Refining the Crimson Fire Divine Sword and Leaving Home
Did I go too far in that last battle?
Hearing Du Zikai's summons, Kong Wenxuan showed nothing on his face, but his heart sank slightly, and he couldn't help wondering.
Although Du Zikai's words sounded like a mere suggestion that he go to the Demon-Suppressing Pass on the front line, neither he nor the Kong Household would take it as such. They would only see it as a summons from the Du Household, ordering him to the Demon-Suppressing Pass to slay demons.
Such was the helplessness of the Kong Household as a servant-cultivator lineage of the Du Household. A single word from their master household was enough to make them take the matter seriously and do everything in their power to carry it out.
He had at most one month left to deal with his affairs in the lineage. After that, he had to head south to the Demon-Suppressing Pass and join the fighting. Otherwise, no one knew whether Du Zikai and the Du Household might remember it one day and use it as an excuse to make trouble for the Kong Household.
Even so, Kong Wenxuan still had to follow Patriarch Kong Changgeng's lead and thank Du Zikai for his suggestion with a delighted smile.
The other three servant-cultivator lineages present reacted differently. Some cultivators of the "Swift" Yan Household and the "Sparrow" Ma Household looked on with indifference, as though it had nothing to do with them, while others frowned in sympathy. Only the "Hummingbird" Feng Household's cultivators mostly wore looks of schadenfreude.
Clearly, Kong Wenxuan had completely offended the Feng Household by severely wounding one of its cultivators in battle and snatching a first-tier superior-grade spirit flame from them. Now that the Du Household had summoned him to the dangerous Demon-Suppressing Pass, the Feng cultivators who had suffered at his hands were naturally overjoyed.
Some Feng cultivators even believed that Du Zikai had summoned Kong Wenxuan precisely because he had severely wounded their cultivator and stolen their spirit flame, and that the Du Household was standing up for the Feng Household. As a result, many of them appeared grateful to Du Zikai and the Du Household's cultivators.
Du Zikai watched the reactions of the cultivators from the four households and smiled in satisfaction. He then dismissed the gathering, sending them all back to their respective households.
As for the remaining territory of the "Flamingo" Lie Household, along with the many Lie Household resources, spiritual materials, treasures, and other things buried deeper within it, they naturally all became the property of the Du Household.
Once the Du Household had thoroughly searched the volcanic peak and claimed its useful resources, spiritual objects, treasures, and the like, it could use the spiritual ground left behind to attract a new servant-cultivator lineage.
After all, in the True Spirit Realm, there was no shortage of bloodline cultivator lineages wandering from place to place, longing for a sufficiently safe and stable territory of their own.
The Du Household only had to put the word out, and plenty of bloodline cultivator lineages with nowhere to turn would come flocking to them, competing to become their servant-cultivator lineage.
Hadn't their own "Peacock" Kong Household once been the same?
"Wenxuan." On the way back to the lineage aboard the "Feather Boat," Patriarch Kong Changgeng looked at him and said gravely, "Since Du Zikai personally gave the order, I'm afraid you have no choice but to make a trip to the Demon-Suppressing Pass."
"But you needn't worry. Our Kong Household has people at the Demon-Suppressing Pass too. Your eldest uncle Kong Yushuo has been serving there with a team from the lineage all these years. I'll have him look after you at the pass."
"Besides that, whatever help you need from the lineage, just say the word," Patriarch Kong Changgeng said.
"Thank you, Patriarch!" Kong Wenxuan immediately bowed in thanks. He naturally knew his eldest uncle Kong Yushuo, the foremost member of the lineage's Yu generation and its strongest fighter apart from the patriarch.
For most of these past years, Kong Yushuo had led the dozen or so strongest fighters in the lineage, serving at the Demon-Suppressing Pass on the front line and fighting on behalf of their master household, the Du Household.
It could be said that virtually all of the Kong Household's truly capable fighters were on the front line. The lineage patrol team Kong Wenxuan belonged to counted only as a second-line force, which was why they had been left behind to guard the lineage.
As these thoughts ran through his mind, Kong Wenxuan made no pretence of modesty. He immediately took out the volcanic-stone treasure seal he had found in the Lie Household's territory and said, "Patriarch, I still need one first-tier superior-grade spirit flame for my cultivation. I'd like to exchange this treasure seal for one from the lineage."
The patriarch nodded at the sight of it, then shook his head. "The lineage will provide the spirit flame you need. As for this treasure seal, there's no need to hand it over. You're about to head to the Demon-Suppressing Pass on the front line, where weapons are merciless and battle is perilous. Refine the seal yourself. Even a small increase in your fighting strength would be good."
