Chapter 513 523: The Great-Aunt Has Awakened

He advanced step by step. The surrounding Yin Qi seemed to diminish, yet the fragmented Primordial Spirits grew denser, all of them converging on the Sword Spirit up ahead.

The light grew ever brighter. In just a moment, Wen Qingye peered through a hazy veil and saw the scene before him with perfect clarity.

He saw two Sword Stones ahead, each holding a sword. The light was radiating from one of them. The Sword Body was crafted entirely from wood—a very simple, ordinary-looking wooden sword. But Wen Qingye knew a Sword Spirit was hidden inside.

The sword next to it was also made of wood, but its left edge was lined with dense, sharp serrations, while its right edge was a blade that glinted coldly. It had an extremely bizarre appearance that sent a chill down one's spine.

The air around the two Sword Stones seemed to clear up. All the chilling energy was gone, and within a radius of several yards, every fragmented Primordial Spirit had vanished without a trace.

Wen Qingye walked toward the Sword Spirit, his pace neither fast nor slow.

"You court death! You should have just stayed put guarding the Spiritual Positions up front. Must you covet such a great treasure?"

With a piercing shriek, a swirling, black-and-white figure shot toward Wen Qingye's Primordial Spirit.

"Hah!"

The figure wasted no words with Wen Qingye, charging directly into the depths of his Sea of Consciousness. It clearly intended to seize control of his Sea of Consciousness and devour his Primordial Spirit.

The figure wore a black and white Daoist Robe that revealed a trace of his cultivation from when he was alive. It was at the Divine Communication realm, surging with boundless power and faintly showing signs of a breakthrough.

'A black and white Daoist Robe... This person must have been a peerless expert in the history of the Celestial Profound Sect, renowned throughout the world. Even many powers in the surrounding regions knew of his fame.'

'This man eventually went into seclusion on Life Peak, ignoring worldly affairs. But during the era he was active, Taiyi Pavilion was extremely wary of the Celestial Profound Sect, not brazen like they are now. It's easy to imagine how formidable his strength must have been.'

'Hmph, truly courting death!'

A heavy, cold snort suddenly echoed like a clap of thunder.

The figure in the black and white Daoist Robe instantly transformed into a thin thread and flew directly into a golden light in the distance.

In a single instant, that wisp of a fragmented Primordial Spirit from a peerless expert was absorbed by the Azure Dragon Pearl in Wen Qingye's hand. This was only possible because the immense pressure of Wen Qingye's own Primordial Spirit made it so easy to absorb the remnant.

The blood-red line in the center of the Azure Dragon Pearl in his hand had grown more than tenfold from the last absorption, a testament to the formidable cultivation of the Daoist in the black and white robe.

Wen Qingye continued toward the Sword Spirit. Along the way, several more fragmented Primordial Spirits charged out, all attempting to invade his Primordial Spirit. But without exception, every one of them was absorbed by the Dragon Pearl in his hand.

DING!

The moment he stepped within a ten-foot radius of the two Sword Stones, it was as if he had entered another world. Just like the world outside the hall, no Yin Qi invaded the body, and the fragmented Primordial Spirits all steered clear.

This place felt like a pocket of pure land within the Ancestral Hall, a Peach Blossom Spring isolated from the rest of the world.

The Sword Stones were right in front of Wen Qingye, the two swords atop them seemingly within arm's reach. Below them were faint, cyan-colored characters, nearly invisible if one didn't look closely.

"Qingg Ruo'ai—to grow old with you. Jun Buli—never to part. A love across nine tribulations, how could it be forgotten? One life, one world, a single pair."

Wen Qingye gazed at the words, his mind falling into a state of Chaos.

"HSSS—!"

Seeing this, the Ice Python at his side couldn't help but flicker its tongue and let out a hiss.

Only then did Wen Qingye slowly return to his senses. He shook his head and chuckled. "These two swords are certainly strange. To think they could make me lose myself for a moment."

With that, his eyes fell upon the two wooden swords atop the Sword Stones.

The wooden sword on the left was the one that housed the Sword Spirit. Inscribed upon it were two words: Qingg Ruo'ai.

The strangely shaped sword next to it was also carved with two words: Jun Buli.

Wen Qingye slowly walked over to the sword that contained the Sword Spirit. Gazing at the hilt, he gently placed his palm upon it.

BOOM!

The next moment, a surging, powerful aura flooded into Wen Qingye's Sea of Consciousness like a raging tide.

As soon as this aura entered Wen Qingye's Sea of Consciousness, it began to radiate endlessly, carrying with it an emerald-green secret. The Profound Mysteries within it, like motes of starlight, seeped into every corner of his Sea of Consciousness.

But before he could even perceive what it was, the emerald-green substance had vanished, completely merging with his Sea of Consciousness.

'What was that? How could it slip into my Sea of Consciousness?' Wen Qingye's brows knitted together. 'Even though my Primordial Spirit is severely injured, it shouldn't be this easy for something to invade it. This thing must be extraordinary.'

He then searched his Sea of Consciousness for a long time, but found only the Great Wilderness Ancient Stele standing silently there. There was nothing else.

Wen Qingye withdrew from his Sea of Consciousness and looked at the wooden sword. Its light suddenly flared, becoming intensely blinding.

'Has the Sword Spirit awakened?'

The divine light from the wooden sword abruptly receded, and a crisp voice, clear as a lark's song, emerged from within.

"I'm awake, I'm awake, I'm finally awake! This lady is finally awake!"

A young woman materialized above the wooden sword. She had delicate, lovely features and was dressed in simple clothes. Her eyes curiously sized up Wen Qingye and the blue Ice Python next to him.

"What's this thing now?" the Ice Python asked curiously. It sensed an intensely sharp aura from the woman and couldn't help but shrink back behind Wen Qingye.

Hearing this, the woman planted her hands on her hips, her delicate brows furrowing as she snapped, "You stinking little snake, you dare call me a 'thing'? When this lady was conquering the Three Thousand Worlds, you hadn't even been hatched yet!"

"A Sword Spirit?"

Wen Qingye looked at the woman before him and thought, 'This Sword Spirit's grade is quite high; she's already sentient. If I absorb her into the One Thought Sword, its grade will surely skyrocket.'

The woman nodded, tilting her head up proudly. "Yup, that's right. This lady is a Sword Spirit. What of it?"

"How did you end up inside the Ancestral Hall?" Wen Qingye asked, puzzled. "Logically, a Sword Spirit like you should have been refined and nurtured by a master."

The woman pondered for a moment before answering, "Before my master passed away, he guided me into this wooden sword. This lady seems to recall there was another Sword Spirit, but I think it was taken away a few thousand years ago. The Demon Sword next to this one... that was its Sword Body."

'Her master was likely a senior from the Celestial Profound Sect,' Wen Qingye mused. 'He's probably been dead for countless years. There shouldn't be any obstacles to me claiming this Sword Spirit for myself.'