Devour

Chapter 433 The Sword Spirit Pit

Cheng Bai was slightly moved, and suddenly realized, "There is only one chance per cycle of reincarnation! So the pillar of light I saw yesterday at dusk was a phenomenon that gathered the sword spirit's sharpness to consecrate the Sword of Wisdom. The World Honored One Sect Leader has already taken the good opportunity!"

Li Tong comforted him, "Da Bai, don't be upset. Natural treasures each have their own characteristics, and there is more than one suitable one. As long as the grade is high enough, there are usually substitutes."

Seeing its knowing expression, Cheng Bai knew there must be something else going on, and pressed further, "Is there anything else hidden in the Burial Bone Sword Tomb?"

Li Tong smiled sweetly and whispered, "Of course! The inner core of the dragon-human Ao Qiushui is hidden deep in the Burial Sword Tomb. Compared to the sword spirit's sharp energy being able to regenerate, it's unique!"

"I was just worried about the lack of spirit pills I had. If I could obtain this inner core, it would be perfect." Cheng Bai was secretly delighted upon hearing this, and then cupped his hands to the sword spirit on the Ten Thousand Swords Stele and said, "I wish to obtain an inner core of a dragon-human in the Marrow Cleansing Realm. Would the First Sword Emperor grant my request?"

The First Sword Emperor's childlike face revealed a strange expression. After hesitating for a moment, he agreed, "How do you know about the inner core? I was just trying to get rid of this ancient restriction. Fine... I agree without hesitation, but the spirit sword you bury must be worthy of the Ten Thousand Swords Stele."

Suppressing his joy, Cheng Bai respectfully inquired, "May I ask how they should be matched?"

The First Sword Emperor explained in detail: "There are a total of 9,999 spirit swords on the Ten Thousand Swords Stele, which form the core of the Three Talents Sword Strike Formation. The worst of them are all of the finest quality spirit weapons. So far, the last one is still missing. We have tried to find it among all the heroes in the world, but to no avail. Therefore, the formation is not yet complete. The requirements are very high. It must be at least a supreme quality spirit sword."

It stared at Cheng Bai, emphasizing the key point: "You can't use broken swords like those from other sword burial grounds. The Ten Thousand Swords Stele must be in perfect condition to maintain its operation. Besides, even if you can take out a sword, you may not be able to recognize the only missing formation among the ten thousand swords and accurately place it back in its place."

It is known that the higher the grade of a rare and precious weapon, the rarer it is. Even if one possesses a supreme-grade spiritual sword, no one would be willing to easily bury it in the Burial Sword Tomb while it is at the height of its power.

"Let me look for it, perhaps I can find it." After a moment's thought, Cheng Bai drew out the Shadow Shooting Sword, which had been preserved in the Sumeru Mustard Seed.

The First Sword Emperor, with his keen eyes, immediately discerned the superiority of the sword: "This spirit sword, though rare, does not meet my requirements."

Cheng Bai's divine senses flowed, and he selected a Frost Demon Shark Inner Core from his inventory. He used Phoenix Force to lift it and precisely placed it into the Core Inlay of the Shadow Shooting Sword.

He deduced the final form of the spirit sword after it fused with the inner core, and said with confidence, "The foundation of this sword is actually better than that of the Right and Wrong Sword. It is only one step away from perfection."

With a clear, resonant clang, the spiritual energy returned to its place within the sword's hilt, triggering a surge of brilliance from the runic array. The entire spirit sword radiated a dazzling array of colors, as if tempered by starlight, achieving a perfect advancement to the highest grade!

The First Sword Emperor stared in disbelief, muttering, "You...you calculated so precisely, you prepared every single detail?"

Cheng Bai smiled and said, "This is not my doing alone. Another friend, who is a bit cuckolded, has been helping to prepare for this day for many years."

The Shadow Sword trembled slightly, wisps of blue light danced on its blade, and a soft hum seemed to cheer as the slumbering spirit of the weapon was about to awaken.

Cheng Bai, however, did not intend to let the magic weapon recognize its master. Instead, he asked Li Tong, "Where exactly is the missing sword in the Three Talents Strike Sword Formation?"

Li Tong gave detailed directions: "Using the center of the monument as a reference, start from the twelve o'clock position, rotate 210 degrees clockwise, and then extend 24 feet along this radius. That is the target point. Use your flying sword to pierce it."

Without hesitation, Cheng Bai threw out his Shadow Shooting Sword. The longsword cut through the air with a crisp "clang," accurately embedding itself in the sword formation designated by Li Tong.

All the swords returned to their positions, clanging and resounding. The formation responded and rotated. The character "sword" on the monument shone brightly, its awe-inspiring light piercing through the surrounding darkness.

The First Sword Emperor sighed softly, "Sword Burial Master, what are your unfulfilled wishes?"

Cheng Bai's voice was calm and firm: "I want the inner core of the Dragon Princess Ao Qiushui."

