Lu Qingshan panicked.
He quickly released his Divine Sense, but when it reached the Dragonsparrow, the feeling of being able to control it like an extension of his arm was gone. The close connection between him and the Dragonsparrow was also gone.
Lu Qingshan's face darkened.
"What's wrong with her?" Gu Yiyi, who had been crying loudly, asked anxiously.
To her, the furnace in Qing Ge's body was just a dark and smelly place. Other than that, there was nothing special about it.
Although Gu Yiyi was reluctant to admit it, she knew deep down that Qin Yitian was much stronger than her. 'How much can something that I don't feel affect Qin Yitian?'
That was why she didn't take it seriously.
Only now did Gu Yiyi realize that something was wrong.
Lu Qingshan shook his head and looked at his panel. A line of information stood out:
Level: Void Refinement — Four Flower Realm (Can be upgraded to Nine Flower Realm, but cannot be upgraded)
…
At this moment, the Advancement Mission column had turned gray, indicating that it was not an option.
This meant that his path of cultivation was cut off!
There was a limit to his cultivation. At most, he could cultivate to Void Refinement — Nine Flower Realm, then he could not advance any further.
Before coming to Jade Gate Pass, Xi Xiang had told him that if he was unlucky enough to meet a Soldier Demon who was much stronger than him, he must protect his Natal Sword even if he was seriously injured.
Once a Sword Cultivator's Natal Sword was destroyed, he would be seriously injured at best, and his cultivation would be cut off at worst.
He didn't expect his words to come true.
Lu Qingshan's heart sank.
It was not because he saw his cultivation path cut off, but because this message seemed to mean that the Dragonsparrow was destroyed …
His eyes were bloodshot. Without saying a word, he stepped forward and picked up the Dragonsparrow to check its current state.
The sword was intact.
However, the Devil Qi in the sword seemed to have merged with the Dragonsparrow and could not be removed.
The Dragonsparrow's original spirituality was gone. He could no longer feel it.
The most important thing was …
Qin Yitian had disappeared.
Lu Qingshan, who had been able to remain calm in the face of death several times, began to tremble for the first time.
He looked at the panel silently, waiting for the final judgment:
Dragonsparrow:???
All of Dragon Sparrow's original information disappeared, leaving only three question marks.
But seeing this, Lu Qingshan breathed a sigh of relief.
Therefore, the Dragon Sparrow was not destroyed. Instead, it had fallen into an unknown and strange state.
If it had been destroyed, it should have said, [Dragon Sparrow]: Damaged.
If it was really damaged, then even if he had the power to reverse the situation, there was nothing he could do.
The current situation showed that there was still a glimmer of hope.
No matter what, it was fine as long as it wasn't an irreversible situation.
Lu Qingshan only breathed a sigh of relief.
Because it was true that his path of cultivation had been cut off.
This meant that although the Dragon Sparrow was not destroyed, the situation was definitely not good.
He tried to recall the Dragon Sparrow back into his body, but he realized that he couldn't do as he wished.
He sighed, and his heart sank. He could only silently put the Dragon Sparrow into his storage ring, and at the same time, put away Qing Ge's "black blood".
Clang! Clang!
"There's also this, Lu Qingshan," Gu Yiyi said softly from the side.
Lu Qingshan turned to look. On the tip of River of Forgetfulness, there were two rings, one black and one white, hanging.
"This is …"
"It's that baddie's item. I felt that it should be very valuable, so I kept it," Gu Yiyi explained.
"That's very thoughtful of you," Lu Qingshan praised.
"Buzz!"
River of Forgetfulness let out a clear sword hum in response.
"Let's go back to Jade Gate Pass." Lu Qingshan did not dare to waste any more time. He took a pill, and after slightly controlling his injuries, he flew up on his sword.
.....
In the past few days at Jade Gate Pass, the most eye-catching position on the Beacon Fire Hall's jade tablet was occupied by a new battle report: [The Demons' Army Launched a Surprise Attack on Luoyan Pass. Xia Daoyun's First Disciple Emerged]
Below this battle report, there was a large section describing the course of the battle in detail.
Among them, it emphasized that the Demons had mobilized an army far stronger than the cultivators of Luoyan Pass to launch a surprise attack. However, under the desperate efforts of the great cultivators of Luoyan Pass and the cooperation of Xia Daoyun's First Disciple, Lu Qingshan, they won the battle of Luoyan Pass, which should have been impossible to win.
