Chapter 514 524: Portraits

This Sword Spirit had indeed been left behind by a senior from the Celestial Profound Sect. But this senior was no ordinary person; she was one of the three individuals with the highest cultivation in the entire history of the Celestial Profound Sect. The sword she refined was naturally something special, and since she had spent her entire life nurturing it, this Sword Spirit was truly extraordinary.

Furthermore, having cultivated on its own for thousands of years, the Sword Spirit was now a far cry from what it once was.

SHING!

At that thought, Wen Qingye unhesitatingly drew the One Thought Sword. He looked at the woman before him and said calmly, "You're inhabiting that wooden sword, but you could just as well inhabit this one."

The woman rolled her eyes and snapped, "What are you trying to do? Get Granny to be your workhorse?"

Before Wen Qingye could speak, the woman covered her mouth and suddenly burst out laughing. "It's not out of the question, but you have to offer me some benefits, right? Granny won't do it for nothing!"

Wen Qingye smiled faintly. "You'll have your benefits in the future. You claim to have roamed the Three Thousand Worlds. One day, I'll have you reign over the Three Thousand Worlds and go Crossing the Universe."

The woman's eyes narrowed. "You say that, but Granny's finding it hard to believe."

"Does it matter whether you believe me or not?"

As soon as Wen Qingye finished speaking, he took a step forward. Instantly, a phantom image materialized behind him, and the boundlessly sharp aura radiating from the woman was completely obliterated.

'What a powerful Primordial Spirit aura!' The woman was terrified. 'This man's Primordial Spirit is even stronger than my master's was in her lifetime! Who in the world is he?'

The woman hastily threw her hands up in front of her. "Hey, wait! Let's talk about this! We can talk this out!"

"Speak!" A resonant, majestic voice boomed in her ears.

'Hmph, if Granny had her original body, I wouldn't be getting bullied by you,' the woman thought, frustrated. But her thoughts quickly changed. 'Still, I'll be able to get out of here. That's what really matters.'

"I have a few demands," the woman said.

Wen Qingye nodded indifferently. "Go on."

The woman looked at Wen Qingye before her and said slowly, "Granny can be your Sword Spirit, but you can't force me to do anything."

"Agreed."

"You can't make me cut down any filthy things!"

"Agreed."

"The Sword Body has to be cleaned regularly. It can't be stained with too much foul blood."

"Agreed."

"And... I'll tell you when I think of more."

The woman saw Wen Qingye raise an eyebrow and immediately swallowed the rest of her words.

"Alright, I'm going in."

Wen Qingye nodded. A Sword Spirit entering a sword required a period of fusion. Fortunately, the One Thought Sword only possessed a budding awareness, so all this woman had to do was absorb it.

The woman gritted her teeth, her body transforming into a thin, white stream that flowed into the One Thought Sword's Sword Body. The blade immediately began to refract countless rays of light, sending them radiating in all directions.

HUMMM!

The entire Sword Body of the One Thought Sword began to hum incessantly.

Only after the woman vanished did the Ice Python let out a faint sigh of relief. The pressure she had been exuding was simply overwhelming.

"I feel the great tribulation approaching faster and faster. I'm going to enter a period of secluded cultivation to prepare for it."

Wen Qingye nodded. "Fine. When the time comes, I'll do my best to get a Vermilion Fruit for you. With a Vermilion Fruit, I don't think transcending your tribulation will be nearly as dangerous."

Suddenly, the entire Sword Body of the One Thought Sword emitted a strange, brilliant light. Its aura began to skyrocket, and the patterns and cracks down its center actually started to slowly mend themselves.

The next moment, the One Thought Sword shot from Wen Qingye's grasp and hovered in mid-air, a sharp aura relentlessly spreading out into the surroundings.

The boundless frigid air seemed to be pierced by that aura, parting to avoid it. Some of the fragmented Primordial Spirits fled frantically, not daring to linger for even a second.

A bottleneck for the One Thought Sword had also been broken. Its surging aura was like a rolling tide.

Junior-Level Spirit Grade!

...

Mid-Level Spirit Grade!

...

