NOVEL NEXT Chapter 149: Tingyu's Advancement
The azure-gray escape light transformed by Chen Sheng made several turns on the market street, and soon arrived outside the cave mansion he rented.
He pinched a spell with his fingertips, activating the Hidden Mist Array he had set up around the cave mansion. The light blue barrier rippled like water waves, enveloping the entire cave mansion, isolating it from external prying and spiritual qi fluctuations.
After doing all this, he pushed the door open and quickly walked toward the fire chamber deep in the cave mansion.
At the center of the fire chamber, the earth fire induced by the earth veins was burning fiercely, reflecting a dark red glow off the obsidian-lined walls.
As soon as Chen Sheng stepped in, he sat cross-legged, opened his mouth, and a clear sword hum sounded. A three-inch long Tingyu Sword shot out from his mouth, spinning a few rounds in the air as if stretching its muscles.
The sword body shimmered with a faint spirit light, like an agile silver fish, happily swimming around the room, occasionally tapping the walls with its tip, emitting a crisp "ding ding" sound, as if playfully showing off to its master.
This flying sword, cultivated in life and spirit with him, was more like a biological son than a group of rebellious disciples!
A fond smile appeared on Chen Sheng's face. With a thought, a flash of spirit light on the storage ring, a piece of indigo blue metal the size of a fist was brought out, landing steadily in his palm.
This metal emitted a profound indigo glow, with faintly flowing streaks on its surface, cold and heavy to the touch. It was the Antarctic Sunflower Gold he had just acquired.
He weighed it in his hand and nodded in satisfaction:
"Seven thousand catties, a good weight, perfect for tempering the flying sword."
Before his words finished, the Tingyu Sword that had been roaming around the room darted over like a child smelling delicious food.
It circled incessantly around the Antarctic Sunflower Gold in Chen Sheng's palm, the spirit light on its body growing even brighter, accompanied by an eagerly excited "buzzing" sound, as if urging for something.
The sword body occasionally brushed against the surface of the Antarctic Sunflower Gold, as if savoring its pure mineral essence.
Laughing heartily at its behavior, Chen Sheng said:
"You're quite the clever one, no need to rush, this is prepared just for you."
With this, he flicked his wrist, tossing the Antarctic Sunflower Gold into the air.
As soon as it left his hand, the Antarctic Sunflower Gold hovered below the Tingyu Sword, remaining steady and motionless.
Chen Sheng flicked his finger, directing a spell toward the earth fire. The originally bright red earth fire suddenly surged, transforming into a fire dragon that enveloped the Antarctic Sunflower Gold.
"Buzz——"
Under Chen Sheng's spell, the earth fire emitted a dazzling red glow, and the temperature soared instantly.
Under the scorching high temperature, the surface of the Antarctic Sunflower Gold gradually melted, with strands of indigo essence being drawn out, transforming into light spots like fireflies, slowly floating upwards and merging into the Tingyu Flying Sword above.
As the essence was continually extracted, the Antarctic Sunflower Gold shrank visibly, with black impurities settling like snowflakes to form a thin layer on the ground.
The Tingyu Flying Sword had already curled into a sword pill, enveloped in an indigo halo, as if coated with a delicious candy shell.
It buzzed happily, constantly absorbing the drifting indigo light spots, the halo on the sword pill brightening and dimming like reveling in a grand feast.
Occasionally, if light spots floated slower, it would quiver slightly, emitting a dissatisfied low hum, urging the spots to enter its body faster.
More than half a month passed like this.
The Antarctic Sunflower Gold, initially the size of a fist, now barely the size of a longan, had turned dull and lusterless, its essence evidently fully extracted.
Meanwhile, the Tingyu Flying Sword had long resumed its three-foot blade form!
The sword body glittered with radiant lights, exuding an aggressive edge, with faint indigo cloud patterns appearing on its surface, like changing clouds in the sky, adding a sense of liveliness.
When the last essence of the Antarctic Sunflower Gold was extracted and absorbed by the Tingyu Flying Sword, its body trembled abruptly, emitting a high-pitched, clear sword hum!
The sword's aura rose instantly, its spirit light dazzling, clearly breaching the bottleneck and advancing to a Tier Three Middle Grade Magical Treasure!
Through his life and spirit bond with the Tingyu Sword, Chen Sheng could feel its transformation, with a vague flow of sword dao insights quietly coursing through him.
Realizing and transforming sword intent, myriad inspirations gushed forth like a spring, deepening his understanding of sword dao further.
He extended his hand, gently caressing the Tingyu Sword's body, distinctly feeling the surging power within and the intimate connection shared with his own bloodline.
The sword body quivered slightly under his touch, emitting a gentle sword hum as if responding to his caress.
Chen Sheng felt a burst of elation, laughed heartily, then flicked his finger:
"Go!"
The Tingyu Sword, like a child receiving orders, instantly erupted with brilliant sword gang energy, which quickly divided in the air, condensing into countless sharp sword threads, spreading like a net across the entire space.
"Trap!"
With a light command from Chen Sheng, those sword threads immediately wove into a fine and delicate sword net, swiftly enwrapping the earth fire in the fire chamber's center, sealing it completely.
Accompanied by constant "swish swish" sounds, the sword net contracted, shredding the earth fire into fragments with countless strands of sword qi, dispersing into a sky full of white smoke, slowly fading away.
"Disperse!"
Upon Chen Sheng's order, the sword net dispersed as commanded, the Tingyu Sword performed a nimble turn in the air, returning to his presence, the spirit light on its body flickering with a proud sense of accomplishment.
Meanwhile, the earth fire, driven by the earth veins, rekindled, returning to its previous state.
Reflecting on the Tingyu Sword's current might, Chen Sheng quietly estimated:
"Should I face that Unihorn Demon King again, with the current Tingyu, supplemented with sword intent, I could swiftly defeat them without requiring array formation!"
He nodded softly, recalling other tasks awaiting him, such as refining the Wind and Thunder Flying Sword and array banners, and thus took out several kinds of spiritual materials from the storage ring.
But as soon as he took them out, the Tingyu Sword approached like a kitten smelling fragrance, swirling around those spiritual materials.
The spirit light on its body flickered, emitting a "buzzing" sound mixed with flattery and request.
Seeing its behavior, Chen Sheng chuckled lightly:
"No wonder they say sword cultivators are poor, turns out you're too gluttonous! These aren't for you, they're for refining other magical artifacts."
With that, he formed a spell with his hands, wrapping the Tingyu Sword gently in spiritual power and reintroducing it into the dantian.
The Tingyu Sword clearly unwilling to relent, let out a childish, petulant whine of a sword hum, its body still wriggling, giving reluctant glances as it was drawn into the dantian.
Even within the dantian, it continued to emit pitiful sword hums.
Chen Sheng shook his head and smiled lightly, paying it no mind.
The path of a sword cultivator emphasizes purity in sword dedication; though he comprehended sword heart and sword intent, he ultimately couldn't invest all his heart spirit into the sword like a true sword cultivator.
After all, his path, extends beyond just that!