Sword Offering Ritual

"Martial Uncle Xuan Ji is a Core Formation True Person, after all. He's not necessarily that petty."

Xu Chang defended True Person Xuan Ji.

In Xu Chang's view, a Core Formation True Person's status far surpassed theirs—he wouldn't be so sore a loser.

"I'm not trying to slander our uncle, but this matter really is a bit suspicious."

Lin Chan said.

"Maybe Si Mu Tiger Demon was just being overly sensitive."

"I've considered that possibility, but there are others too. Perhaps Martial Uncle Xuan Ji secretly attacked Si Mu Tiger Demon, causing it to flee."

Lin Chan didn't suspect his master, True Person Xuan Chen, of sending him to his death. If that were the intent, he wouldn't have gifted him a top-grade flying sword before leaving.

"Junior brother, you must not speak recklessly of a True Person!"

Xu Chang said sternly.

If True Person Xuan Ji found out, he'd be implicated too.

"Senior brother, that was a slip of the tongue."

Lin Chan also sensed something off about Xu Chang—he was overly tense. There had to be a reason for his behavior. It was likely that a True Person's vast powers meant even speaking of them behind their back carried great risk.

"Junior brother, say no more. I understand your meaning. I'll act cautiously."

Xu Chang gave Lin Chan a look, and the matter was dropped.

"I'll take my leave now, so as not to disturb your rest, senior brother."

Lin Chan didn't linger, turning to go. He'd told Xu Chang about this, and knowing its severity, Xu Chang would naturally think it over.

Stepping outside, Lin Chan gazed at the westerly sinking moon, a hint of worry in his heart. In the end, he was still too weak—no say in anything, not even clear on the specifics.

"I hope it's not as bad as I imagine."

Lin Chan thought to himself.

Back home, after his usual cultivation practice, Lin Chan examined the newly acquired flying sword in his hand. Even sheathed, it exuded a faint chill.

"I should give you a name."

Knowing this sword would soon be bound to his very life, Lin Chan decided to name it.

He pondered for a long time but couldn't settle on anything, so he rested for now, planning to think it over later.

The next day, upon opening his eyes, Lin Chan noticed a thin frost forming at the mouth of the flying sword's scabbard beside him. A name suddenly came to mind.

"Mystic Frost! From now on, you'll be Mystic Frost!"

Lin Chan thought.

Wiping away the thin frost, Lin Chan sheathed the flying sword snugly.

"Master said not to draw the sword before Foundation Establishment—probably meaning don't fight or show off."

Lin Chan mused.

Otherwise, was he really supposed to let Mystic Frost sit in its scabbard for years or even decades? That was clearly impossible. Lin Chan wasn't foolish enough to take True Person Xuan Chen's words at face value.

As for the trip to Wu Country in a few months, Lin Chan had already thought it through. The journey was indeed dangerous, but he wasn't without defensive measures. He still had a Lesser Merit Record in hand, which contained a Seventh Grade Merit.

Recently, Lin Chan had learned a lot about merit from books and his senior brothers. Merit was the Heavenly Dao's reward for beings who "benefit heaven and earth, aid all living things, and follow the Great Way." Besides aiding cultivation and breaking through bottlenecks, it had many other uses like protection and purification.

By grade, aside from ungraded minor merits, there were nine grades total—first being the highest, ninth the lowest.

Lin Chan's Seventh Grade Merit, if used properly, could envelop him in golden merit light strong enough to resist that Core Formation Tiger Demon. Of course, since the merit came from that very demon, it couldn't fully subdue Si Mu—only buy him a bit more time.

Moreover, Xu Chang's methods provided some means of escape in the worst-case scenario.

Merit had so many wondrous uses and was a path of bright righteousness.

Yet few people cultivated specifically for it.

Most still walked crooked and deviant paths.

The reason was very simple.

First, natural merit was difficult to capture and employ—it required a Lesser Merit Record or Merit Record, a Dharma treasure to record and guide the merit.

This Dharma tool itself was a massive threshold, cutting off many scattered and evil cultivators.

Even with everything in place, merit wasn't so easy to obtain.

And it was extremely prone to backlash from merit.

First, nurture evil, indulge evil—wait until the merit was large enough, then eliminate the evil.

This kind of approach would trigger merit backlash, harming cultivation instead.

What True Person Xuan Ji did was similar to this, but far more sophisticated.

She had discovered Four Eyes's situation years earlier but did not intervene.

Logically, for a demon like Four Eyes that devoured humans—

after swallowing dozens or hundreds of people, it should have completely lost its mind, becoming a ravenous evil beast, day by day mad and benighted.

Yet this demon kept devouring until it reached Five Hundred Years of Dao, with countless wronged souls in its belly, before showing signs of losing its wits.

Xuan Ji was waiting for it to fully demonize before slaying it, thereby gaining greater merit.

Moreover, dealing with a mindless evil demon was far easier than handling a clear-minded benevolent one.

Heaven's Dao was omniscient and omnipotent; True Person Xuan Ji's actions could not be hidden from it.

Every step she took was cautious to the extreme, each one aligning with the known rules of Heavenly merit.

A slight misstep, and she would have woven her own trap.

For this, she had planned for years—only for Lin Chan to snatch the fruit. How could she not be furious?

True Person Xuan Chen, however, did not think her move was wise. In his view, True Person Xuan Ji might already be facing merit backlash, and Lin Chan had actually saved her.

After all, if you often walk by the river, your feet will eventually get wet.

Not to mention Core Formation—even a Nascent Soul True Lord from Shu Mountain had met disaster this way.

Of course, Lin Chan knew nothing of this.

Right now, he was only thinking that, as a last resort, he would have to use merit.

Hoping that Four Eyes would remember the night they talked freely and not turn hostile immediately.

For the next period, Lin Chan studied how to apply merit.

Occasionally, he practiced swordsmanship.

True Person Xuan Chen had not yet taught Lin Chan sword techniques, but Lin Chan could practice basic sword forms in advance.

Advanced sword techniques were merely evolved from basic ones; many moves were interchangeable. Learning ahead wouldn't cause much harm.

So he found Zhang He and asked him to teach some swordplay.

Zhang He was older, well-traveled, and had been in a Sword Sect—naturally, he had trained in swordsmanship when young.

But now that he was older, he no longer focused on it.

Thus, he taught Lin Chan a set of basic sword techniques he knew.

Lin Chan broke down the sword forms and practiced the individual moves.

The basic sword moves were rich and varied, forming the foundation of a complex sword system. They could be roughly divided into thrust, chop, slash, lift, hook, cloud, wipe, point, snap, block, sweep, flick, carry, and so on. Mastering them all was quite intricate.

Fortunately, Lin Chan had trained in martial arts since childhood, practicing blade techniques, so he had some experience.

The difference between a mortal's blade and sword was simply that one was single-edged and the other double-edged.

Many blade moves overlapped with sword moves, but some required extra practice to correct.

Busy every day, time flew by until the Mid-Autumn Festival arrived.

It was time for the Sword Offering Ritual.

Lin Chan prepared the ceremonial implements, invited Xu Chang to guard outside, and began the ritual under the full moon.

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