Life-Bound Sword [Seeking Investment, Seeking Monthly Tickets]

Refining a Life-Bound Sword required long, patient nurturing—using one's own essence, energy, and spirit to nourish it, and constantly shaping it through one's understanding of the Dao. Over time, it would gradually become a part of one's life.

Not only would its power surpass that of ordinary refined artifacts, but it could also grow alongside Jiang Ming's cultivation.

A Life-Bound Sword could change size at will. With a single thought, it could merge with divine sense and slay enemies thousands of miles away. As far as divine sense could reach, so could its attack.

Jiang Ming picked up a thumb-sized piece of Star-Pattern Iron beside him. With a thought, the half-foot-long Azure-Edge Glazed Sword rapidly shrank until it resembled an embroidery needle. With a "whoosh," it pierced into the Star-Pattern Iron.

Star-Pattern Iron was one of the finest materials for Wheel of the Sea Secret Realm cultivators to refine artifacts with.

Unfortunately, a thumb-sized piece was somewhat too small. If it were the size of a pebble, it would have been enough.

Still, Jiang Ming intended to use this precious piece of Star-Pattern Iron to nurture his Life-Bound Sword.

Buzzz~~~

As Jiang Ming activated his technique, a layer of radiance emerged across the surface of the embroidery-needle-sized Life-Bound Sword. Crystalline ripples flowed over it as it continuously devoured the essence of the Star-Pattern Iron as though drinking water. Specks of light were absorbed by the needle-like Azure-Edge Glazed Sword, while fragments gradually began to flake off the surface of the Star-Pattern Iron, whose deep-blue starlight had once flowed brilliantly.

About ten minutes passed before the needle-sized sword trembled joyfully and let out a clear sword cry with a "clang."

The thumb-sized piece of Star-Pattern Iron had already turned into a small pile of ash-like impurities.

Jiang Ming did not stop nurturing his Life-Bound Sword. He still had enough true essence and divine sense. With a soft hum, the embroidery-needle-sized Life-Bound Sword trembled lightly, then pierced into a soybean-sized piece of Purple Copper.

This tiny piece of Purple Copper had been spoils taken from the dead man of the Li Family. It was even more valuable than Star-Pattern Iron, on the same level as Star Iron. It was the finest treasure material for Dao Palace Secret Realm cultivators to refine artifacts with.

Yet now, it had benefited Jiang Ming. Truthfully, even with fragments of Yimu Heartwood added to it, his sword had originally been rather ordinary, because Yimu Heartwood itself was comparable in quality to Star-Pattern Iron.

As for the main material, Azure Wood, it had been refined from the heartwood of a hundred-year-old Tree Demon.

Jiang Ming's master had given it to him. Otherwise, with Jiang Ming's strength, he definitely would not have been able to defeat a hundred-year-old Tree Demon.

After Jiang Ming had reforged the sword just now, it had become centered around Yimu Star fragments, having devoured the essence of the original Azure Wood Heart.

After half an hour, the soybean-sized Purple Copper had been completely drained of its essence. Almost nothing remained, save for a wisp of purple smoke rising into the air.

Jiang Ming could sense the joy of his Life-Bound Sword. It was a wonderful feeling. When he had chosen to refine it into his sole Life-Bound Sword, he had bestowed spirituality upon it. It could be said that it was now like a quasi-Spirit Artifact, naturally surpassing ordinarily refined artifacts by a level.

In Immortal Sword World, the treasures refined by cultivators were generally divided into: artifacts, Spirit Artifacts, magic treasures, and Spirit Treasures.

Based on Jiang Ming's understanding of the Shrouding Method, only treasures refined by Dao Palace Secret Realm cultivators could be considered Spirit Artifacts.

Now that his Life-Bound Sword had devoured so many resources, its fundamental quality had risen another level.

