Chapter 697: Sending the Sword, Making the Decision

Name: Cun Lan!

Rank: Supreme Heaven-Connecting Magic Treasure (with twenty-eight layers of sealing)

Function: After cultivation, while in use, it enhances the power of your ice-affinity spells and abilities by fifty percent!

Sssss…

Those few words made He Pingsheng draw in a sharp breath.

Fifty percent enhancement!

What does that even mean?

For instance, when two ordinary cultivators face off, their strength is evenly matched.

But suddenly you pull out this Heaven-Connecting Magic Treasure—a single sword strike equals a fifty percent boost in attack power.

Isn't that astonishing?

A fantastic item!

He Pingsheng put away this flying sword, then pulled out the white flying sword.

A sweep of his spiritual sense brought the information forth naturally.

Name: Tian Bing!

Rank: Supreme Heaven-Connecting Magic Treasure (with twenty-eight layers of sealing).

Function: After cultivation, while in use, it enhances the power of your ice-affinity spells and abilities by fifty percent!

After a glance, he saw that apart from the name and shape, Tian Bing had the exact same effect as Cun Lan.

One could say they were both supreme Heaven-Connecting Magic Treasures, indistinguishable in quality.

He Pingsheng already possessed the 【Hongmeng Purple Gold Staff】, and that item could transform.

Theoretically, with just one Hongmeng Purple Gold Staff, he possessed countless magic treasures.

So, these swords were useless to him.

He could only give them away.

Qiao Hui Zhu and Zhou Qing Mei both had ice-affinity—perfect to give them.

But no need to rush!

He Pingsheng reviewed his inventory again.

Since slaying Bing Yi, a Void Refinement stage one cultivator, he had since killed a foolish Deer Clan beast, severed the Empty King Prince's arm, slain the Moonlight Clone, the White Tiger Prince, and the White-Haired Cultivator, among others.

Altogether, he had slain eight Void Refinement cultivators.

The Empty King Prince was not dead, but he had lost an arm—and on that arm was a space ring.

He Pingsheng now possessed thirteen rings belonging to Void Refinement Grand Masters.

Of these thirteen rings, only one contained a Heaven-Connecting Magic Treasure—and it was damaged.

But lower-grade magic treasures? There were more than one.

There were three!

He Pingsheng then strengthened these three magic treasures into six 【Supreme Magic Treasures】, before opening the grand hall.

At Hao Cang's notice, everyone gathered once more.

He Pingsheng sat at the head, followed by Qiao Hui Zhu.

Below Qiao Hui Zhu sat Zhou Qing Mei and her clone, along with Hao Cang, West Lake True Person, and Long Yue Immortal.

He Pingsheng first took out the Supreme Magic Treasures and gave one each to Hao Cang, West Lake True Person, Long Yue Immortal, and Zhou Qing Mei's clone.

All four were stunned upon seeing such treasures.

Long Yue Immortal's body trembled.

She had merely wished to join Gu Song Mountain, seeking shelter.

Who could have imagined she would receive a Supreme Magic Treasure?

This was a magic treasure!

A Supreme one!

Something Void Refinement Grand Masters could not obtain, something Body Integration experts would go mad for.

And now it was given to me, Long Yue?

"Gulping…" Long Yue swallowed hard. For the first time, she felt not following Gu Song Dao Ren in his pursuit of He Pingsheng was the best decision of her life—and her greatest fortune: "Heavenly Dao above, from this day forth, Long Yue swears eternal loyalty to Gu Song Mountain!"

"Never to betray!"

Moved beyond words, she immediately swore a Heavenly Dao Oath.

He Pingsheng merely smiled and said: "Go… manage the sect well."

The four departed.

Only Zhou Qing Mei and Qiao Hui Zhu remained in the hall.

He Pingsheng took out the 【Tian Bing Sword】 and handed it to Zhou Qing Mei: "You've served me for many years, aiding me greatly… this sword is yours."

"Yes!" Zhou Qing Mei did not refuse, taking the Tian Bing Sword directly.

He Pingsheng said: "Even if we later dissolve our master-servant bond… I will not reclaim this sword."

"But during the time you served me as my servant, you must not reveal even a single secret about me—otherwise, I will never grant you freedom."

"Go."

Zhou Qing Mei was clever.

With He Pingsheng continuously producing such supreme items, if she didn't suspect, she'd be a fool.

As for Hao Cang, West Lake True Person, and Long Yue, they wouldn't suspect.

Their level simply didn't reach He Pingsheng's.

If He Pingsheng claimed these treasures came from the storage rings of the Void Refinement cultivators he slew, they'd believe him without question.

But Zhou Qing Mei was different.

She wouldn't believe it.

So if she didn't believe, she'd suspect He Pingsheng harbored a great secret—something allowing him to produce so many supreme items.

But now, they were still master and servant.

Even if she suspected, it didn't matter.

The danger lay in what might happen after their master-servant bond was broken—those secrets might leak.

But no need to worry too much.

What happens later is still far off.

When the boat reaches the bridge, it will find its way.

"Go, cultivate it well, enhance your combat power!"

"Yes!" Zhou Qing Mei also left.

He Pingsheng took out the remaining 【Cun Lan】 sword and gave it to Qiao Hui Zhu: "Sister… this is for you."

"I already have a sword!" Qiao Hui Zhu said: "Don't you remember? Back in the Yinming Emperor's Palace, you obtained the Silver River Celestial Shuttle, and I received an ice-affinity Heaven-Connecting Magic Treasure?"

He Pingsheng smiled: "Yours isn't as good as mine."

"You'll know after you cultivate it."

"Mm-hmm…" Qiao Hui Zhu didn't refuse, taking the sword directly.

Then she took a deep breath and said: "Husband… I've decided… use the body in your hand to create my clone!"

"Good!" He Pingsheng said: "Go prepare. Tomorrow, I'll send you that body."

After Qiao Hui Zhu left, He Pingsheng shattered the ice and pulled out Qiao Hui Zhu's other body, tossing it into the Treasure Basin.

Because that body had only been copied, not enhanced.

One night later, the cold body was strengthened by He Pingsheng into a living corpse.

He then personally delivered it to Qiao Hui Zhu.

Now, he waited for Qiao Hui Zhu to create her clone.

…

Qiao Hui Zhu began creating her clone; He Pingsheng now needed to create his own.

Because he, too, was now a Void Refinement Grand Master.

The main material for clone creation was the 【Seven-Colored Yin-Yang Lotus】, which he possessed—obtained years ago in the Yinming Emperor's Palace.

Besides the main material, many auxiliary materials were needed.

He had those too.

He had slain so many Void Refinement cultivators; their rings provided more than enough materials.

Materials were not the issue.

The question was: how many clones to create?

Clone creation is based on one's own Nascent Soul.

After shedding the Nascent Soul, fusing it with the clone allows one to achieve a clone.

Unlike ordinary cultivators, He Pingsheng had five Nascent Souls—each aligned with Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth.

Theoretically, he could create five clones at once.