Purple Firmament Sword

"Ha, so that's what you wanted to ask me, little brother. You really gave me a fright. Well, it's like this."

The young man let out a breath of relief and said, "Half a year ago, a fiendish beast appeared in the mountains outside the city. It was incredibly powerful, and in the past six months, dozens of people have died in its jaws."

"A fiendish beast?"

Lu Chuan's expression shifted. Such creatures were many levels above ordinary beasts.

"Exactly. The beast caused so much harm that it eventually drew the attention of Martial Accomplishment King, who guards Chaoge.

"Martial Accomplishment King sent men into the mountains several times to hunt it down, but the fiendish beast was cunning. Each time they went in, it evaded them, and they failed to capture it."

The young man said, "I just saw a notice posted at the city gate. It said that in three days, Martial Accomplishment King would personally lead troops into the mountains to hunt down that vicious beast.

"But the beast is cunning, so they're hoping the able-bodied men in the city can help search for it. I was just going to let everyone know."

"So that's what happened..."

Lu Chuan nodded when he had finished listening, then cupped his hands toward the young man. "Sorry for the trouble."

The young man waved it off and turned, hurrying back into the city.

"Martial Accomplishment King?"

Lu Chuan's gaze narrowed slightly as he fell into thought. He remembered that this man was called Huang Feihu. Just as his name suggested, he was a tiger of a general.

"His name is Huang Feihu. His family has served loyally for seven generations, and he was enfeoffed as the Martial Accomplishment King Who Guards the State."

Shen Gongbao's eyes narrowed slightly. He said in a low voice, "Though he doesn't understand magic, his cultivation in the Martial Way is formidable. He's a Xiantian Realm expert whose name resounds throughout the world. In his early years, he subdued the Five-Colored Divine Ox and made it his mount."

"Xiantian in the Martial Way?"

At the words, Lu Chuan's expression changed. The Xiantian Realm in the Martial Way corresponded to the Refining Spirit to Return to Void stage for Qi Refiners.

But in terms of combat strength, experts of the Martial Way surpassed Qi Refiners by far. He just hadn't expected Huang Feihu to be so powerful.

After all, in the Investiture of the Gods, only some immortals' mounts were fiendish beasts. For a mortal general to have the ability to subdue one as his mount, his own strength was naturally no small matter.

"You're surprised by that?"

Shen Gongbao glanced at Lu Chuan and said coolly, "Did you think the Great Shang had only one Xiantian expert in the Martial Way?"

"There are others?"

Lu Chuan looked at Shen Gongbao in surprise.

"At least ten," Shen Gongbao said. "Otherwise, how do you think the Great Shang keeps eight hundred vassal lords in submission?"

Lu Chuan lowered his head and said nothing, but he was secretly astonished. Yin Shang truly was full of hidden dragons and crouching tigers. It had more than ten experts at the Xiantian Realm in the Martial Way.

Shen Gongbao suddenly closed his eyes and thought for a moment. "Disciple, you'll join this hunt in three days."

"Me too?" Lu Chuan was dumbfounded.

"Though you've studied under me for several months, you've only been building castles in the air. You can't go on like this."

Shen Gongbao shook his head and said, "I can teach you martial arts, magic, and cultivation, but I can't pass on experience in battle and facing an enemy to you."

"On the battlefield, circumstances change in the blink of an eye. You'll need to rely on your own experience to adapt to whatever happens. The only way to gain that experience is through actual combat."

Lu Chuan nodded after hearing this. "This disciple understands."

He was right. Battle experience couldn't be taught; it could only be gained through firsthand combat.

"Secondly, observe Huang Feihu as well."

Shen Gongbao said, "When we campaign against Zhou in the future, he'll be a tremendous obstacle to us. We need to understand him first."

"Observe... Huang Feihu?"

Lu Chuan paused, then said, "This disciple will remember."

He knew that the campaign against Zhou was inevitable, but it wouldn't be his master who led it.

"Relax. With the magic I taught you, what do you have to worry about?"

Shen Gongbao patted Lu Chuan on the shoulder and smiled. "Besides, you know the Five Elements Escape Technique. If you can't win, you can run. Just keep your eyes peeled, and if anything seems off, make your escape."

"Fine!"

Lu Chuan could only laugh wryly. Just how little faith did his master have in him to say something like that?

"Come on, let's get something to eat first. Once we've filled our stomachs and gone back, I'll pass another treasure on to you."

"A treasure?"

At those words, Lu Chuan perked right up. The two went to a nearby restaurant, where they had vegetarian dishes and plain noodles as usual.

Lu Chuan quickly wolfed down his meal, then followed Shen Gongbao back to the shop, brimming with anticipation.

"Master, bring it out?"

As soon as he entered, Lu Chuan stretched out one hand, raising an eyebrow with a smile.

