Chapter 53: No Next Time

Zhang Sheng was somewhat bewildered.

Since he had established his Dao foundation, Xianjian Zhan Xu had never been drawn in battle—several major fights had been settled with Qing Si Yu alone. Could it be that Zhan Xu’s first draw was to cut iron?

If the immortal sword had a spirit, would it not be so enraged it would run away from home?

“Please, younger brother, take action!” Yu Zhizhuo urged again.

Zhang Sheng snapped back to himself. At this moment, he felt no particular sorrow, only an inexplicable bewilderment. He did not understand how, as a once-celestial prodigy, brilliant and unmatched, who had always ascended through invincible Dao-heart defiance, his cultivation had come to this.

But Zhang Sheng kept his word. Since he had accepted this task, there was no turning back. He sighed inwardly, and a hair-thin gray sword qi shot from his left pupil, coiling once like a flying dragon before instantly retreating into his eye.

The metal lump remained still at first, then after a moment, it emitted a few crisp clicks as several outer layers slowly peeled away, revealing a square core within.

Yu Zhizhuo forgot to thank Zhang Sheng, lunging forward to examine the cube’s mirror-smooth surface, his face nearly pressed against it.

He clutched the cube tightly, muttering “good” repeatedly, then burst into loud laughter, occasionally kissing it, having completely forgotten Zhang Sheng.

Fortunately, at that moment, a sensible disciple from the Heavenly Craft Hall brought forward a heavy silver pouch, preventing Zhang Sheng from losing his temper on the spot.

After receiving the immortal silver, Zhang Sheng turned and walked away.

Only then did Yu Zhizhuo realize his oversight and hurried after him, exclaiming: “Younger brother, your talent is extraordinary! Zhan Xu lives up to its name! The Heavenly Craft Hall desperately needs your immortal sword—we’ll surely trouble you again in the future…”

“No next time!” Zhang Sheng replied firmly, then shot into the sky and vanished in an instant.

A short while later, Zhang Sheng entered the Creation Temple, handed over the silver pouch, and received three light, floating bottles of Peiyuan Elixir. After visiting Xiang Weiyuan’s courtyard, he was once again empty-handed.

He gazed up at the moon, bewildered: What kind of immortality was this?

Xiang Weiyuan was equally bewildered—he couldn’t understand why, despite making great progress in his studies, he had been scolded. Was it because he hadn’t cast a divination for Zhang Sheng?

For these past days, Xiang Weiyuan had practiced divination relentlessly, casting several charts daily for Zhang Sheng, nearly depleting his Primordial Spirit. But the omens were all similar, each foretelling financial loss. So today, when Zhang Sheng didn’t mention divination, Xiang Weiyuan was glad to remain silent.

Several days later.

On the path up to the Heavenly Craft Hall, Yu Zhizhuo smiled broadly, showing Zhang Sheng the scenery along the way.

Moments later, the two arrived in a side hall, where Yu Zhi pointed to a metal sheet on the table, palm-sized and one finger thick: “Please, younger brother, cut this into a hundred pieces.”

A dozen curious disciples from the Heavenly Craft Hall waited nearby, eager to witness the immortal sword in action.

A flash of gray qi vanished into the air.

Zhang Sheng said coolly: “One hundred and fifty pieces. No thanks needed.”

“Hey? Too thin! Too thin! Younger brother, please cut it again! You there—what are you staring at? I’m talking to you! Go fetch another sheet from the storage!”

After reprimanding the disciple, Yu Zhizhuo turned to Zhang Sheng: “My apologies—I didn’t explain clearly earlier. But this piece I have a special use for, so this time I’ll pay you double! Someone!”

A sensible disciple from the Heavenly Craft Hall immediately brought forward a large silver pouch.

Seeing the size of the pouch, Zhang Sheng’s murderous intent vanished completely.

Several days later.

Yu Zhizhuo beamed, rubbing his hands: “This Lei Jingmu is exceedingly rare! I need you to slice it into threads!”

Naturally, a sensible disciple from the Heavenly Craft Hall brought up a silver pouch on his back.

A few more days passed.

