May 21, 2017, Clear
Wang Jiu was very satisfied as he looked at the slowly forming azure vortex within the Sword World, which, with intensifying rotation, extracted a stream of azure energy from the void.
The azure energy stream was bound by the vortex, continuously rotating, gradually stretching up and down, ultimately threading through heaven and earth, scattering the azure energy throughout the entire world.
In an instant, the Sword World, once as silent as death, gained a touch of vitality. The completed Gentle Breeze and Shape Manipulation Array shone with even more brilliant light.
This was the so-called Wind Gathering Array, the lower-tier substitute for the Spirit Gathering Array, that Wang Jiu had been longing for since his awakening.
Gathering the spirit wind of the world for his own use, as long as the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi is unending, the spirit wind within the Sword World can replenish ceaselessly, akin to an inexhaustible cornucopia.
Although the current completion is just the most basic Gentle Breeze Wind Gathering Array, limited in its absorption capability, roughly equivalent to the level of a beginner in the Wind-Rising Realm. However, the Wind Gathering Array excels in continuous operation, whereas a cultivator requires time for daily needs. Even the most diligent practitioners find it difficult to dedicate more than four or five hours a day purely to meditation.
Moreover, the Wind Gathering Array can be stacked multiple times, and with complete materials, it can be upgraded to a Spirit Gathering Array. In its perfect form, the Sword World would host more than ten thousand Gang Wind level Wind Gathering Arrays and five hundred Spirit Gathering Arrays. Operating concurrently, it could instantly drain a Grotto Heaven Blessed Land nurtured over a millennium. Even the Nine Heavens Gang Wind would experience interruptions due to the Sword World's siphoning.
Of course, the restoration to peak power is a far-off goal, but even thousands of miles must begin with a single step. With the Wind Gathering Array, Wang Jiu now had so much more he could accomplish.
All this was thanks to his mount, Li Qingming, successfully breaking through the wind barrier and entering the Wind-Rising Realm.
At the moment of the mount's breakthrough, Wang Jiu used the Master-Servant Contract to direct the first wisp of breeze from heaven and earth into the Sword World.
Although it was just a wisp of breeze, it symbolized the generous gift of Xiangzhou's heaven and earth to immortal cultivators, with extraordinary quality and purity, exerting a natural pressure and attraction like an officer or veteran on a battlefield, to new recruits. A cultivator receiving this breeze can quickly establish a stable winds circulation with the appropriate cultivation technique...
Perfect for constructing the Sword World's Wind Gathering Array!
As for Li Qingming herself? Anyway, she was unconscious, so taking that breeze was a waste; once more wind cycles form within the Sword World, it can be returned to her.
The matter of the mount flickered in Wang Jiu's mind and then disappeared. With the Wind Gathering Array acquired, his second-phase construction project could start immediately. So much needed to be done; there was no time to waste on a little girl mount.
After working for who knows how long, when a wind grinding platform was about to be completed, he suddenly heard a murmur from Li Qingming.
"I... what time is it? Ugh, why is it so cold?"
Wang Jiu then set aside his construction work, flew into Li Qingming's room, and saw the girl sitting on the bed with a bewildered look, at a loss due to the sudden change.
"That's the cold caused by the Wind Chaos Effect, you need to quickly stabilize your divine sense and control your true Qi. Since you've broken through the wind barrier, just use the prepared cultivation technique to control your Qi into wind."
Li Qingming, after years of cultivation, had already mastered controlling her Qi as an instinct. Subconsciously, she held her breath, focusing her mind and restraining the true Qi in her body, instantly dispelling the icy cold in her limbs, replacing it with a comfortable warmth like warm water.
According to the instructor's prior explanation, this was indeed a sign of a martial artist breaking through the wind barrier and advancing to a cultivator. But the problem is...
"I've already broken through the wind barrier?! When? How... oh my, I didn't even know!"
