Chapter 459: The Voice of the Sword Spirit, Lin Changsheng

There's still something left unclaimed?

Zhao Ruoming activated his will, uniting spirit and body.

His entire form immediately dissolved into a thread of formless, weightless, yet utterly pure and yang "qi," slipping through gaps in the bricks and stones toward the depths of the Joyful Xiancheng Lord's mansion.

Because the spiritual energy had been drained, all protective measures had likewise failed.

He descended without encountering any obstruction whatsoever.

One level, two levels, three levels…

He continued descending deeper into the mansion until the seventh level.

The purest yang qi coalesced, reforming into Zhao Ruoming's appearance, materializing within a dark underground space devoid of even a glimmer of light.

The air carried a faint odor of decay and mold, damp and heavy.

"So everything's been cleared out," Zhao Ruoming frowned.

Though the underground chamber was pitch-black, to the extraordinary vision of a Spirit Transformation cultivator, it was no different from daylight.

Across the spacious underground chamber, he saw numerous wooden shelves overturned and scattered, along with spirit pearls shattered into fragments after their spiritual energy had been fully drained.

It was as if a locust swarm had passed through—all spiritual items had been taken, and the residual spiritual energy was even scarcer than outside the Lord's mansion.

As for the *Ji Ling Yi Gui Mi Lu* he sought, there was not a trace of it.

"But this shouldn't be…"

Hum~

A dot of Qian Yuan Bu Mie Yu Qing Xuan Guang flared at his fingertip, softly illuminating the surrounding area.

He closed his eyes, carefully sensing for a moment…

A speck of Xuan Guang lingered in his mind, resonating with his own essence.

Soon, he sensed a faint, almost imperceptible pulse.

Found it!

He snapped open his eyes and turned toward his back—a smooth, seamless wall of pale bluish-gray, as if carved from a single slab of stone.

To the naked eye, it showed no unusual features, yet…

"A sealing array… or a formation?"

Zhao Ruoming was certain—this wall was definitely abnormal.

Before the last Xian Sect Grand Competition, some within the sect had called him the "Treasure-Seeking Dao Disciple" for good reason.

Ordinary formations and seals could never block his innate divine ability to detect hidden things!

Immediately, Zhao Ruoming retreated warily, preparing to activate the various protective and concealment functions of his bracelet, then use the fruit puppet his sister had given him to probe further…

But he had barely triggered the "Tai Shang Wu Dai" invisibility module when the smooth bluish-gray wall suddenly changed!

Without a sound.

The wall dispersed like mist scattered by a gentle breeze, slowly dissolving away.

Huh?!

Zhao Ruoming's heart tightened, instantly activating a cascade of countermeasures: anti-soul-scan, anti-thermal-imaging, anti-divination, anti-karmic-tracing, and more.

His mind subtly clamped onto a Great Teleportation Talisman stored in his storage ring, ready to activate and flee at once.

"From the Tai Shang Dao Sect?"

A voice resonated through mental transmission.

It's a competitor!

Zhao Ruoming grew even more cautious.

Spirit Transformation cultivators from this world are easy to handle—but if this is a competitor, it's not simple…

"Haha, your steady cultivation is lacking—you came as your true body, not a puppet," the mental voice continued.

Of course!

I merely dabbled in the *Guide to Steady Survival*—I'm fundamentally a proper Law cultivator!

Yet this person beneath the Joyful Xiancheng Lord's mansion could instantly tell I'm my true body, not a puppet…

Even as Zhao Ruoming internally grumbled, he grew even more cautious.

Around the man, a formation seemed to sever perception—even a Spirit Transformation cultivator's extraordinary vision could only make out a shadowy humanoid figure seated still.

Who is this person?

Does he have the *Ji Ling Yi Gui Mi Lu*?

Thoughts raced through his mind; ultimately, Zhao Ruoming maintained his concealment and spoke:

"Your condition seems poor—aren't you worried I'll strike while you're vulnerable?"

"Strike while I'm vulnerable?" The man sounded amused, "Hahaha! Go ahead—before you do, let me introduce myself…"

Even through the perception-severing formation and despite his own concealment, Zhao Ruoming still felt the man's gaze upon him.

As if his concealment had zero effect.

"I am Lin Changsheng."

Lin Changsheng?!

Zhao Ruoming's heart sank.

The top-ranked Spirit Transformation cultivator in the last Xian Sect Grand Competition, and now with six points already collected in this competition—likely still the top-ranked Lin Changsheng!

Damn it!

My luck is truly insane.

I just ran into Wu Zhongfeng, and now I'm running into Lin Changsheng?

Why are all these old bastards fifty or sixty? Why can't I meet someone my own age?!

Without the slightest hesitation, he directly activated the Greater Teleportation Talisman.

