Chapter 685: Requirements

"Hmm?"

Everyone looked at the Sword Saint of Guiyuanshi in surprise.

You say you don't know the nature of Zhu Ying's Sword Deity? But you specifically sought us out, and you still say you don't know?

Are you playing dumb?

If it were someone else, such as those deep-scheming political figures, everyone would be certain they were playing dumb, but this is a powerhouse from the heavens, a powerhouse who can crush others and whose word is law; it seems there is no need to play dumb with them, right?

Could it be that he really doesn't know?

Guiyuanshi explained, "To maintain peace in the Human World, the Sun Court originally had methods to monitor the birth of Sword Deities. Sword Deities, especially those in the Human World, are all unstable factors and must be monitored frequently. Miss Zhu was detected previously. We have known about her for several years now."

"Of course, the heavens do not monitor her every single moment, but observing her every now and then is necessary. Miss Zhu keeps to her duties and has never used the power of the Sword Deity to bully others, nor has she even used it for her own enjoyment; instead, she stays indoors and is unknown to the world. The heavens highly praise this. And precisely because you do not use your power, the heavens did not know the power of that Sword Deity when not specifically testing for it."

Zhu Ying raised an eyebrow and said nothing.

Xue Xianyun only felt a wave of lingering fear: because Sword Deities are special, they had gone to great lengths to keep it secret, thinking it was foolproof, but he never expected that the heavens also had eyes watching; it was truly impossible to guard against. It was fortunate that Zhu Ying could endure loneliness, only focusing on cultivating herbs at home, finding joy in it, and never abusing her power; otherwise, she would have long since caught the eye of those with ulterior motives, and trouble would have come knocking long ago.

Guiyuanshi said, "Can you tell me her Sword Intent? If you don't say it, I won't ask. But it is hard to stop others from asking. After all, a large part of the idea the Sun Court had to cultivate Sword Deities was inspired by Miss Zhu. For the success of the Jinwu Sword this time, we will certainly have to invite Miss Zhu to go up to the heavens, and at that time, no one can say for sure what the heavens will be like. The matter of the Jinwu Sword is very important; every link is being watched very closely, and it will definitely not be easily left without a follow-up."

Xue Xianyun let out a breath and said, "You all go out first; I have something to discuss with this Highness."

Several young Disciples agreed, all stood up, and walked out. Guiyuanshi beckoned and said, "Tang Zhao, stay. I just had an idea; if she truly cannot go to the heavens, I might still need his cooperation."

Tang Zhao agreed and remained behind. Xu Zhongnan and Xue Yeyu went out, leaving this Sword Hut far behind, leaving only four people.

Xue Xianyun said to Zhu Ying, "It is your own affair; you tell him."

Zhu Ying raised her head slightly and said, "There is nothing that cannot be said; my friend Loose Cultivator is right above."

At this moment, the canopy of the Sword Hut moved slightly and opened a pair of eyes.

They were a pair of bright red eyes; although they were bright red, the Eye Beads were round and looked very clear, not feeling terrifying at all.

Tang Zhao was startled; he had not expected that this Sword Hut, which looked like a lingzhi mushroom, was actually a Sword Deity?

He had also drunk medicinal tea with his senior sister in the Sword Hut, but he had never noticed that an extraordinary existence was quietly watching him from above.

Loose Cultivator... that is a lingzhi mushroom, right?

Guiyuanshi raised his head and said, "Fellow Daoist Loose Cultivator, good afternoon."

He was calm and composed, not at all startled, and it was unknown whether he had discovered the clues long ago or if his self-cultivation was particularly good, so that even if he were startled, it could not be seen.

Loose Cultivator blinked and said, "Good afternoon, Emperor."

Xue Xianyun was greatly shocked to hear the word "Emperor" and looked at Guiyuanshi, only then realizing that this person was a great figure who only existed in myths.

Zhu Ying might not have realized the weight of the title "Emperor" and just continued, "Lingzhi is an Auspicious Herb; Loose Cultivator governs good fortune."

As expected!

Tang Zhao actually did not know what the Sword Intent of this Sword Deity was, but after hearing it, he had a feeling of "as expected." Zhu Ying would make some good-fortune pouches, which were very useful. Xue Yeyu relied on this to ward off his innate bad luck and move about safely. Tang Zhao also had one; although he had encountered dangers over the years, he had turned them into safety, and he had even progressed rapidly, reaching such a realm at a young age—who is to say it wasn't the effect of that pouch?

Guiyuanshi was also amazed when he heard this and asked, "Is it truly efficacious?"

Zhu Ying said, "Efficacious. It has never exerted its full strength, but a single drop of lingzhi dew can ensure a person's life is safe and sound."

Then, if it exerted its full strength, could it influence even greater fortune?

Even... the fortune of the world?

Tang Zhao thought this, and his heart felt solemn: no wonder his master and senior sister were so careful. There might be people in this world who do not care about wealth, do not care about power, and do not even care about longevity, but fortune is something that everyone would probably be willing to possess, right?

After all, many people dare to say they have financial freedom, overwhelming power, and long lives, but who dares to say their fortune is enough and to spare?

Heaven's will is impermanent, and fate is also impermanent. People who can sit in a certain position actually mostly had good luck in the first half of their lives. They could even be called "Children of Destiny." But no one dares to say their luck can always stay good; perhaps after a catastrophe, their energy is exhausted, and everything turns to nothing. At that time, besides cursing the heavens a couple of times, what else can they do?

