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First, there was the current self, having advanced to the fifth level of the Huayang Classic. This advancement not only made the True Qi more robust but also more refined, which was a notable difference.
Another change was that now he was circulating the True Qi through the Meridian, which was vastly different from before. In the past, True Qi did not pass through the Meridian and had never manifested the Sword Flower. Whether this was due to unfamiliarity with the technique or errors in Inner Strength circulation, he had simply never produced the Sword Flower.
Now, Xunuo's goal was no longer whether he could produce the Sword Flower, but rather to ensure that the Iron Sword remained intact under the infusion of True Qi without exploding. This method could also verify certain things.
Some factors were immutable, such as his Huayang Classic reaching the fifth level. However, some aspects could be changed and exchanged, such as the method of circulating True Qi and its density.
Currently, he lacked the ability to make True Qi more concentrated. Yet, he could decompose and dilute a strand of True Qi to resemble that of the fourth level of Huayang Classic.
Xunuo contemplated for a while and estimated several possible directions. However, these all required testing with Iron Swords to determine their outcomes.
To his surprise, Xunuo calculated that he would need seven or eight Iron Swords to complete these experiments, which made him scratch his head in frustration. If he were to ask Chang Zai Shui to bring them one by one, it would likely take a month to finish all these tests. He had no choice but to deceive him into bringing more swords at once. Resolving this in his mind, Xunuo began to think about the details of the experiments.
After waiting three more days, Chang Zai Shui came again with food. Upon entering, this disciple glanced at the wall and noticed the swords were gone. With a bitter expression, he said, "Master Lu has let go of the swords again."
Hearing this, Xunuo chuckled and replied, "This time it’s not letting go; I’m trying to comprehend a technique for Flying Sword. I haven’t grasped it yet; several attempts have been fruitless."
Chang Zai Shui stared intently at Xunuo, his eyes revealing a complex expression. As a disciple of Seven Star Sword Hall himself, although not accepted as a second-generation disciple by Tian Feiyu, he had been in training for a long time. His understanding of swordsmanship was deeper than Xunuo's and he had greater insight. Naturally, he knew that Sword Light Divergence was an ultimate sword technique. Using qi to control swords was already a celestial method that transcended mundane swordplay. Master Lu deceiving himself like this—did he really think Chang Zai Shui was an idiot?
Anyone who could enter Seven Star Sword Hall was exceptional; they were all outstanding individuals among men. Thinking of this brought various frustrations flooding into his heart.
Xunuo, however, paid no attention to him and continued speaking: "This time you should bring more swords so you won’t have to run back and forth so much. The Boardwalk is difficult to traverse; just take a sword bag and bring over ten swords."
Chang Zai Shui did not want to confront the issue directly, as it would embarrass Shishu. He simply replied, "Yes," and stepped out.
Once outside Broken Heart Cliff, he confided in his master about his troubles.
At that moment, it was An Mo Sheng who was on duty at Broken Heart Cliff. Hearing his disciple's words, a hint of warmth appeared on his face. After a moment of thought, he said, "Losing a few swords is better than losing face. If we give him a few swords, it will keep him occupied at Broken Heart Cliff and prevent further trouble. Just do as I say."
Chang Zai Shui then replied, "Understood," and went to fetch the swords.
Before long, he returned with a sword bag to Broken Heart Cliff. Xunuo eagerly accepted the sword bag. After sending Chang Zai Shui away, he shook the bag and scattered the swords across the table. Xunuo counted thirteen swords—more than enough.
Xunuo arranged the thirteen swords neatly in a row on the table. He reached for one of the sword hilts and with a clang, drew out an Iron Sword.
Over the past three days, he had carefully considered the sequence of tests and even the finer details. Now it was just a matter of executing the plan.
Before long, with a loud snap, the Iron Sword broke into two pieces. Xunuo pondered for a moment before picking up another Iron Sword. In an instant, this one also shattered with a loud bang into several pieces. After another brief contemplation, he drew yet another Iron Sword.
In this manner, whether during the process of infusing True Qi or afterward, each Iron Sword broke apart with varying degrees of explosive sounds. It wasn't until the sixth attempt that after Xunuo's silver snake-like movements caused it to tremble wildly, the Iron Sword still rang out with clanging sounds. Xunuo sighed inwardly; he had finally identified the cause of the broken swords.
The reason was among several of Xunuo's speculations. Simply put, it was because the True Qi was too dense for the Iron Sword to withstand. Earlier, Xunuo had taken a strand of True Qi and diluted it to be comparable to that of the fourth layer of Huayang Classic. By following the Meridian into the Iron Sword posed no issues. The True Qi did not travel through the Meridian into the Iron Sword either. Even after shaking the Iron Sword like a silver snake in chaos twice, there were no abnormalities.
