Chapter Thirteen: The Sword of Contained Light

  Looking at the already mid-Golden Elixir stage's Xiao Tian, Dang Quan Zhen Ren felt as if he was dreaming, his face filled with incredulity. In just over three years' time, Xiao Tian had transformed from a clueless cultivator to a dignified Golden Elixir stage cultivator. If this were told to others, who would believe it? People would definitely think the speaker was crazy, yet such an insane thing had appeared right before Dang Quan Zhen Ren's eyes.

  "Little Tian, you're already in the middle of the Golden Elixir stage. With the profoundness of the 'Xuan Tian Secret', at least you can protect yourself in this weak-eat-strong world of cultivation." Looking at Little Tian, who was nonchalant and unaware that he had created a miracle, Dàquán True Man felt that these few thousand years were finally worth living for.

  "Hehe, can we leave this valley now? But why can't I fly yet?" Xiaotian jumped up and flipped his body, but only managed to jump two zhang away, still far from flying.

  "Hehe, you took out that purple-glowing sword from the ring." Daquan Zhenren chuckled at Xiaotian's action.

  "Found it!" Little Tian Shen probed with his mind, and a purple-glowing, ancient-style treasure sword appeared in his hand.

  "This sword is called 'Hanguang', it's 2.8 feet long, made from the finest iron and purple steel of Kunlun Mountain, passed down through our school as a treasured heirloom. It's named after the purple glow that emanates from its body, making it a mid-grade spiritual artifact with extraordinary power. Since Master gave it to me, I haven't had the heart to use it, so it still hasn't recognized an owner. Today, I'll let you have it at a bargain!"

  "Recognize the master?" Little Tian asked.

  "You bite your middle finger and let a drop of blood fall on the sword to try it!" said the True Man, pointing the way.

  After listening to Daquan Zhenren's words, Xiao Tian bit his middle finger and dripped a drop of blood onto the sword blade. With a "zip" sound, the blood disappeared into the sword body. Immediately, the Huan Guang Sword emitted a low hum, and purple light ripples spread out from the sword body. In no time, the Huan Guang Sword flew out of Xiao Tian's hand with a clear cry, circled in the air above the cave, and then entered Xiao Tian's head from the top, giving him a good scare. Hurriedly checking his body, he saw that the Huan Guang Sword had transformed into a small, delicate purple sword, circling around the golden elixir in his dantian. Xiao Tian felt as if he and the Huan Guang Sword had become one entity, as if the sword was a part of his own body. When Xiao Tian's heart moved, the Huan Guang Sword reappeared in his hand.

  "Look at this spiritual energy, it's actually a high-grade spiritual artifact!" Daquan Zhenren exclaimed. In his senses, the sword was originally a mid-grade spiritual artifact, but what he didn't know was that Xiaotian's fresh blood came from an immortal body, which could be called immortal blood. Under the nourishment of the immortal blood, the Huan Guang Sword suddenly broke through and grew into a high-grade spiritual artifact.

  "What is a superior spiritual artifact?" Xiaotian asked Daquan Zhenren while fondling the Huan Guang sword with great affection.

  "In the Cultivation Realm, there are many types of magical artifacts used, but they can be roughly divided into three categories: First is the Magical Tool, which is relatively common and most cultivators use. Generally, a cultivator in the Yuan Ying stage can refine it and use it directly without needing to acknowledge ownership, and it's divided into upper, middle, and lower grades; Second is the Spiritual Artifact, which only cultivators who have passed the Tribulation stage or above can refine, also divided into upper, middle, and lower grades. However, it requires a blood oath to acknowledge ownership, and even a low-grade Spiritual Artifact is already very precious. Middle-grade Spiritual Artifacts are generally not owned by the leaders of small sects, let alone high-grade Spiritual Artifacts, which can only be seen in the Ten Great Sacred Lands of Cultivation; Third is the Immortal Artifact, which only immortals can refine, with immense power, and it's just a legend in the Cultivation Realm, no one has ever heard of anyone owning one."

  "Oh, then this sword is exceptionally precious?" Little Tian asked.

  "Yes, go and try out the power of this top-grade spiritual artifact outside the cave!" The Great Truth True Person himself had never used a top-grade spiritual artifact before, so he was also looking forward to it.

  "Alright!"

  The two of them walked out of the cave, which had been their home for six years. Outside, autumn was in full swing. The sky above the valley was still shrouded in mist and clouds, with many trees having shed their leaves. A small stream babbled along, its banks now a bit yellowed, presenting a desolate scene. On the pile of rocks by the creek, a few tiger bones could still be made out, a reminder of the fierce beast that had fallen there years ago. Xiaotian stood by the creek, taking in his own tall and robust figure, as well as the mature face he now wore. The young boy from back then was now a 19-year-old youth.

  "Alas... it's been six years!" Little Tian muttered, his tone surprisingly tinged with a hint of melancholy.

  "Change into some clothes first, otherwise it will be a waste of spring scenery." Daquan said with a smile, intentionally interrupting.

  "Clothes? Where are they?" Looking at the tattered cloth strips on her body that barely covered a few key places, Xiaotian's face suddenly turned red.

  "There is a set of clothes that my apprentice used to wear inside the ring, including shoes and hats. If you don't mind, you can put them on. They are just ritual tools, and you can use them directly." said Daquan Zhenren.

  "Don't be polite, don't be polite!" Xiao Tian hurriedly put on his clothes and tidied up by the creek water, smoothing out his six-year-long hair, and soon he was presentable.