“Younger brother, look! This tea leaf has grown for twenty-seven thousand years—it’s the finest in the world! Next month is our Ancestor’s birthday banquet; please carve this ‘Spring Banquet Painting’ onto it, and add a peony—the one our Ancestor loves most!”

Seeing the two sensible disciples carry in the silver pouches, Zhang Sheng drew his immortal sword and carved flowers onto the tea leaf.

A few more days passed.

Zhang Sheng tossed a pouch of Peiyuan Elixir before Xiang Weiyuan.

Xiang Weiyuan seemed troubled—something Zhang Sheng’s spiritual sense could not miss. He snapped impatiently: “Speak up!”

Xiang Weiyuan knew his master had been irritable lately, but this concerned his cultivation—he had to speak: “My cultivation has been unsmooth lately. I feel something is wrong.”

At these words, Zhang Sheng—who had just chopped ancient dragon meat into mince—suddenly flew into a rage, his voice rising eight octaves: “What right do you have to have trouble with cultivation?”

Xiang Weiyuan froze, unsure how to reply. Wasn’t cultivation trouble normal? If one’s cultivation were always smooth, what kind of genius would that be?

Zhang Sheng realized his reaction was inappropriate. He suppressed his irritation and softened his tone: “Difficulties in cultivation are common. Don’t panic. Tell me exactly what’s happening.”

Xiang Weiyuan exhaled in relief—he thought this was his true master. But another voice surfaced in his heart: That outburst was his master’s true nature!

Xiang Weiyuan quickly banished that voice and said: “My visualization chart is over eight times larger than any recorded in history, in every dimension. Using the method Master Tian Di Lun taught me, I calculated my chart’s volume is at least five hundred times greater than my peers’. These days, I’ve reviewed many texts and found that ten days of body forging or one Peiyuan Elixir fills my chart at roughly the same rate as others. But my physical strength is only seven or eight times that of a regular disciple. That means five hundred times the medicinal power has vanished somewhere.”

“Ah, so that’s it!” Zhang Sheng laughed, tapping Xiang Weiyuan’s head, producing a metallic echo: “You’re not satisfied with being seven or eight times stronger than others? What more do you want? This is Tai Chu Palace! Wait—how is your body only seven or eight times stronger? What did you compare it to?”

“The Tianji disciples from Mingwang Hall,” Xiang Weiyuan replied, his face filled with worry.

Mingwang Hall in Tai Chu Palace specializes in body refinement. Its disciples’ Dao foundations are often Great Mountain, Giant Rock, Vajra, and similar, their physical strength rivaling that of the Buddhist sects.

Zhang Sheng fell silent for a moment, then said: “Perhaps the leaked spiritual energy isn’t as much as you think. This shouldn’t be a serious issue. I’ll ask the Master for advice and give you an answer in a few days.”

Moments later, Fenhai True Person appeared before Xiang Weiyuan.

“What went wrong with your cultivation? Let Grandmaster examine you!” Fenhai True Person didn’t pause, meticulously scanning Xiang Weiyuan’s body.

But after several hours, Fenhai True Person could not determine where the spiritual energy had gone—only that all the medicinal power remained inside Xiang Weiyuan’s body.

In the end, Fenhai True Person concluded that perhaps Xiang Weiyuan simply couldn’t digest so much medicinal power at once, so the excess was temporarily stored somewhere—but this was at least not a bad thing. Fenhai True Person would return to consult ancient texts and, if needed, seek guidance from Xuan Yue True Person. Xiang Weiyuan should continue cultivating without concern.

As Fenhai True Person departed, Xiang Weiyuan thought he saw a faint trace of resentment in Zhang Sheng’s eyes.

With Fenhai True Person’s reassurance, Xiang Weiyuan felt more at ease, continuing to take elixirs and inhale lunar essence.

Within his visualization chart, lunar essence gushed forth; the Jade Toad couldn’t consume it fast enough, and the surplus transformed into a misty drizzle. The ground slowly, imperceptibly filled, shifting from illusion to substance.

While inhaling lunar essence, Xiang Weiyuan suddenly sensed something new in the moon above. Upon closer inspection, he realized a shadow had appeared within the full moon.

Celestial destiny from beyond!

(End of Chapter)