A sword soul was a treasure every sword practitioner dreamed of, but it was exceedingly rare, for the conditions of its birth were extraordinarily demanding.
Its formation required the accumulation of long ages-hundreds of thousands of years at least, and over a million at most.
But how difficult was it for a sword to endure for so long?
Even setting aside damage suffered in battle, a sword left untouched in one place would still be eroded by time until it finally vanished.
Thus, any sword capable of giving birth to a sword soul had to be a famed sword forged from the finest materials under heaven. Only then could it withstand the erosion of time.
Once a sword gave birth to a sword soul, it would endure forever, never to perish.
Even if outside forces shattered its blade, it could exist eternally in soul form.
A sword soul was the manifestation of the Dao of the sword. By contemplating it, one could gain insight into the supreme Dao of the sword.
Moreover, a sword soul itself contained terrifying power. It could merge with any sword, enhancing its edge and might.
Fang Ling sensed the information the sword soul released.
Its name was Tongyuan, and he was now its seven hundred and twenty-first master.
Let me try merging the Tongyuan sword soul with my Life-Bound Blood Sword.
He raised his hand and condensed the Life-Bound Blood Sword in his palm.
Then the sword mark between his brows flashed, and the sword soul flew out, merging into the Blood Sword.
After the sword soul entered it, the once violent, evil Life-Bound Blood Sword instead became still and unadorned.
The Blood Sword had once been like rootless duckweed, but now it possessed a sense of weight and substance.
With a light swing, a streak of sword light swept out, leveling everything along its path for dozens of miles.
"Truly worthy of a legendary sword soul! The power of my sword swings has increased more than tenfold!" Fang Ling exclaimed in delight.
Sword Master once obtained a sword soul too. I think it was called Thousand Jun.
I wonder whether his Thousand Jun is more formidable, or my Tongyuan is stronger.
He'll definitely be surprised when I go back and show him next time.
Come to think of it, why do treasures keep appearing in this little Dragon City? The thought suddenly struck him.
Both the Seven-Colored Heavenly Butterfly Pupa he had forced out of the White Family's young lady and this Tongyuan sword soul were things rarely seen in the world.
The Seven-Colored Heavenly Butterfly is an ancient demonic insect. Even Fat Master said it was all but extinct in the outside world.
And this Tongyuan sword soul was sealed in amber...
Could they both have come from the Lost Ancient Mine Bai Jiang mentioned? The more he thought about it, the more likely it seemed.
It looks like I'll have to visit the Lost Ancient Mine. Perhaps I'll reap some unexpected rewards.
He did not know where the Lost Ancient Mine was, so he would have to return and ask the White Family.
Though it was already late at night, the two White Family brothers stood on the gate tower, gazing into the distance.
Although Fang Ling had traveled far away, the commotion he caused was so great that it had reached Dragon City.
"Even from dozens of miles away, we can still feel that powerful Sword Qi."
"It seems Young Master Fang must be the heir of some sword Dao Lineage," Bai Bo said.
"That seems likely," Bai Jiang replied. "But what has brought him to our Southern Sun Kingdom?"
"Perhaps his travels simply brought him here. Don't heirs of those great Lineages all enjoy roaming about?" Bai Bo said.
"Why are you two still awake so late?" Suddenly, Fang Ling appeared behind them and asked quietly.
Caught completely off guard, the two White Family brothers jumped in fright.
"Young Master Fang, just now, you..." Bai Jiang looked at him and asked obliquely.
Fang Ling nodded. "I caused that commotion. I opened the amber."
"I'm very pleased with what was inside. Thank you for the White Family's generous gift."
"Consider me indebted to your White Family. If you need anything in the future, you can come to me."
The White Family brothers had not reached their current standing without knowing how to conduct themselves. Neither asked what the amber had contained.
"You're far too kind, Young Master Fang!" Bai Jiang said with a smile. "The White Family's doors will always be open to you. Please feel free to visit anytime."
