Xiao Yu opened the Sword Tomb, revealing a massive stone coffin. After opening the coffin, a long iron box came into view, wrapped and sealed with iron chains.
Under Xiao Yu's mental control, the iron box flew out of the Sword Tomb. Removing the heavy chains and opening the box, the true form of the divine weapon was finally revealed.
The blade of the divine weapon was blood-red, the hilt rough and pitted, as if forged through arduous hammering.
The hilt and blade were cast as one, with a Buddhist symbol resembling the character "工乙" engraved at the guard.
"Buzz, buzz, buzz."
As if disturbed from slumber, the Sword of Despair began to hum, automatically flying into the sky, its buzzing sound growing louder.
"Be careful, the divine weapon is awakening, its fierce aura surging. What a vicious sword," Jian Chen warned nervously.
"This Sword of Despair, during its forging, killed several swordsmiths due to its fierce aura. When it reached its current half-finished state, it flew out on its own to kill, leading to the deaths of most of the swordsmiths who forged it. It was finally subdued by a master and sealed away by the Sword-Worshipping Manor," Xiao Yu explained the history of the Sword of Despair, suggesting Jian Chen try to subdue the divine weapon.
"Brother Xiaoyun, this sword is too fierce. I'm afraid I can't subdue it," Jian Chen, though fond of powerful swords as a swordsman, lacked confidence in making the divine weapon recognize him as its master.
"Give it a try. If you succeed, it can prevent this divine weapon from falling into the hands of evil," Xiao Yu encouraged Jian Chen to subdue the Sword of Despair, curious if he could tame one of the four great vicious weapons.
In the original comic, Jian Chen was a person with deep-seated evil intentions, which was why Nameless adopted and educated him to become a righteous gentleman, preventing harm to the world. Thus, even if Jian Chen lost control, Xiao Yu had a way to handle it.
Having obtained the Ice Heart Formula from Nie Feng's family, Xiao Yu perfectly merged it with the Taoist Ice Heart Formula, focusing on calming the heart, mind, and spirit, and understanding the emotion of tranquility, possibly even developing towards purification, like the path of purification.
Therefore, Xiao Yu wasn't worried that Jian Chen would be influenced by the Sword of Despair and become its slave.
Jian Chen was also willing to try. He set aside the Hero Sword and began to release his sword intent, attempting to connect with the Sword of Despair.
However, the Sword of Despair, true to its nature as a vicious weapon, was extremely fierce and unruly, ignoring Jian Chen's attempts to connect and even launching an attack on him, Xiao Yu, and Chuchu.
Xiao Yu cast the Golden Light Curse, forming a golden shield to protect Jian Chen and Chuchu.
The Sword of Despair, possessing a high level of intelligence, seeing its attack ineffective, flew into the sky and dove down at the three from above.
Seeing this, Xiao Yu had no choice but to subdue it. He immediately cast the Golden Light Curse, shaping golden chains that shot into the sky, capturing and restraining the Sword of Despair, pulling it back to the ground.
Grasping the hilt of the Sword of Despair, Xiao Yu immediately felt the fierce aura surging from the sword, constantly backlashing against its master.
"The Sword of Despair is deeply vicious. Even if it recognizes a master, there's a risk of backlash," Xiao Yu sighed, not wanting a divine weapon that could turn against its master at any moment.
"Brother Xiaoyun, what should we do with this sword?" Jian Chen pondered how to handle this vicious weapon.
"Take the sword with us for now. Later, we'll find a way to neutralize its fierce aura. It's still a remarkable divine weapon," Xiao Yu said, placing the sword back in the iron box and sealing it with chains.
"Let's go. I still need to find Brother Yun," Chuchu urged, uninterested in divine weapons.
"Alright, let's go," Jian Chen said, looking at Chuchu, reluctant to part once they found Bu Jingyun.
...
The three left the Sword-Worshipping Manor and headed to a nearby city to gather information. They learned of Bu Jingyun's whereabouts and hurried to find him at Chuchu's urging.
Bu Jingyun was a hot topic now, as news of his acquisition of the Peerless Sword had spread throughout the martial world, with many wanting to seize it from him.
When Xiao Yu, Jian Chen, and Chuchu found Bu Jingyun, he was in the midst of a fierce battle with a group of people trying to take his sword.
Soon, the battle ended, and those who coveted the Peerless Sword were slain by Bu Jingyun.
With the fight over, Jian Chen finally let go of Chuchu, who had wanted to rush in and cause trouble earlier.
"Brother Yun, are you alright?" Chuchu hurried over to him.
"Chuchu, Chuchu," Bu Jingyun exclaimed with joy, and the two embraced excitedly.
