Chapter 449 48: Refining the Sword

Three thousand li north of Funeng City.

「Many years ago.」

This place was ravaged by the Holy King Beast, the Nine Profound Spirit Deer. The intense radiation lingered for years, leaving the land barren for a hundred li in every direction.

Moreover, the lingering aura of the Holy King Beast kept other powerful creatures at bay, turning the area into a 'Desolate Land'.

Unknown to all.

Beneath this 'Desolate Land' lay a massive laboratory.

Tunnels of an alloy capable of blocking radiation and resisting nuclear blasts bored deep underground, spanning several thousand square meters.

The most advanced instruments of all kinds were neatly arranged within, while dozens of researchers moved about.

"Ms. Wuh."

A researcher looked up.

"Could you come take a look at this? Doesn't the genetic sequence of the Horned Crocodile Beast look a bit familiar?"

"Oh!" Wuh Qing looked up and strolled over to the instrument, her eyes on the spiraling genetic map before her.

"Magnify!"

"Yes."

"Avian?"

"Yes." The researcher's face was flush with excitement.

"The Horned Crocodile Beast is clearly an Earth Beast, with no connection to avians at all, yet its genes have a lot in common with the Sky Bird. This is a completely new discovery."

"Hmm." Wuh Qing nodded slowly.

"An excellent discovery."

"The more primitive an organism, the stronger its genetic resilience. In contrast, more powerful creatures are often more fragile," a not-so-distant elderly researcher mused, stroking his chin.

"Birds can fly and fish can swim from birth, yet a human infant is utterly helpless without its parents."

"Exotic Beasts are powerful—some even possess intelligence rivaling that of humans—and they inherit the Talents of their ancestors. This difference is the key, and it seems we're close to a breakthrough."

"If we could apply this to the human body, our children could be born with the knowledge of their predecessors. It would revolutionize the development of both technology and Martial Arts."

"Elder Qian," Wuh Qing said with a smile.

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves. Still, the research direction Mr. Zhu provided is certainly proving valuable..."

"Hm?"

"Mr. Zhu is back!"

...

WHOOSH!

Zhu Ju appeared in an immaculate white room, holding Pei Jingque in his arms.

"Husband."

Pei Jingque's face was haggard, her eyes filled with exhaustion.

"Where are we?"

Her power was too low. She had been grievously wounded just by the aftershocks of the battle, let alone her head-on clash with Qit Baifeng.

If her true form weren't the Three-Flame Simurgh Fan, for whom a Physical Body is inconsequential, she likely wouldn't have survived.

"You can think of it as a Secret Realm." Zhu Ju looked up and sealed the entrance with a mere thought.

"In any case..."

"We're safe now."

As he spoke, he flipped his hand, and a black longsword encased in a block of Ten Thousand Year Profound Ice appeared before them.

The Longsword had an archaic design. A closer look revealed a hexagonal, eight-faceted cross-section, making it look more like a mace than a sword.

The blade was unsharpened.

Yet this was the very unsharpened sword that had nearly shattered the High Grade Magical Treasure, the Ten Directions Cross Sword, in mere moments.

It had also damaged over a hundred of the 360-plus Flying Sabers that comprised the Wind and Thunder Blade Wings, causing the weapon's overall grade to fall.

A Spiritual Artifact!

"The Yin Yang Treasure Sword!"

Pei Jingque's voice was filled with emotion as she gazed at the Treasure Sword before them.

"I never thought we'd actually obtain a Spiritual Artifact."

"Unfortunately, this is only half of the set. If we had both Yin Yang Dual Swords, our success would be guaranteed," Zhu Ju said, shaking his head gently.

"I wonder if this Black Sword contains any Innate Origin Qi."

He flicked a finger, sending an invisible shockwave through the Ten Thousand Year Profound Ice and onto the sword's body.

The sword vibrated faintly in response.

"Strange."

Zhu Ju said,

"It has no Spirituality?"

'Spiritual Artifacts are brimming with Spirituality—theoretically, enough to birth an Artifact Spirit. The few legendary Spiritual Artifacts all have them.'

