Jiang Yuechu's footsteps came to a halt.
She turned her head back hesitantly.
Although she hadn't been particularly proficient in literature or poetry in either her past life or this one, her memory, in particular, had always been quite good.
The broken sword she had casually cast aside earlier clearly had its tip pointing left, leaning diagonally against a piece of rusted iron.
How was the tip now pointing right, and why had it retracted inward by half an inch?
The position had changed.
Jiang Yuechu stared at the offering altar expressionlessly for a moment, making no sound.
She silently turned her head back, lifted her foot, and took two more steps forward.
Then.
Her figure suddenly jerked to a stop, and she whipped her head back.
She saw that pile of originally lifeless scrap metal; at this moment, the sword blades were pressed against the tabletop, sneakily shuffling toward the shadows at the innermost part of the offering altar.
Seeing Jiang Yuechu suddenly turn back.
All the broken swords and remnant iron instantly froze, motionless, the movement from a moment ago vanishing into thin air.
Hiss.
Jiang Yuechu sucked in a breath of cold air.
A hint of strangeness flashed across her clear and elegant face.
Could it be that one of the massive Nine Great Dao Sects was haunted in broad daylight?
However, such a thought only lingered in her mind for an instant before she shook it off.
This wasn't her previous life; it wasn't strange for a Xuanhuan world to be haunted...
Since there was something fishy, that made things easier.
Jiang Yuechu no longer hesitated. Her black robes fluttered slightly as her figure instantly appeared before the offering altar.
Without the slightest bit of testing, she took a decisive step forward, hooked her five fingers, and snatched the hiltless remnant sword that had hidden the fastest.
[Flesh and Bone as Furnace] activated.
Surging Qi poured out along her arm, directly flooding into the remnant sword, instantly assuming a posture of trying to forcibly refine it.
The moment she laid hands on it, the offering altar erupted into chaos.
The dozen or so pieces of scrap metal that had been playing dead now all sprang up from the altar in unison, hovering in mid-air as if terrified, their sword tips trembling wildly, wanting to flee but not daring to.
The remnant sword gripped in Jiang Yuechu's palm struggled even more violently.
However.
It had clearly underestimated the horror of this body.
Immense strength firmly suppressed the sword blade.
Jiang Yuechu narrowed her eyes slightly, about to increase the force to see how long this thing could hold out.
Suddenly.
An exasperated voice rang out without warning inside the empty Sword Pavilion.
"Stop!"
"You child, how incredibly rude! How can you handle this old man so crudely!"
The force in Jiang Yuechu's hand did not diminish. Her eyes suddenly turned cold as her gaze swept chillingly across the surroundings.
"Who is speaking?"
The remnant sword's blade trembled slightly: "What are you looking at! I'm talking to you! Hurry up and release this old man!"
Jiang Yuechu lowered her head slightly, her gaze falling on the bare remnant sword in her hand.
She asked with some confusion: "You... can talk? What kind of thing are you?"
The remnant sword seemed to have suffered a great insult. Its tip jerked upward as it said proudly, "This old man is Chengying! The High Grade Spiritual Artifact, Chengying Sword! You girl are young, so it's no wonder you're ignorant. Back in the day, when this old man followed my master across Dream Cloud Realm, how high-spirited I was! The Painting Realm experts who died under my blade numbered not a thousand, but at least eight hundred!"
Jiang Yuechu remained unmoved, her eyes calm as water.
Seeing that the girl had no reaction, the Chengying Sword thought she didn't believe it, and its voice rose several notches.
"Don't look at this old man's current appearance; that's because that battle back then was too tragic! This old man's master was a bona fide Painting Realm powerhouse! Do you understand the Painting Realm? A single thought forms a formation, a splash of ink becomes a world! As the personal sword of a Painting Realm powerhouse, I am an ancestor-level existence in this Hidden Sword Tower!"
The other broken swords and remnant iron on the offering altar all emitted fine hums, as if in agreement, and also as if in fear.
Jiang Yuechu listened quietly until it finished, then nodded slightly.
"Oh."
The Chengying Sword was stunned.
That's it?
This old man even brought up the title of a Painting Realm powerhouse, and you just reply with an 'oh'?
