Cohabitation with Sword Spirit-Chapter 296 - 33: The Basic Character of the Celestial Divine Sword

January 23, 2018

At the moment he heard the metal snap, Shen Qing's heart was unperturbed, but then a barely detectable trace of reluctance slowly emerged.

Although he couldn't discern the Divine Techniques within Li Wanqing's White Sword, bringing it out confidently in this setting surely implied it was a rare treasure of the Li Family. Yet, to have it break in his hand without even a chance to showcase its powers was the very definition of a tragedy.

Yet this is battle, and this is the battle of the Shen Family, where victory inevitably entails a price. When dueling in the Shen Family Outer Courtyard with the Shen Family members, you just have to adapt to the local customs.

In battle, Shen Qing's state of mind was utterly calm, like an ancient well. After rigorous training in the Shen Family Outer Courtyard, he could maintain composure until the last moment, even if someone broke his limbs or split open his torso.

However, when Shen Qing deemed the battle won and slightly relaxed his mind, he suddenly felt a light sensation in his hand, and a certain bloodline connection was severed. Although it wasn't accompanied by sharp pain, it felt as if he had lost a limb...

The next moment, Shen Qing's expression changed dramatically as he looked incredulously at the Silver Frost Divine Sword in his hand.

To be precise, it was half of the Silver Frost Divine Sword.

The pure, silver-bright long sword, akin to the bright moon, was now reduced to just a foot in length, and the moonlight-like glow rapidly dimmed, like the dying flame of life.

In that instant, Shen Qing's world congealed.

—

Simultaneously, time seemed to stand still in the Shen Family Outer Courtyard.

Hundreds of eyes watched the half-broken sword in Shen Qing's hand, feeling as though a rift that divided their worldview had appeared.

The Silver Frost Sword, one of the most outstanding miracles in the history of Shen Family forging, and expected to safely advance to an Immortal Treasure after a hundred years, had it really... broken?

Impossible, right? No matter how you think about it, it's unrealistic, isn't it?! Although the Silver Frost Sword wasn't famed for being indestructible, its Quasi-Immortal Treasure tier was undeniable! Chaos True Silver is renowned for its exceptional resilience, an unparalleled forging material that bends but doesn't break. While minor wear and deformation might be possible, snapping in half? It's beyond imagination!

Could it be that he took the wrong one? Pre-battle nerves caused him to grab the wrong weapon, right? This can't possibly be Silver Frost!

Yet, amidst the silent astonishment, incredulity, and disbelief, finally, a cry of despair shattered the silence of the arena.

Yet it came from no one within the arena, but was a lamenting sound that reached straight into the heart from beyond the courtyard walls.

The next moment, people saw someone appear in front of them, across the arena marked out by Shen Herong.

A middle-aged man clad entirely in silver heavy armor, extraordinarily tall, knelt dramatically before the half-broken sword, trembling as he cradled the dimming sword body in his hands. His complexion turned ashen at an alarming rate, and his head of black hair instantly turned grey-white.

"My... my Silver Frost, my Silver Frost..."

The middle-aged man cradled the broken sword in his arms, muttering softly while crying quietly.

The sobs, although not loud, were heartstricken and mournful, reaching straight into one's heart, stirring feelings of sorrow, melancholy, and desolation. The young cultivators present, those with weaker Divine Sense, couldn't help but feel heartache after hearing it once, eyes brimming with tears. Some more severe cases even burst into uncontrollable weeping on the spot, resembling the onset of a Heart Demon.

Fortunately, the situation didn't last long. After only a few breaths, the middle-aged man's crying abruptly ceased, and he fell backward.

Only then did Shen Herong wipe his sweat and approach the man, checking his forehead, nostrils, and chest, breathing a sigh of relief: "Excessive grief, too much Divine Sense depletion... no danger to life."

Pausing, he said with a complex expression, "Since Zicheng is here, it seems this Silver Frost Sword... is indeed real."

In the past 8 days, Shen Qing "borrowed" the supreme treasure Silver Frost Divine Sword forged by his father Shen Zicheng to battle the Li Family, causing Shen Zicheng such mental turmoil that he was almost unable to manage his daily life, a fact now widely known.

The urbane captain of the Outer City Patrol Team, a gentle character akin to a woman's, even with his family position being overshadowed by the City Lord's adopted daughter Li Yu, was subjected to much criticism by outsiders. Yet, Shen Zicheng himself was unconcerned; the vanity that many cared about was mere clouds to him. Shen Zicheng devoted his life solely to Artifact Refining, treating his prized creations like his own children. Silver Frost was the treasure of his heart. Stolen by Shen Qing, he nearly had a mental breakdown on the spot, needing his wife Li Yu to periodically knock him unconscious, give his mind a reset, which only eased his symptoms.

However, upon the Silver Frost Sword's snapping and destruction, Shen Zicheng felt the bloodline-connection signal almost instantly. Rushing to the scene, he managed only to see Silver Frost Sword's remains...

Facing a father heartbroken to the point of fainting, even Shen Qing was now pale, holding half a broken sword, trembling uncontrollably, his mind in utter chaos.

How did things escalate to this? Holding the Silver Frost Divine Sword, this battle should have been a certain victory, but why... why did the Divine Sword, a Quasi-Immortal Treasure tier, suddenly snap?

With this thought, Shen Qing abruptly lifted his head, looking at his opponent.

Clad in black armor, holding a White Sword, maintaining the same posture as at the battle's end, as if mocking the opponent's overestimation of their capabilities.

