The Bond of Chixiao and Tianshuang, Target: The Starfall Hammer of Panjie

The Crimson Sky Sword was a hypocritical blade.

It fawned over the "ice block," yet for our young Li Mo, it presented a trial.

Ten strikes.

If he could withstand them, he would become its master.

Li Mo's vision blurred.

Hum—

A familiar swordsman materialized before him.

The atmosphere instantly turned deadly.

The swordsman slowly clasped his fists in salute.

"Your guidance, please."

Li Mo gripped his steel-green sword and returned the gesture.

The next moment, their figures clashed.

The metallic clang of blades reverberated through the entire fourth floor.

......

On the third floor,

All renowned swords trembled faintly.

"Was that Brother Li’s doing?"

Murong Xiao couldn’t help but glance back at the dark entrance to the fourth floor.

That single sword hum had sent shivers down his spine.

"What happened?"

Xiao Qin looked up, clutching a broken greatsword.

Under the guidance of Thousand Forms Martial Venerable, he had found this weapon—unremarkable among the famed arms, missing half its length, yet forged from superior material.

It was also one of the few willing to acknowledge him as its master.

Its spirit was weak, requiring future nurturing, but Xiao Qin was satisfied.

Yet now, the greatsword trembled faintly in response to that distant hum.

"Your junior brother Li is crossing blades with a profound artifact," Thousand Forms Martial Venerable remarked casually, though he hadn’t witnessed it firsthand.

"Crossing blades with a weapon?"

Xiao Qin didn’t quite understand.

"The mightier the warrior, the stronger their spirit," the venerable explained.

"Their weapons, tempered through years of use, become imbued with their will."

"Do you know which blade is the most renowned in the legendary Heavenly Mountain Sword Manor?"

Eager to broaden his disciple’s horizons, Thousand Forms Martial Venerable indulged in the tale.

"Enlighten me, Master." Xiao Qin listened with keen interest.

"A wooden sword once wielded by the Sword Ancestor," the venerable said, as if recalling it firsthand.

"It bore an entire lineage of unyielding sword intent."

"Centuries ago, it flew thousands of miles from its tomb, severed a river with one stroke, and slew a vile flood dragon. To this day, the waters of that great river remain split."

"A single sword strike, halting a river for centuries?"

Xiao Qin gasped in awe.

Such a feat was beyond his current comprehension.

Thousand Forms Martial Venerable, pleased by his disciple’s reaction, added,

"The Sword Ancestor’s personal weapon is beyond any mere profound artifact."

"Still, that Crimson Sky is among the finest of its kind."

"Whether your junior brother Li can master it depends on whether he learned anything from that girl."

Crimson Sky... a perfect match for Frost Sky, Xiao Qin mused, lips pressed tight.

He felt no envy, only growing fondness for his own battered greatsword.

......

Clang—

On the fourth floor,

Li Mo had already withstood the sixth strike in the mental realm.

The sword’s hum sent an electric jolt through his soul, leaving his consciousness tingling.

Is this the aura of a profound artifact?

Or... the lingering will of its past wielder?

Li Mo recalled the words the "ice block" had shared beneath Clear Abyss.

If lingering obsessions could manifest as spectral beings, then a swordsman forged from sheer will didn’t seem far-fetched.

"The sword’s hum seems to temper the spirit," he realized.

At first, the effect was faint, but with each strike, the refining sensation grew clearer.

"Come on."

Li Mo steadied his breath and focused entirely on the duel.

Seventh strike!

Eighth strike!

Ninth strike!

These three were flawless, perfected swordplay.

After nine exchanges, his spirit felt invigorated, his mind sharper.

Without the "ice block’s" guidance, relying solely on his own martial insights, he might have faltered here.

It wasn’t surprising.

Like solving advanced equations—without innate talent, one might never grasp the answer without a genius’s formula.

"Tenth strike!"

The swordsman’s aura condensed, turning lethally restrained.

Li Mo exhaled slowly, pouring every ounce of focus into this final clash.

......

The tenth hum of the sword echoed through Divine Edge Cave, lingering like a reluctant sigh.

Outside the cave,

Elder Hanhe stroked his beard, his expression odd.

None understood the meaning of that hum better than him, the elder overseeing the Divine Edge Peak.

The Crimson Sky Sword had acknowledged its master.

Yet... it seemed almost begrudging.

