Sword Pellet, Soul Nurturing Gourd

Before long, Fang Xiao arrived at the Scripture Repository. Every time he came, he was awestruck by the vast sea of books within. If he wanted to read them all, who knew how long that would take?

Old Man Fan was not dozing off today. Reclining against a pile of books, he was seriously flipping through something. When Fang Xiao drew closer, his eyes nearly rolled out of his head.

True Monarch Ziyan and the Saintess of the Demonic Sect's Untold Secret (Illustrated Edition)

Old Man Fan, you and that Senior Brother Wen really were birds of a feather.

"Old Fan, this disciple has arrived."

"You're here. Not bad, kid. You managed to achieve Sword Energy Thunderous Sound while still in the Qi Condensation Stage. Other than you, there's only that one person in the sect. Your name has already spread throughout the Eight Outer Courts. Everyone knows Mingxuan has a genius Sword Cultivator, and quite a few people want to challenge you."

Taking the Spirit Wine Fang Xiao handed over, Old Man Fan teased him.

"Heh heh, this disciple has just made a breakthrough and was worrying over the lack of opponents to test my Sword Principle against. If they want to make a name for themselves by stepping on me, they'll need the strength to back it up." Fang Xiao spoke proudly.

"Hahaha, young people ought to have that kind of pride. I have good news for you. I won't need to introduce you to a master anymore. A major figure in the sect has taken a liking to you and is willing to accept you as a Nominal Disciple. Aren't you happy? Hahaha."

"Old Fan, may I ask who this senior of the sect is?" It was pleasant to rest in the shade of a great tree, but Fang Xiao was a Sword Cultivator. He wondered whether this senior was one as well.

"A Sword Cultivator. I can't tell you anything else for now, but that person asked me to pass along a message. Once you break through to the Foundation Establishment Realm and enter the inner sect, that person will personally test you before deciding whether to accept you as a formal disciple. Catch. This is a gift from that person."

Old Man Fan tossed him a Jade Box, then drank by himself.

"A Sword Pellet?" Fang Xiao opened the Jade Box and asked uncertainly.

"The Taibai Sword Sect? That ancient one?"

"Mm. This Sword Pellet was prepared by the Taibai Sword Sect for the True Disciple Seeds within their sect. You know the Essence of Five Metals, right? Iron Essence was fused into it during its refinement. Moreover, it has never been tainted by any aura. It was discovered in the Taibai Ruins alongside a damaged copy of the Taibai Sword Art. You will have no obstruction using it. As for how you refine it later, that's your own business. Gulp, gulp—bring more Spirit Wine next time. There's nowhere near enough to drink."

"Of course, of course." Though he said so, his eyes remained locked on the Sword Pellet. At that moment, he wished he could fly straight back to his residence and refine it.

"I don't even know if you heard a word I said. You brat, forgetting righteousness at the sight of profit. Go on, get out of here." Old Man Fan snorted and returned to studying his illustrated book.

Fang Xiao felt as though he had received a pardon. He eagerly left the Scripture Repository and sped directly toward his residence.

The formation outside his courtyard had been repaired after he paid three hundred Merit Points. He still had to be cautious before breaking through to Foundation Establishment.

After sitting properly on the Meditation Cushion, Fang Xiao took out the Sword Pellet. It was slightly smaller than an egg, its entire body a subdued dark silver.

With this Sword Pellet, there was no longer any need to keep the Sword Nurturing Gourd to condense a Great White Sword Pellet. This further strengthened Fang Xiao's resolve to cultivate the Upper Elixir Condensing Spirit Refining Method. So long as he collected the remaining Essence of Five Metals, he could inscribe restrictions onto the Great White Sword Pellet after forming his core and use it as his Natal Sword Pellet.

It was now the embryo of a magic treasure and could only be used as a top-grade magic tool. Yet it could be stored in his Dantian and nurtured. Furthermore, as Fang Xiao's Sword Dao Realm continuously improved, even a top-grade magic tool might eventually be unable to bear the strain. But with the foundation of this Sword Pellet, it would be more than sufficient.

However, before refining the Sword Pellet, he first had to settle the matter of the Sword Nurturing Gourd. The two shared the same origin. He feared that if they met within his Dantian, something unpredictable might happen and disrupt his established plans.

Fang Xiao circulated the Upper Elixir Condensing Spirit Refining Method. Once he activated the Sword Nurturing Gourd, flickering golden radiance rose from it. The magical inscriptions engraved across its surface gradually blurred and vanished—not erased, but drawn inward into the gourd. The gourd blurred, appearing directly outside his body and hovering above his head. His hand seals shifted without pause as he used a Secret Art to guide the Sword Nurturing Gourd down through the Baihui Acupoint and slowly into his sea of consciousness, where it finally stopped above his soul.