  "What a talented and outstanding young man!" Daquan Zhenren sincerely praised, this kid is too excellent, unfortunately, I don't have a daughter, otherwise... hum, let the women of the Purple Mist Sect see him, they will definitely fall in love with him, Daquan Zhenren thought maliciously.

  Only to see Xiao Tian wearing a seven-star Taoist robe, with a seven-star feather crown on his head, seven-star boots on his feet, and holding a sword that contained light. His face was white and delicate, with sword-like eyebrows and starry eyes. He had a slender figure, and every move he made seemed to be without any hint of worldly aura. After three years of transformation and three years of cultivation, Xiao Tian seemed like a completely different person.

  "Now you can try it out. Just face that bluestone and strike with all your might, let me see." said Daquan Zhenren, looking at the little Tian by the stream.

  "Hmm." Xiao Tian raised the Huan Guang sword, pointing it at a large bluestone by the creek. He activated the Wen Tian Jue, and the sword drew a mysterious trajectory, releasing a milky white sword energy from its tip. With a loud crash, both Da Quan Zhen Ren and Xiao Tian were stunned, their mouths agape. Before Xiao Tian appeared a five-zhang long, three-chi deep trench, while the large bluestone had already been reduced to dust.

  "It's indeed worthy of the Xuantian Scripture, its power is almost on par with that of the Yuan Ying stage. Hmm, not bad!" Daquan Zhenren said, shaking his head.

  "I'm so powerful." Little Tian couldn't quite believe that the deep gully was caused by himself.

  "It's time to come out of the valley," said Daquan Zhenren.

  "Lu Lao Ge, I still can't fly!" Little Tian was anxious to fly.

  "Ride a sword, before the Unity stage, all cultivators of the True Way ride swords to fly. What is meant by 'ride a sword' is..." The Great Truthful One prepared to give a detailed explanation.

  "Wait, Lu Lao Ge, when I was practicing the second layer of Xuan Tian Jue, didn't it mention something about sword control?" Xiao Tian interrupted Daquan Zhenren's words.

  "Then hurry up and try."

  "The way of the sword lies in the heart, not in form. It moves with the mind and lives with the blood. Embracing the origin and guarding the unity, the spirit of the sword unites as one, circulating repeatedly, life after life...". Xiaotian sat on a green stone by the creek, beginning to cultivate his swordsmanship.

  With a "whoosh", the Huánguāng Sword stopped in mid-air, rapidly growing larger and wider, its surface now large enough for two or three people to stand on. Xiao Tian plucked up his courage and stepped onto it, using the Chōng Tiān Jué method to activate the Huánguāng Sword.

  Bang!

  "Oh no!"

  Xiao Tian stuck to the cliff wall like a pancake...

  "Come again!" Even though Xiao Tian was already in a divine body, he still couldn't avoid the outcome of having a swollen nose and bruised face.

  Three days later, after countless intimate contacts with the cliff's precipice, Xiao Tian finally learned the art of swordsmanship. Xiao Tian was seen stepping on the Huan Guang Sword, spinning and dancing in mid-air, sometimes sweeping over a small stream, sometimes brushing past Quan Daoren's side, his Taoist robe fluttering in the wind, playing with abandon.

  "Hold!" The small Heavenly Sword hovered in mid-air before stopping in front of the Great Truth True Person who was sitting on a green stone.

  "Lu Lao Ge, can we go out now?" Little Tian asked excitedly.

  "Hmm, but I have something to entrust you with. After leaving this place, I will no longer appear in front of people and hide in the ring in your hand. You are also not allowed to mention me to others." Daquan Zhenren said solemnly.

  "Why is that?" asked Little Tian in puzzlement.

  "My physical body has disintegrated, leaving only my primordial infant. My strength has greatly diminished, and the primordial infant itself does not have any defensive power. If it encounters a relatively large external force, its soul will scatter and its body will be destroyed." The Great Truthful Sage replied solemnly.

  "Oh, okay, I won't tell anyone." Little Tian promised, "But you can't stay like this forever, right?"

  "Hehe, telling you now won't work anyway, let's talk about it when your abilities have improved."

  "Hmm, anyway, big brother, you've treated me with great kindness, and I, Xiao Tian, am not an ungrateful person. I'll definitely help you rebuild your body." Xiao Tian now also knew the true state of Daquan Zhenren and solemnly guaranteed it.

  "Haha, Little Tian brother, I didn't misjudge you. Let's go!" Daquan Zhenren said, and then transformed into a stream of light that entered the ring in Little Tian's hand.

  "Finally leaving!" Xiao Tian said with emotion, his eyes complexly looking at the valley, stream, green stone, cave entrance, and tiger bones that had trapped him for six years. After a glance around, he suddenly turned his head, urged on the Huan Guang sword, and a meteor-like figure broke through the cloud fog at the top of the valley and flew out.

  Xiao Tian's figure soon appeared in the sky above the Forbidden Forest, looking down at the layers of mountains and forests below, imagining the scene of venturing into the Forbidden Forest six years ago, Xiao Tian had a feeling as if he was in a different world.

  After a brief stay in the air, Xiao Tian's heart was like an arrow, and he had determined his direction. He then rode the Huan Guang sword towards the exit of the Nan Mian Forbidden Forest.

  "Yan'er, Grandpa, Skinny Monkey, Big Head, I'm back." Little Tian silently shouted in his heart.

  What will be waiting for Xiaotian in Fengjiazhuang after six years? Please stay tuned!