Wang Jiu said, "Yesterday, you wanted to fast-track, so I intervened directly, breaking your true Qi circulation, causing a local vacuum, stimulating your body into a reactive state. The true Qi would then accelerate circulation to fill the vacuum, and as long as your foundation was solid enough, breaking through the wind barrier would naturally follow. The only side effect is that after the shock, your divine sense would force you into unconsciousness to protect itself for a while."
"So I missed the moment of breaking through the wind barrier? Oh, heavens, that's a moment every cultivator wishes to remember for a lifetime!"
Wang Jiu said, "It doesn't matter, I remembered it for you."
"Huh?"
"I drew a picture of your wind barrier-breaking moment for you."
Li Qingming was momentarily surprised by her Sword Spirit's thoughtfulness: "You even drew me a picture? Thank, thanks."
Soon after, Wang Jiu used the Shape-Shifting Technique to bring out the previously drawn record.
Li Qingming's face immediately stiffened.
Although the Sword Spirit's handwriting was worse than a young child's, its drawing was exceptionally accomplished; the figures in the picture were lifelike. Yet the lifelike Li Qingming in the drawing appeared like a stone, lying unconscious face down on the ground!
"This, this is..."
"Yes, this is your wind barrier-breaking moment, I named it the Qingming Barrier-breaking Diagram. Take it and remember it for a lifetime."
Li Qingming's hands trembled as she looked at the image of herself like a corpse, realizing it's less of a Qingming Barrier-breaking Diagram and more of a Live Crash Exhibition!
——
By afternoon, Li Qingming finally emerged from the blow of the Live Crash Exhibition and hurried out the door to apply for membership in the Mutual Aid Association and claim her newbie gift bag, leaving Sword Spirit Wang Jiu at home.
Wang Jiu had no objections to this, as his wind grinding platform was in the final stages of completion and about to be finished. Once built, it would mark the beginning of a true transformation.
The current Celestial Divine Sword already boasted three divine techniques—Gentle Breeze for cleansing dust and filth, Shape Manipulation Array for self-control, and Illusion Sword Technique. Although each was weak in effect, they were undeniably in the divine weapon category if graded by the Mortal World's weaponry standards. With an indestructible sword body, a Sword Spirit capable of autonomous action, and several practical divine techniques, those demon swords and magical swords renowned for their mythical prowess were typically at this level.
However, to Wang Jiu, such grading was laughable. Less than one ten-thousandth of the Sword World had been rebuilt; the mount was an absurd human with an IQ below 3.3, and not even the sword's edge had been re-sharpened. The sword body was in such a pitiful state, like a fire rod, yet it was called a divine weapon? The pride of the Celestial Divine Sword wasn't so cheap.
Nonetheless, when the wind grinding platform was complete, the situation would likely improve. Combined with the Wind Gathering Array, harnessing the world's spirit wind to hone the indomitable Pure White Sword Body over time would gradually restore sharpness to the blunt sword. This accumulation is virtually endless; the more sharpening, the sharper the blade, surpassing material limitations and entering the realm of Dao Laws, becoming indestructible and unyielding.
Of course, reaching such a stage couldn't rely solely on a small wind grinding platform. At least a million wind grinding platforms would need to operate day and night for several years. For now, evolving the sword body from a fire rod into a bona fide sword would suffice.
The first phase of grinding didn't take too long. Before the evening clouds blazed the sky, Wang Jiu finally managed to barely finish sharpening the first side. Just as he was wondering why that silly Li Qingming hadn't returned home to cook dinner, there came a knock at the door, followed by a young voice, not yet matured, speaking loudly.
"Is Li Qingming here? I'm Zhao Kai from the Outer Sect. The instructor sent me to ask if you still plan to take the routine exam."
The routine exam?
Wang Jiu immediately remembered that Li Qingming had previously mentioned she needed to master the Windchasing Sword within half a month to cope with the Outer Sect's routine exam. If she failed, she could be expelled from the Outer Sect and become a wandering ghost. Little did he expect that this half-month deadline would come so quickly.
