Chixiao Sword, Tempered with the Blood of Beasts

"Was that really a monster just now?"

Li Mo pondered, then felt something was off.

The Divine Edge Cave was located within the Qingyuan Sect, and its entrance was guarded by an inner sect steward.

How could a monster possibly get in?

Perhaps it was just a senior brother with an unfortunate appearance...

Li Mo dismissed the thought.

Thud—

His footstep landed firmly on the ground of the fourth level.

A wave of razor-sharp killing intent assaulted him. Despite his early achievements in body refinement, he instantly felt an almost crushing pressure.

His physique, comparable to the peak of mortal-grade weapons, registered faint stinging sensations.

"Just the residual aura alone is terrifying."

"It's at least ten times stronger than the third level."

Li Mo took a shallow breath, and even his internal organs tingled slightly.

Fortunately, he had trained his organs and meridians as well—otherwise, he wouldn’t have lasted a moment here.

"What kind of weapons are being nurtured on this level?"

Li Mo raised his gaze.

The vast fourth level was split in half—one side frozen in frost, the other distorted by scorching heat.

This was inside a mountain cave, no less.

The sight was nothing short of unbelievable.

The number of remaining weapons had dwindled significantly.

Only nine stone platforms stood, each embedded with a single weapon.

The first held a translucent crimson longsword.

As Li Mo approached, he noticed inscriptions carved before the platform:

"Zhu Zichong, the first master of the Divine Edge Peak, was inspired by the vision of twin suns in the sky. He forged this weapon in imitation of the 'Blazing Void' sword, ranked fifth on the Divine Arms Ranking of the Nine Provinces. Upon completion, it attained the rank of Mystic Armament and was named 'Crimson Sky.'"

This was the first line on the platform.

A Mystic Armament!

Weapons were categorized as Mortal, Fine, Sharp, and Named.

Beyond Named weapons lay the five tiers of Mystic Armaments.

As for what lay above Mystic Armaments?

Li Mo had no idea—he hadn’t even heard of such things.

But judging by the inscription, if this Mystic Armament was merely an imitation, its original counterpart, the Blazing Void sword, must be even more formidable.

"The Divine Arms Ranking of the Nine Provinces..."

"The first master of the Divine Edge Peak..."

Li Mo was awestruck.

To his knowledge, the current Divine Edge Peak struggled to produce even Named weapons after long periods.

Yet in the past, they could forge Mystic Armaments?

That would mean this sword was crafted shortly after the Great Yu Dynasty unified the realm.

More words followed, so Li Mo continued reading.

[Qin Xiaomeng, the fourth master of Jade Cluster Peak, claimed this sword today!]

[Lu Rulong, the sixth master of Jade Cluster Peak, humbly requests the Crimson Sky sword!]

[Yue Hong, the thirteenth master of Sunset Glow Peak, having mastered the Blazing Sun Sword Art to perfection, seeks the Crimson Sky sword!]

...

The intervals between later claimants grew longer.

Li Mo’s thoughts churned.

This suggested fewer and fewer in the Qingyuan Sect were qualified to wield this Mystic Armament.

Moreover...

The sword seemed to have been lost for a time.

[Shang Wu, the thirty-third master of Jade Cluster Peak, slew a Heaven-ranked assassin of the Drizzle Pavilion and recovered the Crimson Sky sword.]

Li Mo scanned the nine platforms.

Though their timelines varied, their contents were similar to the first.

Three were empty—whether lost or in the hands of sect elders, he couldn’t tell.

He now understood.

These were all Mystic Armaments forged by past masters of the Divine Edge Peak.

To claim one, one had to earn its recognition.

Once the wielder could no longer control it, the weapon had to be returned.

"How does one become a weapon’s master?"

Li Mo couldn’t deny his envy.

A Mystic Armament!

He’d dreamed of owning a majestic sword like this.

Among the nine platforms, only two were swords—one named "Frost Sky," the other this Crimson Sky.

Hum—

Suddenly, a sword’s resonance echoed.

As if sensing Li Mo’s approach, the Crimson Sky sword trembled in its platform.

The next moment—

Li Mo’s vision blurred.

A swordsman materialized in the distance, standing with his back to him, a blade strapped behind him.