Indeed, in the main text, Lu Qingshan's name officially appeared. It was not like the title, where he used the title of Xia Daoyun's First Disciple to ride on Xia Daoyun's "popularity".
However, compared to the Marquis of Calm Sea, who was only referred to as the "Great Cultivator of Luoyan Pass", Lu Qingshan's situation could already be considered an extremely high standard of treatment.
Soon after, Lu Qingshan's name spread through Jade Gate Pass at an astonishing speed.
A large part of the reason was that the title of Xia Daoyun's First Disciple was extremely eye-catching.
From this, it could be seen that the higher-ups of Jade Gate Pass understood the hearts of the people very well.
Lu Qingshan was the First Disciple of Jade Gate Pass' number one female sword cultivator, Xia Daoyun. He was the youngest cultivator to have achieved great feats on the battlefield of Jade Gate Pass. He was the symbol of Jade Gate Pass's younger generation of cultivators gradually maturing and shouldering the heavy burden …
Everyone remembered him.
.....
Green Cloud Palace.
Green Cloud Sword Immortal's temporary residence in Jade Gate Pass.
Within the main hall.
"It's only been five years since you faced your 59 Heavenly Tribulation, and you're already preparing to face your 69 Heavenly Tribulation."
The green-clothed middle-aged sword cultivator, the master of Green Cloud Palace, Xie Qingyun, frowned slightly. He said to the slim and slender woman in front of him, "The burden of the human race can still be shouldered by us elders for a few more days. You don't have to be in such a hurry. Just fight steadily and surely."
"I'm not in a hurry." The woman shook her head, and said casually, "It's just that I have a hundred percent confidence."
"A hundred percent confidence, huh …" Xie Qingyun raised his eyebrows. He was speechless.
He looked at the confident woman in front of him, and seemed to have thought of something. He changed the topic, and sighed with emotion. "Fortunately, I brought you to the Sword Sect back then. Otherwise, if you stayed in Da Xia Kingdom and walked the path of a spell cultivator, it would really be a waste …"
"Daoyun is grateful for the old sect master's guidance," the woman said softly.
"You should have been the best candidate for the next sect master." Xie Qingyun sighed, and then said, "It's just a pity …"
Xia Daoyun was Xia Xuanji's only bloodline. She should be the next king of Da Xia Kingdom.
Even if she couldn't succeed the throne of Da Xia Kingdom, with her status, it was still unsuitable for her to lead the Sword Sect.
"The Sword Sect is full of talents. I might not be the best choice," Xia Daoyun said calmly. She didn't seem like she was being modest, but rather like she was stating a fact.
"I hope so." Xie Qingyun didn't object to Xia Daoyun's words. He said calmly, "I haven't left Jade Gate Pass for a long time. I heard that the sect has produced quite a few good seedlings."
Xia Daoyun didn't reply.
Xie Qingyun continued, "These days, your first disciple has become quite famous in Jade Gate Pass. They all say that like master, like disciple …"
This was exactly what Xia Daoyun was proud of.
"It's just a casual lesson." The woman seemed to be a woman of few words, but she was in high spirits. "It's not as good as the old sect master's."
Xie Qingyun couldn't help but laugh. "You sure know how to talk."
This was because he was the one who had taught Xia Daoyun swordsmanship.
Xia Daoyun's words not only confirmed Xie Qingyun's praise of Lu Qingshan, but also flattered Xie Qingyun. In the end, she even praised herself.
.....
After chatting for a while, Xia Daoyun slowly left Green Cloud Palace.
She had only taken a few steps when she sensed something. She frowned slightly, and her figure blurred, disappearing from where she stood.
When she reappeared, she was already outside her own palace, the Willow Catkin Pavilion.
"It's rare to see you in such a hurry." Xia Daoyun shot a glance at Lu Qingshan, who was still trapped outside the pavilion by a formation. She opened the formation and asked, "What happened?"
"Master." Lu Qingshan followed Xia Daoyun into the Willow Catkin Pavilion. He said with a hoarse voice, "Master, please save someone."
"Save someone? Save who? "Xia Daoyun asked seriously, a hint of concern flashing through her eyes.
"This disciple was ambushed by Demons on my way back to Jade Gate Pass. They sent out a Seventh Rank Demon Commander and a Sixth Rank Demon General.
