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墨書 Inktalez
The Sect Leader, in shock, realized that there was no turning back. After a moment of contemplation, he instructed the Swordsmith Master to craft a hilt for the broken blade.
The Swordsmith Master smiled wryly and said, "This blade is so tough that it cannot be broken, nor does it meld with ordinary iron. If I am to create a hilt, it can only be made to fit its shape, binding the two together. I can certainly do it, but..."
The Sect Leader replied, "Master, just go ahead and do it without any concerns."
The Swordsmith Master had a good relationship with the Wuhua Sect and had initially agreed readily when he took on the task of repairing the broken blade. Now, however, he found himself in the position of having to create a hilt for it. Although he knew this was an ungrateful job, he could only grit his teeth and proceed.
The next day, the master presented the repaired blade with its new hilt to the Sect Leader of Wuhua Sect. Upon seeing it, the Sect Leader felt an urge to chop the Swordsmith Master in half. The hilt extended half a foot into the blade, securing it tightly. However, the blade was already short at only two feet long; with an additional foot-long hilt, its shape became exaggeratedly curved—one could hardly tell if it was a sword or a sickle.
The Sect Leader's face twitched as he handed the curved blade over to the Hall Master of Divine Mechanism Hall without saying a word and turned to leave. Back at Wuhua Sect, although his anger had not subsided, he found himself at a loss for what to do and was unwilling to let such a precious blade go to waste.
At that time, Wuhua Sect had absorbed a small sect called Divine Blade Sect. Thus, they combined the disciples from Divine Blade Sect with those from Divine Mechanism Hall who specialized in sword techniques to establish Divine Blade Hall. They bestowed upon this hall the curved blade, which bore a mark of murder and was named Killing Blade.
Unexpectedly, after the establishment of Divine Blade Hall, misfortune struck repeatedly. Each disciple wielding this blade met with untimely deaths—some within a year and others within just ten days. This alarming pattern finally caught the attention of Wuhua Sect's higher-ups. Connecting this calamity with the origins of Killing Blade led them to realize that it was not merely hidden beneath a statue but rather suppressed beneath it.
In haste, they returned Killing Blade to its place beneath the statue, which finally quelled this disaster.
Later on, during the Three Factions Sword Debate, Wuhua Sect faced severe oppression as its power waned. In a fit of determination, the Sect Leader summoned Killing Blade once more to showcase its might at the debate. Although Killing Blade was small and unsightly, it could cleave through any opponent's treasured sword effortlessly, causing great distress to both Nanyue Sect and Pool Water Sect.
While Wuhua Sect could not reclaim its former glory solely through Killing Blade, it did instill fear in those two factions and prevented Wuhua Sect from suffering too humiliating a defeat.
After several rounds of sword fighting, Wuhua Sect discerned a pattern: whenever Killing Blade emerged into the world, blood must be shed. The wielder would remain safe only if they defeated their opponents; otherwise, they would suffer backlash leading to their demise. Thus, disciples from Divine Blade Hall participating in the Three Factions Sword Debate wielding Killing Blade would fight with all their might to slay their opponents. If they failed to achieve this goal upon returning to Wuhua Sect, they would have to sacrifice cattle or sheep in honor of the blade before it could be suppressed beneath the statue again. Each time they summoned Divine Blade for battle, high monks were required to chant the Diamond Sutra for three days to dispel evil spirits and protect the wielder.
The practice of Divine Blade Hall seeking out Divine Blade from Divine Mechanism Hall became a unique phenomenon within Wuhua Sect. Although Divine Mechanism Hall found this troublesome, they were reluctant to relinquish their prized location. Meanwhile, Divine Blade Hall made every effort to conduct this ritual with great solemnity each time in hopes that Divine Mechanism Hall would eventually tire of their troubles and yield this place to them.
Although the Wuhua Sect was large and prosperous, the only truly spacious place was the Seven Star Sword Hall. The other halls felt somewhat cramped, and the Divine Blade Hall, being the last to be established, was particularly small. None of the other halls had any expectations or covetous thoughts towards the Seven Star Sword Hall; after all, it was the foundation of the Wuhua Sect. Even if the sect leader made any decisions, they had to be approved by the Seven Star Sword Hall first. Others had no thoughts on the matter at all. It was only natural for the Divine Blade Hall to covet the space of the Divine Mechanism Hall.
Zhang Shoufeng, as the senior brother of the Seven Star Sword Hall, was well-versed in these historical anecdotes. When he spoke, quoting texts and references, Xunuo listened with great interest. The younger disciples were not as knowledgeable as Zhang Shoufeng and listened with utmost seriousness.
