Chapter 37: Forging the Gold and Silver Fire
“That tachi was a birthday gift from Sect Master Ranzaki to his son. It’s not only incredibly valuable, but it also carries precious Sword Intent for one to comprehend.
“Half of Kenzaburo’s swordsmanship cultivation is tied to that sword. Losing it would be a devastating blow.
“If you return the sword to the Dream God Palace and have that boy apologize to Kenzaburo, there’s still a chance to salvage the situation. But if you insist on keeping it, Sect Master Ranzaki will personally come to retrieve his son’s sword!
“He’s a Mystic Lord realm expert, one of the top ten strongest individuals in the kingdom. Mu Xiner won’t be able to stop him.”
Yan Zhen ignored them, sitting on the sofa, watching Yi Xian’er meticulously apply medicine to his hand. She looked even more beautiful than usual from this angle.
Ji Ya, seated beside him, looked at the two old men with disdain, too lazy to waste her breath on them.
“Is that all? If you’re done, you can leave. I won’t see you out.”
Their faces flushed with anger at being ignored.
“How dare you treat us like this… You’re not only harming yourselves, but also making an enemy of the Dream God Palace!”
“Ji Ya, is this how you conduct yourself as the Head Shopkeeper? If you want to die, fine, but don’t drag the Gold and Jade Chamber of Commerce down with you!”
They blustered, but Ji Ya’s eyebrows shot up, her voice sharp.
“Shut up! You have no right to tell me what to do! Old men, you should worry about yourselves! You’re the ones who instigated this, sending Kenzaburo here! It’s not even clear who’s to blame for his loss!”
Their righteous indignation deflated like punctured balloons.
“Y-you’re talking nonsense!”
“It has nothing to do with me!”
Ji Ya smirked.
“Don’t think I don’t know what you’re up to. Get out of my sight while I’m still in a good mood. Otherwise…”
Before she could finish, the shadows beneath their feet rippled, emanating a chilling Mystic King aura.
“Ji Ya, don’t get cocky! I’ll report this to the three protector elders and impeach you!”
“The Chamber has always upheld the principle of ‘harmony brings wealth.’ Offending the Dream God Palace like this… The protector elders will definitely remove you from your position!”
Ji Ya was unconcerned. Her position wasn’t granted by the protector elders. She had earned it herself.
“You’ve brought this upon yourselves. Aunt Mu, do it!”
Their shadows came to life, transforming into black ropes that bound them, wrapping them into cocoons before tossing them out the door. The door slammed shut.
…
Yan Zhen apologized. “Did I… cause trouble for you, Sister Ji Ya?”
She patted his head.
“Don’t think like that. I’ve been wanting to get rid of that persistent Kenzaburo for a while now, especially his little sister… As for the Dream God Palace, they’re powerful, but they won’t make a fuss over a single sword. We’re not pushovers either.”
She wasn’t afraid of the Dream God Palace, or even the royal family. The Gold and Jade Chamber of Commerce was too important to the Sunward Kingdom, controlling over half of its economy.
“Wealth rivaling a nation” wasn’t just a saying.
Without the Chamber, the Sunward Kingdom would be reduced to a second-rate, or even third-rate, nation, vulnerable to exploitation by other kingdoms. That was a scenario neither the Dream God Palace nor the royal family wanted.
“However, Kenzaburo’s father, the current Sect Master of the Dream God Palace, might come to retrieve the tachi. If you really like Arashigir, Little Brother Yan Zhen, I’ll find a way to prevent him from taking it back.”
“It’s not that I like it. I’m just curious about the Sword Intent within it. After I comprehend it, I’ll return it to them.”
“Then there’s nothing to worry about.”
“Okay.”
It wasn’t a big deal. Jin’ichiro Ranzaki wouldn’t even come personally. He would simply send someone with another O Wazamono grade tachi and some gifts to exchange for Arashigir.
But by then, Yan Zhen would have already absorbed the Sword Intent, turning it into a valuable weapon in his arsenal, laying a solid foundation for his future comprehension of his own Sword Intent.
…
Due to his arrogance in blocking the attack with his bare hands, his injuries were quite severe this time, a combination of cuts and burns from the Extreme Flame. They looked painful. Going shopping was out of the question.
Yi Xian’er took him back to Elegant Courtyard to rest, while Ji Ya stayed in her office to finish her remaining work.
With Yi Xian’er present, he couldn’t enter the crystal space to seek treatment from his Beautiful Sect Master. He could only walk around the courtyard with her.
…
That evening, during bath time, he hid in the bathroom, activating his Star Shifting Fire Seal.
After his Beautiful Sect Master healed his right hand, he retrieved Arashigir, asking her if he could comprehend the Sword Intent within it.
“It’s a Wind attribute, speed-focused Sword Intent, Zhen’er. You don’t practice swordsmanship, and you don’t have Wind Mystic Power. You can’t comprehend it.”
“I see.”
“However, you can utilize this Sword Intent.”
“Really?”
“Extend your hand.”
She ignited her Starry Glass Fire, drawing a profound rune on the back of his right hand, then sheathed Arashigir, flicking the blade with her finger.
Ding.
The blade vibrated, a powerful gust of wind erupting, forming a massive green tornado that engulfed them.
“Contain.”
As she commanded, he felt the rune on his hand glowing, absorbing the entire tornado.
“From now on, Zhen’er, when you use your Extreme Flame, activate this rune. It will channel the power of this Sword Intent, using wind to enhance your flames, boosting their power to a higher level. You might even be able to shape your flames prematurely.”
“That’s amazing!”
“Although this Sword Intent isn’t particularly profound, it’s still a ‘True Intent.’ Unfortunately, it can only be used three to five times before it disappears.”
True Intent needed to be nurtured. He didn’t practice swordsmanship, so he couldn’t nurture it. He could only exploit it until it was exhausted.
He nodded, then said, “This rune looks familiar.”
She smiled faintly.
“It’s the Wind Rune, one of the nine runes from the Ancestral Talisman Scripture, Zhen’er. You can use this opportunity to practice drawing the Wind Rune. It should be much easier now.”
The five realms of the Soul – Concealed, Manifest, Ethereal, True, and Profound – could actually be divided into nine stages: Concealed, Concealed-Manifest, Manifest, Manifest-Ethereal, Ethereal, Ethereal-True, True, True-Profound, and Profound.
They corresponded to the first nine realms of the Mystic Path.
He was currently at the late stage of the Concealed Realm. If he successfully drew the Wind Rune, his Spiritual Power would advance to the Concealed-Manifest stage.
“Your cultivation is currently stagnant, Zhen’er. This is a good opportunity to train your Spiritual Power. Once you reach the Concealed-Manifest stage, you can start trying to forge the Gold and Silver Fire into your personal weapon!”
His eyes lit up. “Forge the Gold and Silver Fire?”
“Yes.” She nodded. “As I mentioned before, the Gold and Silver Fire’s greatest characteristic is its malleability. It’s also highly effective against metal and jade. If you forge it into your personal weapon, you’ll have an advantage in most battles, able to counter your opponents’ weapons.”
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