Chapter 928 – Recasting the Blood Drinker Sword
After mysteriously getting Ye Qingyu to wait, the empress went in high spirits to change into a white-colored palace long dress. When she returned, she was holding a small sword in her hand. Her hairstyle had changed, with her jet-black long hair draped over her shoulders to her back waist, as dazzlingly beautiful as a waterfall. She had a completely different demeanor about her, resembling a fairy among a bed of flowers. With blooming dimples, she said, “Cousin, I created my own sword technique, and would like you, as the martial champion of the Heaven Wasteland Domain, to advise me on it.”
“A self-created sword technique? Hoho, I"ll indeed like to see what you"ve come up with. Haha, go ahead.” Ye Qingyu laughed as he leaned back against the railings and white marble steps beside a pavilion.
Given her status, she was able to obtain the Heaven Wasteland Domain"s highest level secret books on sword techniques just by asking. Earlier on, it was also her who gave Ye Qingyu the [War G.o.d Sword Mantras]. There was thus absolutely no need for her to create her own sword technique. Ye Qingyu figured that this was probably just a young girl"s whimsical plaything, and so he could go easy on it.
“This sword technique of mine is called [Young Xiaoxing of the Fast-Aging Heaven Wasteland].” With that, her small sword shook and began to dance lightly.
A tinge of surprise emerged on Ye Qingyu"s face when he heard this name.
"The fast-aging Heaven Wasteland"!
"Young Xiaoxing".
For a time, he was a little dazed as he watched her sword-dancing among the flowers, resembling a lively flower fairy.
This so-called self-created sword technique of hers could only be considered a sword dance. Although it was magnificent and fascinating to an extreme, it did not have the slightest of killing power. Nevertheless, her purpose for this sword technique was apparently not to kill enemies anyway. Instead, it was simply intended as a light sword dance to be performed in front of someone she loved. Complemented by the flowers in the garden, her absolutely beautiful looks appeared n.o.ble, holy, and pure. Her poses were delicate and as light as those of a fairy, as if she was completely untainted by the dirt of the human world. This was a sight so beautiful that it was enchanting.
As an empress sword-dances among the flowers, who can read her little girl heart?
Ye Qingyu stood quietly where he was, his thoughts somewhat confused as he poetized. He didn"t even realize when Yu Xiaoxing ended her dance, remaining dull and unresponsive.
“Cousin, brother Qingyu?” The young girl waved her small, fair-complexioned hand in front of him and waggishly snapped him out of his dazed state. A hint of delight flashed across her crescent-moon-like, squinting eyes as she asked, “Cousin, please give me some advice. How would you rate the power of my [Young Xiaoxing of the Fast-Aging Heaven Wasteland] sword technique?”
After glimpsing at her, he said with a smile, “It"s very powerful, and points directly at one"s heart.”
“Are you serious?” Yu Xiaoxing leaped in excitement as she smiled artfully and prettily while revealing her flowery dimples. “I know you"re lying, but I"m still happy enough… However, you shouldn"t be like this, cousin. At present, people inside and outside the palace are trying to figure out my thoughts and are telling what they think I want to hear. You mustn"t deceive me like them.”
Ye Qingyu replied, “Isn"t it good that people are telling you what you want to hear? If you ever get tired of that, you can just find a few pedantic and blunt ministers to tell you the truth.”
Yu Xiaoxing stuck her tongue out, “I"d rather not meet them, for I would get a headache every time I do. Sigh, being an empress is so tiring.”
Ye Qingyu could not help bursting into laughter, “You should be content. Among the Vast Thousand Domains, an emperor like you who can self-isolate whenever in a bad mood, yet can maintain the throne so steadily, would consider themself lucky already.”
“But I don"t like it.” Yu Xiaoxing sighed exaggeratedly.
It was already dusk by the time Ye Qingyu returned to Light City.
After summoning Gao Han, Li Changkong, and w.a.n.g Lijin, and with Ximen Yeshui and Wen Wan coincidentally around as well, he brought up the matter of building the Light a.r.s.enal. Halfway through, Mother Wu personally brought over the dinner she had prepared.
“Let"s eat together.” Having not tasted Mother Wu"s dishes for a long time, Ye Qingyu somewhat missed them and thus became excited. This woman, who had followed him from Youyan Pa.s.s all the way to Light City, could by now be considered an elderly person of the city. Although she did not have an actual job, she had a son and a daughter serving as Ye Qingyu"s disciples, and so she was given an extremely special and highly-respected status in Light City. Ye Qingyu was reminded of Li Ying, Li Qi, and Bai Yuanxing when he saw her.
Pinching his fingers, he calculated that it had been a year since he sent these three disciples together with one hundred extremely talented children to the Clear River Domain. Although there had been constant communication with the Immortal G.o.d Emperor Sect and he thus knew that their cultivation was progressing well, he could not help feeling that it was time to pay them a visit.
He decided to take some time out to go on a trip to the Clear River Domain. Aside from visiting Bai Yuanxing and the others, he also wanted to visit Hu Bugui, Nan Tieyi, Liu Shaji, and some other old acquaintances. It had also been a long time since he met the couple of Ling Xiaoran and Heng Yuge, Chen Zhengliang, and others in Flowing Light City.
Mother Wu cleared the table after dinner was over.
Still holding an unfinished bowl of noodles, Wen Wan said, “My Lord, Ximen Yeshui and I plan to travel to many different domains so as to get to know more about their unique characteristics. We hope that you"ll give us your approval.”