How could this newly recruited Disciple of the Jieqing Sect be so stubborn and unyielding?
Jiang Yuechu turned her wrist, sizing up this Chengying Sword that claimed to be a High Grade Spiritual Artifact.
The blade was severely damaged, and the hilt was so rotten that only a lump of iron remained; its appearance was truly pathetic.
The Qi within her body circulated, and her palm faintly emitted a crimson glow.
The Chengying Sword keenly sensed that extremely dangerous aura and immediately panicked.
"Wait! What are you doing! This old man is a High Grade Spiritual Artifact! You don't actually want to destroy me, do you?!"
Jiang Yuechu's tone was flat: "Since you're so powerful, if I refine you, wouldn't it be a good supplement for my body?"
"You can't! You absolutely can't! Although this old man is damaged, the Sword Heart is not extinguished, and the spiritual rhythm still remains! If you keep me by your side, I can teach you the supreme Sword Dao! Those sword techniques of the Jieqing Sect, I can recite them for you with my eyes closed!"
Jiang Yuechu shook her head.
"I don't practice the sword."
The Chengying Sword was speechless.
If you don't practice the sword, why did you run into the Hidden Sword Tower?!
Feeling the crimson light in her palm growing stronger and stronger, the Chengying Sword completely abandoned its dignity as a High Grade Spiritual Artifact.
"Heroine! Great Auntie! This old man doesn't just know sword techniques; I also know the secrets of this Jieqing Sect... I, I can even help you find treasure! Even if you don't practice the sword, this old man's material was forged from Nine Heavens Profound Iron and is incredibly hard; it would also be excellent if you used me as a brick to smash people!"
"..."
Listening to the incessant pleading of the remnant sword in her hand, Jiang Yuechu's gaze gradually became strange.
This behavior of bullying the weak while fearing the strong and following the wind felt inexplicably familiar to her.
In a daze, she seemed to see the shadow of a certain Red Flood Dragon in this piece of scrap iron.
Originally, when she stepped into this Hidden Sword Tower and faced a room full of scrap metal of unknown depth, she actually hadn't had much confidence in her heart.
She had a very clear understanding of herself.
Without that mysterious system panel to back her up, relying solely on her own Aptitude and Comprehension Ability, she wouldn't amount to much in the eyes of the world.
To expect her to perceive some ethereal Sword Intent or to win the recognition of these arrogant ancestral spirit swords was no different from a pipe dream.
But since this thing had developed intelligence, could speak, and was even afraid.
Then things were much easier.
Jiang Yuechu, in her journey until now, had always upheld a very simple philosophy.
If they don't submit, hit them until they cry for their mother.
Looking at it now, no matter where this set of logic was applied, the effect was as useful as ever.
Seeing that the young woman remained silent for a long time, the Chengying Sword spirit felt increasingly unsure.
Actually, as the personal sword of a Painting Realm powerhouse, it held a revered status within this Hidden Sword Tower and didn't fear anyone.
Even if those stunningly talented Personal Disciples of the Jieqing Sect came here, if it didn't like the look of them, it would simply ignore them.
Add to that the generations of Jieqing Sect members who came here to comprehend the sword; which one of them wasn't extremely respectful toward these ancestral legacy swords, treating them like gods?
Let alone grabbing them, even if their voices were a bit louder, they were afraid of disturbing the spiritual rhythm within the swords.
How could they dare to be so presumptuous...
But who would have thought that this black-robed girl who appeared out of nowhere would act so recklessly.
She had absolutely no sense of reverence for an ancestral sword, and would even try to forcibly refine it as a tonic at the slightest disagreement.
If it were the methods of an ordinary Cultivator, the Chengying Sword would naturally not be afraid.
But thinking back to that crimson Qi that had poured into the sword body from the girl's palm earlier... the Jieqing Sect always claimed to be the orthodox lineage of the Human Race, so when did they let in such a monster who practiced evil arts?
Jiang Yuechu's gaze swept over the broken swords and remnant iron on the altar that were still playing dead.
"Let me ask you, in this tower, besides you, are there any others that have developed intelligence?"
As soon as these words were spoken, the scrap metal on the altar all shrank back in unison.
The Chengying Sword immediately understood, and to save itself, it sold out its colleagues without hesitation.
