Chapter 1642 - 1464: Ascending the Heavenly Ladder (Part 2)

"Senior Brother, remember when we were both betrayed and killed by our eldest senior brother; I was fortunate enough to reincarnate, while you vanished completely into the world." Saint Baby spoke with a deep sense of sorrow.

Suddenly, a phantom slowly floated out of the Immortal Slayer Sword, gently descending before Saint Baby.

"This... this is..."

An elderly figure, clad in a flowing white robe, with white eyebrows resting above his eyes, hands behind his back, looked kindly at Saint Baby.

"Junior Brother, I didn't expect that after a hundred years our meeting would be under such circumstances." Li Xiaoyao said with a bitter smile.

Saint Baby stared blankly at the apparition in front of him, a look of realization dawning on his face.

"Senior Brother, didn't you leave behind a remaining soul fragment back then? Why is it..." Saint Baby asked painfully.

"Indeed, I retained a fragment of my soul initially, which eventually dispersed among the mortal realm. Fearing it would fall into the hands of the malevolent, I forcibly divided my soul in two, hiding them within the sword. The initial fragment has dissipated; now, this is my final soul remnant." The elder remarked calmly, surveying his surroundings, then fixing his gaze on Ye Guichen.

"Junior Brother, why are you here? Moreover, why are you with Mr. Ye?" Li Xiaoyao questioned upon seeing Ye Guichen nearby.

Soon, Saint Baby took a moment and recounted his experiences to Li Xiaoyao.

Li Xiaoyao was momentarily stumped.

"Are you saying you have gathered the essence of life?" Li Xiaoyao exclaimed in shock.

Li Xiaoyao certainly knew how challenging it was to coalesce life essence. When a person dies, their life force and soul energy disintegrate into the world, repelled by the heavens. Violating divine will to extract life force requires exceptional skill, to further condense it to a liquid state is no minor feat.

"Senior Brother, can't you see my current condition!" Saint Baby sighed.

"A soul? Junior Brother, are you a Ghost Cultivator now?" Li Xiaoyao looked incredulously at Saint Baby.

"Ah..."

Li Xiaoyao's figure dimmed, overcome with grief and regret as his visage grew increasingly illusory.

The pair had once been brothers and roamed freely, respected throughout the realm; yet, now they had fallen to such a state, times truly have changed!

"Mr. Ye! I have a request, and I hope you will agree!" Li Xiaoyao turned, clasping his fists.

"Please go ahead, Senior Xiao Yao." Ye Guichen bowed, humbly.

"I hope you'll assist my junior brother in rebuilding his physical form when you become powerful enough!" Li Xiaoyao's eyes resolute, filled with hope.

"Rest assured, Senior Xiao Yao, inheriting your swordsmanship is an indescribable honor; since Senior has spoken, I will put forth every effort to complete this task." Ye Guichen stated with determination.

Seeing Ye Guichen's spirit, Li Xiaoyao smiled in approval.

"Neither arrogant nor complacent; resilient and undeterred. After all this time observing, you are worthy of the Immortal Slayer Sword. Truly mastering the Six Slayer Swords requires more than Sword Intent and the sword itself, but also one's own willpower and undaunted courage. The rest I will leave to my junior brother to teach you. My soul remnant is soon to dissipate."

"Junior Brother, you shall gain unexpected rewards by staying with Ye Guichen. Mr. Ye overcame the Nine-Heavenly Tribulation, and I believe you understand its significance. Moreover, the Jiuyou Tower is..." Li Xiaoyao's apparition continued to fade until it vanished entirely.

"Jiuyou Tower, for Senior Xiao Yao to know of the Jiuyou Tower's existence, this..." Ye Guichen was momentarily taken aback by Li Xiaoyao's words and opened his mouth to ask, but noticed Li Xiaoyao had disappeared, leaving a pang of regret.

At this moment, Saint Baby gradually collected himself from the depths of sorrow, picking up the Immortal Slayer Sword and swiftly throwing it towards Ye Guichen.

"Senior Brother mentioned he passed through the Nine-Heavenly Tribulation; how is that possible?" Upon first hearing Li Xiaoyao's words, Saint Baby was in disbelief, looking doubtfully at Ye Guichen.

Anyone who surmounts the Nine-Heavenly Tribulation undoubtedly bears a mighty lineage; destined to dominate, yet Ye Guichen in the Nascent Soul Realm having safely endured it surely proved his underestimation. Saint Baby thought inwardly.

"Take up the Immortal Slayer Sword, lad." Saint Baby remarked with a deep and somber tone, having experienced life and death.

Ye Guichen caught the rapidly approaching Immortal Slayer Sword, grasping it firmly, feeling the power it emanated.

"Lad, the Immortal Slayer Sword now possesses a Spiritual Sense, a true Immortal Artifact. With your current strength, harnessing a mere tenth is remarkable. In reality, you cannot control the awakened Immortal Slayer Sword with your present abilities. My senior brother has sealed its power in layers for you, to unlock naturally with your growth, I hope you can truly showcase its legendary might." Saint Baby stated proudly.

"To truly wield the Immortal Slayer Sword's might, relying solely on Sword Intent is insufficient. The swordsman must possess a pure sword heart, free of distractions, wielding a sword or without one in hand. Merging one's blood, soul power, and concentration as one, only then can the true power of the Immortal Slayer Sword be realized." Saint Baby patiently instructed.