As soon as he finished speaking, the Great Wisdom Venerable, who had been standing by like a clay sculpture, suddenly trembled slightly, his eyes opening abruptly with a fleeting glint of light. But in an instant, his expression returned to normal, as if nothing had ever happened.

From the abyss behind the Ten Thousand Swords Monument, a melodious yet desolate sword cry echoed. Flocks of flying swords swirled and danced in the air, weaving together to form a spiral staircase that stretched from the mouth of the abyss to its bottom, like a mysterious passage leading to the depths of the netherworld.

The First Sword Emperor said quietly, "This treasure is located at the bottom of the Sword Spirit Pit behind the monument. The one who buried the sword must go down and retrieve it himself. I have summoned all the swords to pave the way for you, but once the hour of Yin arrives, this sword path will dissipate on its own, and the sword formation will be sealed off again. You only have one hour left!"

Cheng Bai held up the Four Symbols Cauldron in his right hand, using the furnace fire as a lantern, and gracefully leaped into the abyss after bypassing the Ten Thousand Swords Stele.

The sword path was formed from sharp sword light, with each step several meters apart, making it difficult for ordinary people to step on.

Cheng Bai glided through the air, seemingly with his toes barely touching the sword path suspended in mid-air, but in reality, he used his profound skill to control the violent sword light and drifted into the Sword Spirit Pit.

The scene in the pit gradually unfolded, but it was not a dark and lifeless silence. Flames flickered within the Four Symbols Cauldron, dispelling the ancient chill that had lingered for thousands of reincarnations.

The faint sound lingering in my ears—is it the wind, or the lingering echo of a dragon's roar?

What came into view was a long, winding dragon-like body, coiled and lying dormant, occupying most of the ravine.

It spread out a pair of enormous wings on its back, like clouds hanging from the sky, seemingly concealing a power capable of tearing the heavens apart in its silence. Its scales shimmered with a deep, turquoise light under the firelight, and the hazy glow flowed slowly like the tide, dyeing the bottom of the pit into a dreamlike state.

Cheng Bai looked closely and immediately realized that it was not a real dragon, but a dragon-shaped sculpture carved according to the unique terrain and stone veins.

The claws and scales are exquisitely crafted, all carved and inlaid from pure, high-quality lapis lazuli, and have retained their vibrant color even after tens of thousands of years.

Cheng Bai examined the stone dragon's magnificent yet unfamiliar form, deducing its stage of dragon evolution. He pondered, "A dragon with wings... it's no ordinary dragon. It must be an ancient dragon, extremely old, that has entered the realm of divinity." After a brief pause, he added, "Could it mean that it has shed its mortal form, ascended to the form of a true immortal, and transformed into an Yinglong?"

“No,” Li Tong shook his head and corrected, “The Yinglong’s body should be golden yellow, and its wings should radiate auspicious colors. This kind of dragon, which is all blue and has a dark light like the sea, is on a different path of mutation.”

Cheng Bai asked in surprise, "The dragon's transformations are so complex and unpredictable, which one is it now?"

According to the surviving historical records, Li Tong replied: "In the deep sea east of Mount Sumeru, there once lived a ferocious demon dragon named 'King of Troubles,' whose appearance was exactly as you see before you. Before attaining enlightenment, the Immovable King toured the East Sea and suppressed this demon with his supreme power, causing all the dragon people under his command to convert to Buddhism. As a result, he was ranked among the Dharma protectors of the World-Honored One, which became a beautiful story in the Three Realms."

Cheng Bai's thoughts connected the clues like lightning: "The King of Troubles? He's actually one of the legendary Four Demon Kings. Come to think of it, the last city lord, Ao Qiushui, was a descendant of this demonic dragon."

After a long silence, Shi Chi spoke in a deep voice, with a hint of doubt, "My lord, according to this logic, shouldn't Ao Qiushui belong to the World Honored One's camp?"

Cheng Bai pondered for a moment, feeling the relationship was becoming increasingly complex, and said softly, "The Dharma protectors are different from the formal monks who have been ordained and are practicing. They are benevolent beings who have made a pact with the saints of the sect. Their duty is to protect the path, and their position is quite delicate."

Li Tong said firmly, "After becoming the Burial Sword Tomb, Xiaoyao Lingjian City became independent and aloof from the world of martial arts. It is not part of the World Honored Sect's property. In an era of heroes rising and giants standing side by side, Jian Kuang single-handedly made this city one of the top ten sword sects."

A glint flashed in Cheng Bai's eyes as he speculated, "Although Sword Maniac is strong, he can't make a difference alone among the major sects. The fact that the Burial Bone Sword Tomb has stood for so many years suggests that there must be a powerful force secretly supporting it. Could it be Taotie Academy?"

He had no time to dwell on trivial matters.

Li Tong nodded and pointed out, "Look ahead, the end of the sword path is what you seek on this journey."