'Perhaps the Yin Yang Treasure Sword does have Spirituality, but it resides within the Yang Sword.'

'Then again...'

'...it's possible this set of Treasure Swords has no Spirituality at all.'

"However..."

"...this is a good thing for us. No Artifact Spirit means we don't need to spend time wearing down its Spirituality."

"Yes." Pei Jingque pushed herself up, taking a deep breath. A complex expression crossed her face.

"A Spiritual Artifact..."

"Even in its golden age, the Bright Void Sect never possessed a single Spiritual Artifact."

"But can it truly be reforged?"

"Don't worry!" Zhu Ju said.

"I've set up a miniature sun in this Secret Realm. You can think of it as a Magical Artifact that contains the Great Sun True Flame. Nothing can withstand it without melting, not even a Spiritual Artifact."

"Mmm..."

'Most likely, anyway.'

'The miniature sun possesses absolute high temperatures capable of melting anything. Theoretically, the body of the Yin Yang Treasure Sword should be no exception.'

'But...'

'...the Spirituality!'

'The Yin Yang Treasure Sword possesses Spirituality, a quality ordinary materials lack. Thus, whether this will actually work is another question entirely.'

'Fire can burn a person to cinders, but it cannot perform Refinement on their Soul. It's the same principle.'

"My wife."

Zhu Ju said after a moment of thought,

"I think instead of reforging the Spiritual Artifact, it would be better for you to become this Treasure Sword's Artifact Spirit directly."

"And merge the Three-Flame Simurgh Fan into it."

Pei Jingque raised an eyebrow, then gently stroked Zhu Ju's back, where an unhealed wound remained.

"You stabbed her with your sword back then, and now she's done the same to you. I suppose that settles the score."

"It's not that simple," Zhu Ju said, shaking his head.

"I also cut off her arm and took the Yin Yang Treasure Sword."

*

*

*

「Half a month later.」

The two of them sat cross-legged atop a ball of white light.

Beneath them, the Black Longsword bobbed up and down, darting back and forth within the white light.

"As expected of a Spiritual Artifact. It truly defies all logic. Even if you melt it down to liquid, it reforms as if nothing happened. Purely physical attacks have almost no effect on it. And that's with no one controlling it. With a master, its power would be even more terrifying."

Zhu Ju sighed softly.

"What's more..."

"This sword shares some kind of connection with the one Zhou Yuantong holds. The moment we return to our world, she'll sense it immediately."

Pei Jingque nodded.

'Unlike the two of them...'

'...as a Golden Core of the Joyful Sect, Zhou Yuantong definitely has a method for the Refinement of the Yin Yang Dual Swords, allowing her to successfully claim ownership.'

'When that happens...'

"Once Zhou Yuantong has a Spiritual Artifact, we'll be no match for her. Even hiding in the Bright Void Sect will be useless."

Pei Jingque said,

"Husband."

"Let's do it your way."

She formed a Finger Technique with both hands. A Spiritual Light flared between her brows, and her body slowly faded away, leaving only the damaged Three-Flame Simurgh Fan in her place.

Zhu Ju's expression was complex. He took a deep breath, his hands blurring through a Seal Technique before he pointed forward.

He shouted:

"Infinite Heaven and Earth, lend me your power!"

"Go!"

BOOM!

The Three-Flame Simurgh Fan erupted in a dazzling Spiritual Light. Raging flames took the shape of a Fire Phoenix and swept downward.

CLANG!

The black Longsword moving below suddenly froze, then let out a clear, ringing cry that echoed through the air.

"My wife!"

"Next, I'm going to disperse the Three-Flame Simurgh Fan, merge it with the miniature sun, and then slowly integrate it into the Yin Sword. This will take a long time, and your consciousness will likely be affected. You must circulate the Divine Soul Secret Technique to stabilize your Primordial Spirit and protect your Soul."

"Once this is done..."

"...you will be the Yin Sword's Artifact Spirit, and the reforged sword's connection to the Yin Yang Dual set will be severed."

"Let's begin!"