Core Forging, Fourth Layer: People's Wishes Descend from Heaven

"This sword..."

Qiu Yan narrowed his eyes, staring at the long sword, trying to detect a familiar aura from it. Then, his feet, which had been suspended in mid-air, landed on the ground inside the house.

Suddenly, the scene ahead changed, and countless longswords surged through the air!

But Qiu Yan didn't dodge. He let the long swords pierce through his body and stepped forward, facing the flying swords one after another!

Strangely enough, the longsword pierced through the air, flashing with cold light, but when it struck Qiu Yan, it passed right through him without leaving a trace of blood or even affecting his clothes.

"You came to me just to play tricks?"

Braving the rain of swords, Qiu Yan arrived in front of the long sword. A flash of light appeared in his eyes, and a surge of intent enveloped the Greensteel Sword stuck in the ground!

Snap!

The flying sword vanished in an instant!

A resounding clang followed, like the sound of metal scraping together, "Hmm? Your will emanates directly through your flesh and blood, dispelling the illusion. You have indeed condensed your Heavenly Soul. The speed of your progress is truly rare!"

The voice came from the longsword. As soon as the words were spoken, a Living Soul emerged from the sword, surrounded by layers of sharp Sword Qi. Although Qiu Yan could see the soul's shadow, he could not get close to it.

However, upon seeing this soul, Qiu Yan's pupils constricted as he recognized its origin.

"Xi Yun?"

This Living Soul was none other than Xi Yun, whom Qiu Yan had met a few times. However, now that only the Living Soul remained, it appeared even more incomplete. If it weren't for the protection of the Sword Qi, and the lack of sunlight, a gust of wind would have scattered its soul.

"You still remember him, that makes things easier," a resounding voice rang out again, the longsword trembling as it rose from the ground. "We've come here to ask for your help."

Qiu Yan listened without commenting. Instead, he asked, "You should be from the Upper Spirit Sect, right? Why do you need my help?"

"You don't need to pretend you don't know. Although Xi Yun is a person of the Upper Spirit Sect, he is enslaved and has always been seeking a way to break free. This time, Tang Lai's death was Xi Yun's arrangements. If he hadn't hidden the Sword Qi in the Heavy Water Bracelet, consuming Tang Lai's Heart Fire and locking her Divine Sense, how could Yu Zhanguo have stabilized Red Leaf Peak? If the Sword Qi hadn't injured Tang Lai's Seven Souls, why would he have retreated in such a hurry?"

These words, heard by Qiu Yan, resonated with him and helped him clarify some of his thoughts.

Seeing that Qiu Yan did not respond, the Greensteel Sword continued, "We have come here not to claim credit, but to ask the deity behind you to intervene and send Xi Yun to the Netherworld."

"Hmm? Ask the deity behind me to send Xi Yun to the Netherworld?"

The longsword replied, "That's right. Whether it was when you faced Tang Yi or this time against Tang Lai, there were deities involved. You must be connected to a certain deity. The deity who just resisted the mountain was carrying jade and was Fifth Grade deity. He could open the Yin-Yang Road. If he were willing to lend a hand, he could allow Xi Yun's soul to enter the Netherworld."

After saying this, it added, "To help you besiege Tang Lai, Xi Yun suffered a backlash from the Slave Seal. His Living Soul is incomplete, making it difficult for him to enter the Netherworld, which is why he has come to seek help."

Qiu Yan nodded. He now knew all the methods of the Upper Spirit Sect and knew that Xi Yun's inability to enter the Netherworld Living Soul not simply due to a backlash, but the other party had indeed put in effort. With this in mind, he did not reveal it, but said, "I can agree to this matter." After speaking, he took out a book from his body and placed it on the table.

"Hmm?" Changjian was still organizing his words when Qiu Yan agreed without hesitation.

"However, I can only send the soul to the underworld; the sword can't follow." As he spoke, Qiu Yan turned the pages of his book, and a chilling atmosphere filled the room.

"The entrance to the Yin-Yang Road? You actually have something like that on you?" The longsword said, floating backward. "Don't worry, only Xi Yun will go; I won't follow. Besides, since you agreed so readily, I'll repay you."

As soon as he finished speaking, the Living Soul shrouded in Sword Qi floated up, its shadow faintly bowing to Qiu Yan before landing on the book. The next moment, the Sword Qi dissipated, and the soul entered the book.

As the Living Soul entered the book, the long sword emitted a long, grinding sound, which Qiu Yan felt as if a person was exhaling.

Then he heard Changjian say, "Alright, as a way of repaying you, I will follow you for a while. During this time, if you have any questions about martial arts, you can ask me, and I will answer them for you." There was a sense of chivalry in his words.

Qiu Yan frowned upon hearing this. "There's no need for such trouble. If you're worried, you can stay for a few days and wait for news from the Netherworld."

"You've misunderstood," the longsword swayed in the air, "Xi Yun has entered the underworld. My Karma with him is now over. Whatever he encounters in the future is none of my concern."

At this point, it floated forward a few inches, as if staring at Qiu Yan, and said firmly, "Don't worry that I have ulterior motives. How about this, I'll tell you something first, and then you can make a decision."

"Hmm?" Qiu Yan was about to speak again, but stopped after hearing what followed.

"You must have noticed the problem in today's battle. No matter how well you plan, you'll still be constrained when facing someone with extraordinary strength. Looking at your arrangements, some were deliberately targeted at the Core-Forging Realm cultivators, which worked well against the Tongshan Demon King, but you inevitably miscalculated when you encountered Tang Lai, and in the end you had to take risks. The reason for this is ultimately that you don't understand the path of Life Cultivation enough."

The words spoken by the Greensteel Longsword were powerful and resonant, causing Qiu Yan to frown.

