To those around him, this sword, which wasn't even classified as a magical weapon, was considered of little value.
Ye Fan was placed among many other swords, left to lie there.
"Am I really going to just lay here like this?"
Looking at his surroundings, Ye Fan felt a bit helpless at the moment.
"It's like I'm back at the beginning."
Glancing around, he saw that he was surrounded by nothing but swords.
After a hundred years, he had transformed from a sword into a human and now, from a human back into a sword.
"Saints..."
Ye Fan's voice turned cold.
"Upgrade!"
His goal now was simple—upgrade quickly and become even stronger.
"Actually, being reborn as a sword again does have its benefits."
"This time, my starting point seems much higher."
Ye Fan murmured to himself.
This time, he was directly in the cultivation world!
And beyond the cultivation world, there was the Immortal Realm, and even legendary Saints!
"Saints... I will cut them down one day!"
…
It was impossible to say how much time had passed.
Ye Fan remained in the same place.
Many people came and went from the weapon pavilion, and various weapons around him were continuously being taken away.
Yet, Ye Fan, being seen as just an ordinary weapon, had been left there for a very long time.
Dust had even started to gather on him.
"Still no one has come to claim me, huh?"
Ye Fan sighed helplessly.
One day, a new batch of people arrived at Xuantian Sect to collect their swords.
"Still in the Qi Refining stage?"
"You've been in Xuantian Sect for so long, and you're still only at the mid-stage of Qi Refining."
A middle-aged man in charge of the weapon pavilion frowned as he looked at one of the young men.
"He just doesn't have the aptitude. There's nothing to be done,"
the surrounding cultivators chuckled.
Although they had all entered Xuantian Sect at the same time, most had already reached the Foundation Establishment stage and were now qualified to collect weapons.
Hearing the words of those around him, the young man looked a bit embarrassed.
"Lin Li, right? You'll use this sword for now."
"Come back and get a magical sword when you reach the Foundation Establishment stage."
The middle-aged man thought for a moment, then glanced behind him and pulled out a completely black sword from a corner.
"This sword was once used by one of your senior brothers who had reached the late stage of Foundation Establishment."
Holding the sword, the man addressed the group.
Hearing this, the eyes of the surrounding cultivators widened with excitement.
A sword used by someone at the late Foundation Establishment stage!
Could it be...
"But it's just a sharp sword, not classified as a magical weapon,"
the middle-aged man added flatly after seeing their reactions.
Oh, so it wasn't even a magical weapon.
The others chuckled at this realization.
Some had thought that Lin Li might have gotten lucky and stumbled upon a good sword.
"Thank you, Senior Pavilion Keeper."
Lin Li, a young man with slightly tanned skin but an upright posture, accepted the sword gratefully.
[Swordmaster: Lin Li]
[Cultivation Level: Mid-stage Qi Refining]
The system panel flashed before Ye Fan's eyes.
Seeing this, Ye Fan couldn't help but smile.
"A Qi Refining stage cultivator... I doubt he can withstand the effects of the sword's curse."
Currently, the sword was imbued with a curse as one of its passive abilities.
"Hmm?"
However, just then, Ye Fan felt something unusual and furrowed his brow.
Within Lin Li's body, there seemed to be some kind of black energy.
This energy clung to his body, seemingly absorbing certain vital forces within him.
The moment Lin Li gripped the sword, the black mist of the curse began to swirl, colliding with the energy inside him.
The two forces clashed, and a balancing effect occurred.
The black energy within Lin Li's body was subdued by the curse's power.
"How intriguing..."
Ye Fan was intrigued by what he saw.
Lin Li's body contained a unique cursed energy.
It seemed that this curse was suppressing his spiritual energy, which explained why his cultivation was so low.
"This is..."
Holding the newly acquired sword, Lin Li's eyes flickered with a strange expression.
He could feel that something inside him was being suppressed.
It also felt like his body was now absorbing the spiritual energy from the air at a slightly faster rate.
"Lin Li, don't think too much about it. Once you reach the Foundation Establishment stage, you'll be able to get a magical weapon too,"
one of the other cultivators clapped him on the shoulder, smiling as he spoke.
"Mm, I understand."
Lin Li nodded slightly and replied.
Soon, the group left the area.
Being outer disciples, they all lived near the foot of the mountain.
"Today, we will be practicing the Xuantian Sword Technique."
"It's the primary sword technique of our Xuantian Sect."
"Since you are all still outer disciples, you are only allowed to practice the first level."
"However, even just the first level will not be easy for any of you to master!"
A middle-aged man led the group of cultivators to a flat area where they began practicing sword techniques.
Whoosh whoosh whoosh—
The group swung their swords, following the middle-aged man's instructions.
The air was filled with sharp, slicing sounds as they practiced.
After all, this was the cultivation world, and sword techniques were incredibly powerful.
Moreover, Xuantian Sect was known for its expertise in swordsmanship.
"It feels... different."
While practicing his sword technique, Lin Li's eyes widened in astonishment.
This sword wasn't ordinary!
It seemed to have suppressed some kind of ominous energy within his body!
His eyes sparkled with excitement.
Suppressing the excitement in his heart, Lin Li continued to focus on practicing his sword technique.
After what seemed like hours of practice, everyone was exhausted and breathing heavily.
"There's been a lot of trouble with leopard demons on the nearby mountain peak lately. Tomorrow, you'll be sent to deal with them."
"Consider it a test to see how well you've mastered the sword technique."
The middle-aged man glanced at them before giving the order.
"Yes!"
The group of cultivators quickly nodded.
Once the instructor left, they all breathed a sigh of relief.
"So tired..."
Some of the cultivators sat down on the ground, panting.
Lin Li, although tired, wore a look of joy on his face.
He continued to wield his black sword, practicing his sword technique with renewed enthusiasm.
His swordsmanship was becoming more and more proficient.
"Hey Lin Li, give it a rest. You're still only at the Qi Refining stage. No matter how much you practice, your sword techniques won't be that powerful."
One of the cultivators, sitting on the ground, laughed as he watched Lin Li continue his training.