A Crazy Idea

"That Ghost Willow was forged into a blade by Tianye."

"A willowwood ghost sword?"

"A blade."

"More or less the same thing. Like that one I had in the illusion realm?"

"Mm."

With his question answered, Xu Yuan's thoughts began to spread anew.

The trunk of the Thousand-Thorn Ghost Willow, having grown for who knew how many years, was undoubtedly superb material for forging magical artifacts. Not to mention that the Thousand-Thorn Ghost Willow itself was an existence somewhere between a Yingui and a spirit-rhyme monster.

So long as it underwent certain special sacrificial refinement procedures, its soul could be directly transformed into an artifact spirit possessed of complete consciousness.

But all of that rested on one prerequisite: being able to defeat and capture that Saint-rank Yingui alive.

Within the Bewitching God Illusion Realm, Xu Yuan had used the Charm God Dao Rhyme and the Demon-Enchanting Cherry Blossom Poison to control that Thousand-Thorn Ghost Willow, making it refine itself into a sword.

The Tianye from history, however, clearly would not have possessed such special conditions.

At this thought, Xu Yuan lifted his eyes toward the girl seated across the tea table.

The hazy light filtering through the curtain of rain fell across her cheeks, while her waist-length black hair drifted gently in the wind behind her.

"That woman Tianye went into All Swords Valley alone and slaughtered that Ghost Willow?"

"Perhaps."

Tianyan neither confirmed nor denied the speculation. "Like the Holy Sons and Holy Maidens who were 'Heaven Sacrificed' during the ceremony welcoming the Pavilion Master's arrival, Tianye was only mentioned in a few scant lines within the Heavenly Oversight Pavilion's historical records."

As she spoke, Tianyan gracefully raised the porcelain cup before her and took a light sip of fragrant tea.

"But with that woman's talent, she should have