Chapter 115: One with the blade
Lian stood before the towering metal structure of the buried spaceship, his breathing slow and measured. The hidden chamber behind the waterfall was quiet, the distant roar of the cascading water creating a constant, soothing background. Mist drifted through the air, catching the soft glow of the Qi stones scattered across the walls and floor. The structure itself was immense, its seamless black surface absorbing light, making it feel almost alive in the dim environment.
He concentrated hard.
Positioning himself carefully, feet planted firmly on the stone, he calmed his mind and eased the tension from his body. Tension melted from his shoulders. He remembered the fight he had witnessed between the Eternal Veil Syndicate representative and Zephyr Kane. The way Zephyr had swung his pitch-black blade, releasing that devastating black sword Qi that had sliced through everything in its path. Lian had read about sword Qi in the cultivation records they had looted — a technique where the cultivator poured their Qi into the blade to create an external energy slash capable of cutting through mountains and cities. It required perfect focus, immense Qi control, and a deep connection with the weapon.
He concentrated his Qi into the black blade in his hand.
The pitch-black weapon began to react. As he poured more Qi into it, the blade grew darker, the light around it bending and twisting as if being swallowed. The cold liquid inside him stirred, flowing into the blade along with his Qi. The weapon hummed with power, the darkness deepening until it looked like a fragment of the void itself.
Elara watched from a distance, her blue cyber eyes wide with curiosity and caution. She could see something strange happening — a phenomenon she couldn’t fully comprehend. The air around Lian seemed to distort, the light dimming unnaturally around the blade. She didn’t know what he was doing, but she could feel the building energy. Her senses screamed at her to move further away. After a moment of hesitation, she listened to her instincts and retreated to a safer distance, putting more space between herself and whatever Lian was attempting.
Lian didn’t notice her movement. His focus was absolute.
He looked at the side of the spaceship — the scan had shown this was one of the outer hull sections. He didn’t want to waste time digging for an entrance. He wanted to test how strong this mysterious metal was. He wanted to see if he could cut it.
He concentrated harder, becoming one with the blade. The black liquid inside him flowed freely now, merging with his Qi and the weapon. He felt a strange unity — the blade an extension of his will, his arm, his soul. The cold darkness pulsed in perfect sync with his heartbeat. For the first time, it felt truly his.
He swung it hard.
The motion was fast, precise, vertical — a clean downward slash with every ounce of power he could muster.
Nothing visible came out of the blade. No black slash like Zephyr Kane’s. No dramatic wave of energy. Lian wondered why it didn’t happen like the one he had seen. But he felt something leaving his body and the sword — a silent, invisible force.
He looked at the surface he had slashed.
No mark. No scratch. Nothing.
He wasn’t at that level yet. He wasn’t strong enough to cut through this metal with sword Qi. The disappointment was sharp, but he accepted it. Growth took time.
He felt drained, the effort of channeling so much Qi and the black liquid leaving him exhausted. He turned to call Elara when—
A delayed impact hit him.
A loud thunderous sound exploded behind him as the force he had unleashed finally manifested. The surrounding rock blew open violently, the cave shook hard, debris raining down from the ceiling. The shockwave pushed him back several steps, forcing him to brace himself.
Power Scale / Cultivation Realms (Quick Reminder)
Foundation Realm (Layers 1–9): Body forging, no external Qi.
Circuit Awakening Realm (Early–Peak): First Qi loop, internal bursts.
Core Condensation Realm (Early–Peak): External Qi release, short flight.
Stellar Circuit Realm (1–9 Stars): True flight, Qi armor, energy projection.
Nebula Dominion Realm and higher: Domain control, galaxy-level power, etc
Power Scale Reminder
Lian Yu: Stellar Circuit Star 1.
Elara Voss: Core Condensation Middle
Keep it as reminders
