Chapter 58

Chapter Fifty-Eight Surprise Joy

Jiang Yu unhesitatingly cast the Split Earth Seal, her divine sense closely following to lock onto the Open-Wisdom Spirit Sword.

However the sword had already gained sentience, instinctively resisting her divine sense imprint, and at the same time shot up from the ground, swiftly escaping her divine sense range.

"It's become a spirit." Jiang Tu said, and Jiang Yu already activated her movement technique, circling the passageway in pursuit.

Helplessly, the Sword Pool is the sword's domain; spirit swords fly extremely fast, and each time she was about to catch one, it would slip away.

"Jiang Yu, if it doesn't work, change swords." Tao Wenche on this side also hadn't seen a Spirit Treasure-grade sword; although disappointed, he quickly selected a supreme-grade Dharma Treasure, an Ultimate Spirit Sword.

As soon as he had just imprinted his divine sense, he was enveloped in white light and transported away.

Jiang Yu, catching her breath, turned back to see only Xia Uncle-master sitting before a completely translucent spirit sword, constantly forming seals to refine it.

Meanwhile the sword she was chasing, lowly, fell back from above, darting up and down before her eyes.

Jiang Yu spoke: "Play with it yourself; I'll change swords."

The Open-Wisdom Spirit Sword's blade tilted slightly, as if considering her meaning, but seeing her turn to draw another sword, it hesitated a moment then swooshed after her.

Clang

The Open-Wisdom Spirit Sword knocked over Jiang Yu's sword that she had not yet drawn; its unskilled sword qi caused the deflected sword to slantingly strike and fly into a sword ring, lying on the ground, a rust-covered sword.

Just then, Jiang Yu reached out to grab it in midair, but was preempted by the rusted sword that it had indirectly flung away, which swooshed past her palm.

Blood, in an instant fell onto the sword blade and was absorbed; the released divine sense also just came into contact with this sword.

Jiang Yu sealed the blood and threw it; the spirit sword in midair also flew to strike it.

Unexpectedly, before either person or sword could finish their motion, a white light suddenly flashed, and Jiang Yu was transported away.

The Open-Wisdom Spirit Sword raced after her, but it could not catch the transport light cluster; in its anxiety it released sword qi in a wild slaughter.

While slaughtering a large number of swords, it flew toward Xia Bing over here.

Unfortunately, Xia Bing had also completed preliminary recognition of mastery, and with a swoosh was transported away.

The Open-Wisdom Spirit Sword stood stunned on the spot; after a moment, having lost all will to live, it collapsed and lay flat on the ground.

And the transported Jiang Yu, together with several Golden Core cultivators and white-bearded elders, witnessed the Open-Wisdom Spirit Sword's dejection from the water mirror on the table.

The elders finally stopped wearing stern faces; even seeing Xia Bing select a tomorrow Spirit Treasure, they felt no regret.

If this young friend Jiang hadn't come, the sect would likely not discover that sword had gained sentience for a long time; "Hehe, young friend, if you have fate, you can come again next time to choose it."

Jiang Yu: "I believe your nonsense; before dawn you will definitely send disciples into the Sword Pool to contract the Open-Wisdom Spirit Sword."

A sword that has nurtured an artifact spirit can not only upgrade to a Spirit Treasure, but its power exceeds that of an ordinary Spirit Treasure.

Looking again at the sword in her hand, it is rusted through and through, lacking even a hilt; tossing it aside and calling it a piece of iron would not be an exaggeration.

Before leaving, the elder, in good spirits, transmitted sound to her: "The sword in your hand was obtained by an Empress Ancestral Master of our sect from a secret realm.

Although not a finished product, it is all top-grade material; with a chance to refine it further, it might not be a divine weapon."

Returning to the guest quarters, the staying Zhuang True Person was extremely pleased with the swords chosen by Xia and Tao.

Facing Jiang Yu's sword, he also said without changing expression: "Not bad; wait until the day after tomorrow when the Myriad Demon Mountain side opens the competition, you carry it and walk a lap.

Outside rumors say you selected a Spirit Treasure; they will collapse without attack."

Jiang Yu thought, Your method is truly superb; "Elder, the sword has been chosen, I want to..."

"No need to think; quelling the outside rumors is most beneficial to you.

Moreover, it's rare to see disciples of Dao and Demon gathered together; gain more experience, visiting relatives later is not late." Zhuang True Person certainly didn't want to hear a few days later that her soul lamp had extinguished.