"Yes, of course there are... that one with the broken tip is Longyuan, the sword of a Grand Elder back then; it has a terrible temper. And that one that doesn't even have a hilt is Chunjun; it loves to act all high and mighty. If you're short on tonics, Heroine, this old man can help you drag them all out..."
...
Outside the Sword Pavilion.
The green wood doors were tightly shut, isolating the vast and biting Sword Intent within.
True Lord Linghan stood with his hands behind his back, seemingly as steady as Mount Tai, but in reality, his gaze occasionally drifted toward those motionless doors.
He Wuya and Tang Wanyin stood to one side, their expressions varied.
A gust of mountain wind blew past.
He Wuya finally couldn't help but speak softly, breaking the silence: "Deacon Linghan... has Fellow Daoist Jiang been inside for a bit too long?"
True Lord Linghan gave a dry cough, suppressing the growing uncertainty in his heart, and stroked his beard calmly: "What's the rush... she's a girl who has never practiced the Sword Dao; it's only natural for her to suffer a bit inside... I don't think any major trouble will occur."
Just at this moment.
The sea of clouds at the horizon churned, and several sharp streaks of light whistled through the air, tearing through the sky.
Before the Sword Qi had even landed, the figures had already arrived.
Upon seeing the newcomers, both He Wuya and Tang Wanyin were stunned and hurriedly bowed in greeting: "Elder Wuxiang, why are you here?"
The newcomer wore a large green robe, had a white beard, and his face carried an aura of irritable authority. Behind him followed several Sect Elders with deep Qi.
Elder Wuxiang landed his sword light, his gaze sweeping over the three people standing outside the Sword Pavilion. He frowned slightly and asked in confusion, "Why aren't you three out doing business instead of gathering here outside the Hidden Sword Tower?"
"Uh..."
True Lord Linghan's face stiffened, and his heart began to pound.
Bringing an outsider into the Hidden Sword Tower without permission was a genuine abuse of authority.
If it were discovered by anyone else, it might be fine, but he had been caught red-handed by the most hot-tempered Elder Wuxiang. If it were investigated, wouldn't he be in for a scolding for no reason?
Seeing the three of them looking strange and hesitating.
Elder Wuxiang couldn't be bothered to argue with them. He casually waved his large sleeve and spoke with a voice like a booming bell: "Fine, I can't be bothered with your trivial matters... By the way, which peak's Disciple just entered the Sword Pavilion?"
He Wuya's heart trembled, and he braced himself to ask carefully, "Elder, what... what's wrong?"
"What's wrong?"
On Elder Wuxiang's usually stern and rigid old face, a hint of a smile actually squeezed out as he stroked his beard. "Hehe, just now, a decree came from the Sect Master's side, saying he sensed that the spiritual rhythm of the Chengying Sword has manifested within this Hidden Sword Tower..."
The spirit swords within the Hidden Sword Tower had always been prideful and Heavenly Accomplishment.
Especially those High Grade Spiritual Artifacts that had once followed Painting Realm powerhouses to battle across the world; they hadn't shown the slightest bit of sharpness for many years, preferring to gather dust and rust on the offering altar rather than stoop to ordinary Cultivators.
Now, that Chengying Sword was finally willing to manifest its spirit, and its Qi was surging.
It was likely about to recognize a master and leave the tower.
He smiled slightly, completely failing to notice that True Lord Linghan's face beside him had already turned deathly pale.
"Alright, alright, I won't waste any more words with you."
Elder Wuxiang strode forward, his face glowing with excitement. "This old man wants to see which peak produced such a good seed that could make that Old Thing Chengying bow its head."
With that.
He led the several Elders behind him and swarmed toward the tightly shut green wood doors.
"..."
Outside the Sword Pavilion, the mountain wind blew past.
The three of them stood in place like clay statues, silently watching the impatient figures of those elderly men.
He Wuya swallowed hard, turned his head, and looked at True Lord Linghan with a complicated gaze.
His gaze unconsciously drifted downward, and he couldn't help but remind him in a low voice: "Deacon Linghan, your pants..."
True Lord Linghan looked down, and his face twitched slightly.
He reached out and waved his hand sheepishly: "Ha... so it was urine, I thought it was sweat..."