Chapter 250: This Blade Can Sever an Immortal

In the blacksmith's shop.

A faint sound of wind and thunder echoed.

Li Rui knew this sound all too well.

Dragon's roar!

Before the furnace, Tie Kuang's hair and beard streamed wildly as he gripped a crimson longsword, roughly three feet in length.

Glowing light flowed across its surface, the blade shimmering like lake reflections.

A vivid koi fish swam upstream against the current.

Struggle forward!

Having absorbed the dragon's essence from the dragon's saliva incense, the koi had transformed—its body elongated, more like a water serpent than a fish.

This was clearly the sign of imminent dragon transformation.

Seeing Li Rui appear, Tie Kuang hurriedly urged: "Li kid, quickly pour in your true qi to aid its transformation!"

A single glance revealed the koi's dragon essence was nearly spent, weak and faltering, needing Li Rui's true qi to sustain it.

"Understood!"

Li Rui did not delay.

He opened his palm wide, spewing forth waves of Immortal Xuan Qi onto the crimson longsword.

The moment the koi encountered the Immortal Xuan Qi, it was as if blessed by divine power.

Its previously sluggish speed suddenly surged forward.

One inch, two inches…

The small crimson koi writhed, struggling upstream, inching ever closer to the sword's tip.

At the tip, a faint shadow resembling a gate hovered.

Finally.

The small koi leapt with all its strength, bursting straight off the blade's surface and piercing through the phantom gate.

The sea stretches wide—fish leap freely!

In the instant it leapt free of the blade, its form underwent a cataclysmic change—four claws sprouted from its belly, horns grew upon its head, and its body grew even longer.

Dragon transformation!

Witnessing this divine spectacle,

all three men in the blacksmith's shop held their breath.

The moment the small koi—now a small dragon—landed back on the blade's surface, the crimson longsword seemed to come alive.

Yes, truly alive.

It was as if Tie Kuang now held not a sword, but a living dragon!

"It's done! It's done!"

Tie Kuang's wild laughter echoed through the forge—this moment, he finally felt the Immortal Weapon in his hands was complete, truly worthy of the word "Immortal."

He laughed wildly, triumphantly.

This sword was his life's ultimate masterpiece.

A blacksmith forging an Immortal Weapon—certainly worth celebrating.

He'd forged an Immortal Weapon—why not be bold?

Only after the dragon transformation was this truly an Immortal Weapon, no less formidable than any he'd ever seen.

A true Immortal Weapon!

"Congratulations, Elder."

Li Rui offered his congratulations at once, studying the longsword in Tie Kuang's hands with curiosity.

Good heavens.

An Immortal Weapon!

There might not be another in all of Yunzhou—its value was unimaginable.

It could serve as the treasured artifact of an entire sect.

To witness the forging of an Immortal Weapon—this alone would be worth boasting about for life.

Liu Tiezhu stood beside him, equally proud.

For a weaponsmith, even partial involvement in forging an Immortal Weapon was a lifetime's honor.

Tie Kuang looked at Li Rui: "Meeting you, boy, has truly been my fortune."

He couldn't even recall how many times he'd said this.

But… it was the truth.

Without Li Rui, this Immortal Blade could never have been forged—not the slightest chance.

Li Rui: "Elder, when do you plan to leave Qinghe?"

According to Tie Kuang's own words,

he forged the Immortal Weapon to seek revenge and kill—now that the weapon was complete, it was time for blood.

Tie Kuang's face darkened with melancholy and confusion; he sighed softly: "The Immortal Blade is newly formed—it still needs time to nurture its blade intent before reaching its peak. I must stay longer."

Nurturing blade intent sounded remarkably similar to Li Rui's Sword-Nurturing Form.

The words on his lips were swallowed back.

Li Rui asked this question

because he secretly hoped to keep Tie Kuang from leaving.

More precisely—he didn't want Tie Kuang to die.

Yes.

Li Rui had no faith that Tie Kuang, even with this Immortal Weapon, could defeat Xueying Laozu, a famed Earth Immortal. Even if Xueying Laozu was only third-rank, Tie Kuang couldn't win.

Immortal Weapons can slay immortals.

But only if the wielder possesses the capability.

Tie Kuang was strong—but far from that level.

"Elder, let the young handle such matters. You've suffered enough in this lifetime."

At these words, Tie Kuang's face grew somber:

"Li kid, don't bother. I know what you mean—I won't die recklessly."

Hearing this,

Li Rui finally relaxed.

Only then did he have the leisure to admire the Immortal Weapon, like Liu Tiezhu.

What is called "masterpiece of nature"?

The crimson longsword in Tie Kuang's hand seemed naturally formed—every curve exuded beauty, bearing no trace of craftsmanship; the dragon head on the hilt was lifelike.

Li Rui understood:

This was a weapon nurtured—not forged.