"Thank you for the lineage's help." Kong Wenxuan first thanked him, then shook his head. "But the Five Elements Divine Swords are enough for my cultivation and fighting. I have no need of this treasure seal. It would be better to leave it in the lineage for someone who needs it."
"In that case," the patriarch said, "take the treasure seal to the Demon-Suppressing Pass and give it to Yushuo. He fights and kills on the front line for the lineage, so he has the greatest need of a combat Law Artifact like this."
"Yes, Patriarch." Kong Wenxuan did not object and agreed at once.
An hour later, the Feather Boat flew back to the Kong Household's territory at Peacock Ridge. Kong Wenxuan collected a sixth first-tier superior-grade spirit flame from the patriarch, then took his leave at once to enter seclusion, refine the spirit flames, and forge the Crimson Fire Divine Sword.
One month was certainly not enough to finish forging the Crimson Fire Divine Sword, nor could he break through to the Qi Refinement Eighth Layer, but at a time like this, any increase in strength was worthwhile.
As for patrol duties and the handling of the spoils obtained from the Lie Household's territory, those were naturally left to the patriarch and the others. Kong Wenxuan had no need to concern himself with them.
Near the source of the spirit spring at the summit of Peacock Ridge, the Kong Household had built a group of houses expressly for its cultivators to cultivate in seclusion.
Inside one of those houses, Kong Wenxuan took out a first-tier superior-grade spirit flame obtained from the Lie Household's territory. One of the five peacock feathers formed from the peacock bloodline in his Dantian Qi sea, the crimson peacock feather, then flew out and suspended itself upside down above the spirit flame.
He formed seals with his hands and circulated his Law Power, sending the Law Restrictions used to forge the Crimson Fire Divine Sword from the Five Elements True Scripture inheritance into the crimson peacock feather, one after another. The feather immediately began devouring the spirit flame below, refining its fiery substance into material for forging the sword and its Spiritual Qi into Law Power, which flowed into his Dantian Qi sea.
More than twenty days passed in a flash. With the time to depart for the Demon-Suppressing Pass nearly upon him, Kong Wenxuan had no choice but to end his seclusion.
In those twenty-odd days, he had refined less than half of it, and the forging of the Crimson Fire Divine Sword had only just begun. The divine sword was still a long way from completion. However, after more than twenty days of forging the sword and refining Qi, the Law Power in his Dantian Qi sea had increased slightly. On the battlefield, that little bit of extra Law Power might prove the key to victory or defeat at any moment.
After emerging from seclusion, Kong Wenxuan first returned home. His parents in this life were ordinary people who had never awakened their bloodlines and lived in Peacock Village at the foot of Peacock Ridge. Thanks to him, however, they received considerable care from the lineage and lived comfortable, leisurely lives.
Kong Wenxuan stayed home and spent three days with his parents. On the day of his departure, he came to the affairs hall halfway up the mountain.
The lineage members he knew well had all come to see him off. Among them were his four patrol teammates, Kong Yushan, Kong Yutang, Kong Yuling, and Kong Wenxiong, as well as Kong Wenyuan, Kong Wenmo, Kong Wenxing, and others who had awakened their bloodlines alongside him and cultivated with him in the lineage's scripture lecture hall.
Besides them, Patriarch Kong Changgeng and Second Elder Kong Changlan, who oversaw the lineage's affairs, were also there.
"Wenxuan." Second Elder Kong Changlan took out a Storage Bag and placed it in his hand. "The lineage provides every member who goes to serve at the Demon-Suppressing Pass with resources such as pills, talismans, and Spirit Stones. This is yours."
"Thank you, Second Elder, and thank you to the lineage for its support!" Kong Wenxuan did not refuse. He accepted the bag and gave his thanks.
Kong Yushan, Kong Yuling, Kong Wenyuan, Kong Wenxing, and the others who had come to see him off also stepped forward in turn, offering pills, Spirit Stones, and other things as farewell gifts.
Kong Wenxuan refused none of them. He accepted each gift, thanked its giver, and said with a smile, "Once I've gained a foothold at the Demon-Suppressing Pass, I'll be sure to send you plenty of its local specialties."
"All right, it's getting late. We should set off," Patriarch Kong Changgeng said.
Patriarch Kong Changgeng would accompany him to the Demon-Suppressing Pass this time, both to see him there and to bring back resources, spiritual objects, and other things collected by his eldest uncle Kong Yushuo and the others.