Chapter 29: Longevity Sword

At dawn, crimson clouds rolled across the sky, growing thicker and thicker, tumbling in layers as lightning occasionally flashed. It was like dragons and snakes twisting within the Nine Heavens, dyeing the sky a vibrant purple, making all living creatures tremble with fear!

Even Mu Yuan could not help but feel a deep reverence when facing such a thunderous, cloud-heavy scene. He felt a shiver of awe towards the power of the heavens and earth, yet he was not frightened—only respectful.

The lightning flashed, and thunder rumbled loudly in his ears. The wild, fierce force raged uncontrollably. In an instant, the rain poured down heavily as if the Tian He had burst its banks, silver river collapsing downward, crashing loudly on the ground and splashing countless bubbles and droplets. Mu Yuan stood in the rain, watching the lightning flashes and the torrential downpour. Inside him, the Azure Dragon of Jia Wood stirred restlessly, and the Dragon King’s Dynamic Force surged powerfully. Large amounts of Thunder Essence and electricity energy poured into the Azure Dragon shadow in his Dantian. The Dragon Soul Sword chimed loudly, zipping back and forth excitedly within the whirlpool of Longevity Qi he had cultivated.

“Ancient divine dragons did indeed rise with clouds, spread rain, command thunder, and control lightning.” Just as Mu Yuan was marveling, he suddenly realized that the two great Zhenqi energies—Longevity Qi and Dragon King’s Dynamic Force—had clashed and fused inside him. The Dragon Soul Sword plunged right into the Azure Dragon phantom formed in his Dantian, drawing the phantom inward like a whale gulping water. The Dragon Soul Sword itself then transformed into a dazzling mass of light, settling in his Dantian. It shone with purple and cyan radiance, threads of lightning and electricity winding around it. It coiled and danced with energy, ready to strike, exuding a mighty, majestic aura, full of the lively vitality of the Longevity Art, seeming to constantly grow and strengthen.

“The Dragon King’s Dynamic Force and the Longevity Art actually merged!” Mu Yuan felt both amused and troubled. Ever since he practiced Tidal Flow and Dragon King’s Dynamic Force, he had not ruled out the idea of unifying three types of Zhenqi. After all, having three Zhenqi types mixed together made it inconvenient to control; the transitions still had gaps. Usually, this was not apparent, but when facing a cultivator of equal strength, this flaw could prove deadly.

Nevertheless, whether it was the Longevity Art, Tidal Flow, or Dragon King’s Dynamic Force, each was a marvelous technique that seized the essence of heaven and earth. They were extraordinary arts refined thoroughly by past masters and predecessors, handed down through generations. To merge the three, even a cultivator who achieved Golden Core would find it impossible, let alone Mu Yuan, who was just a young lad; his knowledge, experience, and cultivation level were far from reaching such heights.

Unexpectedly, after a night of contemplating the mysteries of the Longevity Art, and in the midst of a thunderstorm, the Dragon King’s Dynamic Force reacted to the heavenly changes. It charged into his Dantian on its own, and with the Dragon Soul Sword’s inherent spirit, it replaced the Azure Dragon phantom of the Longevity Art. The sword itself absorbed two great techniques, merging them into one, forming a swirling mass of purple and cyan light. Mu Yuan could not help but marvel at his incredible luck.

“Heaven bestows fortune, but one must strive for life oneself! Since fate has granted me good fortune, I must not let down this wondrous opportunity; I must grasp my own destiny!”

With the two arts combined, Mu Yuan felt joy mixed with confusion. His future cultivation path was sure to be extremely tricky. It could not strictly follow the traditional ways of the Longevity Art, nor imitate the thousand-year heritage of Dragon King’s Dynamic Force. He would have to adapt as he went along, exploring and understanding on his own.

Mu Yuan tested using the Longevity Art method to circulate this new Zhenqi. He found it responsive, and using Dragon King’s Dynamic Force to drive it also proved very flexible. The newly derived and absorbed Zhenqi all rushed into his Dantian, becoming part of the swirling light. The only thing he needed to pay attention to was maintaining balance between the two Zhenqi types. If they became too imbalanced, Mu Yuan would feel some ear-ringing and vibrations in his body, but he didn’t mind much.

“It seems these two major arts have not truly merged fully; I’ll need to refine them repeatedly. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have to worry about these things during cultivation!”