"This disciple was just about to fall when Marquis Calm Sea, the general of Luoyan Pass, suddenly appeared and stopped the Seventh Rank Demon Commander for this disciple's sake.
"With Marquis Calm Sea's help, this disciple was able to escape the encirclement and kill the pursuing Sixth Rank Demon General. However, I don't know if Marquis Calm Sea is dead or alive.
"If Marquis Calm Sea isn't a match for them, then we might be able to save his life."
Xia Daoyun's expression became serious, her expression immediately becoming serious.
"I will immediately notify the higher level cultivators of this pass and have them coordinate the operation."
She took out a sword letter, and using her finger as a pen, she wrote down the details of the situation.
Then, with a light flick, the sword letter flew out of the Willow Catkin Pavilion. It turned into a streak of spiritual light and disappeared in an instant.
In less than a breath of time, a hazy streak of spiritual light flew into the Willow Catkin Pavilion.
A voice sounded from within the spiritual light. "I have already received the news. I will immediately take care of this matter and send out reinforcements."
"Alright, it's taken care of. Don't worry." After doing all of this, Xia Daoyun's expression relaxed a bit. She asked, "You killed a Sixth Rank Demon General?"
She was a bit shocked.
"Yes." Lu Qingshan didn't elaborate any further. Instead, he took a deep breath and said seriously, "I still have to ask master to save another person."
"Who?"
"Her."
Lu Qingshan brought out the Dragonsparrow from his storage ring.
Xia Daoyun's limpid eyes suddenly rippled.
"This is your lifebound sword?"
Lu Qingshan nodded.
"What is going on?" Xia Daoyun's eyes burned as she looked at the Dragonsparrow, which was now covered in demonic energy.
Lu Qingshan gave her a brief explanation of the situation, including the fact that the Dragonsparrow was a dao artifact.
This was the first time he told someone else about the Dragonsparrow's grade.
He believed in Xia Daoyun.
"Innate sword spirit, dao artifact …" Xia Daoyun muttered. "Sixth Rank Demon Soldier, furnace … That shouldn't be the case …"
"Let me see your sword."
Lu Qingshan hurriedly handed over the Dragonsparrow.
Xia Daoyun's jade-white fingers gently brushed across the Dragonsparrow's blade. She closed her eyes, as if she was sensing something.
A moment later, she opened her eyes. She came to a sudden realization. When she saw Lu Qingshan looking at her with hopeful eyes, she sighed and shook her head. "I can't save her either."
"The demonic energy has already completely merged with the sword, becoming a part of it. If I use my power to forcefully expel the demonic energy, it would be the same as destroying your sword."
"Why is that?" Lu Qingshan asked.
The Demon Soldier's "furnace" should have been used to destroy the sword, but why wasn't it destroyed, but instead merged with the sword?
"A portion of the sword's divine power has been stripped away," Xia Daoyun explained.
"Was it stripped away?" Lu Qingshan frowned slightly. "I thought it was sealed …"
Apart from the Profound Insight divine ability, the Dragonsparrow's strength wasn't compatible with a dao artifact. Lu Qingshan had always been aware of this.
However, the fact that the Dragonsparrow's divine power was incomplete was actually a good thing for him.
Only then would the Dragonsparrow have any practical value, and only then would he be able to use it as he wished.
Otherwise, it wasn't hard to imagine how powerful a dao artifact could be.
Back then, he was only a Foundation Establishment cultivator. Even if he used up all of the spiritual energy in his body, even if he used up all of his life, he still wouldn't be able to use the Dragonsparrow.
It was like putting a ten thousand jin hammer in front of you. Everyone knew that once it was swung, it would definitely be immensely powerful. However, to a three-year-old child, this ten thousand jin hammer could only be used for decoration. It couldn't be used as a weapon.
This was because a child didn't have the strength to swing the hammer.
However, a long time ago, when he asked Qin Yitian about the Dragonsparrow's origins, Qin Yitian told him that many of its memories and secrets had been sealed by her.
As his cultivation increased, these seals would gradually be removed.
At the time, Lu Qingshan naturally believed that the Dragonsparrow's divine power had also been sealed by her.
It was a very reasonable conclusion.
Who would've thought that the Dragonsparrow's divine power hadn't been sealed, but rather stripped away …
Then who had stripped it away? Where was the portion of divine power that had been stripped away now?