Jiang Ming looked over those artifact spoils: a golden awl, a purple net, a small silver shield, a small bronze hammer, a blood-colored spear, and the Green Wood Sword.

They were all ordinary artifacts, made from commonplace materials that Sea of Bitterness cultivators could acquire. He found them beneath his notice. There was no need for his Life-Bound Sword to devour the essence of these artifacts; it made no difference whether it did or not.

He could simply sell them in exchange for cultivation resources.

These artifacts were all common goods, so he did not need to worry about anyone recognizing their uncertain origins.

Jiang Ming's Life-Bound Sword had now changed from its original green glazed appearance into a glazed sword flowing with purple radiance and dotted with deep-blue starlight.

Nurturing and refining a Life-Bound Sword could not be accomplished overnight. For an ordinary sword cultivator, it would likely take ten years of hard work to nurture one into a Spirit Artifact-grade Life-Bound Sword.

But Jiang Ming was different. With his realm in the sword Dao and the Great Freedom God-Demon Sword Intent he had comprehended, he could nurture a flying sword more than a hundred times faster. He believed that within a month at most, his Life-Bound Sword would certainly become Spirit Artifact-grade.

When he had become a demon, he had comprehended the Great Freedom Demonic Sword Intent.

When he had ascended, becoming immortal with a single thought, he had comprehended the Great Freedom Divine Sword Intent.

"Come."

Jiang Ming reached out and grabbed. His Life-Bound Sword floated before him, expanding rapidly from the size of an embroidery needle. Purple and green radiance bloomed from it, adorned with blue starlight, until it reached a full three feet and one inch in length. Like an ordinary sword worn at one's waist, he reached out and gripped the divine sword.

That was a Life-Bound Sword. It could be nurtured within the dantian or carried on one's back, constantly nourished by one's own aura, true essence, and even divine sense.

After being consumed, these things could be restored. This was also one of the cultivation advantages of sword cultivators.

The fragrance of plum blossoms came from bitter cold; the edge of a treasured sword came from relentless grinding.

Jiang Ming's cultivation was now at the sixth layer of the Qi Refining Stage. In theory, he was comparable to a Life Spring cultivator of the Shrouding Method.

At the very least, in this region, as long as he did not provoke elder-level figures, he had enough strength to protect himself.

Jiang Ming certainly would not be content with such a minor level of cultivation. He had only just awakened his memories.

He had yet to obtain a Shrouding Method that satisfied him. From his experience with the Heavenly Tyrant Body, its origin essence was incredibly abundant. Accordingly, it would consume somewhat more resources during cultivation.

But that was also a good thing. Every additional bit of cultivation resources consumed was an accumulation of foundation. In the end, he himself would be the one to benefit.

It was like ordinary people: some elders from the older generation could eat ten steamed buns in one meal and still carry three hundred jin up eight floors at sixty years old.

Yet some young, able-bodied people could eat only two steamed buns in one meal, and carrying one hundred jin up four floors would nearly kill them.

Only by eating could one have strength.

The fact that his physique could consume resources was also a good thing for Jiang Ming.

What was certain was that the resources it consumed were not as absurd as Ye Fan's Desolate Ancient Sacred Body. After all, the Heavenly Tyrant Body had not been cursed. Paying a small price was perfectly normal.

Since he did not currently possess a Shrouding Method suited to his physique, there was no need to rush into cultivation. He could not just cultivate some random method and waste this Heavenly Tyrant Body, could he?

Besides, he could still cultivate the methods of Chinese Paladin. This world was not particularly harsh. The Desolate Heavenly Emperor was generous; it was not as if he forbade later generations of humanity from creating their own methods.

He just did not know whether there would be a Law-Creation Tribulation, or when it would descend.

As he cultivated little by little, even if there was a Law-Creation Tribulation, it should correspond to his realm and strike him accordingly. It could not possibly exceed his own cultivation realm just to kill him.