High-Level Spirit Grade!

The One Thought Sword's aura only began to stabilize once it reached High-Level Spirit Grade.

WHOOSH!

The woman's figure suddenly appeared. She looked at Wen Qingye and said, "Granny's name is Qingg Ruo'ai. You'd better remember it."

Seeing Wen Qingye nod, Qingg Ruo'ai turned to look at the Ice Python.

"I'll remember, Granny," the Ice Python said instinctively.

"Pfft." Qingg Ruo'ai couldn't help but laugh at the Ice Python's words. "You're a rather obedient little snake. Not bad, not bad. From now on, I've got your back."

Even Wen Qingye couldn't help but shake his head and laugh.

In reality, the Ice Python didn't understand at all. It had just heard Qingg Ruo'ai use the term so often that it had memorized the word "Granny."

Wen Qingye gripped the One Thought Sword, studying its body carefully for a moment before slowly returning it to its place on his back.

The next moment, the surrounding mist completely dissipated, and everything became clear. Countless platforms rose up from the ground.

Countless spiritual tablets materialized on what had been four bare walls. The tablets were engraved with densely packed characters—all of them names of Celestial Profound Sect ancestors—and they all began to shake violently.

In front, behind, to the left, and to the right, innumerable spiritual tablets suddenly filled Wen Qingye's vision, as if every last tablet from the Ancestral Hall had manifested here.

"This brat is mine! Don't any of you try to fight me for him!"

"You bastard! This boy's Primordial Spirit belongs to this old man!"

"Spiritual treasures belong to the virtuous. If you want his Primordial Spirit, just come and try to take it!"

Great whirlwinds seemed to stir in the surroundings as countless figures rushed toward Wen Qingye. These were all fragmented Primordial Spirits, hoping to absorb Wen Qingye's Primordial Spirit to strengthen themselves.

WHOOSH WHOOSH WHOOSH!

All the fragmented Primordial Spirits charged into Wen Qingye's Sea of Consciousness.

But upon entering Wen Qingye's Sea of Consciousness, they were all stunned.

"What's going on?"

After entering, all the fragmented Primordial Spirits felt an insane suction force. Their expressions turned to horror, and they were utterly shocked.

"What is this pulling force? Why do I feel my very essence draining away?"

"Not good! There's something strange about this brat!"

"Things are looking bad, let's scram! I'm leaving!"

...

Thousands of Primordial Spirits scrambled frantically to escape Wen Qingye's Sea of Consciousness, each one terrified and filled with immense regret.

"Trying to leave? You can all stay right here."

Wen Qingye's figure appeared before them. The Dragon Pearl materialized in his hand, flashing with a dazzling brilliance. Then, the fragmented Primordial Spirits were absorbed by the Dragon Pearl one by one, with none left to escape.

The golden Dragon Pearl's light suddenly erupted, blazing with a magnificent, dazzling radiance.

Wen Qingye looked at the Dragon Pearl in his hand and shook his head. 'Still not quite there. It's just a little short.'

The red essence within it had become more condensed, but he knew it still lacked that final sliver of power needed for him to absorb it, suppress the Dragon's Might in his body, and repair his meridians.

The surrounding spiritual tablets immediately stopped shaking, all returning to a state of calm. The hazy environment cleared as if clouds were parting to reveal the sky, and everything fell quiet.

Wen Qingye's keen eyes spotted several large portraits hanging on a wall not far ahead. Beside the portraits was a passageway, leading somewhere unknown.

He strode over. The moment he stepped outside the three-zhang radius of the two Sword Stones, countless streams of Yin Qi rushed madly toward him.

Even though the fragmented Primordial Spirits were now gone, the Yin Qi remained.

Wen Qingye hastily mobilized his Primordial Qi to block the encroaching Yin Qi as he walked up to the portraits.

A dozen or so portraits hung on the wall, depicting both men and women, and each had an inscription beside it.

"Yinn Mo, the Twenty-third Generation Sect Leader of the Celestial Profound Sect."

"Zhao Qian, the Thirty-third Generation Peak Master of Cloud Conceal Peak, Celestial Profound Sect."

...