"It's not wrong to say that it's been sealed." Xia Daoyun pursed her lips, but confirmed Lu Qingshan's words. "A portion of its divine power has indeed been sealed. As your cultivation increases, this portion of divine power will gradually be unsealed and released."
Lu Qingshan seemed to understand something.
The portion of divine power that his master spoke of should be the source of the Dragonsparrow's divine ability. It was the reason for Qin Yitian's existence. It was also the reason why the Dragonsparrow would become more powerful as his cultivation increased.
"As for why there is such a strange phenomenon …"
"The weapons refined by the Soldier Demon all possess extremely domineering Indestructible Demonic Qi. You should've heard of this before, right?" Xia Daoyun asked.
Lu Qingshan's eyes flashed.
He had a deep understanding of this point.
When they first entered the Jade Gate Pass, the scar-faced male cultivator who had guided them through the Jade Gate Pass had suffered a wound on his face from the Soldier Demon's blade. The scar had never healed.
One could imagine just how domineering the Soldier Demon's Indestructible Demonic Qi was.
Xia Daoyun continued, "This is precisely because of their Cauldron Divine Ability.
According to our human race's information, the Soldier Demon's Cauldron Divine Ability produces an endless stream of Indestructible Demonic Qi due to its bloodline. It continuously refines its weapons, giving them Indestructible Demonic Qi.
"The reason why they can use the Cauldron Divine Ability to refine other artifacts is also because the Indestructible Demonic Qi melts the artifacts, then extracts their essence and fuses it into their weapons.
"Your lifebound sword is a dao weapon. A sixth-grade demonic soldier would need a very long time to refine it after swallowing it into his stomach.
Logically speaking, as a dao artifact, she should've been completely unharmed after being swallowed by the Soldier Demon for such a short period of time.
"However, something unexpected happened.
"It's precisely because a portion of your Lifebound Sword's divine power has been stripped away that the space inside the sword that originally stored divine power has been emptied out."
Xia Daoyun said helplessly, "This Demonic Qi is taking advantage of this opportunity to occupy the space where the Dragonsparrow originally stored its divine power.
Because your Lifebound Sword's divine power has been sealed, it doesn't have the ability to resist the Demonic Qi's entry.
"Afterwards, the Demonic Qi became a part of the sword, becoming indistinguishable from it.
However, because it doesn't come from the same source as the portion of divine power left in your Lifebound Sword, the two cannot coexist in harmony.
In the end, the two naturally entered an instinctive struggle within the Dragonsparrow, fighting over control of the Dragonsparrow. As a result, your Sword Spirit fell into a deep slumber.
"Whichever portion of the Demonic Qi emerges victorious in this struggle will be able to devour the other party's power and will, becoming the sword spirit of the sword."
Lu Qingshan's expression changed greatly.
Xia Daoyun added, "If you're lucky, your Sword Spirit will quickly emerge victorious and awaken.
However, the problem is that even if she emerges victorious in the end, after devouring the Demonic Qi's power and will, she will no longer be the same person she was before.
If you're unlucky, she'll completely dissipate, her body and soul destroyed … "
"The only good news is that no matter what, your Lifebound Sword will awaken in the end, and your path of cultivation will be resumed. It's just a matter of when the victor will be decided …"
"Qingshan, what do you think?" Xia Daoyun's voice became much more serious.
Her mind was drifting, filled with worry.
As a sword cultivator herself, she understood the feelings of sword cultivators towards their Lifebound Swords better than anyone else. She also knew how great of a blow this outcome would be to Lu Qingshan.
"Is there really no way to get rid of the Demonic Qi without harming her?" Lu Qingshan still refused to accept his fate. He held onto his last strand of hope as he asked this.
"With my experience, I don't know if there is such a method in this world." Xia Daoyun sank into deep thought. After thinking seriously for a long time, she said, "However, perhaps you can go to the Heaven's Secrets Temple and ask around.
Their methods are profound. Perhaps they really do have some wondrous technique that I don't know of that can solve this problem. "
Lu Qingshan remained silent for a moment. In the end, he clasped his hands towards Xia Daoyun, and said respectfully, "Master, I'll take my leave first."
He had to give it a try no matter what.
He had to go to the Heaven's Secrets Temple.
"Wait a moment." Xia Daoyun called out to Lu Qingshan.
Lu Qingshan turned around, looking at Xia Daoyun in confusion.