As if dissatisfied with Li Mo’s talent.

Disdainful, yet compelled to serve?

The old man was thoroughly puzzled.

"Hah! Old man, both profound artifacts are mine now!"

Shang Wu nearly danced in triumph, barely restraining herself from planting her hands on her hips.

Elder Hanhe remained impassive. "Frost Sky belongs to Ying Bing. What does that have to do with you?"

Shang Wu gazed at him with something akin to pity.

A vein throbbed in the elder’s forehead.

That look was downright insulting.

"Anyway, old man, even without Little Ice, that’s still two," Shang Wu said, smirking.

"We had a bet, remember?"

"Tell you what—I’ll be generous. You don’t have to cover my debts. Just let me borrow any weapon from Divine Edge Cave whenever I need."

"Humph! One at a time!" Elder Hanhe grumbled.

He couldn’t bring himself to argue further.

It wasn’t that he lacked faith in Murong Xiao—but anyone who earned a profound artifact’s recognition was no ordinary swordsman.

And with such a weapon in hand, who could rival them in the same realm?

Letting Shang Wu take weapons was still better than settling her astronomical debts.

"You’ve got one virtue, old man—you never renege on bets."

Shang Wu tossed him a few compliments now that he’d conceded.

Ying Bing remained serene, unsurprised.

This was the first time she’d truly taught someone.

If her student couldn’t even claim a profound artifact, she’d have failed utterly.

"Crimson Sky..."

"Didn’t Senior Sister Ying wield Frost Sky? If I recall, those two swords have a joint technique?"

"I’ve read records of it too."

......

Senior disciples of Divine Edge Peak exchanged glances, recalling the legends.

The sect’s founder had forged the twin blades, gifting one to each of his two disciples.

The pair, deeply devoted to each other, had created a dual sword art—capable of transcending realms, renowned across the Eastern Wasteland Domain.

After their passing, Frost Sky and Crimson Sky had never again acknowledged masters simultaneously.

The technique was lost to time, its glory unseen for generations.

Now, the twin artifacts had found new wielders...

All eyes turned to Ying Bing.

Yet the jade-like maiden’s expression revealed nothing.

......

Meanwhile,

"Still playing hard to get, huh?"

Li Mo grinned, gripping the flame-like blade with delight.

His sword talent was lacking.

Yet here he was, at his age, having mastered consummate swordsmanship.

Thus, the Crimson Sky Sword reluctantly acknowledged him as its master.

But... whether it was reluctant or not didn’t matter—as long as it worked, that was enough.

Young Li Mo didn’t care if the melon was sweet or not; as long as it quenched his thirst, it served its purpose.

"I’ve got sword techniques, and now I’ve got a divine sword."

"If I’m not a swordsman, then who is?"

Li Mo grinned in delight.

At this moment,

his gaze turned toward the end of the fourth layer of the Divine Edge Cave, where the entrance flickered with intertwined flames and icy light.

The call from that direction grew ever stronger.

The matter of looking cool was already settled.

Now, it was time to focus on what could truly make him stronger.

"The Pangu’s Fallen Star Hammer."

The glow from the cave entrance reflected in Li Mo’s eyes.

Though wielding a hammer wasn’t exactly his preference,

this... was a divine weapon!

A treasure far beyond his current comprehension.

Moreover, it faintly resonated with his Extreme Arms Slaughter Body, complementing it perfectly.

"It wants to go with me."

"But first, I need to get close enough to take it."

Li Mo stepped into the cave entrance.

Instantly, an overwhelming pressure bore down on him.

The bone-chilling cold of the ice springs, the scorching heat of the fire springs, and the fierce, weaponized killing intent made it nearly impossible to breathe.

Had he not made progress in body refinement and taken a Six-Rune Clarity Pill, he wouldn’t even have the right to stand here.

Thud—

He took a single step forward.

In that instant, a thunderous roar echoed through the void.

Every organ, meridian, and drop of blood in his body trembled under the force.

The itching sensation in his bones made one thing clear to Li Mo:

His physique had grown stronger again.

"And I only took one step..."

His understanding of the divine weapon’s power deepened.

What’s more,

this was likely the result of the weapon’s spirit holding back most of its pressure!

"Keep going!"

Li Mo activated his Extreme Arms Slaughter Body and took another step.

At the same time, the sound of a massive hammer striking the earth reverberated in his ears.