"All right, all right, it's yours!"

Shen Gongbao shook his head helplessly, formed a hand seal with his right hand, and chanted an incantation. When he was done, light shone from his fingertip as he pointed toward the sky. A soft Clang! rang out, like a sharp sword being drawn.

Then a streak of purple light shot from his fingertip. It swelled in the wind into a divine sword wreathed in purple radiance, spinning above their heads.

Lu Chuan's eyes filled with fascination. Without a doubt, this sword was no ordinary thing.

"Take it with both hands!" Shen Gongbao barked.

"Oh!"

Lu Chuan quickly gathered his wits and stretched out his other hand, palm forward and level with the first.

Shen Gongbao pointed at the sword with a sword seal. The sword spinning above their heads abruptly dropped into Lu Chuan's open palms.

When the light faded, a long sword of solid purple came into view. Mysterious patterns were carved along both sides of the blade. Its sharpness glinted faintly, and it felt ice-cold and painfully keen in his hands.

Lu Chuan's gaze roamed up and down the sword. His fondness for it was plain to see.

Shen Gongbao said, "This sword is called the Purple Firmament Sword. It's three feet, six inches, and five tenths of an inch long, corresponding to the number of the celestial cycles. It's a divine sword passed down to me by your grandmaster. Today, I pass it on to you."

"Grandmaster... the Primordial Heavenly Lord?"

Lu Chuan's heart jolted. He smiled and cautiously probed, "This disciple has heard that my senior uncles all have treasures that guard their mountains. Could this sword also be your..."

Passing a mountain-guarding treasure down to one's disciple was a Yuxu Sect tradition. His most honest senior uncles, Guangchengzi and Chi Jingzi, had done so, as had Taiyi Zhenren.

Even the other disciples who had gone down the mountain had magical treasures or divine weapons to take with them.

As his master's disciple, Lu Chuan wholeheartedly supported this tradition.

Shen Gongbao gently shook his head. "I've always cultivated in Yuxu Palace. I don't have another immortal mountain."

In other words, this sword wasn't his mountain-guarding treasure. After all, he didn't have a mountain of his own.

"It's all right, it's all right!"

Lu Chuan cradled the Purple Firmament Sword in his left hand and gently stroked the blade with his right. His eyes were filled with affection.

He had already figured it out: the Purple Firmament Sword had to be a divine weapon on the same level as the treasures that guarded the Twelve Golden Immortals' mountains. After all, both had been passed down by the same grandmaster. Even if it was inferior, it couldn't be by much.

"Master, now that you've passed the Purple Firmament Sword to me, what will you use from now on?" Lu Chuan suddenly looked up and asked.

"I have others."

Shen Gongbao said, "Don't worry. The student won't starve the master who taught him everything."

Lu Chuan: "..."

He'd known his concern was unnecessary.

His master was definitely no honest man like Senior Uncle Guangchengzi. Otherwise, he wouldn't have tricked so many fellow Daoists.

He only hoped Shen Gongbao wouldn't be like Juliusun, who held something back even after teaching his disciple. Otherwise, he'd be in a sorry state.

The Purple Firmament Sword!

Lu Chuan gripped the hilt and held the sword upside down in front of him, studying the ancient, unadorned divine weapon from hilt to tip.

The blade was purple.

Even the hilt was purple.

The purple sword was cold and heavy. Its purple blade, made of some unknown metal, reflected Lu Chuan's young, handsome face.

Shhk!

Then Shen Gongbao reached forward with his left palm and pointed at it with his right hand, forming a seal. A flash of light passed over his palm, and a scabbard appeared.

The scabbard was pierced with openwork designs, and purple cloud patterns adorned its exterior.

Shen Gongbao handed it over.

Lu Chuan took the scabbard, turned his right wrist, and slid the Purple Firmament Sword into it with a Clang!, concealing its sharp edge.

Sword and scabbard together gave the whole thing a profound air, like purple qi coming from the east.

"Practice your sword for a while."

As he spoke, Shen Gongbao headed for his room without looking back.

"Master, what's wrong?" Lu Chuan felt that something seemed off about him.

Shen Gongbao turned around. Lu Chuan saw that one of his hands was pressed to his chest and his expression looked pained. He said plaintively, "Disciple, now that I've given up the Purple Firmament Sword, why does it suddenly hurt here? How about... I give you a different treasure instead?"

Lu Chuan's expression turned solemn at once. He hugged the sword to his chest, bowed slightly, and said, "Since your health is poor, Master, please go and rest. You can leave everything in the shop to this disciple."

Was he really hoping to take back something he'd already handed to his disciple?

Master, you were still too naive!

At Lu Chuan's words, Shen Gongbao's face darkened. He flung his hand out, turned, and strode into his room with a series of huffs and puffs.