This freaking bastard is Lin Changsheng!

Ascended to Soul Transformation at twenty-six, and now several more decades have passed—his strength has skyrocketed absurdly.

Even while deliberately suppressing his realm, he's almost at Mid-Spirit Transformation.

Of course running is the best strategy!

Only an idiot would keep staying here!

Hum~!

As the Greater Teleportation Talisman erupted with dazzling light, layers of folds rippled across the void.

"Hold!"

A longsword, three chi and three cun in length, its blade like a pool of autumn water, pierced through the air, emitting the droning cry of a dragon.

Sword qi swept in all directions, sword intent chilling and dense, forcibly suppressing the spatial fluctuations triggered by the Greater Teleportation Talisman.

"Fuck!" Zhao Ruoming couldn't help but curse.

Even the Greater Teleportation Talisman can be locked down—you must be cheating!

No wonder he has so many points!

Horrified in his heart, he tapped his foot and his figure swiftly slid backward.

At the same time, layers of Yu Qing Xuan Guang blazed around his body, and he instantly activated his own 'Amplification Light' system.

After comparing the age gap between them, a wave of profound, ineffable fluctuation merged into the xuan guang, making it blaze even more intensely.

The entire underground chamber was illuminated in brilliant light.

Sizzle~!

Like a red-hot blade slicing into solidified butter, the xuan guang swirling around him was cut apart layer by layer.

Until only the last thin layer of xuan guang remained, the autumn-water-like longsword finally ran out of momentum and stopped at a position five cun from his throat.

"Yu Qing Xuan Guang?" Lin Changsheng's divine sense transmission carried a hint of surprise. "You're that Zhao Ruoming who was beaten to tears by Little Xiao Shu Zu in the last Grand Competition?"

Zhao Ruoming, whose heart was still seething with shock and fury, froze upon hearing this, his emotions becoming somewhat disjointed.

"……"

Is there really anyone in this world who doesn't know about that incident?!

But just as Zhao Ruoming was feeling indignant in his heart, he saw the longsword before his throat being withdrawn.

"Very well, since that's the case, leave behind spiritual items worth two hundred thousand spirit coins, and you may go." Lin Changsheng said.

Hmm?

Why this again?

Is there any necessary connection between the two?

Zhao Ruoming's head was full of question marks, and he very much wanted to ask why.

But out of caution, to avoid the other party changing his mind, he ultimately asked nothing.

He merely silently took out the spiritual items Wu Zhongfeng had previously distributed to him, until their value reached two hundred thousand spirit coins.

Although, bolstered by the Amplification Light system, he now had the ability to briefly clash with Lin Changsheng.

But that was all it was!

He still needed to make a strategic retreat first.

After all, before finding Chi Jiuyu and washing away his former disgrace, he absolutely could not be eliminated!

"Alright, you may go now."

Hum~!

The sword intent sealing the space dissipated, and the previously suppressed spatial fluctuations reappeared, carrying Zhao Ruoming away and vanishing from the underground space.

"……"

With his departure, the ruined underground chamber returned to its former quietness.

After a while, confirming that Zhao Ruoming had truly left, Lin Changsheng rose from within the perception-screening formation and came before the pile of spiritual items worth two hundred thousand spirit coins.

Some of the spiritual items emitted spiritual light, illuminating Lin Changsheng's face clearly.

How should one put it……

Emm……

One could faintly make out a vague human shape.

【Name: Lin Changsheng】

【Age: 58】

【Realm: Early Soul Transformation】

【Currently Loaded System: Amplification Light Type-i】

【Current Points: 7】

【Current Ranking: 1】

If nothing unexpected happens, this time should secure at least half of it.

After the Grand Competition ends, he'll sell this 'Space-Locking Sword Art' that can suppress Greater Teleportation Talismans to the Scripture Transmission Pavilion.

Combined with the Grand Competition's rewards, he can begin breaking through to Mid-Spirit Transformation, and along the way strengthen his life-bound sword.

Sigh~

Nurturing a sword as a sword cultivator is truly no easy matter.

With a sigh in his heart, he raised his hand and collected the spiritual items.

As if thinking of something, he touched his own face.

According to the Senior of the Tyrant, the symptoms of "External Form Degradation" will not vanish for another day.

To avoid becoming a laughingstock at the Xian Sect Grand Competition like Zhao Ruoming, he would absolutely not step outside until the symptoms were completely gone!

However, this experience had also taught him a lesson.

"Words bring disaster…"

If you're not as tough as a body cultivator and care about your image, it's best not to imitate their low-quality behavior.

Thinking this, he returned to the formation, sat down, and settled his mind to breathe and absorb.

Now it was the fourth round—only two rounds remained…

After this, Wu Zhongfeng, that extreme fanatic, would surely go to any lengths to trouble him; he must maintain his condition.