But in fact, Li Wanqing was also bewildered. What the heck happened here?! She had specially asked Wang Jiu to intervene, just to secure an equipment advantage — after all, even she would not underestimate a Divine Weapon painstakingly prepared by the Shen Family over eight days — who would expect the Immortal Sword, treated as a trump card by the Shen Family, to break at a touch!

You prepared diligently for eight days just to scam us?!

The more Li Wanqing thought, the more wrong it felt, especially with the middle-aged man crying wretchedly in front of her, reminding her of unscrupulous cheats in those scam stories who, after just a slight touch, roll on the ground wailing.

"Ah Jiu, what do we do now?"

While asking, Li Wanqing was also desperately trying to think of a way. If the Shen Family clearly intended to extort them and demanded a Divine Weapon equivalent to Silver Frost, then... they'd just have to pawn off Ah Jiu first. After finding a way back to Qingyun City, they'd let Wang Jiu break through the heavy obstacles of Shen City and reunite with everyone in Qingyun City.

However, this question sounded utterly absurd to Wang Jiu.

"What's there to be done? Since it's broken, just reforge it."

"...It's not that easy to reforge an Immortal Sword. It's not like some thin film repair surgery where pulling the skin makes it look flawless… By the way, what kind of Divine Sword is it? How did it break with just a touch?"

Wang Jiu said matter-of-factly, "Weapons that can collide with my body at full force without breaking were rare even in the Jiuzhou Era. This sword is already one of the more fragile among flying swords of the same tier. If it didn't break, it would be an embarrassment to me. But it's no big deal, once it breaks, it can be reforged and reattached. If the craftsmanship is good, the flying sword could benefit from the misfortune, becoming more resilient, and even awaken new divine techniques."

"Eh, there's such good fortune!?"

Wang Jiu snorted, "The chance to collide with the Celestial Divine Sword body is not something any ordinary sword can have. Our collision is like a cultivator accidentally touching the Heaven and Earth Dao for those Immortal Swords that have just begun to awaken Spirit Communication divine techniques."

"That amazing!?"

"Humph, the divine techniques of the Celestial Divine Sword are unimaginable to cultivators like you who came after the End of Dharma Era."

Li Wanqing felt a surge of excitement, "Since you're so impressive, why don't we open an Immortal Sword upgrading service, widely recruiting Spirit Communication Immortal Swords to have passionate collisions with you, charging ten thousand Spirit Stones per encounter, with a half-price discount for beauties, how about that?"

Wang Jiu asked suspiciously, "Are you trying to make me sell my body?"

"Uh, can you?"

"Of course not." Wang Jiu seriously rejected, "A friend once told me that the Stallion Sword is the most despicable and shameless of swords. As a Celestial Divine Sword, I should stay pure and avoid contact with gaudy sword companions."

"Hey, you just managed to... broke a Silver Frost Sword without even flinching!"

Wang Jiu continued, "As a Celestial Divine Sword, a one-night stand of convenience can be overlooked, but actively seeking a romantic encounter is a different matter."

"...Who filled your head with such ideas!?"

"Zhao Yuming and Shang Lanfei both said so, what's wrong?"

"Nothing, not unexpected really..." Li Wanqing reluctantly abandoned the idea of persuading Wang Jiu to get rich by selling his body and returned to the present issue, "But, do you really have a way to reforge the Silver Frost Sword?"

Wang Jiu said, "Of course, reforging broken swords is a specialty of the Li Family's Sword Forging Skill. In the past, Jiulong has used this unique skill to help many opponents regain new life. Although I haven't specifically mastered Sword Forging Skill, I've seen it enough times to repair such a Quasi-Immortal Treasure."

Li Wanqing said, "That's good, I'll have to rely on you to do more work when the time comes... hold on while I go and extort the Shen Family!"

With the decision made, Li Wanqing opened her mouth and said, "We have a way to reforge this sword."

In an instant, Shen Zicheng, who was already in despair and unconscious, suddenly opened his eyes and jumped up like a corpse rising, "Is this true!?"

"Of course it is true, but the cost..."

Shen Zicheng said without hesitation, "I am willing to pay any price! Even if it's..."

As he spoke, he glanced back with some lingering fear, making sure no one was there before breathing a sigh of relief, but still not assured, he whispered to Li Wanqing, "Even if it's a blood sacrifice of someone, it's okay."

Li Wanqing countered, "How about a blood sacrifice of yourself?"

"Of course, right now?" Shen Zicheng said while already coursing his Qi Blood, as if ready to harm himself at any moment...

"No, there's no need to rush." Li Wanqing was amazed as she quickly steadied Shen Zicheng before quietly asking Wang Jiu.

"What materials are needed to reforge the broken sword?"

"Hold on, let me give you a list."

A moment later, Wang Jiu handed the list to Li Wanqing.

Li Wanqing examined it with her Divine Sense, and after just a glance, almost spat out, "I never thought someone with such a trustworthy face would be so ruthless at extortion!"

Wang Jiu wondered, "I made this list according to the cost."

"...I feel that with such a list, the Shen Family might just give up on treatment." Li Wanqing shook her head, but still relayed Wang Jiu's list to Shen Zicheng as it was.

That list took the length of a cup of tea's time just to read out once, and the surrounding onlookers gradually turned pale in the face, with some indignant, cursing the Li Family for taking advantage of others' difficulties.

However, Shen Zicheng was overjoyed, "Is that all it takes!? That's great! I'll have the materials transported over shortly! If the Li Family can truly revive my Silver Frost, you will be lifesavers to me, Shen Zicheng!"