Below Immortal Weapons—even the Flame-Scorching Heaven Hammer—was hammered into shape by relentless blows, a product of human labor.

But this Immortal Weapon was different.

Li Rui remembered: when first shaped, it had been a pitch-black sword blank.

It became this through Tie Kuang's daily nurturing, forming naturally.

Tie Kuang handed the hilt of the Immortal Blade to Li Rui: "Try it."

"Me?"

Li Rui paused slightly, then didn't refuse.

He truly wanted to see just how powerful an Immortal Weapon was.

His pupils widened slightly.

The instant he grasped it, every cell in his body surged to life—a fine, electric tingling raced from his arm through his entire body.

Wonderful!

Though this was his first time holding the Immortal Blade, it felt as if it were part of his own body.

As if guided by his will!

His breathing grew heavy; his eyes turned crimson.

"Kill."

Li Rui slowly uttered the word. Violent, ruthless killing intent surged through his chest—he already saw mountains of corpses, a pyramid of bones.

The crimson Immortal Blade urged him to strike.

In this moment,

a thought surged in his mind:

This blade can sever an immortal!

"I am the master!"

The killing intent receded like a tide; Li Rui's eyes instantly cleared.

Liu Tiezhu, sensing something amiss, opened his mouth to speak—

only to see Li Rui unharmed.

Tie Kuang, whose right hand had been slightly raised behind his back, lowered it, his face filled with surprise: "You've surprised me, boy—you weren't corrupted by the blade's malevolence. You're still yourself."

"Demon Blade?"

Liu Tiezhu stared at Tiekuang in shock, his eyes instantly filling with wariness.

Is Old Tie trying to kill his master?

Tiekuang saw Liu Tiezhu spreading his arms wide, like a hen shielding her chicks, and rolled his eyes.

"A divine weapon possesses a spirit; at the moment its spirit-form takes shape, it is most vulnerable—similar to a cultivator being invaded by external evil, suffering qi deviation."

"Once corrupted, it becomes a demon blade, requiring daily bloodshed."

The owner of a demon blade, daily tainted by demonic energy, will undergo drastic personality changes—becoming bloodthirsty, furious, cold, and cruel.

Hearing Tiekuang say this,

Liu Tiezhu flew into a rage, rolling up his sleeves: "Old Tie, you knew this and still did it—what kind of heart do you have?"

Tiekuang taught him skills, true enough, but as a master, he recognized only Li Rui.

Li Rui stepped forward, passing beyond Liu Tiezhu.

Deep in thought.

He had heard this claim before.

In the martial world, there were always tales of demon blades—immensely powerful, yet capable of corrupting the mind; several village massacres in Yu Kingdom were caused by exactly this.

That was when the blade controlled the man, not the man the blade.

Though gaining immense combat power, one became the slave of the weapon.

Tragic.

Thus, only those with unshakable will could subdue a demon blade.

Tiekuang kicked Liu Tiezhu: "You little brat, now you remember who your master is? Though the demon blade is poisonous, to one with firm will, it is also a blessing—if you restrain yourself and resist its corruption, you can temper your spirit and reduce the chance of future qi deviation."

Upon hearing this,

Liu Tiezhu's face froze.

Oh no!

Looking again at Master Li Rui—he was the only one who took this seriously.

This forge shop clearly wasn't going to work out.

Li Rui bowed: "Thank you, elder."

He could truly feel it—after dispelling the demon blade's corruption, his entire being felt far clearer.

Tiekuang had deliberately given him this opportunity.

Had he known beforehand, the effect might not have been as strong; the point was the element of surprise.

Danger and opportunity always coexist.

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Moreover, Tiekuang, a primordial master, was right beside him—nothing could go wrong.

Tiekuang waved his hand: "Enough. Today has been fulfilling. Go wash up and sleep."

The divine weapon is complete.

Next, of course, is continued nurturing.

Though he had forged the divine weapon, Tiekuang no longer felt urgent about revenge. He would wait for the right moment—if fate denied him that chance, he would leave the vengeance to future generations of the Divine Weapon Manor.

He looked up at the bright moon:

"Enough. I'm just old."

He returned to the Anning Guard's home.

Not yet midnight.

Li Rui took off his outer robe, slipped into bed, and soon fell into deep sleep.

When his consciousness revived,

he found himself atop the Dream Cloud Terrace.

With a thought,

soft white mist gathered in his hand, touching a hard object; when the mist dispersed, a crimson long blade appeared in his grasp.

It was unmistakably the divine blade from moments ago.

"It works!"

Li Rui was overjoyed.

The Dream Wanderer Immortal simulation effect was even stronger than he'd imagined—it could simulate a divine weapon.

Truly extraordinary.

Li Rui gripped the divine blade and soared across the Cloud Terrace like a coiling dragon.

