My Journey to Immortality Begins with Hunting

Li Yuan moved the forge and tools beyond the black market ghost domain's mist-shrouded boundary and started planning the second weapon.

Because spirit artifacts couldn't grow, shrink, or auto-adjust in size, a weaponsmith had to think about carry-weight and fit. It was also why armor wasn't typically forged.

A martial artist's muscles could grow under the influence of shadow blood while spirit artifacts were immutable. Armor that strangled its wearer was nobody's idea of usefulness, so most people stuck to blades, shields, or pocket-sized curios.

Li Yuan wanted one long blade for raw power and one short blade he could conceal. He had 225 kg of blood crystal marrow into the long blade; the rest would go into the short one.

Still tired, he rested a full day, then forged the short blade in smooth, practiced strokes.

This time, the heavenly thunder and earth fog both showed up on cue. The stout little dagger came out with a black spine, a bone-white edge—and it drank another 500 years of his life-force.

The blitz from Heaven and Earth was lighter, though.

Li Yuan glanced at his updated overall combat power of 2,600~31,638.

For reference, Gu Xuejian's combat power was 4,166~28,483, while Qing Hancheng boasted 9,316~36,948.

Li Yuan was pretty satisfied especially since Gu Xuejian's power was only 2,588~23,100 before breaking into fourth rank. Once he actually learned a few fifth rank blade skills, his ceiling would only climb higher.

Finally, it was time to examine the short blade's powers.

The first, Heavenly Thunder Form—

Unlike Gu Xuejian's Lightning Piercer, which boosted speed and strength for a while, Li Yuan's version used lightning solely to spike brute force, enough to push him from peak fifth rank to early fourth rank.

It lacked the agility boost. But instead, he could form a crackling arc of power along the edge of his blade. One swing could send that arc slicing ahead, ignoring defenses with devastating force—though the cut needed time to recharge.

The second, Earth-Fog Drain—

It was almost identical to that of Gu Xuejian. Any enemy on the ground would be attacked on all sides by baleful Yin energy.

The third, Targeted Blood Drain—

Gu Xuejian's sword had to open a wound and then drank blood indiscriminately.

Li Yuan's version of the ability inherited theignore defensetrait of his source blood. Within a roughly 30 meter radius of him, he could lock onto a single target and drain their blood out by force—no wound required, but one victim at a time.

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Li Yuan returned to Yan Yu in the black market ghost domain.

He set both blades before him; the long blade with its azure edge, the short blade white as frost; one eerie, one dazzling, both with needle-fine points and crescent curves.

The pair reminded him of the Twin Serpent Spirits from an old show he'd watched before crossing into this world.

A thought, and the blades floated around him, sluggishly obedient like tame beasts with only the dimmest awareness. They deserved names; they would stay with him a long while.

"Yan Yu, the azure blade is tied to you. Anyone it cuts gives you one free mark."

"Really? How curious..." Yan Yu turned the blade over, marveling that her own kill-rule could be triggered this way. "If it cuts enough people, won't my ghost domain fill up with ghost-servants?"

"Only if it's near our ghost domain," Li Yuan laughed.

"I se— Ah, sorry! It's my fault, isn't it...?" She looked almost guilty, realizing her sneeze had affected the blade.

"No worries. The blade is still plenty strong," Li Yuan waved it off with a smile. "Triggering your rule here isn't easy. Cloudpeak Province doesn't yet have a super ghost domain like the Exotic Beast Garden or Happyland, right?"

Li Yuan grinned. "Then we'll build a truly colossal ghost domain. The wider the reach, the deadlier the blade."

He then shifted his focus back to the blade. "First comes first, though. We should name these blades."

"You choose, Husband. They're yours."

"Long blade, black spine with an azure edge—Azure Serpent. Short blade, black spine, ivory edge—White Serpent. Sound good?" Li Yuan asked.

"Perfect." Yan Yu clapped. She would have approved no matter what he said.

Li Yuan fitted both with scabbards, tucked White Serpent at his waist and slung Azure Serpent across his back.

Next on the agenda was studying fifth rank blade skills.

Skills at this level were exceptionally rare. Few martial artists ever reached fifth rank, and most battles were decided by spirit artifacts alone. However, greater power always bred new skills.

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A day later.

After bringing Sheng'er home from Tang Nian's lodge, Li Yuan settled in the black market ghost domain to meditate.

Ruling Blade, Phantom Blade, and Final Blade... The three styles that aligned with his visualization aids had blossomed into seeds in his disciples, yet every seed had returned to him. What became of the disciples once their seeds were stripped? He needed to untangle the logic of his own power before it strangled him.

A tug of the thousand-mile thread, and Li Yuan drifted back toward the Bladeseekers. This time, he could observe from much farther away, a new perk from breaking into fifth rank.

He caught snatches of conversation between Zhao Chunxin and a Lotus Cult envoy.

"Ever since that night I've felt perfectly calm, no more agony when I draw the ancestral seal. I can do it easily now."

Then the envoy summoned Xu Sheng. The man was near hysterical.

"Where's Lan Lan? What have you done with her? Tell me!"

"Looks as mad as ever," the envoy muttered.

"I'm not mad! Just tell me where she is and I'll swear absolute loyalty—"

"Xu Lan is out on assignment. I see nothing wrong with you, Instructor Xu. Off you go."

Next came Yang Teng. The exchange was polite, by-the-book, and he was dismissed without a fuss.

The envoy then left the Bladeseekers compound.

Li Yuan sent a small bird shadowing him through winding paths until the man halted in a narrow valley inside Little Ink Mountain.

High above, the bird circled, feeding Li Yuan a clear view. Hundreds of dusk-gray shapes lay crouched in the ravine. About 500 beasts in all; only seven carried fifth rank readings, the rest sixth rank.

The envoy knelt before a hill-side pavilion and delivered his report.

Inside, two elders spoke once he withdrew.

"That food-runner was obviously replaced; why would I bother poisoning him myself?"

"The matter's a tangle. Vice Leader Guang, are you sure you did nothing?"

"Elder Lu, you're playing right into our enemy's hand. What would I gain by murder?"

"We should wait for a full inquiry."

"That's exactly what the enemy wants. Bah! Peng Mi is dead and you all expect me to move next. I've no such plan, but investigate if you must."

"The innocent stay clean; the guilty soil themselves."

Li Yuan dared not edge closer. He withdrew the bird and waited until night deepened, then alighted on a peak overlooking the beast-valley—about five kilometers away, yet still within his new perception range.

From every exotic beast, he sensed the same breakthrough spark he'd felt in Zhao Chunxin, Xu Sheng, and Yang Teng. His ancestral seal could still absorb seeds. And by his count, there were six left waiting to be claimed.