…

…

It's worth noting that Lin Changsheng's thoughts weren't entirely wrong.

Body cultivators indeed pay little attention to their appearance.

In fact, a former genius body cultivator once developed a method: "Presenting Ugliness to Instill Psychological Fear in Enemies."

During that time, due to all manner of bizarre, grotesquely ugly appearances, ticket sales for the Xian Sect Grand Competition hit an all-time low.

The reputation of body cultivators once plunged below the floor, becoming worse than that of the pleasure cultivators…

Eventually, Hehuan Laozu could no longer bear it, banned the method, and strictly ordered: "Except in life-or-death duels, this method must not be used again," which allowed the body cultivators' reputation to recover and once again surpass that of the Hehuan Sect's charm cultivators.

Rumor has it that many suspect the body cultivator who created this method was actually the same one who created the Zhi Ge Dueling Platform!

But to this day, this rumor remains unverified.

…

…

Just as Zhao Ruoming used a spiritual item worth 200,000 spirit coins as "blood money" to escape from Lin Changsheng…

The battle between Chi Jiuyu and Yan Mu had finally reached a conclusion.

The time was evening.

The waterspout carrying millions of hectares of seawater had vanished; the once-dry sea had been refilled with water.

The sea surface churned with shattered gold, like molten fire flowing along the wave crests.

Above the glittering waves, a figure floated, drifting with the current.

"Hehe! Using your uncle's sword to cut me? You've never even died before!"

Chi Jiuyu, held aloft by a thin layer of magic power, had a pale face but her eyes still gleamed with triumph.

A mere little cultivator of the Hehuan Sect—even if she'd copied a single sword strike from her uncle—how could she possibly be a match for Jiuyu Laozu!

When she was in Xuan Sword City, her uncle had killed her countless times.

Even now, she still couldn't break that sword strike…

But she had been studying it all along!

"Cough! Cough!"

Spitting out a mouthful of blood, she slowly rose from the sea surface, wiped the blood from her lips, and gazed at the half-sunken crimson sun hanging over the horizon.

Well then.

To be fair, her uncle's sword was still as ever—full of pure "numerical" beauty.

Even the version copied by that dog brother nearly chopped her into dead fish.

But precisely because of that, even the dog brother himself couldn't fully control it, which was why she'd managed to kill him.

Otherwise, if the dog brother had truly wanted to flee, she truly would've had no way to stop him…

【Name: Chi Jiuyu】

【Age: 23】

【Realm: Soul Transformation Early Stage】

【Current System Loaded: Scale of Ages】

【Current Points: 2】

【Current Ranking: 6】

"Sixth place…"

Based on the previous rankings, if point totals hadn't changed, there should be two others tied with her.

It wasn't easy.

She'd fought tooth and nail just to earn two points—and that was only because the dog brother had messed up himself…

Lin Changsheng had managed to get six!

"I need to work harder!"

To avoid being overheard, Chi Jiuyu muttered in an extremely soft voice.

Since her uncle had emerged from seclusion, she'd been constantly trailing after him, and she'd truly become lax.

After the Grand Competition ends, she'll go find her master and ask her to assign more tasks—to train her to death!

She silently resolved this, then glanced around to confirm no one was nearby.

Her public image was that of a "talent-born prodigy"—how could anyone hear her talking about grinding?

But soon, as if remembering something, she took out her life-sword.

Placing it squarely before her, she sternly demanded: "Did you just speak?!"

A sword spirit speaking was a sign of having nurtured the sword to a certain level!

What if her life-sword, illuminated by her supreme wisdom, had also grown smarter, and finally realized that all those "exercises" she'd ordered it to do were actually…

Sssss~!

No way no way, Master Shu's Moon Shadow and Master's Moon Feather are both well-behaved!

She quickly denied it in her heart.

But still, I must ask clearly!

Vvvvv~!

The emerald-gold long sword trembled, emitting a faint, childish voice.

"Speak! Speak!"

It wasn't spiritual feedback—it was a real, genuine voice, somewhat similar to Chi Jiuyu's own tone.

Hm?!

It really can talk!

Chi Jiuyu was startled, then immediately frowned and said sternly: "Call me Lord."

"Jiuyu! Lord!"

"No Jiuyu!"

"No Yu!"

"Only Lord. No other words."

"Jiuyu!"

"..."

This sword of mine seems not very smart...

Sigh!

Perfect—this is the perfect chance to guide and educate it, to teach it to respect and cherish its Lord.

"I told you, you're my Life-Linked Sword, so you must be like Master Shu's Moon Shadow—respect the Lord, obey the Lord, right?"

"Mm!"

Not saying "Jiuyu" anymore?

Looks like mentioning Master Shu's Moon Shadow still works wonders! (End of Chapter)