Jiang Yu wanted to say, she carrying the sword around the Myriad Sword Sect market for half a day would have the same effect.

But Zhuang True Person and Sang True Person still had matters to discuss; they waved their hands, letting the three retreat to rest.

Tao Wenche naturally had to return to the male disciples' lodging; he briefly comforted with a sentence: "You are not a sword cultivator; in the future you can further refine your natal Dharma Treasure."

Xia Bing then saw her to the courtyard gate, saying, "I also won't participate in the Sword Trial Assembly; when the time comes I'll take you around to meet fellow Daoists from allied sects.

Many people are wholeheartedly devoted to cultivation; those like Xue Miao are few and far between."

"Thanks, Uncle-master. I heard many cultivators will set up stalls there; I and my senior brothers and sisters just need to stroll around and pick up some things." Jiang Yu could go about being annoying.

She didn't know at this moment that the matter of having selected a semi-finished sword had already been arranged by someone, who had the sect's disciples stationed at the Wan Jian Sect market spread the word outside.

Before she went into the house to rest, several Guan Xian'er who hadn't slept had originally wanted to borrow the sword to take a quick look, but upon seeing the sword body, they were all speechless.

Jiang Yu returned to the room, Jiang Tu eagerly called her into the space, and then examined the sword body for a long time.

"I'm trying to use dragon fire to refine away its rust spots, to see what the material actually is.

"If it can be refined and decomposed, in the future it can be added to one's natal magic treasure for combined refining."

"Don't waste the firepower, just burn a little bit, where my blood fell."

"Before, those who believed in the Wan Jian Sect must have also reforged it, but mostly it had no effect, so they put it into the sword pool." Jiang Yu's slight wound on her hand had already been healed with spiritual power.

"You see it half-buried underground, you know no one has ever selected it."

"My fire is different; perhaps it can forge a divine sword." When Jiang Tu spat out a flame that fell onto the sword body, it easily burned away a finger-width of rust.

Only at that small bright spot, a sudden flash made it impossible to keep one's eyes open.

Jiang Yu released her divine sense to examine it, but found it blocked for a moment; she closed her eyes and recalled: "Could it be that inside there is Nine Underworld Earth Marrow Crystal?"

Jiang Tu also doubted: "Hard to say, but just now I actually still sensed a trace of dragon blood aura."

"The people of the Wan Jian Sect would surely recognize its value."

"I'll increase the firepower."

As a result, increasing the firepower actually had no effect at first; the rust color later couldn't be burned off at all, no wonder they threw it aside.

Jiang Yu waved her hand: "Wash up and sleep, I heard that tomorrow the demon sect people will come together with the Profound Heaven and Spirit Void sects."

However, on the next day, the elders also only allowed Foundation Establishment disciples to go and watch.

Jiang Yu silently cultivated until another day, then she took a barge to reach the temporary site at the edge of Myriad Demon Mountain.

Here, multiple stages stretching several li have been set up, and many cultivators set up stalls nearby to trade.

She also saw Demon Sect disciples wandering about in small groups.

After their boat docked, True Person Zhuang announced they could move freely and should regroup on the boat at mid‑Chen.

When does the competition start?

Early Si.

That late?

Later's fine, fellow senior sisters—let's team up and go explore. Guan Xian'er had already prepared to fish out a great treasure.

Besides Jiang Yu and Gu Bingwen nodding, the other few senior sisters who shared their courtyard firmly refused, having heard someone sneering at the sword on Jiang Yu's back.

"I heard the Grand Void Sect disciples picked a broken sword at the Sword Pond."

"That's the rusty one."

"What a pity."

"Tsk, not only is it rusty, it doesn't even have a hilt."

Jiang Yu felt the effect was pretty good; Guan Xian'er, unafraid of gossip, pulled a senior sister to her left and another to her right, merging into the stream of cultivators.

The stall‑holding cultivators, especially those good at shouting, hawked everything from ancient secret treasures to marrow‑cleansing elixirs, bragging wildly.

Jiang Yu didn't believe them; she just followed the two around, listening to their descriptions.

But when she came to a stall displaying sword scabbards, she couldn't help stepping forward for a closer look—only to find someone had already picked it up before her.

Jiang Yu looked up, froze on the spot, and then her eyes lit up with surprise: "Big brother?"

That person looked at her quizzically, and the cultivator beside him raised an eyebrow and smiled: "Little miss, have we met before?"