The figure’s face was indistinct, clad in simple short robes, yet exuding an undeniable sharpness.

Though the swordsman didn’t speak, Li Mo grasped his intent.

"Draw your sword."

Draw?

Li Mo retrieved a tempered steel sword from his system space.

This was his first real swordfight, and his excitement was palpable.

With my newly mastered superior sword art, why should I fear you?

......

Ten minutes later.

Li Mo clutched his chest instinctively, snapping his eyes open.

In that dazed moment, he’d felt an illusory blade pierce through him. Though unharmed, the phantom burn lingered.

His mastered sword art hadn’t lasted five exchanges.

The Crimson Sky sword fell silent once more.

"Seems one must master a superior martial art to perfection to become a weapon’s master."

Reading the inscriptions again, Li Mo steadied himself.

After a hesitant pause, he shook his head and sat down to temper his body.

Martial arts grew exponentially harder at higher levels.

Seventy-six years of combat insights weren’t enough to push the Fire Crane Thousand Feathers to perfection.

A century’s worth might suffice.

With that thought, he turned his gaze to a nearby stone wall.

"Since entering the Divine Edge Cave, I’ve felt something calling to me."

"But there’s no path forward here."

"Do I have to break through this wall?"

......

At the cave’s entrance.

The crowd stood in stunned silence.

Yin Huacheng, who had earlier carried himself with lofty pride, now emerged in disarray.

His robes, once adorned with cloud patterns, hung in tatters, his body crisscrossed with bloody gashes.

The wounds weren’t severe—after all, the Named weapons had acted without wielders, leaving mere surface injuries against his toughened physique.

But what baffled him was their outright rejection of him, contrasted with their eagerness for a mere new disciple.

It was like watching a woman he’d pursued for years throw herself at a stranger she’d just met.

Infuriating!

"I’m still not strong enough."

Clenching his fists, Yin Huacheng strode to the Divine Edge Peak’s rear mountain.

A figure waited in the distance—tall and burly.

Fu Tu.

"What happened to you?"

Fu Tu’s brow arched at his disheveled state.

"Where’s the new vessel I asked for?"

Yin Huacheng ignored the question, hands clasped behind his back.

"Wang Hu—tiger-armed, panther-waisted. The beast seed’s already in him."

Fu Tu smirked. "He even thanked me."

"Good."

Yin Huacheng’s eyes gleamed with satisfaction.

Knowing his inability to swallow defeat, Fu Tu added,

"Patience, brother. Stick to the plan—wait for the sect trials to make your move."

"I know what I’m doing."

Yin Huacheng brushed him off.

After a pause, he continued,

"A batch of outer disciples will soon leave the sect to return home."

"You’d target even them?"

Fu Tu studied him carefully.

Yin Huacheng scoffed. "They’ve enjoyed the Qingyuan Sect’s benefits. Did they think they could just leave in glory? If those trash can be of some final use, it’s the greatest honor of their wretched lives."

The Hundred Beasts Blood Refinement—no wonder it was forbidden.

Practicing it too much rots the mind.

Fu Tu sneered inwardly but feigned hesitation on his face.

"Don’t forget who vouched for you to enter the Qingyuan Sect," Yin Huacheng’s voice carried a faint threat.

Fu Tu had no intention of refusing in the first place. After putting on a show of reluctant agreement, he nodded.

"Fine, I’ll see what I can do."

Fu Tu turned to leave, but before he could take more than two steps, Yin Huacheng’s voice called after him.

"That newly promoted true disciple, the one surnamed Li—what’s his background?"

"He’s the sole disciple of Jade Cluster Peak," Fu Tu replied, narrowing his eyes with a smirk. "You’d better not set your sights on him. If you provoke Shang Wu, not even Peak Master Yin can save you."

"Jade Cluster Peak... Li Mo."

Yin Huacheng muttered the name to himself, as if committing it to memory.

The fourth level of the Divine Edge Cave!

Only the elders of the various peaks or those at the Observing Divinity Realm with perfected body refinement could enter and face the Profound Arms directly.

That kid must have a rare treasure on him!

Yes, it had to be because of a treasure.

The anger in Yin Huacheng’s heart faded, replaced by a burning greed.