"By the way, I'd like to explore the Lost Ancient Mine, but I don't know where it is," Fang Ling added.
Bai Jiang was about to answer when a deep voice suddenly sounded behind them.
"Since you're interested in that place, Young Master Fang, why not let this old man accompany you there?"
Fang Ling turned to see a one-armed elder in white robes approaching. He was Bai Xingyou, the White Family's ancestor.
"Greetings, Ancestor!" The White Family brothers hurriedly bowed.
Bai Xingyou gave a soft hum of acknowledgment and slowly landed beside them.
"I was in seclusion recuperating earlier, so I couldn't come out to greet you sooner, Young Master Fang. Please don't take offense!" Bai Xingyou said.
"Not at all! You're far too courteous, sir!" Fang Ling replied.
"Then I'm sorry for the trouble, Elder Bai, but please take me to explore the Lost Ancient Mine."
"Jiang, Bo, you two should head back first!" Bai Xingyou said, looking at the brothers.
"I'll take Young Master Fang there now..."
"Yes, Ancestor!" The White Family brothers immediately returned to the White Estate, leaving just the two of them on the gate tower.
Bai Xingyou looked at Fang Ling and asked, "Young Master Fang, was it that piece of amber that sparked your interest in the Lost Ancient Mine?"
"More or less. I also suspect that the poison afflicting Miss Bai Ying came from there," Fang Ling replied with a nod.
"As I thought!" Bai Xingyou's expression darkened. "I've suspected that for some time."
"A few days before Ying was poisoned, she visited the Lost Ancient Mine with the estate's servants."
"You're Dragon City's living immortal, sir. You must know a great deal about the Lost Ancient Mine, correct?" Fang Ling asked.
"No, I've only scratched the surface," Bai Xingyou said with a bitter smile.
"In truth, I lost this arm in the Lost Ancient Mine," he said, touching his empty left sleeve.
"Let's set out! We can talk along the way..."
Fang Ling listened patiently throughout the journey and gained some understanding of the Lost Ancient Mine.
In the present cultivation world, spirit veins came in only three sizes: large, medium, and small.
But in ancient times, there had been an even richer kind of spirit vein, known as an origin spirit vein.
The spirit stones contained within an origin spirit vein were of exceptionally high quality, classified as top-grade spirit stones. There was even rare spirit marrow.
The Lost Ancient Mine near Dragon City had once been an origin spirit vein.
Thus, as early as ancient times, Dragon City had already grown into a great city by relying on this origin spirit mine.
But a city built on resources would inevitably decline one day when those resources ran dry.
After this origin spirit mine was exhausted, Dragon City steadily declined, right up to the present day.
Yet even a starved camel was larger than a horse. Dragon City remained the undisputed largest city in the western Southern Sun Kingdom.
Although this ancient mine had long since been hollowed out, people had continued coming to explore it throughout the ages, hoping to find overlooked treasures.
With so many people coming and going, it became a hotbed of trouble, and bloodshed was common.
With so many deaths, some treasures were bound to be left behind, so later visitors occasionally found valuable objects nearby.
That was the account commonly accepted among the people, but Bai Xingyou had a different story.
According to him, the ancient mine had not been fully excavated, and it held a secret known to few.
In the deepest reaches of the Lost Ancient Mine stood a dust-sealed hall!
The deeper one ventured into the mine, the stronger the force field one had to endure.
Most people therefore could not reach its depths and had no idea such a place existed within.
But even those who reached the depths would find it difficult to enter that mysterious hall.
A powerful puppet stood guard at the hall's entrance, barring every intruder.
In his youth, Bai Xingyou had been brimming with confidence. Disregarding the White Family's ancestral instructions, he had sought to uncover the secrets within.
He had ventured deep into the ancient mine, determined to get to the bottom of it.
It was then that he fought the puppet, barely escaping at the cost of an arm.
From that day onward, he had never dared set foot in the Lost Ancient Mine again.
Before you continue