Li Qingming is not home, so naturally, it was the responsibility of the mount to reply on behalf of the master. Wang Jiu carefully wrote a note and threw it out.
"Li Qingming is not at home."
Outside the door, Zhao Kai took the note, first surprised by the unusual handwriting structure, then nodding in realization: "So Li Qingming is not here, then I'll head back... wait, who are you?!"
Inside, Wang Jiu realized the other had indeed asked a good question. Although he had signed a master-servant contract with Li Qingming, she had repeatedly requested not to expose their master-servant relationship to outsiders, so...
"I am Li Qingming's guardian."
Zhao Kai looked at the note, even more puzzled: "Guardian? What's that supposed to mean... oh my god!?"
After understanding the meaning of the word "guardian," Zhao Kai felt a chill run down his spine. He looked at the crimson courtyard gate in fear.
Although Li Qingming's situation at home had been quite awkward over the years, as the saying goes, like a child unloved by both parents, she was still the daughter of Patriarch Li Fengyun. And her guardian, naturally, could only be one person...
Thinking of these highly suspicious notes and the silence inside, Zhao Kai suddenly felt he had uncovered an astonishingly huge secret!
"S-s-sorry, Patriarch, I'll be leaving now!"
Before he finished speaking, this young prodigy, who had just successfully mastered the Windchasing Sword and was about to overcome the Wind Barrier, vanished without a trace.
With his heart pounding like it was about to explode, Zhao Kai had only one thought.
I've discovered a huge secret, a monumental secret!
Running all the way back to the Outer Sect training field, Zhao Kai was gasping for breath like a dead dog, but his eyes were bright, full of excitement.
The companions around him gathered, asking questions.
"What's going on, what happened? Did something happen to Li Qingming?"
Zhao Kai chuckled. He intended to keep them guessing while he caught his breath, but he couldn't suppress the overwhelming urge to divulge the secret.
"Let me tell you a big secret, the Patriarch has secretly reconciled with Miss Qingming!"
"What?! Didn't he dislike Miss Qingming a lot?"
"Yeah, and the Madam dislikes Qingming even more. Did the Patriarch have a falling out with the Madam?"
Zhao Kai said, "That I don't know, maybe even the Madam has changed her mind. Anyway, when I went to find Miss Qingming, I bumped into the Patriarch at her house, it was so scary!"
The little companions were amazed and started discussing fervently.
"You met the Patriarch? Really?"
Hearing others question the truth, Zhao Kai, feeling insulted, said with a reddened neck, "How could it be fake, I saw it with my own eyes! There's written evidence too!"
After he displayed the note and explained his reasoning, all that surrounded him were gasps of astonishment.
"Wow, Zhao Kai, you're amazing!"
Zhao Kai's vanity swelled tremendously, that satisfaction bubbling up like a clear stream...
However, at this moment, a cold voice sounded from behind.
"What did you just say? What about the Patriarch?"
"Instructor?!"
——
Half an hour later, a weary Li Qingming finally returned home.
Of course, despite the fatigue, she thoughtfully brought Wang Jiu a gift—a steaming, filled-to-the-brim food box.
"Dinner's here~ Hehe, it took ages to sort out the registration procedures today, so I'm back late. Luckily, the joining gift was nice, I sold it to buy you a good meal. I know you like to eat, so take it as a reward for watching the house."
The young girl was visibly in a great mood, humming a tune as she bounced over to Wang Jiu.
"It's all yours, I had snacks and I'm full while waiting for the procedures, so don't be shy, eat up. If the task result comes out in my favor tomorrow, I'll make some money and take you out for even better food, so you won't keep saying I'm useless! Okay, I'm off for a wash and rest."
Wang Jiu appreciated the girl's thoughtfulness, opening the food box while using the Wind Gathering Array to extract the essence from the delicious food, and said in her mind.
"Just now, someone named Zhao Kai came by to ask when you'll participate in the Outer Sect's routine exam."
"What!? The Outer Sect's routine exam! I completely forgot!"