As for how to dilute True Qi, it came from Elixir Formula. The Elixir Formula is divided into two volumes; the first volume discusses methods for cultivating Divine Sense while the second volume covers techniques for refining elixirs. Although Xunuo could not fully comprehend or master all aspects of Elixir Formula, he had memorized its contents long ago and often pondered over them in his spare time. The second volume contained some practical methods for Divine Sense that greatly interested Xunuo; however, most were beyond his reach due to his low Realm in Divine Sense. Nevertheless, he had grasped the method of condensing and diluting medicinal properties through Divine Sense.
This method could also be used to refine and dilute True Qi. However, since his own True Qi was already so condensed, further refinement proved somewhat challenging; diluting it was not difficult at all.
Now that he had finally identified the cause of the Iron Sword's explosive failures, Xunuo felt greatly relieved. He would not have to abandon his path of sword practice after all.
However, Xunuo soon realized that if the Iron Sword could explode, then the two Heavenly Shadow Spikes he possessed might also not be used carelessly. There was a possibility they could explode under the infusion of True Qi.
After some thought, he decided it was best to verify everything together. He took out one Heavenly Shadow Spike and separated a strand of True Qi from his Dantian, without diluting it with Divine Sense. He slowly infused the True Qi into the Heavenly Shadow Spike through his Meridian. Under the infusion of True Qi, the Heavenly Shadow Spike seemed to come alive, flashing with a dark gleam and suddenly emitting a loud humming sound.
Startled by the noise, Xunuo quickly withdrew his hand and stepped back several paces. He was still frightened by the earlier explosion of the Iron Sword, and this sudden humming from the Heavenly Shadow Spike caught him off guard. As he retreated, he raised his arms defensively in front of him and peered through the gaps between them. To his astonishment, he saw that the Heavenly Shadow Spike had not exploded; instead, it remained suspended in mid-air, motionless.
Xunuo stared at it for a while, still feeling apprehensive and unwilling to approach. He circled around at a distance, torn between curiosity and fear of a sudden explosion. After a moment, the dark gleam of the Heavenly Shadow Spike dimmed, and with a clatter, it fell to the ground.
Seeing that there was still nothing unusual about it, Xunuo cautiously approached and picked up the Heavenly Shadow Spike. He thought to himself that this weapon was reputed to be the deadliest in the world, and it seemed there was indeed some truth to that claim. The fact that it could hover in mid-air without external force was truly unique. It was likely that ordinary techniques for using concealed weapons could not fully unleash its potential. He surmised that the method for activating this item must be known only within the Heavenly Shadow Sect. Unfortunately, he had no means to acquire such knowledge. Not only would he have to keep his possession of the Heavenly Shadow Spike a secret, but he also needed to stay far away from the Heavenly Shadow Sect to avoid any chance of them discovering his secret.
Holding the Heavenly Shadow Spike in his hands, Xunuo sighed deeply. Just as he was about to put it away, he remembered something: while the Iron Sword could not withstand such concentrated True Qi, the Heavenly Shadow Spike not only showed no signs of danger but also exhibited extraordinary phenomena. The disparity between these two items was significant, and there must be a reason behind it. Overall, it seemed to come down to differences in materials and forging techniques. Although he did not understand weapon forging well, he could use Divine Sense to probe and distinguish their qualities. In the future, he could use this knowledge to either forge or select an appropriate Iron Sword for himself.
With this thought in mind, he held the Iron Sword in one hand and the Heavenly Shadow Spike in the other while slowly probing with Divine Sense. Upon doing so, he discovered an enormous gap between them—like heaven and earth. First of all, regarding materials: the material used for the Heavenly Shadow Spike was pitch-black like ink. When Divine Sense penetrated inside, it revealed no impurities whatsoever; it was completely uniform in color. In contrast, the Iron Sword was made of refined steel and had a metallic luster within.
Another aspect was purity; Xunuo did not know what material comprised the Heavenly Shadow Spike but sensed that there were no impurities within it at all—it appeared to be crafted from a single type of material using techniques beyond mortal comprehension. On the other hand, despite being forged countless times, the Iron Sword contained numerous other metals mixed within it due to its iron ore origin. Xunuo understood that no amount of burning or hammering could eliminate those impurities entirely.
Lastly came the forging technique itself. The Heavenly Shadow Spike seemed to have been forged as a single piece with tightly packed structure and no discrepancies—its form appeared naturally perfect. In contrast, when Xunuo probed into the Iron Sword with Divine Sense, he found varying densities within it due to differences in force applied during forging and variations in hammering positions.
After this exploration, Xunuo treasured the Heavenly Shadow Spike like a precious gem. Having resolved his concerns about the Iron Sword shattering, he began practicing his sword techniques earnestly. As for learning how to activate the Heavenly Shadow Spike's powers, he would have to wait for another opportunity in the future.
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