If someone could increase good fortune...

Tang Zhao remembered that the Yanggu Sword had a Sword Technique called Purple Qi Comes from the East, which could grant blessings to people. He himself had used it before, and he often used it when casting swords or making Dharma Artifacts; it seemed to have some use, which shows that figures like Sword Immortals would also specifically develop Sword Techniques to grasp that ethereal fortune.

What if there were an absolutely useful good fortune placed right before one's eyes?

This good fortune can not only be used by oneself, but can also bless one's family, hometown, country, and even the world—is this not enough to make anyone's heart move?

Tang Zhao felt his heart move a little, then became nervous, looking at Guiyuanshi.

Guiyuanshi was a kind Sword Saint, but perhaps his status was too lofty, and he had no opportunity to show the other side of his humanity; if it really touched his fundamental desires, what would he do?

Guiyuanshi fell silent, and the others also fell into silence.

"Interesting." After a while, Guiyuanshi laughed out loud, "Truly interesting, hahaha..."

He laughed, and he laughed from the heart, but the atmosphere did not lighten; the others were even more nervous. By comparison, Zhu Ying herself was rather calm, looking directly at Guiyuanshi.

Guiyuanshi drank the tea at his side in one gulp and placed it on the table, making a "clang" sound.

"A good treasure, a good treasure." He said in a low voice, "Even I have to use the power of self-control to restrain myself. I almost wanted to seize it by force."

At this time, Zhu Ying suddenly said, "Why do you have to restrain yourself? Can't someone like you act according to your heart? What are you still worried about?"

Xue Xianyun said, "A-Ying, how are you talking to a senior?"

He was actually afraid of provoking Guiyuanshi into doing something.

Guiyuanshi said with a smile, "It's fine, that urge has already passed. You are right; I could have acted according to my heart until now. But I am a person who is used to restraining myself. Controlling myself not to do things I want to do has already become a habit. As for why I have this habit, it may be because I come from a farming background; I deeply understand the principle of Following the Heavenly Time, and I also know the dangers of acting recklessly. If you want a bumper harvest, you cannot act as you please."

Tang Zhao knew what he said was correct; the Sword Momentum of the Kun Sword includes Following the Heavenly Time.

"Let me think; since you have said it, and I know it, it must be dealt with. I will first ask you, what is the current state of Fellow Daoist Loose Cultivator? How is its intelligence, and can it act and behave like a person?"

Zhu Ying raised her head, Loose Cultivator met her gaze, and said, "I have been listening to you talk; I can understand, but I cannot move. This forest is my home, and it is also the place I can influence. I don't know what is outside; I have never been outside to see."

Guiyuanshi pondered and said, "Fellow Daoist has not been born for long, right?"

Loose Cultivator said, "The first thing I saw when I woke up was A-Ying; she was eight years old at the time."

That was just over ten years ago.

"Indeed very short, meaning it has not fully developed yet. It already has power, but it will take more time to transform into a human form. Fellow Daoist is a Middle-rank Sword Deity; transforming into a human form is a matter of course."

The realm of Sword Deities has always followed the previous sword. If it is an Immortal Sword, it is a Middle-rank Sword Deity; if it is a Saint Sword, it is an Upper-rank Sword Deity. Once one becomes a Sword Deity, the time required to cultivate to the next realm is much longer and much more difficult than the time it takes for a Sword Guest to cultivate. Like the Lower-rank Sword Deity Xiangyangzi, although he has facial features and strength, he can only maintain his original form. But once one reaches a Middle-rank Sword Deity like Jinwu or Wangliang, one can possess the human form one desires.

Now this Loose Cultivator is still a lingzhi mushroom that cannot move, clearly having not yet fully mastered its power.

Guiyuanshi said, "I have a suggestion. Fellow Daoist Loose Cultivator can actively try to transform, possess its own identity early, and separate from Miss Zhu..." Seeing Zhu Ying open her mouth to speak, Guiyuanshi continued, "This is a liberation for Miss Zhu."

Loose Cultivator fell silent.

Guiyuanshi continued, "If you were a lingzhi in the hands of Miss Zhu, then she would be 'harboring a treasure that invites a crime,' and you would never be able to see the light of day. Conversely, if you step onto the stage as a Sword Immortal, even if you display your abilities, ordinary people will only admire you, and other Sword Immortals will want to win you over and form alliances with you, rather than easily harming you. And after Miss Zhu leaves you, she will still be able to possess her own true sword."

These words were accurate; for a rare treasure, everyone would certainly think of getting it into their own hands, so its current Master would be in great danger. But for a precious talent with the power to protect themselves, even major powers would think of winning them over first. If one operates well, one could even trade with several powers simultaneously and maintain a transcendent status. The strength of a Sword Immortal is already not bad; in fact, it is not that dangerous.

Zhu Ying and Loose Cultivator were both still young and might feel that being together was very happy and that it could stay like this forever, but Guiyuanshi, as an onlooker, saw clearly, and the advice was very sincere.

Loose Cultivator finally said, "I know, I will do my best."

Guiyuanshi said, "I believe that once a fellow Daoist understands the logic, they will be able to achieve the initial steps within a few years. I can secure this time for you. But there are a few conditions. The first is that Miss Zhu must impart all her experience and insights on cultivating Sword Deities, and pass them on to..."

He pointed to the side, "Young friend Tang Zhao."