"Brother Jian Chen, the flower is already taken, and the feelings are mutual. It's better to find another flower. Otherwise, you'll just end up hurting yourself while they remain close, and before long, they'll even have a child," Xiao Yu teased, seeing Jian Chen's forlorn expression. Visit g.com for the full chapter.
"Thank you for the advice, Brother Xiaoyun, but your words make me feel worse," Jian Chen replied with a bitter smile.
"This is called fighting poison with poison," Xiao Yu joked.
"Jian Chen," a voice called out, and a figure emerged from the forest.
"Master, why are you here?" Jian Chen hurriedly went to greet the newcomer.
"The Peerless Sword has appeared. I came to see its owner. We can't let a divine weapon fall into the hands of evildoers and cause great harm," Nameless explained his reason for appearing.
On the other side, Bu Jingyun, hearing that someone wanted to take the Peerless Sword, immediately gripped his divine weapon tightly, ready for battle.
"You've already obtained a divine weapon. Why do you want to take Brother Yun's sword?" Chuchu, with her simple mind, retorted unhappily.
Yes, another divine weapon has been obtained. Nameless and Bu Jingyun both looked at the iron box wrapped in chains that Xiao Yu carried.
"Master, this is a vicious weapon, extremely fierce and untamable, with the potential to backfire on its master. Brother Xiaoyun plans to find a way to neutralize its fierce aura and transform it into a righteous divine weapon," Jian Chen explained to his master.
"Hmm, we'll discuss this later," Nameless nodded and then approached Bu Jingyun.
"I sense a deep-seated killing intent within you. With this divine weapon, what do you plan to do?" Nameless asked, his gaze seemingly penetrating Bu Jingyun's heart.
"Revenge," Bu Jingyun coldly replied.
"This divine weapon should not exist for slaughter. I must take the sword," Nameless decided after hearing Bu Jingyun's response.
"I won't give up the Peerless Sword, nor will I let anyone take it," Bu Jingyun declared, holding the sword upright before him.
Nameless leaped into action, engaging Bu Jingyun in battle. After a fierce exchange, Nameless easily seized the Peerless Sword.
Unexpectedly, the Peerless Sword vibrated violently, attempting to break free from Nameless's grasp, but was suppressed by his formidable strength.
Knowing he wasn't a match for Nameless, Bu Jingyun continued to follow him.
A few days later, seeing Bu Jingyun's persistence, Nameless decided to have a fair duel with him to determine the sword's ownership.
During the duel, Bu Jingyun's display of goodwill earned Nameless's approval, and he ultimately returned the Peerless Sword to Bu Jingyun.
"The Peerless Sword is a supreme divine weapon with immense power. I hope you will use it less for killing and more for punishing evil and promoting good, benefiting the world," Nameless advised Bu Jingyun.
"I only seek revenge and will not harm the innocent," Bu Jingyun replied, his tone softening.
Afterward, he left with Chuchu, while Jian Chen watched them go with a wistful expression.
"Jian Chen, matters of the heart cannot be forced," Nameless consoled his disciple.
"There's nothing to it, Master. You're overthinking," Jian Chen stubbornly denied, unwilling to discuss matters of the heart with his master.
"Brother Xiaoyun, may I ask where you learned your skills?" Nameless struck up a conversation with Xiao Yu. Having observed Jian Chen being guided by this new friend, he thought perhaps young people had their own ways of handling things.
"I have no formal master, just some fortuitous encounters that led me into the martial world," Xiao Yu earnestly fabricated a story.
"I see. You are quite accomplished for your age. If you have any questions about martial arts, feel free to ask me," Nameless offered, having formed a favorable impression of Xiao Yu over the past few days.
"Thank you, Senior. I will seek your guidance in the future," Xiao Yu replied respectfully.
"May I see this divine weapon?" Nameless asked, looking at the iron box Xiao Yu carried.
"Of course, please," Xiao Yu said, setting down the iron box and gesturing for Nameless to proceed.
Nameless unwrapped the chains and opened the box.
"This is another divine weapon forged by the Sword-Worshipping Manor, the Sword of Despair. Its fierce nature caused the deaths of many swordsmiths, and it was sealed away afterward," Xiao Yu explained.
As the box opened, the Sword of Despair buzzed and tried to escape, but it was futile before Nameless. This chapter was taken from g.com without permission.
"What a spirited and fierce sword. Holding this sword carries the constant risk of backlash," Nameless remarked, examining the Sword of Despair closely.
"Indeed, this is a common trait among many divine weapons. They gather killing, fierce, and negative energies to enhance their power, affecting and even controlling their master's mind," Xiao Yu commented.