But the conversation didn't end there.

"The path of Life Cultivation is divided into several major realms: Foundation Establishment, Soul Tempering, Core Forging, Purple Mansion, and Profound Origin. Each major realm has its own unique characteristics. For example, the Foundation Establishment Realm is divided into Bright and Dark Realms, Soul Tempering requires the condensation of Seven Souls in succession. Core Forging also has its differences, and there are also differences in strength among Core Forging cultivators, some of which can even be described as worlds apart."

At this point, the longsword paused, noticing Qiu Yan's solemn expression, and knowing it had moved him, it continued—

"The Core Forging is divided into four levels. The first level involves the Seven Souls Materialization, generating Kidney Fire that can rival Seventh Grade deity."

"The second level involves fusing the Seven Souls into False Core. The flesh and blood can change unpredictably according to the Cultivation Method, known as the Seventy-Two Transformations. Cultivators at this level can contend with Sixth Grade gods. The Tongshan Demon King was at this level."

"The third level is when the Three Souls Seven Souls are fused together in one furnace. Only when this stage is the Golden Core successfully formed, and True Core is condensed. Its mysteries are boundless, and one's flesh and blood are imbued with its essence, comparable to Fifth Grade deity."

"As for the fourth level, it is beyond the reach of ordinary cultivators. Many cultivators exhaust their lifespan and still fail to achieve it. This is the internal generation of Core Fire, the unity of soul and body, and the transformation into Dao Embryo! This realm already shows signs of transcending the Three Realms and Five Elements, and is no less than that of Fourth Grade deity!"

"When the Dao Embryo is formed and the Golden Core is shattered by fire, that is when life enters the Purple Mansion."

At this point, it stopped speaking and floated silently.

Across from him, Qiu Yan frowned, pondering these words as if he had been struck by a sudden enlightenment.

"I see. No wonder there are differences even among those who are forging Core Forging. Just like the Power Soul Refining Soul-Refining Realm, there are distinctions. The Strength Soul governs the bones and Essence Soul, the Essence Soul governs True Qi Essence Blood and Qi Soul, the Vitality Soul governs the Heroic Soul, the Heroic Soul governs the internal organs and blood vessels, the Central Pivot Soul governs coordination, the Wisdom Soul governs the mind, and the Heaven-Rushing Soul governs the harmony between the internal and external. Qin You once said that when the Seven Souls Convergence and manifested externally, one enters the realm of Core Forging. But according to this longsword, it is only a stage of the Core-Forging Realm."

The two ghost servants of the Netherworld Domain were both accomplished Life Cultivation in their lifetimes, but their inheritances were incomplete. Although the deity himself inquired about them, the answers he received were not comprehensive, unlike the description of this longsword.

However, after processing all of this, Qiu Yan's first words were unrelated. "Why are you so clear about my battles with Mountain-Passing Great King and Tang Lai, as if you witnessed them yourself, even though you weren't there?"

In his words, Qiu Yan clearly regarded the longsword as an equal.

"You made arrangements, and we were prepared. Besides, the method I used was extraordinary, beyond your imagination. You probably thought I was a sword that had come to life? Wrong, wrong..." The sword said, shaking its blade.

"Hmm?" Qiu Yan suddenly felt that there was a certain rhythm in the swaying of the longsword, which was in harmony with the way of heaven and earth. Gradually, Swordsmanship arose in his mind.

He actually managed to figure out a Swordsmanship just by watching the longsword sway!

"No! This isn't something I figured out myself!"

Suddenly, Qiu Yan felt a jolt in his heart. Scriptures and the aura of Sage surged from his Living Soul, erasing the Swordsmanship that were about to take shape from his mind!

"Hmm!"

The longsword groaned and fell to the ground. After a long while, it flew up again, emanating a wave of surprised and uncertain emotions. The clanging sound rang out again, "What happened? Your Living Soul is so powerful that it could actually injure my physical body!"

"Your true form?" Qiu Yan narrowed his eyes, staring at the longsword. "So, you're not the Greensteel Sword, but a Swordsmanship?"

The longsword floated up and down, emanating a voice. "Not bad! My true form is a Swordsmanship; this Greensteel Sword is merely a vessel. However, you don't seem surprised? That's strange. Even Xi Yun was astonished for a long time back then."

"The essence of the body is Swordsmanship, that's quite a novel concept. You tried to possess me just now, but I mistakenly thought it was Swordsmanship you had comprehended yourself. No wonder you were able to detect my fight with the Tongshan Demon King without anyone noticing. However, to be able to make Swordsmanship into a spirit, the person who created the Swordsmanship must be extraordinary."

At this point, Qiu Yan suddenly thought of the Eight-Character Ancient Seal Inscription), and a flash of Spiritual Light struck him.

"You want to stay here, it can't be because you have nowhere else to go. You'd better explain why."

As he was speaking, he suddenly shuddered, and a tremendous force surged from the sky, engulfing his body!

Call!

The overwhelming People's Wishes, condensed to its utmost, seeped into flesh and blood, sank into the Living Soul, and vanished through the tunnel!

"This is..." Qiu Yan's eyes widened in surprise.

At the same time, the people in the city, who had just recovered from panic, fear and despair, were led by a few people to the outside of what appeared to be an ordinary courtyard.

Several tall, strong men were working together to move a statue out of the courtyard.

The moment the statue appeared, it drew gasps of surprise from the crowd.

"That's it! That's exactly how it looks!"

"Yes, the one that appears in my heart is none other than this god!"

May the gods protect us!

In an instant, the crowd was agitated, and all eyes were focused on the statue.

A grey robe covered his body, his hair blazing like fire. (To be continued)

ps: Thanks to "osun" and "loss of memory" for their monthly votes!