"Flying Dragon in the Heavens!"

"Dragon Appears in the Fields!"

The Six Dragon Slashes flowed like water, amplified by the divine blade's power—terrifyingly potent, carving deep gashes through the cloud-sea as if a celestial being stirred the winds and clouds.

Li Rui trained his swordplay with the divine blade.

The blade had been forged with his Divine Xuan Qi—it felt perfectly natural in his hands.

He trained for nearly four hours.

Feeling the dream about to expel him, he finally thought once more.

A figure in white robes, like an immortal, appeared atop his Cloud Terrace.

Jiang Lin remained as always, expressionless, uttering three words:

"Tanlang, go!"

The small sword Tanlang shot forward like a silver rainbow, striking straight for Li Rui's third eye.

Vertical slash!

Li Rui's blade struck the tip of Tanlang with perfect precision—the force hurled him dozens of feet through the air, blood spurting uncontrollably from his mouth.

He hadn't even risen yet.

Before him, the world was drowned in swordlight.

Creak.

The door opened.

Relaxed.

Though Jiang Lin had slain him again, there was a great difference between being killed and being killed.

Previously, his record had been blocking three of Jiang Lin's strikes.

But those three were more accurately dodges.

Not last night.

He had directly met Jiang Lin's strike head-on—no comparison in difficulty.

Even if he'd used the divine weapon, it was still worthy of pride.

Ask any cultivator in Yunzhou—how many could block one of Jiang Lin's strikes?

Not many.

Even though Li Rui's heart had long been still as a deep well, he still felt a surge of ambition.

He walked into the courtyard.

First, he instinctively glanced toward the stable.

Of course.

Wang Zhao was sound asleep, hugging the three-eyed white tiger.

His disciple's habit clearly wouldn't change.

If the Wu Kingdom folk knew of this bizarre way of raising a beast, what would they think?

Li Rui picked up the blade leaning against the big tree.

He began his morning training again.

Soon,

Wang Zhao and Yang Yong stepped out of the stable.

Day after day.

Eat, work.

"Brother Li, several merchant caravans have reported a band of Wu Kingdom mountain bandits ambushing roads—they're acting very brazen."

Tan Hu said.

"Bandits?"

Li Rui frowned slightly.

This scenario sounded far too familiar.

Hadn't he once dealt with nearly the exact same incident in Wu Kingdom? Only this time, it had occurred within Yu Kingdom's borders.

He paused, then said:

"Send some men to scout first."

"Yes."

Tan Hu nodded.

Guarding the safety of trade routes was the duty of their Captain's office—they couldn't ignore it.

Tan Hu had just left.

Yan Zhongxing entered with Xu Wen.

"Master Li."

He gave a slight bow.

Li Rui stood up, chuckling: "Master Yan, what brings you here?"

As head of the Weiheshimao Office, Yan Zhongxing was one rank above him, so he needed to be extra courteous.

"Master Li, have you heard about the merchant convoy being attacked these past days?"

Yan Zhongxing got straight to the point upon entering.

"I've already sent people to investigate."

Hearing Li Rui had already acted, Yan Zhongxing's expression softened slightly; he realized he had lost his composure just now. Even though he outranked Li Rui, their systems were entirely different.

One civil, one military—he had no authority over Li Rui whatsoever.

His tone grew gentler:

"Master Li, you may not know, but those bandits specifically targeted the Changkong Association's convoy. Their Elder Sun came personally to plead for the bandits' annihilation, to restore peace."

"It is my duty, Master Yan. Rest assured."

"Then I'm indebted to you, Master Li. If you need me to intervene, I can arrange contact with Elder Jiang and Master Cao."

Li Rui shook his head: "The situation is unclear. Thank you for your concern, Master Yan."

With that,

Yan Zhongxing came and went in a hurry, leaving shortly after due to a mountain of official duties.

Ever since the Weiheshimao Office arrived, Yan Zhongxing had barely had a moment's rest.

There truly were too many matters.

And since they involved two nations, any misstep could spark major chaos.

Yan Zhongxing was already overwhelmed just dealing with the Eight Great Sects and the Wu Kingdom's envoys.

Watching Yan Zhongxing leave,

Xu Wen spoke apologetically: "Master Li, I'm sorry—the Changkong Association went straight to Master Yan. I only just heard about it myself."

He dealt with Li Rui more than anyone else.

They had always supported each other; he feared Li Rui might be displeased today and refuse cooperation in the future.

Li Rui smiled faintly: "You're thoughtful, Master Xu."

Xu Wen sighed lightly.

Compared to the Wu Kingdom, Yu Kingdom's trade routes had always been largely stable—yet trouble had still arisen.

"Damn it. Why do these bandits skip everyone else and only target the Eight Great Sects? It's ridiculous."

(End of Chapter)