"Like the Fire Kirin Sword, with its deep-seated evil and demonic nature influencing its master," Xiao Yu added.
"The Fire Kirin Sword has such a demonic nature?" Jian Chen, who had encountered the Fire Kirin Sword, was surprised.
"Yes, the Fire Kirin Sword was forged with scales from the Fire Kirin, which contains strong demonic and beastly nature, affecting its master's mind," Nameless confirmed the issue with the Fire Kirin Sword.
"Master, is there a way to neutralize the fierce nature of the Sword of Despair?" Jian Chen asked about handling the vicious weapon.
The Sword of Despair emitted a fierce hum, as if protesting.
"Every divine weapon has a unique mission. I'll think of a way to neutralize its fierce nature," Nameless, a supreme swordsman with a heart for the world, also wished to transform the vicious weapon into a righteous divine weapon.
"Divine weapons are rare, and forging them is extremely difficult. If Senior Nameless can neutralize the vicious nature, the world will gain another legendary sword," Xiao Yu agreed with Nameless, noting the Sword of Despair's connection to the Great Evil King and its ability to open the Sword Realm, or perhaps the Nine Skies Boundless Realm.
"Senior Nameless, to neutralize the Sword of Despair's fierce nature, perhaps you could emulate the Hero Sword's forging concept," Xiao Yu suggested.
"The Hero Sword's forging concept?" Nameless was puzzled, as he wielded the Hero Sword across the martial world but was unaware of its origins.
"Master, Brother Xiaoyun once told me that I'm not suited for the Hero Sword because, during its forging, many Great Scholars infused it with righteous energy to condense its sword heart. The sword's master needs to have a heart for protecting the world, a spirit of righteousness, and possess righteous energy to truly unleash the Hero Sword's power. Recently, when I clashed with Duan Lang's Fire Kirin Sword, Brother Xiaoyun noticed the Hero Sword showed signs of cracking and intervened in time," Jian Chen recounted what Xiao Yu had said.
"I have the spirit of righteousness and can punish evil and help the weak, but I'm not yet qualified to take on the responsibility of protecting the world, nor do I have a grasp of righteous energy," Jian Chen admitted, feeling disheartened as he returned the Hero Sword to Nameless.
Hearing this, Nameless took the Hero Sword and sensed it. The sword emitted a joyful hum in his hands.
"It seems I was wrong. Without righteous energy, the Hero Sword's power weakened, and clashing with the Fire Kirin Sword indeed risked cracking," Nameless acknowledged.
"Jian Chen, I must take back the Hero Sword. You are not yet ready to wield it," Nameless realized the Hero Sword's characteristics and that it was too soon for Jian Chen.
"Master, it's my fault for not being qualified to hold the Hero Sword," Jian Chen said, his expression somber, feeling he hadn't lived up to his master's legacy.
...
Xiao Yu accompanied Nameless and Jian Chen to the Zhonghua Pavilion in Fengqi Town, where Nameless arranged for Xiao Yu to stay and discuss neutralizing the Sword of Despair's fierce nature.
The Zhonghua Pavilion gathered retired experts, including swordsmiths, who suggested reforging the divine weapon.
"Reforging would require suppressing the weapon's resistance, resisting the invasion of its fierce aura, and most importantly, succeeding without diminishing its power," Xiao Yu outlined the main challenges.
"It seems impossible. Such a divine weapon would take a long time to reforge, and with my skills, I lack confidence," the swordsmith admitted.
"Since reforging isn't feasible, let's first try neutralizing the fierce nature with Taoist and Buddhist scriptures," an expert suggested.
"We'll have to do that for now," Nameless agreed, lacking a better solution.
The group dispersed, leaving only Nameless, Jian Chen, and Xiao Yu.
"Senior Nameless, how goes the search for a Great Scholar?" Xiao Yu inquired about another method.
"The martial world is chaotic now, and Great Scholars are hard to find. In my decades, I haven't heard of any emerging," Nameless lamented the chaotic times and the decline of culture.
"We've collected many Confucian classics. We can start researching how to cultivate righteous energy," Nameless, though possessing righteous energy, didn't know how to cultivate it.
In the following days, they practiced and researched the cultivation method for righteous energy.
Xiao Yu's cultivation progressed well, breaking through to the Grandmaster Realm in martial arts and reaching the Sixth Level of Qi-Spirit Transformation in Daoist cultivation.
(Martial Dao Realm: from low to high, Postnatal, Innate, Grandmaster, Great Grandmaster, Martial Primordial Spirit, Martial Dao Phenomenon, Martial Dao Celestial)
He also successfully researched the method to cultivate righteous energy, nurturing inner righteousness and a spirit of justice, while gathering the vast righteous energy of the world externally.