In his inner vision, Mu Yuan saw that the Black Tortoise phantom transformed from his Tide True Qi was completely suppressed by the Dragon Soul Sword. Strands of Tide True Qi turned into wisps of black smoke and were devoured by the Dragon Soul Sword. Luckily, the power of heaven and earth was endless; external water-element energy continuously replenished the lost Tide True Qi. Input still exceeded output, so it kept rising steadily. Mu Yuan let out a long sigh of relief.

Seeing that the Dragon Soul Sword had transformed into an Azure Dragon coiled in his Dantian, Mu Yuan tried summoning it. The Dragon Soul Sword still chimed responsively, moving at his will. Even better, the Dragon Soul Sword now seemed to be formed from condensed Zhenqi. It could even split into countless light clones, just like Sword Qi Division. With a slight thought, without sensing the Dragon Soul Sword itself, the purple and cyan light in his hand surged, instantly forming a glowing energy sword over five feet long. The sword’s radiance pulsed and flickered, startling Mu Yuan before he became ecstatic.

“This is materializing Qi as a weapon—a skill only those at the Sixth Layer Core Formation possess! A Qi weapon—how marvelous!”

Naturally, Mu Yuan could not have imagined that the Dragon Soul Sword was forged from dozens of divine dragon corpses by an old dragon spirit, using their remaining essence and Primordial Qi after death. The most mysterious parts of the dragon bodies were chosen as the sword’s form, and the Inner Pills of these deceased dragons were shattered and infused into the sword’s body. It would be more accurate to describe it not as a sword made from Dragon Bone, but as a manifestation of dragon essence—a highly concentrated mass of vital energy.

Dozens of divine dragons, each with a fully developed Primordial Spirit comparable to heavenly immortals and gods, even after some dissipation post-death, still held immense power when forged and combined into this divine sword—so immense that it was beyond anything Mu Yuan could currently fathom.

The Dragon Soul Sword itself was like a Primordial Spirit, like a Golden Core. It had merged with the essence of longevity that Mu Yuan had painstakingly cultivated for over ten years. It was deeply branded with Mu Yuan’s mark, coiled in his Dantian like a huge Golden Core, far surpassing that of ordinary cultivators.

But Mu Yuan was only at the Qi Refining Third Layer. He could not fully harness such a powerful force; even if his personal cultivation reached the Golden Core stage, he would still be inadequate. Yet, a Golden Core was still a Golden Core; at the very least, some of the divine abilities of a Sixth Layer Core Formation cultivator could now be performed by him.

However, these divine abilities still relied on Mu Yuan’s own Zhenqi as a foundation, so they could not compare to those of a true Core Formation cultivator. Still, he had a great advantage over peers at his level.

Looking at the swirling energy sword in his hand, Mu Yuan felt very intrigued. He moved it back and forth vigorously, practicing a set of Greenwood Divine Radiance sword techniques. He felt carefree and satisfied; everything fell perfectly into place.

“Excellent, excellent!” Mu Yuan was full of pride and contentment. He stretched out his palm, and the Dragon Soul Sword transformed into a delicate, two-inch-long small sword spinning rapidly on his hand. Purple and cyan radiance flowed like water over it in a continuous cycle. The sword itself trembled lightly, emitting a clear, melodious ring.

“Ancient legends say that Fei Longzi, the founding master of the Longevity Palace, established his school with one Longevity Sword, sweeping away hordes of demons. Since you have merged with the Longevity True Qi, from now on you shall be called the Longevity Sword!” Mu Yuan stroked the small sword in his hand, observing its ancient blade and murmuring to himself. The Dragon Soul Sword seemed to understand his words, letting out a prolonged, melodious sword hum.

“Above is the White Jade Capital,

Twelve towers and five cities.

An immortal touched my head,

Bound my hair and bestowed Eternal Life!

Ha, good poetry!” Mu Yuan suddenly remembered a line from a poetry collection he had seen back at the Longevity Palace, recited it softly, and then burst into laughter.

The rain was heavy, the wind fierce, and lightning flashed with rumbling thunder. Yet, Mu Yuan’s entire body was enveloped in a faint glow, thin as a cicada’s wing. It shielded him from the rain; drops landed on it and splashed away, not wetting him in the slightest.