The dark-faced scholar, Ximen Yeshui, also said grinningly, “Indeed, brother. Since the few of us won"t be able to help even if we remain in the Heaven Wasteland Domain, we might as well go explore a couple of new domains. My martial cultivation has reached a bottleneck which I haven"t been able to break through all this time. Perhaps, by chilling out for a bit, I might suddenly gain Dao, hehe!”
Ye Qingyu thought it over and agreed with what they said. Aside from fighting, this bunch was not reliable at doing anything else and would only spoil things. With his promotion to become the third deputy of the Human Race, the situation of the Heaven Wasteland Domain had stabilized for the time being, and thus there was no need for this bunch for the foreseeable future. Perhaps it would be a good thing to let them travel to foreign domains, which the Heaven Wasteland Domain"s current understanding of was limited to the superficial knowledge written about in books and records that could only be verified by letting people go out and explore.
“Yes, I shall approve, but I have two requests. First, you may only depart after the construction of the Light a.r.s.enal is complete. Second, you must first go to the Ancient Sky Dragon Domain to find Luo Yi and help him settle the matter there before proceeding to other domains.” Ye Qingyu stuck two thumbs up and nodded in approval.
It had been more than two months since he left the Ancient Sky Dragon Domain. He figured that Qin Hui and Luo Yi should by now have more or less settled the internal issues of the Ancient Sky Dragon Sect and tied up any loose ends. At this time, it should be possible to open a Domain Gate between the Ancient Sky Dragon Sect and the Heaven Wasteland Domain, and officially begin communication and coordination.
“No problem at all.” Ximen Yeshui cheerfully agreed.
“No problem, no problem at all, no problem...” The steel parrot on his shoulder mimicked.
This matter was agreed just like this.
Everyone departed after dinner.
Ye Qingyu dove once more into the Underground Fire Spirit Spring Sword Pit.
He did not enter the small plane hidden within the pit, and instead simply stood in the air above the underground magma river. The underground fire in this pit was slightly milder in temperature than that of the orange underground fire expanse in the Ancient Sky Dragon Domain, and was suitable for refining weapons. On the first day of his return to the Heaven Wasteland Domain, Ye Qingyu had placed the uncompleted [Blood Drinker Sword] in the purple underground fire to continue refining it. It had since been ten days, and there were indeed some changes to the sword"s exterior, while some impurities had been removed. As a result, the sword was about a finger"s length shorter than it used to be.
“The current [Blood Drinker Sword] is already very different from when it was cast using the original formula in the bronze book [FiendG.o.d t.i.tled Chart]. I wonder how it"ll look like when it has been completely refined... Sigh, I got a little impulsive this time and took too big of a risk. I must make sure not to spoil the refining.”
At this time, he became a little nervous.
Though he did not know how it would eventually look like if he continued to refine it, he was certain that it would be different from what was recorded in the [FiendG.o.d t.i.tled Chart].
After contemplation, he decided to continue refining it by following the casting technique recorded in the [FiendG.o.d t.i.tled Chart].
Otherwise, he would not know how to proceed either.
As he sat cross-legged on the surface of the flaming magma, his mind recalled the meaning of the one hundred and eight ancient characters of refinement while his hands continually formed hand prints, every one of which turned into invisible shadows and incessantly soared into the air before striking themselves into the [Blood Drinker Sword] which was being refined among the flames. As time pa.s.sed, he had successively form thousands of invisible hand print shadows, and gradually, the changes to the [Blood Drinker Sword] became more and more p.r.o.nounced, while the sword continually became smaller. The wisps of smoke that dissipated from it were in the shapes of the impurities which were continually removed from the divine materials that const.i.tuted the sword.
The sword was completely made out of divine materials and was incomparably compact to begin with. As such, impurities could only be removed from it using the profound meaning of Ye Qingyu"s one hundred and eight ancient characters, and only on condition that it had been preheated and refined in the Underground Fire Spirit Spring Sword Pit for ten days prior.
It would have been absolutely difficult for anyone else, even a refining master, to have refined the sword to its current stage.
Time flew by.
An entire night pa.s.sed.
The [Blood Drinker Sword] had already shrank to one-third of its original size.
Its current size was consistent with the sword size used by the Heaven Wasteland Domain"s warriors.
However, Ye Qingyu could sense a possibility that the [Blood Drinker Sword] would continue to refine further.
The more it is refined, the smaller it gets?
This is not what was recorded in the [FiendG.o.d t.i.tled Chart].
He guessed with a little uncertainty that the next step was to nourish the sword using blood.
After some hesitation, he dropped his doubts and bit his tongue, causing a mouthful of blood essence to spurt on to the [Blood Drinker Sword] below.
Buzzzz!
As the sword began to vibrate, streaks of ancient blood-colored patterns, which together resembled a dense arrangement of blood vessels, appeared on the sword and absorbed all of the blood essence. The next instant, these patterns seemed to come alive, continually contracting and expanding like a heart. Within them, a frightening power surged, while a burning splendor seemed to be trying to break free. Given Ye Qingyu"s current cultivation, the energy contained within a mouthful of blood essence was even more vast and vigorous than that within divine-level origin crystals. Yet, it was absorbed into the [Blood Drinker Sword] in a twinkling regardless.
As those blood-colored patterns glittered indistinctly, the [Blood Drinker Sword] frantically absorbed the power of the underground fire and eventually began to burn completely. Dark, surging flames submerged the entire sword.
Ye Qingyu immediately felt that there was a new, strange connection between him and the sword, as if they were physically linked.
This was a result of the [Blood Drinker Sword"s] absorption of the stream of blood essence.