, left on this sword manual," Zhao Xuanran explained.
"What interesting names!" Yun Xiao laughed. Written on the page were names like 'Qing Cheng the Wise,' 'Zhao Yuan the Handsome,' and 'Beautiful as a flower, Qingzi.' They didn't just leave names, they even added titles!
"If you can master it, you can also leave your name there," Zhao Xuanran said.
"Then I thought about what to leave!" Yun Xiao declared.
"What will it be?" Zhao Xuanran curiously asked.
"I won't tell you. What if I fail to learn it?" Yun Xiao said seriously.
"Of course, this is a Moon grade sword technique. It's quite difficult. Look, a total of fifty-two pages," Zhao Xuanran earnestly said.
"Then you have learned it, right?" Yun Xiao asked.
"Of course, otherwise how could I teach you?" Zhao Xuanran replied.
"But, why don't I see your name?" Yun Xiao asked, puzzled.
"Are you silly? I'm the youngest, of course, I'm the last one," Zhao Xuanran said.
"The last?"
Yun Xiao looked down.
"Snowchild? That's you?" Yun Xiao asked with a strange expression.
"Yeah, I was born on a day when a lot of snow fell on Azure Spirit, so Snowchild is my nickname," Zhao Xuanran said.
"Ah this!" Yun Xiao's face grew more peculiar.
"What's with that expression?" Zhao Xuanran asked, confused.
"Senior Senior Zhao, did you write this yourself... "Milky White Snowchild?" Yun Xiao uttered these words, his teeth trembling.
"Is there a problem? Back then, I got pretty tanned from all the sword training I did every day. So, I made a wish to have my skin become white again," Zhao Xuanran said, dead serious.
"Uhh..." Yun Xiao’s expression was still weird.
"What are you thinking?" Zhao Xuanran asked, exasperated.
"Cough, cough!" Yun Xiao coughed, glanced at her again, his gaze moving down, fixed on that streak of snow-white skin. He slowly said: "Well you know, a lot of things are milky white..."
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