The arrival of the Sword Nurturing Gourd stirred countless strands of Spiritual Sense within his sea of consciousness. Fang Xiao controlled a vast amount of Spiritual Sense, beginning to inscribe new magical inscriptions upon the gourd. Unlike the previous inscriptions, which could strengthen flying swords and increase their power, these new inscriptions nurtured and protected the soul. From this moment onward, it became a Soul Nurturing Gourd, waiting only for the day his Nascent Soul Dao Sword left his body.

This step was not difficult. The next was the final step: refining his soul into the gourd. The soul was fragile, so this process would take a full month. Just as one's meridians had a daily limit on the spiritual energy they could withstand, once he reached the limit his soul could bear, he would have to stop and recover.

From then on, the safety of his soul within the sea of consciousness would be guaranteed. Unless faced with an overwhelmingly stronger opponent, techniques such as Spiritual Sense attacks and Mind Attacks would not even be able to reach his soul after entering his sea of consciousness.

With that matter settled, Fang Xiao turned his attention to the Sword Pellet. The Taibai Sword Art contained a method for refining the Great White Sword Pellet—the Great White Gourd Sword Art. It was intended to work with the Sword Nurturing Gourd along the first path. Now that he had a ready-made Sword Pellet, he could directly skip the first step of having the Sword Nurturing Gourd nurture a Sword Pellet and proceed to the second. As he circulated the sword art, a Five-Colored Light Mass gradually formed within his Dantian. The Great White Sword Pellet in his palm immediately reacted and flew into his Dantian, merging with the Five-Colored Light Mass. When he stopped circulating the sword art, the Great White Sword Pellet fell silent, wrapped in silver-white spiritual energy within his Dantian and slowly nurtured.

The purpose of that Five-Colored Light Mass was to combine with the Essence of Five Metals. In the future, it could draw the Essence of Five Metals from all manner of spiritual materials and spiritual ores. Since the Great White Sword Pellet contained only Iron Essence, it could only absorb that one kind of metal essence. He still needed to make up the other four metals. Since it could absorb metal essence, its size did not matter.

The Soaring Sword Art naturally had a corresponding method as well—the Nine Refinements Soaring Sword Record. However, since he had now chosen the Great White Gourd Sword Art to condense his Sword Pellet, Fang Xiao planned to use the Nine Refinements Soaring Sword Record, a method for sacrificially refining flying swords, to refine his spiritual power instead. The spiritual power it produced would become Soaring Sword Energy. If he then fused it with the Great White Sword Qi of the Great White Sword Pellet, he wondered how similar it would be to the Sword Qi cultivated by the Taibai Soaring Sword Canon.

Over the next three days, each time he refined a full cycle of spiritual energy during cultivation, he used the Nine Refinements Soaring Sword Record to refine his spiritual power once. His Soaring Sword Energy had basically taken shape. However, he did not dare test it in his courtyard again. Fang Xiao planned to find an uninhabited place in the Tianshan Mountain Range to verify its power.

The moment he decided, he acted. As soon as he opened the formation outside his courtyard, more than a dozen people surged forward and handed him invitation cards. They were all challenge letters.

"Senior Brother Fang, Senior Brother Chen Jiuling of Yun Jing Outer Court has heard that Senior Brother Fang's swordsmanship is without equal and wishes to exchange pointers."

"Kid surnamed Fang, do you dare fight Senior Brother Xu of our Tian Lin Outer Court?"

Some were sincere, some provocative. All sorts of voices rose one after another, but they had only one purpose: to fight Fang Xiao. He suddenly recalled Old Man Fan's warning. These people all wanted to make names for themselves by stepping on him.

Fang Xiao allowed them to shout without stopping them, but he began considering how to make a profit from this group.

After they had shouted for a while, their voices gradually quieted. Fang Xiao smiled and spoke.

"I understand everyone's intentions. Since you Senior Brothers wish to offer me guidance, I naturally could not ask for more. However, this Junior Brother is usually busy cultivating and truly has no time to spar with all of you Senior Brothers."

Seeing that these people were about to start clamoring again, Fang Xiao changed tack.

"However, if you can offer me some compensation, it would not be impossible."

"State whatever conditions you have."

"If you Senior Brothers win, I will not take a single thing. But if I am fortunate enough to win, you must offer Merit Points or Spirit Stones as compensation. Based on the three levels of Qi Refining Late Stage cultivation, the prices will be five hundred, one thousand, and two thousand respectively. Those without Qi Refining Late Stage cultivation need not come. You may go back and report this. If you agree, then sign a contract art. If not, treat it as though you were never here."

Private fighting was forbidden between fellow disciples. They could only go to the Dueling Platform with both parties' consent. The people who had delivered the challenge letters discussed it among themselves and decided to return and report first. They could not make the decision in a wagered duel.

Once they had gone far away, Fang Xiao left as well. He was not going to test his sword art, but to find Fatty Han. If Fatty Han and the forces behind him learned of this, they would definitely open betting pools and make a fortune. As for Fang Xiao, he would be earning hard-earned money. After all, whether he profited or lost would still depend on the strength of his own abilities.