After hearing Zhang Shoufeng's introduction, Xunuo couldn't help but feel curious about tomorrow's Ritual of Inviting the Divine Blade.
The group enjoyed a day of fun before parting ways. The next morning, Liu Changqing, Bi Changjian, and Nangong Wan called for Xunuo to join them in visiting the Divine Mechanism Hall to see what was happening.
The three senior brothers had long lost their curiosity. Besides, each had their own family matters to attend to; they were not as free as these single disciples.
When Xunuo and the others arrived at the Divine Mechanism Hall, the Divine Blade had already been summoned out and was being honored in front of a statue. Inside the hall stood an altar where the Killing Blade was placed in its sheath. Surrounding the Killing Blade were various treasures: conch shells, agate, crystal, coral, amber, pearls, and musk—seven Buddhist treasures.
Four esteemed monks sat at each corner of the altar, chanting verses from the Diamond Sutra facing the Killing Blade. Surrounding them were thirty-six monks who joined in singing the Diamond Sutra.
As soon as Xunuo entered the Divine Mechanism Hall, he heard the loud chanting. He couldn't help but smile inwardly; having received true teachings from the Daoist Sect, he found that this Buddhist scripture could hardly penetrate his mind.
The disciples who came to witness at the Divine Mechanism Hall had already filled it to capacity. As soon as Xunuo and his companions entered, sharp-eyed disciples quickly noticed them and immediately cleared a path for them to pass through.
Xunuo and his companions walked outside the Buddha Hall and saw Taishi Beichuan, the senior brother of the Divine Mechanism Hall, standing at the entrance with Qi Wuxiu, the eldest disciple of the Divine Blade Hall. It seemed that only these two could maintain order amidst the throng of disciples who dared not step out of line.
Seeing Xunuo and his group arrive, Qi Wuxiu greeted them with a slight bow and said, "Be quiet; do not disturb Master while he is chanting."
Xunuo and his companions hurriedly returned his greeting before entering the courtyard. As they stepped into this ancient Buddhist courtyard, that inexplicable feeling washed over them once again.
Xunuo had only been here once before; he vividly remembered that disorienting sensation. This time, even before entering Buddha Hall, that overwhelming pressure descended upon him even more strongly.
He glanced at his companions who appeared unfazed by it all, as if he alone could feel this pressure. Frustrated yet determined, he struggled to keep up with his senior brothers as they approached Buddha Hall.
Nangong Wan, attentive as always, noticed Xunuo's poor complexion and hurriedly inquired about it. However, Xunuo was unaware of the reason and could only attribute it to feeling unwell and not having rested properly.
Upon entering the Temple, they found several monks standing outside, with more than ten brothers from different halls already present. A few exchanged slight bows before silently looking around.
Xunuo had little interest in the monks performing their rituals and instead began to examine the Killing Blade displayed on the altar.
This Killing Blade was indeed peculiar. The hilt and blade were almost equal in length, and its curve was somewhat exaggerated. At first glance, it hardly resembled a weapon; rather, it looked like an ornament—just an unattractive one that was too unconventional.
As Xunuo stepped into the Buddha Hall, the source of the overwhelming pressure became glaringly apparent. It was the oddly shaped Killing Blade, surrounded by seven treasures of the Buddhist Sect. This pressure seemed to emanate from deep within the mind and Sea of Consciousness, leaving Xunuo feeling dazed. It felt as if he were facing not a two-foot-long curved knife but an ancient divine weapon capable of splitting heaven and earth.
Under this immense pressure, Xunuo felt extremely uncomfortable. Yet, an inexplicable suspicion arose within him: this Killing Blade had twice stirred his Divine Sense and left him in a daze without affecting anyone else—could it be that he had some connection to it?
Steeling himself, Xunuo quietly extended his Divine Sense toward the Killing Blade. The blade's remnants were completely concealed within its sheath and hilt. But how could such mundane objects hinder Xunuo's exploration with his Divine Sense?
As he probed deeper, he discovered the mysterious and bizarre nature of the blade's remnants. It was pitch black to an extreme degree yet emitted no light whatsoever—a detail that contradicted what the senior brother had said.
To Xunuo's eyes, this Killing Blade seemed to absorb brilliance without releasing any. The dark blade was covered in intricate patterns that were so fine and dense that they were nearly indistinguishable to the naked eye. Xunuo felt a vague resemblance between these patterns and those on the Jade Platform in the Spirit Domain, yet they were not identical; he couldn't pinpoint exactly how they differed.
Tentatively, Xunuo pushed his Divine Sense into the interior of the Killing Blade's remnants. Instantly, he was struck by the sight before him.
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