Chapter 47: Sword Pills

True Lord Tiemu continued, “Although forming a Golden Core is easiest in our Longevity Palace compared to other sects, both your master and I supported your decision to pursue the Five Elements Elixir Formation path. This was partly because it was your own choice!”

Mu Yuan nodded firmly. “I understand, disciple. I will not disappoint Master’s and Uncle-Master’s expectations!” His words rang clear and strong like metal and jade.

True Lord Tiemu stood up and gently patted his head with a kind expression. “Good child. Your master’s efforts were not in vain, having a disciple like you.”

Mu Yuan suddenly remembered something and jumped up in alarm. “Master mentioned three hundred years earlier…then Master’s lifespan…”

The Sixth Layer Core Formation granted a maximum lifespan of four hundred years. Since Cang Qing Zi had formed his core hastily with a low grade, he must be nearing his limit!

True Lord Tiemu sighed deeply. “Indeed. Over the years, your Qinghua Aunt-Master traveled extensively seeking the legendary Immortal Divine Tree to help your master rebuild his Great Dao, or even some longevity divine medicine. But she returned disappointed each time. Fellow disciple Biyuan…ah, I fear he has only a few years of life left.”

Mu Yuan felt his mind go blank. He stood speechless. In his heart, his master remained in his prime, far from the legendary end. He never expected reality to be so harsh. Though heartbroken, he resolved firmly: “Since Master’s lifespan is ending and my parents are ordinary mortals, I must find life-extending divine medicine to fulfill my filial duties!”

True Lord Tiemu seemed to guess his thoughts and patted his shoulder. He thought to himself, “If longevity medicine were truly so easy to find, why would Fellow Disciple Qinghua fail for so many years? Ah!” But he kept this to himself and changed the subject. “Since you’re descending the mountain for Gathering Aura and Condensing Malice, you’ll need means of self-defense. Although you’ve cultivated Tidal Flow, the world is dangerous and unpredictable. I have a set of Sword Pills I forged in my spare time. Take them and refine them properly—consider this your uncle-master’s gesture.”

Mu Yuan initially declined, thinking he already had the Longevity Sword. But then he reconsidered: the Longevity Sword should not be used lightly. While it hadn’t mattered before, his future tasks might bring encounters with keen-eyed individuals who might covet it, leaving him unable to cope. So he gladly accepted and expressed his gratitude.

After bidding farewell to True Lord Tiemu, Mu Yuan returned to Cloud-Capped Peak. He considered practicing more Divine Abilities from the Longevity Art but noticed the late hour. Deciding to seek his master’s guidance the next morning, he first took out the Sword Pills given by True Lord Tiemu and began refining them intently.

The set of Sword Pills from Tiemu consisted of six pellets, each perfectly round, translucent, and glowing cyan—quite beautiful. They were called the Six Harmonies Coldwood Sword Pills, forged from thousand-year Yinwood blended with North Dark Cold Water and cold iron. Naturally icy, they complemented Mu Yuan’s current state well. He guessed that True Lord Tiemu, as a Primordial Spirit expert, had likely forged multiple sets in his spare time. Seeing that Mu Yuan practiced both Tidal Flow and Longevity Art, which aligned well with this set, he had gifted them.

With his experience refining the Longevity Sword and his current False Core realm, Mu Yuan roughly refined the Sword Pills overnight. With a casual release, the six pellets transformed into a ring of cyan light encircling him, faintly revealing countless slender branches and trunks with shimmering cold water mist. Chilling air rose like fog, dotted with sparkling metal specks like stars, making Mu Yuan appear ethereal and immortal, his sleeves flowing like a celestial being.

“Now this is the Daoist Sect’s method. Although the Longevity Sword is a peerless weapon, it follows the Demonic Path’s artifact approach—truly different!”

Delighted, Mu Yuan waved his hand, and the Six Harmonies Coldwood Sword Pills immediately spun, dividing and vanishing. As his Longevity True Qi flowed through them, it burst forth like a spring river breaching its banks or an ice peak shattering. The Longevity True Qi transformed into strands of Sword Qi that surged and whistled sharply, filling the air with piercing sounds. Due to the Sword Pills’ innate cold nature, moisture in the surrounding air instantly froze into ice crystals, falling everywhere. A white mist enveloped the scene with dancing cyan light—far more visually appealing than the Longevity Sword.

Mu Yuan was overjoyed, thinking he finally had a proper magical tool for open combat. Sensing the Longevity Sword resting freely in the Vast Ocean of Tide True Qi within his Dantian, and the Black Water Gourd hanging around his neck emitting warm, moist Zhenqi, he willed both the gourd and the Sword Pills into his Dantian.

His Dantian immediately felt swollen. Originally, the Longevity Sword’s incredibly dense and vast spirit energy alone was astounding. Now, with the addition of the Black Water Gourd and the Six Harmonies Coldwood Sword Pills, changes occurred as soon as they submerged.

The Black Water Gourd sank into the Vast Ocean of Tide True Qi, standing like a gourd-shaped mountain. Their interaction caused the rampant water spiritual energy to seemingly overshadow the Longevity Qi. Meanwhile, the Six Harmonies Coldwood Sword Pills transformed into six enormous divine trees upon entering, towering with sprawling branches. Mist and water vapor emanated from their trunks, rooted firmly in the tidal waves of Tidal Flow, unwavering despite the turmoil.

Occasionally, the six Sword Pills rotated, releasing powerful auras. The Longevity Sword, shaped like a swimming dragon, would coil around them. Their mutual interaction sparked new transformations, with the Dragon King’s Dynamic Force’s lightning energy gradually tempering the six giant trees, making them more condensed.

This set of Sword Pills was not yet fully formed and required continuous refinement. Eventually, they would take shape according to the user’s will. For example, Mu Yuan’s Longevity Sword was a completely refined Flying Sword, as were Wu Dejun’s Sentient Sword and Zhou Huasheng’s Jasper Sword. Once Mu Yuan reached at least the great completion of Spirit Refining and fully refined them with his mind, these six Sword Pills would also consolidate into form, no longer appearing as they did now.

After submerging the two treasures into his Dantian, Mu Yuan sensed the changes. Two powerful streams of spiritual energy spread from his Dantian throughout his body, strengthening his Dharma Body. The Primordial Qi vortices condensed within his acupoints slowly absorbed the newly added traces of Magical Power.

Leaving his residence, Mu Yuan headed straight to Qingguang Hall to seek an audience with Cang Qing Zi. Coincidentally, True Lord Qinghua was also present. Before Cang Qing Zi could respond to Mu Yuan’s request, True Lord Qinghua smiled gently and said, “No need to trouble your master with this. I happen to be teaching spells at Cloud Brilliance Peak these days. You can come and listen along.”

Mu Yuan chuckled awkwardly. Cloud Brilliance Peak was populated entirely by female disciples, making him somewhat embarrassed. “Aunt-Master’s favor is appreciated, and I dare not refuse. But since Cloud Brilliance Peak is full of female fellow disciples, it might not be appropriate for me to go.”