"I'll go with you," Xia Daoyun said gently. "It just so happens that I need to make a trip back to the Human Realm.
Besides, if you go alone, even if they have a method, they might not necessarily teach you … "
"Many thanks, Master." Lu Qingshan was endlessly grateful.
.....
Heaven's Secrets Temple, outside the sprawling mountain range.
A man and a woman appeared amidst a streak of sword light. They stopped in front of the Heaven's Secrets Temple's great formation.
The woman handed over a sword message, which flew into the great formation.
"Please come in." A moment later, the Heaven's Secrets Temple activated the great formation. A middle-aged daoist priest appeared and welcomed the two inside. "The Water Moon Temple Master is waiting for you at Lotus Flower Peak."
Xia Daoyun nodded slightly.
The two quickly approached Lotus Flower Peak.
… …
"Sword Cometh Peak Master, may I know the reason for your visit to my Heaven's Secrets Temple?"
Outside Lotus Flower Peak, the Water Moon Temple Master received the news and had been waiting for a long time with Lin Yao.
She knew that Xia Daoyun had brought a young male disciple with her.
Lu Qingshan had indeed changed his appearance, but she was still able to guess who it was. Who else could this young disciple be apart from Lu Qingshan?
Even though she didn't know the reason for Xia Daoyun's visit, she also brought her own disciple, Lin Yao, out of courtesy.
"The Heaven's Secrets Temple Master isn't here?" Xia Daoyun frowned.
"The temple master is currently at the Heavenly River. I am temporarily in charge of the temple." The Water Moon Temple Master said with a self-mocking smile. "What? Does Luoshen Fairy look down on me, the vice temple master?"
"I don't mean that." Xia Daoyun shook her head. "It's just that this matter is rather important, so …"
"Let's talk inside." The Water Moon Temple Master was extremely polite. "If I can't deal with it, the Sword Cometh Peak Master can find the temple master."
Xia Daoyun nodded. She had no further objections.
The four of them quickly entered the Lotus Flower Peak and entered the main hall.
"What exactly is going on?" The Water Moon Temple Master invited Xia Daoyun and Lu Qingshan to take a seat. Then, she glanced at Lu Qingshan and asked, "Could it be related to Lu Qingshan?"
Xia Daoyun's eyes flashed.
She could vaguely tell that the Water Moon Temple Master and Lu Qingshan seemed to be quite familiar with each other.
It was a bit strange.
However, now wasn't the time to be worrying about this.
"Qingshan," Xia Daoyun said softly.
Lu Qingshan nodded. He understood Xia Daoyun's intentions and quickly took out his Dragon Sparrow Sword. "Water Moon Temple Master, please take a look."
The Water Moon Temple Master's expression changed slightly as she looked at the Dragon Sparrow Sword. "This is?!"
"This is my sword of life," Lu Qingshan said softly.
Lin Yao, who was standing behind the Water Moon Temple Master, couldn't help but bite her lips. A trace of worry appeared in the depths of her eyes.
"What's going on? What happened? "The Water Moon Temple Master's expression became serious as she asked sternly.
Xia Daoyun explained the situation in a concise and comprehensive manner. Then, she asked in a clear voice, "I wonder if the Heaven's Secrets Temple has a way to resolve this problem?"
Lu Qingshan looked at the Water Moon Temple Master with an intense gaze. His heart couldn't help but rise to his throat.
The Heaven's Secrets Temple might be his only hope.
The Water Moon Temple Master suppressed the shock in her heart. She lowered her head and sank into deep thought. After a long while, she finally raised her head and said to Lu Qingshan, "Within our Northmoon lineage, there is a spirit technique that can nurture the spirit of a magic tool.
With the help of this spirit technique, we might be able to help your sword spirit obtain victory in this battle and end this long battle ahead of time. This will allow you to continue on your path of cultivation.
"What do you think?"
Hearing this, Xia Daoyun silently shook her head. She sighed deeply in her heart.
This wasn't what Lu Qingshan wanted.
"No."
Sure enough, Lu Qingshan refused without any hesitation.
… According to the Water Moon Temple Master's method, the sword spirit that would awaken in the end would no longer be the Qin Yitian who had always fought by his side.
His sword was Qin Yitian. It could only be her.
"What?" The Water Moon Temple Master frowned. She didn't understand.
"She is my sword."
Lu Qingshan's expression was calm. His voice was firm.
"I can't do without her."
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