There was still some time until dawn. Jiang Ming began meditating and practicing Qi Refining. Even without cultivation resources, he could still refine and absorb the world's natural essence in this world.

For him, his cultivation had now entered the right track. He could completely replace sleep with meditation.

Time rewound to daytime.

Smoke Glow Grotto-Heaven!

During the day, Jiang Ming's master, Elder Lei, received a report from his disciples. He saw Jiang Ming, whose condition had been terrible, as if he had gone mad.

After Elder Lei chased after him, he failed to find Jiang Ming. Later, news of what had happened at Smoke Glow Ridge spread. Many cultivators had witnessed a flock of Lightning Birds wreaking havoc there.

Elder Lei rushed to Smoke Glow Ridge and naturally saw Green Bamboo Slope, which the Lightning Birds had blasted into a field of ravines.

Elder Lei had already roughly deduced what had happened. He had warned Jiang Ming and Lingzhi that they were not allowed to pick the Three Yin Cold Lotus. Even he had not dared to go there.

Yet his two disciples had still refused to listen. Unexpectedly, they had not died beneath the claws of Old Cold Chi in the cold pool, only to provoke the Lightning Birds afterward. Could they have been bold enough to pick Lightning Grass?

Lightning Grass was a rare spirit herb that grew on cliffs around Lightning Bird nests. It was more than ten times more valuable than Jade Snake Orchid.

"Alas, foolish disciples. Foolish beyond saving. Rotten wood cannot be carved."

Elder Lei's aged body was draped in purple robes, making him look like a strip of cloth hanging from a flagpole. Even skin and bones was not enough to describe his stooped frame. He stretched out a pair of hands, dry and shriveled, veins bulging like black chi dragons. His bony palms clenched tightly as he spoke hoarsely in frustration at their failure to meet his expectations.

He was over one meter seventy tall. It was certain that he must have been one meter eighty in his youth. His white hair was disheveled, though the few strands remaining had been meticulously combed back. His face was already little more than skin over bone, his cheekbones jutting high. He looked like the sort of person who had spent his entire life refusing to yield.

"Cough, cough, cough—"

At that moment, the old man broke into a violent coughing fit, then turned into a streak of purple light and departed.

Though he did not know exactly what had happened, Elder Lei had seen much in his long life. He had lived for nearly one hundred and sixty years; there was little he had not seen. It was not as though disciples had never gone out to gain experience and died outside before.

But this disciple, Jiang Ming, was exceptionally talented, comparable to half an immortal seed. Elder Lei had placed high hopes on him, believing that Jiang Ming could go farther than he had in the future and help look after his descendants.

Lingzhi's talent was also excellent, second only to Jiang Ming's. The husband and wife supported one another. Perhaps both of them could become Divine Bridge cultivators in the future, with a chance to reach the Other Shore and see it for themselves.

Yet it had all come to nothing.

Sure enough, when night fell, neither Jiang Ming nor Lingzhi returned to Smoke Glow Grotto-Heaven.

Disciples generally did not dare spend the night outside. This situation seemed to foretell something.

"Cough, cough, cough—"

Late at night, a burst of piercing coughs came from the cave dwelling where Elder Lei lived.

"Father, you must take care of yourself. Junior Brother Jiang Ming is blessed by fate; he will definitely be all right."

Inside the cave dwelling, another equally aged old man looked at Elder Lei worriedly and spoke.

He was a Sea of Bitterness cultivator, already over a hundred years old. He did not have long left to live either.

Elder Lei was a Life Spring cultivator who should theoretically have lived around one hundred and fifty years. However, he had taken some Longevity Pills and stubbornly held on for another three to five years.

That Elder Han of Spirit Ruins Grotto-Heaven was a few years younger than Elder Lei, with comparable cultivation. He, too, did not have many years left. That was why, in the original story, he had set his sights on Ye Fan, intending to refine Ye Fan's Desolate Ancient Sacred Body into pills to extend his life.

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